I already knew what it was like to live in the Midtown neighborhood of Milwaukee because I was a lifelong resident. The local economy and residents suffered the financial backlash common in poverty-stricken areas—redlined financial products, loans and insurance at unreasonable rates, unfair retail pricing structures, no local bank branches, and businesses that crumbled and closed.

As a board member of the Midtown Neighborhood Association, we had identified the lack of banking resources as a key element in the decline of our neighborhood. The message was clear. Institutions were not investing in the neighborhoods around me and opportunities commonly available elsewhere were pipe dreams. Without community resources, Midtown would be left further behind. My neighborhood group realized the community needed a local financial institution to provide a foundation on which to build a stable future.

So the association board asked that I become a VISTA and organize a financial empowerment initiative. When I was sworn in, I saw a VISTA poster that aptly defined my stewardship. It declared “We will either find a way, or make one,” and making a way became my personal mantra. Our project was to establish the Cream City Community Development Credit Union to offer basic banking, as well as loans, for projects that created jobs, cultivated local businesses, and contributed to the development of Milwaukee’s inner city.

It took a lot of hard work to get Cream City going because we had to start from scratch. We didn’t have staplers, pens, or paper clips, which really didn’t matter because we didn’t have paper or desks, either. Obviously, the first thing we had to do was equip ourselves, so we begged, borrowed, and negotiated rock bottom prices for everything. We got a huge boost from a relocating hospital, which supplied a lot of the furniture we needed, while other organizations donated the necessary supplies. My colleagues and I put in the time by working almost every night, weekend, and holiday.

In early November of my first year, we learned about a federal government loan we could get that would provide some operating capital. The only problem was that the November 30 application deadline was less than a month away. Excited by the prospect of funding, we worked day and night pulling together the necessary documentation and forms. Finally, that Thanksgiving, we gathered around my dining room table to put the finishing touches on the business plan and application between bites of turkey and cranberry sauce. It’s still one of my fondest holiday memories because our diligence paid off—we got the $10,000 capitalization loan.

We got the loan, but we were just getting started. To prove the viability of the institution, we had to prove that it would be used by the residents of the community. By going door-to-door, we got residents to pledge to open an account with us. The minimum account opening balance had to be $50, which was a lot of money for a community where the majority of people were on welfare. But we got enough to prove that Cream City would be a valued community commodity.

We also had to put together committees and generate support from professionals willing to volunteer their time. It was hard, but we finally opened Cream City’s doors, and, while it certainly didn’t happen overnight, I was mesmerized by the effect it had on the community. It enabled people to start thinking about building assets instead of just making ends meet. People could now invest in the community by getting a home or small business loan, then give back to the community by hiring residents or improving their small part of the neighborhood.

The community flourished and buzzed with activity as our service became contagious. There was a local bar and grill called the Interlude where we often gathered to discuss our next course of action. By publicly holding meetings and discussions, people saw what we did and either wanted to be a part of it or take on projects of their own. Groups formed that eventually brought in a coin-operated laundry and a health clinic. This all led to housing development and an improved quality of life. Other businesses followed, the community developed a new pride, and the neighborhood experienced a renaissance.

Too many people believe that where you start out dictates where you end up. That didn’t happen to me, and it shouldn’t happen to anyone. VISTA, or what’s now known as AmeriCorps*VISTA, is what made the difference for me and the community where I grew up. Now, more than 20 years later, the Midtown area is thriving, growing, and proud. And it was the Cream City Federal Credit Union that led the way for this poor inner-city community to take control of its destiny. Cream City eventually morphed into another institution, and today my family still does its banking there.

Through my VISTA experience, I learned the value of self-help, coalition building, interracial cooperation, and mobilization. I gained self-confidence, patience, and faith, as well as financial, networking, and organizational skills. Above all, I realized that great things can be accomplished with the collective strength of community, thus strengthening my commitment to community service. Now I serve on the Financial Services Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and have the opportunity to make a direct impact on the conditions I observed during my service. Without my VISTA service, I doubt I would have been able to attain this position.

But my VISTA service wasn’t about empowering me, it was about empowering the people and the community. For example, my service had a marked effect on my daughter, Jessalynne, and my other two children. I took them with me to my meetings, so they grew up seeing and hearing and learning what it takes to make the world a better place just a little bit at a time. That’s where my legacy intermingles with VISTA’s because Jessalynne also joined VISTA to serve homeless children, and she did a fantastic job. But that is her story to tell, not mine.

My VISTA legacy is that through service, I left a footprint. Jessalynne left another and thousands of other VISTAs left theirs. Given that, we are not VISTA’s legacy of service. Projects like Cream City Community Development Credit Union serve as that legacy. Why? Because they blaze the trail that others will follow. And that trail leads the way out of poverty.

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