HELLO!!!!
Well, we almost got a trail crew project (Oconee State Park, SC), but because things are so crazy with the proposed closure of NCCC, the administration at base has put us on another Disaster Relief project instead. After our debrief time in Charleston (we head back on the first of March), we'll be turning around and heading back to the Gulf Coast area--this time in Abbeville, LA where we will be working with the United Way in that area. At this time we have no idea what we'll be doing or how long we'll be there, but that's where we are headed! It's about 40 miles inland from the Gulf Coast, west of New Orleans.
To be honest, I'm bummed that we won't be spending time in the mountains hiking and enjoying the fresh air. However, I realize, even more so after being down here 5 weeks, the importance of relief projects and the need. This area has been so devestated and come June, they will all be holding thier breaths, waiting and watching to see if another hurricane will come through the area. I know I'll be paying closer attention, worrying about all my new friends that I've made in the area.
I'll let you know more as I can.
Tonight some of my team is headed out to Mobile to check out the Mardi Gras celebrations there. Did you know that Mobile was the first Mardi Gras location? True story.
Grace and Peace.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
SAVE NCCC
If you want to join the efforts to save NCCC, you can go to this website and read about what is going on and how to get involved.
There is some really great information at this website. Please get involved!!!
Thanks. :)
www.savenccc.org
Monday, February 20, 2006
Mardi Gras
I went to my first (and probably last) Mardi Gras in New Orleans this past weekend with some of my fellow AmeriCorps members. I never really had any inclination of attending, but I did enjoy myself. We spent Saturday night walking around Bourban St.--very interesting! I couldn't help but picture some scenes from John Grisham novels. :) We crashed at a couple's home that had volunteered here in Biloxi and they were great. They took in 10 of us and they had us sleeping in every possible place. It was a great sleepover. On Sunday, we went to see the parades which was very fun.
Honestly, I'm very glad I went. I probably won't ever be this close or have such a fun group to go with. It really comes down to who you go with...no joke. :)
In other news, 10 more days here in Biloxi before we head back to Charleston. I've really enjoyed my time here, but I am getting a little weary of the tent. Actually, I think I caught a cold and I'm trying hard to fight it, but when there isn't much heat because the tents lose power in the middle of the night, there's not much you can do. :) I will miss being called "baby," I think. Everyone calls me baby here. It's a cultural thing and it's kinda fun.
More later.
Grace and Peace.
Honestly, I'm very glad I went. I probably won't ever be this close or have such a fun group to go with. It really comes down to who you go with...no joke. :)
In other news, 10 more days here in Biloxi before we head back to Charleston. I've really enjoyed my time here, but I am getting a little weary of the tent. Actually, I think I caught a cold and I'm trying hard to fight it, but when there isn't much heat because the tents lose power in the middle of the night, there's not much you can do. :) I will miss being called "baby," I think. Everyone calls me baby here. It's a cultural thing and it's kinda fun.
More later.
Grace and Peace.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Saying Goodbye
Last night, my Grandma Rosemary went home to heaven.
They waited to take her of the ventilator until I was able to come and say goodbye. I'm so grateful that my team is in Biloxi right now, I might not have had that opportunity otherwise.
My parents and I waited down in the hospital chapel while they took her off the machine that was breathing for her...two nurses and the hospital chaplin were in the room with her. When they took her off the machine, she raised both of her hands, towards heaven, and then gently layed them back down. Then she was gone.
It was like she was reaching out for Jesus.
My Grandmother was a devoted, faithful, compassionate and loving woman. She will be dearly missed by everyone in my family and everyone who knew her.
Thank you for your prayers and encouragement during this difficult time.
Grace and Peace.
They waited to take her of the ventilator until I was able to come and say goodbye. I'm so grateful that my team is in Biloxi right now, I might not have had that opportunity otherwise.
My parents and I waited down in the hospital chapel while they took her off the machine that was breathing for her...two nurses and the hospital chaplin were in the room with her. When they took her off the machine, she raised both of her hands, towards heaven, and then gently layed them back down. Then she was gone.
It was like she was reaching out for Jesus.
My Grandmother was a devoted, faithful, compassionate and loving woman. She will be dearly missed by everyone in my family and everyone who knew her.
Thank you for your prayers and encouragement during this difficult time.
Grace and Peace.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
The end of NCCC
Ever thought about joining AmeriCorps NCCC... well, you probably won't be able to:
Dear Colleagues:
A few minutes ago, the President released his budget request for fiscal year 2007. To continue our vital work to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering, the Administration has requested a FY 2007 budget for the Corporation of $851.5 million.
The proposed budget will enable the Corporation to support 75,000 AmeriCorps members, approximately 500,000 Senior Corps volunteers, and some one million Learn and Serve America participants. In addition, the budget will allow the Corporation's programs to mobilize and manage at least one million community volunteers, bringing to more than 2.5 million the total number of Americans engaged in community service
through our programs.
The President is committed to national service; he is also committed to controlling spending and reducing the deficit. That entails some hard choices for discretionary spending. The budget proposes elimination or significant reduction of 141 programs across the government, including the AmeriCorps*NCCC program within the Corporation for National and Community Service. In the FY 2007 budget, the Corporation has a reduction of 5.4 percent, which adds up to $48.5 million. More than half of that reduction comes from the proposed shut down of AmeriCorps*NCCC.
Our goal with this budget request is to sustain our ability to meet key strategic goals, continue savings through management improvements, and raise our level of service to our partners and grantees. In all of these areas, I believe we succeeded in this proposal.
Here is an overview of the Corporation's 2007 request:
For Senior Corps, this budget requests $217 million, a continuation of the enacted budget for FY 2006. There are no reductions to Senior Corps programs: RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) continues at the FY 06 enacted funding of $59.6 million; the Foster Grandparent Program will continue the 2006 funding of $110 million; and the Senior Companion Program will also hold steady at $46.9 million. The funding will support
more than 1,200 grantees and approximately 500,000 volunteers.
For AmeriCorps Grants and the National Service Trust combined, this budget requests $383.6 million. This level, when combined with the $95.4 million requested for AmeriCorps*VISTA and $13 million carried over from 2006, will support 75,000 members.
For AmeriCorps*NCCC, this budget requests only $4.9 million, which is intended to cover the cost of closing our campuses. This is a difficult decision, given the popularity of the program with our participants and partners, particularly in disaster response. However, the NCCC is costly compared to other AmeriCorps programs and was rated poorly in a recent Federal management assessment. The Corporation is committed to building up the rapid and flexible disaster recovery capacity of the NCCC within the rest of the national service portfolio.
The budget requests $34.1 million for Learn and Serve America, an eight percent decrease from the 2006 enacted budget of $37 million. We expect this budget to support the participation of about 1.2 million students in 1,500 local service-learning programs. In addition, this budget proposes $1.1 million for training and technical assistance, which will go to the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse. We are also proposing new funding of $400,000 for the Students in Service Initiative Support, which will promote the spread of service learning to more schools in America.
In this budget environment, the Corporation will be increasing its focus on management excellence, seeking cost savings and efficiencies wherever possible. In that regard, this request increases the program administration funds, largely for a one-time investment in information technology security upgrades and the consolidation of our administrative service centers, which will unfortunately mean the elimination of some staff positions. We believe, however, that these reforms will allow us to deliver a higher level of service at a lower cost over time.
The release of the President's budget is just the first step in a long journey. Next come appropriations hearings in the House and Senate later this spring, followed by committee mark-ups, floor consideration, conference committees, and more. I pledge to all of you that we will be open, transparent and quick to communicate with you as this situation develops. In that spirit, you will find our entire budget justification posted on the Corporation's website later today, after it is delivered to Congress.
Sincerely,
David Eisner
CEO, Corporation for National and Community Service
My team and others are committed to fighting this decision... we will just have to wait and see what happens.
Dear Colleagues:
A few minutes ago, the President released his budget request for fiscal year 2007. To continue our vital work to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering, the Administration has requested a FY 2007 budget for the Corporation of $851.5 million.
The proposed budget will enable the Corporation to support 75,000 AmeriCorps members, approximately 500,000 Senior Corps volunteers, and some one million Learn and Serve America participants. In addition, the budget will allow the Corporation's programs to mobilize and manage at least one million community volunteers, bringing to more than 2.5 million the total number of Americans engaged in community service
through our programs.
The President is committed to national service; he is also committed to controlling spending and reducing the deficit. That entails some hard choices for discretionary spending. The budget proposes elimination or significant reduction of 141 programs across the government, including the AmeriCorps*NCCC program within the Corporation for National and Community Service. In the FY 2007 budget, the Corporation has a reduction of 5.4 percent, which adds up to $48.5 million. More than half of that reduction comes from the proposed shut down of AmeriCorps*NCCC.
Our goal with this budget request is to sustain our ability to meet key strategic goals, continue savings through management improvements, and raise our level of service to our partners and grantees. In all of these areas, I believe we succeeded in this proposal.
Here is an overview of the Corporation's 2007 request:
For Senior Corps, this budget requests $217 million, a continuation of the enacted budget for FY 2006. There are no reductions to Senior Corps programs: RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) continues at the FY 06 enacted funding of $59.6 million; the Foster Grandparent Program will continue the 2006 funding of $110 million; and the Senior Companion Program will also hold steady at $46.9 million. The funding will support
more than 1,200 grantees and approximately 500,000 volunteers.
For AmeriCorps Grants and the National Service Trust combined, this budget requests $383.6 million. This level, when combined with the $95.4 million requested for AmeriCorps*VISTA and $13 million carried over from 2006, will support 75,000 members.
For AmeriCorps*NCCC, this budget requests only $4.9 million, which is intended to cover the cost of closing our campuses. This is a difficult decision, given the popularity of the program with our participants and partners, particularly in disaster response. However, the NCCC is costly compared to other AmeriCorps programs and was rated poorly in a recent Federal management assessment. The Corporation is committed to building up the rapid and flexible disaster recovery capacity of the NCCC within the rest of the national service portfolio.
The budget requests $34.1 million for Learn and Serve America, an eight percent decrease from the 2006 enacted budget of $37 million. We expect this budget to support the participation of about 1.2 million students in 1,500 local service-learning programs. In addition, this budget proposes $1.1 million for training and technical assistance, which will go to the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse. We are also proposing new funding of $400,000 for the Students in Service Initiative Support, which will promote the spread of service learning to more schools in America.
In this budget environment, the Corporation will be increasing its focus on management excellence, seeking cost savings and efficiencies wherever possible. In that regard, this request increases the program administration funds, largely for a one-time investment in information technology security upgrades and the consolidation of our administrative service centers, which will unfortunately mean the elimination of some staff positions. We believe, however, that these reforms will allow us to deliver a higher level of service at a lower cost over time.
The release of the President's budget is just the first step in a long journey. Next come appropriations hearings in the House and Senate later this spring, followed by committee mark-ups, floor consideration, conference committees, and more. I pledge to all of you that we will be open, transparent and quick to communicate with you as this situation develops. In that spirit, you will find our entire budget justification posted on the Corporation's website later today, after it is delivered to Congress.
Sincerely,
David Eisner
CEO, Corporation for National and Community Service
My team and others are committed to fighting this decision... we will just have to wait and see what happens.
Saturday, January 28, 2006
new place
well, my team got pulled from our assignment in florida and we are currently living in a tent city in biloxi, mississippi. we will be doing disaster relief for the next five weeks, putting our departure back to charleston at march 1. we will be doing a random assortment of jobs including but not limited to case managemnet, construction, food prep and distribution. this area was pretty much destroyed by katrina and i'm sure that it will be a tough and rewarding project.
we are living, as i said before, in a tent city--this literally means tents. picture circus tents with plywood floors, and 34 bunkbeds. we have about 10 port-a-potties and 10 portable showers that we share with anywhere from 200-300 volunteers. it's going to be a stretching experience, but a good one. picture it as an summer camp for adults. :)
continue to keep this area in your prayers. so many people lost everything.
i won't be able to write very often because there is only one computer for everyone here. snail mail is great! :)
grace and peace.
we are living, as i said before, in a tent city--this literally means tents. picture circus tents with plywood floors, and 34 bunkbeds. we have about 10 port-a-potties and 10 portable showers that we share with anywhere from 200-300 volunteers. it's going to be a stretching experience, but a good one. picture it as an summer camp for adults. :)
continue to keep this area in your prayers. so many people lost everything.
i won't be able to write very often because there is only one computer for everyone here. snail mail is great! :)
grace and peace.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
hanging around with habitat
well, so far, we haven't been accomplishing too much with habitat. actually, I take that back--we have been getting things done, we just have too many people for everyone to be doing something. for instance, today we worked on three houses, which may sound like a lot, but when you have 23 people, there just isn't enough work for everyone. what I did today was finish a shingling project that we had started and almost completed yesterday. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty scary being on this roof. the slant was extreme and the gravel from the shingles had a tendency to be slippery...but I conquered my fears and ended up doing a fantastic job (if i do say so myself).
the people we are working with are super nice. there are two people with americorps national direct (look it up on the website if you want more info www.americorps.org) and then an older man who is originally from new jersey (totally has an accent) and has a quite a bit of knowledge that he enjoys sharing with us. good times.
we are hoping to have some more work for us to do starting tomorrow. the reason that we haven't had as much is that the weren't expecting us to accomplish as much as we did in such a short period of time...the beauty of having a large group of people who are committed to "getting it done." tomorrow we are going to be split up into smaller groups and we will be working on three different houses in different stages of constrution. it should b pretty awesome and we will also be working with more regular habitat volunteers (old people that are as cute as can be).
all for now.
grace and peace.
the people we are working with are super nice. there are two people with americorps national direct (look it up on the website if you want more info www.americorps.org) and then an older man who is originally from new jersey (totally has an accent) and has a quite a bit of knowledge that he enjoys sharing with us. good times.
we are hoping to have some more work for us to do starting tomorrow. the reason that we haven't had as much is that the weren't expecting us to accomplish as much as we did in such a short period of time...the beauty of having a large group of people who are committed to "getting it done." tomorrow we are going to be split up into smaller groups and we will be working on three different houses in different stages of constrution. it should b pretty awesome and we will also be working with more regular habitat volunteers (old people that are as cute as can be).
all for now.
grace and peace.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Happy Birthday to Me! he he
It's official... I am 24--yikers!
Last night I went out with some teammates to watch the Patriots v. Bronco's game at the local bar that is 2 mins. away from our apartments. We were the only people our age at the bar--shocking. Welcome to Florida!
When we got back, I was surprised to find my apartment decorated with streamers and balloons--how awesome is my team?
This morning, my roommates made me breakfast and then we watched some Friends gag reels. Also they gave me a crown, earings and a ribbon that says birthday girl. Seriously, I'm wearing it as I type.
Yesterday was our first day of work. We repaired 9 homes that were damaged by Wilma. It was pretty simple work, but some of it took longer than I was expecting. It was a good first day and our work supervisors are super nice.
All for now... I'm off to enjoy my birthday! Yea!
Last night I went out with some teammates to watch the Patriots v. Bronco's game at the local bar that is 2 mins. away from our apartments. We were the only people our age at the bar--shocking. Welcome to Florida!
When we got back, I was surprised to find my apartment decorated with streamers and balloons--how awesome is my team?
This morning, my roommates made me breakfast and then we watched some Friends gag reels. Also they gave me a crown, earings and a ribbon that says birthday girl. Seriously, I'm wearing it as I type.
Yesterday was our first day of work. We repaired 9 homes that were damaged by Wilma. It was pretty simple work, but some of it took longer than I was expecting. It was a good first day and our work supervisors are super nice.
All for now... I'm off to enjoy my birthday! Yea!
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Heading down to Florida..... AGAIN!
Well, tomorrow morning @ 6am, my team and I will be heading down to Florida, again, to begin our six week project with Habitat for Humanity. It won't be a typical project--we will be doing exterior repair for all the homes that were affected by Hurricane Wilma. For those of you who don't know much about Wilma, here's some 411:
Hurricane Wilma Category 5 hurricane
Hurricane Wilma at record intensity southeast of the Yucatán Peninsula on October 19, 2005.
Formed October 15, 2005
Dissipated October 25, 2005
Highest winds 175 mph (280 km/h) sustained
Lowest pressure 882 mbar (hPa) (Lowest pressure ever recorded in an Atlantic hurricane)
Damages $18-22 billion (2005 USD)
Fatalities 28 direct, 32 indirect
Areas affected Jamaica, Haiti, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize, Yucatán Peninsula, Florida, Bahamas, Atlantic Canada
There is a ton of work to be done in the Fort Myers area as it was one of the ares most heavily hit by Wilma. Although Katrina and Rita really caught the nations attention because of so many other contributing factors, there was extensive damage to parts of Florida because of Wilma and unfortunately, not many people are aware of the destruction in that part of the country. I think sometimes the media chooses to focus on the "hot topics"--race and poverty, which are valid and should be discussed. However, there are a lot of people in Florida who have been suffering for a long time because of the storms of the past two years. Whether or not you agree with their choice of residency isn't the point--continue to pray and support (if you can) those who have lost so much to things beyond their control.
In other news, Gold Rush has taken a hit this past weekend. Our teammate, my dear friend, Whitney Petters has left NCCC (personal reasons). She will be missed terribly and it will not be the same without her.
Finally, I am throwing it out there that I will be turning 24 this Sunday. I'm a little freaked out about it (not going to lie). So please, if you remember and decide to give me a shout out, please avoid the following words: old, grandma, senile, history, can't, ancient and the like.... :) I realize that it's not the end of the world, but I'm just a little sensitive!!!!
Grace and Peace
Hurricane Wilma Category 5 hurricane
Hurricane Wilma at record intensity southeast of the Yucatán Peninsula on October 19, 2005.
Formed October 15, 2005
Dissipated October 25, 2005
Highest winds 175 mph (280 km/h) sustained
Lowest pressure 882 mbar (hPa) (Lowest pressure ever recorded in an Atlantic hurricane)
Damages $18-22 billion (2005 USD)
Fatalities 28 direct, 32 indirect
Areas affected Jamaica, Haiti, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize, Yucatán Peninsula, Florida, Bahamas, Atlantic Canada
There is a ton of work to be done in the Fort Myers area as it was one of the ares most heavily hit by Wilma. Although Katrina and Rita really caught the nations attention because of so many other contributing factors, there was extensive damage to parts of Florida because of Wilma and unfortunately, not many people are aware of the destruction in that part of the country. I think sometimes the media chooses to focus on the "hot topics"--race and poverty, which are valid and should be discussed. However, there are a lot of people in Florida who have been suffering for a long time because of the storms of the past two years. Whether or not you agree with their choice of residency isn't the point--continue to pray and support (if you can) those who have lost so much to things beyond their control.
In other news, Gold Rush has taken a hit this past weekend. Our teammate, my dear friend, Whitney Petters has left NCCC (personal reasons). She will be missed terribly and it will not be the same without her.
Finally, I am throwing it out there that I will be turning 24 this Sunday. I'm a little freaked out about it (not going to lie). So please, if you remember and decide to give me a shout out, please avoid the following words: old, grandma, senile, history, can't, ancient and the like.... :) I realize that it's not the end of the world, but I'm just a little sensitive!!!!
Grace and Peace
Friday, January 06, 2006
Back in Chucktown
Hey all! I'm back in somewhat cold Chucktown (Charleston) gearing up for my next project. Yesterday was spent in meetings and today we did a local project with Goodwill--we worked in their PC recovery area. I personally stripped apart computers. I had no idea what anything was, but I was able to place it all in the right bins! :)
Last night, a few of my teammates and I watched the premiere of Dancing with the Stars. It was fantastic! I'm pulling for Jerry Rice--Yup, he's on it! :) Do yourself a favor and watch, you won't regret it! :)
Other than that, I'm just dreading turning 24... I don't know why, but it sounds old (sorry to all my readers who happen to be older than that--I hope you understand!) I think a lot of it is the fact that I don't feel like an adult--I'm still just a kid inside and I don't wanna grow up (I'm a TOYS R US kid...sing along if you know it). Hopefully I'll get over it soon and be able to enjoy my birthday, even if I'm in hot & humid Florida.
All for now, more to come sometime soon!
PS. For all those I was able to see over break--it was AWESOME to see you and thank you for taking the time to hang out with me! Even if if was for a short while, it meant sooooo much to me. You'll never know.
For everyone I wasn't able to see--I miss you! I hope that we can see each other as soon as I get back in June!
Grace and Peace.
Last night, a few of my teammates and I watched the premiere of Dancing with the Stars. It was fantastic! I'm pulling for Jerry Rice--Yup, he's on it! :) Do yourself a favor and watch, you won't regret it! :)
Other than that, I'm just dreading turning 24... I don't know why, but it sounds old (sorry to all my readers who happen to be older than that--I hope you understand!) I think a lot of it is the fact that I don't feel like an adult--I'm still just a kid inside and I don't wanna grow up (I'm a TOYS R US kid...sing along if you know it). Hopefully I'll get over it soon and be able to enjoy my birthday, even if I'm in hot & humid Florida.
All for now, more to come sometime soon!
PS. For all those I was able to see over break--it was AWESOME to see you and thank you for taking the time to hang out with me! Even if if was for a short while, it meant sooooo much to me. You'll never know.
For everyone I wasn't able to see--I miss you! I hope that we can see each other as soon as I get back in June!
Grace and Peace.
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