AmeriCorps creates opportunities for service-minded individuals like Mariah Sanchez to make a powerful impact in communities across the nation.
Since 2016, individuals serving through the AmeriCorps VISTA program have helped transform the entire Crossroads for Women community. In celebration of #AmeriCorpsWeek, we’re excited to share what inspired Mariah to serve as a VISTA member and why she was drawn to the Crossroads for Women mission.
After watching a film in high school about the lack of mental health support for people exiting incarceration, Mariah knew she wanted to study pyschology in college and find a career path that would enable her to give back to people in need. Becoming an AmeriCorps VISTA member has been a valuable experience on her path to working in the medical field.
“When I found the posting for a VISTA position at Crossroads for Women, an organization that addresses co-occurring mental health disorders and addiction, I was so excited,” says Mariah. “Those issues inspired my college studies and having just graduated, it seemed like a perfect fit.”
An admittedly somewhat shy 23-year-old UNM graduate from Los Alamos, Mariah came on-board as Crossroads’ third consecutive VISTA member last August. Her main focus at Crossroads has been managing the volunteer and community service programs while also assisting the development team and supporting client-centered therapeutic events.
In 2018, 65 volunteers dedicated over 1,000 hours at Crossroads doing everything from cooking meals for our day program groups to cleaning the grounds at our downtown location. This valuable volunteer support was made possible thanks to Mariah’s stewardship and the support of her supervisor, Dalilah Naranjo, who served as Crossroads very first VISTA member.
” The insight into how a program actually works has been really valuable. All of the other things I did before becoming a VISTA weren’t as team-oriented. I’ve definitely learned a lot about being on a team and more than that, being on a team that supports people.
Mariah Sanchez
Mariah learned about the intersection between addiction and mental illness in her college courses while double majoring in psychology and chemistry. Through her service as a VISTA member, Mariah says she’s learned that there’s a significant difference between what you learn in books versus what actually happens in real life.
“When you’re learning things about addiction treatment in college, you’re learning about all of these modalities that seem very isolated,” she says. “In the real world there’s so much more to it–there’s community support, peer support, support from people like VISTAs, and other staff bringing things to the table.”
Together with her fellow VISTA alumni and the entire Crossroads for Women team, Mariah is actively working to empower women in New Mexico. We’re grateful for Mariah’s service and the talents she brings to our community!
Written by Clarissa Earl