A team from FEMA Corps Bayou 1, a track of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) program, will be serving at the FEMA Region X Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) in Bothell and the Northview Corporate Center (NCC) in Lynnwood until Nov. 28.
The team will be assisting the region in completing a variety of assignments. The team works for service projects in five service areas – direct response and recovery to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, and urban and rural development – in communities in all 50 states and U.S. territories.
AmeriCorps allows citizens to give a year or two of their time to address some of the nation’s social needs, in exchange for a minimal living allowance and an education stipend – $5,645 per year of completed service.
The Group members said AmeriCorps has been successful in its multifaceted mission to fill the country’s unmet social needs, expand access to college through federal aid in return for service, and build a more civic-minded society.
“I decided to join AmeriCorps because I went to school and didn’t seem to have a clear career path or major in mind,” Colleen Wieczorek said. “This has been a great experience and it’s made me realize I want a career that has a human component to it.”
AmeriCorps programs are intended to help move communities forward. They serve their members by creating jobs and providing pathways to opportunity for young people entering the workforce. AmeriCorps places thousands of young adults into intensive service positions where they learn valuable work skills, earn money for education and develop an appreciation for citizenship.
“I am from Chicago and I hadn’t seen an ocean before joining AmeriCorps and travelling,” Selvio DeAngeles said. “The places you get to go to and the people you get to meet are amazing.”
The group just finished participating in a 5k walk/run that followed the route of a local tsunami in the area they visited.
“You never know what you get to do next,” Emmy Fonorow said. “That’s what makes this so exciting.”
