"I'm a member of the National Civilian Community Corps, a federally funded AmeriCorps program. N-triple-C members are 18-24 years old and spend 10 months serving our nation while developing leadership skills. We serve on teams to help communities in the 5 main areas of urban/rural development, infrastructure, environmental stewardship, education, and disaster relief. For our service we are provided food, housing, a living stipend, and an education award. To find out more visit www.americorps.gov."
What that little speech doesn't say is that as an AmeriCorps NCCC member, you'll be on a team of 8-12 other people that you'll spend 10 months living together, learning together, and getting to know each other. After the first few weeks together, eating, driving, working, sleeping, and exercising together, you end up knowing a lot more about your team members that you would have thought. In the end, your "team" will become a "family", and they'll be your biggest support to make it through things you couldn't go through alone.
Throughout the 10 months, we will complete 4 separate project rounds. The projects vary from spending your time at a Boys and Girls club tutoring and playing with children to putting up the walls of a house in one day with Habitat for Humanity. Each project is different in its own way, and the amount of information you learn throughout the 10 months is outstanding as well as life-changing.
Throughout our 10 months of service you will have the opportunity to meet, interact with, and impact so many different lives. From various project sponsors to community members in need of help, everyone has experience and wisdom to share. You can take these 10 months to give everything you never thought you were capable of, your time, your different talents, and an act of kindness that is appreciated every day. You get to learn about others, as well as learn about yourself.
After a month of training, we all took a pledge:
The AmeriCorps Pledge:
"We will get things done for America-
to make our people safer,
smarter, and healthier.
We will bring Americans together
to strengthen our communities.
Faced with apathy,
We will take action.
Faced with conflict,
We will seek common ground.
Faced with adversity,
We will persevere.
We will carry this commitment
with us this year and beyond.
We are AmeriCorps members,
and we will get things done!"
This is a life-changing commitment that will change our lives for the better. At the end of the day we can think and reflect about the work we have done, and know that the communities we have helped with are thankful for the commitment we have taken on.
