Friday, July 30, 2010
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Here’s a story from the AmeriCorps St. Louis Emergency Response Team, which last week for Holmes County, Mississippi to help with tornado clean-up. AmeriCorps members took chainsaws, tools, generators and other gear to the disaster zone. 25 people were injured and one person died in Holmes County during last weekend's storms.
After nearly a week of lengthy days that make 12 hour shifts seem like a blessing, we completed over 13 work requests with the help of over 100 volunteers. We are all exhausted, faced vehicle issues, and may have damaged some of our best chainsaws beyond repair.
We are now coordinating Volunteer Reception Centers (VRC) in Holmes and Choctaw County, running two field teams of Americorps members in Holmes County and reaching out to over 150 households who, a week ago, didn't exist in our lives. These families, our partners, community members and other volunteers have now not only become part of our daily lives, but part of our reason for being.
Yesterday a young boy, about 8 years-old, came into the VRC, which is also functioning as a point of distribution (POD) for donations, to replace clothing he had lost in the tornado. He asked for help finding clothes and after shuffling through piles on the table I handed him a red plaid shirt. He pulled it on and, as his head reappeared, one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen was painted across his face. He was glowing with the pride and purpose that I can only assume is hard to regain after losing everything you have known. It was the greatest reward of my trip so far.
Yesterday I met with Mr. Brown's daughter, Rachel, on the property where her father's house once stood. Mr. Brown was the sole fatality in Holmes County. As I understand it, his home was lifted off its cinderblocks and thrown into a field on the other side of the road. Cleaning up the Brown's property will take days, hundreds of volunteer hours, and a variety of tools and machinery. Certainly no easy task, but within hours of my time with Rachel, three different volunteer groups of over 100 people were anxious to begin work. The volunteers were from Tennessee, North Carolina and other counties in Mississippi. People coming together, side by side for a common task: humanity.
So in the end today, like every day we have been here, totals out to be a great day because of the people we meet, the lives we have the opportunity to help make better and the friendships we build on the team. This has been a reminder to myself of why we are AmeriCorps.
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Posted on
5/11/2010 5:24:09 PM
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As various parts of the country are hit with disasters ranging from floods to tornadoes to oil spills, national service participants have stepped up to provide vital assistance. Below is a brief overview of distasters and national service deployment.
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Posted on
5/10/2010 6:04:53 PM
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The folks are trained through the city's Community Emergency Response Team and are prepared for wind, snow, ice, power outages and earthquakes. Kloshe Illahee is a community of citizens ages 55 and up. Residents embarked on their neighborhood emergency plan in 2005. The plan was finalized in 2006. Now, the group is preparing a revision, with the goal of continuing self-sustainability in preparation for a disaster.
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Posted on
11/17/2009 8:16:01 AM
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I have been working with American WWII veterans since 1994, making many of them guests of honor where once they were in combat.
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Posted on
11/13/2009 10:21:57 AM
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Volunteering, Teamwork, Learning and Growing, Being Prepared- proactive choices that make a difference in our social security as a nation, community, family and individual.
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Posted on
11/9/2009 10:45:37 AM
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I’ve done everything from coordinating search and rescue activities to cleaning up and carrying out the trash. After a transfer to Hugo, Colorado, my latest unique volunteer opportunity began.
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Posted on
11/5/2009 2:56:54 PM
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For the first time ever, I felt I was doing something with a purpose and in turn it gave me a sense of worth and meaning. Up until then I had felt like I was a burden to people around me. Whereas at the event, I felt like I meant something to someone and was doing good for those around me. I then immersed myself in volunteer work.
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Posted on
11/2/2009 10:34:56 AM
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By tagging on to the President’s initiative and encouraging service this summer, we have engaged people in community service work to help make it a part of the everyday lives of all Americans with a hope that they will make an ongoing commitment to each other, their communities, and volunteer work throughout their lives
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Posted on
10/29/2009 11:25:51 AM
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I have been battling some medical conditions. I use to be flat in bed for five and a half and now live with daily chronic pain. However, I have been sending all handwritten letters to the troops since Nov. 2000.
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Posted on
10/24/2009 12:45:30 PM
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With the Citizen Corps Council/VOAD, RSVP hosted an informational meeting on August 24, 2009 - to kick off Safety and Security Week and also build up to 9/11.
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Posted on
10/5/2009 3:07:30 PM
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Mother organizes her community to knit 130 helmet liners for her son's fellow troops in Afghanistan.
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Posted on
10/1/2009 10:51:25 PM
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How one school got involved on September 11th by honoring our service members.
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Posted on
9/22/2009 9:56:40 PM
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When I retired nearly four years ago, I never dreamed I would have so many interesting jobs and experiences.
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Posted on
9/22/2009 9:56:30 PM
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Mike L., a member with the American Red Cross’ AmeriCorps Together We Prepare program, has been making quite an impact on Washtenaw County in Michigan. Through his service with the county’s Red Cross chapter, Mike’s usual service has been organizing a youth service group called Youth Community Action Team (YCAT) and responding to local disasters. But following an AmeriCorps training session, another opportunity presented itself.
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Posted on
9/22/2009 9:55:55 PM
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Working for a company for 25 years shows loyalty—volunteering for an organization for 25 years is much more than just loyalty. It is dedication, selflessness, and passion for what one does. Wanda Allen-Yearout is one of only a few individuals with this huge accomplishment, but she is very modest about it.
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Posted on
9/10/2009 9:22:30 PM
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We had a great time in Lockwood on the last day of our Fire Ready Montana tour! It wasa beautiful day and all the local fire and emergency officials were there, along with several community booths. Residents came out with their kids to meet Smokey Bear and enjoy the fire truck demonstrations. It truly was a community event!
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Posted on
9/9/2009 4:20:16 PM
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After visiting with the President, I realized that volunteering here gives me the opportunity to, in a small way, repay those individuals who were so helpful to me during my crisis. Volunteerism also helps satisfy a need to be involved in solving some of the problems that we face in our community. In my case, delivering meals to the homebound has provided me the opportunity to serve longer.
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Posted on
9/4/2009 3:22:40 PM
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Volunteers participated as victims in a simulated poisonous gas release. They went through triage on site then were transported to hospitals on both sides of the river. Afterwards several answered questions about their experience.
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Posted on
9/3/2009 3:36:38 PM
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On August 27, 2009, I took part in United We Serve Safety and Security Week by touring our new Volunteer Reception Center, housed in the new Salvation Army Family Services Building.
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Posted on
9/2/2009 3:49:02 PM
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“With Ike’s devastation still so fresh on everyone’s mind, we are experiencing an increase in interest from people that desire to participate in training,” said Mark Sloan. “Current students in our class feel we are giving them more insight and greater ability to respond to disasters.”
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Posted on
9/2/2009 10:01:56 AM
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The Mission Continues…even after the military. David has been awarded a Mission Continues Fellowship that will allow him to continue his work as head coach of the Baltimore Broncos. In this role, he not only teaches the game of football, but also strengthens the lives of his players. This non-profit football team focuses on providing an outlet for underprivileged youth, through football.
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Posted on
8/31/2009 8:38:41 PM
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Our Western Fraternal Life Association Lodge 236 members have done community services for decades and plan to expand our volunteer efforts - reminding present and future generations of historical events so that, hopefully, we can help prevent them from occurring again.
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Posted on
8/30/2009 8:27:27 AM
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I'm a member of a couple of Tucson, Arizona groups that bring the barn-raising model to community greening projects.
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Posted on
8/30/2009 8:27:14 AM
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Operation Homefront, military families and local volunteers teamed up to take part in the President’s call to service during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction weekend. On Saturday, July 25, Operation Homefront hosted a project to prepare care packages for deployed service members and back-to-school backpacks for New York’s military children.
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Posted on
8/27/2009 1:59:21 PM
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Voluntary organizations, governments, are working together to rebuild flood-damaged homes before winter.
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Posted on
8/26/2009 1:49:00 AM
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Our first mission was to inform the local community, who for the most part, were unaware that the purpose of the USO was to make a ‘Home Away from Home ‘ for our military service members and their families many of whom were away from home for the first time in their lives. Deployments for six or more months at sea or years in the war zones were highly stressful for both they and their loved ones. This was what the USO was created to support during WW ll.
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Posted on
8/25/2009 7:26:44 PM
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Find a whole new community at your local Veterans Administration facility. They will welcome you with open arms - and there is BBQ!
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Posted on
8/24/2009 8:27:47 PM
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Another intense storm had hit in the night, filling the church’s window-wells with water that flowed over the roof’s rain gutters. For the next several hours all of us were mopping, vacuuming, and baling water to protect the reconstructed walls and flooring from the need to be demolished and replaced again. It brought back many difficult memories of fighting the 1993 floods, but this time we won.
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Posted on
8/21/2009 4:00:11 PM
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It was our second day on the Thrivent Builds with the Habitat for Humanity site in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and already the house that my Thrivent Financial for Lutherans colleagues and I were constructing was taking shape. What was simply a foundation when we arrived the day before now had a floor and walls.
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Posted on
8/20/2009 7:25:16 PM
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Students from Laconia High School in New Hampshire are well on their way to the creation of a DVD that will contain blueprints and critical information to be used by emergency services. In addition to creating a new emergency brochure for parents, students are using state-of-the-art Computer Aided Drafting software and laser measuring tools to create detailed floor plans and 3-D views of each room in the high school.
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Posted on
8/18/2009 4:17:10 PM
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Capitol One Bank was so moved by the poster’s message - that domestic violence occurs at all ages and seniors are just as likely to become victims as any other age group - that it also donated $50,000 to the Not Forgotten Coalition to help fund training for volunteers working with seniors.
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Posted on
8/17/2009 4:26:30 PM
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It took a lot of time but the rewards of serving in the hospital and on the ambulance are well worth it.
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Posted on
8/14/2009 3:42:49 PM
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Approximately 1,500 global Cisco employees and contingent workers volunteer their time to train and respond to a variety of emergency situations through Cisco's Emergency Response Team (ERT).
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Posted on
8/13/2009 6:11:31 PM
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This community event provides our entire community with heightened crime and drug prevention awareness; generates support for and participation in local anticrime programs; strengthens neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and sends a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
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Posted on
8/11/2009 5:10:09 PM
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Keeping the veterans community active is the best way to honor those who have served.
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Posted on
8/10/2009 5:51:45 PM
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I am not done serving yet but I have slowed down since I turned 80.
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Posted on
8/6/2009 5:02:08 PM
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There is nothing like brightening a stranger’s day with a thank you, and a kind gesture.
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Posted on
8/5/2009 4:16:09 PM
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Whole Foods shoppers know that when they donated their unwanted cell phones at Secure the Call’s collection barrels in Ann Arbor and West Bloomfield, MI that not only were they ‘greening’ their community, but they were also helping to keep the Detroit area safe.
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Posted on
8/4/2009 4:30:55 PM
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The mission of Always Ready Kids was inspired by my Aunt Betsy who is a 9/11 survivor. Aunt Betsy was pushing the revolving door of the Center when the first plane hit. She says that what helped her survive is that she “was prepared with basic items” in her purse like a flashlight and handkerchief. Aunt Betsy is proof that preparedness saves lives.
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Posted on
8/3/2009 7:29:49 PM
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Through our Community Emergency Response Team training, we came up with a disaster plan for our community. We have had many drills. We separate our community into six sections and send teams of two out to check approximately 50 homes per team.
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Posted on
7/31/2009 6:50:05 PM
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During these past few years, I have seen several major events consisting of structure fires, vehicle accidents, vehicle fires, search & rescues and wild fires. It is teamwork that has proven time after time, that we can perform a task that sometimes leaves you wondering why risks are taken.
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Posted on
7/30/2009 5:17:18 PM
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Each spring since the restoration, the Bohemian Hall has a fund raising event called “Long Live the Squeeze Box”. Musicians donate a song or two for the event to help with restoration projects. This year we took it one step further.
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Posted on
7/29/2009 2:35:39 PM
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I know as I look back on this year, I will regard it as one of the most transformational experiences of my life.
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Posted on
7/28/2009 4:25:38 PM
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We all know the Red Cross responds to natural disasters through stories and pictures that generate horror, sympathy for lives that were lost or uprooted, admiration for selfless dedication of volunteers, and the dreadful conditions in which they worked. However, they were also remote, happening to other people in other places. In February of 2007, my concept of the Red Cross was forever changed.
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Posted on
7/27/2009 5:14:20 PM
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The state of Oklahoma knows too well the devastation that disasters can cause. Whatever type of disaster, such as tornadoes, flooding, or terrorist attacks (such as the bombing of the Murrah Building) the physical, emotional and financial harm to people and property can be enormous.
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Posted on
7/24/2009 9:13:13 AM
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Reports state that families of children with special needs are 80% more at risk for divorce, and the children are 30% more at risk for out of home placement. Respite days help families to cope with the stress of caring for these special children.
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Posted on
7/23/2009 10:29:46 AM
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When disaster strikes, often a home fire, John and other team members are on the spot to help those affected. He finds out what’s needed and may arrange hotel lodging and provide funds for immediate needs.
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Posted on
7/21/2009 8:26:30 AM
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I have been a Red Cross Volunteer affiliated with the Washtenaw County Chapter in Ann Arbor, Michigan for almost 4 years. Because I have a full time job, I cannot volunteer as much as I would like but am able to find 8 or so hours a week to join in the efforts of a fixture of my hometown.
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Posted on
7/20/2009 8:26:28 AM
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I have been a Community Emergency Response Team member in Cobb County, Georgia since 2004. It all started with my desire to help my family and neighbors to survive a disaster.
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Posted on
7/17/2009 2:39:42 PM
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One man has found a way to share his art with the world's most appreciative audience.
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Posted on
7/16/2009 6:38:55 PM
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Getting to know your neighbors is one of the most meaningful ways to keep your communities safe.
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Posted on
7/15/2009 5:27:00 PM
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To kick off United We Serve, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates visited wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center. The Secretary said that meeting with the soldiers “lifted him up.”
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Posted on
7/14/2009 9:55:20 AM
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It takes a special kind of person to devote part of their life to actively making the lives of our troops better – both during their deployments and when they get back. That is especially important for those who bear the wounds of war, both seen and unseen." - Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
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Posted on
7/14/2009 9:49:59 AM
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