AmeriCorps Connections

What happens when you spend your life moving — and you bring your commitment to service with you every single time?

Najla Munshower served in the AmeriCorps Veteran Leader Corps in 2012-2013 as the spouse of an active duty service member in Washington State. What she built there — coordination programs for veterans in transition — became part of the framework for the USO Pathfinder Transitions Program, which is still running today.

Since then, she's moved through Europe, North Carolina, and now Indiana. And everywhere she goes, she finds people who need what she knows: how to navigate VA benefits, how to support military families, how to help someone who doesn't know help is available ask for it.

One story stands out: a volunteer food bank run she helped organize that eventually led to an on-base food pantry for lower-enlisted families who couldn't always afford groceries. The quiet, invisible needs that nobody talks about — that's where Najla shows up.

"AmeriCorps afforded me the ability to not just enter into community with intent — but to grow the community." — Najla Munshower
#StillGettingThingsDone
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 🤝 This episode is part of a special series produced in partnership with 250&Beyond: Our American Story and our partners:

The National Museum and Center for Service — A national organization developing a truly national museum and center dedicated to honoring and inspiring service in ALL its forms.

Independent Sector — The only national membership organization that brings together a diverse community of changemakers, nonprofits, foundations, and corporations working to strengthen civil society and ensure all people in the United States thrive.

WETA — Founded in 1961, WETA is the leading public broadcasting station in the nation's capital, serving their community with educational, cultural, news, and public affairs programs and services. 
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AmeriCorps Connections lifts up real stories of AmeriCorps alumni — 100+ featured! Honest, unfiltered truth about national service. These alums aren't just reflecting — they're still getting things done! We believe these voices deserve to be heard, and we're just getting started!
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What is AmeriCorps Connections?

The AmeriCorps Connections Podcast is a space where alumni, members, and partners share how national service shapes careers, communities, and lives. Hosted by AmeriCorps alum Nicki Fiocco, each episode highlights stories of resilience, leadership, and purpose—showing that while service terms may end, the impact and connections continue.

Tune in each week on your favorite podcast platform to listen, follow, subscribe, and share. Check it out and be part of the ongoing story of service.

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