TimesLeader.com

September 27

Volunteering gives college man perspective

Chris Bludgus is learning through volunteer work what he may really want as career.

By Shelby Fisk sfisk@scrantonedition.com
Scranton Edition Staff Writer / Photographer

SCRANTON – Chris Bludgus, 23, originally from Bayonne, N.J., and residing in Dunmore since 2004, knew that after he graduated he’d start a full-time position with compensation and possible benefits. What he didn’t know at the time was that he could find all that, and more, in a volunteering position.

Bludgus, said he had been working at a bar in Dunmore just before he graduated from Marywood University in the summer of 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature when a friend told about AmeriCorps VISTA, which places volunteers in settings near the applicants’ homes to assist community agencies and organizations.

He applied and then was accepted for a one-year program, beginning in December last year.

The company’s Web site boasts, “Recent graduates gain the kind of real-world experience they can’t find in a typical entry-level job. Experienced adults apply their skills and knowledge to serious social problems and discover previously untapped strengths.”

Through AmeriCorps, Bludgus has been serving as a volunteer for two area organizations – the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority and Lackawanna River Corridor Association.

At LHVA, Bludgus performs cultural and historical preservation work, conducts area trails research and assists with beautification projects. He also helps test water for foreign chemicals, especially near mining sites.

His responsibilities as a volunteer for LRCA include office duties and teaching children about area resources through educational programs. He also helps the company perform historical preservation and area maintenance.

“I planned on volunteering somewhere after college,” Bludgus said. “It’s just how I was raised with 18 years of Catholic and Jesuit school.”

The AmeriCorps program appealed to Bludgus because he said, as a recent graduate, “basically, it’s just like a job,” but with compensation that he said is “enough to get by” on as well as benefits, including mileage reimbursement.

The mileage reimbursement helps because there is a lot of driving involved in his work, he said. Benefits like health and dental care, Bludgus said, are also attractive, but these he waived since he remains insured under his parents’ plan.

Bludgus said he was nervous about starting with the two organizations that AmeriCorps VISTA selected because of his limited background in science. He only enrolled in the required science courses. However, Bludgus said that hasn’t affected his ability to perform his volunteer duties volunteer and he’s even learned he has an aptitude for the sciences. And he has been able to apply his writing skills from college as well, writing press releases and other correspondences.

Bludgus said he likes all aspects of his volunteer work, including working with a database.

Most assignments involve hands-on experience, he added. And the program varies from day to day, another plus for him.

“If I was ever to be stuck in an office five days a week, 40 hours (a week), I wouldn’t mind being stuck with those people in that kind of setting,” Bludgus said.

And volunteering has opened his mind to potential new career opportunities.

“I would consider getting more into that field. I would consider going back to school for environmental studies,” Bludgus said.

It has been a worth-while opportunity.

“I took it as my chance to volunteer and my chance to have one or two years after college before I get real serious and get a real job and everything,” Bludgus said.

After completing the program with AmeriCorps, Bludgus is hopeful he will be better equipped to enter the work force.

Chris Bludgus

Town of residence: Dunmore

Charities, volunteer work: AmeriCorps VISTA since December, working with Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority and Lackawanna River Corridor Association

Family: Parents, Robert and Dorrene Bludgus, Bayonne, N.J.; other family members in New Jersey, Maryland and Florida.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in English literature

Hobbies, interests: Sports

Volunteer of the Week is a regular feature in The Times Leader Scranton Edition that recognizes individuals, businesses or other organizations for their volunteer efforts and contributions to their communities. To nominate someone to be considered for this feature, e-mail mondrako@scrantonedition.com or call 558-0113.