GET TO
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013 VOLUME XIX, ISSUE 18
THE POINT THE
Round 3
by the numbers Alumni Spotlight Jerramie Garlock, Class XVIII Atlantic Region Corps Member
NEWSLETTER
OF THE
NCCC
ATLANTIC REGION
CONTENTS
IN THIS
ISSUE 03
Gallery Images from Round 4 projects
05
Bulletin Board Update of Independent Service Hours & Team Reminders
I’m a member of the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps Program.
06 ↑ Raven 1 members
10 months getting things done for America
Atlantic Region Corps Member
Allen (front) and peek through a window while
N-Triple-C members are 18 to 24 and spend
Jerramie Garlock, Class XVIII
Nicole LomalisaBridget Kimbell
Alumni Spotlight
08
Life After AmeriCorps How to apply to be an NCCC
painting
Team Leader for Winter 2014
classrooms at Phoenix Charter
while developing their own leadership. We
Academy in
serve on teams to help communities prepare
Lawrence, Mass.
09
Quantifiables Project Round 3 by the Numbers.
for and respond to disasters, build homes,
Highlighted accomplishments
and help the environment.
from Atlantic Region projects.
To learn more, visit NationalService.gov or call 1.800.942.2677
CONNECT WITH AMERICORPS NCCC ATLANTIC REGION
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Community Relations
11
Shout Outs
12
Team Project Map
Sam McKenzie, Community Relations Specialist (CRS) Phone: 410.642.2411 Ext. 6244 ● Email: smckenzie@cns.gov Mona Hillstrand, Assistant Community Relations Specialist (ACRS) Phone: 202.815.4259 ● Email: rhillstrand@cns.gov Ben Dillon, Community Relations Support Team Leader (CRSTL) Phone: 443.995.7940 ● Email: bedillon.guest@cns.gov
Facebook.com/NCCCAtlanticRegion @AmeriCorpsNCCC NationalService.gov
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About the cover Members of Moose 5 navigated ponds by canoe while removing invasive water chestnuts with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Sudbury, Mass. Here, one member sports greenery of her own.
G ALLERY
↑
Phoenix 4 firefighters pose for a team picture at the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Suffolk, Va. The team deployed to California last week for 14 days of wildfire suppression duty.
→ While working with the St. Bernard Project in New York City, Mayo Campos of Moose 4 replaces insulation in a home damaged by Hurricane Sandy. ↓
Alex McDonald of Buffalo 1 moves a cabinet into Creative City Public Charter School in Baltimore. MacDonald’s team is assisting the school with facilities improvements for three weeks.
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G ALLERY
The Atlantic Region Welcomes Its First Class of FEMA Corps Members Atlantic Region staff members and FEMA Corps Team Leaders enthusiastically welcomed Class XX FEMA Corps members to the Perry Point campus on Tuesday for in-processing and the start of Corps Training Institute (CTI). After receiving uniforms and room assignments, Corps Members were placed on temporary teams (called “pods”) and will now begin a month of comprehensive training that will cover all aspects of AmeriCorps policy, team dynamics, and projects.
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AUGUST 9, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT
BULLETI N B O ARD
Congratulations to Moose 5 for being the first team to finish the minimum number of hours in Independent Service Projects!
Edgar, the Raven Unit mascot, took a pilgrimage to Edgartown, Mass. during Round 2 to visit Raven 2 at the FARM Institute.
the first unit to The race to become Once again, finish ISPs continues! lled into the the Raven Unit has pu Unit is still ose Mo lead, but the els! he its nipping at urs Complete Percentage of ISP Ho Raven: 80.52 Moose: 76.12 Buffalo: 72.38
“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.�
At the start of the service term, each Moose team was given a little, orange Moose travel companion. Here, the Moose 5 travel companion was posed on a lily pad as the team canoed in Sudbury, Mass.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
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ALUM NI SPOTLI GHT
JERRAMIE GARLOCK CLASS XVIII // ATLANTIC REGION INTERVIEW BY ASHLEY SILVER & JAHARI BARKER
Why did you join NCCC? I joined NCCC for multiple reasons. I enjoyed helping people and grew up in a very giving family. I wanted to continue to assist others. I also was born and raised in the same town. I wanted to leave and explore. What was your favorite aspect of NCCC? My favorite aspects of NCCC were, first, the people I worked with. Upon joining AmeriCorps I was worried that I wouldn't get along with the people I had to live and work with. I was very blessed in this aspect. The teams I worked with were full of amazing, loving, and kind people that I stay in contact with. Everyone I met was truly unique and had their own impact upon me. Secondly, and most importantly, my favorite aspect of AmeriCorps NCCC was the people I had the opportunity to serve. Seeing how big of an impact one small act could have upon people was an eye-opening experience. And seeing how grateful people were, for even the smallest things, put a lot of things into perspective for me. What was your most interesting project? The project that I found the most interesting was my first fire round, with Firefox 2. We stayed in a large shed out back of a fire station. All of us pitched cots in one room, lived, slept, and ate together. We saw each other at our worst and our best, and we still came out as friends. This project consisted of multiple things, from spending 10-hour days cutting a line through the thick forest to falling aspen trees with hand axes to waking up at 4 a.m. to set up nets meant to capture birds for us to band. We spent days setting up grids to walk and count butterflies and picking seed pods off flowers. I met many people, and learned a mul-
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AUGUST 9, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT
“Seeing how big of an impact one small act could have upon people was an eyeopening experience.”
titude of things, even how to knit. It was a great experience and gave me the opportunity to branch out. What was the most challenging aspect of your service year? The most challenging aspect of my service year was also the best. As before, this would be my round on Firefox 2. I was with amazing people, and looking back, had some of the best times of my life. It was extremely difficult on a day-to-day basis to spend every moment with the same people. The climax of this challenge was a day in which, instead of doing the work I thought I would be doing on a fire team, we spent the day painting picnic tables inside. Everyone was extremely grumpy, irritable, and generally in a bad mood. But part way through the day it started to become a joke instead. We would snap at each other and laugh about it, jokingly calling it “haterade day.” I recently received a text from a team member on the anniversary of this day, memorializing it.
ALUM NI SPOTLI GHT
Can you tell us a story in which you learned something about yourself through service? The highlight of my AmeriCorps service was a project spent in Connecticut working with the Connecticut Mission of Mercy, or MoM. This was a weeklong project spent setting up, running, and tearing down a free dental clinic. This clinic was filled with some of the kindest people I have ever met, and our sponsors were absolutely amazing. We worked 18 to 20 hour days, and every day was rewarding. But the highlight of this project was one man, who came over to my Team Leader after getting his dental work done. He was pointing to his teeth and practically crying. When we were able to understand what he was saying, he was thanking us, grinning, and saying, “I haven't been able to smile in years.” This moment put my entire service year into perspective. Every rough day, every hard moment, that was why I dealt with them, and that was why I was there. That was my “aha” moment, so to speak. What skills did you gain as an AmeriCorps NCCC member? I gained more skills than I could mention: leadership, tool use, tractor driving, firefighting, dental assistance, and much, much more. What advice would you give to current Corps Members? My best advice would be to appreciate everything—everything you do and don't have. In all honesty, the most memorable times I
had in AmeriCorps were spent without a TV, without cell phone service, without a computer or games; they were spent without anything but the people I lived and worked with. Even though you might be missing the items and comforts of day-today life, like a clean shower, or bathroom, or personal space, when you leave this program, you will realize how unimportant these things are in comparison to the people you surround yourself with. You are almost to the end of your term, and I remember the feeling about this time of year, when everything was getting harder and harder, and I couldn’t wait to get out. But make the best of what you have left, make a few more memories and end your service term on a high note, because I guarantee you are going to miss every moment of what you have right now. Where are you now and how did AmeriCorps affect your life path? I am now back on the East Coast, firefighting in Maryland. I would not be here without AmeriCorps; it is the only reason I took those first steps and started this career path. Without it, I would still be in my small hometown, going nowhere.
“I would not be here without AmeriCorps; it is the only reason I took those first steps and started this career path.”
How have you continued to serve beyond NCCC? I have continued to serve by volunteering and assisting people in various ways, from animal shelters to a disaster assistance team I recently discovered.
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LI FE AFTE R AME RI CORP S
COACH MANAGER ROLE MODEL ADVISER EXAMPLE SUPERVISOR MEDIATOR MOTIVATOR
APPLY TO BE A TEAM LEADER
All interested applicants must submit a TL application at my.americorps.gov before the September 1 deadline. No applications will be accepted past this date.
Please note that a new application must be submitted so you cannot resend your CM application when applying for a TL position.
If you are applying for an STL position, you need to let that staff POC or Unit Leader know. You can apply for both Field TL and STL.
Keep in mind that you may get contacted by the Vinton and Vicksburg campuses for interviews as well.
Interviews are ALL telephonic and last approximately 1 hour. Interviews are staffed by at least one Unit Leader and a Unit STL. The only time all 3 Unit Leaders will be present on an interview is if the interviewee is applying for a USTL position.
The offer date for all TLs will be in either early or midOctober.
Winter 2014 TL applications will also be screened by the Vinton and Vicksburg campuses as they are on the same hiring cycle.
If offered a position, you will be given a set # of days (3-5) to accept the offer. We give this time because you may also receive offers from Vinton & Vicksburg.
Each applicant must have two online references included in their completed applications. We strongly recommend that one of these references to be from your current TL. Even if your TL hasn’t submitted a reference online, ULs will be contacting them for feedback.
If given an alternate status, you will also be contacted.
If you accept an offer at one campus and then change your mind, you will be ineligible for both and ALL offers rescinded.
Team Leader training will begin at all three campuses in January 2014.
You can also apply for FEMA Corps TL, which will follow the same deadline for the Sacramento and Denver Campuses.
You can still submit your TL application even if your references haven’t yet submitted their recommendations.
If you hit submit and get an error message, you must contact your USTL/UL. They will then get in touch with enrollment staff at HQ who will open the portal to allow the application to be submitted.
Applications will be reviewed and members will receive notification of the following:
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1.
Email indicating that they do not meet the requisite requirements to move onto a TL interview.
2.
Email indicating that they do meet the requirements and that a USTL will be in touch to set up an interview.
AUGUST 9, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE
SEPTEMBER 1
QU ANTI FI ABLE S
ROUND 3 BY THE NUMBERS These numbers represent only a small portion of the project accomplishments of Atlantic Region teams for the period of June 21 to July 31.
6,650
pounds of exotic vegetation removed
156,562 pounds of trash or debris removed
5,000
books sorted, inventoried, repaired or reshelved
5,855
volunteers recruited or coordinated
29 687 7
miles of recreational trail restored
people assisted in disaster areas
houses constructed
427
trees tended
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COMM UNI TY RE LATI ONS
Weekly Updates for Media/CAP Reps. Shout Outs
Media Reminders
Thanks again to James Hubbard (R2) for assisting the community relations office at the beginning of last week! Next time you’re on campus, check out the awesome bulletin boards he created in B15 to feature alumni and media coverage.
Thanks to Whitney Wooten (B3) for being the first Media Representative to submit a Team Leader spotlight! These spotlights will be used at future Team Leader recruitment events.
Thanks to Mike Brown (B4), Ashley Silver and Jahari Barker (R3) for submitting alumni spotlights!
TEAM
MEDIA
CAP
ALUMNI
4
BUFFALO 4
3
3 (251)
Round 4 Press Releases: Due August 12
Round 4 GTTP Articles: Buffalo 4 — August 18 Moose 4 — August 25 Raven 4 — Sept. 1 Phoenix 4 — Sept. 8
Glide Path for Tweets: 2 by August 12 4 by August 19 6 by August 26 8 by September 2 10 by September 12
Submit a yearbook photo of each member of your team by the end of the round. All members should wear formal shirts for the photos.
Media Reps have the option to complete a Team Leader spotlight article to count as 2 media hits! Ask the CRSTL for more information.
APPS
BUFFALO 1 BUFFALO 3
2
MOOSE 1
1
MOOSE 2 MOOSE 3
CAP Reminders
MOOSE 4
Each team has been assigned at least one alumni contact for the round. Email your contact to inquire about a possible day of service, social event, or conference call
Events at Historic Black Colleges or Universities and Native American organizations will count as 2 events for your team
CAP Reps have the option to complete a spotlight article on an NCCC applicant to count toward your goals.
MOOSE 5 RAVEN 1 RAVEN 2
2 1
RAVEN 3
1 (14)
RAVEN 4 RAVEN 5 TOTAL
10
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AUGUST 9, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT
4 (265)
3
1
SHOUTS OUTS
B3 is happy to welcome Meagan Julian into their midst!
Shout out to Megan Racine on Phoenix 4. Your Buffalo family misses you already! Have fun out in California fighting those wildfires!
BUFFALO 4
BUFFALO 3
I’m a Moosicorn shining brightly, Shining for the whole world to see. I can do and say Happy things each day, Cuz I know that my TL loves me!
Congrats to P4 for heading out to Cali to fight some fires! Good luck, be safe, and have a blast! Maybe we’ll get called to come support you!
*Phil will sing upon request*
MOOSE 1
Snax says, “Get ready for some snack attacks, California.”
PHOENIX 4
We officially finished our ISPs! After being in dead last at the beginning of Round 3, NeeC and Gabriella kicked us into gear and we busted our butts to finish! Shout out to Laura for finishing them in Virginia!
Shout Outs?
Shouts Outs are short messages submitted by teams each week to share with the rest of the Corps. Whatever it may be, a Shout Out is one little way to keep the Corps connected throughout the service term.
MOOSE 4
First Aid training actually came in handy when Sean had to save someone from choking in the gas station parking lot! We have Superman on our team now!
RAVEN 4
MOOSE 5
We welcome the very first class of Atlantic Region FEMA Corps Members! We wish you a rewarding year of leadership and service!
STAFF & SUPPORT TEAM LEADERS
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Where in the Atlantic Region Are They?
Round 4, Week 3 MOOSE 3 Sanford, Maine City of Sanford Environmental Stewardship
For Round 4, Atlantic Region teams will complete 19 projects across nine states. Currently, five teams are doing environmental stewardship projects, five teams are doing community improvement projects in rural and urban areas, three teams are doing disaster recovery projects, and one team is on-call for disaster response.
RAVEN 1
BUFFALO 3 Torrington, Conn. Torrington AHD/MRC Urban & Rural Development
Chelsea, Mass. Phoenix Charter Academy Urban & Rural Development
MOOSE 5 Newburgh, N.Y. Habitat for Humanity Newburgh Urban and Rural Development MOOSE 4 MOOSE 2 Toms River, N.J. Jersey Cares Disaster Services
Rockaway, N.Y. St. Bernard Project Environmental Stewardship RAVEN 2 Hackensack, N.J. Volunteer Center of Bergen County Disaster Services RAVEN 3 Queens, N.Y. Respond & Rebuild Disaster Services
MOOSE 1
BUFFALO 1
Elk Township, Pa. The Nature Conservancy Environmental Stewardship
Baltimore, Md. Creative City Public Charter School Urban & Rural Development
RAVEN 5
BUFFALO 4
King of Prussia, Pa. Valley Forge Environmental Stewardship
Baltimore, Md. Baltimore City Bureau of Parks Urban & Rural Development RAVEN 4 Baltimore, Md. Baltimore County Reforestation Environmental Stewardship
PHOENIX 4 Sawyers Bar, Calif. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Disaster Services