Training

Hey everyone! Internet is down everywhere except for the Computer Lab, so here I am in the Computer Lab.  Here is a post I made a week ago:

     Hey y'all.  It is the weekend here! We did not end up doing Baseline on Friday because when we got up at 5 AM there was a storm going on- so we got soaked going to the gym and my team did PT (Physical Training) there.  I didn't mind one bit to be in the rain- it was awesome! I did get really sore from PT though! This weekend we explored Vicksburg, went grocery shopping with my temporary team, went swimming, went to a club called the Upper End, and went to a smoothie place called the Tomato Place.  Today I attended a Baptist Church service with a few friends, which was pretty cool.
     Here is some more information about what I'm doing here in the Southern Region:  I am a member of AmeriCorps, specifically part of the AmeriCorps NCCC program, and even more specifically I am in the newest program called FEMA Corps.  This means that we will not be doing the traditional "build houses and clear trails" kind of work that the traditional NCCC'ers do, but rather working alongside FEMA with disaster relief. Each team will be trained in a specific area which we call Specialist Training.  Some people will  be assesing damage of public structures, others will be working with the community right after the disaster to asses what the community needs, others will be talking one on one with survivors, and some will be working in warehouses. There are other positions too, but I'll tell you more about them once I know more.  This program is going to give the Team Leaders and the Corps Members experience and skills that we can put on our resume.  Even though the traditional AmeriCorps NCCC caught my attention and was the program I applied for, I am thankful that the skills and professionalism that I will gain in my next 10 months of service through the new FEMA Corps branch are going to help me in the long run. 
    By the way, the bugs here are really cool! But I'm practically being eaten alive! Also, the water here is not working for me, so I bought a Brita, I'm SOO thankful Brita's exist.

Okay now for the last few days:

     This past week has been so great and exciting.  We did A LOT this week. Such as Diversity Training, where each unit got to share about their different life experiences and do many activites.  It bonded us a unit. I am in the Ocean unit, and I will be really sad once everyone gets their permanent teams and we might be in a different unit.  We also did CPR, First Aid and AED Training.  This week we also did a classroom Driving Class and then we got out on the road and everyone interested in being a driver got tested.  As many of you know, I do not have my license, so I spent the time in the government vehicle listening to music and dozing off. This week a FEMA representative came and talked to us about the Specialist Roles we will be assigned to.  Then right after the training we had to complete a survey that asked us about our experience in each role.  I am excited to see what role I am given, because then we will get our permanent teams.  We also learned about the different oppurtunities we have for awards here. We applied for the Congressional Award, and we also talked about ISP's.  ISP's, or "Individual Service Projects" is when a member can go out on the weekends or on your time off and volunteer for a non-profit organization.  You can do it alone or with others. By the end of your service, depending on how many hours you have completed, you can get an Award for them.  So yesterday, a Saturday, my temporary team did an ISP at an Animal Shelter in Jackson.  It was fun, messy, furry, slobbery, heartwarming and heartbreaking.  We spent the morning walking and bathing puppies. We also did inventory of their disaster supplies.  We had so much fun and we are planning to go back next weekend!
     We have also been watching movies a lot here! I watched the Rocky Horror Picture Show with some friends other night.  Alright, gang, it's time for me to sign off.  In a few days I will learn what Specialist Role I got and who's team I'm going to be on for the next 10 months! So exciting!

Me and my friend Sarah "Reppin the A" in our Uniform!

Walking dogs at the Animal Shelter for my ISP!

  A worker cutting down branches at the Shelter found a baby squirrel. I wanted to take it home so bad, but alas, no AmeriPets are allowed :(

First Week of AmeriCorps NCCC

Hi y'all!  I literally just found wifi here on campus, so here I am posting about my first week here!
Here is a post a wrote about my first day:
     It is my first full day here in Vicksburg. The weather here is not too bad, but then again, we have mostly been inside all day and we have not done anything that requires much energy.  Last night I arrived at 8 PM, which was after most people got to campus, and ate dinner and got a blanket and went to bed.  I am living in Johnson Hall which is a pretty sweet deal, but sleeping last night was hard because I wasn't very tired and I was a bit scared I would fall off the bed since I'm on the top of a bunk bed that has no ladder and no railings whatsoever.  But I made it through the night.
     Today we are doing in-processing, which basically means that you get immunuzations (reguardless if you need them or not) and get your uniform and sleeping bag, and also going over policies and procedures.  I have met a lot of people so far. I live with two roommates, and they are super.  Corps members are placed in one of three units: Summit, Ocean or Bayou.  I have been placed in Ocean on a temporary team called Ocean 1.  There is a lot of diversity here, which is great, but I have been having trouble finding crazy people that are just like me here, which it was so easy to find at Camp.  We have not yet had a chance to explore Vicksburg, so that is something I am looking forward to.

   Okay now for an update for the whole week:
This week has been pretty great!  The stairs are killing me though! 3 flights of stairs just to get to my room.  Some exciting things I experienced this week: Seeing FIREFLIES for the first time. So cool. Driving around Vicksburg.  Getting to be crazy up on stage doing skits.  Learning that there is going to be an AmeriChoir.  (SO EXCITED).  Swimming in the pool, and playing card games with fellow Corps Members.  I have met soooo many people, I am rather proud of myself for remembering people's names.
     We are officially done with in-processing. YAY! And we just got our last member of Ocean 1 yesterday.  There are 8 girls and 2 guys on Ocean 1.  This week is part of CTI - Corps Training Institute.  We are taking classes in Professionalism, Procedures and Policies, Appropriate Language, how our Health Plan works, the History of AmeriCorps and so on.  We have not yet had a PT (Physical Training), but tomorrow we are waking up at 5:15 and heading out to the Military Park and doing our Baseline.  Baseline is when you  test how many push-ups and sit-ups you and do in a minute, and then you run a mile and a half and record your time.  This is to see your personal growth throughout the year of service, because we will continue to do these throughout the year.
     Tomorrow is Friday, so basically the last day of the week that we have classes.  My team will be heading off to Walmart tomorrow to buy groceries because we will no longer have catering.  That means we will be responsible to sticking to a budget and cooking and cleaning in the kitchen, which I'm a champ at. Now that I've found internet I might be posting more, but who knows!  Things change A LOT here. aka the schedule changes, and you just have to adapt to the new plan.
   That's all for tonight folks! I'll try and post pictures next time!

                                                   Here is the campus! It's beautiful here! 

My Temporary Team! OCEAN 1!!!


"He who does nothing for others does nothing for himself"--Goethe

Last day in Cali...

It's my last day here in California. I've been here for a week and I can't believe it's already time to leave. I have had the chance to say goodbye to some of my closest friends. Sadly I did not get the chance to say goodbye to everyone, but it sure has been a busy week for me-  getting documents filled out, packing, saying goodbye, going to the A's game with church and visiting museums and whatnot.
Packing actually went a lot smoother than I thought it would go. Everything fits into my one (rather large) suitcase.  I really tried to not over pack- I'm bringing 1/3 of the stuff I brought to camp, and I hope I have about the same amount of luggage as everyone else.  I did, however, bring something that is totally not necessary at all, which would be my brand new laptop and Ipod speakers. And no, I did not have room for The Settlers of Catan, but if I have Catan withdrawals I'll have mom ship it to me! And anyway, I brought a really cool card game I learned at camp that will keep me and many others entertained for a long while :)
I will be waking up at 3:30 AM tomorrow to drive to the Oakland Airport for my 6:00 AM flight. I can't wait to meet all these cool people that I will be serving with, but it is rather unfortunate that I will be one of the last people arriving to Vicksburg (and probably one of the earliest to leave!)

Here is my address if you would like to send me a letter (and care packages are always appreciated too!)
Kristy Bouchard Class 19 FEMA Corps
AmeriCorps NCCC
2715 Confederate Ave.
Vicksburg, MS 39180

FINALLY!!!

Finally, I got a call today while at the A's game with my church- that I will be serving in AmeriCorps in the Southern Region of the U.S.  I will be arriving in Vicksburg Mississippi in 5 (almost 4) days!!! And boy do I have a lot to do.  Packing and getting documents filled out, and of course saying goodbye to my family and friends.  I'm so glad to be placed in Mississippi- even though this means I will be faced with severe humidity...hopefully I will get used to it.  I received the welcome packet a few hours ago, and I've read it cover to cover!   These last days are for packing and spending time with family. Tomorrow I go to the California Academy of Sciences with my little brothers, my grandma and my cousins.  Wish me luck getting ready for my adventure!