While no one can know exactly what the next year will bring, we believe in the resiliency and power of our students and members. This blog series will highlight some of their personal accomplishments, new Vista opportunities and events that focus on Personal Development, one of Vista's core values.
Vista is a part of the shoreline community of Connecticut, and our students and members take great pride in being able to help others in their local towns. Recently, our students in Discover, Vista's dormitory-based post secondary program, were thrilled to restart our job development training with community partner Bare Necessities, a nonprofit dedicated to providing diapers and wipes to families in need.
Prior to the pandemic, Vista's students prepared and packaged approximately 90% of Bare Necessities diapers so that these important items were readily available to be distributed to families in need. During the pause in Vista's on-site work, Bare Necessities relocated to a larger facility, allowing for their work to impact more families and Tina Bascom, President of Bare Necessities, is excited to have Vista back on-site.
Vista students counting and packing diapers at Bare Necessities
Tina explains, "I love working with Vista's students. They are interested and eager to learn. I help instruct them on the bagging process, but they've taught us as well. In fact, one Vista student developed "the magic trick," a technique which allows us to bag diapers much faster! Since then, another Vista student further improved the magic trick technique to make it work even better. It is wonderful for me to see the students develop their skills while helping Bare Necessities, and I will be a little sad — but deeply proud — to see the current Vista students leave our training site to find permanent employment in the community, but I know this movement will allow for other students to come to the site and develop their skills."
Vista students Elizabeth, Simon and Maya with Tina Bascom, President of Bare Necessities
With one in three U.S. families having a diaper need, the students at Vista recognize the impact of their efforts at Bare Necessities and are grateful to be able to help. Tina recalls working with one student on his first day and hearing him say at the end of the session, "I feel so fulfilled that I helped so many babies today."
For her, this sentiment embodies what Bare Necessities and Vista's students are all about.
More to come!