Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 11
May 2011
Volume XVII Issue 11
Get to the Point: The NCCC News An NCCC Atlantic Region Publication
Perry Point
Maryland
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Featured on the Cover- Upper left clockwise: Tiffany Taylor and Amanda Skalicky enjoy the water while on disaster and Raven 7’s Ariel Keeton push the garbage while on street cleanup duty. Elisabeth Valdez works for the Red Cross and Raven 1 shows off the island. And Shea Boughton pushes the tires out of the field. Center: Mooose 4 & Raven 4 with Elisabeth Valdez in Alabama on Disaster with the Red Cross.
Strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national and community service
Inside Issue 11: Moose 3 Update
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AmeriGourment
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AmeriCount
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Disaster Summary 6-7 Brain Food
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Alumni Spotlight
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Alumns
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Job Listing
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Memorial Day
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CAP & Media
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Staff Service
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I’m a member of the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps program. N-triple-C members are 18 to 24 years old and spend 11 months getting things done for America while developing their own leadership skills. We serve on teams to help communities prepare for and respond to disasters, build homes, and help the environment.
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Moose 3: Back Row Starting Left– TL Jamie Inarda, Evan Owen, Nicholas King, Jared Robison (no longer in the program) Mark Hartman, Naiemah Brown Front– Left to Right– Megan Hill, Alyssa Cobb, Bethany Fournier, Roxann Phelan
Moose 3: Disaster Relief Moose 3 has begun their work doing tornado relief down south. It was bittersweet to leave Vacamas Camp in New Jersey. The staff was amazing and the area was beautiful yet we were excited to be able to lend a hand in Alabama! We are currently staying in Moundville, Alabama and staying with another team which now makes us Moofalo 7. Figure it out! We are working in a donation warehouse sorting clothes, toiletries, food, shoes, toys, etc. We are the only warehouse in the area that is a distribution center meaning victims come and receive necessities. We are able to talk to the clients and hear their stories which are humbling. It proves our work is truly impacting the community and really shows us that what were doing here is making a difference. For example one day a woman came in and her presence was one of fear, loss and confusion. She had just moved from Colorado and was literally in Tuscaloosa for three weeks when the tornado hit. She lost her house, furniture, clothes, everything dear to her and yet no child of Mother Nature, no matter how horrendous,
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could take her genuine sweetness. She was so grateful to receive even one outfit that when I handed her a second pair of flip flops, she started crying and pouring her praises and gratitude towards us. Helping FEMA and all those who have lost even the least bit has forced us to re-evaluate how we interact with others. No matter if we come from the wicked North, the gnarly West,
Moose 3 at their past project with Girl Scout’s of America
folks from Mid-West, or ya’ll from the South, we should all look out for one another with whole-hearted love. MOOSE 1 SHOUT OUT:To all the GREEN LADIES- Jaquan will miss
you so much! Moose 1 is excited for all the teams doing great work down south- keep it up! RAVEN 1 SHOUT OUT: To the whole Corps… stay strong
grasshoppers. What up, Raven 264? You are missed! T and Maddy miss all their Phoenix 6000 friends. And KJ? Well, he misses Green Team and wants you to know that he has continued to stay away from McDonald’s and “adult” beverages, mainly because there are no such places on this island. And he has not set his eyes on one piece of eye candy yet. This is “Maaatha’s” Vineyard for Pete’s sake! Send the eye candy already! He’s going stir crazy and wants visitors and AmeriMail…soon!
MOOSE 2 SHOUT OUT: To Brooke: Headed to Alabama.
Wes got a ukulele. Happy Memorial Day! To Buffalo 7: Mack 10, you guys!!!
These Moose Members show off their poses– Take some pictures & post them to your team’s Picasa site and maybe “AmeriCorps
Next Top Member”!
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AmeriGourmet: The Cooking Corner This week we are in the AmeriKitchen with Nick Hagerl Alumni from 2011 Phoenix 1 & Raven 6
The Classic AmeriCorps Tacos with a Twist Mexican Breakfast Tacos Serving size:10 •15
ounces chorizo sausage (or vegetables) (6 inch) corn tortillas •15 eggs •1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons milk •1-1/4 teaspoons pepper •1-1/4 teaspoons salt •2-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese •2-1/2 dashes hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco), or to taste •1-1/4 cups salsa •20
1.Crumble the sausage into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly brown. Set aside.
2.Heat one skillet over medium heat, and heat another skillet over high heat. The skillet over high heat is for warming tortillas. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Spray the medium heat skillet with some cooking spray, and pour in the eggs. Cook and stir until almost firm. Add the sausage, and continue cooking and stirring until firm.
3.Meanwhile, warm tortillas for about 45 seconds per side in the other skillet, so they are hot and crispy on the edges, but still pliable. Sprinkle a little shredded cheese onto each tortilla while it is still hot. Top with some of the scrambled egg and sausage, then add hot pepper sauce and salsa to your liking. Nick & his 2 different teams
AmeriCount Down Brought to you by: Old Man Time
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Days Until Return to the Point
Days Until Transition
Days Until Summer Break
Days Until Graduation
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Disaster Summary The NCCC Atlantic Region is in disaster relief mode, using the training we received at the beginning of the year to work in the relief efforts. The tornadoes that ripped through the South are some of the deadliest in 37 years, causing more than 300 deaths and billions dollars of damage. They came as communities in other states are reeling from the effects of flooding and severe storms. The tornado reduced many businesses, government offices, churches, and Raven 4’s Jake Biddlecome
residences to rubble. The surviving structures
maintain varying levels of damage. The deadly storms killed more than 200 in Alabama, destroying buildings and homes along its path. AmeriCorps NCCC teams have quickly moved into affected areas and are providing critical support to local officials and faith-based organizations, doing everything from search and recovery to deploying volunteers to work sites. For you knowledge/an update: “There have been nearly 1,200 tornadoes in the U.S. so far this year. That's nearly twice the usual number of twisters, and it comes as something of a surprise to the scientists who study them. A tornado season can change dramatically in just a few days if the conditions are right. The right conditions usually involve severe thunderstorms in an area where warm and cold air are colliding. Near Joplin yesterday, the conditions also included a type of thunderstorm called a supercell, which has a powerful, rotating updraft. This year, conditions like that produced more than 300 tornadoes in just three days at the end of April.� (npr.org)
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Disaster Summary: Team Deployments AMERICORPS NCCC ATLANTIC REGION’S TEAMS ASSISTING IN DISASTER RELIEF: Bay Area Food Bank: Theodore, AL Deployed: May 18, 2011 One team has been deployed to work on food donation management in Theodore, Alabama. Temporary Emergency Services: Tuscaloosa, AL Deployed: May 16, 2011 Two AmeriCorps NCCC teams were deployed to work with Temporary Emergency Services on organizing donations, loading and unloading trucks, client assistance, clerical duties, and other general disaster relief tasks. Alabama Service Commission, Hands On Disaster Services Deployed Thursday, May 5, 2011 One AmeriCorps NCCC team from the Atlantic Region has been deployed to Tuscaloosa, AL teams to help support the Tuscaloosa Volunteer Reception Center and run a donations warehouse. Temporary Emergency Services: Tuscaloosa, AL Deployed: May 17, 2011 Four AmeriCorps NCCC Teams from the Atlantic Region deployed to work with Temporary Emergency Services setting up warehousing operations for up to 12 different warehouse locations COMPLETED-Alabama Service Commission, Hands On Disaster Services: Tuscaloosa, AL May 5-23, 201 COMPLETED-Delmarva American Red Cross: Jackson & Clinton, MS May 10-23,201 Georgia Commission for Service & Volunteerism & Spalding County Emergency Management Agency One team was deployed to help with the debris clean up from the Tornados on April 27.
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Brain Food: L&M Trivia Brought to you by: Laura Mack Community Relations STL & Melissa Jabat Programming Office STL
This famous river has a number of cities along its course. What is its name?
What is NCCC-Activity: First team to get back to CRSTL Laura Mack will win a prize...trust us you want this prize! What are the NCCC project focus areas?
Keep Your Van Interiors Clean: Use a vacuum cleaner to regularly clean the inside of your van. You can use different attachments to easily clean the floor mats, under the seats, around the pedals, on the dashboard and inside any compartments. Keep a container inside for trash and empty it every few days. RAVEN 4 SHOUT OUT: “Hi Aja, I miss you! And I guess I miss Loagan a little
too. XD” - Morgan “Raven 1- can’t wait to get things done with you all on the island!” – Jake “To Sweet tooth and marbles, what it do?” - Adeliah Danielle, thanks for giving me the opportunity to wear yet another hat. Our interactions with the Rev are something that I’m sure will make us laugh for many years to come. “Why isn’t my bed made?”
Darren Steptoe, CEO Patrick Corvington & Warren Leath at a Conversation on Service in Washington DC
RAVEN 7 SHOUT OUT: Rain has descended on the city of Buffalo
and Raven 7 this past week, but it hasn’t kept our spirits down. We continue to get treated to free food on a daily basis it seems. We watched many movies and Season 4 is almost complete. You all better be prepared for a crazy junk art piece; junk is kind of our specialty here in Buffalo. Oh and in case you didn’t know…we love a parade. Griff- I should have woken up a wee bit earlier this mornin’ Caleb and Allen- The beard is getting a little ridiculous, but is still very symmetrical All TLs-I love you
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Alumni Spotlight: Jimmy Kelly Jimmy Kelly served as a Corps Member and Team Leader at Perry Point in Classes XII and XIII. He is now the Maple Unit Leader at the North Central NCCC campus in Vinton, Iowa. What were some of your favorite projects? One of my favorite projects was working with Camp DREAM. Our project was in Fletcher, VT and we worked for their camp for six weeks building a tree house that would house 10 to 12 campers. We also helped construct a garden and doing some of the grounds-work. It was a composite team, so we had a bunch of people from different teams together. We all slept in tents, Team Leader Jim Kelly and his team cooked our food over a camp fire and would only go into town once a week, on weekends. No cell phone reception. Just us, the team, and the work. The work was extremely physically demanding – every board for the tree house had to be carried uphill a quarter of a mile. As a team leader I had a few projects I really enjoyed. The first one, we worked at Camp Hope kitchen preparing dinner for 200 to 400 people every night. So our team got to develop and plan the recipes, and because so many people connect deeply through food, it was a really good way to serve volunteers and Corps Members from every campus. Denver, Sacramento… we would dress up as KISS to serve the food, or have “criss-cross” nights where we wore our uniforms backwards. What is one memory that sticks out for you? I got the chance to do some wild land fire fighting which was pretty amazing. It was something I had planned to do, set it as a goal for the year. We were on a crew of about twenty people, fifteen of which had never been on a fire before. Nine of the fifteen NCCC members were female. We were monitoring the fire, not really doing much the whole day, so another crew on the fire challenged us to the “Four at Four Thirty”: if you can drink 4 quarts of water in 4 minutes and not puke for 30 seconds, you get a pot of money. Anyone who wanted to watch had to pay in. These guys on the Hot Shot crew, they made tons of money, so the pot got up to almost $350. So me of the hot shots and a few of us started drinking water. My team leader was acting as my coach, cheering me on. It got down to me and another guy on our last bottle and he started throwing up. I finished, slammed down the bottle, and held it in for 30 seconds. I was crowned victorious. More than the money, it was the accomplishment of proving to this crew that we could step it up alongside them... plus I got almost $350. How did NCCC impact your Life After AmeriCorps? First, from a mind-set perspective, it definitely slowed me down, chilled me out a little bit, and taught me the different ways of communicating with people and how important that is. Bringing that communication to them, if you’re having problems communicating with people, learning how to break that down. It taught me patience as a communicator. It also set the stage for jobs that I would later have, highlighting the needs we have as a country. I moved back to Iowa, and that summer there were massive record breaking floods in Iowa and the Midwest. My girlfriend and I worked in a Red Cross that summer, responding to the floods,
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then I saw a VISTA position that opened up. I thought, working with AmeriCorps – that’s something I get, there’s something I can bring to this position. I worked with that organization for almost 2 years, and was able to work with NCCC teams from the North Central region, established that personal relationships with the members and staff. That in turn set me up to get a job with NCCC. Working with the government and in public service is something I’ve always been interested in, but working as a Corps Member in NCCC really showed me a super effective and efficient way to get involved. You can sit there and write policy or be Corps Member Jimmy Kelly (to the right of President Clinton) with some of the other members of his team involved on higher levels, but what’s really exciting is what’s happening on the ground. It’s not the funds from FEMA, but the people doing the disaster recovery and rebuilding work on the ground, mucking and gutting. No national service programs does that better than the National Civilian Community Corps. What advice would you give to current NCCC members? Just take the opportunity to test yourself. Whether it’s actively engaging in a difficult situation or conversation, communicating with a person you view as difficult… test yourself because that will result in the most growth, and that’s where you’ll see yourself and others around you benefit. Pushing your boundaries is one of the underlying aspects of NCCC.
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Weekly Installments: The Knowledge of AmeriCorps Alums AmeriCorps Alums is a national network of civic leaders who are actively engaged in shaping their communities and are bound together by a commitment to service. AmeriCorps Alums represent the nearly 550,000 alumni by helping them live out their "lifetime commitment to service” through engaging their communities, supporting and advocating for AmeriCorps programs and building the capacity of alumni to be agents of change in their communities. AmeriCorps Alums History: The first AmeriCorps members began their service in September 1994. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) conducted a study and lead the development of an alumni association that was spun off to the "Partnership for National Service” which at that time worked under the Points of Light Foundation (POLF). AmeriCorps Alums was branded and eventually became an independent 501c3 nonprofit agency. AmeriCorps Alums worked hard to secure benefits to members such as healthcare, an extensive job bank and schools that match the Education Award. They also advocated to not tax the Education Award. AmeriCorps Alums, its network and brand has thrived under Points of Light and Hands on Network since January 2005. AmeriCorps Alums is a stand-alone operating unit within Points of Light Institute — an organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes people to take action that changes the world.
Connect & Network with Alumni (even while in the program), there are opportunities such as networking, chapter involvement, job postings, trainings, etc… Connect: www.americorpsalums.org Follow them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/americorpsalums Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/americorpsalums
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Job Listing:AmeriCorps Alums It’s never too early to start Life After AmeriCorps plans, and if you love the AmeriCorps work why not think about working with AmeriCorps Alums? Please note AmeriCorps Alums is currently hiring for an External Relations Manager http://www.pointsoflight.org/jobs/external-relations-partnerships-manager-americorps-alums Position Overview The External Relations Manager is primarily responsible for communications and outreach to alumni members and partners in addition to all media relations including social media platforms. This position also manages certain contract and MOU partnerships, and will include limited fundraising and event planning opportunities. Position Responsibilities BUFFALO 6 Sand HOUT OUT:closely Shout out FS 1 The External Relations Manager reports directly to the Executive Director works withtothe (don’t forget to leave a tip) and Buff One! We Alumni Mobilization Manager on a daily basis. miss you Fee Fee and Billy… and now we would like to request a song to go out to Our Members are not permitted Felicia… “Fee-Fee come back, you can blame to engage in any advocacy work it on the pot hole…”. B6 is enjoying the beach during service hours or while weather in ‘Bama Bo) representing the program. But if it is something you’re interested in, think about connecting with Alumni and drive them through your passion!
RAVEN 2 SHOUT OUT: Raven 2
MOOSE 7 SHOUT OUT:
enjoyed having the moosaravalo Dani on our team for the day!
Beth!
Sean come back soon we miss you J
MOOSE 6 SHOUT OUT:
Gone Fishin’ Raven 264, I hope you’re enjoying your rounds!!
PHOENIX 2 SHOUT OUT: Our shoutout for get to the point: Our tick count is over 100 ticks! Whoop whoop. M2: A mullet is a most have for the weenis rodeo. I fully expect all of you to be sporting one when I return. Do work in Alabama! I hope you find where the gold at!! -Brooke R4 wherever you are, do you love me? –Old Greg (I love you) R5 Good luck on disaster! -Wiley
THUNDER 1 (DISASTER) SHOUT OUT: ...That’s Right. Diaster. Rachel hasn't shown up for work in days...Thunder 1 won't be the same without her. M1- Miss you guys! Can't wait to see ya'll, and Mike, that Gallon Challenge is ON! -MJ
Instant Rod’s Ruminations: I suspect that the people of Alabama may, in fact, be aliens. 1.) They are disarmingly polite. 2.) They put pickles on everything. 3.) They withstand 90+ degree temperatures and 110% humidity and says its nice out. 3.) They put a disturbing amount of sugar in their sweet tea. Seriously...enough to put any normal human into a diabetic coma.
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Memorial Day Reflection Brought to you by: Past Assistant Program Director Mike Kern
Memorial Day, which was originally called Decoration Day, is the federal holiday dedicated to remembering those who have given their lives in service to our nation. Congress passed a resolution in 2000 asking that at 3:00 PM on Memorial Day Monday, each American “voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence. One person I would like to remember this Memorial Day is Eli Segal. Though he didn’t die in military service to our country, he gave much of his life to public service, receiving the Presidential Citizen’s Medal for service to our nation in 2000. None of us would be where we are today if not for Eli Segal. After helping Clinton become elected, he worked as an assistant to the president where he shepherded the legislation through Congress to create AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Due largely to his tireless effort and political savvy, AmeriCorps was born. He turned down offers to be part of President Clinton’s cabinet so he could head the newly created CNCS and later the Welfare to Work partnership. He died in 2006 of mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. He is the namesake for our Eli Segal Education Award, so whenever you cash in that $5,550 say a little thanks to Eli.
Members of Raven 7 have started honoring Memorial Day
So on Monday at 3:00 PM, take a moment to reflect on the freedoms and privileges we enjoy as Americans and say a little thanks to all those who have died serving this great nation. MOOSE 5 SHOUT OUT:Moose Five had a great Day of Service at Camp Wilmot! Even though it was rainy, our alumni guests helped us get a lot of work done and Haley made a fabulous rainbow cake for everyone to enjoy at the end of the day. -Kate and Kat are incomplete without the rest of FS1! Hey my fire gals! Sam, Bethany, and Brooke! I hope you’re having a blazing good time! Miss ya! Claire: Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important! Boston was fun and we have the best sponsors! Love, Haley! BUFFALO 4 SHOUT OUT: If you wanna play in Texas you gotta have a
fiddle in the band. Welcome back Kevin to the Buffalo Force! My dearest B6, I miss and love you. Save me some gator. –Billy Weasley Shoutout to Buffalo 5, Steve and Leo. TITLE –Ke’Vante
Want to be a Team Leader?
This Could Be You! Applications close August 1st Those selected start January 2012
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14 Members of Moose 1 spent a bonding day with Dernard Williams out on the docks of Perry Point. Can anyone say Mini-Dernard?
Check out Raven 7, LaQuine Roberson & CEO Patrick Corvington at Habitat’s Veterans Build
CAP & Media Reminders Brought to you by: the Community Relations Office
CAPSpecial Thanks to the CAPs of Raven 7 and having completed a total of 8 applications this round already! In addition to that completing 5 events and engaging 5 alumni! Congratulations to Moose 2 for completing their 3 events already! MediaMoose 5, B15 loves all 22 YouTube videos keep it up they are so fun! A HUGE Congratulations to Raven 4 for already having 27 media hits thus far! ReminderYou all have been doing a great job this round, keep up the great work! And media don’t forget the YouTube question, CAP don’t forget those very important R’s! Also if you do the work, get the credit– Fill out those forms on the portal within 48 hours (media & CAP) RAVEN 3 SHOUT OUT: Raven 5 we are sad to see you go. We are not happy that you are leaving us stranded in Camden but we are very excited for you to embark on such a stellar experience. Ben … does Raven 3 ring a bell? You should probably return soon, being that we are starting to forget what you look like.
BUFFALO 1 SHOUT OUT: Aubrey I will miss you this weekend and just know the only reason I’m coming back is for you. Love, Lauryn We are going to miss you Glen! Good luck at your new job! Love, Lauryn & Aubrey Kudos Lauryn for being you! –Aubrey Shout Out to Danni (Moose 4) our temporary Buffalo 1! We had fun with you this week! –Michael Good luck on disaster all of my fellow TLs I plan to join you very shortly! Much love, Megan B1
RAVEN 6 SHOUT OUT: Moose 6: Thanks for adopting me! I know we’ll have a great time and get lots done for America! To all of Offspring 1, I will miss you! –Dania A shout out to all the teams here in Alabama! Shout out to FS1–Mia
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 11 BUFFALO 3 SHOUT OUT: B3!! Sends out much love from
the land of the peaches. As if hearing from tornado survivors and filing out and completing work orders for houses that need debris removed in the upcoming weeks wasn’t enough, we are working vigorously on our shin tans. B3 maintains our coolness and shows this part of the south how we roll. From this TL to the rest… from Georgia, ya’ll are “on my mind”… get it Brad..get it..:) miss yous guys. The Physical Move of the Week: The long arm crunch is another way to strengthen the rectus abdominis, the external obliques and internal obliques. This exercise is similar to the basic crunch and was ranked on the list of the Best and Worse Ab Exercises.
How to Do the Long Arm Crunch •Lie on your back with your arms over your head with hands clasped and arms close to your ears. •Keep your knees bent with feet flat on the floor. •Contract your abs and lift your shoulder blades off the floor. •Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
15 STL SHOUT OUT: Melissa is running away, and Laura
is sad...luckily she made very fudge-y brownies to eat while she sits on the couch watching VHS tapes missing Melissa. CTM (R7) Knoble is off traveling AGAIN, way cooler than you. Lia has moved into 9h,fire beware she was a Corps Member last year– You can’t mess Bradley runs….gross. Rod is in OZ? Laura wants to know if you’ll bring her back a Toto? Yes? thank you. Allen...see where this shout out is– You’re Welcome.
Staff Day of Service