Veteran honored for service to his community
June 6, 2016
On Friday, June 3, 2016, U.S. Army veteran Derek Destin was honored as the South Carolina AmeriCorps Member of the Year for his service to his community. As a member of The Sustainability Institute’s (TSI) Conservation Corps – Veterans Initiative, Destin and his fellow team members make income-qualified homes in the community more energy efficient. Through his service with The Sustainability Institute, Destin has excelled in home energy performance testing and work site leadership through guiding his team of fellow Veterans as Assistant Team Leader. He takes an active role in recruiting fellow members for the program, spreading the mission of TSI through Veterans-specific partner agencies and developing his own personal goals for life after Corps service.
As the South Carolina Service Commission, United Way Association of South Carolina provides the Siegling South Carolina AmeriCorps Member of the Year Award annually to recognize the value of service. The award recognizes and honors an outstanding AmeriCorps Member, serving in a South Carolina AmeriCorps*State program, whose efforts go beyond standard expectations of the SC Commission. The SC Commission receives funding for AmeriCorps from the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Less than one year ago, Derek Destin was touching bottom. A U.S. Army veteran who had served in Afghanistan and Iraq, Destin was battling substance abuse and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Despite not having a place to live or a job prospect in mind, he drove to Charleston in search of a community of other military service veterans and treatment for his service-related illnesses. He wanted to begin the healing process.
Destin was homeless and receiving services from The Veterans Administration and Palmetto Warrior Connection (Goodwill Industries) when he was introduced to The Sustainability Institute. “I came to AmeriCorps with the intentions of providing a service and working to build my business, being able to be in the community and also touching the lives of Veterans. I’ve had people come up to me afterward and say ‘Thanks, I live in the neighborhood where you serve.’ It isn’t always about doing the work and saving money, it is about interacting. This is something AmeriCorps has brought to my life, being an actual presence in someone’s life.”
Through his own treatment and recovery, Destin saw a need in the community for additional support services. His AmeriCorps service has allowed him to meet influential community leaders who play roles in post-military service programs and life improvement services for at-risk veterans. He said taking on the additional responsibility as a recruiter and assistant team leader helped him develop skills that will be useful long after his term, as he works towards his goal for life after service: a career as a life enhancement coach for other Veterans who are trying to put their lives back together. Destin is currently studying to become a registered dietician in efforts to professionally support follow veterans with diet and exercise. Destin said, “[Serving with AmeriCorps] showed me that others had confidence in the decisions I was making and the way I told my story. AmeriCorps has helped me re-establish myself and re-connect who I am.”
The AmeriCorps Member of the Year will be honored at the South Carolina Governor’s award banquet scheduled for September 2016. The SC Commission also recognized Elizabeth Harrison and Dalenna Kessler, AmeriCorps Members with Communities in Schools of the Midlands, for going above and beyond regular duties by assisting during the October 2015 flood. Both joined the Volunteer Management Team, led by the State Service Commission staff, which coordinated the thousands of volunteers coming to the state in response to the disaster.
The United Way Association of South Carolina’s mission is to create long-lasting opportunities to advance the common good for all in the areas of education, financial stability, and health. For more information, visit www.UWASC.org. UWASC serves as the South Carolina State Service Commission to improve South Carolina communities through volunteerism and national service programs. Our vision is to promote and increase: (1) an ethic of service and volunteerism in the state of South Carolina, (2) the capacity of faith-based and community organizations within the state to better compete for funding opportunities and (3) the collaboration among communities and organizations that are trying to meet the greatest needs of the Palmetto State. The SC Service Commission receives funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service for AmeriCorps programming.
The SC Commission provides funding to twelve AmeriCorps Programs in South Carolina, including the Sustainability Institute (www.sustainabilityinstitutesc.org), which was founded in 1999 to empower South Carolinians to conserve energy and reduce our environmental footprint where we live and work. SI creates market transformation for energy efficient and sustainable buildings through a well-tested and successful combination of community education and outreach, innovative direct services, and workforce training.
