Established in 2001, the Health Access Project (HAP) is a

community partnership that works to develop a more

effective system for providing health care to uninsured

residents of Salt Lake County.

AmeriCorps members have been a part of HAP’s success

since 2003, and they currently utilize FIVE full-time mem-

bers. These dedicated men and women work with local

physicians, hospitals, community clinics, private busi-

nesses and the state and local health department medical

providers to secure specialized medical services for low-

income and underserved patients.

Months after a serious flood destroyed their former

office HAP was able to move into a lovely new location,

full of sunshine. On December 3rd, HAP opened its

doors and welcomed community members and volunteer

providers to tour the new location and learn more about

their vital work in the community. Staff and AmeriCorps

members created excellent presentations to illuminate

the important work they do.

HAP Project Director Jessie Oyler notes that Ameri-

Corps member Tetea helped recruit volunteers with

expertise in catering services as well as with businesses

who agreed to donate food and materials for the event.

Tetea utilized her own expertise to create a beautiful and

delicious offering for their guests. AmeriCorps members

Emily and Victor also were influential in making the open

house successful by petitioning businesses for support

and recruiting volunteers.

During the Open

House, HAP also cele-

brated the naming of

Jessie Oyler as the

new Project Director.

Jessie started as a

Case Manager with

HAP in 2004, and

continued to progress

and learn, eventually

taking on the roles of

Primary Care Coordi-

nator and Case Man-

ager Supervisor. Jessie

is grateful for the men-

toring of previous

HAP Directors Daniel Nielson, who helped him realize

his goal of getting his Masters Degree in Public Admini-

stration, and Michael Gardner, who provided him with

the know-how and experience needed to be a successful

Project Director at HAP.

Jessie says that HAP could not perform its mission with-

out the dedication of the AmeriCorps members he leads,

that having these members saves the organization money

and maximizes the quality of care their clients receive.

Congratulations, Jessie, on your leadership of this won-

derful community resource, we are so excited to work

with you in the future!

A Good Beginning

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Computers for

the Community

of Bluff, Utah

2

A Joyful Day

with the

Salvation Army

3

New Faces, in

the Office and

the Field

4

A Big

Thank You to

our Supporters

5

Inspiring Letter

from the Field

6

AmeriCorps and the Medically

Underserved in Utah (AMUU)

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 0

AMUU Program Director Cindy

Ewing and HAP Project Direc-

tor, Jessie Oyler celebrate their

agencies’ continued collabora-

tion.

During orientation week in October, amidst trainings in chronic disease, public health programs, first aid/

CPR, and community resources, AmeriCorps members worked together to craft a vision of how they

would fulfill the program’s mission this year.

After multiple sessions of teambuilding and collaboration, the members of the 2009-10 AmeriCorps and the

Medically Underserved in Utah pledged to fulfill our mission with Commitment, Courage, Respect,

Innovation, Empathy and Joy.

Since October we have seen our members bring these qualities to their service and are looking forward to

an incredibly successful program year.

Mission Statement AmeriCorps and the Medically Underserved in Utah (AMUU) strives to reduce

economic, geographic, cultural, and language barriers to health care and to

expand primary care services for medically underserved populations in Utah.

Worthy Celebrations and Warm Congratulations

AmeriCorps... Getting Things Done!

AMUU is a program of

P A G E 2

Innovative Service Benefits Bluff Community

Claudia Ruiz serves with

Comunidades Unidas (CU),

whose mission is to eliminate

ethnic disparities by promoting

grassroots outreach, educa-

tion and long term policy change.

CU has been serving the commu-

nity for 11 years and helping

more than 15,000 families annu-

ally.

Sabrina Morales, the director of

CU, says ―Claudia is a wonderful

addition to our caring group of

staff and volunteers. She brings

a great deal of energy and en-

thusiasm to everything we do.

She exhibits a great deal of

initiative and is very creative at

recruiting community members

as volunteers for our programs.

Prior to becoming an Ameri-

Corps member Claudia was

already an active volunteer for

CU. Her interest in working

with immigrant communities

and teaching them about how

to access services has been of

great help to our organiza-

tion.‖

Claudia also delivers weekly

news and information for the

Spanish-speaking community.

Listen to Claudia Saturdays

from 8-10am and Sundays 6-

8pm. The station is AM1640

¡SuperRadio!

Please consider donating your used, good condition computer

supplies to the computer lab in Bluff, Utah!

WISH LIST

An up-to-date computer (PCs or MACs with Microsoft Word)

A Microsoft Windows textbook (that is the current software on

all PCs now).

A Printer where at least 10 PCs could connect to as a network

Extra ink cartridges for those printers (enough for 10 students)

A phone line for broadband linkage between a network of PCs

Microsoft Excel software if not already on donated PCs or MACs

Printer paper

Keyboards and mouses (mice?)

Stable tables and chairs

Mouse Pads

Surge-protected extension cords

CD-ROMs or flash drives so students can save their work and

take them with them.

Donations are being accepted at the AMUU office in Salt Lake City.

Please call 801-716-4605 for more information.

Cathlena Plummer had the idea of starting a computer lab in her

community (the tiny town of Bluff in southeastern Utah) one day

while visiting with her mom and aunts. Her relatives talked about

how today’s technology had surpassed their expectations while

growing up and how modern kids were all glued to their iPods

and cell phones.

Cathlena’s mom pointed out that she didn’t even know how to

turn on the computer, let alone do anything with it. So Cathlena

struggled to give her mom a mental picture that the computer

was a huge filing cabinet filled with important documents and

pictures. This is when Cathlena had an ―Aha!‖ moment, and real-

ized that teaching computer classes would be a great service for

her community.

Cathlena and her mother spread the word and a lot of people

came through with help. The first five computers were donated

from the elementary school in Bluff by the Principal Monique

McDermott. Cathlena’s online buddy from California donated his

old PC, rather than just recycling it.

Finding space for the computer lab room has been a struggle. For

3 months, the computers were housed in the local priest’s per-

sonal office before being moved into an abandoned building. The

current location has a lot of wiring problems and doesn’t have an

adequate heating system; it’s hard to schedule classes in the win-

ter. Despite these challenges, Cathlena is excited to build the

computer lab.

Her students have already learned how to write up resumes and

cover letters. They hope to someday move into a building with

heat and a working bathroom. Cathlena dreams of someday hav-

ing access to a satellite internet system and wi-fi connectivity.

¡SuperRadio!

AmeriCorps Member

Claudia Ruiz

The Computer Lab in Bluff Utah, is the result of an Independent Service Project (ISP) organized by one AMUU member.

Each of our 32 members will complete an ISP throughout the course of their service year.

Important Dates: January-March January 6 Member Meeting 9-noon AUCH offices

January 15 AmeriCorps Member Social 6:30-9:30pm Our Lady of Lourdes

A Celebration of Service

January 18 Martin Luther King Jr Day 10:30-noon Utah Food Bank

of Service Project

January 20 Workshop: Writing Proposals 10am-1pm AUCH offices

January 28 Diabetes Training 9am-4pm Utah Department of Health

(Spanish)-Optional

February 3 Member Meeting ** 9-noon AUCH offices

March 3 All-Day Member Meeting 9am-5pm Indian Walk-In Center

March 24 Workshop: Motivational 10am-1pm AUCH offices

Interviewing and Behavior

Change

March 31 Members will Submit ―Letters from the Field‖-

A Reflection on this quarter’s service Due by 5pm

** Please remember to bring your donated blankets for the International Rescue Committee (IRC)—part of Jo

Hubbard’s ISP.

P A G E 3

Angel Tree Service Project When a group of people come together

with the intention to get things done,

it’s amazing what you will see happen in

a day. On December 18th, AMUU part-

nered with the Salvation Army Angel

Tree project to get something done

for low-income children in Utah.

Bright and early, AmeriCorps members

pulled into the parking lot of the old

Utah Food Bank warehouse, the sea-

sonal home of the Angel Tree project.

Spilling into the warehouse with smiles

on their faces, the AMUU crew started

by quickly organizing themselves and

dispersing into working groups.

In one corner of the warehouse, do-

nated items (clothes, shoes, winter

wear, and toys) were set out on tables

and racks so that a collection of items

could be compiled for each Angel Tree

recipient. Volunteers selected a large

black garbage sack printed with a child’s

name, gender, size, and requested items.

Volunteers then went ―shopping’ and

packaged gifts of much needed items for a

child in our community. Laughter and

encouraging remarks could be heard as

members did a different kind of ―holiday

shopping‖ and filled bag after bag with

donations for low-income families.

In vast aisles of bags that stretched from

one end of the warehouse to the next,

members worked together to ensure that

all the requested items were present and

that the bags were neatly sealed and or-

ganized for pick up.

Other members could be seen transport-

ing bags of collected donations throughout

the warehouse, talking and smiling as they

collaborated to accomplish something

they believe in – getting things done for

the community.

Still more AmeriCorps members could be

found at the front of the warehouse taping

labels on an endless stream of bags, which

were quickly filled and prepared for distri-

bution to Utah families.

“While volunteering at Angel Tree

with my AmeriCorps group, I was

filled with excitement and joy. Angel

Tree is such a great program and I

was glad to see my fellow Ameri-

Corps members working together...

to give local kids a great Christmas.

No matter what the value or quan-

tity of the clothes and toys we picked

out, it was obvious that the greatest

gift given this holiday season was the

gift of love and service.”

– Ashley Bridges, AMUU member

The day passed quickly and everyone left

feeling the deep satisfaction of having do-

nated a tangible service for the people in

their community.

The angel tree service project was just the

first of many service projects planned for

AMUU this year.

AMUU member Karina Martin does

some heavy lifting

AMUU members Victor Villasmil and

Cristina Ramos and Program Director

Cindy Ewing “shop” for kids.

New Faces in the Office: Cindy, Sara, and Baby Kai

P A G E 4

Cindy Ewing has a rich

history of working with

local non-profit organiza-

tions and is now bringing

her passion and leadership to AmeriCorps and

the Medically Underserved in Utah (AMUU). An

alumnus of AMUU, Cindy has already developed

a strong commitment to reducing barriers to

health care in our communities and an apprecia-

tion for the dedicated citizens who step forward

and contribute their time and talents to benefit

Utah’s medically underserved populations.

―The most exciting thing about leading

such an extraordinary program is the

wonderful group of people I have the

opportunity to work with. Our Ameri-

Corps members come from all over the

world and bring an incredible diversity of

skills and talents to the program.

Working with our AmeriCorps members

to promote access to health care and to

deliver compassionate and respectful ser-

vice to our community members is so

rewarding. I know our members are out

there making a difference in people’s lives

on a daily basis, and there is no way to

measure the true value of that kind of

work. It is an honor to be able to lead

such fabulous people and to help them

achieve their professional and personal

goals. The spirit of service is strong in our

program and the dedication of our mem-

bers to their clients is incredible.‖

Cindy is actively developing new relation-

ships with community organizations who

will promote our vision for accessible

health care and will enrich the services we

are able to offer our clients and community

members. Through quarterly service pro-

jects, AMUU will address Human, Environ-

mental, and Educational needs in Utah com-

munities.

Cindy Ewing,

Program Director

On the side, Sara shares her love of knit-

ting by teaching kids and adults needle-

working skills at a local yarn shop.

Sara is proud to join AMUU: ―I am so

lucky to have worked with so many kind,

generous individuals over the years. I truly

believe in the power of people to help

others, to support our community, and to

actively change the world for the better. I

am looking forward to working more

closely with our AmeriCorps members,

who are serving people and our communi-

ties with every-

thing they’ve got

(and who are

smart, interesting,

fun folks too!).

I would like to

thank everyone

who has welcomed me into this excel-

lent program. I will continue to work

hard to support our members and the

agencies and clients they serve.‖

We would like to welcome Sara

Moses, AMUU’s new Assistant Direc-

tor. Sara has a long tradition of work-

ing with non-profit organizations in

Salt Lake City; she started fresh out

of high school working specifically

with teen clients at Planned Parent-

hood and stayed on for many years

working with patients and then later

with donors. For the last few years,

Sara served as the Office Manager of

City Academy.

Sara Moses, AMUU Program Assistant Director

It is with joy and warm congratulations

that we announce the arrival of a new

baby! Kate Corrigan, AMUU Program

Assistant, and her husband Paul welcomed

Kai William Corrigan to the world on

Dec. 29, 2009. He weighed 8 pounds 3

ounces and was 22 inches long. The little

fellow has red hair! Kate and Paul, we

know you’ll enjoy this grand new adven-

ture and hope you enjoy spending time

with your new little guy!

Kate Corrigan, AMUU Program

Assistant and new baby Kai

“The best way to find yourself is to

lose yourself in the service of others.”

- Gandhi

“Life’s most urgent question is: what

are you doing for others?”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

P A G E 5

Thank You!

Engaging Books

“In the Time of the But-terflies” by Julia Alvarez (fiction)

“The Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver (fiction)

“Writing Down the

Bones” by Natalie Gold-berg (non-fiction)

“Drumming got

everybody together

on the same level.

We were ONE

group. That was

the most excellent

thing that hap-

pened during

orientation.”

~AMUU member

We would like to highlight two non-profit agencies who donated significant time during Orientation Week. The Cultural Competency

training provided by the Human Rights Education Center of Utah prepared AmeriCorps members to go out into the community

and work with diverse populations in respectful and compassionate ways.

Rhythms of Life generously provided AMUU members with the opportunity to come together in collaboration, in self expression and in

group celebration, with a session of African Drumming led by owner Mike Liston.

The following businesses and individuals also contributed greatly to the success of Orientation Week: Anna Farnsworth, Sally Patrick,

Rita Ballesteros, Lorna Koci, Emma Chacon, Kevin McCulley, Milton Birbridge, Spencer Cannon, Erik Perez, Marc Babitz MD, Emily Carl-

son, Harmon’s, Chipotle, Soup Kitchen, and Einstein’s Bagels.

Dave Black recently joined AmeriCorps to

work with the Moab Free Health Clinic. The

clinic will soon be moving into their own

building, and Dave will be instrumental in all

aspects of moving the operation and opening

the new clinic.

This isn’t Bek Brochtrup’s first time serving as an

AmeriCorps volunteer; but it is the first time we’ve

been lucky enough to work with her. Bek will be serv-

ing at the Seekhaven Family Crisis and Resource Cen-

ter, which provides services for victims of domestic

violence and homeless people in the Moab community.

New Faces in the Field: Dave and Bek

Our newest members bring to AmeriCorps a diverse set of skills and a

“get it done” attitude. Welcome aboard!

“Rhythm is a universal language, allowing dialog among us at the most basic creative level. Drum-ming together cuts through racial , cultural and gender differences to the core of who we are as human beings” - Arthur Hull

P A G E 6

Letter From the Field

December 31, 2009

As an AmeriCorps member, I committed to getting things done and the last few months have been filled with doing just

that. While my host site looks to me to complete the duties of dental care coordinator, I have noticed that I spend a

large portion of my day doing whatever it takes to make Community Health Connect function and serve my

community, whether or not they have a dental need. That is what AmeriCorps is all about - seeing a need and finding or

creating a solution, even if it's not your "job". I have found such great satisfaction in my AmeriCorps service thus far as

each day I watch people leave my office with a smile on their face, knowing that they've found someone who cares

about them and with a renewed sense of hope in whatever situation they may find themselves in. My service to this

point has proved to be not only invaluable to those I am serving, but also to me in my own life. I find myself blessed

with an added measure of patience and charity, truly caring for those around me. While definitely not something I

would currently categorize as a strength of mine, I am learning to be more open minded and less judgmental as I serve

clients from a variety of circumstances, backgrounds, and cultures - getting to know them and their concerns instead of

assuming anything. While exhausted at the end of the day, I am happy and satisfied, knowing that I have done good in

the world and brought joy to someone else.

In the last few months, I have spoken with tons of people, each one impacting my life to a certain degree. There are a

couple of people who have, I believe, really defined my service the last few months. The first one is Ms. M, who came

into the office one afternoon in a complete panic. A few months earlier, she had been diagnosed with stage 3 breast

cancer and, through the generous donations of several doctors and the hospital, was receiving the life-saving

chemotherapy that she so desperately needed. However, during this time she began to develop an infection in her

mouth. Such an infection is never a good thing, especially left untreated, but for Ms. M, this was life threatening due to

her compromised and weakened immune system. With absolutely no insurance and no hope of scraping together

enough money to pay for a visit to the dentist, she came into Community Health Connect to see if there was anything

that we could do to help. Due to the extreme need in our community, the waiting list to see a dentist is generally

6 months. By the time Ms. M's turn came to see a dentist, there was a great possibility that she would be dead. After a

few minutes on the phone explaining the situation to an incredible dentist, Dr. D agreed to take Ms. M as a new patient.

Happily, Ms. M is receiving the dental care that she so desperately needed and because of the generosity of Dr. D and

several dental labs in Utah County, she is receiving all of the care and dental appliances free of charge to her.

Another client who has really left an impact on my life is Mr. P. In the last month, he has taught me and helped me so

much more than I have helped him. He came into the office at 5:45 on a Thursday afternoon. Everyone, including me,

was closing up for the weekend. When he told the girl at the front desk that he had some dental questions, I probably

rolled my eyes, slightly irritated that he would come in just as we were closing. My irritation only increased as we

talked. With slurred vision, inability to put together a coherent sentence, and droopy eyelids, I quickly assumed that he

was another strung out druggie looking for a handout. It wasn't long, however, before I was put in my place and

sufficiently humbled. The longer we talked, the more Mr. P shared with me about his life. A college graduate, with an

MBA no less, Mr. P was a husband and father of 3 small children. He had his own successful business and life seemed

to be perfect. One day, while at work, Mr. P suffered a severe seizure causing him to fall from the ladder he was on.

The resulting injuries would have been bad enough, but in addition Mr. P learned that he had a rare and severe

seizure disorder causing him to have several seizures throughout the day, many of them extremely serious. He has

lost his business, his independence, and each seizure is causing him to lose use of more and more parts of his brain -

explaining the slurred vision, droopy eyelids, and difficulty forming sentences. Mr. P came to us looking for help

with several root canals and happily we have found a dentist willing to help him out.

AmeriCorps is about getting things done, not about letting red tape, language, prejudices, assumptions, or

difficulties get in the way. As I continue in my service at Community Health Connect, I commit to do whatever

it takes to better serve my community including developing greater compassion and the courage necessary to be

innovative in my service.

Respectfully,

Rachel