Americorps volunteer hard at work

Kelly Guest is Wahkiakum County’s Americorps Volunteer. Guest runs the Physical Activity and Nutrition program for the Wahkiakum Health and Human Services Department.

Guest and her seven year old daughter moved to Cathlamet last June from Portland.

“We needed a change,” said Guest, “and when we came here I just fell in love with this place.”

Guest said she’d been in Wahkiakum for a short while before looking for a job. She canvassed the area, passing out resumes, and finally applied for the Americorps position. For the last 10 months she has focused on the county’s health and nutrition issues.

Last month, a county wide state of emergency was declared when the swine flu was detected here. Guest has a medical background. She became part of the department of health team that inoculated the county’s emergency responders with the H1N1 vaccine.

Guest is also working on the county’s “Living Well” program designed for county employees. The program advises county workers on diet and offers advice on exercise and weight loss.

“It’s worked so well, even I’ve lost weight,” said Guest.

The Americorps volunteer program provides additional training to all its volunteers. Guest said she has received training in areas related to the job she does for the county Health and Human Services. Part of that training includes grant writing. Guest said she has some ideas that she thinks would benefit downtown Cathlamet.

“I’d like to improve some of the sidewalks and maybe add a few more street signs,” she said.

Her vision includes gardening. She’d like to see Cathlamet establish a few community gardens. The gardens would help people stay connected with the land, as well as produce food for the table.

Guest said her program also looks at ways to improve the lives of people with Type 2 diabetes, which is usually insulin resistant but often responds positively to improved diet and exercise.

“This county has a lot of this disease,” she said, “and I’d like to try improve the lives of people who live with it.”

The Americorps volunteer program Guest works with ends this January, but Guest says she would like to remain in the area.

“It all depends on if I can find work,” said Guest. “I’m looking hard because my daughter said she’s not moving.”