get to the point, volume xix, issue 8
DESCRIPTION
AmeriCorps NCCC Atlantic Region Newsletter. In this Issue: The Long & Fiery Road, A Feature on the Phoenix 1 Team; Alumni Spotlight on Jennifer Schadd, Class XVIII Corps Member from the Southwest Region; Photo Gallery of the Mayors' Day of Service in Baltimore; Staff & Team Leader Bulletin Board; AmeriStars spotlights on Class XIX Corps Members; What Does a Support Team Leader Do?; Round 2 Team Project MapTRANSCRIPT
GET TO
THE POINT T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E N C C C A T L A N T I C R E G I O N
S A T U R D A Y , M A Y 4 , 2 0 1 3
V O L U M E X I X , I S S U E 8
The Long & Fiery Road The Uncertainty, Excitement & Challenge of A Prescribed Fire
Alumni Spotlight Jennifer Schadd, Corps Member
Class XVIII, Southwest Region
Team Leader Spotlight What does a Support Team
Leader Actually Do?
Photo Gallery Class XIX Serves with Mayors of
Baltimore & San Francisco
MEMBER STATEMENT
I’m a member of the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps
Program. N-Triple-C members are 18 to 24 and spend 10 months getting things
done for America while developing their own leadership. We serve on teams
to help communities prepare for and respond to disasters, build homes, and
help the environment.
To learn more or apply, visit AmeriCorps.gov/NCCC or call 1.800.942.2677
CONTACT THE ATLANTIC REGION COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICE
Sam McKenzie, Community Relations Specialist (CRS)
Phone: 202.528.3755 ● Email: [email protected]
Mona Hillstrand, Assistant Community Relations Specialist (ACRS)
Phone: 202.815.4259 ● Email: [email protected]
Ben Dillon, Community Relations Support Team Leader (CRSTL)
Phone: 443.995.7940 ● Email: [email protected]
Get to the Point is a weekly newsletter edited and designed by Ben Dillon, CRSTL
Facebook.com/NCCCAtlanticRegion
3 Gallery
Class XIX serves alongside mayors of
Baltimore & San Francisco
5 Bulletin Board
Vehicle Safety Tips & ISP Updates
6 Feature
The Long & Fiery Road
A member of Phoenix 1 recounts the
challenge and excitement of the
team’s big burn in Warm Springs, Va.
8 Alumni Spotlight
Jennifer Schadd, Corps Member
Southwest Region, Class XIX
10 AmeriStars
Get to know three Class XIX members
11 Team Green
What does a Support Team Leader
actually do?
12 Round 2 Team Project Map
↑ Top-Left: Raven 3 member Ian Slingsby (left) decorates a Tyvek suit
with expectations for the coming project deployment at a Class XIX
community meeting while his Team Leader Rebeckah Moran
(center) and teammate Max Limeberger (right) look on. Top-Right:
Alex Slater of Buffalo 1 was the winner of the Tyvek fashion show.
← Cover: Phoenix 1 member Natalie Hillmann recounts the team’s
emotions when embarking on their first big prescribed fire. Page 6
ISSUE IN THIS
GET TO THE POINT / MAY 4, 2013 3
GALLERY
Bet Begets Baltimore Beautification A Super Bowl wager between the mayors of Baltimore and San Francisco
resulted in a day of service for Class XIX members and other area
volunteers. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore and Mayor
Edwin Lee of San Francisco served alongside more than 100 Atlantic
Region Corps Members, Team Leaders, and staff members to beautify a
neighborhood park, a community garden, and a Police Station in
Baltimore on Friday, April 26. While addressing the Corps at the event,
Mayor Rawlings-Blake commended members on their dedication to
service and lauded that AmeriCorps is like a Swiss army knife:
dependable, resourceful, and always ready to work when most needed.
4 MAY 4, 2013 / GET TO THE POINT
GALLERY
← Previous Page: Buffalo 1 member Sierra Taylor works alongside
NCCC Director Kate Raftery (top-left) at Franklin Square’s Sunflower
Village in Baltimore. Also pictured: Atlantic Region Corps Members,
Team Leaders, and staff members beautify two other Baltimore sites.
↑ More than 100 Corps Members and Team Leaders converged on the
community garden across from Harlem Park Elementary School in
Baltimore. The Corps worked with the Parks & People Foundation to
install raised garden beds, remove weeds, and paint fencing.
GET TO THE POINT / MAY 4, 2013 5
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more
and become more, you are a leader.”
- John Quincy Adams
Community Relations Support Team Leader “DJ Benny
Ben” Dillon enjoys a newly discovered hula hoop while
working with the Buffalo 4 team in Moonachie, N.J.
One week into Round 2, the
Buffalo Unit has inched ahead of
the Raven Unit with more than one
third of the required Independent
Service Hours completed.
ISP Hours Complete
Buffalo: 35%
Raven: 34%
Moose: 29%
Vehicle Safety Tip Avoid idling. You will surely boost up the lifeline of your
dear van if you do this. When you keep your van in
idle for long periods, oil is not equally distributed to certain
parts of the engine.
BULLETIN BOARD
Raven Unit Support Team Leader Stephanie Ferguson,
center, with her all-sawyer composite team Peter Pan 1
6 MAY 4, 2013 / GET TO THE POINT
FEATURE
“Go pack,”
Steve says, and a wave of excitement runs through the
team as we practically fly back to the trucks to return to
our housing. The excitement of a possible road trip sends
the team whirling. Suddenly we work together seamlessly,
getting the trucks, housing and ourselves ready to leave for
up to a week. There is a buzz of excess energy in the air.
Everything comes to a halt at 11 o’clock. We’re all
packed up and ready to make the four-and-half hour jour-
ney to Warm Springs, Va. That’s when we remember that
it won’t be another two hours until we find out if we’re
actually going. Fire is funny like that.
We slink back into our chairs, trying not to get too ex-
cited just in case it doesn’t happen. It’s a rare moment of
the round when the team actually has energy and nothing
to do. All dressed up and ready to wait. Half of us fall
asleep sitting up while the other half plays games.
We finally get the call and, in another wave of energy, I
am almost forgotten. Bridget bursts into our room to give
me the news. I run out to the truck with my boots unlaced
The Long & Fiery Road
by Natalie Hillmann, Phoenix 1
“I pushed myself to somewhere
new, which is one of the reasons I wanted to be a
Phoenix.”
GET TO THE POINT / MAY 4, 2013 7
FEATURE
and we’re on the move. For a multitude of rea-
sons we have an exorbitant amount of our
food budget left over, so we’re living the good
life when we stop to buy lunch supplies—
protein bars for everyone.
Hours of driving later, we make our stop
for dinner, a buffet. (With firefighters, Steve
says, it’s always good to have a buffet.) After
promising Steve not to tell Dernard about the
roads we’re about to take the trucks on, we
leave for the last leg of the journey.
At first, the roads don’t seem as bad as we
imagined. However, as we wind our way up
the mountainside, we discover what Steve was
warning us about. The two paved lanes turn
into a bumpy dirt road and, as I peer over the
edge, I thank God that Owen is the one driv-
ing the truck I’m in.
When we get to Trapper’s Lodge, it’s exact-
ly what we had all imagined coming into this
round: a lot of men in the woods, wearing
flannel and headlamps, playing cards and
shooting the breeze. We are given a warning
as we unroll our sleeping bags: if we fall asleep
with peanut butter on our lips, we’ll wake up
with no lips.
Most of us bunk up on the porch, and be-
cause there isn’t a lot of room, I get the bril-
liant idea to sleep on a picnic table. I toss a
turn in a calculated fashion as I try not to fall
off said picnic table and wait for my 5:15 a.m.
wake up call. Before my alarm has a chance to
go off, I’m already up, packing my gear and
making my way to the peanut butter and jelly
factory that has started on one of the adjacent
picnic tables.
We have an hour drive down the mountain
to our burn location. When we arrive, one of
the crew bosses comes over and welcomes us.
He points to the mountain along the horizon
and says, “See that? That’s what we’re burning
today.” The enormity of it sinks in. Five hun-
dred acres. This is, by far, the largest burn
we’ve ever been a part of. After briefing, with
our packs full of snacks and water and tools in
hand, we begin the steep journey up the
mountain.
The next hour was one of the most physi-
cally challenging in my life. Think of the pack
test as a relaxing warm up to burning in the
mountains. I was reminding myself about eve-
ry five minutes that I asked for a challenge.
Pushing myself to keep moving as I’m getting
acclimated to the altitude, I barely glance at
what’s ahead. Oh, did I mention it’s already
80 degrees?
When I finally get to Drop Point 10, Owen
doesn’t even look winded. It doesn’t bother
me, though. The fact that it was difficult
means I pushed myself to somewhere new,
which is one of the reasons I wanted to be a
Phoenix.
↓ Phoenix 1 firefighter
Natalie Hillmann uses
a drip torch to ignite
the prescribed fire at
Cobbler Mountain
while her teammates
follow behind to
monitor the fire’s
activity and prevent
any spotting. Owen
Wolfe and Chris May
(at right) use water to
suppress a spot fire at
the Jarman Gap
prescribed burn in
Shenandoah
National Park.
8 MAY 4, 2013 / GET TO THE POINT
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Why did you join NCCC?
I had just graduated from college
with a degree in English and History
and suddenly faced the “humanities
conundrum,” what am I going to do
with my life?!
Looking to learn more about my-
self and find a life direction, I sought
out opportunities that would allow
me to travel and simultaneously
provide something to my communi-
ty. I looked into the Peace Corps but
made the decision that I wasn’t
comfortable with leaving my home
for a time period as long as 27
months, so when I stumbled upon
NCCC I found the program to be the
perfect fit!
What skills did you gain?
Taking an efficient coin-
operated shower in 8 minutes or
less followed by a frenzied post-
shower walk/gallop/hop
through the snow to the waiting
van.
Successfully feeding a bison
herd.
Firefighter Recruit (S-130),
Wildland Fire Behavior (S-190),
Incident Command System, Fire
Chainsaw (S-212). I learned how
to build fire line, clean and use a
chainsaw, and haul and chip
brush. I also learned the value of
a lunchtime power nap and con-
stant hydration!
Installation of vinyl AND clap-
board siding—even in rain,
snow, and sleet—though I don’t
recommend it.
How to change a tire!
How to successfully pack 10
books in my red bag but manage
to forget my coveralls and rain
gear.
How to pitch a Girl Scout tent.
How to get eight people and all
of their gear into the van in less
than 10 minutes at the end of a
work day.
How to explain AmeriCorps
NCCC in 60 seconds or less.
What was your favorite
experience in the Corps?
My team spent our second round in
Joplin, Mo. working with Rebuild
Joplin on various disaster recovery
projects. We had the opportunity to
help rescue medical supplies from a
local hospital that had been de-
stroyed during the tornado. The en-
tire building had been lifted up off of
its foundation more than 6 months
prior, and had only recently been
certified as safe to enter. Everything
inside lay mostly untouched since
the day of the storm.
It was quite eerie to see the juxta-
position between a wall of shattered
glass windows dripping with rain
and splattered with dirt and a near-
by untouched storage closet with all
the items clean and intact. My team
(Earth 4) along with another NCCC
team (Sun 6) and a few local com-
JENNIFER SCHADD
SOUTHWEST REGION
CLASS XVIII
INTERVIEW BY RAVEN 5
GET TO THE POINT / MAY 4, 2013 9
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
munity leaders spent an exhausting
day removing salvable medical sup-
plies, furniture, and office supplies
from the building. The hospital was
without power and my fellow Corps
Members and I used head lamps to
navigate our way though the many
floors of damages.
The experience was surreal, and
feels that way even now. I am proud
that we were able to rescue millions
of dollars worth of sterile supplies
that were sent to be used abroad. It
was one of my most physically and
emotionally exhausting days as a
corps member, but also one of the
most meaningful.
What was your most exciting
round with your team?
My team’s first-round project was
working with Denver Mountain
Parks in Morrison, Colo. Our main
project was to help restore one of
the last remaining Civilian Conser-
vation Corps (CCC) camps created
after the Great Depression to put
unemployed men back to work. This
program is actually a distant rela-
tion to NCCC!
I really enjoyed working with the
park system and having the oppor-
tunity to work at multiple outdoor
“sites.” We “got things done” every-
where from Red Rocks Amphithea-
tre to Buffalo Bill’s Grave. As a spe-
cial treat, we were given the chance
to clean litter out of the, now locked,
caves at Red Rocks.
It was an ideal project in my
opinion, to spend every day out-
doors, and that didn’t stop at the
end of the work day. My team en-
joyed group hikes for PT every day
and got to see beautiful scenery and
friendly critters. I loved the park
system, the men we worked with,
and couldn’t have asked for a better
first project!
How did your time as a Corps
Member impact your life?
After my year in NCCC, I had come
a little closer to identifying a few
professional goals. My interests
pointed me towards Higher Educa-
tion and I began to look for a way to
connect this field with civic engage-
ment. Along came an AmeriCorps
VISTA position that fit like a glove. I
applied for and was hired as the
AmeriCorps VISTA in the Office of
Service-Learning at Gannon Univer-
sity in Erie, Pa. where I am currently
finishing my year of service.
The position is part of a collabo-
rative project called Lake Effect
Leaders which is made up of four
colleges and 12 non-profit organiza-
tions in the region. It was the di-
verse experiences that I had in
NCCC that made my resume stand
out. Not only did my projects pro-
vide the extra “wow factor” that my
supervisor was looking for, but they
provided me with endless stories to
tell during the interview.
I plan to complete another year
with AmeriCorps VISTA after which
I will apply for graduate school for
programs in Higher Education Ad-
ministration. I am so grateful to
AmeriCorps for giving my amazing
learning opportunities and intro-
ducing me to wonderful friends with
shared value of community service.
Can you give Class XIX some
advice for the service year?
This year will be one of the most
difficult of your life, but also one of
the most rewarding. I had moments
throughout the experience when I
began to doubt myself, feel worn
down, or question the entire pro-
gram. Despite these moments of
doubt, I stuck with it. I am so glad
that I did.
They say that hindsight is 20/20
and I still am trying to comprehend
just how much those 10 months of
service changed me. In your mo-
ments of doubt (you will have
them), try to remind yourself (and
your team) just how strong you are!
10 MAY 4, 2013 / GET TO THE POINT
AMERISTARS
MARIAH ‘VALENTINE’ HOKE
STONE MOUNTAIN, GA • BUFFALO 4
What are you going to do after AmeriCorps?
I am going to join the Marines. Hoooaah!
What fictional character do you relate to most?
Naruto. Even when people doubt him and misjudge him, he still fights and defends
them.
What is your biggest fear?
Falling off a bunk bed.
LIZ GRIFFIN
RANCHO CORDOVA, CA • MOOSE 4
What is one thing you want?
I want to travel to Alaska to see the Northern Lights.
Tell us a secret about yourself.
I love playing Bingo! I usually play every Friday with my best friend.
What is something you will never forget?
I will never forget my best friends and memories back in FEMA Corps. But in traditional
Corps, I will never forget how blessed I am to have such an amazing, caring team!
IAN SLINGSBY
SEATTLE, WA • RAVEN 3
If you could travel anywhere for free, where would you go?
I would go to the first planet other than Earth that could sustain life. If I had to stay on
Earth, though, I would start my adventure in Greece, due to my fascination with it.
If you had a superpower, what would it be and why?
I would want the power of teleportation, so I could be anywhere at any time.
What is something you will never forget?
I will never forget my mistakes for they have made me who I am.
GET TO THE POINT / MAY 4, 2013 11
TEAM GREEN
What Does A Support Team Leader Do? Amidst many discussion items in meetings
with the Region Director over Round 2
transition, Community Council
Representatives expressed the Corps’
general bewilderment about one thing:
What does a Support Team Leader
actually do at the Perry Point campus?
The answer: A lot of things. To diffuse
some of the mystery, the next few issues
of Get to the Point will feature profiles on
Support Team Leaders that explain how
and why they do what they do.
General Duties of all Support Team Leaders (STLs):
Lead a team in the field for at least 3 weeks and
up to the remainder of the year. Leadership of a
team could be related to assuming the duties of
a Field Team Leader (FTL). STLs may be tasked to
replace or substitute for an existing FTL or lead a
Composite Team formed to serve a special
project or respond to disaster services activities. If
they are not tasked with one of the above, they
will lead a team on a regularly scheduled
project.
Assist in the deployment of teams and/or
individual members to/from spike locations,
including driving support vehicles.
Facilitate communication with teams by sorting
Corps mail and distributing campus information
such as campus newsletters.
Assist teams in coordinating and carrying out
logistical support for their service in the field.
In conjunction with other STLs, run a Sick Call
shuttle to assist campus-based Corps Members
(CMs) to obtain medical care.
Attend team briefings and debriefings as
schedules permit.
Attend campus meetings and serve on
committees as appropriate.
EMILY TIFFANY
MOOSE UNIT SUPPORT TEAM LEADER
What are your additional responsibilities as the Moose Unit STL?
I assist with the training, preparation and deployment of Phoenix
firefighter teams and all sawyers in the Corps. For every Moose and
Phoenix team, I ensure that all documentation is received, act as a
liaison between staff members and the Corps, assist with travel logistics,
disseminate information to FTLs, and carry out various other tasks as
assigned by the Moose Unit Leader (Jason).
What is a typical day like for you?
As any STL would say, there is no “typical day.” Although we hold
regular office hours between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., I am on-call 24/7,
just as any FTL. I might catch up on office work in the morning, shuttle
Corps Members in the afternoon, go grocery shopping in the evening,
and answer questions for FTLs via text all the while.
Why did you want to be an STL?
I would like to work as a firefighter after AmeriCorps. Serving as the
Phoenix STL allows me to continue gaining firefighting experience
throughout the year, which is something I couldn’t do as a FTL. I also
built good rapport with Jason as a Phoenix composite TL last year.
Why are STLs important?
Staff members can’t do everything. FTLs
often have small questions or concerns that
we can address, and we can work during
odd hours of the day, unlike staff members.
We also provide peer support to the FTLs in
a way that staff may not be able to.
What is your favorite part your position?
Seeing the excitement of new firefighters
and possibly getting to work on a
prescribed fire alongside them.
For Round 2, Class XIX teams are slated to complete 21
projects across 10 states. Seven teams will continue
hurricane recovery efforts in New Jersey, New York,
Rhode Island, and Vermont. Five teams will focus on
environmental stewardship in recreational
camps and conservation areas in
five different states. Four teams
will help better develop low
-income urban
communities through
housing and
facilities
improvements.
Lastly, one team will
improve energy
efficiency of homes
and another will
improve facilities
for youth
programs.
Where in the Atlantic Region Are They? Round 2, Week 1
BUFFALO 1
Bath, Me.
Habitat for Humanity – 7 Rivers
Energy Efficiency
BUFFALO 3
Wells, Me.
Wells NERR
Environmental Stewardship
BUFFALO 4
Hackensack, N.J.
Volunteer Center of Bergen County
Disaster Recovery
MOOSE 1
New York, N.Y.
St. Bernard Project
Disaster Recovery
MOOSE 2
Edgartown, Mass.
MA Audubon Society – Felix Neck
Environmental Stewardship
MOOSE 3
York, Pa.
Habitat for Humanity – York
Urban & Rural Development
D.C.
MOOSE 4
Claryville, N.Y.
Frost Valley YMCA
Environmental Stewardship
MOOSE 5
Brattleboro, Vt.
SerVermont
Disaster Recovery
PATRIOT 1
Braintree, Mass.
Cardinal Cushing Centers
Urban & Rural Development
PETER PAN 1
Galway, N.Y.
Girl Scouts of Northeastern N.Y.
Environmental Stewardship
PHOENIX 2
Suffolk, Va.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Disaster Response
RAVEN 1
Middletown, De.
Boys & Girls Club of Delaware
Infrastructure Improvement
RAVEN 2
Edgartown, Mass.
The Farm Institute
Environmental Stewardship
RAVEN 3
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Rebuilding Together – Pittsburgh
Urban & Rural Development
RAVEN 4
Tabernacle, N.J.
Jersey Cares
Disaster Recovery
RAVEN 5
New York, N.Y.
New York Cares
Disaster Recovery
MAINE
VERMONT
NEW YORK
NEW HAMPSHIRE
MASSACHUSETTS
CONN. R.I.
PENNSYLVANIA
MARYLAND
VIRGINIA
WEST
VIRGINIA
NEW
JERSEY
DELAWARE