Margaret is 20 years old and chose to take a gap year after studying for three semesters in college. She wanted a break from her degree program in Social Work., and desired a hands-on volunteer experience. Margaret says she knew AmeriCorps was the perfect fit for her because, "I loved the idea of being able to travel, meet new people and serve (which I am so passionate about!). It was also reassuring to know that I would get an education award ($4,725) at the end of my term of service."
Margaret's blog
More News from Gap Year Blogger Volunteering With AmeriCorps in Gulf Coast
Submitted by Margaret on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 07:52
So me and my team (Water 3) are on day 25 of disaster. The first three weeks we spent working with the Red Cross Headquarters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana after Hurricane Gustav. Our team was split up and was working with different departments in the Headquarters. I had the chance to work with several different departments. I worked with Sheltering, Feeding, Client Services, Disaster Assessment and Bulk Distribution. My favorite things to do was going out on the ERVs (Emergency Response Vehicles) and distributing hot meals and water to the areas that were without power. We would go out around lunch and dinner and distribute 100-200 meals.
Gap Year Volunteer Builds Houses in Louisiana, Works on Youth Service Project in Denver
Submitted by Margaret on Thu, 09/11/2008 - 01:03
We are about a week into our fourth round projects… I can’t believe how fast time has gone by! It has been so awesome for me because all of my projects have been very different. Each project we work on is about 2 months long, give or take a little.
First round my team was in Covington, Louisiana working with Habitat for Humanity. Basically we learned how to do everything from framing to roofing.
AmeriCorps NCCC Student Blogs About Gap Year Volunteer Experience
Submitted by Margaret on Sun, 08/24/2008 - 17:29
Hi Everyone! My name is Margaret. I am an AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) member in Class 14 at the Central Region Campus in Denver, CO. I am 20 and I am originally from Illinois. Before joining AmeriCorps I was a full-time student pursuing a Social Work degree. After three semesters, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I felt like I wanted to do something hands on. I have always been a busy person and in college I was a full-time student, actively involved in several clubs, and I was a nanny. I loved everything I was doing but I wanted to take a break from spreading myself thin and put my time and effort into one thing. I was looking to do a few months of service in the summer and then continue going to school but when I found AmeriCorps I knew it was a perfect fit for me!