This week PHS says goodbye to Oloufounmi “Olou” Koucoi, one of two AmeriCorps employees who spent the past year working on Philadelphia Green projects. Eager to help and unfailingly friendly, Olou quickly became an essential member of our team. Yesterday I asked him about his PHS experience…

What PHS projects did you work on this year?

So many! Plant One Million, PHS Tree Tenders, Green City Teachers, Roots to Re-entry…I could go on for a while.

What did you learn about greening and gardening in Philadelphia that you didn’t know before?

I did not know that Philadelphia residents are so open to new greening initiatives and urban gardening. It was extremely encouraging and made the projects I worked on that much more enjoyable.

Do you have a favorite story from your time working with PHS?

My favorite memory was our fall 2010 tree delivery in the counties surrounding Philadelphia. It was a cold, raining day—the least comfortable weather you can imagine—but we had fun unloading trees and sorting them. Mindy [Maslin] and Barley [Van Clief] made awesome soup and breakfast and everyone was just in good spirits. We enjoyed unloading the trees and I think the community had more fun because we were having fun ourselves.

What comes next for you?

I am starting a master’s degree at U-Penn in the fall and I hope to someday lead social sector organizations or work in the nonprofit development sector.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I have to say, PHS has been one of the best things that has happened to me since I have been in the U.S. [Olou is a native of Benin]. I learned a lot about nonprofit management and community revitalization from working at PHS. I also noticed that PHS is a special organization that gives people a sense of family, being part of something, and working with people who care.

Thanks for the kind words and the hard work. Best of luck, Olou!