Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 17

Get to the Point: The NCCC News

An NCCC Atlantic Region Publication July 25-31 2011 Volume XVII Issue 17 Perry Point, MD

Get to the Point Volume XVII Issue 17

Strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national & community service

Inside Issue 17:

Faces of the Week 2 3-4 5 6-7 7

Raven 4 Update AmeriGourmet Alumni Spotlight Continuing Service

Im a member of the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps program. N-triple-C members are 18 to 24 years old & spend 17 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, and help the environment.

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Raven 4: An Experience
It was Saturday night, and we were sitting in the living room of our new Camden house, generally lounging. In all our spikes, this is our first experience with truly loungeable chairs in our living space (not counting the plague couch in the Ravens nest), and were taking full advantage. Most of the team was there reading, playing games, or bothering Adeliah, and I was thinking about this article. I asked Raven 4 if there was anything theyd like to see in our Get to the Point article, partly out of a commitment to represent everyones voice, and partly because it was due the next day and I was scrambling for ideas. Their initial response was the same as mine. Weve only been here four days! Our thought was that we hadnt done anything worth writing about, but that isnt exactly true. Raven 4s done tons of stuff worth writing about, just mostly not in Camden. We considered telling you all about our adventures elsewhere, in Somerville, and Mississippi, and scenic Delaware state parks, but thanks to the weird time warp in AmeriCorps all those things seem like they happened a very long time ago. Instead, well stick to the few eventful days that we have spent in Camden. Camden has surprised us. Our project this round is a collaboration with Respond, an organization that steps in to fill a variety of needs in the struggling city. Respond has what seemed like a billion daycares, a culinary school, an autotech program, and an adult education class. They also own many of the citys unoccupied houses, and are working to clear empty lots that belong to the city. We went in expecting a big challenge, and it is likely that this project will be difficult at times. But we didnt expect to feel at home here so quickly. Our house at 505 State street is three stories high and a hundred years old. It has a single tiny bathroom, which leaks in to the living room, an oven the size of a casserole dish, and splintery uneven floors that are out to get you. The first floor is air conditioned, the rest are not. But it also has a roof you can sit on, and comfy couches, and tons of space, and a corner store next to it that sells giant cups of Philadelphia water ice for a dollar (a dollar!), and we kind of love it. Another reason we feel at home: our sponsors have fed us at every opportunity. (Its our opinion that every nonprofit should open a culinary school in addition to whatever theyre already doing.) And I mean good food, like little individual peach cobblers, and sandwiches with roasted red peppers, and these things called Camden cookies, and fresh watermelon, and on, and on. Finally, on a more serious note, our sponsors have introduced us to a strong community here. We knew going in that there would be drug dealers on our corner (and there are), but we didnt know that, even in our first four days, wed speak with so many community members who were working hard to make their neighborhood a better place. So, on to the stuff weve done. On Friday, we cleared an empty lot and cleaned up a house for the intern who was evicted from 505 when we showed up. From there, we went to a house that was down the street from our own. When Mr. Mitchell had said clean, we pictured spritzing the counters with that green AmeriCorps stuff and sweeping the floors. Instead, we found that the first two rooms were so stuffed with ceiling-high china

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cabinets, office furniture, and the kind of couches your great grandmother had in her living room, that there was nowhere to move them. At first, it seemed like an impossible task. Wed had no direction. Were we supposed to throw anything away? Did Respond really want two boxes of singing NFL Eagles Santas? It seemed an impossible task. But after staring at it morosely for a few minutes, we got it together. We put the Santas and everything else that would fit down a set of rickety stairs in to the basement. We swept and vacuumed and scrubbed the stove for 30 minutes with Clorox wipes while singing the soundtrack to Grease. By the time we were done, the house was livable. It was a good day. And, while there will probably be days when were bitter and angry and we smell really bad, we were ready for this project. Raven 4 is excited to be off the farm, done with the river, and heading out for new adventures in the city of Camden.

Community Council Update

Thank you to everyone for helping to have a most enjoyable All Corps Day!!!
It was a wonderful day in the park. KUDOS to all of the Community Council Representatives for their leadership and diligence in planning and organizing the days event. It could not have been possible without each of you making a contribution. Some of the Council members were not present at ALL CORPS Day and I express to you my sincerest gratitude for your faithfulness in contributing ideas and following through on the plans that were in place. Your commitment to the Community (team, unit, All Corps) is noted and greatly appreciated. Please be sure to begin scheduling the Conference calls to begin planning for activities to take place during Transition. Also, begin gathering ideas from fellow Corps members about AmeriProm. Lets work together and make the best weve ever seen.

MOOSE 2 SHOUT OUT: Stephanie: We love you like Michael loves GagaSmooches! Melissa & Amanda Moose 3: So excited to see all of you Sand castle competition? Master Splinter: I love you. Nolan Buffalo 7: Just ate a ton of lentil soup need to find Deborahs desk Caleb: Check your email.

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AmeriGourmet: The Cooking Corner

Angel Hair with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients Serves 10
1-1/4 (16 ounce) packages angel hair pasta ed Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon olive oil fresh cilantro, chopped 5 cloves garlic, crushed to taste 3-1/2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, softened and chopped 1-1/4 (8 ounce) packages tomato basil feta cheese, crumbled 1-1/4 cups grat1-1/4 bunches salt and pepper

Directions: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until done; drain. Return pasta to the pot. Mix in olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, feta, and Parmesan cheese. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
BUFFALO 2 SHOUT OUT: Happy Birthday RAVEN 7 SHOUT OUT: Rob is now Meatloaf (due to him eating a fist size chunk of meatloaf in one bite). We decided to call Josh Hambits in public as to not be inappropriate. Sophia eats 4-5 popsicles a day and is on a city-wide search for a pool to frequent. Dom had his Mom visit us while at Chipotle. Carl is asking people if they live in Baltimore on the Breaking Bad blogs so he can watch the new episode at their house (cross your fingers for Carl). Gillian discovered there is a Dunkin a couple blocks from the housing so her life is now complete. Kitty slept for a 36 hours in a 24 hour span (explain how thats possible). Zac and Ariel have German lessons on a nightly basisbut really it just sounds like Ariel is yelling at Zac. Julian has gone from getting told he looks 45 to now getting told he looks 25. Colin is missing (just kidding miss you Colonel). And Nicki we will see you soon! BUFFALO 1 SHOUT OUT: Where have all the Buffalo Gone? Michael Kostek. Shout out to Moose 1 and Raven 2, it was fun kickin it in Burlington! From your Franklin Buffalo PHOENIX 3 SHOUT OUT: -To Moose 3: I miss you more then I like making puns, but mainely Im gonna go on a limb and say I hope youre having a barking good time, not trailing from your work, branching out to the alums, raking in the ISP hours, and to coverall, getting things done for America! -To Raven 5: Hi! -Undercover shawty misses her b3!b3!b3! -We miss you Brandon!!

Chappy, Aaron, and Brie!!! After all the cake we have eaten this week, thank goodness for our Marine led PTs! Good Luck Hot Mess 1 and 2! We miss you Andi, Tomo, and Kendrick!! Keep Cool! FIRE TL, former ATL, Team Trainer Pat! Keep the fire alive!
BUFFALO 3 SHOUT OUT: B3! Connecticut haiku: Such a lovely place Town green, farmers market, haunted house We miss our teammates! Tiff, Marlee says no to being adopted by Chappy.. Alabama, you better be kind to our brave returners! Chelsea, we think you've had enough fire, you should come back now, k thanks! RAVEN 4 SHOUT OUT: Hot Mess 2, you know what it is, MBHP! Do it!!-Adeliah Good luck to the hardcore Ravens in Alabama! You will be missed in Camden. P2- The Alchemist Revisited is underway again. Be slightly excited.

MOOOSE 1 SHOUT OUT: Michael on P3- MEPH IS DEAD! Its all about REPH!

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Alumni Spotlight: Victoria Rocha

Victoria Rocha, served as a Corps Member in Class XVI at the Iowa Campus. Rocha served as a Corps Member on Maple Unit and recently showed her passion in AmeriCorps by planning to be in attendance for an upcoming Life After AmeriCorps event. How did you find out about AmeriCorps NCCC?: This is a somewhat long story, but I first heard about AmeriCorps NCCC in summer 2005 at a women's leadership conference in Las Vegas, NV. One of the other participants had raved about it and ended up doing it twice. I heard about the program again summer 2007 when I was working at a summer camp and one of the other employees had participated during Katrina. She also loved it so much, she did it twice. So finally, when I was interning in the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee fall 2009, I was a part of organizing a steering meeting on national service. One of the attendees was Mikel Herrington and after him discuss the important work AmeriCorps NCCC does, I knew that it was something I wanted to do before aging out, I applied shortly thereafter. What was the best part of your year?: I can only pick one thing? Impossible! Honestly, the closeness and camaraderie with my corps is what I value most. We were an off-season corps and thus smaller and had the campus to ourselves. I think we were one of the most connected corps I've ever heard of- I walked away with 80 new friends, people who I felt were cut from the same cloth as me, which can be so hard to find. We've already had SEVERAL reunions! What are your current plans?: I left the Maple Unit a few weeks early (but having finished all my requirements, still technically "finished") to do an internship in the White House. After this past spring's internship working in the Office of the Vice President's Correspondence Department, I was faced with a hugely difficult decision. I was offered and accepted a position to be a Team Leader on the Vicksburg, Mississippi campus. But during my time at the White House, I also did a great deal of side work for the Office of Public Engagement on Disabilities, which led to a wonderful offer to do government relations for a non-profit on disabilities here in DC. Torn between something I truly love, especially as the South was being ripped apart by natural disaster after natural disaster and a job to utilize the political connections I'd made, I decided to stay in DC. I hope that AmeriCorps NCCC as a Team Leader might be there in my future. So currently, I do government relations for Best Buddies International, a non-profit started by the Shriver family, the same people who started Special Olympics. And any reflection points or recommendations to the general mass of Class 17: Say yes to everything! And I don't just mean every ISP (which you should say yes to those too!), but every time a community member or your sponsor wants to show you sometime, go! Put your

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hat in for every composite team- I was on an amazing composite team! Offer to lead ISPs, help with the Community Days and check out all the cool (and even mundane things like, game nights) with your team. You never know what things will lead to, but it's worth it!
RAVEN 6 SHOUT OUT: Raven 5 you BUFFALO 5 SHOUT OUT: B5 has been enjoying the south and all it has to offer, including the heat and humidity. Check us out on Facebook. Katrina we miss you and will see you soon. RAVEN 1 SHOUT OUT: How yall doin? Miss BUFFALO 4 SHOUT OUT: This is why we cant have nice things! BUFFALO 6 SHOUT OUT: B6 loves Delaware State Parks and Glen wanted to say hi!!!

guys did a wonderful job with the cabins. We love Raccoon Creek State Park.

you tons Green Team. Thank you Bradley for helping us out here in Tennessee. We appreciate it. Youre an honorary Raven One! Boom!!!

MOOSE 4 SHOUT OUT: -The future is meow! Love, moose 4 - Dear Bethany, whats up yamp? Love forever, Jacob Brewer

Continuing your Service Experience after NCCC

By the time November 17 rolls around, you will be one of a select group of young people who has devoted almost an entire year of their lives to service. This is an enormous accomplishmentbut what about after your term of service? How do you plan on staying involved in your community? Maybe you have plans to join the Peace Corps, or to come back to Perry Point as a Team Leader. Maybe you want to work on organic farms in New Zealand. Many of us, however, will head back to our schools and jobs. There are needs in every community its just knowing where to find them. UN Volunteers (onlinevolunteering.org) connects volunteers with organizations over the internet. You can search for volunteer opportunities online by skills such as IT, translation or research; development topics such as youth, environment or public health; or by location and region. Organizations can also post volunteer opportunities on the site. United We Serve (www.serve.gov) is a nationwide service initiative that aims to meet growing needs in America, and is managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service (the parent organization of AmeriCorps). The website is a resource for not only finding ways to volunteer in your community, but also creating your own. The site has tool kits for learning how to plan an event, forums where you can register your event, and blogs where you can share your stories of service. You can also search for volunteer opportunities by interest or location. Although Idealist.org is better known as a great place to search for jobs with non-profits, they currently list close to 20,000 volunteer opportunities across the country. Search by location, interest, and what days you are available, among other options. There are plenty of blogs online about volunteering; one great example is volunteer-opportunities.blogspot.com. The blog examines different types of volunteering, features on volunteer organizations, and resources for those interested in branching out into the world of volunteerism

MOOSE 3 SHOUT OUT: B2 Is anyone in the warehouse? Over? Andi : whole in mole!!!!! Sunshine Megan: Oh say can you see - Roxann Hey Megan, how are you? Keep doing good work there. Hey Nolan, Ill see you in the field. Be ready for me, same goes for your moose deuce. Love, Mark Happy Birthday Chappy and Quirk! Megan and Leeann, I miss you and all of our girl talk. <3 Jamie MOOSE 6 SHOUT OUT: Josh to M6: You guys psych me out of my mind! Josh to M5: Wish you were here sis. M6 LOVES M1! Who felt the vibes? We felt the vibes. BUFFALO 7 SHOUT OUT: Shout

out to TL Preston down in Alabama! Were proud of you, but we also cant wait to have you back! Shout out to Lauren! Have fun in Alabama! Moose Deuce: At the rate you were vulturing over break, you could probably be here in a few hours.