Cover Photo by Cat Goss, Alpine Unit

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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3

4

6

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10

12

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24

26

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44

60

76

AmeriCorps Pledge

Introduction

Southwest Region Directors

Southwest Region Staff

Class 22 Team Leaders

Team Leader Training

Corps Training Institute

Class 22 Corps Members

Class 22 Accomplishments

Disaster Response

Alpine Unit

Earth Unit

Sun Unit

Water Unit

AMERICORPS PLEDGE

I will get things done for America

to make our people safer,

smarter, and healthier.

I will bring Americans together

to strengthen our communities.

Faced with apathy,

I will take action.

Faced with conflict,

I will seek common ground.

Faced with adversity,

I will persevere.

I will carry this commitment

with me this year and beyond.

I am an AmeriCorps Member,

and I will get things done.

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It’s a once in a lifetime experience – twice if you’re lucky – to go into communities with the simple mission to strengthen them. It seems questionable at best on paper that a group of young individuals, riding around in vans, dressed in khaki and green or grey, their experience and expertise in the area to which they have been as-signed ranging from proficient to none, can work collectively to change lives.

Luckily this isn’t a paper world.

It’s a once in a lifetime experience, even if this is a second or third go-around, to enter a community with the mission to enrich the lives of those who call it home, who have lost every-thing or who have started with nothing. The Southwest Region of AmeriCorps National Civil-ian Community Corps has members and leaders from all over the country, from California to the Virgin Islands and everywhere in between; but these communities, these cities or towns entered, become home, too. Each project and destination finds some part of you and latches on, and try as you might, you just can’t shake them.

Each day posed new challenges and new opportunities to make a home, or a life, or a com-munity a little bit better. Stephen King once wrote: “We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why.” Sincere gratification from homeowners, or letters of thanks from youth, or handshakes and genuine conversation with com-munity members only make up a fraction of the lives Class 22 impacted. It is true that we might never know all the lives we impacted, but they will know that we moved mountains through our work. And those mountains moved us.

Alice McVicker, Alpine Unit Corps Member

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS XXII

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SOUTHWEST REGION DIRECTORS

Class 22,

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your colleague for the past 10 months. Your service to our country and to communities, organizations and individuals in need, represents some, if not all, of the values we should strive to develop in ourselves…selflessness, passion, commitment and humility.

Through your service you have delivered on NCCC’s two goals of strengthen-ing communities and developing leaders. Your efforts to help young people find confidence, to help disaster survivors find hope, to jumpstart conserva-tion efforts, to assist those in poverty put money in their pockets, and to move our sponsors from their current state of operations to the one they’d aspired

are respected and applauded by all of us who are fortunate enough to work for the NCCC Southwest Campus.

As you move on to the next phase of your life, I’ll leave you with the words of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, who I believe captures the long term service commitment of the AmeriCorps pledge quite well when he stated,

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

Go make the world a better place. You are capable of it. I hope the skills and experiences you have gained in NCCC assist you in that pursuit.

May the wind take your troubles away,

kg

Ken Goodson Region Director

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SOUTHWEST REGION DIRECTORS

Dear Class 22,

Congratulations on this great feat and for dedicating and committing these past months to serving others! When I reflect back to when I was finishing up my service commitment with the Peace Corps, I didn’t know then how my volunteering would transform me and others in the future. I continue to use the teachings I learned during my service days in my current

job today. Thank you for helping our communities jumpstart their projects, tackle their urgent priori-ties, and for going to areas with scarce resources and high need. I hope today marks the beginning of a lifetime commitment to service. I wish you all the best on your personal and professional endeavors!

Salud!

Dana

Dana Platin Deputy Director for

Programs

Congratulations Class 22!

You have now completed your service year with AmeriCorps NCCC and you will be entering yet another time of transition, change, and excitement. When you look back at how far you have come since joining NCCC, I hope you realize the personal growth that has taken place in each and every one of you. You may not realize it yet, but I expect that those around you notice.

As you turn the page and transition to the next chapter in your life, I hope for 3 things: 1. That you will continue to serve. 2. That you will keep in touch with the people you have gallantly

served with. 3. That you will lean on your NCCC experience and utilize what you have learned.

You have made a difference and you make me proud to be a part of this program!

Good Luck to you.

Alann App

Congratulations Class 22! What an exciting time in your lives! Ar-istotle said that we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, there-fore, is not an act but a habit.

I hope that each of you feel the joy and exhila-ration of victory for a job well done and that you go out into your local communities and

mentor others to do the same.

Remember that if you pay it forward and help those around you to do the same, before long the world becomes a better place and you can be part of the reason why.

Thank you for your Service.

Shawn Shulze

Shawn Shulze Deputy Director

for Operations

Alann App Deputy Director for Unit

Leadership

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SOUTHWEST REGION STAFF

Jamie Brennan

Counselor

Jamie Casterton

Assistant Member

Support Specialist

Eric Cook

Resource Manager

Jack Corcoran

Mountain Unit Leader

Vaughn Cottman

Sun Unit Leader Vanessa Davis

Member Support Specialist

Heather Dirck

Community Relations

Specialist

Rachel Folk

Community Relations

Associate

Geoffrey Hickox

Assistant Program

Director

Kelly Hiznay

Member Development

Associate

Brian Horvath

Fleet Manager

Crystal Kelley

Assistant Program

Director

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SOUTHWEST REGION STAFF

Sean Kuprevich

Water Unit Leader

Sarah Lyke

Assistant Program

Director

Alex McGrew

Associate Resource

Manager

Lynette Murphy

Assistant Program

Director of Training

Chris Neukom

Assistant Program

Director

Karen Phillips

Program Associate

Richard Price

Logistics Assistant Brian Robison

Support Services

Specialist

Kevin Rumery

Earth Unit Leader

Amy Stenson

Counselor

Kristin Schmitt

Alpine Unit Leader

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CLASS 22 TEAM LEADERS

Juan La Rosa

Sun STL, Operations

Jarrod Lanier

Sun 5

Riana Lewis

Sun 1

Hailey Morris

Alpine 5

Mayra Nava

Earth 2

Rene Abarca

Sun 3

Kerry Aszklar

Water UDA

Kerstin Becker

Sun STL, Programs

Stephan Deutsch

Alpine 1

Albert Diemand

Alpine 2

Marlie Flaherty

Alpine 3

Jennifer Francois

Water 1

Cat Gonzalez

Alpine 4

Joslin Goss

Water 3

Alex Gutierrez

Sun 2

Lukas Hagen

Earth 4

Ande Hausammann

Alpine 7

Julian Jordan

Earth 5

Eric Kranz

Water 2

Max Engel

Water 4

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Krystal Perkins

Water 5

Brittany Rubin

Sun UDA

Emma Sheridan

Sun 7

Kate Sitrin

Earth 7

Delaney Skordal

Water STL, Media

Jacob Smith

Water 6

Brandon St. Jean

Sun 4

Amy Stewart

Earth 3

Cindy Tran

Earth 1

Luke Vancleave

Sun 6

Brian Wegner

Alpine 6

Melissa Wilson

Water 7

Hakeem White

Alpine UDA

Angela Yragui

Earth UDA

Rachael Zima

Earth 6

CLASS 22 TEAM LEADERS

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TEAM LEADER TRAINING

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TEAM LEADER TRAINING

In September, a month before Corps Member arrival, Class 22 Team Lead-ers began Team Leader Training (TLT). While crammed into a small conference room, we learned about diversity, leadership, procedures, and policies until our heads were spinning with new acronyms (WPR, PCR, PPP, PAR, PBE, and MRE to name a few). To supplement these trainings, the Southwest Region staff threw us into the field for several “scenario days.” Given a list of scenarios, we used our best acting skills to gauge each other’s ability to function under pressure and to familiarize ourselves with life in the field. Some highlights of TLT include stargaz-ing and camping at Cal-Wood, huddling around the fire at Golden Gate Canyon State Park, getting our zen on at group yoga, felling trees during chainsaw train-ing, and jumping off terrifyingly high platforms at the Genesee high-ropes course. Although nothing could truly prepare us for what we faced in the field, TLT gave us a strong foundation to build from. As the all-knowing, all-powerful Ameri-guru Ken Goodson once said, “AmeriCorps will ruin you, in the best possible way.” This statement is especially true for Team Green, whose scope of responsibility extends far beyond the worksite. We learned to juggle logistics,

team dynamics, work schedules, budgets, and weekly paper-work while somehow keeping our own sanity intact. In ex-change for all the stress and chaos of being a Team Leader, we are rewarded with the confidence, drive, and knowledge that we have what it takes to wear a green shirt.

Even though we may not know what the next step af-ter AmeriCorps is, we now have 11 months of intensive super-visory skills catapulting us into the future. To those of you unsure of what the next step is, all I have to say is, onward!

Delaney Skordal Community Relations & Media STL, Water Unit

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CORPS TRAINING INSTITUTE

From all over the country we came. From the coastline of

California to the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Across the

plains to the Appalachians from the tip of Maine to the bottom of

Florida. We came. Big cities and small towns. We came. From all

50 states we boarded planes, trains, and automobiles. The destina-

tion? Denver. Many of us didn’t know what to expect. We arrived

not knowing where our journey would take us. We stepped off the

plane on October 7, at Denver International Airport, with a suit-

case full of our belong-

ings and a shared sense

of civic engagement. We

were greeted by young

men and women wear-

ing green shirts with the

‘AmeriCorps NCCC’

logo emblazoned on

them snapping our pic-

tures. A memento to

look back upon when

our year of service was

over. Ten months seemed like a lifetime.

We were quickly shuttled onto busses and made our trek to

Colorado Heights University (CHU) to begin the process of inte-

grating into a national service program. There we traded our shoes

for work boots and our pants for khakis. A visible reminder that we

were now a part of something bigger than ourselves. We were told that Corps Training Institute (CTI) would be

the longest interview process of our lives. For one whole month we went through training after training. Diver-

sity, stress management, community deployment, power tool and chainsaw training, rules and more rules.

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CTI wasn’t always just trainings, lectures, and seminars but it was also bonding, teambuilding,

and strengthening our resolve. We broke up into ‘home-pods’ and switched around into temporary teams. We

cooked together, lived together, laughed together, and cried together. By the end of the month we were no

longer strangers but friends. Not everyone saw CTI through to the finish but for those that did we coalesced in-

to an army of altruists ready to get things done for America. CTI was a learning process that prepared us not

only for our year of service but for a lifetime of learning, growth, and engagement.

Stephen Underwood,

Earth Unit Corps Member

CORPS TRAINING INSTITUTE

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CLASS 22 CORPS MEMBERS

Theda Aaron

Grace Adams

Marcos Aguilar

Oscar Aguirre

Kaitlin Ahlstedt

Maxwell Aifer

Oluwatoyin Aje

Victoria Albin

Jasmine Aldershoff

Alexander Quincy

Bajazit Alickovik

Antwaniysha Anderson

Trevor Anderson

Kirby Aristide

Nicholas Ashford

Emma Ashley-Grose

Brooke Ballengee

Alec Bandemier

Rosa Bangura

Nicholas Barnstead

Eldon Beck

Ann-Gelisa Beltran

Andrew Benson

Charles Berggren

Joseph Black

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CLASS 22 CORPS MEMBERS

Erica Blue

Jordan Borer

Linna Bounxayavong

Anna Brand

Victoria Bravo

Emma Brenneman

Kaitlin Brew

Austen Brower

Jennifer Carlson

Frank Carraturo

Markeda Carter

John Casertano

Lainey Castle

Elizabeth Chalfin

Kristen Chaney

Carly Christian

Joshua Clark

Robert Clarke

Nohemi Colin

Kelly Collins

Sydney Collins

Patrick Connelly

David Cook

Lacreesha Cook

David Curry

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CLASS 22 CORPS MEMBERS

Isaac Dahl

Ian Day

Megan Deffert

Sarah Defreitas

Andrea Deien

Auston Dickinson

Misty Dingus

Rebecca Doede

Nicole Dominy

Brittney Donovan

Caroline Donovan

Tess Dube

Christine Ector

Sierra Elkins

Caryn Engel

William Evola

Amy Farris

Christopher Feidler- Cree

Talia Feinburg

Hayley Feldman

Katie Fernandez

Sam Fletcher

Mabel Flores

Michael Flores

Jessica Flynn

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CLASS 22 CORPS MEMBERS

Matthew Foley

Allyson Frey

Michael Friend

Quinton Fults

Matthew Germaine

Marcus Gillard

Walter Gilles

Pablo Gonzalez

Cathrin Goss

Darlene Gray

Alex Gregory

Taylor Haight

Alyssa Hallahan

Julia Hamer

Randall Hamilton

Kimberlyn Hancock

Noah Hanke

Sarayah Hardy

Brett Harley

Austin Harp

Dejah Harper

Jeremiah Harris

Alyssa Harrison

Danielle Harrison

Samuel Hastings

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CLASS 22 CORPS MEMBERS

Stacy Heder

Anna Hoeppner

Alexa Holliday

John Holmes

Jay Holzapfel

Cassandra Hudak

Shay Huffman

Amanda Iscoa

Jennifer Ivy

Brianca Jackson

Ashley James

Christine Jarvis

Nicholas Jasso

Jessica Jauert

Alyssa Johnson

Erica Johnson

Tyrone Jones

Ryan Jordan

Travis Kaminsky

Abby Kerber

Luke Horan

Kayla Howard

Rebecca Hoyt

Isaac Hubbell

Ethan Hudon

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CLASS 22 CORPS MEMBERS

Emily Kerul

Conner Kijek

Charles Kile

CJ Kronforst

Evelyn Kwong

Toni Labreche

Katherine Lacouture

Caroline Ladzinski

Crystal Le

John Leblanc

Daniel Lees

Ashley Lopez

Casey Lugli

Lukas Malone

Rose Marotz

Kerri Marquis

Caitlin Matthews

Andrea Mauric

Dominique McCaskill

Madeline McDonald

Kathryn McLaughlin

Alice McVicker

Mason Meadows

Rebecca Merritt

Miranda Miller-Gray

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CLASS 22 CORPS MEMBERS Muna Mohamed

Brock Mullins

William Myers

Rhiannon Neuville-Norton

Haley Nichols

Brian Nieves

Kathryn Olson

Timothy O’Neal

Shannon O’Shea

Anna Palmer

Nicole Patchin

Ethan Pankow

Jordan Perry

Jeanie Pham

Jack Popwell

Marieanne Porter

Forrest Potter

Reshmie Punwasi

Jessica Raether

Kaylene Raftis

Aiesha Rasheed

Jameson Rasmussen

Kara Rawlings

Afi Ray

Jordan Reaves

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CLASS 22 CORPS MEMBERS

Haley Rivard-Lentz

Loni Rodrigo

Molly Rudrow

Charlene Mae Ruiz

Katherine Rupp

Joshua Salas

Jennifer Salazar

Caleb Sarchione

Lynika Saunders

Dana Schmalzel

Barrie Schmitt

Theresa Schneider

Nathaniel Schroeder

Jullian Schrup

Moira Schuster

Emily Schwerzmann

Tayla Sexton

Nicholas Shaner

Perry Shapiro

Kyndra Shea

Mary Reidl

Michelle Reinertson

Parker Reinoehl

Kyle Reynolds

Zakary Reynolds

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CLASS 22 CORPS MEMBERS

Charles Sheppard

Claire Seikas

Austin Silvia

Kayla Smalter

Jacob Smith

Tyshawn Stackhouse

Jacob Stephens

Theresa Stetter

Kesslee Stewart

Junyu Su

Sean Tanino

Joshua Tao

Ashlie Taylor

Eugene Thomas

Jordan Thorne

Alexander Tillman

Matthew Tamaiolo

Alyssa Traefald

Ronald Tsung

Waldemar Troche- Silvestry

Katherine Smith

Zachary Smith

Audrey Snyder

Kellie Sodberg

Peter Spinale

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CLASS 22 CORPS MEMBERS

Cody Watts

Eli West

Tristan White

Carter Whitestone

Monica Whitfield

Kate Whitner

Lindsay Wilson

Rowanna Winget

George Wood

Pang Houa Yang

Kaitlyn Young

Jessica Trojanowski

Brian Tucker

Stephen Underwood

Julie Vang

Daniel Vento

Charlie Vincent

Erica Walk

Geena Washington

Margaret Waters

Drake Watson

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CLASS 22 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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CLASS 22 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Infographics designed by Kerstin Becker, Sun Unit Programs STL

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DISASTER RESPONSE

When forming teams and preparing for projects, Corps

Members and Team Leaders are aware that they could be pulled

from their original project to respond to a disaster at any point

during their term of service. This year, several major floods

affected the Southwest Region, primarily in Houston and San

Marcos, Texas and St. Louis, Missouri and a handful of teams de-

ployed to these communities to join recovery efforts.

During Round 1, Sun 5 and Sun 6 put their normal project

work on hold and traveled to San Marcos, Texas, where the com-

munity suffered extensive damage from floods that occurred in

May and October 2015. Working alongside the Blanco River Re-

gional Recovery Team, the two teams assisted flood survivors by

mucking, gutting, and sanitizing homes and staffing the Volun-

teer Resource Center. Later in the round, the teams began rein-

stalling dry-wall and insulation for homeowners.

In January, just before teams deployed for Round 2, the

Southwest Region sent Water 10, a composite team, outside of

our region to Northern Mississippi. This team responded a torna-

do that traveled 150 miles and destroyed over 400 homes. Water

10 coordinated and shared resources with the Southern Region to

help remove an estimated 3,500 pounds of debris from 17 proper-

ties in Marshall and Tippah Counties.

Later that same month, four additional teams were de-

ployed to Missouri to respond to floods that devastated St. Louis

on December 29, 2015. These record-setting floods lasted three

days and damaged an estimated 7,100 structures. Alpine 2, Earth

5, Sun 7, Sun 40, a composite team of UDAs and STLs, connected

residents to recovery information and resources, completed dam-

age and needs assessments, and mucked and gutted flood dam-

aged homes.

During Round 3, Alpine 7 deployed to Houston and Or-

ange, Texas to respond to more devastating floods. During their

first three weeks on disaster, Alpine 7 removed over 10,600

pounds of debris and mucked and gutted over 15 homes.

Every one of these teams significantly impacted the com-

munities they served by providing critical first steps in the disas-

ter response and recovery processes. Thanks to these teams, com-

munity members across the region are one step closer to regain-

ing what they lost due to natural disasters.

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DISASTER RESPONSE

STL DISASTER DEPLOYMENT

St. Louis, MO

Jan. 22—Feb. 5 2016

On January 22, after spending

three months working in the Denver

Federal Center offices, the seven South-

west Region UDAs and STLs deployed

to St. Louis, Missouri to aid in flood re-

covery efforts. This team of Team Lead-

ers, officially called Sun 40 but more

lovingly known as “Team STUD,” spent

two weeks working with NECHAMA

Jewish Response to Disaster. This de-

ployment provided a rare opportunity for the UDAs and STLs to be the boots on the ground — Team STUD

traded their excel spreadsheets and Weekly Progress Reports for Tyvek suits and respirator masks. In addition

to playing cut-throat games of Bananagrams, getting lost in the City Museum, and eating immense amounts of

popcorn during nightly movie marathons, Team STUD mucked and gutted 16 houses and removed approxi-

mately 44,500 pounds of debris from flood damaged homes. This yearbook post is dedicated to Team STUD’s

Team Leader of the round, Hakeem White (a true snowflake), and to our POC extraordinaire, Juan La Rosa.

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CLASS 22 ALPINE UNIT Unit Leader: Kristin Schmitt

Congrats Class 22! As you know, only the best graduate from Southwest! I hope that you continue to

share your knowledge and skills gained from this year with the communities that you move to in your Life-

After-AmeriCorps endeavors. I know each of you has really pushed yourself to the “top” to strengthen your

leadership, resilience, and provide many types of assistance to the Southwest Region. Thank you for your ser-

vice, stories, and spirit!! You have all made a positive impact on each other, your Team Leaders, NCCC, Spon-

sors and community members. Keep us posted on your next adventures and be proud to call yourselves Ameri-

Corps NCCC Alums!

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CLASS 22 ALPINE UNIT

Where’s Alpine? Where’s Alpine? “ON TOP!” But seri-

ously, the Alpine Unit is an amazing unit consisting of seven

teams that have accomplished a tremendous and wide variety

of service during their SPIKE projects. Ranging from disaster

relief, to trail building, to

youth development, to tax

preparation, and Habitat for

Humanity, Alpine has seen it

all. The unit as a whole is a

tight group of Corps Mem-

bers that have grown to

know and respect each other

in many ways. Friendships

that will continue to last af-

ter the program have been

formed. The unit is led by

eight great Team Leaders

and our Unit Leader, Kristin

Schmitt, is amazing. When

we all started out with Al-

pine we had no idea what it would be like or what this unit

would be like to be a part of. Now that we are at the end of the year, I can confidently say that as a unit we have

all gotten to know each other and formed strong bonds not just as teams, but as one unit. The Alpine Unit had

some ups and downs throughout the year, but we have all grown as leaders and individuals as well as becoming

a strong, cohesive group that not only got things done for America but will go on in our lives to continue to

serve wherever we may be.

Corps Member Reflection: Cat Goss

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ALPINE 1

During Alpine 1’s project in Truth or Consequences (T or C),

the team worked on construction in the mornings and with youth in

the afternoons. Members learned to use power tools at The Orchard

(a volunteer housing area) and to be

role models for youth with bright

minds and bright futures at AppleTree Educational Center and the Boys &

Girls Club of Sierra County. The team designed and painted a mural, conduct-

ed hearing screenings, ran after-school sports activities, and taught music,

creative writing, photojournalism, and graphic design classes. Alpine 1 also

painted 500 square feet of classrooms, conducted two community activities,

renovated one house, removed 1,000 pounds of debris and trash, landscaped

1.5 acres of land, tutored 20 students, supported 60 students in an after-school

program, and had the time of their lives doing it!

LOVE YOUR SCHOOL Little Rock, AR

Round 2

APPLETREE EDUCATION CENTER Truth or Consequences, NM

Round 1

Alpine 1 spent its second round in Little Rock, Ar-

kansas working with Love Your School (LYS). The LYS Initi-

ative, a childhood-obesity intervention program, partners

with elementary schools in the Little Rock School District to

increase student’s knowledge about healthy choices, provide

opportunities for

physical activity through walking programs, and offer nutrition and

cooking lessons to parents. Alpine 1 taught nutrition lessons at seven

different elementary schools. Corps Members used books, skits, games,

and even dancing to fully engage students in discussions about their

health. The team also worked on gardens at four of the schools, which

included mulching, filling garden beds, and building greenhouses, new

garden beds, and compost bins. These gardens will be used for garden-

ing lessons and to prepare for a student-led farmers’ market in the

spring. Some of the greatest take-aways from this project were the connections that the team made with stu-

dents, the realization that Alpine 1’s work can completely change the way students in Little Rock think about

their food and well-being, and the ability to help prepare the community for a healthier tomorrow.

Alpine 1 using the process of trial & error

to frame the window at the Orchard

Alpine 1 at the annual Turkey Shoot.

No actual turkeys were harmed

in the making of this event

Alpine 1 with Mayor Stodola at the Inaugural

Walker of the Month presentation

Alpine 1 installing the rood ridge on a green-

house for Carver Magnet Elementary School

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Alpine 1 spent Round 3 in

St. Louis, Missouri helping the

city collect up-to-date infor-

mation about land parcels, specifi-

cally focusing on the city’s many

vacant properties. The team con-

ducted surveys to identify wheth-

er a property appeared vacant or

occupied, evaluate the property’s

overall quality, and collect other

important details for the city. The

information the team compiled

helped ensure that vacant build-

ings are secured and maintained

to minimize the risks of crime and

dumping on those sites. The col-

lecting information also gave the

city a better idea of what can be

done with vacant parcels to help

the community. By creating new

parks, tree farms, drainage sys-

tems, and businesses, the city can

turn blighted properties into real

assets for the community.

ST. LOUIS MAYOR’S OFFICE

St. Louis, MO

Round 3

Corps Members Nicolas Ashford, Taylor Haight, and Jasmine

Aldershoff taking a deeper look into the blight of a vacant building

while surveying North St. Louis

Corps Member Katie Fernandez taking in the artistic history of The Grove

while surveying the neighborhood

Katherine Smith and Jordan Thorne removing debris and trash during

Alpine 1's weekly cleanup with the St. Louis Forestry Department

In addition to surveying, Alpine 1 spent

one day a week with the city forestry depart-

ment. Some days they helped with landscap-

ing local cemeteries while other days they

helped cleanup and maintain vacant

homes. A couple Saturdays a month the team

also joined the forestry department and com-

munity members for an alley “blitz” clean-

up. Alpine 1 got the opportunity to see so

much of St. Louis, but the team’s favorite part

was meeting so many residents that cared

deeply about their city.

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Alpine 2 worked with Habitat for Humanity of

Teller County by laying foundations and framing walls

for two homes. The team also helped with Habitat for

Humanity's Neighborhood Revitalization plan by

cleaning

gutters, fixing doors, and clearing walkways for past Habitat fami-

lies. Alpine 2 learned many skills such as power tool safety, time

management, general house maintenance, and the process of con-

structing a house. The team also gained a better understanding of

different cultures by traveling to different natural history sites and

exploring Woodland Park and other nearby towns. The experience

has been one the team shall never forget!

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Divide, CO

Round 1

ALPINE 2

For the first half of Round 2, Alpine 2 helped

with disaster relief in St. Louis and Joplin, Missouri.

The work was extremely draining but rewarding at the

same time.

While in St.

Louis, Alpine 2

coordinated with

several other AmeriCorps programs, including the Washington Conser-

vation Corps (WCC), Hoopa Tribal Civilian Community Corps (TCCC),

and AmeriCorps St. Louis. Initially, Alpine 2 helped connect survivors to

the American Red Cross and other organizations that could provide help

right away. After about a week, Alpine 2 split up into different muck and

gut teams. Alpine 2’s Team Leader, Albert, also became a Strike Team

Leader. Although communication was difficult because the team was

split up and the work was challenging, in the end the team realized what

a huge difference they made for those who needed help the most.

DISASTER RESPONSE St. Louis, MO

Round 2A

Alpine 2 working at the Missouri

American Red Cross

Alpine 2 collaborating with WCC and Hoopa TCCC

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After St. Louis, Alpine 2 went to Salem, Mis-souri to work at Current River State Park building trails and clearing campsites for a new campground called Echo Bluff. Alpine 2 learned what it really takes to make a trail by using tools such as McLeods, pulaskis, chainsaws, and hand saws. Although the weather var-ied from freezing in the morning to hot in the after-noon and most days were long and strenuous, the team worked hard to adjust to the new working conditions.

MONTEZUMA SCHOOL TO FARM PROJECT

Mancos, CO

Round 3

MISSOURI STATE PARKS Salem, MO

Round 2B

For Round 3, Alpine 2 served in Montezuma

County working with the Montezuma School to Farm

Project. The team worked in the schools surrounding

Mancos, Colorado by planting gardens, building a high

tunnel and gray water filtration system for a wicking

bed, and restoring a gold medal orchard. Alpine 2 also

helped with the annual Hoe Down which brought in

$9,000 for the Montezuma School to Farm Project. Al-

pine 2 really got involved with the community outside

the worksite by volunteering for community trash

pickup day, a community race, a local Habitat for Hu-

manity build site, trail building, and fire fuel mitiga-

tion. The experience has been one of the best. The

sponsors and site supervisors were absolutely amazing

and always encouraged the team members to use their

minds in the most creative way. They were also ex-

tremely thankful for everything that was accomplished. Alpine 2 planted 30 trees in the gold medal orchard

which hasn’t had a new tree since the early 1900s. The 89 year old woman who has grown up with the orchard

her whole life was so thankful it almost brought her to tears. From learning how to build and maintain a gar-

den, to learning what plants help soil, to what trees you can graft together in order to get a fruit to grow, this

round was nothing but an amazing learning experience.

33

During their first round

project, Alpine 3 worked with the

Tucson Village Farm (TVF), an

urban educational farm for kids that fosters healthy lifestyles and sustainability. Be-

cause this was TVF's first experience with an NCCC team, Alpine 3 and the staff at

the farm became instantly close. There was an abundance of work so days were long

and worthwhile. Keeping busy kept spirits high all across the farm and everyone

learned many new skills including harvesting, gardening, cooking, teaching, as well

as gaining confidence using tools. Alpine 3 harvested 3,250 pounds of winter squash,

harvested and processed 2,678 pounds of popcorn, and installed 450 feet of fencing

and 350 feet of irrigation. The team also enjoyed a wonderful 14 mile hike into the desert over Thanksgiving

break and had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful Grand Canyon at the end of the round!

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

Tucson, AZ

Round 1

Alpine 3 had a wonderful Round 2 working

with Oklahoma United Methodist Church Disaster

Response (OKUMDR). This small but mighty team

was able to work on 16 properties, reroof six houses,

and relocate 84,066 pounds of debris in just 12 short

weeks. The team traveled every few weeks throughout central, northeastern, and southern Oklahoma to in-

crease productivity and create a widespread impact throughout the state of Oklahoma. While working in these

communities, Alpine 3 participated in many independent service projects including food pantries, animal shel-

ters, homeless and children's shelters, as well as a Habitat for Humanity Restore. The team also had the pleas-

ure of volunteering at the MLK Day Parade and were given the opportunity to explore Oklahoma during their

days off. The team enjoyed meeting and spending time with multiple site supervisors. One favorite team

memory is being given the opportunity to take a short flight in a biplane that one of the volunteer supervisors

flew. What a rush! Time flew by working with OKUMDR and Alpine 3 learned a plethora of new skills including

taping, mudding, sanding, shingling, installing and removing drywall, painting, caulking, installing siding, and

so much more.

OKLAHOMA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

DISASTER RELIEF Oklahoma City, OK

Round 2

ALPINE 3

34

SAM HOUSTON AREA COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF

AMERICA Fischer, TX

Round 3

Alpine 3 helped the Sam Houston Area Coun-

cil Boy Scouts of America Camp in Fischer, Texas re-

cover from major damage caused by the Memorial

Day floods of 2015. For the first 6 weeks, the team as-

sisted the maintenance staff with reconstruction of

over 300 wooden pallets for the scouts to sleep on

during camp. Alpine 3 also pressure washed tents that

had washed down the river in the flood. Along with

those two major tasks, the team assisted in beautifica-

tion of the camp in preparation for the scouts arrival

half way through the summer. Alpine 3 also worked

with the Boy Scouts summer camp staff to help the

scouts earn merit badges in many areas from canoeing

and backpacking to cooking and public speaking. The

team also connected with their community through

many ISPs and SLAs where they worked side-by-side

with town members to benefit neighboring cities.

Round 3 was a blast!

Alpine 3 relishing that they power washed over 100 tents that

washed down the river in the flood of 2015

Teammates constructing tent frames and fold up tents

for Boy Scout use this summer

The team enjoying the scenery of the camp on a hike to Sentinel Peak, one of the many amenities of El Rancho Cima

35

Alpine 4 spent three months

tutoring and mentoring elementary

and middle school students at the Den-

ver Green School (DGS) in Denver, Colorado. DGS serves diverse students from 25 different countries and pro-

vides equal educational opportunities to all students. The school prioritizes environmental education, sustaina-

bility, and community engagement. Alpine 4 engaged in mathematics, literacy, and environmental mentorship

in the classroom. Each team member was assigned to his or her specific classroom ranging from kindergarten to

seventh grade. Daily activities ranged from making copies to one-on-one

tutoring support to leading class-wide activities. The team also led an af-

ter school mathematics tutoring program. By project end, Alpine 4 felt

proud of the academic, social, and emotional impact made on the stu-

dents. Many of our students saw an increase in scores, productivity, and

motivation to learn. Outside of the classroom, Alpine 4 contributed to the

infrastructure of the school by preparing the school farm for the harvest

season, building outdoor classroom tables, and completing various paint-

ing projects. The team thoroughly enjoyed the school, sponsors, staff, and

students at DGS. The whole community, especially our students, imprint-

ed on our hearts and they will be missed.

CONCORDIA CHARTER SCHOOL

Mesa, AZ

Round 1

DENVER GREEN SCHOOL Denver, CO

Round 2

ALPINE 4 For six weeks, Alpine 4 worked with Concordia Charter

School in Mesa, Arizona assisting the teachers by tutoring students

in math and reading. The team also organized the school library to

help students utilize the library more efficiently. To further student

growth, Alpine 4 established an after school program to help with

homework and provide physical activities for the students. Alpine 4

helped further the school’s mission to provide students from disad-

vantaged families with a high quality education by working with

teachers to help students reach educational milestones and bench-

marks. Additionally, by leading clubs in the after-school program,

members encouraged students to find a creative outlet or hobby that

they enjoy doing. Team members also helped organize and allocate

donations provided from various organizations to the families of the

students and local community members in need.

Alpine 4 enjoying breakfast with the students

every morning before school

Alpine 4 celebrating service at Mayor’s Day in Boulder, CO

Brooke Ballengee with one of her students

on her last day at DGS

36

THE DOSEUM San Antonio, TX

Round 3

Alpine 4 served in San Antonio, Texas at the

DoSeum. The DoSeum is an interactive children’s mu-

seum that strives develop innovative thinkers capable

of meeting the challenges of the 21st century. The

team assisted with many projects including dein-

stalling a travelling Rubik’s exhibit, designing and

building a new solar exhibit, and supporting the staff

on the floor of the museum. Alpine 4’s largest project

centered around the DoSuem’s first summer math ini-

tiative. The team created math challenge prototypes

aimed at engaging kids in Kindergarden through 5th

grade in fun interactive math activities. The team then

reached out to the community to get kids participat-

ing in summer math. Lastly, our team creatively orga-

nized a final summer event for the summer mathletes.

We were able to brainstorm our own Olympic-themed

events that will come to life in August of 2016 at the

DoSeum. Part of Alpine 4 working at a San Antonio Public Library Event

Emily Kurel congratulating a student after a successful math challenge at the DoSeum

Team members enjoying one of the DoSeum’s many activities

37

Alpine 5 had an amazing first round. Team Leader

Hailey Morris and the ten dedicated Corps Members on

her crew went to Albuquerque, New Mexico to work at The

Barrett Foundation - a transitional shelter to end home-

lessness for women and children. The team built a green-

house, nine community garden beds, a barbecue deck, and

a pallet walkway. Alpine 5 also mulched the yard, painted

the interior, and sorted over 3,000 pounds of donated food.

Most importantly, of course, the team built a cat house to

end homelessness for the shelter cat, Mrs. Barrett, who the

women of the shelter love very much. Furthermore, Alpine

5 participated in six ISPs and hosted Alpine 1 and Alpine 6

for an AmeriCorps Thanksgiving.

Alpine 5 had a whirlwind of a second

round, accomplishing every task that came their

way! The team served tornado disaster relief

efforts and aided low-income families by building

five homes and restoring a few more with Central

Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity in Oklahoma

City. That was just the half of it!

BARRETT FOUNDATION Albuquerque, NM

Round 1

CENTRAL OKLAHOMA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Oklahoma City, OK

Round 2A

ALPINE 5

Becca, Moe, and Hailey building an herb garden

Alpine 5 working on a greenhouse platform

38

DELAWARE TRIBE Chelsea, OK

Round 2B

For the final six weeks of Round 2, Alpine 5 fur-

thered their carpentry skills by serving the Delaware

Tribe of Indians in a variety of ways including demol-

ishing, painting, and constructing a new shed. They

grew to love their small town of Chelsea, Oklahoma,

where trains

rolled

through

every so often

and where they could run around the whole town in under 30

minutes. However, the team longed for the city life again, and took

an ISP adventure back down to OKC. At the Boys and Girls Club of

Chelsea, they helped the Delaware Tribe by restoring the facility and

playing with the children there. Despite any challenges, Alpine 5

loved both of their projects this round.

GENERATION ONE Houston, TX

Round 3

Alpine 5 preparing a garden bed

Nicholas Shaner helping build a table

Just outside the Southeast corner of down-

town Houston, Texas, in an area known as the Third

Ward, poverty and crime have affected thousands of

people, including children and sick and elderly folks.

Alpine 5 worked in this struggling neighborhood at an

organization that is more than just a beacon of hope,

but a place where lives are truly changed. Here, at

Generation One, Alpine 5 assisted in the mission of

ending the cycle of poverty by revitalizing the com-

munity; the team learned how to work with the needs

of local children by forming strong and impactful re-

lationships with students in the school and after-

school programs. This was an unforgettable round

and the team is grateful to end the year by making so

many new friends and surviving the infamous Hou-

ston summer heat!

39

Alpine 6 started remodeling the Not Forgot-

ten Outreach (NFO) Military Family Respite Center

on November 2, 2015. Alpine 6 successfully weath-

erized and repaired damaged parts of over 6,400

square feet of the Respite Center roof, insulated

chicken and pig barns, built many farm gates and a

hay barn, dug ten yards of dirt for a concrete pour

to extend the kitchen, added an outside kitchen,

and helped install a 2.8k photovoltaic solar system.

NOT FORGOTTEN OUTREACH

Taos, NM

Round 1

ALPINE 6

Alpine 6 getting a visit from Senator Heinrich

Alpine 6 prepping for NFO’s kitchen expansion

Alpine 6 preparing for roof repairs at NFO

40

WILDWOOD PARK FOR THE ARTS

Little Rock, AR

Round 2

For Round 2, Alpine 6 worked with Wildwood Park

for the Arts where they assisted with the rehabilitation and

upgrade of several gardens, refurbished benches and bird

and bat houses, completed trail work for exercise and medi-

tation, built and erected park signage, and assisted with the

preparation and execution of the Wildwood’s annual Lan-

terns Festival.

ST. BERNARD PROJECT

San Marcos, TX

Round 3

Waldemar Troche during chainsaw training

During Round 3, Alpine 6

worked with the St. Bernard Project

in San Marcos, Texas helping with

long-term disaster recovery from

the flooding of the San Marcos Riv-

er, the Blanco River, and Purgatory

Creek. The floodwaters initially cov-

ered many blocks up to three or

four feet deep. To help with the re-

covery process, Alpine 6 worked on

dry walling, mudding, texturing,

and painting. These tasks helped

the low-income families that were

forced out of their homes who could

not afford to make repairs on their

own.

41

Alpine 7 had a successful Round 1 working with the Uni-

versity of Arizona Cooperative Extension on a diverse set of pro-

jects in Casa Grande, Arizona. The team worked at community

gardens in connection with the Future Forward Foundation,

Seeds of Hope, and Casa Grande Middle School. At these gar-

dens, the team built and prepared garden beds, planted and

harvested vegetables, installed irrigation systems, and planted

trees. Alpine 7 also worked with the Head Start Program by ed-

ucating children about dental hygiene. The team worked to-

gether to clear part of a 2-mile nature trail at Biosphere 2 in Or-

acle, Arizona and performed park maintenance at Oracle State

Park. The team also worked with the Pinal County Fairgrounds

to increase functionality of the site’s venues. The work included

restoring a horse arena and building a new wedding venue.

Overall, Alpine 7 grew together and worked hard to overcome

the challenges and adversities that arose.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

Casa Grande, AZ

Round 1

Alpine 7 had an amazing Round 2 working in

Wichita Falls, Texas with the North Texas Area United

Way (NTAUW) and the Volunteer Income Tax Assis-

tance (VITA) program. The team worked long days pre-

paring tax returns in the local community and surrounding areas. The team, along with other volunteers in the

VITA program, was able to complete over 2,443 tax returns and refund clients over $3.6 million. Alpine 7 com-

pleted several ISP hours at the local Humane Society, Whispers of Hope Therapeutic Riding Center, and Meals

on Wheels. The team also had a great time doing other team activities including PT, hiking, and SLAs. During

their time in Wichita Falls, Alpine 7 immersed themselves in the local community. The team attended the local

pancake breakfast, the annual chili festival, and several recruiting events at the Midwestern State University.

Alpine 7 also gained some local media recognition, which included a few members being on the local television

and radio stations. At first, the team was apprehensive about doing taxes and didn’t know what to expect, but

Alpine 7 was pleasantly surprised and happy with the outcome and team growth during the round.

NORTH TEXAS AREA UNITED WAY Wichita Falls, TX

Round 2

ALPINE 7

Theda, Michael, and Cat gardening with the Arizona

Wildlife Resource

Alpine 7 at the Casa Grande Ruins

Theda Aaron and Ande Hausammann filling taxes for clients

42

BLANCO RIVER REGIONAL RECOVERY TEAM

San Marcos, TX

Round 3B

From Orange to Houston and down to San

Marcos, Alpine 7 spent 13 weeks mucking, gutting, and

repairing homes throughout Texas. The team’s original

project was in San Marcos, Texas assisting the Blanco

River Regional Recovery Team (BR3T) and helping

families with long term recovery from the flooding that

occurred last May and October. However, plans

changed and Alpine 7 was called to assist the Texas

Baptist Men in Orange and Houston, Texas with flood

relief efforts from all the rain they received during the

early spring. Alpine 7 spent the first four weeks of their

final round helping community members whose

homes were damaged. Whether it was removing dry-

wall, pulling insulation, using numerous tools, break-

ing apart cabinets with sledgehammers in record time,

or learning how to remove toilets and sinks, Alpine 7

not only acquired new skills from the disaster relief

effort, but also learned about resilience and strength

through the stories of homeowners.

Kyndra Shea removing nails from a board

Kyndra Shea and Theda Aaron removing dry-wall

TEXAS BAPTIST MEN —DISASTER RELIEF Orange & Houston, TX

Round 3A

After one month of immediate disaster relief,

Alpine 7 arrived in San Marcos, Texas where they served

with BR3T for two months on long-term disaster recov-

ery. Instead of tearing apart houses, Alpine 7 had to

conquer new skills to renovate homes that had been affected by last year’s flood. From hanging drywall to paint-

ing, sanding, and installing cabinets, Alpine 7 developed numerous construction skills while serving with BR3T.

This new work was unlike the disaster relief work in Orange and Houston. In Houston, the team interacted with

flood victims in the immediate aftermath of the disaster; these families had to not only watch their homes flood

but also witness their homes being ripped raw in the gutting process. Working in San Marcos, though, was the

opposite side of that coin. Through renovating houses, Alpine 7 was able to restore homes and instill a new

sense of hope for devastated families. Alpine 7 came full circle on the disaster relief and recovery efforts by wit-

nessing different parts of the recovery process. It was encouraging to know that the people of Orange and Hou-

ston will have their homes restored and will find hope again just like the people of San Marcos.

43

CLASS 22 EARTH UNIT

Unit Leader: Kevin Rumery

Congratulations Earth Unit Team Leaders and Corps

Members of Class 22!

Wow — what a year this has been! From the

beginning you have shown dedication to service and

the NCCC mission. We continued to refine a new op-

erational model with hotels and multiple training sites

while I had to step out for nearly three months for

back surgery and recovery. You adapted to new lead-

ership and continued to do fantastic work, showing

your strength and continuing to grow and learn new

skills while serving in style.

You have completed your service commitment

as NCCC members showing the same enthusiasm that

you started with. Your projects took you to 24 differ-

ent project locations and 24 different sponsors in com-

munities in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri,

New Mexico, and Texas. You initiated ten new project

sponsors working with energy efficiency, veterans, low

-income housing, disaster response, and a new state

park. This year tested all of you in ways both anticipat-

ed and unexpected. Through it all you have displayed

professionalism, perseverance, responsibility and

teamwork as you got things done. And I’m pretty cer-

tain that you had a fair amount of fun along the way.

Special thanks to the Class 22 Team Leaders for

an excellent year! The success of the unit depended

on each and every one of you, and you met all of your

challenges with style, professional determination,

leadership and compassion. Your dedication to your

Corps Members and the NCCC has been incredible!

Thanks again for all your hard work and ser-

vice to the communities of the Southwest Region. I

wish you all the brightest of futures! I hope you each

look back upon this year and recall fond memories,

challenging times, and life changing experiences. As

you move on, remember what you learned this year

and take every opportunity to be lighthouses wherever

you go. Once again – Congratulations, Thanks, and

Good Luck!!!

44

CLASS 22 EARTH UNIT

Corps Member Reflection: Jay Holzapfel

This year has meant so much to me and to so many others. The friendships that I’ve been fortunate

enough to create during my time in AmeriCorps NCCC are unlike any that I’ve ever had before. They’re differ-

ent, and much weirder, and I bond with people over the strangest things. Being a Corps Member can be very,

very hard, and sometimes you wonder why you even signed up for something so crazy in the first place. You

may find yourself thinking on a Tuesday evening, after eight-plus hours of physical labor, an hour-long physical

training session, an hour-long team meeting, cooking for ten people, and finding the time to shower and do

your laundry, how nice it would be to be back home in bed, binge-watching Seinfeld, eating licorice, and drink-

ing Diet Coke. We didn’t give up, though, and we didn’t go home, and as a collective we did everything we

could to make this year a reality for each other.

It’s not only a reality for us, but a reality for the many people we served who have benefited from our

help and taught us valuable lessons about life and what it takes to survive in America. I have met so many

amazing people from completely different backgrounds than my own, and if there is one idea that I can take

from that experience, it’s that people are people, and life isn’t always fair to everyone. Not only do some people

need help, they deserve that help. I think this idea is core to the Earth Unit, and is hopefully something that we

will take with us as we move on with our lives after AmeriCorps.

45

ENERGYCARE St. Louis, MO

Round 1

NOT FORGOTTEN OUTREACH Taos, NM

Round 2

Earth 1 was busy weatherizing over 100

houses throughout St. Louis County as well as

distributing electric heaters and blankets to

residents. Earth 1 served with EnergyCare,

whose mission is to promote healthier, safer

home environments and independent living by

providing year-round energy-related services

for low-income households for elderly, disa-

bled, or chronically ill people. During this pro-

ject, Earth 1 weatherized doors and windows by installing door sweeps and plastic window insulation to keep

houses warmer and decrease electric bills. In addition, the team referred clients with minor furnace repairs and

distributed electric heaters and blankets to prepare for the cold winter ahead. This was the first AmeriCorps

NCCC team to serve with EnergyCare.

EARTH 1

For this project, Earth 1 journeyed to Taos, New

Mexico, to improve a two-acre Respite Center for veterans

and military families at Not Forgotten Outreach (NFO).

While working at NFO, Earth 1 performed demolition, con-

struction, and beautification work to make the property

ADA accessible. Additionally, the team cared for and so-

cialized a variety of therapeutic farm animals and also in-

teracted with the greater Taos community by serving at a

variety of local organizations. Most importantly, however,

Earth 1 fostered genuine relationships while working

alongside veterans, several of whom had just begun taking

steps to re-integrate back into civilian life. By hosting an

AmeriCorps NCCC team for the second time, NFO not on-

ly catalyzed the work it needed to accomplish before open-

ing, but also enhanced the reputation of AmeriCorps

NCCC in the greater Taos community.

Earth 1 in front of their housing, the Amen House

Earth 1 completing roof repairs at NFO.

Earth 1 welding and waterproofing NFO’s roof

46

OSAGE NATION Pawhuska, OK

Round 3

During their third and final round, Earth 1 served with

Osage Nation in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The team assisted in

the development of Bird Creek Farms, the Eco-Park, and the

Interpretive Center. At Bird Creek Farms, the team planted

and prepared large garden plots for harvest which will be

made available to the community and elders of the tribe.

Earth 1 also cleared overgrown vegetation to make room for

outdoor classrooms and trails in the Eco-Park.

A large part of the Osage mission is to preserve and

cherish native culture. Earth 1 worked with Operation Ameri-

Corps to remodel a building

which will become an inter-

pretive center in Pawhuska.

The team also supplied

three tribes with ample fire-

wood for summer pow-

wows. Earth 1 enjoyed the

environmental work, engag-

ing with other local Ameri-

Corps members through

Operation AmeriCorps, and

learning about Native

American culture in the

Midwest.

Earth 1 touring the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Pawhuska

Earth 1’s sawyers preparing firewood for the

summer pow-wows.

47

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Fort Stanton, NM

Round 2

Earth 2 spent their second round working with

the Roswell Bureau of Land Management in Fort

Stanton, New Mexico. In the span of 12 weeks the

team worked on various projects improving the National Conservation Area, which consisted of clearing 1.5

miles of barbed and net wire fencing to open up pastures for wildlife grazing, building and maintaining 1.3 miles

of recreational trails, and working at the Valley of Fires Recreational Park on a variety of tasks. In addition, each

team member became a certified Leave No Trace trainer and learned a variety of new skills including using

hand and trail building tools and driving different motor vehicles such as tractors, backhoes, and a Ditch Witch.

Earth 2 had an amazing experience in New Mexico and will be leaving on board the wicked awesome gains train

with new knowledge about how deep a cat hole should be dug. For the team, this round won't be forgotten for

the longest time.

EARTH 2

For Round 1, Earth 2 worked in Current River

State Park and (the brand new and recently named)

Echo Bluff State Park. Earth 2 did everything from trail

building in the beautiful Ozarks to clearing out forest

areas for campsites. While the team mainly built trails,

every day offered new learning experiences, such as building windows and doors to preserve Current River’s his-

torical buildings. While trail building, the team created a set of stone stairs and constructed several armored

sections on the trails to improve accessibility and resilience.

Earth 2 learned the science of trail building, put the “power” in

power tools, and did basic carpentry and maintenance work on

historical buildings. Every day the team was ecstatic to work

alongside the best site supervisors and no matter what work the

team did, they always had a great time -- Earth 2 never left the

honeymoon stage! Who could feel the need to argue when liv-

ing beside the Current River with two lakes in the front yard

and regular visits from the local wild horses?

MISSOURI STATE PARKS Salem, MO

Round 1

Earth 2 trail building in Current River State Park

Earth 2 posing with the portal sign they put up

Earth 2 in front of the Current River State Park sign

48

CITY OF LITTLE ROCK—ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Little Rock, AR

Round 3A

FAYETTEVILLE PARKS &

RECREATION Fayetteville, AR

Round 3B

For the first six weeks of Round 3, Earth

2 worked with the Little Rock Department of

Housing and Neighborhoods to provide a variety

of energy efficiency services to residences

throughout Little Rock, Arkansas. The 10-person

team provid-

ed energy

efficiency

assessments by conducting home energy audits throughout Little Rock.

Earth 2 performed blower door tests to measure air pressure and locate air

filtration. The team also tested combustion appliance zones as part of their

home energy audits. The team identified and reduced air infiltration loss

with caulk, backer rods, insulation foam, door sweeps, weather strips, dry-

wall, and plywood. Earth 2 installed energy efficient appliances such as fau-

cet aerators, low-flow shower heads, CFL light bulbs, and smoke and carbon

monoxide detectors. The team performed these home weatherization pro-

jects to improve the living condition and lower energy costs for low-income,

disabled, and senior citizens.

For the final and subsequent

six weeks, Earth 2 traveled to Fayette-

ville, Arkansas to work with the city's

Parks and Recreation Department.

The team removed invasive plant spe-

cies (mainly Japanese honeysuckle

and Chinese privet) and replanted

native plants along Scull Creek. Earth

2 also cleaned and removed litter

from several miles of stream, im-

proved the community gardens with

mulch and borders, and provided ed-

ucational tabling and volunteer re-

cruitment at local events.

Marieanne and Jay conduct a blower

door test

Earth 2 attended a solar energy presentation at the Clinton Presidential Center

The team weatherized Anne Abrams' home; Earth 2 was struck by her

incredible impact on the world through years of social activism

49

During Round 1, Earth 3 served in

Hutchinson, Kansas with Interfaith Housing Ser-

vices (IHS), an organization focused on helping

low-income, disabled, and elderly individuals

meet their housing needs. Under the direction

and tutelage of the site supervisor, Jeff Thomp-

son, the team completed numerous projects for

IHS’s Home Rehab and Repair program aimed to

keep homes livable. This included gutting two

dilapidated houses for future remodeling as well

as working on exterior painting, deck stabiliza-

tion, drywall installation, and attic paneling.

INTERFAITH HOUSING SERVICES

Hutchinson, KS

Round 1

EARTH 3

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Hutchinson was hit by a damaging ice storm that left many IHS home-

owners and renters with tree limbs strewn about their yards. Earth 3 stepped up and spent many days removing

the debris. Additionally, the team learned valuable leadership skills through weekly meetings with the IHS Di-

rector of Operations, Ron Fisher, who created a curriculum based on small steps to combat larger issues. The

team left Hutch with bittersweet goodbyes to our world class IHS sponsors and fond memories of the welcom-

ing small-town environment and its gracious residents.

Abby Kerber and Jenni Carlson painting

Earth 3 in Tyvek suits during home gutting and demolition

Earth 3 working on an IHS residence

50

MISSION: BORDER HOPE Eagle Pass, TX

Round 2

Earth 3 spent their third round in Little

Rock, Arkansas working with the City of Little

Rock on a nutrition project called Love Your

School (LYS). The goal of LYS is to address the

obesity issue in Arkansas by teaching cooking

classes to adults, nutrition lessons to elemen-

tary school kids, and teaching families how to

make affordable and nutritious decisions when cooking meals. The team worked at three different schools

teaching nutrition lessons to around 30 adults during Cooking Matters classes, taught nutrition lessons at five

elementary schools, built greenhouses and fences, and expanded school gardens. On this project, the team also

got to enjoy building fences around prehistoric monuments. Earth 3’s experience in Little Rock has been great;

members got to explore and attend different festivals and events that occurred in Little Rock as well as enjoy

the culture of the city. Members also enjoyed being taken into the city “to see a marching band” and being

“woken up inside” from their experience. The memories and bonds made on this team are cherished and won’t

be forgotten.

LOVE YOUR SCHOOL Little Rock, AR

Round 3

Earth 3 worked with Mission: Border Hope in

Eagle Pass, Texas as part of the long term flood recov-

ery effort. The team made 30 homes safe for families

and elderly residents. While in Eagle Pass, the team

consumed approximately 4567 tacos, 3425 enchiladas,

and pet what seemed like thousands of Chihuahuas.

Earth 3 gearing up for a long work day

51

ST. LOUIS COUNTY PARKS Glencoe, MO

Round 1

Earth 4 worked with the Blanco River Region-

al Recovery Team (BR3T) in San Marcos, Texas from

January to April. The mission of the organization is

to lead long-term recovery efforts following the flood

disasters that occurred in May and October of 2015.

This includes repairing homes, simplifying resident

access to escape routes, giving homeowners infor-

mation about additional resources, and helping resolve cases with unmet needs. Earth 4 worked vigorously to

complete many tasks including mucking and gutting homes, re-tiling floors, installing new insulation with new

drywall, painting and mudding walls, and removing debris from homes and properties near the Blanco River.

Earth 4 also worked in BR3T’s administrative offices making phone calls to residents to offer further assistance.

Additionally, Earth 4 entered data, made on-site assessments, and followed up with current clients to offer

more assistance. The team worked on at least 15 sites in San Marcos. Earth 4 also worked in the towns of Kyle,

Wimberley, Martindale, and Uhland and collaborated with the St. Bernard Project AmeriCorps VISTA team.

During their time in San Marcos, Earth 4 heard from many homeowners and the gratefulness the community

expressed gave the team the motivation to get the job done.

Earth 4 went to Glencoe, Missouri to help build

and reorganize trails with St. Louis County Parks at

Greensfelder Park. The team worked on Rock Hollow Trail

by using loppers, pick-mattocks, McLeods, chainsaws, and

pulaskis. Earth 4 helped further the sponsor’s mission to

provide high quality parks, facilities, and recreation ser-

vices that enhance resident’s lives through responsible and

effective resource management. Overall, Earth 4 had a

wonderful time in St. Louis spending time in the woods,

and with one another, while getting things done for Ameri-

ca at the same time!

BLANCO RIVER REGIONAL RECOVERY

San Marcos, TX

Round 2

EARTH 4

52

REBUILDING TOGETHER

Oklahoma City, OK

Round 3

Earth 4 worked with Rebuilding To-

gether in Oklahoma City during Round 3.

Rebuilding Together brings volunteers and

communities together in order to improve

the homes and lives of low-income, elderly

homeowners in the Oklahoma City metro

area. Earth 4 furthered this goal by perform-

ing various home repairs. These primarily

included roofing, weatherization, and small

home repairs. With blood, sweat, and

(pants) tears, Earth 4 worked through an

average of two to three houses per week,

five to ten gallons of water per day, and sev-

eral stitched pant seams per month.

Adjusting to Oklahoma City’s weath-

er in the months of April to July was an ad-

venture in adaptability. While balancing early morning starts to beat the heat with late starts to let the rain

pass, the team’s schedule was never certain. In addition to learning how to replace windows, level doors, and

seal leaking roofs, Earth 4 quickly learned how to work as a team to keep minds sane, sleep schedules (or

caffeine intake) systematic, and laughter levels regulated in order to run at peak efficiency.

A portion of Earth 4 tearing off the old roof so it can be replaced

Earth 4 posing on the first finished roof of the round (this photo was taken

by the site supervisor who climbed a tree to get this picture)

53

HOMESTEAD AFFORDABLE HOUSING Holton, KS

Round 1

DISASTER DEPLOYMENT St. Louis, MO

Round 2A

EARTH 5

Earth 5 had the pleasure of working in Hol-

ton, Kansas with Homestead Affordable Housing

(HAH) during Round 1. The team kept extremely

busy with several projects which included indoor

and outdoor painting and clearing brush at Banner

Creek Reservoir. Earth 5 also had the opportunity to

clear 8,000 pounds of debris while doing a demoli-

tion project in Wetmore, Kansas. The team also

cleared out two acres of brush and trees and moved

in several elderly couples. Lastly, Earth 5 construct-

ed a wheelchair ramp and a shed from the ground

up, which was actually pretty amazing. The skills

and friendships that Earth 5 acquired will last a life-

time!

Earth 5 served in the St. Louis metropolitan

area for the month of January. The team was sta-

tioned in Eureka, Missouri and worked with the

Washington Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps Hoopa

Tribe, and the AmeriCorps St. Louis Emergency Re-

sponse Team. Earth 5 would often split up and merge

with members of the other organizations to muck

and gut damaged homes as well as remove mold.

54

Earth 5 worked with chainsaws and other

high powered machinery over the course of seven

weeks to clear out invasive plants at the Camp

Mabry Military Base in Austin, Texas. Under the

supervision of

Cat Cude, the

Natural Re-

source Man-

agement of

Texas Parks and Recreation, the team specifically targeted ligustrum and

chinaberry plants. Both of these invasive species prevent native plants from

thriving in their native environment by dominating the ecosystem. After re-

moving the ligustrum, Earth 2 used lumber to construct a bridge connecting

the camp's trail to a fishing island for both military personnel and civilians

to enjoy. The team improved their skills with chainsaws and made the park

more enjoyable for recreational activities.

CAMP MABRY Austin, TX

Round 2B

During Round 3, Earth 5 served with the

West Plains Community Garden and Health Ha-

ven Botanical Gardens in West Plain, Missouri.

The mission of the community garden is to en-

courage community members to grow their own

fruits and vegetables as well as educate the, how

to tend their own gardens. Health Haven Botani-

cal Garden’s mission is to provide health and gar-

dening information, conduct native and heritage

plant research, display information on preserva-

tion and propagation, and cultivate a therapeutic

horticultural environment for the community.

Over the course of the 13 week project, Earth 5

weeded, planted flowers, installed handicap ac-

cessible flower beds, deconstructed sheds, com-

pleted inside construction work, helped build a bridge and rock wall, and removed invasive plant species. Earth

5 was the second AmeriCorps NCCC team to serve in West Plains with the Community Garden.

WEST PLAINS COMMUNITY GARDEN

West Plains, MO

Round 3

Earth 3 posing with Don Dias, Earth Unit Leader Jack Corcoran,

and a very special donkey named Jenny

55

JERUSALEM FARM Kansas City, MO

Round 1

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY San Antonio, TX

Round 2A

For Round 1, Earth 6 went to Kansas City, Mis-

souri to serve with Jerusalem Farm, a non-profit that

performs affordable home repairs for local families and

runs a neighborhood compost program. The team used

recycled tires to

construct a bike

storage barn, recruited 50 more households to participate in the pro-

gram, and rode bikes around the neighborhood to collect compost. Earth

6 also installed drywall and new flooring in a family’s home, insulated a

trailer home, prepared the farm’s garden for the upcoming winter, and

replaced sections of the farmhouse’s gutter. Overall, the team had a great

time exploring Kansas City, interacting with the local people, learning

about sustainable living, and making a difference in the community!

Earth 6 followed in the footsteps of past teams

to help Habitat for Humanity in San Antonio accom-

plish their mission of eliminating poverty. The team

spent six weeks getting acquainted with the organiza-

tion and the city as a whole. Earth 6 experienced pov-

erty first hand which motivated the team even more to

serve the population of San Antonio. The supervisors

were a great resource and a quality representation of

the organization. The team saw houses built up from

concrete slabs to the finished product of a safe and

affordable home.

EARTH 6

Earth 6’s first day on the build site; skeleton walls built

and ready to press forward

Crystal Le sweeping the underside of a trailer home to

prepare to install insulation

Earth 6 conducting neighborhood compost

pick-ups with a bike trailer

56

PIKE SAN ISABEL NATIONAL FOREST

Lake Isabel, CO

Round 2B & 3

The Earth 6 Fire Management Team worked

with the USDA Forest Service in the Pike San Isabel

National Forests for approximately 20 weeks to per-

form hazardous fuels mitigation operations such as

prescribed burning, collecting and piling slash, and

felling trees to thin the forest and to create fuel

breaks around homes and other structures in the

wildland urban interface. The project increased Unit-

ed States Forest Service firefighting and fuel mitiga-

tion capabilities, which help protect communities

and their infrastructure.

57

Cassandra, David, and Kate repairing the

flood walls in Estes Park

UNITED WAY OF LARIMER COUNTY

Estes Park, CO

Round 1

EARTH 7

Earth 7 participating in Philanthropy Day at the

YMCA in Estes Park

Cassandra , Kate , and David painting a

crawl space in Buckhorn Canyon

Arriving two years after major floods devastat-

ed Larimer County, Earth 7 worked with United Way

of Larimer County to assist with long-term relief

efforts. The team’s efforts were spread among several

distinct project areas, namely painting, repairing, and

mold-proofing homes in Big Elk Meadows and other

localities. The team also worked on rebuilding infrastructure, such as culverts and embankments, as well as

clearing flood debris and restoring riparian areas. Earth 7 directly helped more than 25 flood survivors, repaired

14 homes and disaster facilities, restored 4,700 feet of riverbank, and dug and installed three culverts. The team

was rewarded with a tremendous amount of gratitude from the community, evidenced both by the meals and

other treats gifted by the community and the heartfelt reactions of homeowners and passersby. Overcoming

cold weather, dirty jobs, and long hours, Earth 7 got things done for America!

Earth 7 taking an SLA hike

at Bear Lake

58

APPLETREE EDUCATION CENTER Truth or Consequences, NM

Round 2

The mission of AppleTree Educational Center is to meet

the needs of the whole child, spiritually, creatively, intellectually,

and physically. Earth 7 helped AppleTree further this mission in

multiple ways. Earth 7 worked behind the scenes at The Orchard,

AppleTree's volunteer housing. The team also helped remodel a

house by putting in flooring, walls, and electrical wires. Once the

house is fully remodeled, future volunteers and interns will live there while working for AppleTree. Earth 7 also

worked with Little Things Matter, AppleTree's home visiting program,

which focuses on addressing the needs of new and expecting mothers.

The team helped organize the office, made informational books for the

mothers, and participated in home visits. Finally, Earth 7 worked directly

with children ages 0-18 at AppleTree and the Boys and Girls Club of Sierra

County. The team taught lessons and facilitated activities that focused on

all aspects of learning and development. With a focus on mental health,

team members facilitated social and emotional development tests on

children. Focusing on math and science, team members lead STEM

(science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities at the Boys

and Girls Club. In addition, focusing on art, the team worked with chil-

dren to draw and paint murals at The Orchard.

McALESTER BOYS & GIRLS CLUB McAlester, OK

Round 3

Earth 7 outside of volunteer housing

called The Orchard

Allyson Frey helping kids paint a mural

For Round 3, Earth 7 worked with the Boys and Girls Club

(BGC) in McAlester, Oklahoma. For the first five weeks, the team

completed small construction projects including renovating the

bathrooms, taking out old tiles and replacing them with vinyl

planks, and priming and painting the kitchen and dining room.

The team also assisted with the afterschool program by preparing

three to four activities to keep the children engaged. These activ-

ities included a nutrition class, gym games, arts and crafts, and

games such as Connect Four and Just Dance. The team also

prepped the BGC’s baseball fields in anticipation of baseball and

softball season, which began on May 2. During baseball season,

Earth 7 worked at the concession stands, preparing food for the

hungry spectators. For the second half of the project, Earth 7

shifted gears and began working at the BGC Summer Camp; each

Corps Member was assigned an age group to work with every day

for the duration of the project.

Kate and Amanda removing old backboards

in preparation for baseball season

Earth 7 visiting the Renaissance fair in

Muskogee, Oklahoma

59

CLASS 22 SUN UNIT

Unit Leader: Vaughn Cottman

By all accounts, this has been a most successful year for the Sun Unit. Over the course of ten months,

you have taught and mentored students, blazed and maintained wilderness trails, helped eliminate food de-

serts, built affordable housing, fought wildland fires, and assisted those most vulnerable in the wake of a natu-

ral disaster. Your impact, though numerically measurable, can never be truly quantified for those individuals

and communities that you have touched. Those who you have served would probably describe your service as

invaluable and priceless. You have truly served the Southwest and the country with distinction.

I hope that the words invaluable and priceless might also describe for you, your year of service. Despite

the rigors, toil, and nuances associated with being a member of the NCCC, such as living 24/7 with your team-

mates, I hope that the inconveniences paled in comparison to the satisfaction gained while “getting things

done,” and making life-long friends.

It is an honor for me to work with the future leaders of America. I wish all of you the best in your future

endeavors. Always remember that attitude determines altitude. Reach for the moon; you may land amongst the

stars! Thank you for your service.

60

CLASS 22 SUN UNIT

Corps Member Reflection: Junyu Su

Can we change the world? We often think it’s hard to accom-

plish something big, especially as an individual. I have great passion

in community service, but I didn’t know how much I could contrib-

ute to make society a better place until I joined AmeriCorps NCCC.

The passion to serve in each of us is an individual light, but when all

these lights come together, they become the sun. This sun illumi-

nates the lives of people that live in darkness and lets them know

they are not left behind. That is exactly the ideology the Sun Unit be-

lieves in: to strengthen communities through team-based national

and community service. So, yes, we can change the world. We have

already changed the world of the people we have served and we are

still continuing our service mission.

I’m grateful that I was able to meet every single individual in

the Sun Unit. Despite our different backgrounds, having a heart to

serve brought us all together. The diverse environment in the Sun

Unit allowed me to meet people across the country and learn about

different cultures. I am an ESL Corps Member; English has been a

barrier to me since I came to the United States. I was debating if I

should join the program because I was afraid of having communica-

tion problems and not being accepted as an ESL Corps Member.

However, Sun Unit proved I was totally wrong. They patiently

helped me with English, invited me to dinner, and taught me dance

moves. The friendliness and unity is extraordinary; I have always

felt like we are big a family. I am so proud to be a part of the Sun,

not just because it gives me a chance to serve, but also because it

makes me believe that I can change the world.

61

SUN 1

MONTGOMERY COUNTY UNITED WAY

Montgomery County, TX

Round 1

Nick Jasso clearing out underbrush

The mission of Sun 1’s first project was to gather full

household assessments of the Liberty, Montgomery, and Walk-

er County residents who were affected by the May 2015 flood-

ing and high winds. Sun 1 contacted a list of FEMA registrants

and visited these communities to do onsite assessments of the

damage loss as well as the physical and social needs of family

members. The information that Sun 1 gathered was put into

the Coordinated Assistance Network (CAN) system for Long

Term Recovery Committees to access. From this, United Way

can secure funds, materials, and volunteers to complete any needed repairs within these districts. Also, if need-

ed, Sun 1 also connected these families to local resources to alleviate the damage and loss they suffered from the

disaster to come to a new normal.

CITY OF CASA GRANDE Casa Grande, AZ

Round 2A

During Round 1 Sun 1 built a trail to en-

hance the existing trail system in Casa Grande.

Throughout the course of this six week project,

Sun 1 built and maintained trails, installed signs

for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback rid-

ing, and assisted in other community projects.

The ultimate goal of the project was to build new

trails that would provide high-quality and free or

low-cost programs to a variety of community members. The team used a variety of tools to construct .67 miles

of new trail and restored and maintained two miles of existing trail on Casa Grande Mountain. By constructing

over 3,500 feet of trail, Sun 1 exceeded the sponsor’s expectations by more than 400 feet. In addition, the team

helped paint fences and cages in the community rodeo grounds and in another park in the community.

Pang Yang and Kyle Reynolds handing

out balloons during an ISP

Anna Hoeppner getting a piece of

cactus stuck in her hair

Sun 1 crossing the New Mexico

border on their way to Arizona

62

The mission of the City of San Angelo’s Parks

and Recreation Department is to enhance the quality of

life of its residents by maintaining parks and other rec-

reational spaces. Sun 1 helped the department by com-

pleting minor demolition and repair work on the interi-

or of historic homes, painting and spackled the walls of

an art gallery, building columns for historic buildings,

and constructing benches and picnic tables for public

use. All of this was done at Fort Concho, which is locat-

ed near the downtown art district of the city. Sun 1 also

helped construct a mini-golf course at The Bosque near

the Concho River. During the final weeks of the project,

the team also performed maintenance on over one mile

of trail surrounding Lake Nasworthy. Maintenance work

included improving erosion control, removing trash,

surveying and mapping the entire park, cleaning up

vegetation, and felling unwanted trees. Additionally,

Sun 1 served at the local senior center, Station 618, for

the last three weeks of the project. At the senior center,

the team attended the St. Patrick’s Day dance, played

games, and helped staff with activities for the senior

participants.

CITY OF SAN ANGELO San Angelo, TX

Round 2B

The mission of the W.E.B. DuBois Learning Center is to

improve the academic performance of underserved communities

of Kansas City through educational services and state of the art

technology programs. Throughout the 13-week project, Sun 1

aimed to increase student competencies in math, reading, and

technology. The team accomplished this through tutoring stu-

dents at the Learning Center. In addition to this, the team part-

nered with the school district to mentor middle and high school

students who were falling behind in their attendance. After the

completion of the traditional school year, Sun 1 helped plan and

lead a month-long Summer Bridge program to ensure students

did not fall behind during their summer break.

W.E.B. DUBOIS LEARNING CENTER Kansas City, MO

Round 3

Sun 1 getting ready for trail building around

Lake Nasworthy

Tyshawn Stackhouse tutoring math students at the

Learning Center

63

SUN 2

WEST GENERATION ACADEMY Denver, CO

Round 1

For the first round, Sun 2 went back to school as a

team solely dedicated to youth development. The team

spent their first six weeks working with students at West

Generation Academy in Denver, Colorado. Each day con-

sisted of building positive relationships between Corps

Members and students. The team worked towards gaining

trust while tutoring, mentoring, and counseling stu-

dents. Members also supported teachers by using restorative justice for behavior management within the class-

room. Sun 2 has learned that persistence and patience is key when working with students and that even though

there is not a sense of instant gratification, an impact was made within the community. Though it was challeng-

ing at times, the team was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the students and staff at West Genera-

tion Academy. Future tips: make the project longer and do NOT step on the Cowboy!

Sun 2 spent their sec-

ond round learning and grow-

ing with the students of Pueb-

lo County for 12 weeks. A day

in the life of a team member

of Sun 2 consisted of tutoring

five to eight children at Baca Elementary and then commuting to one of three Boys

and Girls Clubs further support students from surrounding communities. As well

as supporting, tutoring, and mentoring the students, the team engaged with local

nonprofits and state organizations of Pueblo County allowing the team to be well

known and well received throughout the community. Sun 2 spent many weekends

working with the Parks and Recreation Department, Pueblo City Soup Kitchen,

Posada, YMCA, the Pueblo Zoo, and the Nature and Raptor Center of Pueblo. Be-

ing so involved in Pueblo County allowed Sun 2 to make a meaningful and success-

ful connection to the community. Sun 2’s number one tip for future teams is to be

sure that everyone packs Kleenex for wiping off pesky white boards and for wiping

away tears.

CHILDREN’S LITERACY CENTER Pueblo, CO

Round 2

Team Leader Alex Gutierrez helping students

research for a debate project

Quinn Reynolds reviewing words with a student

Frank Caraturro painting the

nails of a member of the East

Side Boys and Girls Club

64

Sun 2 served their final round in Eagle County, Colo-

rado. Though the area is generally considered wealthy, gen-

trification has put much of the community in great need for

assistance. This round was a major change for Sun 2; before

this project, the team had worked solely in educational youth

development settings. The project in Eagle County gave Sun

2 an opportunity to explore their potential as an NCCC team.

Most of the round’s work was spent at two different projects:

The Vail Valley Salvation Army and The Summer Food Ser-

vice Program.

At the Salvation Army, the team worked mostly on the Army’s

farming project. This helped the team develop new skills in mi-

nor construction and urban farming. This project benefitted the

community by planting the seed (both figuratively and literally)

for good nutrition regardless of economic circumstance. The

Summer Food Service program served to give all families access

to a free meal, no questions asked. The Lunches also hosted com-

munity enrichment activities facilitated, for the most part, by

Corps Members. A tip for future teams is to slow it down, spread

it out, and let it sink in.

EAGLE RIVER YOUTH COALISTION & INTEGREAT!

Edwards, CO

Round 3

Sun 2 and master farmer Shawn Bruckman posing for a picture after planting seeds on the berm

outside of the greenhouse at Vail Valley Salvation Army

Alex Gutierrez and Andrew Myers discussing which plants

to harvest at the CSU Extension Community Garden

Sun 2 facilitating a creation table

at Eagle Valley High in Gypsum, CO

65

SUN 3

LITTLE DIXIE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY

Idabel, OK

Round 1

Sun 3 arrived in Divide, Colorado on January 9 and

met their sponsor, Habitat for Humanity of Teller County.

After settling into their housing at Colorado's Lions Camp,

Sun 3 took a tour of the

project sites and got ac-

quainted with the community they would be serving for the next six weeks.

As they met the families (future homeowners of the homes being built) and

listened to their stories, the team was thrilled and ready to put in hard work.

As the weeks continued, the team worked alongside other volunteers as well

as the homeowners of the houses they were building. Several times, the

homeowners brought lunch for everyone, and sometimes even their friendly

pets. Sun 3 also built doghouses with a local Youth United group to raise

money for future projects. Additionally, the team constructed and decorated

a Bayou themed Valentine’s banquet for a church and volunteered at a food

pantry. As the six weeks passed, the team accomplished their project goals

and built relationships with their sponsors and surrounding community.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Divide, CO

Round 2A

Sun 3 arrived with a jolt in Idabel, Oklahoma

where they met three enthusiastic board members of

the Little Dixie Community Action Agency (LDCAA).

Under the guidance of an equally eager site supervisor,

the one and only Donny Armor, the team began repair-

ing the Idabel Early Headstart School. The team’s pres-

ence in the community became notable and, before

long, Sun 3 ate lunches alongside the toddlers and

teachers at the school they were repairing. Seeing children every day brought laughter, joy, and sometimes

germs, but it was worth it knowing that the school would be standing for years to come. Appreciation from the

community manifested itself in thank you cards and dinner invitations, including an invitation to Thanksgiving

dinner at Bypass Church. The Mayor of Idabel also invited Sun 3 to help with the city’s Christmas Tree Lighting

and Holiday Parade. The team could never repay the genuine kindness and hospitality of Idabel. Sun 3 can only

hope that another team is lucky enough to serve in Idabel in the future.

Sun 3 “getting a head start” at LDCAA

Julie Vang feeding a deer in the

Sherwood Forest

66

El PASO COUNTY SHERRIF OFFICE Colorado Springs, CO

Round 2B & 3

Sun 3 performing wildland fire medical training

On February 19, the Sun 3 Fire Manage-

ment Team arrived in El Paso County with ex-

citement and determination. During the first

two weeks, the team completed extensive train-

ing to receive their Wildland Fire Fighter Type

II and Faller Type III certifications. On the last

day of training, Sun 3 responded to their first

fire. From there on out, it has been an amazing

journey of conquering challenges, fighting fire,

and incredible teamwork.

On days when the team did not respond

to a fire, Sun 3 participated in vigorous training

alongside the El Paso County wildland fire-

fighting staff. Together, they dug line, deployed

hose packs, and felled trees. However, the team

was not limited to just wildland firefighting ac-

tivities. Sun 3 had the opportunity to interact

with multiple agencies such as Search and Res-

cue, the Colorado Springs Police Academy, and

the Colorado Springs Police Bomb Squad.

Alongside these agencies, the team helped res-

cue civilians who were stuck in their vehicles

during a blizzard, trained new recruits on prop-

er riot control techniques, and disposed of out-

of-date explosive ordinances.

This round has been an experience of a

lifetime. The team learned valuable skills that

they will carry on into their futures. As Sun 3

prepares to leave this program, each Corps

Member is proud of the work the team com-

pleted, the personal growth that each team

member experienced, and the impact made on

one another.

Some of Sun 3 will continue in the field

of wildland firefighting, others will go back to

school, and others still will start their profes-

sional careers. But, regardless of where we end

up, we will always remember being a part of

Sun 3 FMT!

67

SUN 4

ST. BERNARD PROJECT San Marcos, TX

Round 1

On October

31st, Sun 4 was sent to

San Marcos, TX to as-

sist with flood recov-

ery. During their trav-

el, the team received

information that the

San Marcos area was hit again by a flood. The second flood impacted an even

wider area than the first, destroying many of the same homes that had already

been damaged. With most low-income families exhausting all of their re-

sources to recover from the first event, this second flood left many without

any options. A large number were forced to continue to live in their damaged

homes where they were exposed to significant health risks due to mold. Sun 4

joined forces with the St. Bernard Project to rebuild these houses at no cost to low-income families. Members

were trained in a variety of areas including mold remediation, insulation, drywall, texture, flooring, and paint-

ing. The team led 123 volunteers throughout their six-week project and canvassed multiple neighborhoods,

providing information to 20 potential clients. In addition, the team mucked and gutted 17 homes and helped

bring four families back to the area.

68

On January 9, Sun 4 arrived in Ajo, Arizona to

work with the International Sonoran Desert Alliance

(ISDA) doing a series of enhancement projects

around town. The projects included painting, trash

cleanup, and tree trimming. The team also became

involved in the community through the high school,

Saturday Farmers Market, community service day,

and a family fun night in the desert for families who

cannot afford to go camping. Sun 4 also assisted low-

income people in the community with their taxes.

INTERNATIONAL SONORAN DESERT ALLIANCE

Ajo, AZ

Round 2

On April 14, 2016, Sun 4 headed to Kansas City,

Kansas to work with Hillcrest Transitional Housing.

While working

with Hillcrest,

the team reno-

vated buildings

and homes for

the homeless population of Kansas City. Sun 4 painted five decks to pro-

tect the material from the elements and worked in the community gar-

den by pulling weeds and planting vegetables and flowers. The team

also worked on all three of the Hillcrest playgrounds by mowing yards,

painting and staining the play areas, weeding, and adding new mulch so

the children can have a clean place to play. All of Sun 4’s work helped

further Hillcrest’s mission to teach residents that they can live sustaina-

bly on their own after spending three months living in Hillcrest’s transi-

tional housing.

HILLCREST TRANSITIONAL HOUSING

Kansas City, KS

Round 3

69

SUN 5

BLANCO RIVER REGIONAL RECOVERY

TEAM San Marcos, TX

Round 1

During Round 2, Sun 5 worked in Mesa, Arizona at

Concordia Charter School as teacher's assistants. Because

the majority of the school’s students were from low-income

families that were English language learners, the team

helped students improve their test scores as well as their English speaking skills. In addition to tutoring and

mentoring students from kindergarten through sixth grade, the team also created afterschool programs and ac-

tivities such as soccer, arts and crafts, gardening, technol-

ogy club, creative writing, and music. None of these sub-

jects were taught within the classroom so it was fun to

teach students about new topics while keeping them en-

tertained. Sun 5 also volunteered at a local nonprofit or-

ganization called Heat Sync Labs, teaching the communi-

ty skills such as sewing, laser cutting, and 3D printing.

One of the Corps Members also volunteered as a volley-

ball coach at Mesa Recreational Center for several weeks.

CONCORDIA CHARTER SCHOOL Mesa, AZ

During Round 1, Sun 5 worked on disaster

flood relief in Hays County, Texas. The team lived in

the San Marcos Community Center and worked in

several surrounding towns that were affected by a

flood on October 31. Most of these towns had just

finished recovering from floods that had hit on May

27, 2015. The team was trained to muck and gut

houses to remove destroyed materials and unwanted debris. Sun 5 also sanitized and removed mold from

affected houses and re-installed insulation and drywall. Additionally, the team called over 300 homeowners to

check up on their needs and concerns. Overall, Sun 5 left a lasting impression on hundreds of flood victims by

repairing costly damage.

Sun 5 after clearing out debris from a flooded barn

70

CITY OF TOPEKA Topeka, KS

Round 3

During Sun 5’s third round they lived and

worked in Topeka, Kansas. The team did several pro-

jects with several different organizations and commu-

nity centers while working for the City of Topeka.

Some programs the team became involved with in-

clude Clutter to the Curb, the E-cycle event, Rock the

Block, Friday Family Fun Night, as well as working

with Hillcrest, Central Park, and Rice Community

Centers. Sun 5 created two workout rooms in Hillcrest Community Center, one of which was dedicated to the

team, and also re-organized spaces for the community to use within the center. Additionally, Sun 5 cleaned up

many areas within the community while working with the Department of Neighborhood Relations and a pro-

gram called Rock the Block by trimming hedges, cutting back trees, and cutting grass to make areas within the

community more aesthetically pleasing

and safer for pedestrians. The team also

organized Friday Family Fun Nights

once a month to bring the families of

the community together to play sports

such as soccer, softball, basketball, and

football. The team became very in-

volved with the community because

their sponsor exposed the team to so

many different projects. Sun 5 also be-

come more connected through inde-

pendent service hours with the Helping

Hands Humane Society, and a non-profit

Jarrod Lanier, Austin Silvia, Nick Barnstead, and

Alyssa Traefald doing an SLA

Sun 5 after working with Advisor's Excel of Topeka on the Rock the Block project

Sun 5 cleaning up unwanted items during the

"Clutter to the Curb" program in Topeka, Kansas

71

SUN 6

Sun 6 was originally sent to Austin, Tex-

as to work in a community ecology park. Three

days into the round, the team was reassigned to

San Marcos, Texas for flood relief, where they

were trained to muck and gut houses and rein-

stall insulation and drywall. Sun 6 was deeply

impacted by their first round project and took

away not only physical skills, but life lessons

from their personal experiences and from the

homeowners they were so honored to serve.

BLANCO RIVER REGIONAL RECOVERY

TEAM San Marcos, TX

Round 1

CITY OF AVONDALE Avondale, AZ

Round 2A

Sun 6 had a great split second

round! Starting off in Avondale, Arizo-

na the team served an appreciative

community by painting houses, follow-

ing through on energy conservation

projects, and improving local parks.

72

Ending the round in Payson, Arizona at

Tonto Creek Camp was just what the team needed to

bring more fun and light into their lives. Sun 6

brought knowledge and new perspectives to young

students, while also gaining some of their own.

TONTO CREEK CAMP Payson, AZ

Round 2B

FOREST PARK CONFERENCE & RETREAT CENTER

Topeka, KS

Round 3

Sun 6 didn't know what to expect from Tope-

ka, Kansas during Round 3. When the team arrived,

however, they were greeted with warm smiles, big

hearts, and people with a passion to create change in

this world. Sun 6 served at Forest Park Conference

and Retreat Center completing renovations on many

buildings and even demolishing a few buildings. Dur-

ing the final and most rewarding three weeks of the

project, the team implemented a summer meals pro-

gram for the children of Topeka whose families could

not afford to feed them regularly. Round 3 was a great

way to end Sun 6’s journey with AmeriCorps NCCC.

Sun 6 mastering the art of painting one day at a time...

for thirteen weeks straight

73

SUN 7

Sun 7’s mission for Round 1 was to

improve the infrastructure of Tenkiller State

Park in Vian, Oklahoma. To do this, the

team was split into three crews: masonry,

signs, and welding. The masonry crew con-

structed rock walls that redirected rainwater

paths to prevent further erosion in front of

cabin entrances. Members of the signs crew

replaced old signs throughout the state park

with new cedar signs. These signs not only

improved the look of the park but also

served to better orient the guests. The weld-

ing crew created safety railings for cabin

porches, which will help prevent injuries for

guests.

TENKILLER STATE PARK

Vian, OK

Round 1

DISASTER DEPLOYMENT St. Louis, MO

Round 2A

For Round 2, Sun 7 deployed to St. Louis, Missouri for dis-

aster relief. The team hit the ground running, dividing and con-

quering the multiagency re-

source center, incident com-

mand post, call center, and the

field. For four weeks, NCCC

members worked alongside oth-

er AmeriCorps organizations

including Washington Conser-

vation Corps, St. Louis Emer-

gency Response Team, and

Hoopa Tribal Civilian Commu-

nity Corps. During this time,

Sun 7 improved their communi-

cation and time management

skills and also developed a

stronger work ethic. Tyshawn Stackhouse shoveling

gravel

Danielle, Kerri, Emma, and Hayley

creating a mosaic step

Sun 7 after their Round 1 brief presentation

74

After completing their service in St. Louis,

the team drove across the region to Parker, Arizona,

to work at Buckskin and Cattail State Parks. The

team’s goals were to complete beautification pro-

jects, improve infrastructure, and remove invasive

species throughout the parks to create more family-

friendly campsites for guests. Sun 7 put their ma-

sonry skills into practice by constructing a campsite with retaining walls. The team learned a lot about the de-

sert environment by living, working, cooking, and sleeping outside for the remainder of Round 2.

ARIZONA STATE PARKS Parker, AZ

Round 2B

TURN THE PAGE Kansas City, MO

Round 3

For their final project, Sun 7 went to Kansas

City, Missouri to work with The Upper Room and Turn

the Page Kansas City. The team was delighted to be liv-

ing and working in a city. The Upper Room, a neighbor-

hood-based non-profit, provides high quality programs

for low-income families. The team completed revitaliza-

tion projects throughout the Town Fork Creek neigh-

borhood. Sun 7’s work included lawn care, painting,

gardening, trash pick-up, and canvassing to promote

the neighborhood association.

The second half of the round was spent working

with Turn the Page Kansas City. This organization aims

to achieve reading proficiency at grade level or higher

for all third graders in Kansas City. Sun 7 worked with

elementary students during the summer program pro-

vided by the organization. The main goal of this pro-

gram is to provide free childcare for low-income fami-

lies while also keeping the children intellectually stimu-

lated during the summer months Emma Sheridan, Kerri Marquis, Tristan White, and Jack

Popwell moving piles of brush

Peter Spinale interacting with local kids Walter Gilles planting in a community garden

75

CLASS 22 WATER UNIT

Unit Leader: Sean Kuprevich

Esteemed Water Unit Team Leaders and Corps Members,

It is my pleasure and honor to congratulate each of you as

you successfully complete your term of service! In this past year, I

have seen so much personal growth, strong leadership, and selfless-

ness within our Unit. I could not be more proud of the community

that we have built together and the incredible impact that you have

had on the region.

Take a moment and breathe this in - the feelings of accom-

plishment, the bonds that you made, and the challenges that you

overcame. Soon, life will look quite different as you each move for-

ward, continuing your individual journeys. It is my hope that these

memories, the skills you developed, and friendships that you forged

here will aid you on your next steps. I encourage you to use this year

as a springboard to greater things, to continue to learn, grow, and

find new and creative ways to serve the communities you live in.

During CTI, I said that you would not be the same person at

graduation as when you started NCCC. During your year you have:

acquired and honed new skills, traveled from state to state, lived in

tents, apartments, or houses and have worked with new and experi-

enced sponsors to profoundly influence the lives of those you con-

tacted. Whether you spent your year: framing/painting/reroofing

homes, mentoring and tutoring children, doing taxes for low-income

families, building and maintaining trails, mitigating fire threats, or

responding to a disaster, your work has changed the quality of life for

so many individuals, families, and communities. You have spent a

year giving to others and have, in return, earned a life-changing ex-

perience. As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we

get, but we make a life by what we give.”

To our Water TLs, the backbone of our unit, a heartfelt

thank you for the countless hours of work, the sacrifices, and the

compassion you have shown. I am both humbled and full of gratitude

to have worked side-by-side with these amazing leaders and to watch

them continually rise to the challenge and push themselves further. I

wish you all my best as you embark on the next chapter of your life!

Remember, you have spent a year creating things, getting

things done, and making things happen. From the structures you

built, to the way you influenced the hearts and minds of people you

worked with, you had a positive effect and truly made a difference.

Now you have the opportunity to use everything you experienced and

learned to propel yourself forward into new opportunities and suc-

cess. Thank you all for making the difference, remember to breathe,

and all my best as you embrace the adventure ahead.

76

CLASS 22 WATER UNIT

Corps Member Reflection: Jordan Reaves

Currently: a five gallon bag of steak, slices of cilantro, a diluted mixture of Kool-Aid, and a “MIAMI” apron sur-

round me. Yes, I’m in the kitchen. No, these things aren’t all being mixed together for a meal (but they certainly could be.)

Life in the ‘Corps isn’t so bad. Besides being pounded by the Arizona heat each and every day, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my

Round 3 project in Nogales, Arizona. Working with several different sponsors so far has been equally challenging and re-

warding. From trail building to painting, to building shelving units and maintaining trails, there is no shortage of work.

Here, at the border of Arizona and Mexico, is a cultural paradigm I haven’t experienced before. As our work continues in

Nogales and Patagonia Lake State Park, we look forward to discovering more cultural practices of the populations that in-

habit this great town.

Round 2 involved tutoring in two of Kansas City’s lowest performing middle schools. Working at the W.E.B. Du-

Bois Learning Center allowed us to experience Kansas City culture. The racial segregation in the Kansas City metro-area

was very apparent, especially in the middle schools. At first, the students were resistant to our presence; some, over time,

remained so. However, the students eventually became more engaged and seemingly eager to learn. Although most stu-

dents had the potential to succeed, we realized that they had been greatly impacted by external factors, such as socioeco-

nomic status and their home life. However, after 12 weeks, there were two middle schools filled with revolutionized stu-

dents with a newfound eagerness to learn. No longer was it “I don’t understand, so I won’t try anymore,” but “I don’t un-

derstand, so explain to me why.” Our students started questioning things; the work we had done became meaningful.

Being in the Water Unit is an experience like no other. Switching teams every round, something unique to the

unit, allowed me to get to know a wide array of Corps Members. During transition weeks and projects, we participated in

diversity trainings and Service Learning Activities so that we were knowledgeable and fully immersed in the different pop-

ulations we served. Although my team and I worked in diverse communities, we know our work could not have been ac-

complished solely with our team. As Jessica Tandy from A Streetcar Named Desire remarked, “I have always depended on

the kindness of strangers.” Our work cannot be sustained without the help of the communities themselves that we serve.

Building lasting relationships with those around us, outside of our teams, is simply another stepping stone in positively

maintaining each community we serve.

77

WATER 1

REBUILDING TOGETHER Oklahoma City, OK

Round 1

CAMP FIRE FIRST Granbury, TX

Round 2A

Water 1 went to Oklahoma City, Oklaho-

ma to work with Rebuilding Together OKC, pri-

marily roofing for seniors whose roofs were dam-

aged by previous tornadoes. Water 1 also worked

on general construction repair such as replacing

doors, windows, and drywall. Water 1 learned a

lot of valuable skills and grew close as a team

while helping the community of Oklahoma City.

Water 1 started the first half of Round 2 in

Granbury, Texas at Camp El Tesoro. Water 1 made a

significant difference at El Tesoro: the team built

walkways and benches, demolished several buildings,

cleared brush, and made walking sticks for the chil-

dren who attend the camp in the summer months.

Water 1 finished everything they aimed for and more.

Water 1’s time in Camp El Tesoro has been eventful

and rewarding to say the least.

Water 1 repairing a roof with Rebuilding Together

78

MAYOR’S OFFICE St. Louis, MO

Round 2B

Along the southern border of the United States of America, Water 1

pushed through the dry heat and plundering monsoons to help multiple

nonprofits in Santa Cruz County. The team worked with their sponsor, the

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, to protect the historic and en-

vironmental aspects of their local community. Throughout their final

round, Water 1 completed projects with the Santa Fe Ranch, Patagonia State Park, Santa Cruz County Fair-

grounds, and the Juan Bautista de Anza Trail. Most AmeriCorps NCCC teams focus on helping one nonprofit

improve their community, however, Water 1 had the privilege of working with multiple nonprofits that targeted

different parts of the community. The worksites at the Boys and Girls Club, Santa Fe Ranch, and Las Lagunas

allowed Water 1 to educate children on the importance of environmental stewardship. With the Santa Cruz

County Fairgrounds and Anza Trail, the team preserved and renovated historical pieces of the county.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

Nogales, AZ

Round 3

Water 1 spent the second half of Round 2 in St Louis,

Missouri. While working closely alongside Water 7, the team

learned to function like a well-oiled machine for their sec-

ond six weeks. Although unsure of what to expect, Water 1

found out the true purpose of the project shortly after arriv-

ing and seeing once beautiful and historic houses reduced to

piles of rubble. During this project the team cleaned up

neighborhoods and surveyed vacant properties for the city's

database. With the help of Water 7, new memories, busi-

nesses, and families will hopefully flourish where crumbling

buildings once stood. In the grand scheme of it all, Water 1

definitely got things done for Granbury, Texas and St. Louis,

Missouri during Round 2!

79

WATER 2

Water 2 served

at The Action Center

in Lakewood, Colora-

do to help homeless and residents in need receive services and build pathways

to self-sufficiency. The services the team provided included working the food

bank, where clients selected groceries with a personal shopper, and a clothing

bank, where clients received clothing and household goods. Water 2 helped

sort between 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of daily food donations and also worked at

seasonal service programs, including The Action Center’s Thanksgiving Food

Box Distribution and Santa Shop.

THE ACTION CENTER Lakewood, CO

Round 1

FOREST PARK CONFERENCE & RETREAT CENTER

Topeka, KS

Round 2

Water 2 went to Topeka, Kansas to serve with

Forest Park Conference and Retreat Center, a commu-

nity center where people of all ages and abilities have

the opportunity to rest and renew themselves through

learning experiences, leadership programs, and com-

munity activities. Forest Park is used by regional and local churches, scout programs, community organizations,

and families for ministry, retreats, meetings, and educational programs. Over the course of Round 2, the team

completed a variety projects such as demolishing un-

safe structures, insulating cabins, hanging drywall,

painting, and repurposing old floor boards to be used

as wall paneling. The team also built several handicap

ramps to increase building accessibility, installed elec-

trical conduit for heating, put new windows in place,

constructed a playground for youth, and blazed two

new trails around the park with a total distance of one

mile. Water 2 walked away from Forest Park with an

array of new skills, experiences, and memories that

will likely stick with them for a lifetime.

Water 2 having fun after the Thanksgiving Food Box Distribution

Water 2 sorting toys at The Action

Center’s annual Santa Shop

80

APPLETREE EDUCATIONAL CENTER

Truth or Consequences, NM

Round 3

Water 2 arrived in Truth or Consequences,

New Mexico to meet Rebecca Dow, CEO of AppleTree

Educational Center, a 5-star, nationally accredited or-

ganization providing in-depth family support targeting

low-income and at-risk children. The idea behind Ap-

pletree sprouted with the realization that a more sepa-

rate non-profit would have more wiggle room to ad-

dress community needs than the standard education center. Today, AppleTree serves over 100 families by ad-

dressing wellness, community development, and recreation. Over 80% of children who have been tracked test-

ed at or above their age level and, according to The New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department, the

center ranks among the top 1% of quality care facilities

in New Mexico. Also, surveys, screenings, ratings, and

portfolios unanimously place the outcomes of Apple-

Tree to be among those from model university pro-

grams.

Members of NCCC had many roles to fill in T

or C, including helping in the kitchen to provide daily

food for the students of AppleTree and the Boys and

Girls Club. Water 2 also assisted with the summer

meals program, offering food to community members

in need. Beyond that, members served as aids to the

teachers, giving each child individualized attention

and consistency. Administrative work was key at Little

Things Matter, a facility that allows families with children from prenatal to 3-years-old to receive free at-home

assistance from childhood experts. And, at the end of the day, various construction work was a must to keep

the facilities top-quality, and to improve intern housing possibilities.

The workload was full, but all was possible in

an 11-hour workday. One of the more beautiful aspects

was that there was lots of flexibility within these

hours. There was room for each NCCC member to

grow and experiment with what’s achievable, to get to

know students and teachers more personally, to teach

classes and afterschool programs, and to truly get in-

volved in a way that is less structured and more deter-

mined by personal desire. This is sincerely amazing

because, during the 12 weeks of this project, Corps

Members, while watching students improve their ea-

gerness, creativity, and compassion, were becoming

stronger leaders, friends, and role models. Victoria Bravo discovering the reason why her uniform smells like

baby food

Zach Clarke reading to a three year old at AppleTree

Mike Friend having just as much fun on the playground as the kids do.

81

WATER 3

During Round 1, Water 3 traveled to

Pawhuska, Oklahoma to partner with Osage

Nation and Operation AmeriCorps. The team

worked on developing an Eco Park for the

community and Osage Tribe, as well as many

other projects. Water 3’s accomplishments

include removing 3,800 pounds of brush,

clearing 19 acres between the Eco Park and Bird

Creek Farms, constructing an 80 foot cedar rail-

ing for the Tribe’s Elder Community, and constructing office wall dividers. This six week project was an amaz-

ing experience for the team, in which members were welcomed into a completely new culture and way of living.

Water 3 enjoyed the area and work, but more importantly developing a bond with the community and tribe.

OSAGE NATION Pawhuska, OK

Round 1

W.E.B. DUBOIS LEARNING CENTER

Kansas City, MO

Round 2

During Round 2, Water 3 served at the W.E.B. DuBois

Learning Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The team worked on

a variety of projects

which encompassed

administration work at

the Learning Center to

in-school tutoring. Wa-

ter 3 tutored students from 1st grade to 12th grade in math and reading

at the Learning Center. The team also had the opportunity to teach sci-

ence, math, and language arts in two of Kansas City’s lowest public

middle schools, Northeast and Central Middle School. While working

with the W.E.B. DuBois Learning Center for over 3 months, Water 3

developed as leaders and grew stronger as a team through various chal-

lenges and life changing experiences.

Water 3 posing in front of the 80 ft. cedar railing they designed and

constructed for the Osage Nation Elder Community

Water 3 outside the W.E.B. DuBois

Learning Center in Kansas City, MO

Monday nights were reading nights

82

Water 3 spent six weeks working on Mingus Springs

Mountain at the James 4-H Camp & Outdoor Learning Center.

The camp’s mission is to educate youth and build positive rela-

tionships to develop competent, caring, and engaged citizens

who strengthen Arizona communities. During the project, the

team worked a variety of infrastructure improvement projects and assisted with outdoor education and pro-

graming. The team installed all new beds in the cabins, repaired plumbing

and indoor areas, built bridges, maintained camp trails, painted facilities,

and worked with kids to help facilitate camp classes. Water 3’s project de-

creased the operating budget of the camp and the cost per camper, thus

making program and camper accessibility easier. Having Water 3 work on

the facilities gave camp staff more time to focus on programming and the

campers. The removed, rustic, and charming camp provided the team with

not only experiences to grow personally and professionally but gave each

member a trove of unforgettable memories.

JAMES 4-H CAMP Prescott Valley, AZ

Round 3A

During the second half of Round 3, Water 3 served

with Tonto Creek Camp in Payson, Arizona. Water 3 fur-

thered Tonto Creek Camp’s mission to provide youth with

opportunities to explore the natural world by giving them

outdoor experiences to sustain and enrich their physical

and mental well-being. Specifically, Water 3 provided assistance with educational instruction and worked on

infrastructure improvements and other environmental projects. The team taught outdoor education sessions to

youth participating in school based camps and acted as instructors and cabin chaperones. Additionally, the

team improved conditions at Tonto by painting, maintaining trails, repairing fences, and creating signage.

TONTO CREEK CAMP Payson, AZ

Round 3B

Randall Hamilton chainsawing to

clean up and camp facilities

Austen Brower leading a group of 5th

grade campers in camp songs

83

WATER 4

ARKANSAS 4-H CENTER Little Rock, AR

Round 1

During Round 2, Water 4 worked with the Universi-

ty of Missouri Extension’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

(VITA) program

in Kansas City,

Missouri, assist-

ing low-income individuals and families with their taxes. Members

of Water 4 became IRS advanced certified after two weeks of training

and then went out into the field doing taxes at three of the public

libraries of Kansas City. In the end, Water 4 helped 2,300 families

and individuals by sending 1,500 federal returns, 3,000 state returns,

and $2,780,000 to the community in tax refunds. The team also

learned the value of patience as well as learned a lot about people’s

lives.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI EXTENSION

Kansas City, MO

Round 2

Water 4 went to Little Rock to serve with the Ar-

kansas 4-H Center, whose mission is to provide meaningful

opportunities for youth and adults to work together to cre-

ate sustainable community change through citizenship,

healthy living, and science programs. During Round 1, the team completed a variety projects including restoring

heavily used hiking trails, clearing fallen debris, spreading mulch, as well as installing an outdoor staircase on a

heavily rooted hill which had proved hazardous to campers. The team also sanded and waterproofed several

wooden structures, renovated raised beds for gardening, repaired

warped boardwalk areas, and constructed a bridge over a stream to

provide safer access to the camp’s archery range. Probably the largest

project, however, was demolishing and renovating the camp’s geo-

thermal display into a new water feature and patio. Though many of

the projects at 4-H proved strenuous at times, Water 4 walked away

with an array of new skills, experiences, and treasured memories

that will likely stick with them for a lifetime.

Josh, Charlene, and Caitlin working through

one of many printer insubordinations

Water 4 posing with their sponsor, Shatomi Luster

84

NOT FORGOTTEN OUTREACH Taos, NM

Round 3

WATER 4/9

Water 4/9 went to Taos, New Mexico to serve with

Not Forgotten Outreach (NFO), whose mission is to

"motivate military Veterans and Gold Star families of fallen

Warriors to participate in recreational and/or therapeutic

activities in order to facilitate the healing process." During

Round 3, the team completed a variety of projects at the

NFO Respite Center and surrounding farmland that NFO

would not have otherwise been able to undertake.

Water 4/9 helped NFO build garden plots that will

be used for later harvests, construct fencing for a hay field

and orchard, and build a pen for NFO’s sheep. The team

also water-proofed the Respite Center roof, sealed and

patched the damaged adobe-style stucco of the Respite

Center, renovated the Respite Center kitchen, built a lum-

ber rack to hold lumber for future projects, laid a brick

path to make the office handicap accessible, and designed

and built a memorial garden for the veterans.

Although there were times when the going got

tough for Water 4/9, the team relaxed by exploring Taos,

soaking in hot springs, playing with NFO’s goats, chickens,

and miniature horses, and taking group hikes. Water 4/9

walked away with a wide variety of useful skills and new

experiences and even made a couple new friends with the

veterans that will be something to treasure for a lifetime.

85

WATER 5

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Oklahoma City, OK

Round 1

Water 5 worked with Habitat

for Humanity for six weeks in Oklaho-

ma City, Oklahoma. The team accumulated a long list of quantifiables such as

framing five houses and gaining an abundance of skills that will not only help

the team progress in the program but progress later in life as well. Water 5 also

gained the ability and adaptability that comes from living with ten other people

constantly. The most rewarding aspect of the project was meeting the families

that the team built homes for. Meeting the families and attending their house

dedications made living in the team’s challenge zone for six weeks worth it.

LINCOLN COUNTY JUVENILE JUSTICE BOARD

Lincoln, NM

Round 3

Water 5 measuring and

cutting 2x4s

For Round 3 Water 5 worked with Ted Allen, Director of

the Lincoln County Juvenile Justice Board, to coordinate service

with over five separate organizations in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

Whether it was building trail with the Bureau of Land Manage-

ment, tutoring children at the Hondo School, or refurbishing

historic structures in Lincoln, Water 5 had a widespread impact

on the community. Water 5 often worked with another Ameri-

Corps group, the EcoServants. Together, the two teams built

trail, worked festivals, and back-

packed 20 miles to maintain trails

over the course of three days. Being

surrounded by an incredible com-

munity of caring individuals allowed

the team to partake in some once-in

-a-lifetime opportunities, like being

Leave No Trace certified, facilitating

several summer day-camps for local

youth, and taking a trip to the

Grand Canyon. John Castertano geting some

lovin' at the Smokey Bear

Festival in Capitan, New Mexico

Water 5 at the summit of Capitan Peak after spending

three days camping and hiking over 20 miles to

provide maintenance to the Capitan Peak Trail

Water 5 flawlessly posing at Fort Stanton,

one of their five worksites

86

When Water 8 arrived in Holton, Kansas to work

with Homestead Affordable Housing (HAH), they were

told the team would be renovating housing for senior

citizens and low-

income families.

Days would be full of

gutting, construct-

ing, and possibly helping elders move homes. What the team hadn’t ex-

pected, however, was that their time in rural Kansas would be so much

more. Because HAH is an icon in Holton’s small community, it didn’t

take long for AmeriCorps NCCC to become one too. I also helped that the

folks at HAH sent the team to partner with the City of Holton at the local

creek to maintain campsites and prep for the busiest time of the year. The

team also worked with Harvesters, a major food distributor through Kan-

sas and Missouri, packaging and distributing food at several locations.

Beyond that, Water 8 participated in several after-school programs at a

few academic centers in the area. In addition to integrating into the com-

munity, Water 8 was surprised to be given a grand welcome upon arrival.

Invitations to dinners and game nights were plentiful, but not nearly as

much as the conversations without local community members through-

out the workday. All of this made Jackson County, Kansas an incredibly

warm, friendly, embracing community.

HOMESTEAD AFFORDABLE HOUSING Holton, KS

Round 2

WATER 8

Dan Vento and John Castertano assembling a

garden box for HAH’s Senior Living Community

Kerry Aszklar and Angelina Jimenez cutting a board to

assemble a garden box

John Castertano and Lainey Castle

holding down a branch to help

others trim a tree

Water 8 hard at work constructing more garden beds

for senior citizens to use

87

WATER 6

LOVE YOUR SCHOOL Little Rock, AR

Round 1

UNITED WAY OF LARIMER COUNTY

Estes Park, CO

Round 2A

For Round 1, Water 6 worked with Love Your

School in Little Rock, Arkansas to reduce childhood obe-

sity by providing healthier choices for children and par-

ents through education and community projects. The

team taught nutrition lessons to 3,700 students on what

it means to be healthy and physically active as well as

the benefits of fruits and vegetables (can you say

“immune system”?). By building two greenhouses for use

by the students during gardening and nutrition lessons,

Water 6 learned how to work with limited materials and

a poor instruction manual. Additionally, the team helped

maintain the school's walking program, took Body Mass

Indexes for 650 at-risk youths, constructed 140 garden

beds, and laid out 5,500 square feet of weed barrier for

gardens. Water 6 learned about health, excellence over

perfection, and how to be a team. Some memories: Stan, the corner, step class with Darrell, Zumba, the Purple

Cow, hoodie monster, Central High School, “Why Kitty Why,” and Mr. Yam Yam.

Water 6 went to Estes Park, Colorado to work

with United Way of Larimer County on flood recovery

from the 2013 flood. This consisted of debris clean-up,

home repairs, and

demolition of un-

salvageable struc-

tures. Water 6

learned a lot about

the community of Larimer County, river eco-systems, and flood behav-

iors. The team also learned to use heavy machinery such as skid-steers

and bobcats as well as working with chainsaws daily.

Water 6 resting after a hard day’s work building garden beds

Water 6 being recognized as honorary citizens of Little Rock

88

After serving in Estes Park, Wa-

ter 6 went to Lake George, Colorado to

work with the United States Forest Ser-

vice for the rest of the year. As a Fire

Management Team, Water 6 primarily

did fuel mitigation and fire response in the Pike San Isabel National Forest. Fuel mitigation required intensive

chainsawing to thin the forest in preparation for prescribed burns. Water 6 did a lot of physically challenging

work such constructing fireline in response to wildland fires and preparing for a prescribed burn.

PIKE SAN ISABEL NATIONAL FOREST Lake George, CO

Round 2A & 3

89

WATER 7

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Conway, AR

Round 1

While in Conway,

Arkansas Water 7 organized

the ReStore and refurbished

homes with Habitat for Hu-

manity of Faulkner County

(HFHFC). Water 7 moved,

labelled, priced, and ar-

ranged items in an unor-

ganized HFHFC warehouse

full of donated furniture, clothes, appliances, electronics, and knick

knacks. Water 7 also created a floorplan for an upcoming ware-

house sale and another floor plan for the ReStore. By the end of

their 6 weeks, the team constructed a clean and functional store

that gave HFHFC $1600 during their warehouse sale. When the

team was not stationed in the warehouse, they refurbished homes

for families affected by the 2011 and 2014 tornadoes. The team fo-

cused on two sites, one of which was an empty home on Ingram

Street. The team cleared out all the appliances, trash, and old be-

longings and then completely gutted and renovated the interior by

installing drywall, painting, and landscaping. The team also cleared

out all trash, tile, and appliances in a mobile home owned by

HFHFC. What can’t be recorded on a spreadsheet, however, is the

immense visual difference the team accomplished.

For the first half of

Round 2, Water 7 planted over

31,000 trees for TreeFolks, Inc. in

Bastrop, Texas. In addition to

planting trees, the team helped

clear blocked culverts and did

several ISPs, including one with

the Bastrop Long-Term Recovery

Team. For their first team build-

ing exercise of the round, the

team hosted their very own

“AmeriProm.” What really made

the experience, though, was the

team's housing — they camped

in tents for 50 days straight! Working, sleeping, cooking and eating

completely outdoors really brought the team together.

TREE FOLKS Bastrop, TX

Round 2A

Water 7 laying sod in Vilonia, Arkansas

The team diligently leveling yards.

Water 7 hard at work staining decks in

Mayflower, Arkansas

Mason Meadows working to clear

a blocked culvert

Water 7 finding a taxidermy bobcat at an ISP

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For 13 weeks, Water 7 worked with Interfaith

Housing Services (IHS) in Hutchinson, Kansas. The

experience brought the team across the city and im-

mersed them deep into the community. Water 7’s mis-

sion was to help scrape and paint houses of community members who have requested help. Water 7 painted the

town red, or at least, beige and white. The team also worked with partners of IHS, such as the Dillon Nature

Center, the Boys and Girls Club, as well as Tech (a support center for adults with disabilities). Water 7 left a sig-

nificant mark in the town of Hutchinson, Kansas and made the most of their final project.

INTERFAITH HOUSING SERVICES, INC.

Hutchinson, KS

Round 3

For Round 2B, Water 7 took on a very different

project working with the St. Louis Mayor’s Office in St.

Louis, Missouri. For this project, the team surveyed va-

cant and blighted properties in neighborhoods around

the city.

MAYOR’S OFFICE St. Louis, MO

Round 2B

Water 7 surveying properties in the Hyde Park

neighborhood of Northern St. Louis

Water 7’s final day of planting before

heading to St. Louis

Water 7 walking a narrow bridge of planks in a team builder set up by the people at the Dillon Nature Center

The team playing with the drain tubes

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