Hello, folks. Sorry about not posting a blog for a while. I've got A LOT to tell you!
Wrapping-up in NYC
During our last weeks in our deployment to Hurricane Sandy I continued to work at DRC #41 as an Applicant Services Program Specialists. With every passing day, I was growing more comfortable and able to do the job without the help of the FEMA employees.
National AmeriCorps Week
A few weeks ago was National AmeriCorps week. In recognition of this, FEMA Corps went to a Service Project in the Rockaways. Alongside more than 200 AmeriCorps members serving in NYC, we helped clean up the beach of debris and trash. It was quite an interesting experience because it was snowing the entire time. CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer and Director of AmeriCorps Bill Basl were there to cheer us on our accomplishments so far and to serve with us as well. Here are some quantifiables for the 2,400 AmeriCorps members deployed to Hurrican Sandy:
· Mucked and gutted 1,270 homes,
· Mobilized 16,000 volunteers for 128,000 hours of service (valued at $2.68 million), and
· Touched the lives of nearly 30,000 New York residents.
We rock!
Last Chance
I spent the last weekend in NYC with a few teammates of mine in Manhattan. We went to a very hilarious comedy show as well as visited Times Square one last time.
Washington DC
On the way back to campus, my team had a great opportunity to visit the nations capitol and stay at our team leaders parents' house. It was a great experience! I hadn't been to DC since the 8th grade field trip, and I got to see almost everything in one day, which means I was pretty sore, but it was worth it. Also, almost everyone on my team got a sunburn (sorry mom), but I LIKED it, because it means I actually went outside and there was SUNSHINE for once!
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| the team |
Transition
I am now currently at the AmeriCorps NCCC Southern region campus in Vicksburg, Mississippi. We are here for a week to debrief our last project, get our new projects assignments and prepare for deployment, as well as work on our professional goals. This week we had many classes on our goals and achievements, awards, and most importantly our resumes. I now have a solid resume that I can use once I graduate from AmeriCorps in June.
Round 3 will be...
Ocean 7's next and final SPIKE will be a split round! This means that we will be in Emmitsburg, Maryland for a month and Boston, Massachusettes for the next! I am really excited about both of these locations. As for the work we will be doing: We will not be interacting with survivors, but rather with FEMA Employees to work towards creating and editing the FEMA Corps Training Program. Honestly, I don't know what our day will look like yet, but I'm excited to get started. As for housing, we know that we will be staying at the Emergency Management Institute and Firefighters Academy. This is the same location my team stayed when we were staging for Hurricane Sandy. This means that while others in our Corps will be camping out in tents in the desert of New Mexico, we will be in our own snug rooms with wifi, a cafeteria, a gym and indoor pool. We are so spoiled.
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter. peeps! He is risen, indeed! I celebrated Easter with a few of my fellow corps members at a local church called Triumph. I have been going to this church (off and on of course) for the past 8 months, and I am really going to miss their worship experience. I feel like I'm at a concert every time I go there, it is so legit.
Salvation Army Volunteer
Yesterday I volunteered at the Salvation Army with fellow Corps Members. We sorted through clothing and organized the merchandise in the store. It was super fun, and I even went home with a few items myelf!
If you want to watch something funny
There was a competition throughout FEMA Corps and this video won...it's hilarious to us, I'm not totally sure if everyone will apprectiate it. But here it is nonetheless.
Stay tuned for my next blog where I will touch on FEMA Corps, the program- for those of you who are looking to sign up and those who just want to know more.
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