How Jessica Hovermale is Strengthening Service in Corvallis
“It’s cool to be on the other side of things now and find ways to bridge the two organizations.” -Jessica Hovermale
For Jessica Hovermale, community service has always been part of her story. What began as a middle school Halloween volunteer project with Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) has grown into a career built on service, connection, and leadership.
Jessica first joined YVC around age 12 or 13 after a classroom presentation sparked her interest. “Some of my friends and I signed up for this Halloween project, and that was my first introduction,” she recalls. That one event led to years of service, including roles on her local Youth Advisory Board (YAB), the International YAB (IYAB), and eventually co-chairing IYAB her senior year of high school.
YVC gave her more than just volunteer hours. It gave her the tools to lead. “It was cool to get more experience leading a meeting, designing agendas, learning how to run a group of youth and my peers,” she says of IYAB. “That kind of experience as a teenager can be rare to find, and I’m really grateful for it.”
After high school, Jessica went on to study dance and planning public policy and management with a focus in nonprofit administration at the University of Oregon. During college, she returned to YVC as a team leader in Corvallis, guiding projects at many of the same organizations where she had once volunteered.
Today, Jessica is back in Corvallis as an Assistant Director at the South Corvallis Food Bank, an organization she first discovered through YVC. “I started volunteering there in high school because I found out about it through YVC,” she says. “It’s cool to be on the other side of things now and find ways to bridge the two organizations.”
Jessica has since helped organize YVC summer projects at the food bank, giving youth volunteers the opportunity to sort produce, portion eggs, pack diapers and dog food, and assist a local apartment complex staff member in shopping for multiple households.
“I tried to give the kids a wide variety of tasks to show them the different pieces of what we do at the food bank,” she says. “It went really well.”
And for Jessica, the experience has been personal. “There’s something really full-circle about it,” she says. “A couple weeks ago when YVC came, a few of the kids had been in camp when I was a counselor. It was so fun to see them a few years later, still coming back.”
Her advice for current YVC youth? Don’t just show up. Engage. “While bagging carrots or whatever weird task you’re doing, take advantage of the odd mundane tasks you’re doing as a volunteer and talk to the people around you because everyone has so much knowledge,” she says.
“If you’re at a project and you feel very connected to the organization, talk to the people leading that project and ask them not just about the organization, but about their path, how they got involved, and why they like working there.”
Jessica also encourages youth to reframe how they view volunteering.
“Service is a privilege,” she says. “Yes, you’re helping the organization, but you have to take advantage of being there since you’re there to learn and gain that experience. It’s a privilege to be able to volunteer in a group setting because it often is a lot on the organizations that are hosting.”
She remembers having to learn this as a team leader. “Sometimes it would be frustrating. I’d be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I wish this organization had a better project for us to do,’ but I’d have to take a step back and remember… we are one part of many moving pieces in this,” she says. “Like a community garden, for example, we are there to weed and that’s our project for today. They have a million other things happening and our group of volunteers are there to help in whatever is needed.”
In her current role at the South Corvallis Food Bank, she sees firsthand how valuable that mindset can be.
“Long term, we want volunteers to stick around because they build relationships with the clients and there is a comfort level that comes with that. Consistent volunteers become leaders in the organization,” she says. It all starts with showing up, being curious, and understanding that you’re part of something bigger.
Jessica’s journey is a testament to what’s possible when young people are given the chance to lead, to serve, and to grow.