AmeriCorps VIP- Volunteer Infrastructure Program
AmeriCorps VIP trains and places AmeriCorps members to increase the number of volunteers providing needed services to children, youth and families who face economic hardship in the community.
AmeriCorps Members are placed at fellow non-profits and serve as part of a community team, working to coordinate programs and support volunteers.
Check out our 2012-2013 Partnering Agencies!
2012-2013 AmeriCorps VIP Members
Sierra Dierks is originally from Bolinas, CA. She graduated from CSU Monterey Bay, with a B.A. in Global Studies and a minor in Service Learning. While in school, she worked with the homeless population at Dorothy’s Kitchen in Salinas as a Service Learning Student Leader. Since graduation, she has held a variety of jobs and most recently traveled through South East Asia, where she spent four months volunteering in Cambodia to teach English, gardening, and coordinate an ethnographic mural project. She is currently the Volunteer Coordinator at Friday Night Live. Contact: dierkss@co.santa-cruz.ca.us
Rosa DeWaard graduated in 2012 from the University of California Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Psychology. She is passionate about helping people and also 
has a love for singing and music and was in an A cappella group on campus for three years. Originally born in the Netherlands, she has developed a love for traveling and studied abroad in Scotland in 2011. She is currently serving at the Santa Cruz Volunteer Center as the Volunteer Coordinator for the YouthSERVE program, and is excited to work with getting more youth serving in the community. Contact: ys@scvolunteercenter.org
Hannah Elliott was born and raised in Bakersfield, California and came to Santa Cruz in 2008 to attend UCSC. After having spent time in over 10 countries during her year abroad, Hannah ultimately decided there was nowhere in the world quite like Santa Cruz. Upon graduating with her B.A. in Psychology in June 2012, Hannah decided to dedicate her time to further serving this beautiful community she has grown to love. Hannah is ecstatic to be serving as the Volunteer Coordinator for Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center (SCCCC), an umbrella organization for 31 nonprofits in Santa Cruz providing an array of services to families, children, and individuals in our community. Contact: Hannah.Elliott@scccc.org
Emily Farver is originally from Ithaca NY. She recently graduated with a B.A in Psychology and Sociology from Brandeis University. Emily is passionate about 
working within the community and providing support to underrepresented populations. This passion she has will be further enhanced by her placement at Friends Outside, which provides help and support for incarcerated individuals, as well as, their families and children who are coping with the trauma of arrest and incarceration. Emily will help provide support in many ways to this group of individuals who are commonly misunderstood. Emily hopes to attend graduate school for Psychology with a focus on Nutrition in the future. Contact: fovolunteer@scvolunteercenter.org
Daniel Fried graduated in 2011 from UCSC with a degree in Sociology, and joined the AmeriCorps VIP program shortly after. His first term was working as the Volunteer Coordinator with the Meals on Wheels program, serving the senior population of Santa Cruz County. He is now continuing his second term with AmeriCorps working as the Volunteer Coordinator for Community Connection and serving in the field of mental health. When Daniel isn’t working, he greatly enjoys playing music. Contact: dfried@ccsantacruz.org
Marina Garcia recently graduated from CSU Monterey Bay with a B.A. in Visual and Public Art and a minor in Peace Studies. Over the
four years she spent at CSUMB, Marina became increasingly involved with the Service Learning Institute. Since graduating, she has pursued an interest in youth oriented non-profits and spent the last year working with Aspire Public Schools in Oakland, serving low-income students. Marina is currently working as the Volunteer Coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Cruz, where she has combined her commitment to volunteering and her deep experience and passion for working with youth. Contact: volunteer@boysandgirlsclub.info
Ginger Haggerty recently graduated from UC Santa Cruz and is working as the Volunteer Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity. She is a native of Southern California and is excited to become more involved in the local community through her work with Habitat for Humanity and the Volunteer Center. She enjoys horseback riding, volunteering in her spare time, and being able to read books for fun again since leaving college. Contact: volunteer@habitatsc.org
Jennifer Harman is currently serving as the AmeriCorps VIP Leader at the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County. This is Jennifer’s
3rd year in AmeriCorps, last year serving as the Volunteer Coordinator at Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center. Her first year in AmeriCorps was working with families in crisis in Humboldt County, which facilitated Jennifer’s understanding of non-profits and benefited her greatly in creating an atmosphere of volunteerism at SCCCC last term. Jennifer received her B.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Nutrition and Wellness from CSU, Monterey Bay. Jennifer looks forward to transitioning into relational care and outreach ministry when her service term is over. Contact: americorps@scvolunteercenter.org
Amy Pipkin is currently serving as the Assistant Volunteer Coordinator for the Santa Cruz Public Libraries. After graduating from Chapman University with a Bachelor’s Degree in the Social Sciences, Amy spent her first AmeriCorps term serving as a VISTA Volunteer with Interim, Inc., a mental health organization based out of Monterey County. Amy has dedicated her professional life to the concept of human growth and development, and believes in the power of volunteerism to transform lives. Amy is currently exploring the library field as a way to reach the community at large and strengthen the bonds between its members. Contact: pipkina@santacruzpl.org
Zena Shelton is a recent graduate of Seattle University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. After returning from a
recent service trip in Ghana, Zena is now serving as the Assistant Volunteer Coordinator at the Santa Cruz Public Libraries. Upon completion of her service year, Zena plans on developing her interest in the marketing field and continuing her education. Contact: sheltonz@santacruzpl.org
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