The Path Less Traveled: How Juliet Vibert Found Purpose Through AmeriCorps

In the quiet of Vermont’s Green Mountains, amid the hustle and bustle of a ski resort, Juliet Vibert, recipient of AmeriCorps’ Excellence in Disaster Services Leadership Award, found herself at a crossroads. Working as an auditor, she was good at what she did—comfortable even. But as the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, so too did her sense of fulfillment. Like so many, Vibert began to re-evaluate her life, her impact on the world, and the use of her talents.?

"I found AmeriCorps, and I ended up joining NCCC for a term. That’s when I first received tangible experience with the struggles different communities face across the country," she explains. This experience laid the foundation for what was to come.?

A Baptism by Hurricane?

Vibert’s journey with AmeriCorps led her to the frontlines of one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent history—Hurricane Ian in 2022. As she tells it, this was a trial by fire (or rather, by storm).?

The storm had ravaged Florida, leaving communities in dire need of assistance. AmeriCorps’ Disaster Response Team (A-DRT) was quickly mobilized, and Vibert, who had been working with SPB , formally the St. Bernard Project, at the time, found herself thrown into the thick of it.?

Vibert was not just participating in the recovery efforts; she was leading them, teaching others with only weeks of experience under her belt. The responsibility was immense, but it was also where she discovered her calling.?

Shaping a New Approach to Disaster Response?

After Hurricane Ian, Vibert’s role within AmeriCorps evolved. She joined the SBP as a Disaster Corps Manager, a position that would see her deployed to more disaster zones, including the remote island of Guam after Typhoon Mawar.?

"Two weeks after I was hired by SBP, I was flying across the country to Guam to support AmeriCorps' first disaster response there," she says, almost in disbelief of her own rapid rise through the ranks.?

In Guam, Vibert faced new challenges. The island was devastated, with debris strewn everywhere and communities desperate for help. But with each new challenge, Vibert’s approach to leadership and training became more refined.?

"My biggest goal is always how to get more people involved on the front end to support communities that are struggling," she explains. "Natural disasters don’t discriminate, but the long-term impacts disproportionately affect families of low to moderate incomes."?

To address this, Vibert has been instrumental in developing standardized training materials and procedures for disaster response. As Vibert points out, "The last thing you want is a ‘learn-as-you-go’ mentality in a disaster zone."?

The Quiet Strength of AmeriCorps?

Through her work now as the Disaster Corps Manager at SBP, Vibert has come to embody the quiet strength that AmeriCorps represents—a force for good, working tirelessly behind the scenes to rebuild lives and communities. Her story is a testament to the power of service, and how one person’s search for purpose can lead to extraordinary change.?

For Vibert, the journey has just begun. With each disaster, she continues to learn, to lead, and to inspire others to join the effort. Even looking into the future, her mission remains clear: "To shrink the time between disaster and recovery, and to ensure that every AmeriCorps member is ready to make a difference."?

In a world that often feels overwhelming, Juliet Vibert’s story is a reminder that each of us has the power to contribute, to help, and to heal—even in the face of the most daunting challenges.?