AmeriCorps NCCC Student Volunteer on Gap Year Hopes to Make a Difference

So far during this 4th round experience we went through “spike” travel, which means going to a project in another state. We took three days to get to Pass Christian, Mississippi from Denver, Colorado. So when we got to our spike site on Saturday night, we got settled in for the night. The next morning we met our spike housing manager and project manager. The project was Project Rehab, and we were supposed to be working to rehabilitate homes that are on stilts in an area that was affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A house on stilts is just a house raised off of the ground. So, on Monday September 8th, we did one days' worth of work then we got called on disaster to help after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

Disaster is a whole different experience from the regular projects. So on Tuesday we were sent to Ocean Springs, MS to work with the Red Cross. Then we got called to Baton Rouge, La to run a shelter for those of special needs; then we got called to Dallas, TX to run a shelter for evacuees from Houston and Galveston. So now we are in Dallas and running the shelter. Honestly, all this transitioning from one disaster to another is really stressful in a sense that we are not getting settled in a location because we never know what's going to happen next, and the best thing to do is just keep PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) up and make the best of the situation.

AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time team based residential program for youth age 18-24 who have a passion for helping meet the needs of people and communities across the U.S. Members complete a variety of national service projects throughout the region they are assigned.