Connecting Communities & Resources
“By building connections with funders and local organizations, I have helped advance outcomes that directly improve neighbors’ experiences in the pantry. Seeing that impact firsthand has been both meaningful and deeply fulfilling!”
Sarah Weber serves as the Volunteer & Grant Manager at Neighborhood Services, Inc. (NSI). In this role, she strengthens the sustainability of her site’s volunteer and grant programs, creating streamlined processes to effectively steward organizational resources. Over the course of her term, Sarah has worked to streamline volunteer communications, oversee daily volunteer operations, and build relationships with volunteer groups, especially those from The Ohio State University. On the development side, she has also researched funding opportunities, coordinated project budgets, written grant materials, and managed grant submissions in support of NSI’s mission to address food insecurity.
Although it has sometimes been challenging to balance time between the Volunteer and Grant departments, Sarah has learned to trust her capacity-building skills to create efficient systems while also leaning on her colleagues for insight and support. In the capacity building realm, Sarah proud to have created an NSI 2026 Grants Calendar, as well as other sustainable tools, to organize funding opportunities, deadlines, and formally highlight priorities for the NSI team.
So far in service, a highlight for Sarah has been serving on a nonprofit panel for The Ohio State University Women in Business Club. During this experience, Sarah answered questions from students about her time in the nonprofit sector, discussing the benefits of serving in the VISTA program.
“The VISTA program at ShareCorps has positively shaped both my professional and personal growth!” she says. “I hope to carry these skills forward by continuing to improve communication and build systems that support sustainable growth.”
Following her current service term, Sarah is excited to continue at NSI for an additional year of VISTA service. She looks forward to continuing to build her skills in program management, grant management, and leadership. In the long-term, she hopes to pursue an administrative role within a conservation-focused nonprofit or government agency.
“I believe meaningful change begins at the community level, and my role has allowed me to support efforts to reduce food insecurity across 12 Central Ohio zip codes,” she says. “By building connections with funders and local organizations, I have helped advance outcomes that directly improve neighbors’ experiences in the pantry. Seeing that impact firsthand has been both meaningful and deeply fulfilling!”
Having grown up on a farm in rural Eastern Ohio, Sarah is familiar with how poverty has a different face in rural areas than in the urban communities NSI serves. Serving at NSI, she feels she has gained a new confidence in how she might use her skills to address food insecurity in both rural and urban contexts.
“I always recommend national service to anyone seeking professional growth and the opportunity to engage in meaningful work,” she says. “AmeriCorps is an excellent platform for both personal and professional development. One of the most valuable aspects of the program is that the host site not only supports VISTA members in completing their assigned deliverables but also creates an environment that encourages innovation and creative approaches to capacity building for such a critical cause in our country.”
Great work this year, Sarah!
