[This post is part of a blog series highlighting the viewpoints of AmeriCorps Michigan Foreclosure Prevention Corps members serving at different foreclosure host sites around Michigan. Click here for information about the program.]

My name is Starlina Gutierrez. I am an AmeriCorps Member with Michigan`s Foreclosure Corps. Michigan Foreclosure Corps AmeriCorps Members are stationed at a different host sites throughout Michigan. The agency I serve at is Home Repair Services in Grand Rapids. Home Repair Services is a non-profit organization. This is my second term “year” as an AmeriCorps Member.  I first became an AmeriCorps Member as a way to enhance my skills.  My first year was barely started when I realized the importance my service had on Home Repair Services and the clients they serve.

Becoming an AmeriCorps Member for the second term was an easy decision. With our economy going the way it has, there have been waves of people in search of foreclosure prevention. There have been times where I’ve been swamped with incoming calls. For months all I did was intake calls & setting up appointments, one right after the other. The hardest part of ending my first term was knowing how much the counseling department needs the service I provide.

As an AmeriCorps Member I am here to provide assistance that will enhance the agency’s focus on the clients.  My time here goes into many little things. For Home Repair Services I am the first contact with anyone seeking help with their mortgages.  I take the time to gather intake information from each individual and make sure they bring everything they need to their appointment.  It’s very rewarding to be part of giving back to the community.  Being an AmeriCorps Member means you provide invaluable service to the clients, agency and to your community.