JJ wanted to stay home watching YouTube.
His mom had other plans.
Now he’s running the kitchen at one of Arizona’s most impactful AmeriCorps sites.
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It started with one of those classic teenage standoffs.
JJ Sensibar had plans for the summer after his sophomore year of high school:
- Stay on the couch.
- Watch YouTube.
- Do as little as possible.
His mom had other plans.
She signed him up for a summer culinary camp at Tucson Village Farm—a place that grows 300+ varieties of food in the middle of the Sonoran Desert and teaches thousands of kids each year how to cook, grow, and lead.
JJ didn’t want to go.
He especially didn’t want to talk to campers.
So he stayed in the back, washing dishes, hoping to stay invisible.
But the staff had other plans too.
“Our head chef Becky told me: ‘JJ, you’re talking to the campers.’ I was like… okay,” he laughs.
“And it really wasn’t as bad as I thought.”
From Reluctant Camper to Kitchen Leader
That one push led to a summer of growth.
JJ came back the next year. And the next.
He became a counselor, then a 4-H Healthy Living Ambassador, then a Grand Canyon hiker, a project leader, and finally—an AmeriCorps member.
This summer, JJ is leading the kitchen for the farm’s First Farmers Camp.
He’s full-time. He’s in charge. He’s inspiring younger campers the same way older AmeriCorps members once inspired him.
“I ended up writing my college application essay about my time in the Tucson Village Farm kitchen,” JJ says.
“It changed how I see myself. And how I see the world.”
Why This Matters Right Now
JJ’s story is exactly what AmeriCorps is supposed to do:
- Turn potential into leadership
- Turn shy dishwashers into kitchen mentors
- Give young people a reason to show up, serve, and grow
But stories like his are now at risk.
In April 2025, the federal government slashed AmeriCorps funding nationwide. Tucson Village Farm’s NCCC team was cut. Camps are stretched thin. And if these cuts continue, the next JJ might never get that first chance.
“We can’t just say, ‘Why don’t they volunteer instead?’” says Liz Sparks, co-founder of the farm.
“That small AmeriCorps stipend makes the difference between showing up and not showing up. It creates accountability—and transformation.”
This Program Works. Let’s Not Cut It.
JJ’s story isn’t rare at Tucson Village Farm.
It’s the model.
They’ve served over 150 AmeriCorps members over the past 15 years—many of whom, like JJ, grew from campers to leaders to lifelong change agents.
He says it best:
“We work hard. We put in so much time. And we make a difference.
If you’re thinking about cutting AmeriCorps… come visit a place like this.
See what we’re actually doing.”
Our To Do’s.
Watch JJ’s story in his own words.
Then help protect what’s working:
- Share this post with #SaveAmeriCorps
- Tag your reps and demand full AmeriCorps funding
- Or just say thank you to someone who helped you grow
Because sometimes the kid who didn’t want to leave the couch
is the one who ends up changing everything.