Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 18
Get to the Point: The NCCC News
An NCCC Atlantic Region Publication August 8-14, 2011 Volume XVII Issue 19 Perry Point, MD
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 18
Strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national & community service
Inside Issue 19: Faces of the Week
2
Moose 5 Update
3
AmeriCount Down
4
AmeriGourmet
5 &6
Alumni Spotlight
7
Rod’s Ruminations
8
Brain Food
9
I’m a member of the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps program. N-triple-C members are 18 to 24 years old & spend 10 months getting things done for America while developing their own leadership skills. We serve on teams to help communities prepare for & respond to disasters, build homes & help the environment.
2
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 18
3
Moose 5: Roaming Moose During our journey in AmeriCorps NCCC, Moose 5 has been faced with many challenges. Since our team has joined forces we overcame all of the obstacles presented with a smile on our face. We are tight herd of Moose; Moose 5. While in Delaware we worked at seven unique of Delaware state parks, this was our first spike. We were truly nomadic Moose; moving sites almost every two weeks. From the beaches of Fenwick to the Island of Fort Delaware, Moose 5’s talents were put to the test, our muscles had no rest; all while learning and growing through new the experiences. One of our accomplishments was the restoration of a boardwalk at Fenwick Beach; from there almost no job seemed to be too big or too hard for Moose 5 to take on. The next spike Moose 5 migrated to New Hampshire working at Camp Wilmot. We worked diligently while painting cabins, and moving sheds. Camp Wilmot is a year-round campground and retreat center, completely surrounded by beautiful nature and ponds. Moose 5 was never at a lost for team builders and always had a wonderful time with the two honorary Moose Sarah and Rachel (our sponsors). Moose 5 then roamed a few towns over from Perry Point to Elkton, MD to work at Camp Activate, where we got hit with a blazing heat wave. Moose 5 worked to promote education, provide encouragement and help youth reach their greater potential through a variety of program offerings ranging from math problems to learning about the different parts of the body. The kids were awesome to work with and the staff was wonderful to be around. They were always there for us when we needed them to be. Camp Activate taught Moose 5 how to adapt to being around and working with kids which was a fantastic experience for the entire team. And now we are in Buffalo, NY, doing clean sweeps. We are tougher then ever and ready for anything! The Moose 5 herd is glad to be in Buffalo helping out the communities that need help the most. Moose 5 will be helping all communities in need, assisting with all their needs by doing things such as weekly clean sweeps and creating community gardens that will bring sunshine.
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 18
4
PHOENIX 3 SHOUT OUT: (P3 > P2) Excited to see the situation report this morning when the Lateral West Wildfire was reported at approximately 175 acres in The Great Dismal Swamp. I guess I can say hi to Buffalo 1 – King Andrew Rubicon Sweet Meat Allmendinger B5, have you ever experienced a Sheetz gas station? Moose 3: Ya’ll might as well be stuck in the sky, cuz you’re the stars of my life!!… the only difference is I can’t see you every night. Miss ya!! 2.99Megan
MOOSE 5 SHOUT OUT: Moose 5 loves each other & Buffalo, NY. We’re never leaving. Sorry friends.
RAVEN 6 SHOUT OUT: What up,
Tasha? Miss you –Court & Ceci BUFFALO 4 SHOUT OUT: Buffalo 4’s a pretty cool team, they work real hard and doesn’t afraid of anything. Um, winning! Ke’Vante, please come back to us! BUFFALO 6 SHOUT OUT: How much wood can a B6 chuck, if a B6 could chuck wood? … 18 tons in four days POW!! George sends a shout out to Hot Mess One! Tiffany shouts out to her TL Rachel (aka her best friend).
“Baxter, bark twice if you’re in Milwaukee”
AmeriCount Down
19 Days until Transition
23 Days until Fall Break
27 Days until Round 4
99 Days until Graduation
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 18
5
AmeriGourmet: The Cooking Corner Farmer’s Market Season It's farmers' market time! These top-rated recipes will help you cook & eat with the season!
Vegetarian Casserole Bountiful Garden Zucchini Enchiladas Sauce-less Garden Lasagna &
Passionately Pink Honey Lemonade
Vegetarian Casserole Ingredients Serving: 10-12 people 2-3 large eggplants 2 green bell peppers 3 summer squash 1/4 lbs fresh green beans Garlic 1 tablespoon basil 3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 large potatoes 2 large onions 1 tomato 1/4 lbs mushrooms 1 tablespoon oregano 15 ounce can tomato sauce salt and pepper to taste
Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F Prepare the eggplant before assembling ingredients, by cutting them into chunks & put into an extra large bowl with salted water to cover. This will draw out the bitterness from the eggplant. Cut the potatoes, green bell peppers, onion, squash & tomato into chunks. Cut the green beans & mushrooms. Drain and rinse the eggplant, then combine it with all the other chopped vegetables, the dill, oregano and basil and place all into a 3x13x18 inch roasting pan. Pour the tomato sauce and olive oil over all. Bake at 375 degrees F for 2 1/2 hours, adding a little water about halfway through cooking time to keep moist.
Bountiful Garden Zucchini Enchiladas Ingredients Serving: 10-12 people 2 tablespoons olive oil 5 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup diced green chilies 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup flour 2-1/2 cups milk 20 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 onion, chopped 7 cups diced zucchini 2 teaspoons chili powder 1/4 cup butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 2-1/2 cups shredded cheese 3-3/4 cups chopped tomatoes
Directions Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion & garlic in the oil until tender, about 5 mins. Stir in zucchini, 1/4 cup diced chilies, 1 teaspoon chili powder & 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until softened, 3 to 5 mins. Remove zucchini mixture from skillet & reserve. Melt butter in the skillet over medium low heat. Stir in flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder, & 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in milk; whisk until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of diced chilies & 1 cup of cheese. Stir sauce into the zucchini mixture. Spoon squash mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up. Place filled tortillas in prepared baking dish, pour remaining sauce over. Cover and bake in oven until hot, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with remaining cheese & the tomatoes.
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 18
6
Sauce-less Garden Lasagna Ingredients Serving: 10-12 people
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise & sliced 1/2 cup chopped red onion 1-2/3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 10-12 mushrooms, sliced 6 cups fresh spinach 1/3 cup basil (fresh is best) 1 tablespoon oregano 5 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup olive oil 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 4 8 ounce packages no-boil lasagna noodles 5 tomatoes, thinly sliced
Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Lightly coat a 9x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, toss together the zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, garlic, red onion, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, & feta cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, & stir in basil, oregano, sugar, salt & pepper. Stir the mixture until evenly blended. Place a layer of lasagna noodles into the bottom of the prepared pan. Make a layer of tomato slices over the noodles. Spread a generous amount of the spinach mixture over the tomatoes. Don't worry, it shrinks a lot while cooking. Lay slices of tomatoes over the spinach mixture, then another layer of noodles. Start with another layer of tomatoes on top of the noodles, & repeat layering until the dish is heaped with lasagna, ending with the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on the top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the oven, until noodles, & vegetables are tender. Let stand for a few minutes to set, then slice and serve.
Passionately Pink Honey Lemonade Ingredients Serving: 15 people 8 cup water 3 fresh strawberries, sliced 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon honey 1 3/4 cups fresh lemon juice 2 slices orange
Directions In a saucepan, combine 1 cup water, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar, and honey. Bring to a boil & simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool to room temperature, cover, & chill. In a large pitcher, mix together water, lemon juice & orange slices. Stir in cooled syrup; chill. Serve in a tall glass over ice.
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 18
7
Alumni Spotlight: Kristen Lewis Kristen Lewis, served as a Corps Member in Class XVI at the Atlantic Region Campus at Perry Point. She recently began a VISTA position in West Virginia; VISTA is another AmeriCorps Program. AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. VISTA is something you might want to consider for another Life After AmeriCorps plan. How did you find out about AmeriCorps NCCC? A friend of mine pointed NCCC out to me during a discussion about what we were both going to do with our lives. Her brother-in-law had just signed up for an AmeriCorps program in Florida and was really enjoying his service year. I had already been rejected from the Peace Corps (twice) and decided that I would apply and see if anything came of it. I'm still so happy with that choice. What was the best part of your year? Ah! This is such a hard question. In a clichĂŠ way, the ten months as a whole were the best part of my year, I really feel like I grew as a person and stepped outside of my element. But, if forced to choose, I will always say that the two weeks my team, Badger 4, spent in Lake Charles, LA working for Habitat was a truly amazing experience. Our sponsors were wonderful, the work was fulfilling and I think our team really flourished in our one room double-wide. We were pulled to go on disaster in Pensacola, FL and although that experience was also very positive and educational, Lake Charles still wins out for best project. What are your current plans? I just moved to Martinsburg, WV to start my VISTA year with the Eastern Panhandle Medical Reserve Corps. Although I am still unsure of what to expect, I think my VISTA year will definitely be educational and challenging, something I embrace. While NCCC is all about direct service, VISTA focuses on indirect service and will definitely give me skills needed for my future plans. I am also in the process of completing my Non Profit Management Leadership certification and hope to open my own nonprofit or program in the future to aid those survivors of human trafficking within the US. Words of Advice for Class XVII- I'll say the same thing I said to Moose 5 when I had the pleasure to work with them on their day of service in NH: take every opportunity to learn and grow as a person this year. It really goes by fast and after your ten months of service are over you don't want to regret not learning a skill or not taking the time to bond with a teammate. You are all doing great work and I hope your year is everything you've hoped and more. Lewis with her team Badger 4 Class XVI (STL Lehman is pictured)
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 18
8
Rod’s Ruminations: Who is James Swain By: James “Rod” Swain Raven Unit STL Let me lay this down for all you good people out there: I have an identity crisis. But this is not your garden variety ID crisis. I am not atypically unsure about my future and I don’t have constantly changing personas. Basically, I’m not Zach Braff in Garden State. What I am is a person with two names. Even before I set foot on the Earth on September 12th, 1986 at 3:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, in the great fighting city of Akron, Ohio, the name I would go by was already chosen: Rod. It is a family name and I was always going to be Roderick. The other part of my name was chosen to be James, after my grandfather. However, my parents did not like how Roderick James Swain sounded. It just doesn’t have a great ring to it. So, in a colossal decision that would forever shape my life, they decided to name me James Roderick, but still refer to me as Rod. This was an incredibly ironic decision, considering that James, my grandfather, one of my namesakes, had always said that you could never trust anyone who goes by their middle name. Henceforth, every first day of school was misery as period by period the teachers ran through the roll call and asked for “James Swain” to the great delight of all my other middle school compatriots, and to my great horror. This may seem trivial, but ask Unit Leader Michael (Jason) Cangelosi I think he will back me up here. James only exists on paper, but he still takes credit for all of my greatest accomplishments and my lowest defeats. Does Rod Swain get a speeding ticket? No, but James Swain does. Could Rod Swain win a scholarship from the American Legion for his high score on the “Americanism” test (during which he facetiously, but passionately advocated for the use of nuclear weapons in the Iraq War)? No, but James Swain could (and did). And somehow Rod Swain is left in the middle, to run the day to day operations of this human endeavor. Basically, the whole point of this pointless article is to declare that anyone who refers to me in print or in person as James Swain is both a liar and an enemy of the state. They’re also probably un-American, based on the previously mentioned accolades. Legally and officially they may be correct, but in reality they are just referring to a ghost persona. I mean, if that were the case, you would be reading “James’s Jokes” right now and not “Rod’s Ruminations.” So please, folks. Let’s get with the program here and have some dignity. My name is Rod Swain and I am the Raven Unit Support Team Leader. MOOSE 2 SHOUT OUT: Shout out to Quirk’s wisdom
RAVEN 1 SHOUT OUT: Our long-lost chainsaw, Donald, was finally returned to us this past week after sitting in the shop all by his lonesome. At last, Chauncey, Donald, Sally and Sassy were all reunited until Sally and Sassy decided to run away to the shop again. Does this tell you something?
teeth: Gone but not forgotten. Green Team: Do you remember when we used to dance? Buffalo 7: I forget, did anyone ever confirm that Lucky Charms were in fact magically delicious?
R1 Pod Members, how about that pod reunion during transition? Ideas? -KJBUFFALO 3 SHOUT OUT: B3!B3!B3!B3! We may not be fancy enough for some parts of CT, but we make our own fun :) To the gone but not forgotten members of B3!, we'll see you soon and we may or may not have ice cream waiting, depends how fast you can get back to us
RAVEN 2 SHOUT OUT: Jeeeennnn we miss you! And hope you’re drinking lots of water down there! – Raven 2 & Rick Ameri-Muckers 1.2 are having a great time in Burlington, VT! STL SHOUT OUT: In the words of the great Madonna Time goes by so slowly Time goes by so slowly Time goes by so slowly Time goes by so slowly Time goes by so slowly Time goes by so slowly That’s how we feel about Green Team and their arrival date.
Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 18
9
Brain Food: L & M Trivia By: Those Crazy STLs L. Mack & M. Jabat What is the name of the famous city?
What is NCCC-Activity: First team to get back to CRSTL Laura Mack will win a prize...trust us you want this prize!
BUFFALO 2 SHOUT OUT: Sweat.
What organizations does NCCC support? RAVEN 7 SHOUT OUT: This week we were able to start helping teachers in the process of setting up classrooms and moving furniture up and down many flights of stairs. Don’t get us wrong… we love tending to the floors, but it is a nice change of pace. The Big Bad Wolf treated us very well and we were able to have a photo-op with another mayor of a major city. She was not nearly as cool as Byron though. We only have one degree of separation between us and DeAngelo Barksdale (if you know who this is, then you are jealous). We would also like to note that we carry bad luck for any home baseball team that we try to root for. The Bisons and the Orioles are a combined 0-4. We want to give a special shout-out to Buffalo 2 for enjoying the ISP with us on Saturday. And a super special shout out from the roaches to Buffalo 1 and Buffalo 6; they say “We miss you!”
HOT MESS 1 SHOUT OUT: Tony to my team: I miss you jerks. Be nice to Marlee. B3B3B3B3!
MOOSE 1 SHOUT OUT: I will always be a CubCat rolling in the Thunder! Miss you all!!!!!- MJ Mike on P3: I miss talking about PT! – Rebekah, Can’t wait till transition so we can be like peas & carrots again! - Stephanie
B7 - I hope life is going well and soon we will be reunited back at the point - See you there!-Preston To all of B2 (including the missing children like me): I miss all of you so much! Can’t wait to get back to our nightly kitchen round-ups, blue octopus, and insane fits of laughter. Hope you guys are having a blast wherever it is you may be. -Andi Yo B3 what up? Miss you all – be back in a week. Word up to Marlee and the undercover shawty!-Barry
BUFFALO 1 SHOUT OUT: Shout out to Andrew- I miss you, you little turd! Protect that great swamp and put out the fire! – Eileen Ambrosia and Katie- Spanks for another great weekend! Attn: All TLs I cannot wait to see you all in 3 weeks! We are officially halfway done with Round 3…easy runnin’ from here on out.