Air Force Veteran Uses Her Own Brand of “Magic” to Serve Her Community as a Frontline Families AmeriCorps Member
Air Force Veteran Uses Her Own Brand of “Magic” to Serve Her Community as a Fro…
When it comes to serving her community, Angela Collins speaks about the “magic” – or individual talents – of each person involved. One’s “magic,” she explained, is his or her natural talent, an ordinary thing that he or she does better than most. Angela believes that each person’s skills are magic to everyone else. “So when you figure out what people’s magic is and you put it to use in the community, to build community, to create community, to bring people together, that’s where the magic happens,” Angela said.
Angela attended the University of Washington after two enlistments in the Air Force. After graduating, she needed assistance figuring out how to “jump back into the world” as a civilian. She ran across a newspaper ad for Rally Point 6, now known as USO Transition Services, an organization that offers services for veterans to help them with employment, education, VA benefits and more. She joined RP6 as a client, receiving help with her resume and interview skills; after three months, she signed on for a year of service with the organization as a Frontline Families AmeriCorps member.
Frontline Families, a national service program run by Points of Light, engages military service members and their families in volunteer service within their communities as they transition back into civilian life. The program brings them into a supportive network of other veterans who are trained volunteer leaders for the program, giving them the opportunity to make tangible improvements and to connect with other members of their communities.
Over nine months, Angela and her Frontline Families partner, Katie Bianco, created and led community programs all around the Lakewood, Washington, area.
