GET TO

THE POINT T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E N C C C A T L A N T I C R E G I O N

F R I D A Y , A U G U S T 3 0 , 2 0 1 3

V O L U M E X I X , I S S U E 2 0

Litter: Can It Ever Be Stopped? Buffalo 4 member David Wright highlights possible approaches

to reducing that unsightly, detrimental refuse. Page 6.

2 AUGUST 30, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

I’m a member of the National

Civilian Community Corps,

an AmeriCorps Program.

N-Triple-C members are 18 to 24 and spend

10 months getting things done for America

while developing their own leadership. We

serve on teams to help communities prepare

for and respond to disasters, build homes,

and help the environment.

To learn more, visit NationalService.gov or call 1.800.942.2677

CONNECT WITH AMERICORPS NCCC ATLANTIC REGION

Sam McKenzie, Community Relations Specialist (CRS)

Phone: 410.642.2411 Ext. 6244 ● Email: smckenzie@cns.gov

Mona Hillstrand, Assistant Community Relations Specialist (ACRS)

Phone: 202.815.4259 ● Email: rhillstrand@cns.gov

Ben Dillon, Community Relations Support Team Leader (CRSTL)

Phone: 443.995.7940 ● Email: bedillon.guest@cns.gov

Facebook.com/NCCCAtlanticRegion

@AmeriCorpsNCCC

NationalService.gov

04 Gallery

Images from Round 4 projects

06 Feature

Litter: Can it ever be stopped?

Buffalo 4 member David Wright

highlights options for reducing

unsightly, detrimental litter.

08 Alumni Spotlights

Amelia Hansen, Atlantic Region

Team Leader, Classes XVII & XVIII

Chelsea Pennucci, Atlantic

Region Corps Member, Class XVIII

10 Staff Spotlight

11 Life After AmeriCorps

12 Community Relations

13 Shout Outs

14 Team Project Map

About the cover

Raven 4 and Buffalo 1

collected dozens of

bags of litter and large

debris at New York City’s

Floyd Bennett Field in

April. See page 6 for a

corps member’s

perspective on tackling

the issue of litter.

ISSUE IN THIS

CONTENTS

↑ Moose 4, following in

the footsteps of three

Atlantic Region teams,

is working with Friends

of Rockaway and the

St. Bernard Project to

restore normalcy to

New Yorkers who were

devastated by

Hurricane Sandy.

GET TO THE POINT | AUGUST 30, 2013 3

BULLET IN BO ARD

September 21 will mark 20 years since President Bill

Clinton signed the National and Community Service Trust Act into law that created the

Corporation for National and Community Service and

AmeriCorps. On Sept. 20, CNCS will launch a year of

celebratory events.

The Raven Unit has just over 11

percent of its Independent

Service hours left to complete! It’ll

be a sprint to the finish from here!

Percentage of ISP Hours

Complete

Raven: 88.74

Buffalo: 82.15

Moose: 77.61

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true

meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be

self-evident that all men are created equal.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

4 AUGUST 30, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

G ALLERY

↑ Atlantic Region Support Team Leaders joined Moose 1 at the Lincoln

Memorial to serve as ushers for Let Freedom Ring, an event marking

the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and

Freedom. (Photo courtesy of CNCS)

→ Buffalo 1 member Owen Wolfe works with the Appalachian

Mountain Club to clear recreational trails near Russell, Mass.

↓ Raven 5 member Adriana Battle and Team Leader Khal Ismail install

a buffer fence along a creek at Valley Force National Historic Park.

The team is working with the park to reduce invasive species

including mile-a-minute weeds and rusty crayfish.

GET TO THE POINT | AUGUST 30, 2013 5

G ALLERY

← Phoenix 4 recently returned from a two-

week deployment with the Virginia 2

wildland firefighter crew. The crew

assisted with suppression of the Salmon

River Fire Complex in Sawyers Bar, Calif.

↑ Members of Moose 2 and Raven 2 carry a

large, plastic section of a jungle gym

while serving with KaBoom to construct a

playground at an elementary school in

Seaside Heights, N.J.

↓ Buffalo 3 member Meagan Julian

removes invasive vines from a tree along

a recreational trail near Torrington, Conn.

Julian’s team is working with the

Torrington Area Health District to improve

trail access for emergency vehicles.

← Raven 2 member Lewis Cuthair measures

and cuts insulation for the underside of a

trailer home in Moonachie, N.J.

6 AUGUST 30, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

FEATURE

I have always had a pet

peeve about littering. I

have never been able to

understand what’s so hard

about disposing of your

garbage properly. I’m not

just talking about big things, such as

that fast food wrapper; even the small

stuff bothers me, such as cigarette

butts. People love to use the excuse,

“It’s just one piece, it’s not like any-

one will notice.” But that’s where

there’s a problem; people DO notice.

What if everyone throws out one

piece? Then we have millions of piec-

es! I recently read an article in a local

paper that discussed the issue of lit-

tering and wanted to share it, as well

as my thoughts on it, with all of you.

Perhaps maybe we will even be able

to help solve the issue of littering, if

only just a tiny bit.

During the first week of Buffalo 4’s

fourth round project we had the op-

portunity to go kayaking in the Mid-

dle Branch area of the Baltimore Har-

bor. I have heard a lot of bad things

about the water, such as how polluted

it is. I was a little nervous but also

very excited. When we set off on our

journey I did not see much in the way

of garbage; however, once we got past

the old rail road bridge and went a

little ways to the west I started to see

more and more. At first I wanted to

blame the local landfill and recycle

center that was up against the water;

however, our guide informed me

that, if any, only a very small amount

of that was a result of those facilities.

We continued our journey into a very

dark tunnel under Baltimore. Once

we had gone about 300 feet in, our

guide explained what it was. Balti-

more was literally built right on top

of the watersheds and we were in one

of them. She explained that the storm

drains you see on the sides of the

road all lead into the watersheds and

those watersheds lead into the harbor

that we just kayaked through.

When you throw garbage onto the

ground, it gets blown around by the

What about that oil

leak from your car or

the paint that you

didn’t want to

dispose of properly?

It’s ending up in our

local water...

LITTER: CAN IT

EVER BE STOPPED?

BY DAVID WRIGHT, BUFFALO 4

↑ Courtney Amburg and Shannon Herr dig a

retaining wall trench for a French drain at

Collington Square Playground in Baltimore.

Buffalo 4 worked with Baltimore Bureau of Parks

to beautify and improve several locales, which

included litter removal.

GET TO THE POINT | AUGUST 30, 2013 7

FEATURE

wind and eventually ends up in the

street. When it rains, it then flows

into the storm drains, then into the

watershed and then into the harbor.

You might be thinking, “So what?”

Most garbage is hardly noticeable in

small amounts, but the problem is all

of the large amounts of litter that is

occurring on a daily basis. Some-

times it’s not even trash that is an

issue. What about that oil leak from

your car or the paint that you did not

want to dispose of properly? It’s end-

ing up in our local water, polluting it,

making it so we can’t enjoy the water.

The solution to the problem is nei-

ther more law enforcement nor high-

er penalties. Litter can be easily di-

minished, if you put your mind to it.

The single most important way to

reduce liter is to put a value on it.

Massachusetts has already imple-

mented this concept by charging a

deposit on things such as beverage

containers. This deposit is charged at

the time of purchase, usually around

10 cents for a 20oz bottle, and you

only get that deposit back when you

turn them in. Now you might be

thinking, “10 cents, that’s not much.

Heck, I lose more than that in my

couch.” That’s true. However, just

because you did not want to turn the

container in, does not mean some-

one else won’t. This has proven to

reduce trash flow by about 50 per-

cent. The next issue of litter is what

to do about the less commonly dis-

posed things, such as old tires. Most

states charge a fee when you buy

tires. Currently, it’s only around $5.

If that fee is raised, then perhaps

more people will properly dispose of

them instead of dumping them.

What do we do with those tires,

though? The answer: use them! You

can grind up the rubber into chips

and use them at playgrounds. There

are many other solutions to different

things out there, they just need to be

put in place.

The article goes on to talk about

other solutions that I myself have

mentioned numerous times and Buf-

falo 4 hopes to help implement at

least one of them at the local park we

are working at for a day of service:

more public trash cans! Putting up

“NO LITTERING” signs and impos-

ing higher fines has had minimum

impact, adding more trash cans

where litter is a problem, though,

has had a much better effect. I for

one would really like to see these

changes made, and if everyone plays

their part, it can happen.

Litter can be easily

diminished, if you put

your mind to it. The

single most important

way to reduce litter is

to put a value on it.

← Kaitlyn Liafsha uses a pick-mattock to cut a

trench for a retaining wall at Baltimore’s

Collington Square Playground while working

with Baltimore City Bureau of Parks.

↑ Members of Buffalo 4 sit on the finish retaining

wall alongside Marcia Froomer of the

Baltimore City Bureau of Parks.

8 AUGUST 30, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

ALUM NI SPOTL IGHT

ATLANTIC REGION, CLASS XVIII CORPS MEMBER

HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT NCCC?

I learned about the VISTA program through a volunteer opportunity in college.

I knew that I wanted to do a service year after college, so I investigated other

AmeriCorps programs. I came across NCCC and the idea of traveling with a

team and working in different communities sounded awesome.

HOW DID NCCC IMPACT YOUR LIFE?

NCCC really reaffirmed my passion for non-profit work. I have never felt more

certain of the value of service, especially for young people.

WHAT SKILLS DID YOU GAIN?

The most important thing I learned was how to work and live with people who

were very different from me. We all came from such different backgrounds

and still managed to get a ton of work done for our sponsors, live together,

and appreciate each other’s quirks and unique assets.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT?

My team spent the summer in Bangor, Maine, working with the Parks and Rec-

reation Department. We helped clear trails in the city and taught swim lessons

at a local camp. Our sponsors were awesome and it was a great place to

spend the summer months. We even made it to Acadia National Park, where

we were able to see some of the work that the CCC did back in the ‘30s.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT?

I really loved being part of a team. By the end of the year my team was like a

second family in the truest sense. We cooked and cleaned together, we

fought, we laughed, and at the end of the day, we loved each other.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?

I work at a healthcare non-profit called Health Leads. The organization helps

connect people to the basic resources they need to be healthy—food, utilities,

safe housing, childcare, etc. By addressing these needs within the doctor’s of-

fice, we target the root causes of poor health.

CHELSEA PENNUCCI

GET TO THE POINT | AUGUST 30, 2013 9

ALUM NI SPOTL IGHT

ATLANTIC REGION

CLASS XVII FIELD TEAM LEADER

CLASS XVIII SUPPORT TEAM LEADER

HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT NCCC?

My little brother served in the Badger Unit in the Atlantic

Region and it changed his life.

HOW DID NCCC IMPACT YOUR LIFE?

It made me more aware of issues facing U.S. communi-

ties and the changes that individuals can make through

positive teamwork and mindset. It also made me less

hygienic!

WHAT SKILLS DID YOU GAIN?

Mad skills! Being more patient; how to dig a mean fence

hole; how to fight invasive species and feel like a winner.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT?

Respond, Inc. in Camden; working on city revitalization

projects.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT?

Getting to know all sorts of fantastic people and

also be inspired by them.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND NCCC?

Yes, I would highly recommend this program to

anyone. Once you survive this program, you can

survive almost anything.

AMELIA HANSEN

10 AUGUST 30, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

ST AFF SPOTL IGHT

MEET THE NEW

ATLANTIC REGION

FLEET MANAGER,

MICHAEL HOWARD

HOMETOWN:

Magnolia, Delaware

NICKNAME:

“Irish Mike.” I’m named after my paternal

grandfather, Lt. Col. Michael Joseph How-

ard, who was a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air

Force. He and his family came to the U.S.

from Kildare, Ireland, and his radio call sign

while in the Air Force was “Irish Mike.”

EDUCATION:

[After high school] I enlisted in the U.S. Ma-

rine Corps and graduated basic training as

a Private First Class in April 2004. I then at-

tended Marine Combat Training, Marine

Corps Motor Transportation Operator’s Mili-

tary Occupational Specialty School ,and

Tactical Urban Combat and Convoy Oper-

ations School.

I was honorably discharged in Sept. 2011

and then attended the U.S. Department of

State’s Worldwide Protective Services Secu-

rity Course and got a job with the AEGIS

Defense Services, LLC, which had the con-

tract for the security of the U.S. Embassy in

Kabul, Afghanistan. I left contracting in Jan.

2013 and found my new home here at the

AmeriCorps NCCC Atlantic Region, where I

plan to stay for the rest of my career. I love

it already!

HOBBIES:

Spending quality time with my wife and two

sons, bow hunting, fishing, camping, beach

days, working on cars, baseball, football,

playing drums, singing karaoke and getting

tattoos.

CRAZIEST THING I’VE EVER DONE:

I was out at a bar with some Marine bud-

dies and, after a lot of peer pressure, I en-

tered the karaoke contest the bar was

hosting that night. After singing four songs,

the pool went from 20 contestants down to

myself and a woman who sounded just like

Alanis Morissette. For the last song, we were

told the winner would be determined by

crowd applause. The woman went first and

sang “Ironic” by Alanis Morissette (cheater).

I was left to follow a great performance

and knew I’d have to do something drastic

to win. I figured if I serenaded a woman on

stage, I might get a good vote from all of

the women in the crowd. So I walked up to

the most attractive girl in the place and

said, “Hi, my name is Mike. I know you don’t

know me, but I think you’re the best looking

girl here. I need your help. Can I please put

you on a stool on stage and sing to you to

get a better vote from all of the girls in

here? If I win, I’ll split the prize money with

you.” She said, “Sure, I’ll do that. My name

is Nichole.”

I had her sit on a stool on stage while I sang

“Slide” by the Goo Goo Dolls to her. Once I

finished, the crowd erupted into applause.

The DJ walked over with a handful of cash

and said, “I think I know who our winner is.”

I split the $250 in prize money with Nichole.

Not only was that the craziest thing I’ve

ever done, but I’m happy every day I wake

up because I will soon be celebrating my

sixth wedding anniversary with the girl I

pulled on stage that night.

MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE I’VE VISITED:

Dubai. The architecture and the tropical

trees and plants are just gorgeous.

WHO I ADMIRE:

I admire my wife, Nichole. She grew up in

poverty and was forced to grow up fast,

striking out on her own at 16. She joined the

Marines, served her country and is now in

college for sonography. She is a great wife

and mother, has achieved many things,

and has come a long way from her humble

beginnings.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE:

“It ain’t about how hard you can hit; it’s

about how hard you can get hit and keep

moving forward, about how much you can

take and keep moving forward. That’s how

winning is done! So if you know what you’re

worth, then go out and get what you’re

worth. But you gotta be willing to take the

hits and not point fingers, saying you’re not

where you wanna be because of him, or

her, or anybody. Cowards do that, and

that ain’t you! You’re better than that!”

— Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone)

GET TO THE POINT | AUGUST 30, 2013 11

L I FE AFTER AMERICORP S

FREE CAREER CENTER

To help streamline your job search

experience, AmeriCorps Alums has

revamped its Career Center. This career

resource will still be available to you at no

cost, but the retooled Career Center gives

you quicker access to search jobs, post

your resume, and create job alerts. It also

combines the ability to search for

candidates if you are looking to hire

AmeriCorps alumni. Access the new

career center at AmeriCorpsAlums.org

CAREER COACH

Question: If you aren't employed by the

time your service term ends, what are your

options? I have heard you can't go on

unemployment and I am really concerned

I won't be able to support myself while I

look for a job. It's got me completely

terrified, please help!

Anytime you are in an employment

transition, uncertainty can rear its doubtful

head as you question who you are, what

you offer and why it seems like EVERYONE

else is landing a job. First, remember it just

feels like you are the only one in this

situation but that is not reality. Second, this

is not going to last forever. Third, you still

have options and choices. These four

questions can put you on a path of

confidence, certainty and

employment: What is your unique

situation? What are your options? What

are you putting out there? How are you

showing up?

Denise Riebman, AmeriCorps ‘94

For the full article, see “Ask the Career

Coach” at Blog.AmericorpsAlums.org

Visit EdAward.org for stories of AmeriCorps members who

used their education award to become teachers or lawyers,

go to trade school, buy laptops and school supplies, pay off

students loans, or study abroad.

12 AUGUST 30, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

Shout Outs

Thanks to Jake Clark (B1) for completing a team leader spotlight on Rico! These spotlights will be

very useful for team leader recruitment at CAP events!

Shout out to Mike Brown (B4) for following up on an application and sending in an applicant ID!

Shout out to Kayla Lickey and Nicole Allen (R1) for logging three events this week!

Shout out to Natalie Hillmann (M4) for logging over 20 media hits on top of the 53 from her team’s

Facebook page!

TEAM MEDIA CAP ALUMNI APPS

BUFFALO 1 6

BUFFALO 3 12 1 (30) 1

BUFFALO 4 23 3 (251) 2 1

MOOSE 1

MOOSE 2 3 1

MOOSE 3 6

MOOSE 4 76

MOOSE 5 2 2 (2)

RAVEN 1 10 3 (164)

RAVEN 2 24 1 (30)

RAVEN 3 3 1

RAVEN 4 1 (14)

RAVEN 5 8

TOTAL 173 11 (327) 4 2

Weekly Updates for Media/CAP Reps. Media Reminders

Yearbook Articles,

Minimum of 10 Project

Photos & Yearbook

Photos of Team Members:

Due by Sept. 12

Round 4 GTTP Articles:

Raven 4 — Sept. 1

Phoenix 4 — Sept. 8

Glide Path for Tweets:

8 by September 2

10 by September 12

Submit a yearbook photo

of each member of your

team by the end of the

round. All members

should wear formal shirts

for the photos.

Media Reps have the

option to complete a

Team Leader spotlight

article to count as 2

media hits! Ask the CRSTL

for more information.

CAP Reminders

Each team has been

assigned at least one

alumni contact for the

round. Email your

contact to inquire about

a possible day of service,

social event, or

conference call

Events at Historic Black

Colleges or Universities

and Native American

organizations will count

as 2 events for your team

CAP Reps have the

option to complete a

spotlight article on an

NCCC applicant to

count toward your goals.

COMM UNITY RELAT I ONS

GET TO THE POINT | AUGUST 30, 2013 13

BUFFALO 3

Shout Outs? Shouts Outs are short messages

submitted by teams each week

to share with the rest of the Corps.

Whatever it may be, a Shout Out

is one little way to keep the Corps

connected throughout the

service term.

SHOUTS OUTS

RAVEN 1

BUFFALO 4 MOOSE 2

KaBOOM!

MOOSE 4

Thanks to Jason and Emily for visiting the unforgettable Moose Force to share dinner, stories, and the finding of several cast-away crab parts along

the beach at dusk.

RAVEN 3

Clarity dance party,

anyone? SUPPORT TEAM LEADERS

We warmly welcome Evan into the Eternal Order of the STL! He will soon

receive his customary pet goose.

Eddy says, “Three weeks left un-til we see everyone!”

B4 misses our recently lost team member Shannon Herr. We hope she

is doing better back home. B4 also misses Megan Racine and hopes she is safe and getting things done with those fires in California. Soon the Buffalo 4

herd will be making its way up to Mass. STAMPEDE!!!

Shout out to Buffalo 1! We

miss our significant

other! XOXO, Raven 1

RAVEN 2

Hanging with Queen

Latifah with Moose 2! Hey, y’all!

RAVEN 4

Glad to be back in Maine!

House party!

RAVEN 5

Rahhh!

For Round 4, Atlantic Region teams will complete 19

projects across nine states. Currently, five teams are doing

environmental stewardship projects, five teams are doing

community improvement projects in rural and urban

areas, three teams are doing disaster recovery projects,

and one team is on-call for disaster response.

Where in the Atlantic Region Are They? Round 4, Week 6

BUFFALO 1

Russell, Mass.

Appalachian Mountain Club

Environmental Stewardship

BUFFALO 3

Torrington, Conn.

Torrington AHD/MRC

Urban & Rural Development

BUFFALO 4

Marion, Mass.

The Marion Institute

Environmental Stewardship

MOOSE 1

Elk Township, Pa.

The Nature Conservancy

Environmental Stewardship

MOOSE 2

Toms River, N.J.

Jersey Cares

Disaster Services

MOOSE 3

Sanford, Maine

The Town of Sanford

Urban & Rural Development

MOOSE 4

Rockaway, N.Y.

St. Bernard Project

Environmental Stewardship

MOOSE 5

Newburgh, N.Y.

Habitat for Humanity Newburgh

Urban and Rural Development

PHOENIX 4

Wells, Maine

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Disaster Services

RAVEN 1

Manchester, N.H.

New Hampshire Food Bank

Urban & Rural Development

RAVEN 2

Hackensack, N.J.

Volunteer Center of Bergen County

Disaster Services

RAVEN 3

Queens, N.Y.

Respond & Rebuild

Disaster Services

RAVEN 4

Rockport, Maine

Midcoast Habitat for Humanity

Urban and Rural Development

RAVEN 5

King of Prussia, Pa.

Valley Forge

Environmental Stewardship