Service and Conservation Corps Contributing to Relief Efforts After Hurricane Sandy

While The Corps Network is concerned and saddened by the devastation left by Hurricane Sandy throughout many areas of the East Coast, we are proud that some of our Corps are already helping to mobilize their Corpsmembers to respond and meet needs in their communities. 

In New York City, several Corps are already attempting to help improve conditions by volunteering, including the New York Restoration Project (NYRP) and Green City Force. On their Facebook page, NYRP wrote: “We’ve been restoring parks and gardens in NYC’s most underserved communities for nearly two decades – and our parks & gardens were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. But we’re New Yorkers and this storm only makes us more determined to make NYC a cleaner & greener place to live. For those of us who are fortunate enough to still have our own homes and gardens intact… Sign-up to be a volunteer at www.nyrp.org/volunteer and we’ll let you know when it’s safe to be back in our parks. In the meantime, help our clean-up efforts at www.nyrp.org/donate.“

Green City Force wrote a blog post and said “A few of us went down to the Red Hook Community Farm yesterday, and it has taken quite a hit. A lot of help is needed, and so we are making this a GCF service priority over the next few days.” A Corps Staff member also spoke with staff from the Corps, and was pleased to hear that they have made contact with almost all Corpsmembers and were doing ok. Green City Force posted a photo from the farm, and seems to be in good spirits.

A Corps Network staff member also spoke to a staff member with the New Jersey Youth Corps of Camden / The Work Group, and heard that they were doing ok and seemed to escape terrible damage in their part of the state.

More Help on the Way from The Corps Network, FEMA, and AmeriCorps

Working with our partners at FEMA and the Corporation for National and Community Service, numerous other members of The Corps Network are deploying to New York City to help staff shelters. As it currently stands, 400 AmeriCorps members will deploy in the next week to help assist on projects at the shelters and beyond as needed in New York. Given the training of Corps to work independently, and their high levels of training and skill with volunteer management, they are a tremendous resource in times like these. More broadly, 877 AmeriCorps members are currently on the ground in six states, including 41 FEMACorps crews. An additional 900 members are on standby.

Several days ago Washington Conservation Corps wrote on their Facebook page that they “will deploy 40 AmeriCorps members and 8 WCC Crew Supervisors to assist the communities affected by Hurricane Sandy. Our teams will be travelling with tools onboard, including chainsaws and other equipment for clearing debris, placing sandbags, and tarping roofs. Corpsmembers will also be assisting in shelter operations, supply distribution, and damage assessments with FEMA staff. Food and lodging will be provided by various non-profit groups, churches and schools.”

AmeriCorps St. Louis has already arrived in New York City, with many Corps scheduled to arrive over the weekend and the next few days. While the response will include AmeriCorps partners beyond The Corps Network, from our membership Washington Conservation Corps, Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (Taos), and Montana Conservation Corps are already set for departure. Several additional Corps may be mobilized as well in the coming days in addition to those members of FEMA Corps and AmeriCorps NCCC that will be assisting throughout affected areas.

Mario Colucci, a Regional Program Coordinator for Montana Conservation Corps who will be leading Montana’s crew over a deployment of at least 30 days said: “This is an all hands on deck scenario and AmeriCorps members are uniquely suited to provide immediate assistance. They have a level of efficiency and skills that make them a great resource to bring stability and aid to the beleaguered people affected by Hurricane Sandy.”

Colucci’s thoughts about it being an “all hands on deck scenario” have been echoed by many, and we hope that our Corps will make as much of a difference as they are able.

You can follow updates from AmeriCorps on the National Service by clicking here.

Where are they now? – Catching up with 2011 Corpsmember of the Year Mari Takemoto-Chock


Mari Takemoto-Chock, a former member of the Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps, won Corpsmember of the Year in 2011 for her commitment to service. Read below to find out what she’s been up to since accepting her award, or find out more about Mari and her Corps experience by reading her bio from our 2011 national conference.

Mari Takemoto-Chock is certainly not one to just sit around. In August 2011, almost immediately after finishing her AmeriCorps VISTA term with KUPU – the organization that runs the Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps – Mari flew to New York for her first semester as a graduate student at NYU. She received her master’s degree in the spring of 2013.

Mari’s experiences at KUPU are part of what inspired her to study gender and race in graduate school. During her year with KUPU, Mari was instrumental in creating an Urban Corps to provide job training and life skills education for Honolulu’s under-resourced youth. Mari was struck by how a large proportion of the Corpsmembers at KUPU were Native Hawaiian. What did it mean that they all came from a certain minority group? Mari says her graduate studies have helped her look with a critical lens at questions about race and inequality. After Mari graduates in May 2013, she says she will probably attend law school. She is not entirely sure what she wants to do with a law degree, but she hopes to one day work for an organization like the Legal Aid Society. She says there’s also a possibility she will return to Capitol Hill; between college and her AmeriCorps term, Mari worked on energy, environmental, and education issues as part of the legislative staff for a member of the Hawaii delegation. Though Mari is still very much interested in environmental issues, she says her main interest, and what will probably shape her future career, are the issues surrounding at-risk youth. 

Looking back on her time at KUPU, Mari says her experiences not only inspired her studies in graduate school. She says that helping build the Urban Corps provided excellent exposure to how programs are developed, implemented, and maintained.

“I got a really good, broad overview …from funding to developing to implementing and devising policy,” said Mari. “And then also the day-to-day of managing behavior and discipline. I think the thing I took away the most was that broad overview.”

Mari says her Corps experience also helped her think in a whole new way. She feels that if she had not joined the Corps, she would probably still be on Capitol Hill thinking about issues from a political perspective.

Mari maintains close contact with people at KUPU. She goes to the Corps to visit her former coworkers whenever she gets a chance. She also frequently checks the Corps’ Facebook and Twitter pages to stay posted on what kinds of projects they’re working on.

To youth considering joining a Service or Conservation Corps, Mari says:

“I think it’s a really good opportunity for self-reflection and self-development. So I would say to be really open to that. I think just being out in nature is a good opportunity – for some reason it inspires a lot of self-reflection. Not many people get the chance to spend that much time out in nature. So I would say to really take advantage of that.”

 

 

[Video] Vermont Youth Conservation Corps Hosts “Freaky 5K” Race

Last weekend the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps held a fundraising event that was easy to appreciate from afar– a “Freaky 5k Race!” Participants ran the race in costume, and characters and concepts including Scooby Doo, Batman, Ladybugs, Indiana Jones, Forrest Gump, Freddy Krueger, Yin & Yang, and an unfortunate chainsaw user all did their best to win glory. Can you guess who won the race?

You can find out by watching a really nice video of the race and event from Mt. Mansfield Community TV below. You can also see photos from the event in this gallery.  Congratulations to Vermont YCC for having such a cool and well executed idea!

The VYCC’s Freaky 5K Race from Mt. Mansfield Community TV on Vimeo.

National Service in Action Photo Contest

From Our Partners at Voices for National Service

The months ahead are crucial in the fight to protect and promote national service.  The success of our movement hinges on our ability to highlight the impact of service work in communities all across the country. 

In order to best tell the story of national service, we need to use powerful images.  Afterall, everyone knows that a picture is worth a thousand words!

With this in mind, Save Service in America, a campaign led by Voices for National Service and ServiceNation, would like to announce the first ever “National Service in Action” Photo Contest.  If you are passionate about the promise of national service, send us a photo of valuable service work being done in your community.

The photographer that takes the best photo will be recognized at the 10th Annual Friends of National Service Awards Reception in Washington, D.C. on February 12, 2013.

Submitting a photo is easy – there are two ways you can submit a photo:

1). You can submit your photo directly through our website by clicking here. Please be sure to include: the name of the national service program, the state where the service is taking place, and your name and e-mail address.

2). E-mail [email protected] with the photo as an attachment or in the body of the message, and include the following in the subject line: the name of the national service program, the state where the service is taking place, and your name.

Check out more photo examples just like the one on the right.

Spread the word – In order to gather the best photos possible, we ask that you share information about this contest far and wide on your social media channels using the hashtag #ServiceInAction.  You can share our Facebook post promoting the contest by clicking here.

You can also use the following suggested Tweets:

• Submit a photo for the #ServiceInAction photo contest. Support #NationalService w/ RT! https://ow.ly/eCxPc

• Tell story of #ServiceInAction in your community by entering photo contest. Show support w/ RT https://ow.ly/eCxPc

Each month a screening committee will select a photo of the month.  In mid-January, you can vote to help us select the “National Service in Action” photo winner!   The best photos from each month will be posted on Facebook, and you will have a chance to “like” your favorite.  The photo that receives the most “likes” will be selected as the contest winner.

We look forward to your participation in this exciting opportunity to creatively tell the story of the importance of national service.

Yours in service,

AnnMaura Connolly
President, Voices for National Service

Where are they now? – Catching up with 2011 Corpsmember of the Year, Oscar Alejandro Marquina

Oscar A. Marquina, a former member of the Utah Conservation Corps, won Corpsmember of the Year in 2011 for his leadership skills and commitment to service. Read below to find out what he’s been up to since accepting his award, or find out more about Oscar and his Corps experience by reading his bio from our 2011 National Conference.

Do rivers and lakes need regular health checkups just like people do? Ask Oscar Marquina.

“Basically I am a water doctor,” said Oscar. “I travel around doing different examinations making sure my patients – rivers and lakes – recover their health or stay healthy.”

Oscar, a former member of the Utah Conservation Corps, is currently interning with the Utah Division of Water Quality. Prior to this internship, he worked as a laboratory technician at the Utah Research Water Lab. Oscar has visited over 40 lakes throughout the state of Utah, collecting water samples and checking various water quality parameters. All this experience and Oscar is still just 23 years old.

Oscar and his family emigrated from Venezuela to the United States in 2001. Seven years later, Oscar was fluent in English and serving as one of two original Crew Leaders for the Utah Conservation Corps’ Bilingual Youth Corps (BYC). With his language skills and his ability to relate with the growing Latino population of Northern Utah, Oscar became instrumental in making the Bilingual Youth Corps a success. He translated informational brochures into Spanish, held orientation meetings in Spanish, and conducted interviews for potential Corpsmembers in both English and Spanish. 

“It wasn’t until I left [the Corps] that I realized I helped in laying the structure for future BYC programs,” said Oscar. “I didn’t think all the minute logistical details we discussed would help in future years. It is definitely a pleasant surprise knowing the heart and effort I had given for a summer program was then duplicated every summer after the first.”

Before joining the Utah Conservation Corps, Oscar loved the outdoors but he had never considered the amount of work that goes into the conservation projects needed to preserve parks and trails. Oscar joined the Corps simply because it seemed like it would be fun to spend his summer vacation in a setting where he could exercise his bilingual skills. Now, however, Oscar feels that the Corps can offer a lot more than just a fun summer job.

“For those who are new to this country, the Bilingual Youth Corps is ideal for many reasons. First it teaches Corpsmembers ownership of their new community through service and travel. To someone who is learning the language, it will speed up the education process by creating unique opportunities and interactions outside the classroom,” said Oscar. “It is also important to allow new immigrants to express themselves in their native tongue which may have been restricted at schools or other jobs simply because of the non-bilingual dynamics of such institutions.”

In preparation for when his internship ends in October 2012, Oscar has been networking, filling out applications and going to interviews. He wants to gain work experience before he eventually returns to school. Oscar graduated from Utah State University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, and he is now interested in pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree.

Oscar’s time in the Corps may have ended in 2010, but he is still involved in service opportunities. He recently finished a tutoring position at a Utah high school where he helped students – most of them Latinos or Burmese refugees – with their homework and ACT preparation.

“My goal at the moment is to find a job that allows me to help communities and people,” said Oscar. “I would love to work for a company that allows me to travel and use my Spanish skills.”

Oscar says one of the things he loved most about his experience with the Corps was getting to meet interesting people from all walks of life. He says he feels like each individual BYC member he worked with stands out in his mind. He is still good friends with many of these members; they follow each other on Facebook and get together to hangout. He also stops by the Utah Conservation Corps offices to say hello to the staff whenever he is nearby.

To young people thinking of joining a service or conservation corps, Oscar says:

“If you have not figured out what exact experience you need in life, but you have the heart and drive to volunteer and provide a service to your community, the corps will be a way to seize the day and gain inspiration and illumination for any future endeavors.”

 

Corpsmember Success Story: “William Got Serious” – American YouthWorks

Adapted from a post on the American YouthWorks website: July 12, 2012 – Rachel Matvy

In 2009, after dropping out of school, William came to American YouthWorks’s public charter high school, the Service Learning Academy. William, who was 18-years-old at this point, was of an age when many young people would already have graduated.  Through the Service Learning Academy’s self-paced program, he completed his high school credits in two years. However, William had difficulty passing the State test. By the way, if you decided to buy a new juicer, visit https://juicer.guru/best-cheap-juicers-review. While he studied, he joined AYW’s award-winning green construction program, which is designed to create pathways out of poverty for at-risk youth. He gained job skills and earned a small living stipend while he prepared for the test. In addition to job skills, William learned to give back to his community by building energy efficient homes for low-income home buyers.

It is important to note that American YouthWorks continued to serve William even though he had “aged out” of the school.  This meant that American YouthWorks no longer received State funding to serve him.  Through AYW programs, William earned his diploma and industry recognized job training certifications.   He ate breakfast and lunch every day in the AYW cafeteria and his son was cared for in the on campus child development facility.  All of this was provided at no cost to William or his family.  

William started at American YouthWorks in a place of uncertainty, and on June 30th, William will walk across the stage with his fellow students!  He’s graduating with job skills and is currently working with the City of Austin as an intern.  William is achieving his dream: to have a viable means to support his wife and son.

It is through generous gifts from donors that American YouthWorks is able to provide these types of desperately needed services to at-risk youth in Austin so that there will be more success stories like William’s.

Diversity: California Conservation Corps members discuss the need to see more people of color experiencing nature

Terry Johnson and Leonard Patton, two Corpsmembers from the California Conservation Corps, sit down with John Griffith of Totem Magic: Going MAD to discuss Outdoor Afro – an organization that focuses on getting people of color more involved in outdoor recreation and conservation. Both Corpsmembers talk about the habitat restoration projects they’ve been involved with, and talk about how much they’ve learned about nature since joining the Corps. Leonard talks about how his experience with California Conservation Corps has introduced him to many new species and has allowed him to see a kind of untamed nature he never knew existed.

Click the image above or click here to watch the video of the interivew.

Corpsmember Success Story: American YouthWorks Alum Builds on the Skills he Learned in the Corps

 


Taken from the American YouthWorks Newsletter

“American YouthWorks does a lot to help people, in all kinds of ways.”  Jeremy M.

Jeremy already has his high school diploma when he came to American YouthWorks (AYW) in 2010, but he was 22 years old, had a two-year-old daughter, and was living in his car. He had been unemployed for over a year.

Jeremy’s grandmother, who had raised him and his siblings, was unable to help him financially. Jeremy also had issues in his past that made it difficult for him to find employment or housing.    

He was at a loss.  

People would tell me that they wanted to hire me, but they weren’t able because of my background checks. No matter what I did, I always got the same answer.”  

A friend told Jeremy about AYW’s job training programs.  In these programs, participants learn hard and soft job skills, give back to their community, earn a small living stipend and receive an educational award for college expenses.  Jeremy applied and was accepted. He was relieved to have found a job and ended up learning and serving at AYW for almost two years.  

Jeremy credits AYW for giving him the job skills and life skills that have helped him be successful today.  

“The staff want to make sure the students have the foundation to thrive,” said Jeremy

During the “Mental Toughness” orientation to AYW, Jeremy was told that the hardest part of the job would be showing up every day and being on time; this made a big impression on him and he learned that he could do it.  He acquired skills in carpentry, house framing and construction.  He also learned to be patient, observant, responsible and detail oriented.  

“Details in building a house are extremely important,” said Jeremy. “An error of 1/8th of an inch could mean the difference between finishing the cabinets, or having to tear them down to start all over again.”  

Most importantly, Jeremy learned that he was a leader.   

While he was learning construction skills, Jeremy was improving his community by building affordable, five star, energy efficient homes for low-income home buyers and weatherizing and repairing existing homes for low-income Austin residents.

During his time at AYW, Jeremy earned educational awards totaling nearly $4,000 and was honored with a $2,000 scholarship from YouthBuild USA for his leadership and public service.  These awards, along with encouragement from AYW staff, made all the difference in Jeremy’s choice to pursue higher education.  

“I wasn’t planning on going to college.  AYW helped me make that decision,” said Jeremy.  

Jeremy says that when he first came to AYW, he was just coming for the job, but he received so much more.   Today, Jeremy is in his 5th semester of classes with Austin Community College and working full-time for the City of Austin’s Public Works Department.  

Now, Jeremy has choices.  

When asked who Jeremy goes to for advice, he replied, “AYW! Even though I’m not in the program anymore, the staff are who I come to for support and guidance”.  

Utah Conservation Corps Recognized with BLM Youth Award

 

From Utah State Today – University News

The Bureau of Land Management recognized the Utah Conservation Corps (UCC) with a Youth Superstar Partnership award. UCC program director Kate Stephens (shown on right) accepted the award from BLM’s Utah State Director Juan Palma (on left) at a BLM executive management team meeting Oct. 9 in Richfield, Utah.

The UCC has partnered with the BLM since the UCC’s inception in 2001, to address critical conservation projects while training and developing the next generation of service and conservation leaders.

“The goal of BLM Utah’s Youth Program is to re-connect a new generation of young people to the great outdoors and careers in natural resources,” said Jeanette Matovich, BLM Utah Youth Program lead. “The Utah Conservation Corps has provided outstanding outdoor employment opportunities to diverse youth groups, including the Bilingual Youth Corps.

“For years, the BLM and UCC have worked together to provide employment opportunities, and educate future citizen stewards on why it is important to protect and conserve public land. We look forward to expanding our partnership with Utah State University and working with them for many years to come.”

Continue Reading at the Utah State Today Website

Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia to Do 352 Community Service Projects with Boy Scouts

From West Virginia Public Broadcasting

The Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia (CCC) has announced details on 352 community service projects that will be performed by 40,000 Boy Scouts throughout southern West Virginia next summer.

The Reaching the Summit Community Service Initiative will take place during the National Scout Jamboree, scheduled in Fayette County in July 2013.

Service projects have been approved after an 18 month education, application, and assessment process.

Most of the approved work includes outdoor construction, renovation, painting, landscaping or clean-up efforts. The projects are located at cemeteries, parks, schools, humane societies, historic landmarks, ball fields, and other community gathering places.

Robert Martin, CEO of the CCC, said the project has entered a phase of coordinating the specific technical support, volunteers, and services that will be needed for each project.

“Our strength is in our ability to bring forth partnerships,” said Martin. “So we’re partnering with the National Civilian Community Corps, church groups, contractors associations, unions, students, you name it.”

“We’re trying to get into 9 different southern counties with 8000 young people per day in around 245 buses. We’re pulling the logistics together right now and it’s going to be a chore, but we’re going to get it done,” he said.

“It’s a huge undertaking.”

Continue Reading at the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Website