The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Residents Þnd allies in nonprofit sector

By Katherine Petersen

Sunnyvale resident Kym Paszkeicz, 24, left her job in international sales to work in the nonprofit world. Corporate America gave her no satisfaction, she said.

"I've done community service since high school and wanted to see what the nonprofit sector was like," she said.

Paszkeicz turned to Public Allies, an Americorps program, for help. The national nonprofit organization, with an office in San Jose, matches people between the ages of 18 and 30 with community-service agencies for 10 months of work to gain leadership skills and other knowledge.

"This program offers individuals the opportunity to give back to their community," said Anne Takemoto, executive director of Public Allies and a Cupertino resident. Other Americorps programs emphasize public safety, education and the environment, she added.

"I think it's a way of connecting people to the community," she said.

"It's an opportunity that a lot of us don't get. The allies provide services to a vast amount of people."

Paszkeicz went through a long application process, including group and individual interviews, before Public Allies accepted her.

"We recruit young adults with a lot of potential," program manager Judith Ned said. "We look for leadership skills that will bring people together on the grassroots level in order to help build each other's communities in an effective way."

Public Allies, funded through the federal program Americorps, has a budget of more than $400,000 per year. Other funding comes from private donors, grants and foundations.

Americorps programs are started with federal funding but need to find their own resources for money, Ned said.

Public Allies does its best to place volunteers in jobs that match the individuals' skills and interests. This year, the organization has placed 21 allies.

"They go to three interviews with partnership organizations and hopefully find one they like," Takemoto said.

Paszkeicz, who is interested in social work and relationships, works as a case manager at Big Brothers/Big Sisters, matching at-risk children with adult mentors who can help them reach their potential in many ways, including emotionally, academically and socially. She receives a monthly stipend of $1,500, which is funded by both Public Allies and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

"The big sister volunteers are role models for the little sisters and help them through one-on-one relationships," she said. She has finished interviewing big sisters and is set to begin matching them with little sisters.

"I love what I do because no one has gotten to where they are unless someone has believed in them," she said. "I've had mentors all my life. I've come full circle in terms of facilitating that for others."

Paszkeicz, who is following 10 existing matches, believes a big sister can change the dynamic of an entire family. "Big sisters can be a stable force in the life of a girl who doesn't have much self-esteem," she said. "It changes the way she reacts with her siblings and parents."

Public Allies also partners with the American Lung Association, Vanished Children's Alliance, Catholic Charities, AIDS Resource and Information Services and the Second Harvest Food Bank.

"They need to work in positions where they're working directly with people in the community, not filing papers," Ned said. "A lot of them run different classes, train volunteers and head up group sessions."

Most allies pursue community-service careers or go back to school after completing their service. Paszkeicz, whose goal is to get a master's in social work, fits right in.

Public Allies is looking for recruits for next year's class as well as mentors in the community for current allies, Takemoto said. For more information about Public Allies, call 289-1875.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, December 10, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.