ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Class XX, thank you for your

service. Carry the commitment

from this moment forward.

Southern Region Staff, thank you

for your empowerment of

members, year after year.

Project sponsors, thank you for

inspiring our members to be

leaders in their communities.

Without you, our service would be

impossible.

COLOPHON

Photographs and reflections

contributed by Class XX members.

Publication designed and edited

by Matthew Payne, Community

Relations Support Team Leader.

Additional editing provided by

Kevin Jones, Rich Smith, Becky

Harris & Natalie Siedhof.

AMERICORPSNCCC.TUMBLR.COM

FACEBOOK.COM/AMERICORPSNCCCSOUTHERN

ISSUU.COM/AMERICORPSNCCCSOUTHERNREGION

@AMERICORPSNCCC

LINKEDIN—AMERICORPS NCCC ALUMNI (OFFICIAL GROUP)

Kathy Hopson-Ricks

Deputy Director Units

Rich Smith

Deputy Director Programs

Wade Williams

Deputy Director Operations

Becky Harris

Program Associate

Joseph Holbrooks

Counselor

Leigh-Ann Dennis

Counselor

Erica Wilson

Community Relations Specialist

Kevin Jones

Community Relations Assoc.

April Bazzi

Asst. Program Director

Stephanie Gittinger

Asst. Program Director

Kelvin Rankin

Asst. Program Director

Brianne Connelly

Member Development

Mindy Brown

Asst. Program Director—Training

Tasha Butler

Program Associate

Tamika Eatmon

Training Specialist

Sharee Carlock

Member Support Specialist

Carrie Ogborn-Smith

Asst. Member Support

Paul Klockars

Support Services Specialist

Larry Henney

Fleet Manager

Andrea Gewirtzman

Resource Manager

Briana Courchesne-Owades

Asst. Resource Manager

David Condlin

Residence Coordinator

Jonathan Chan

Delta Unit Leader

Ted Rivera

River Unit Leader

Monica Ford

Bayou Unit Leader

Justin Fuller

Coast Unit Leader

Rachel Turner

Gulf Unit Leader

Chris Reed-Waddell

Summit Unit Leader

for everything you’ve done to make this year possible!

John Antolik Emily Baker Frank Kaner Nichole Letizia Michael Miller

Chassie Nix Malia Olloway Matthew Payne Sara Pearson Elizabeth Reitzell

Breanne Roseman Nicole Schultz Jaclyn Searle Natalie Siedhof Nicholas Snow

Cayde Sprecker Benjamin Tryon Kendall Uyehara

Molly Conlin Nicholas Galiardo Holly Gerring Andrew Oh Daniel Padilla

Curicé Paulüs Matthew Ridgeway

Aaron Albert Ella Allen Diana Atalla Raphael Bean Kyndra Beatty

Jesse Brammer Coty Brennan Lauren Brink Courtni Bruce Mayo Campos

Victoria Cheung Jahkeel Connor Jared Crenshaw Chelsea Crinson William Custus

Michelle Desch Brittany Drolet John Edwards Kirsten Flick Larsen Garrison

Lois Glenn Angela Glinn Carlos Gonzalez Robert Goodman Jessica Gottlob

Manuela Hincapie Stavanna Holmes-Loury Adrieanna Howard Christian Hunter Rebecca Janisch

Tanner Jenkins Jules Juniker Jerry Keys Kristina Koonce Eric Kranz

Douglas Laberge-Flowers Tracy Lorimor Ryan Lundstrom Grace Magee Jo-Anne Majek

Qwamella Manning Kristi Marcera Isaac Martin Allison Maynard Edward McCall

Emily McClellan Jonathn Mclendon Shea Miller Linda Nag Mark O’Brien

Armando Ortiz Christopher Pierson Paul Podawiltz Jovany Ponce Starla Reno

Alex Rettig Edward Rich Cindy Robertson Brittany Robinson

Aswad Rock Matthew Roderick Uniqua Samuel-Jefferson Lynika Saunders Rebecca Schmitz

Jessica Schreuder Emily Sholberg Kionte Smith Wynter Smith Kenneth Smith II

Frankie Stroud Katelyn Tharp Essence Thomas Cameron Tingkang Hannah Wendling

Heather Whitney James Wilborn Rowana Winget David Wright Nicole Yetke

Bradley Barnett Meghan Benzel Jay’on Brown Elias Buzzell Kristen Cabell

Emily Casell Sarah Chandler Breann Coats Jared Cooper Andrew Donahue

Thomas Dutcher Micah Ehiorobo Ashley Fagan Tarsis Gotay Kirsten Grislis

Joshua Hibbard Lindsey Hirsch Erik Hoagland Michael Jeffers Aviana Jordan

Doniella McKoy Andrew Moignard Miles Morgan Clarice Nichols Brianna Ortiz

Adriana Ortiz Karen Pell Ryan Rakhshan Kiara Rice Dylan Rine

Emily Schueler Sean Scott Luke Shea Erin Sliney Joshua Suiso

Kayla Thompson Brendan Toungate Kyle Waller

eam leaders arrived to campus in January for four weeks of Team Leader Training. In addition to leadership training, TLs partici-

pated in numberous team builders, including a day at a ropes course. Delta & River TLs traveled to Tuscaloosa, AL to work with

Habitat for Humanity on a mini-spike. They made memories of a lifetime in these 4 weeks. Even though they didn’t know it at the

time, they made friends that would last a lifetime.

lass 20 Corps Training Institute made NCCC history. The class arrived not only while celebrating

the 20th Anniversary of AmeriCorps but during a unique time when the NCCC Southern Region

and Atlantic Region would combined forces for CTI. Members arrived to a sea of new faces who

came not only from all over the country but from all walks of life. Another first, Class 20 marked the 1st

time the Southern Region trained a FEMA Corps class and Traditional NCCC class side by side. During CTI

members learned about diversity, how to work together, how to operate a chainsaw, the basics of FEMA

and much more. All in all, members created memories that would last a lifetime while forming bonds with

friends and their newly assigned teams. CTI laid the foundation for a group of motivated young adults that

were prepared to GET THINGS DONE!

GETTING THINGS DONE

2,709 VOLUNTEERS LED &

COORDINATED

BY THE NUMBERS

689,461 LBS OF TRASH, DEBRIS &

VEGETATION REMOVED

20 HOMES REFURBISHED

FOR DISASTER VICTIMS

296 HOMES PAINTED OR

RENOVATED

1218 K-12 STUDENTS TUTORED

1631 AT RISK YOUTH ASSISTED

TRADITIONAL NCCC

833 SENIOR CITIZENS & PEO-

PLE WITH DISABILITIES

ASSISTED

1,278 TREES PLANTED

15,994 ACRES BURNED IN

PERSCRIBED BURNS TO

PREVENT WILDFIRE

40 COMMUNITY GARDENS

STARTED OR TENDED TO

30 NEW HOMES

CONSTRUCTED

181 MILES OF TRAIL CON-

STRUCTED OR RESTORED

Four AmeriCorps NCCC teams (36 Corps members and Team Leaders) responded to disaster re-

quests that we received in the wake of storms and tornadoes in the Tupelo, MS area that occurred in

late April 2014. Two of these were composite teams made up of members who responded during

their Spring break. These Corps members helped organize volunteers and donations, mucked and

gutted homes, removed debris and trash, and collected and distributed food and clothing to people in

the communities affected.

DISAST ER RESPO N SE

GETTING THINGS DONE

203 PHOTOS, VIDEOS OR OTH-

ER MEDIA GIS GEOTAGGED

BY THE NUMBERS

2,029 PEOPLE PROVIDED

DISASTER INFORMATION

8,255 HOURS OF GENERAL

ADMINISTRATIVE

DUTIES PERFORMED

1,100 INDIVIDUALS PROVIDED

FOOD & WATER

78,360 POUNDS OF SUPPLIES

COLLECTED, RECEIVED,

AND DISTRIBUTED

FEMA CORPS

1,840,000 POUNDS OF SUPPLIES

SORTED, INVENTORIED,

AND REPACKAGED

9,456 PROJECT WORKSHEETS

PROCESSED, REVIEWED,

AND UPDATED

368 TRAINING, INSTRUCTION,

OTHER MATERIALS DE-

VELOPED FOR EXISTING

ACTIVITIES

354 INDIVIDUALS REGISTERED

DOOR-TO-DOOR, AT A

FACILITY (WALK-UPS), OR

AT SHELTERS

One FEMA Corps team (9 members) was tasked with canvassing

neighborhoods in the Tupelo area after the area was hit by a deadly

string of tornadoes. The team left FEMA information with residents

and assisted with FEMA registration.

DISAST ER RESPO N SE

Molly Conlin

Breann Coats

Jared Cooper

Thomas Dutcher

Doniella McKoy

Erin Sliney

Josh Suiso

Olive Garden We have a team plant

named Priscilla (RIP)

Did you move that to

the tracker board?

Have you submitted

a request for that?

“Curbs happen”

Lucas Millman

Jessica Walton

uring Round One, Coast 1 worked with FEMA

employees out of Headquarters in Washington

DC, on WebEOC which is a software program

designed to help with the tracking and requesting of com-

modities for active disasters. We were based out of Wash-

ington, DC, but traveled all over the country supporting

and conducting WebEOC trainings, as well as delving into

some WebEOC development. We also had the opportunity

to support WebEOC functionality during the full scale

Capstone exercise “Alaska Shield” in the NRCC and at

Mount Weather, as well as assist in trainings in Mobile,

Chicago, and the EMI campus.

or Round 2 Coast 1 contin-

ued their work with WebEOC

(FEMA's crisis management

software) in Anniston, Alabama with

the IMAT academy in the Center For

Domestic Preparedness. We were then

called for a special mission to work

with border patrol in McAllen, Texas.

We worked in McAllen for a little over a

month until we were sent to the FEMA

Region 6 office in Denton, Texas where

we assisted the planning department

by editing crisis plans and completing

other various administrative tasks.

uring our final round we were delighted to

find out that we were being sent back to the

FEMA Region 6 office in Denton, Texas where

we continued our previous mission which was to assist

the planning department by editing crisis plans and

completing other various administrative tasks.

Nick Galiardo

Elias Buzzell

Kristen Cabell

Micah Ehiorobo

Ashley Fagan

Miles Morgan

Brianna (Bri) Ortiz

Brendan Toungate

Chinese Buffet

Goldeen

Space Jam

DC… Again! Yay!

I Didn’t Come Here

to Die

Sarah Audley

fter being in Washington DC for 2 months, Coast 2 was sent

out to Colts Neck, NJ for their first spike. During this spike

we aided with WebEOC. We worked on a WebEOC 101

presentation while, at the same time, taking improvement

suggestions and trying to see what we could do to meet

those needs to make the program more useable. We re-

ceived a tour of an OEM USAR warehouse facility in Brook-

lyn which was very neat. They showed us around the ware-

house and the different equipment they use. It was really

fascinating to be educated on what they do. Coast 2 also

has had the opportunity to sit in on a Region 2 meeting in

the heart of NYC.YYYYYYJJJJYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

or the second round, Coast 2 started their

round in Winchester, VA. Then they traveled

to Anniston, Boston and DC. They were all

really great trips. The work was awesome and each place

had their own unique offerings for off time. In Boston,

some people had family and friends there, so it was great

for them to be able to see some familiar faces. In Win-

chester Coast 2 worked in a warehouse helping put to-

gether some to-go kits.

n Anniston they worked at the CDP. Coast 2

met some awesome other teams there as well,

so PT was fun. On the way to DC, we even got

the chance to stop and visit CNN World Headquarters! In

DC, Coast 2 worked back in HQ, met some cool other

teams and also saw some familiar faces on other teams.

Boston was extremely fun. The POC in Boston was

astounding. She took the team into Boston to see the re-

gional office there. All in all, Coast 2's second round was

pretty phenomenal.

oast 2's final round took place in Washington

DC. Most of the team was trying to focus on

their LAA plans since it had come to that time

of the year already. The team took a trip to Great Falls for a

half day. The weather outside was perfect for that. The

work in the office was the same. Some of us had constant

work, others just worked on their LAA plans, but either way

we all kept busy one way or another.

For our National Day of Service we aided in creating neck-

laces and hats. Everyone brought their imagination and

created some pretty interesting items. Coast 2 also had a

White House Tour. Throughout the round we had the pleas-

ure of meeting some of the new FEMA Corps Class 21A

teams, so it was interesting to pass on what we have done

and our experiences to them, now they know what to ex-

pect. The team had our ups and downs, but for the most

part we became like a second family to one another and

made friends that we will keep for a while. It was fun, but

now it's time to check out and go on our next adventure

whatever life throws our way!

Holly Gerring

Tarsis Gotay

Lindsey Hirsch

Karen Pell

Ryan Rakshan

Dylan Rine

Luke Shea

Team Soccer Parmesan cheese &

hot sauce

“Montana happened”

New Jersey ended

our streak of “M”

states: Mississippi,

Maryland, Montana,

New Jersey.

Our elderly van has

taken us far

Samantha Clark

ound one was filled with many exciting ad-

ventures and events. Coast 3 worked in

national preparedness in the DC area, trav-

eled to Montana for a flooding disaster and ended the

round in the Baltimore region assisting with a small

snowstorm disaster. Lots of travel and sights were

encountered on this journey, and the team made the

best of it all.

oast 3 worked at FEMA

Headquarters in Washing-

ton D.C. for the Recovery

Division. They made progress on sever-

al recovery projects and made some

great friends with the people that

worked beside them. Also, Coast 3 got

the opportunity to know more about

their Capital City better through tours

and service learning events.

oast 3 worked in Colts Neck,

New Jersey for this round.

The team worked at Naval

Weapons Station Earle closing out grant

applications from past disasters, finding

lost files and creating amendments to

help projects progress. On days away

from work the team took time for team

bonding and sight seeing in New York

City and worked with #JerseyCares do-

ing weeding and mulching on Make a

Difference Day. Its been a great year and

we look forward to taking what we have

learned into our communities and con-

tinuing a lifetime of service.

Andy Oh

Sarah Chandler

Andrew Donahue

Michael Jeffers

Aviana Jordan

Clarice Nichols

Kyle Waller

Independent We’ve had multiple

vans this year...

Cheezy Bread

We’ve all grown in

ways we didn’t be-

lieve possible.

“makes sense”

uring Round 1 we found ourselves first

working during the National Exercise Divi-

sion 2014 Capstone Exercise, out of the

frying pan and into the fire (and no flame-resistant

socks either!), already testing our newfound skills at

FEMA's most intense exercise. Later we found our-

selves at 800K Streeet in downtown D.C., working on

Mitigation and Preparedness efforts in order to better

prepare the Nation against Natural Disasters. We had

a grand old time as we toured the various monuments

and museums including the Nation Guard Memorial

Museum, Cherry Blossom Festival and others.

owards the end we were deployed to Ver-

mont to work on their State's Capstone.

Coast 4 had the pleasure of getting to see

new parts of the nation previously unseen, and will

carry these memories with us as we continue on.

or Round 2 we found ourselves back in the Na-

tional Capital Region, this time working in Crys-

tal City, a stone's throw from the Pentagon.

While stationed here we performed a number of tasks

related to the Geographical Information System

(cartrography and maps) as well as other divisions. In our

downtime we toured the Pentagon, the National Museum

of the Marine Corps, the White House, Truman Bowling

Alley, CNCS HQ and other amazing locations.

D D D D D D D D D D D D

or our final round Coast 4 found

itself in a whirlwind tour of near-

ly every corner of Mississippi -

from Jackson to Oxford, Tupelo to Itawmba,

Starkville to Bay Saint Louis and finally the

Gulf Coast. We ended our Round (and year) in

Jackson, right where we started.

J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J

e were exposed to many non-

profits that operate at the local

level in times of disasters, in-

cluding the Mississippi Emergency Manage-

ment Agency (MEMA), The Salvation Army,

Knights of Columbus, United Way of Gulf

Coast and finally Volunteer Mississippi.

Whew!

Daniel Padilla

Bradley Barnett

Meghan Benzel

Jay’on Brown

Emily Casell

Andrew Moignard

Adriana Ortiz

Sean Scott

Law & Order: SVU Free

Cole, open the door

La furgoneta

Law & Order Theme

Song

Bridget Whittredge

n our first round, Coast 5 got to

work for the FEMA National Exer-

cise Division (NED) in downtown

Washington D.C.. For a month and a half, we

worked with FEMA Disaster Survivor Assis-

tance (DSA) to help register survivors

of an F-3 tornado in Tupelo, MS, and

also worked for FEMA DSA in Mobile/

Baldwin County, AL registering flood

survivors.

e worked in the Texas NSPC taking

calls, inputting data and helping out

around the office. We had multiple

ISP's that we all enjoyed like working with kids

a n d p a i n t i n g h o u s e s .

e worked in New York canvassing, going

door to door with other volunteers to

speak to Hurricane Sandy survivors, and

taking phone calls. We also enjoyed the sights New

York provided.

We’ve traveled 22% of

the continental US and

have been in every

time zone

Matthew Ridgeway

Kirsten Grislis

Josh Hibbard

Erik Hoagland

Kiara Rice

Emily Schueler

Kayla Thompson

Every member of

the team has their

own name for the

van.

We have a CM born in

every year from ‘89 to

‘94

We had a pet raccoon

named Mi

Charles Hart

Ayren Hart

Cole Davis

David French

As seen above,

everyone on the

team has dressed

up as a character

from Sesame

Street.

ound one Coast 6 was sent to a FEMA

distribution center in Ft. Worth Texas.

This was a great place for the team to

start off their AmeriCorps adventure. Some people

got forklift certified and really got to learn the in's

and out's of logistics. The tone was set for what was

expected of the team for the rest of the year. Two

weeks before the round was over the team was

deployed to Nogales, AZ to help work with the un-

documented minors. This was a very challenging

task but had many rewards for the team.

e had our fair share of ups and downs, lefts

and rights, and at times, feeling a bit con-

fused by each others behavior. This round

we lost a fellow teammate and friend, visited the cultur-

al and historical landmarks of DC, and worked hard in

supporting FEMA's national logistics response and re-

covery operations. The opportunity to support the Ohio

water mission gave meaning to our year of service,

demonstrating the strength and unity of the team, and

how much we have all grown since February. Overall,

through our failures and successes, we learned a lot

about ourselves, gained some new skills/knowledge,

and came together as a community."

or Coast Six’s third and final deployment, the team

departed Vicksburg MS, October 1st at 8AM sharp.

The familiarity of the drive - almost second nature

by now - stirred our souls and created an eager want to hit

the road. In just 2 days of travel, the team had been through 5

states, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virgin-

ia. The Corps Members were all excited because the team had

served with the Urban Search & Rescue facility in Herndon in

Round 2 and was looking forward to working with FEMA POCs

Bruce, Dallas, and Donnie again – boy, are they a hoot! Imme-

diately upon arrival, the staff greeted us with humor and

charm, food, and a bunch of resources to prepare us for the

assignment. Over the series of weeks to come, Coast Six sup-

ported the Urban Search and Rescue Mission, satiated our

hunger for adventure, and explored the bounds of our person-

al and professional selves. Overall, as this wild 10-month

journey comes to an end, Coast Six ran the gamut, tackling

many challenges in and outside the work place – and ahead of

graduation - optimistically looking towards the future, with a

few new skills, memories, and a bit more equipped to face

life’s biggest questions.

Cayde Sprecker

Aaron Albert

Coty Brennan

Courtni Bruce

Louis Glenn

Tracy Lorimor

Alex Rettig

Cameron Tingkang

Theo Williams

Primus Inter Pares

The Enterprise

Bear Force One

The Mach 5

“...FOR DAYS” Thundercougarfalconbird

Kentucky Colonels

elta 1's first project was a split round; spending the first 4 weeks in Elizabethtown, Kentucky then coming back to Vicksburg for

the last 4 weeks. Starting off in Elizabethtown, our team was guided by the Lincoln Trail District Health Department in the con-

struction of a one and half mile walking trail. Our task was to straighten out the trail that had already been dug out by a skid

loader, grade the trail to prevent water from sitting on the trail, and to spread and flatten the gravel that was dropped on top of the trail.

Dealing with the inclement weather was our team's major problem while in Kentucky, as rain would prevent us from being able to work

on the trail, and would make it incredibly difficult to work in some sections of the trail after it rained. After we were done with the trail, we

moved onto making garden boxes for the community gardens and eventually working on the community garden for a neighborhood. For

the community garden, we had to fill the garden boxes with compost, then spread mulch on top of the grass around the garden boxes.

F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F = =

fter the 4 weeks in Elizabethtown, Delta 1 returned to Vicksburg to work in the Vicksburg National Military Park for the next four weeks

until transition. Our team's work in the National Military Park proved to be very different from the trail we worked on in Ken-

tucky, as our main task was just clearing brush that had grown over the trail. The trail we were working on in the National Mili-

tary Park was originally established in 1979 for the intent of training Boy Scouts in the use of compasses and following map

directions, and was also previously worked on by another AmeriCorps NCCC team in 2009. For twelve and a half miles we were clearing

brush that grew over the trail, painting trees with spray paint to show the path, and widening the trail. At first, we had started off slowly

working on the trail, clearing only two and half to three miles we knocked out the last half of the trail within a week, after we all figured

out what tools we worked best with. When we were finished with the trail our sponsor had us lined up for cleaning up and painting the

various signs around Vicksburg that point out important landmarks of the Vicksburg Siege.

Lincoln Trail District Health Department & Vicksburg National Military Park

or our second round project, Delta 1 was select-

ed to work with The St. Bernard Project in New

Orleans and Chalmette, Louisiana. Before start-

ing work with SBP (St. Bernard Project), Delta 1 corps

members attended an orientation with SBP and were as-

signed positions. Corps members Alex Rettig and Coty

Brennan were selected for serving as Assistant Carpen-

ters, while corps members Lois Glenn, Courtni Bruce,

Cameron Tingkang, and Tracy Lorimor were selected to

serve as Assistant Site Supervisors. Team leader Cayde

Sprecker was selected as the Assistant Supply & Logistics

Coordinator. As the Assistant Site Supervisors, Cameron,

Tracy, Lois, and Courtni have spent the last couple of

weeks serving in several houses on different stages of con-

struction to gain a better understanding of the process of

the St. Bernard Project. For the first week of service, our

Assistant Site Supervisors assisted with the mudding and

priming of a house on Royal Street under site supervisor

Emily. Afterwards, they switched houses every couple of

days doing several tasks at each one with a different site

supervisor. So far our assistant site supervisors have

learned how to tile, mud dry wall, paint and prime, install

doors, and how to do final punch work before a house’s

final inspection. Installing doors proved to be the most

difficult task, as any mistake made can ruin the entire pro-

cess, forcing you to start again from the begin-

ning.jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj

j j

eanwhile, Corps members Alex Rettig and Coty

Brennan were selected to be Assistant Carpen-

ters and have been doing something slightly

different than the others. Coty and Alex have served at

many houses, completing the carpentry pre-work that is

required before volunteers arrive to help. Their tasks are

very dependent on the needs of a house, which can be con-

structing a railing for a porch or building a stand for an AC

unit. Their proudest achievement was the work they did on

an opportunity house for low income families on Arts

Street, where they replaced sub flooring on almost a third

of the house floor as well replacing rotted out parts of the

house's frame.

The St .Bernard Project

ound 3 Delta 1 was nestled high up in the Appa-

lachians in northwestern North Carolina. For

two and a half weeks we were building a natu-

ral three mile trail on Mt. Jefferson for New River State

Park on Mt. Jefferson State Natural Area. Our sponsor

provided us with an old farmhouse the park had purchased

some time ago. The house was located pretty much in the

middle of nowhere about an hour from our work site but

was very comfortable and peaceful compared to our last

housing in New Orleans. New River State Park or NERI, for

short, was incredibly great to us over the round. On rainy

days they always had something for us to do from inter-

pretive workshops to helping out in the local library. Duing

the interpretive workshops we would learn various things

about different kinds of animals, geology relating to Mt.

Jefferson, and environmental educational. NERI also pro-

vided us with much needed breaks from trail building by

having us help out with things like the Eastern Hellbender

Survey where we got to wade through the New River look-

ing for a giant salamander species called the Eastern

Hellbender with biologists from Appalachian State Univer-

sity. Our favorite day was probably when we participated in

the Box Turtle Survey on the 21st of August. Because the

site we were doing the survey in was inaccessible by road

we canoed a mile to the location and then explored a

beautiful area on the New River in search of a box turtle.

New River State Park

hen it came to the trail however, it was a differ-

ent story. We counted many rocks, from the size

of a baseball to a boulder that we had to shove

off the trail. And if it wasn't a giant rock we had to move, it

was a tangled mess of roots that would take a lot of effort

to cut out. The difficulty of the trail combined with the

amount of rain days we had, we were unable to finish the

trail before the end of the project. According to local rang-

ers, the work we had done had saved them four years on

the five year plan, leaving behind maybe a mile left of trail

to build. Overall, this has been a great round for us, and

we have learned a lot from working with the New River

State Park. Thank you North Carolina State Parks and

Recreation!

or our final project of the term, Delta 1 was stationed

back on our campus in Vicksburg and worked at the

Tallulah Charter School. Located across the state line

in Louisiana, Tallulah has one of the worst performing school

districts. In response to the poor education in Tallulah our spon-

sor, Dr. Candler, started the Tallulah Charter School to try and

provide a better education for the children.

ach team member was placed in a class with a

teacher from the third grade to the sixth grade.

Our main duties were decided by the teacher

we had but generally we helped with tutoring the children

and classroom management. After the first week we start-

ed running an Art Camp for the children every Monday

offering classes in sports, dancing, drawing, and face

painting for any children interested.

Tallulah Charter School

John Antolik

Ella Allen

Diana Atalla

Vicki Cheung

Brittany Drolet

Issac Martin

Allie Maynard

Jovany Ponce

Kionte Smith

“Delta 2 doesn’t get

tired”

The Pug

We’re all introverts

Turn down for what

Batman

ound one took place in Hurricane (pronounced

hurricun), West Virginia. While there we made a

ton of new friends including an AmeriCorps Vista

member who was living in our housing prior to our arrival.

The work we did while there included trail building at The

Esther and Norman Walter Memorial trail, painting and

plumbing at the Point Pleasant river museum, trail building

and painting at The Hoge House, demolition work at the Vir-

gil Lewis house, painting for Hurricane parks and rec, and

painting and beautifying Hometown Park. We also had quite

a few ISP opportunities that ranged from setting up Princess

Tea to pulling t-posts and cleaning up barbed wire at Sun-

dance Ranch.

Rivers to Ridges Heritage Trail, Inc.

e didn’t have much free time during our first

round ,but when we did we used it to explore the

communities we were serving. Our wonderful

sponsor set us up with a tour of the Toyota factory, the state

capitol, and the Mothman Museum. He also gave us a few

places to explore on our own such as Marshall University

and a local hot dog place called Hillbilly Hotdogs. We all feel

extremely fortunate to have had such a wonderful first

round. We made so many beautiful memories that we will

hold onto forever.

Habitat for Humanity of Tuscaloosa

n Round 2, we worked with Habitat For

Humanity Tuscaloosa for six weeks. We

worked alongside homeowners, church

groups, students, and other volunteer groups.

While there, we learned how to lay tile, install insu-

lation, use various power tools, place baseboard,

and many other things. One of the volunteer groups

we worked with was called Project Children. Pro-

ject Children, is a volunteer group of young adults

all the way from Ireland! They worked on the pro-

ject for a week before heading of to do internships

in the U.S for a month. We volunteered at a glow

run, and had a blast spraying people with colored

water and blasting them with colored powder as

they ran by!

Camp Easter Seals & Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

ur first month was at Camp Easter Seals UCP

working with people with physical and intellec-

tual disabilities. We worked 100+ hour weeks

with little personal time. A lot of our campers required

round the clock care. We assisted at meal time, bed time,

bath time, play time and more. It was challenging for a lot

of people on our team, but they pushed through it and did

an awesome job! The next two and a half weeks we spent

at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary spraying and pulling inva-

sive plant species. We all grew close to our sponsor there

and had a lot of fun. we went on several field trips including

a swamp walk! Our last week was spent in Rookery Bay

cutting and spraying Brazilian Pepper. We were lucky

enough to stay in a resort for our time there! We met a ton

of cool people this round including a volunteer at the Na-

ples Cat Alliance who was kind enough to take a few of us

out on his boat! We also were able to volunteer at Shy Wolf

Sanctuary were we cleaned in and around enclosures!

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

his round was bittersweet! It

was our last round and we

were all excited to go home

and see our friends and family again, but

we will miss each other terribly. Our first

week was spent at Crystal River posting

boundary signs and cleaning up around

their visitor center. Our last five weeks

were spent working at St.Marks National

Wildlife Refuge. We have learned so

much these past weeks and have made

many new friends. We had the chance to

work on the whooping crane pen, hold a

gator, touch butterflies, and see mana-

tees! This was a great round to finish off

our AmeriService.

Nicole Schultz

Stavanna Holmes

Eric Kranz

Shea Miller

Armando Ortiz

Starla Reno

David Wright

Kentucky Colonels Betty White

Deerbra

Asheville The time David fixed

the VCR

or Round 1, we worked with two Kentucky state

parks; Cumberland Falls and Carter Caves. We

approached the projects with the willingness

"To Get Things Done" and we left our mark by assisting

with trail maintenance; rerouting 10.75 miles of trails, re-

pairing 30ft of irrigation systems, treating 2730 Hemlock

trees from the parasitic insect, Wooly Adelgid, planting 555

trees, and doing cave restoration. We also volunteered with

the community in creating a playground border, and pack-

ing lunches for children in low income families. Team Delta

3's adventures has just begun!

Kentucky Department of Parks

elta 3 had a really unbelieva-

ble round... even though it was

a very short round, we were

able to learn new skills real quick. From

constructing a gazebo at EMCC for 2

weeks then working in the office and in-

stalling light bulbs for Green Light. The

atmosphere was great and with that we

were able to get things done. Rather

rainy days or hot crazy days just know

that we learned something new everyday.

This round was really a learning experi-

ence that we will carry on for the rest of

our lives.

East MS Community College & Green Light New Orleans

or Delta 3's split round took

place in Tuscaloosa, AL working

with Tuscaloosa Habitat for Hu-

manity. The majority of our work was con-

struction which consisted of creating the foundation of new

homes, installing flooring, doors and appliances, also paint-

ing the interior and exterior of homes. Our second part of the

project was in Asheville, NC at the South Asheville Cemetery.

Delta 3 worked on 2 acres of cemetery restoration to help

discover more possible graves from the 1800's. We cleared

out brush, removed unwanted stomps, installed a wooden

fence, and also gave history tours on the cemetery to fifty 9th

graders. Overall, the team enjoyed the hard

work on both projects by learning the aspects

of construction and restoring a historical site.

Mississippi Children’s Home Services & South Asheville Cemetery Association

or Delta 3's last round, we were placed at Dana Road Ele-

mentary School located in Vicksburg, MS. The team was

given assigned class rooms to help tutor and mentor kids

in subjects such as reading, math, language arts, we also assisted

the teacher when the children attended field trips. The team helped

out with painting ceiling tiles, decorating the hallways, and class-

rooms to beautify the school campus for the kids and staff. For a day

Delta 3 has helped with celebrating kids positive behavior by having

a Sock Hop party where kids would wear crazy socks, dance, and

play. At Dana Road Elementary School, whether it be greeting the

children with a "Good Morning", giving them hugs or asking them

how their day went, we all felt that we made an impact on the kids.

Delta 3 has had a lot of unforgettable, enjoyable moments with the

kids.

Dana Road Elementary

Sara Pearson

Michelle Desch

Carlos Gonzalez

Jerry (Jamal) Keys

Ryan Lundstrom

Kristi Marcera

Frankie Stroud

Peace, love and

positivity The Golden Goose

“Burn” by Ellie

Goulding

D4 Turtles Tortilla Chips

Thompson Barjebo

Trey Collins

ound One started off with our team, along with

Southern Region's Delta 7, traveling to Tishomin-

go State Park near Tupelo, MS for two weeks of

fire training. While there we learned a large amount of

information about how to properly fight fires and how to

stay safe. While in Tishomingo, we made new friends and

experienced new adventures that we will never forget. At

the end of our training we completed our first prescribed

burns and said our goodbyes as we were then off to The

Francis Marion National Forest near Charleston,

SC.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Natchez Trace Parkway & Francis Marion National Forest

hen we arrived at the Francis Marion we met

with the fire team and many members of staff in

other departments. We learned how to work

alongside helicopters, bulldozers, and different types of

fire engines. We started prescribed burns soon after we

arrived and we were put to work. Our team aided in burn-

ing approximately 14,000 acres of forest to help reduce the

risk of wildfires to surrounding urban interface and to help

the native species thrive. More than just fire work, we also

aided with the recreation department in disaster recovery

work after the ice storms in February, and also with the

Archaeology department who provided many Service

Learning opportunities during our time in South Carolina. It

was an experience that we would never trade for anything

and will forever carry with us.

NECHAMA: Jewish Response to Disaster & Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail

uring Round two, Delta 4 served a split round,

first in Itawamba County, MS doing disaster

relief from recent tornadoes. Here we demol-

ished a home, gutted many others, cleaned up tons of de-

bris, chainsawed and gathered loads of limbs for the local

community who suffered a lot of storm damage. For the

second part of our round we traveled to Lafollete, TN to do

trail building on the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail.

There we hiked a mile up a mountain each morning and

dug trail and built amazing rock steps! We also worked in

an area that is soon to opened up as Tennessee's 56th

State park! The work included some trail building, leveling

out the ground to be handicap accessible, building fence,

and doing some major landscaping around tree-lings! All

in all we had a fantastic round and enjoyed the nature,

culture, and experiences we had in both locations!

or the first two weeks we served in Rolling

Fork, Mississippi doing beautification pro-

jects around the city. The entire community

including our sponsor was very welcoming throughout

our stay and we truly enjoyed our time there! From

Rolling Fork we traveled to Eustis, Florida for the re-

mainder of our round working with Habitat for Humani-

ty Lake-Sumter. The Delta 4 team has picked up on a

variety of skills including installing vinyl flooring and

doors and A LOT of painting experience! We also had

the opportunity to explore the local and surrounding

cities in the area.

City of Rolling Fork & Habitat for Humanity Lake-Sumpter

he last and final round Delta 4 spent their

time in Folkston, GA working with the Okefe-

nokee National Wildlife Refuge. The team

worked hard doing canoe trail maintenance using tools

such as brush cutters, pole saws, and sickle saws to

widen the canoe trails. Another portion of the work went

to forestry preparation for upcoming burns within the

refuge. Throughout the time spent there the team was

also involved in some exciting events including the annu-

al Okefenokee Festival Parade. Some members even got

to dress up as mascots for the refuge's float which one

first place!

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Frank Kaner

Jared Crenshaw

Robert Goodman

Christian Hunter

Chris Pierson

Rebecca Schmitz

The 6 Deltateers ShaNayNay

Roberto’s Tacos

Dominated a team

of middle school-

ers in basketball.

Water Buffalo

elta 5 left their mark with Habitat for Humanity

of the New Orleans area. During their time with

Habitat for Humanity Delta 5 has learned many

new skills relating to construction and donation centers.

They have led hundreds of volunteers while constructing 5

d i f ferent houses in their f irst round.

ot only has Delta 5 worked on the construction

sites, but they also got to experience working in

the Habitat for Humanity ReStore where they

helped customers and sorted over 150,000 lbs of dona-

tions. Alongside of the ReStore and construction work,

Delta 5 had the opportunity to lead volunteers in a neigh-

borhood revitalization program called “Attack the Block.”

They worked with volunteers to clear many vacant lots and

to make the neighborhoods a safer place. Delta 5 will car-

ry the skills they have learned with habitat for humanity

into future projects and experiences.

New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity

City of Vicksburg

elta 5 had the privilege of

staying in Vicksburg for

Round 2 and having a

wonderful time! We started off our

first week by painting 75% of a park-

ing garage located in downtown Vicksburg. We also

worked with the Vicksburg Salvation Army every

Monday of the project. During our time at the Salva-

tion Army, the team did a little bit of everything. Del-

ta 5 often could be found doing tasks such as organ-

izing the family thrift shop, doing maintenance jobs

such as weed whacking or painting, or helping clean

u p a f t e r t h e s o u p k i t c h e n .

he team spent the majority of their time working with the Vicks-

burg Police department supervising children in the Randy

Naylor Summer Street Ball program! The team loved the staff

and loved having the opportunity to help with the students. On a daily basis,

the team completed tasks such as leading stretching or games as well as

resolving conflicts that arise. We also did things such as dance or arts and

crafts with campers. The team also helped put on a banquet at the end of

the year which the team really enjoyed helping at. Overall, Delta 5 loved this

project!

Pickett CCC Memorial State Park

or the first week of the project, the team

served at the National Governor's confer-

ence in Nashville. The whole team loved

Nashville and getting a chance to meet some very

influential people. After the conference was over,

Delta 5 headed to Jamestown, TN to work with the

Pickett CCC Memorial State Park!

he teams main project at the state park

was to help build a 3 mile trail to the

Pouge Creek Overlook which has a

breathtaking view! Delta 5 also worked on several

other projects including

looking for artifacts from

different archaeological

sites, building fencing to

protect the Cumberland

Sandwort, building 2 board-

walks, clearing a canoe pas-

sage that had fallen trees

blocking the path, as well as

clearing several different

trails around the park. The

staff at the park has been

nothing but welcoming and even took the team on a

camping/caving trip. The team is definitely going to

miss the staff and the natural beauty of Tennessee.

River to Ridges & Conservation Legacy-Appalachian Trail Conservancy

elta 5 had a split round for their final project!

We started off in Scott Depot, WV working with

the Rivers to Ridges Heritage Trail. During our

time here the team accomplished many tasks such as

repairing and painting playground equipment, painting

picnic shelters and painting over the graffiti-covered

basketball court. The team also had the opportunity to

help deconstruct the historic Virgil Lewis House which

the materials will then be used for a quiet park next to

the library.hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

fter spending several weeks in Scott Depot, the team

moved on to the beautiful Sugar Grove in Virginia work-

ing with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. During our

time here, the team had 3 main tasks. The first task was the reloca-

tion of a section of the Appalachian Trail which the team seemed to

really enjoy. Another project we helped with was boundary monitor-

ing of certain sections along the Appalachian Trail. This was like a

treasure hunt where we had to use compasses to find monuments

along the way. The team also got to assist with invasive species re-

moval for several days. We loved this project as we got to experience

and work in such a beautiful and natural area.

Malia Olloway

Lauren Brink

Angela Glinn

Rebecca Janisch

Grace Magee

Qwamella Manning

Edward McCall

Jonathan Mclendon

Mosiah Rock

Would you rather... Spiderman or Dumb

& Dumber

We LOVE Saracha &

Buffalo

Grrrousssss

Alta Casas

Feel so close by

Calvin Harris

or our team, Delta 6, we had the opportunity to

work 2 different projects in a split round. We

got to work at the Boys and Girls Club of Cen-

tral Mississippi for the first month of our spike. The second

half we were at the Mississippi Roadmap to Health Equity,

Inc. which is located in Jackson, MS. We enjoyed being able

to help both of these groups with what they needed to get

done to make things easier on them and it was amazing to

see how much can evolve in such a short period of time

when we are all working together to get things done. Ccfff

f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f

Mississippi Roadmap to Health Equity Inc. & Boys and Girls Club of Central Mississippi

he first part of our round at the Boys and Girls

Club of Central Mississippi consisted of help-

ing them beautify their building. The whole

place had some much needed work to be done and we got

to come in and help them make it look nicer so it could be

more appealing and welcoming. We painted the entire

building including the restrooms, art room, gymnasium, art

room, library, main lobby, game room, computer room, any

room in the place, we painted it! We also got to put togeth-

er an air hockey table, table tennis and foosball table for

the kids to play with. It was so fulfilling to see how appre-

ciative the staff and kids that go there every day were and

how drastic of a change it made to the place. DDDDDDD

ext we served at the Mississippi Roadmap to

Health Equity Inc. which is an organization that

promotes healthy eating and awareness in the

communities surrounding them. While we were here we

worked on multiple different projects. We did everything

from building raised beds, putting the soil down and plant-

ing all the flowers and vegetables. One of the gardens we

built was at one of the local middle schools where we did

flower beds in the front and vegetables gardens in the back

so the kids have something to plant during the summer

and when they come back to school. At the roadmap build-

ing we also did a lot work, we took an entire field and tilled

it, built rows and planted all kinds of vegetables as well as

re-soiled and planted flower beds in the front to make their

building look more appealing. Besides the gardening we

did a lot of other small chores and tasks around like paint-

ing, cleaning and organizing.

elta Six was given the opportunity to work

alongside The Great Dismal Swamp for the first

few weeks and Back Bay for the other weeks.

Delta Six spent their time in Suffolk, Virginia building a

boardwalk allowing access for hikers and people in wheel-

chairs so they can explore the swamp. When Delta Six trav-

eled to Norfolk, Virginia they worked alongside Back Bay

and began clearing invasive species and allowed various

trees to grow fuller and healthier without being tangled in

the mist of other species.

Dismal Swamp National Wildwife Refuge

Metro Changers

or our 3rd round, Delta 6 worked in Birmingham, AL with an organization called Metro Changers. Over the 9 weeks

we had various projects that we worked on. Metro Changers works with the city and all the surrounding neighbor-

hoods of Birmingham doing repairs and reconstruction of existing houses. We did anything from painting houses to

building decks, repairing and cleaning siding and any other needs that had to be met. Every house we finished we also land-

scaped and give it final touches. For a couple weeks we also got to supervise groups of volunteers that came to help as

well. Delta 6 was lucky to have a great supervisor and sponsor. We are very thankful for them and for all the things they taught

us these past 2 months. We learned a lot this round and we are sad to leave them but overall it was a great round!

Friends of Infinity Acres & Mason Neck State Park

or our 4th and final round, Delta 6 worked a split round out in Virginia. The first 3 weeks were in Ridgeway, VA where we

worked with Infinity Acres Ranch helping them clear out their pond of invasive plants, built a trail for the llamas and most

importantly we built a fence around the perimeter to keep the animals in and safe. Our final 3 weeks were in Woodbridge, VA

at the beautiful Mason Neck State Park. We started at the Wildlife Refuge and ending up doing various projects at the state park includ-

ing clearing trails, painting benches and maintenance work.

Emily Baker / Natalie Siedhof

Kyndra Beatty

Jahkeel Connor

Manuela Hincapie

Matt Roderick

Emily Sholberg

Nicole Yetke

We are the beavers. Quilting

We eat too much

mayo.

We ain’t afraid of no

ghost.

We bond over food.

Natchez Trace Parkway

elta Seven, while deployed on their first project at the

Natchez Trace Parkway (NTP) with the National Park

Service (NPS) increased the ability of the NTP to im-

plement prescribed fires. The team worked on over 200 miles of

the Natchez Trace across three states including Mississippi, Ala-

bama, and Tennessee. The main focus of this team was to imple-

ment prescribed fires along the trace to help restore the Trace to

its historical value, remove invasive exotic species, and restore

the large wood forest. The goal of the team was to also protect

historical structures and sites along the trace and to encourage

the preservation of the local wildlife. The NPS was enabled to fur-

ther the burn program with the assistance of the team and was

able to accomplish its mission to use fire as a tool to restore park-

lands and to reduce fuel loadings which could lead to damaging

wildfires. The team also helped in the restoration of the Blackbelt

Prairie in the restoration of historically open woodlands. Eastern

Red Cedar, is a native species, however it has been encroaching

on the Blackbelt. Team members assisted in ignition and holding

operations in burns at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center

Head Quarters, Meriweather Lewis Park, Stones Rivers National

Battlefield, and the Confederate Grave Site Natchez Trace burning

a total of approximately 720+ acres.

n addition to conducting prescribed burns, exotic

invasive species removal, fire line construction,

sawing and trail maintenance, Delta Seven also

participated in park events. The team helped the park interpre-

tation and resource management departments with events and

office work such as binder building and cataloging. The team

participated in the Colbert Ferry War of 1812 encampment event,

wildlife weekend, wildflower walk, a volunteer banquet and a

Dulcimer concert event. This was all in effort to inform and edu-

cate the public of the history that surrounds them and the im-

portance of preserving such important history. Delta Seven’s

involvement with the Natchez Trace Parkway allowed for burn-

ing projects to be completed more efficiently and helped to in-

crease the amount of acres burned each day.

Palmetto Conservation Foundation & Glendale Outdoor Leadership School

uring Round two, Delta seven went to Spartan-

burg, South Carolina to work with the Palmetto

Conservation Foundation and the Glendale Out-

door Leadership School (GOLS). We built and

maintained 50 miles of the mountain to sea trail

in order to support the Palmetto Conservation

Foundation’s mission of aiding in the fight against

obesity by providing well maintained trails to the

public. We also built trails at the South Carolina

School for the Deaf and Blind and at the Universi-

ty of South Carolina. In addition, we constructed a

trail at GOLS, refurbished their auditorium stage,

fell trees and cleared brush from around their

ropes course to prepare for the upcoming sum-

mer camps. We also cut up a fallen tree and

cleared brush from a historic cemetery with

gravesites dating back to the 1800s.

Habitat for Humanity of Lafayette

uring Round 3, Delta 7 went to Lafa-

yette, LA to work with Habitat for Hu-

manity. The team led and supervised

volunteer groups from around the country in vari-

ous landscaping and construction projects. Ulti-

mately, the team aided in the construction of 5

new homes.

The Nature Conservancy-Disney Wilderness Preserve

uring Round Four, Delta 7 went to Kissimmee, Florida to work

with the Disney Wilderness Preserve. We participated in four

prescribed burns with The Nature Conservancy, Fish and

Wildlife Services, and the Disney Wilderness Preserve at Tiger Creek,

Archbold Biological Station and at Carter Creek. We also cleared around

three eagle nests in preparation for an upcoming burn, refurbished an

old barn, removed invasive species like Cogon grass and rattlebox, con-

structed two boardwalks, and assisted in 6 miles of re-fencing.

Matthew Payne

Aaron Albert

Chelsea Crinson

John Edwards

Shea Miller

Taking team engage-

ment photos

Riding around in the

electric wheelchair

Chelsea’s Apple

Crisp

Arguing over paint

colors ;)

Open Space Tech-

nology

Big Ugly Community Center

he Big Ugly Composite Team had a wonderful time

serving in rural West Virginia. Not only did the

team accomplish a great deal of work renovating

the local community center, but the team felt like they were

able to truly connect with the community. In total the team ren-

ovated over 10 rooms, most notably giving the kids a new art

room, STEM science room and library. The team had the oppor-

tunity to host a week long summer camp for kids which includ-

ed a book fair and a day of service aimed at “Keeping Big Ugly

Beautiful”. Overall, the team was a high functioning group that

truly left their mark on the Big Ugly Community Center.

Emily Baker

Coty Brennan

Sabree Koonce

Grace Magee

Alex Rettig

Essence Thomas

David Wright

Movie Nights Ziggy

Everything. We had

a passion for food!

Testing Grace on

her script of Matilda

Musicals!

Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission

jord 1 assisted NSVRC on a wide variety of

tasks geared towards preparation for their

Point In Time Count which takes place every

January, as federally mandated. The point of the PIT

Count is to get an accurate representative number of

the homeless population in the area. These numbers

are then used to obtain proper funding needed to assist

the homeless population. Fjord 1 assisted in completing

numerous telephone conversations with local organiza-

tions in regards to the homeless population, completed

multiple surveys, assisted in data entry and data

cleansing, and more in preparation of the PIT Count.

Fjord 1 also worked with organizations such as Salva-

tion Army and United Way. They worked at thrift stores,

community dinners, food pantries, and more! Fjord 1

greatly enjoyed their time in Front Royal, Virginia. They

participated in numerous activities including Sky Line

Drive and hiking at Shenandoah National Park. The

scenery was breathtaking, team moral was exceptional,

the weather was beautiful, and the work was meaning-

ful. This was a truly enriching experience for each and

every Fjord 1 team member.

Elizabeth Reitzell

Raphael Bean

Mayo Campos

John Edwards

Douglas Laberge-Flowers

Jo-Anne Majek

Rowanna Winget

“the struggle is real” Memphis 2

Bohemian Rhapsody Anything scary!

Awarded Vicksburg

“Key To The City”

iver One's first project was with The City

of Vicksburg in Vicksburg, Mississippi doing

infrastructure improvement at city parks. We

painted batting cages and park facilities, such as conces-

sion stands and bathrooms at the park. Because this was

during the rainy season, we worked at our two inclement

weather sites often. For inclement weather, River One

rotated working at The Salvation Army, sorting donated

items, and Southern Cultural Heritage Center, cleaning

out historic cultural buildings.

City of Vicksburg

he second project was in

Sumter, South Carolina do-

ing rural development with

The Youth Academy, Inc. In this project,

we worked closely with children at a

Christian camp for underserved chil-

dren. The team also readied the farm-

land on the church grounds for the

camp, clearing debris from a recent

wildfire.

The Youth Academy Inc.

e worked with Be Ready Alliance

Coordinating for Emergencies

(B.R.A.C.E.) in Pensacola, Florida for

our third round. In this disaster relief project,

the team worked with many different non-

profits in Pensacola, all of whom had been

affected by recent flooding. The team served

primarily at Heritage Oaks Affordable Housing,

Manna Food Pantries, Truth for Youth, and

other affordable housing sites in the area.

Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE)

n the first half of our split round, River One worked with Land Trust for

Mississippi Coastal Plain in Biloxi, Mississippi. Much of the team's envi-

ronmental stewardship work in Biloxi, Moss Point, and Gulf Shores

dealt with invasive species removal. The team focused on removing unwanted trees

and plants in different wetland sites, and also did a bit of trail blazing.

iver One spent the second half of Round Four working with Louisiana

State Parks, both at Poverty Point World Heritage Site and D'Arbonne

State Park. At Poverty Point, the team cleared invasive species and un-

wanted underbrush around the historic mounds. At D'Arbonne, the team worked on

completing renovation of a 500 foot pier on a manmade lake.

Land Trust for the MS Coastal Plain & Louisiana State Parks– Poverty Point

Chassie Nix

Chelsea Crinson

Tatiana Samuel-Jefferson

Linda Nag

Cindy Robertson

Katelyn Tharp

We work like men, but

walk like women.

Mac N Cheese

We’re lean mean

dancing machines.

“THING”

We fight like sisters,

but we wouldn’t

change a thing.

Maurice Redd

ound one was spent in Eustis, FL, working for Habitat for Hu-

manity. From our first day with construction training to our

last day working on a roof we had an amazing time. The skills

we learned this round will never be forgotten. Our sponsors were first

time sponsors and rocked it! we felt so welcomed and appreciated. our

site supervisors Bob and Doris were so dedicated to making each and

every home perfect for the families. They were always willing to help in

anyway [possible, keeping the work environment fun and exciting every-

day. River 2 was able to broaden our work skills and social skills on this

round. we had the best time getting to know everyone and hated saying

good bye, but we’re ready for our next grand adventure!

Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter, FL

New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity & Service Over Self

e traveled to the amazing New Orleans to

help build affordable housing with Habitat

for Humanity! We learned new skills, had

some great supervisors, and of course stayed in such

a historical city with so many sights to see! We

worked on 3 new homes and branched off with Brush

With Kindness and repaired 5 existing homes! We

then traveled back to our AmeriCorps home in Vicks-

burg and worked with Service Over Self. We worked

on repairing homes with a group of summer volun-

teers for one week, and then tackled a whole week

alone. It was such an amazing experience!

iver 2 has had quite the round! Starting in a

mentally challenging project in Sumter SC

working with kids of all ages coming from under

privileged homes, organizing and creating daily schedules,

we were more than happy to jump in with our ideas! River 2

then traveled to the blues capitol Clarksdale MS, teaming

up with the city completing one of the phases in making the

The Youth Academy Inc. & City of Clarksdale

pool of Clarksdale more functional by adding a concrete

slab, and beautifying one of the parks with a new play-

ground and freshly painted equipment. Also spending a few

days working with the local animal shelter we were able to

get our hands dirty and feel the reward of completing a

project and seeing it!

C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa

his last round was great! Our

sponsors were the C.H. Nash

Chucalissa Museum, T.O.

Fuller State Park and the Westwood

Neighborhood Association. We worked

hard with each one to get things done!

From trail maintenance with T.O. Fuller,

and working with veterans beautifying

another veterans home, to building a rain

shelter and renovating a hands on lab for

C.H. Nash museum our experience was

amazing. we only had 6 short weeks, but

within those weeks our team grew clos-

er, we met amazing passionate people,

and GOT THINGS DONE FOR AMERICA!

What a term we've had, and this was the

perfect project to complete our service!

GO RIVER 2!

Breanne Roseman

Kirsten Flick

Larsen (Alex) Garrison

Adrianna Howard

Lynika Saunders

Heather Whitney

Greenville, MS The Mystery Machine

Ratchet

Basketball is our

favorite sport, you

like the way we drib-

ble up & down the

court.

Rather Be by Clean

Bandit

Samuel Bederaux-Cayne (River 7)

Nikko Jackson (River 7)

Kimberly McInchak (River 7)

Tanae Molden

Jordan Phillips

Rebecca Schiller (River 7)

Brittney Smith

Urban Oasis Project

or Round 1, River 3 partnered with the Urban Oasis

Project to clear out 22 acres of invasive and over-

grown plant species, added additional farming

space, planted and harvested fresh fruits and vegetables, as-

sisted the fresh produce market, and worked with the commu-

nity after-school program. The work was hard and rigorous.

The days were long and sweltering. Despite the weather we

were able to accomplish even more work than we had antici-

pated. We could never have imagined the great impact that we

would have on the Verde Community or the equally great im-

pact that they would have on us. We're excited to have had this

amazing opportunity and hope that future a NCCC team will be

able continue the work that this resilient community has start-

ed.JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ

hile working in the Homestead community our

housing was situated in the heart of Miami Beach

along the Lincoln Road Mall thanks to the gracious

Miami Beach Community Church. During our leisure time

there was no shortage of activities to enjoy. Relaxing days in

beautiful blue water beaches, cultural dinners at restaurants

with delicious menus you would expect to see in Paris, France,

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, or any of the variety of cultures that

have found a home in Miami Beach. Living in Miami Beach

allowed our team to experience and interact with people from

cultures all around the world. These experiences have un-

doubtedly impacted our world view and will help us in continu-

ing to be open and accepting of diversity in all forms from all

over the world.

Habitat for Humanity Lafyette

Rural Appalachian Improvement League, Inc. (RAIL)

iver 3 worked in Mullens, WV with Ru-

ral Appalachian Improvement League

(RAIL) & Ravencliff, WV with Friends

Of Milam Creek. At Wyco Church, the team made

renovation improvements to the basement for

future community events. Tasks included paint-

ing, mudding, installing sheetrock, constructing

pillars and beams, electrical wiring, lighting, and

putting in installation. At the Friends Of Milam

Creek Community Center, River 3 also demolished

flooring, installed completely new flooring, re-

moved a staircase, painted, fixed holes with mor-

tar, weeding, and added wooden trim to the walls.

iver 3 served with the city

of Greenville, Mississippi

beautifying the city by

painting park equipment and clearing

weeds out of major intersections. The

team also served with Habitat for

Humanity in Mobile, Alabama, and

worked on houses in different stages

of construction.

City of Greenville & Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Alabama

Jackie Searle

Jesse Brammer

Jules Juniker

Emily (Rachelle) McClellan

Edward Rich

Brittany Robinson

Hannah Wendling

“To the Top!!!” &

“You heard it here

first”

White Russian Lady

Broccoli

The Dream Team “Let It Go” from Frozen

Johnathan Toles-Blunt

Jonathan Jasper

Asha Pritchett

Amber Tompkins

everly, West Virginia was a beautiful place

with wonderful people. River 4 spent 8

weeks partnering with The Beverly Histori-

cal Society, a group dedicated to preserving the town's

history. River 4 specifically worked on two buildings

dating back to the Civil War. The team learned a lot

about how to preserve materials, the Civil War and the

battles specific to that area. When the team was not

working on the Civil War buildings they were busy

serving the surrounding counties. They worked at an

animal shelter and planted 5400 spruce trees to ex-

pand the salamander's habitat.

Historic Beverly Preservation, Inc.

Vollintine Evergreen Community Association (VECA) & Windshape Camp

iver 4 spent Round 2 mostly in Memphis, Ten-

nessee with the non-profit, Vollintine Evergreen

Community Association, or as it is more com-

monly known as, VECA. River 4 spent most of their time

working outside beautifying their 100 blocks of neighbor-

hood. The neighborhood itself has many abandoned homes

and VECA takes it upon themselves to upkeep them. By

doing this they believe home owners will take pride in their

neighborhood and ultimately the crime rate will go down.

The team learned how to mow lawns, weed wack, maintain

trail and build fences. When the team wasn't working they

were busy with serving the church where they were

housed. They assisted in serving at their food kitchen and

their food box distribution, stained their patio and built a

bike rack. The team also served at FedEx Family Housing,

and The Chucalissa Museum. For one week the team

served in Vicksburg, Mississippi with WinShape Camps for

Communities. This camp was founded by Truett Cathy of

Chick-fil-A. The team tapped into their inner child and

served children from all over the community by playing

games, singing songs, and assisting in different sports

activities.

iver 4 spent 9 weeks working with a non-

profit in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Recover,

Repair, Restore Southeast Mississippi.

R3SM as they are more commonly known as serves the

community and surrounding counties through disaster

relief efforts from the 2013 tornado. River 4 partnered

with R3SM to serve the community by repairing roofs,

walls, floors and ceilings. When the team wasn't work-

ing with R3SM they were busy serving the neighboring

non-profits such as Christian Services, the Animal Shel-

ter and Fieldhouse for the Homeless. River 4 felt the

love in Hattiesburg for sure and was proud of the work

they accomplished for the families.

R3SM, Inc. (Recover, Rebuild, Restore Southeast MS)

iver 4 spent their fourth

and final round with the

Florida Park Services.

Chainsawing, painting a historical

home, removing invasive species and

trail maintenance were the highlights

of the round. This round the team got

to experience lots of wildlife by

camping for two weeks! The weather

was perfect, the staff was incredible

and most importantly we made so

many memories. It’s hard to show in

just a hand full of pictures, but here

are some of our best!

Florida Park Service

Benjamin Tryon

Jessica Gottlob

Mark O’Brien

Paul Podawiltz

Kenneth Smith

Wynter Smith

#SELFIE by The

Chainsmokers

Pizza, by default

Half our team got de-

ployed on disaster.

“Pants are optional”

We’ve been to every

state in the Southern

Region besides Florida.

Maureen Brown

Tony Seljan

Calvin Wimberly II

uring round one, River 5

cleared historic ceme-

teries, constructed fish

damns, participated in biological

data collection, and completed

many other projects to help in-

crease the health of the Morris

Creek Watershed and the people

living in Montgomery, WV.

Morris Creek Watershed Association

MS Quest Fitness Community Outreach, Inc.

uring Round Two, River 5 helped manage and lead a

children's fitness camp. The team taught kids how

to play many sports such as football, basketball,

soccer volleyball, and other fitness games. In addition, the

team taught kids the importance of healthy eating and nutri-

tion.

Fall Creek Falls State Park/Virgin Falls State Natural Area

uring Round Three, River 5 helped build

and maintain trails in Fall Creek Falls

State Park and Virgin Falls State Natural

Area. The team built over 50 stone steps, cleared

overgrown brush from over 10 miles of trail, and in-

stalled waterbars to decrease trail erosion. Although

this project was extremely physically demanding, we

had a great time working here!

Guliford County Open Space & Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity

ound four was River 5's first split round pro-

ject! The team was lucky enough to work

with Guilford County's Passive Parks pro-

gram. There, the team built a brand new 2.5 mile trail

that connects a county park to a historic mill site. For

the last half of the project, River 5 worked with South-

ern Crescent Habitat for Humanity where we helped

renovate three homes and build a new one. These

projects were awesome and a fantastic way to end our

term of service!

Chipotle

Nichole Letizia

William Custus

Tanner Jenkins

Sabree Koonce

Jessica Schreuder

Essence Thomas

James Wilborn

Frozen

Melvin & Marvin (our

rooster & snake)

“leggo peeps”

Joshua Evans

Ain’t It Fun by Par-

amore

uring their first round serving for AmeriCorps

NCCC Class 20 Southern Region, the River 6

team was stationed in the beautiful Florida

Keys! Our sponsoring organization was Growing Hope Initi-

ative, a Florida Keys nonprofit organization that was work-

ing towards sustainable living and farming in the Keys. We

were working on clearing and restoring an edible fruit gar-

den called Grimal Grove. The tasks that River 6 worked on

varied from clearing Brazillian Pepper (an invasive spe-

cies), clearing brush, cleaning up debris, emptying and

cleaning cisterns, running an organic produce market, and

m o r e ! k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k

Growing Hope Initiative

he River 6 team really learned a lot about

themselves and the environment during this

round. The work was hard, the weather was

hot, and team tension was high! The River 6 team pushed

through it and came out on top, better than ever. We will

never forget our adventures in the Florida Keys. This was

truly a once in a lifetime experience!

All Hands Volunteers & Camp Habitat

irst, we were sent on tornado disaster response

for Itawamba County and were living in Tupelo,

Mississippi. We helped with debris removal,

demolition, and city cleanup. ……………………...

ater, we were stationed in Franklin, Kentucky

volunteering with the local Housing Authority

and helping with Camp Habitat! We led groups

of young adults through a series of beautification projects

throughout the community. During our stay in Franklin, we

visited many tourist attractions and educational attractions.

One of the most fascinating things we got to experience as

a team was visiting Mammoth Caves, which is the largest

cave network in the United States.

Conservation Legacy VISTA Program

he team started out in Beckley, West Virginia. They were working with the Chamber of Commerce in Raleigh County

doing jobs for Raleigh County Make It Shine. They dealt with erosion and trail repairs. Next they worked in Glen Jean

with the National Park Service at Camp Brookside. The River 6 team was assigned numerous projects to restore the

old camp for future use. The River 6 team then moved to Tornado, West Virginia and worked with the Coal River Group. They

kayaked the Coal River cleaning up tires and worked on many beautification projects at the local recreation areas. The River 6

team then moved to Morgantown, West Virginia and worked with Friends Of Deckers Creek, a local watershed. They were deal-

ing with Acid Mine Drainage. The River 6 Team's final stop was in Whitesburg, KY where they were working with another water-

shed group. Their jobs included creating rain gardens and beautifying properties!

Project Homecoming

ound 4 was bittersweet for the River 6 team.

They were stationed in one of the greatest

cities in the United States, New Orleans!

However, it was also their last round as a team. Sud-

denly, the fact that the program was almost over

seemed all too real to many of the team members. They

had spent the past year getting to know one another

and had become quite attached! The River 6 team

vowed to make their last project round one to never

f o r g e t . N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N

iver 6 was volunteering in New Orleans with

Project Homecoming. New Orleans is still

under recovery from Hurricane Katrina and

Project Homecoming is just one of the many organiza-

tions that is attempting to rebuild the city. Project

Homecoming is in charge of many tasks including

building homes, revitalizing unstable buildings, and

helping citizens reclaim ownership of their properties.

The River 6 team assisted with remodeling numerous

project sites. They were in charge of a wide variety of

tasks including sanding, painting, flooring, and more.

River 6 greatly enjoyed their time in New Orleans. Not

only was there plenty of important work to do but their

free time was very diverse as well! There was always

something new and exciting to do. This adventure will

be something River 6 team members shall never forget.

Boys & Girls Club of Central Mississippi & Sherman Ave. Elementary

iver Seven has had an amazing experience working at

Sherman Avenue Elementary School (SAE). River Sev-

en worked at Sherman Ave. in Vicksburg, Mississippi,

tutoring more than 700 students in kindergarten through third

grade. The team supported over 60 teachers and other staff, act-

ing as classroom assistants, individual mentors for at-risk youth,

one-on-one assistants for struggling students, and coordinators

of both during and after school activities. Many students are at-

risk youth who dealt with high-intensity life challenges, including

learning disabilities, lack of parental guidance or other problems

at home, and trying to learn English for the first time. The team

worked alongside the administration of SAE to satisfy the personal

needs of all students by giving them extra attention and support

that they may not receive elsewhere. For example, NCCC mem-

bers greeted the students individually every morning by helping

them out of their cars or welcoming them off the bus, eating lunch

with them, playing at recess, and attending field trips. Many spe-

cial bonds were formed between team members and students.

Team members undertook new life roles, including mentor, confi-

dant, role model, believer, teacher, and more.

In addition to working inside the classroom, River Seven also par-

ticipated in a number of extra-curricular activities.

he team spent a day volunteering at a school-

organized yard sale to raise funds for a new play-

ground. Members also attended Family Math Night,

Family Reading Night, and field trips to see an opera, choir, a

blues band, and the Special Olympics. NCCC Members orga-

nized events to reward positive student behavior such as a mini-

carnival, a popsicle party, a pizza party, and “Smile Day.” The

AmeriCorps members ate lunch with their classes, played at

recess, and also participated in “special area” classes like gym,

m u s i c , a r t , s c i e n c e , a n d c o m p u t e r l a b .

Our team formed relationships and made memories that will

surely last a lifetime. Sherman Ave. is a wonderful place, doing

amazing things for their students. River Seven feels honored to

be a part of their amazing community.

Habitat for Humanity Bay Waveland Area

he community of Bay-Waveland, along with the local surrounding

cities have benefited from the services provided by Team River

Seven. The team’s efforts in helping to reconstruct and renovate

the Habitat for Humanity office space and warehouse did a great deal of indi-

rect service to the community. Habitat for Humanity Bay-Waveland has as-

sisted its area with constructing new homes, making repairs and renova-

tions, and weatherizing homes over the past 8 years. River Seven’s efforts

provided Habitat for Humanity the opportunities to continue implementing

vocation and goodwill towards the community’s needs.

iver Seven was able to meet home owners

in the community and engage in a more

personable service. Members of the com-

munity were able to see Corps members energetic in

attending to their needs. As a result of the home

weatherization projects, the team was able to create an

energy efficient home, which in turn helped the home-

owner in lowering their energy bills.

Natalie Siedhof

Lauren Brink

Will Custus

Kirsten Flick

Rachelle McClellan

Heather Whitney

We. Ate. Too. Much. Sneezy Moose

Myyy momma gave

me a nickel!

Dress up

Skipping around the

room

he Camp Easter Seals composite team spent 6 weeks in New Castle, Virginia volunteering as camp counselors

for adults and children with physical and intellectual disabilities. While this team was composed of members

from various teams within the Delta and River units, this incredibly exciting round was a great way to spend time

working together and forming new bonds. Members of the composite team gave hands on, round the clock care to their

assigned campers while assisting with activities such as swimming, rock climbing, fishing, paintball, archery, horseback

riding, arts and crafts, and nature projects. Logging over 100 hour work weeks became the norm, while sleeping became a

thing of the past! Overall, every member of the team left camp after that short round with some amazing memories and

meaningful friendships. Some members are already working on possibly returning to work there next summer!

Camp Easter Seals

Dear NCCC Alumnus, It may have been just a few months or over a decade since you wore the “A” on

your sleeve. However long it’s been, please know NCCC values our alumni as a

resource for the contributions you can continue to make to our program. Here

are a few ways for you to stay connected and get involved.

CONNECT WITH AN NCCC TEAM SERVING IN YOUR AREA

Contact the campus in your region to find out where our teams are located and how you can serve

or interact with them.

GET INVOLVED WITH RECRUITMENT

You know best what qualities make for an ideal NCCC member. Contact the campus in your region

to learn more about recruitment opportunities and to obtain recruitment materials.

SPONSOR A TEAM

Do you know or work for an organization that could use a team? Contact the campus in your region

to learn more about project development and becoming a service project sponsor for an NCCC

team.

SERVE AS A RESOURCE

If you are interested in speaking with future and potential applicants about your experience, send

your contact information to ACNCCC@cns.gov

GET INVOLVED WITH A CAMPUS

Help with campus life activities, assist with training and Life After AmeriCorps programming,

participate with the campus working group, or attend a special event.

STAY CONNECTED WITH NCCC ONLINE

Facebook.com/AmeriCorpsNCCC — Like us and join the community!

Twitter @AmeriCorpsNCCC — Get short, regular updates!

LinkedIn — Search for the network “AmeriCorps NCCC Alumni (Official Group)” to network with

alumni, friends, and supporters of NCCC and national service

AmeriCorpsNCCC.tumblr.com — See what’s happening right now with an NCCC team

AmeriCorpsAlums.org — Free job listings, resources and networking groups

HOW DO YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH THE CAMPUS IN YOUR REGION? Atlantic Region

Marcia Simms at msimms@cns.gov

Connecticut, District of Columbia,

Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts,

Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey,

New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto

Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont

North Central Region

Angela Sarrels at asarrels@cns.gov

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan,

Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota,

Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Pacific Region

Sandra Hajt at shajt@cns.gov

Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho,

Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah,

Washington, Wyoming

Southern Region

Erica Wilson at ewilson@cns.gov

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,

Louisiana, Mississippi, North

Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee,

Virginia, West Virginia

Southwest Region

Heather Dirck at hdirck@cns.gov

Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado,

Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico,

Oklahoma, Texas

NCCC Headquarters

ncccalumni@cns.gov

STAY CONNECTED, GET INVOLVED!

Autographs

Remember that time...

Autographs

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better.

It's not.”

— Dr. Seuss

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are

powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actual-

ly, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is

nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure

around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make

manifest the glory that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And

as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to

do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically

liberates others.”

— Marianne Williamson

“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a

college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to

serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

― Martin Luther King Jr.

“ “