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 :(
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