InsideRemembering Reid Huffman20A and 20B Locations & ProjectsUpcoming Dates & DeadlinesFarewell to Three Staff MembersSpotlights on our teamsA Walk Down Memory LaneA New Kind of Leave Your Mark

AmeriCorps NCCCSouthwest Region

3001 S. Federal Blvd.Walsh Hall, Room 136

Denver, CO 80236303-844-7400

ncccsouthwest@cns.gov

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20A Graduationp. 9

A Note From the Region DirectorSince the last issue of The Traveler was re-leased, the Southwest Campus community has ridden a rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows.

Class 20A continues to be one that impresses and inspires. From building numerous homes for Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the southwest to generating nearly $10 million in savings on tax returns for low-income fami-lies, Class 20A is strong. They are in ‘shuffle round’ at present, with a late July gradua-tion date soon to be visible on the horizon. Class 20B, our 2nd FEMA Corps class, started their Round 1 assignments March 18 and is building a more stable foundation thanks to their class 19B predecessors and our FEMA Corps-focused staff on Campus. Our op-portunities to make a difference and to get things done are alive and well. There is much to celebrate.

However, we are also rebuilding and recov-ering. In the early morning hours of March 9th, Class 20A Corps Member Reid Huffman was hit and killed by a drunk driver on Fed-eral Boulevard while crossing the street to the campus. Reid’s loss marks the third time in 20 years the Southwest Campus has lost a member during their service. The 9:30 a.m. Community Meeting we pulled together on the morning of the 9th to inform the 270 members of Class 20A of Reid’s passing was the second most difficult thing I’ve undertak-en since coming on board as Region Director in 2012. The most difficult was the 6:00 a.m. phone call to Reid’s family.

As with many tragedies however, renewed focus has marked the weeks since Reid’s passing. Thanks to Reid’s family, the South-west Community has been grounded in a commitment to honor Reid through doing what he was loving to do…serving others. Reid came to NCCC as an Eagle Scout, someone who had already had a service filled life, despite only being 19 years old. Reid’s family has asked all of those asso-

ciated with AmeriCorps NCCC, as well as those who have a personal or professional connection to Reid, to honor his life by “carrying his load” in doing the necessary service to address the needs of our country and our communi-ties. Whether it is repairing a few extra feet of trail, finding a slightly deeper reserve of patience for the 3rd grader you’re tutoring or put-ting a few extra boards on the house we’re building, Reid’s family’s message is one that renewed an already strong spirit of service for the Southwest Campus community. It has allowed us to look down the road at what we can do, instead of looking in the rearview mirror at what has gone by.

It is a message we hope you will join us in delivering on.

Whether you’re an NCCC alum, a project sponsor, former staff member or a family member of someone who has, or is, serving in NCCC…the opportunity to join us in doing a little something extra for the benefit of others in Reid Huffman’s memory is yours.

Please join us.

As NCCC reminds me every day, when we do things as a team, the impact can be truly transformational.

Best wishes from Denver,

Ken Goodson

Partnering to HelpFamilies In Need

During Round 2, four teams prepared tax returns for low-income individuals. Altogether, the four teams filed 5,702 tax returns for a total of $9,283,903 in sav-ings. The average saving for each individual assisted was $1,628. An additional team, Water 8, continued this work for the first five weeks of Round 3 with Next Steps Kansas City.

Each of the teams were certified by the IRS to pro-vide basic tax return help and spent two months filing taxes. The Round 2 teams, Fire 7, Sun 2, Water 4, and Water 7, were deployed in Missouri, Texas, and Colo-rado.

Aliona Mikhed, the Team Leader for Sun 2, worked with Next Steps Kansas City, a conglomeration of local businesses, educational and financial institutions, government agencies, and non-profits, in Kansas City, Mo. The NCCC team worked with the IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA program.

The VITA program offers free tax help to individuals who make less than $50,000 per year. Volunteers assist individuals by informing them of tax credits they may be unaware of, and physically assisting in filing returns.

“My team and I worked directly with clients to pre-pare their taxes,” said Mikhed. “We had them take an eligibility survey, sort out all necessary documents, and then had them answer several questions in person.”

The NCCC teams involved with tax preparation have

a huge impact on the areas and organiza-tions they work with.

“The work was ex-tremely meaningful because without [the

client’s] tax return money, many

would be un-

able to purchase food, pay rent, and handle medical expenses, among other vital purchases,” said Mikhed. “From hugs to tears of joy to high fives, it always put a smile on our faces to know that we made a positive impact on their lives.”

2014 Sponsors Assisting in Tax PreparationUniversity of Missouri Extension Click for videoKansas City, MO

Next Steps Kansas City Kansas City, MO

North Texas Area United WayWichita Falls, TX

Piton FoundationDenver, CO

2014 Accomplishments5,702 tax returns completed and filed$9,283,903 in savings Approximately $1,628 saved per tax return

Class 20ARound 3 Projects: March 17-May 9, 2014

COLORADO

Castro Elementary SchoolDenver, Water 4

Denver Green SchoolDenver, Sun 7

Westwood UnidosDenver, Fire 1

City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain ParksDenver, Fire 8

West Generation AcademyDenver, Earth 3

Rocky Moun-tain Field InstituteColorado Springs, Water 3

Wildland Restoration VolunteersBoulder, Earth 1

Mountain Valley SchoolsSaguache, Fire 7

Arapahoe Roosevelt National ForestFort Collins, Sun 3

Arapahoe Roosevelt National ForestNederland, Fire 4

ARIZONA

James 4-H CampPrescott Valley, Sun 9

American Conservation ExperienceFlagstaff, Sun 8

University of Arizona Cooperative ExtensionNogales, Fire 9

Arizona State ParksVarious Locations, Sun 2

Crown King Fire DistrictCrown King, Earth 8

NEW MEXICO

Boys & Girls Club of FarmingtonFarmington, Earth 4

BLM: Roswell Field OfficeFort Stanton, Fire 6

Western Hardrock Watershed TeamVarious Locations, CO & NM, Water 2

TEXAS

Mission: Border HopeEagle Pass, Earth 2

San Antonio Habitat for HumanitySan Antonio, Earth 7

Houston Parks and RecreationHouston, Water 7

Camp Fire First TexasGranbury, Water 6

OKLAHOMA

Central Okla. Habitat for HumanityOklahoma City, Water 1

MISSOURI

St. Louis County ParksGlencoe, Earth 9

Next Steps Kansas City and Mark Twain National ForestKansas City and Doniphan, Wa-ter 8

KANSAS

Wichita Habitat for HumanityWichita, Sun 6

Perry State ParkOzawkie, Fire 2

ARKANSAS

City of Little RockLittle Rock, Sun 5

There are currently close to 50 million people living under the poverty line in the United States. Sun 6, in partnership with Wichita Habitat for Humanity, is trying to give some of these people a step up.

Sun 6 is spending Round 3, which runs from March 17 through May 7, in Wichita, Kan., where they are working to provide affordable housing for a low-income community.

Wichita Habitat for Humanity (WHFH) has built 162 homes and placed 200 families in housing since their inception in 1986. Sun 6 is assisting in the construction of several new homes while they are in Kansas. Habitat for Humanity relies on the efforts of volunteers to build homes, and the NCCC team is providing a consistent group of workers for the two months of their project. With only two full time construction man-agers on staff, WHFH quickly put Sun 6 to work.

Roofing and shingling, hanging siding and sheetrock, painting, and the use of power tools may not have been among the skills of the nine members of Sun 6 when they arrived, but within the first two weeks of the project the team has had the opportunity to do all of these tasks. Before they leave the team will have the opportunity to do much more, including framing and standing walls and trusses.

Not only is the team working with WHFH staff and volunteers, but they will work side by side with the future homeowners, who must fulfill 400 hours of “sweat equity” to be eligible for a Habitat for Human-ity home. Instead of working for a faceless individual, Sun 6 is getting the chance to meet the people

whose homes they are building and hear their stories.

While in Wichita, Sun 6 is living in the middle of a neigh-borhood built by Habitat, giving the team the oppor-tunity to meet and live among people who WHFH serves.

Round 3 Project Spotlight

Submitted by Team Leader Josh Ernst

Our History with WHFHSince 1999, the Denver campus has served Wichita Habitat for Humanity on two other projects. During that time:

• 4 new homes were built

• 2 more homes were painted or renovated

• 4 acres were landscaped

Impact with Habitat for

Since 1999, the Denver campus has served Habitat for Humanity on 103 projects. During that time:

• 809 homes were built

• 599 buildings (homes, apartments, etc.) were painted or renovated

• 219 homes were weatherized

Humanity in the Southwest Region

For their first project, Tundra 2 has been assigned a digital mapping project in Denver helping with the flood recovery in Boulder County. Members have been trained to use Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping technology to show trends of land changes from the Fall 2013 flooding in the area.

In the first two weeks, the team has completed 33 maps, which include aggregrated precipitation maps to monitor areas for potential flooding, digi-tize contour maps of streams, and analyze environ-mental and historic preservation project sites. “This is very interesting work for my future career field. This will definitely contribute to my professional develop-ment,” says Corps Member Kenzie Abraham.

The team also worked with other FEMA Corps teams and traditional NCCC teams on an independent service project at the Big Thompson River Restoration Project in Loveland, CO.

Round 1 Project SpotlightTundra 2 Assisting in Flood Recovery

FEMA Corps Induction

Tony Russell, Acting Re-gional Administrator for FEMA Region 8, recount-ed the accomplishments of prior “FEMA Corps ninjas” and wished this Corps well as they start their term of service.

On March 6, the NCCC South-west Region inducted over 150 FEMA Corps Members into our family of service. Our 15 teams and six Support Team Leaders are supporting FEMA Joint Field Offices, National Processing Ser-vice Centers, and FEMA Region-al Field Offices throughout the United States.

Corps Mem-bers being sworn in as part of Class XX-B.

Class 20BRound 1 Projects: March 18-May 23, 2014

COLORADOAlpine 3 – Centennial: Joint Field Office: Preparing project worksheets, conducting site inspec-tions and documenting eligible damages for recovery from severe flooding Fall 2013.

Glacier 3 – Centen-nial: Joint Field Office: Compiling resources guide, performing outreach to com-munity partners, and project tracking in recovery from severe flooding Fall 2013.

Tundra 2 – Centennial:Joint Field Office: Collecting and consolidating data to update trend charts; researching and recording damages in hardest-hit CO com-munities in GIS mapping systems.

Tundra 5 – Centennial:Joint Field Office: Support staging, inventory management, trans-port-ation terminal management, and JFO development in response to the Colorado flooding.

Alpine 4 & Glacier 4 – Denver: Region 8 Field Office: Working on various short-term projects with the Individual Assistance Branch, the External Affairs Branch, the National Preparedness Division.

Glacier 1 – Golden: (Starting March 31) – Region 8 Field Office: Participating in FEMA Con-nect Pilot Cohort, delivering pre-paredness workshops and strength-ening the program.

NEW YORKAlpine 1 - New York City: Region 2 Field Office: Enhancing emergency preparedness through GIS information

Tundra 1 - Forest Hills:Joint Field Office: Participating in FEMA Con-nect Pilot Cohort, delivering preparedness workshops and strengthening the program.

VIRGINIAWinchester, Glacier 5Disaster Information Systems Clear-inghouse - Assisting staff to effectively plan, manage, and sustain national logistics response and recovery oper-ations, in support of domestic emer-gencies and special events.

GEORGIAGlacier 2 – Atlanta: Region 4 Field Office - Providing research, development, and GIS mapping development in support of multiple program offices

OKLAHOMAAlpine 2 & Tundra 3 – Moore(Starting April 4) Closeout Center for 2013 severe storms and tornadoes: Participating in FEMA Connect Pilot Cohort, delivering preparedness workshops

TEXASAlpine 5 & Tundra 4 - DentonNational Processing Service Center - Assisting clients with their cases in NEMIS, participating in client informa-tion collection, and matching FEMA programs to individual unmet needs.

CALIFORNIAGlacier 1 - San Luis Obispo(Through March 27) - Facilitating a number of preparedness activities at FEMA Corps Academy (FCA)

A Fond Farewell

Vicky Reinold Vince JacksonVicky Reinold, Vince Jackson, and Angela Young will sadly be leaving the NCCC Southwest Region this spring. We will miss their dedication to service and commitment to developing leaders and serving communities.

Vicky has worked at the Southwest Region for 10 years, serving as a Service Learning Coordi-nator and an Assistant Program Director during her tenure, as well as a Class IV Corps Mem-ber. Vicky has forged important new partnerships and strengthened existing partnerships to be able to provide projects that help communities fulfill their needs and help develop our Corps Members.

Vince joined the staff in January 2013 with the influx of new staff supporting FEMA Corps as the Glacier Unit Leader. His demonstration of leadership was emphasized while undertaking NCCC’s expansion through a large new track of FEMA Corps programming.

Angela joined the staff in June 2012 as a Program Associate before transitioning to the Tun-dra Unit Leader in January 2013. Angela served as a NCCC Team Leader on the Southwest campus during Classes XV and XVI. In her time with NCCC, Angela brought fun and commit-ment to service to life, keeping staff and Corps Member entertained and happy.

Thank You and Good Luck, Vicky, Vince and Angela!

Angela Young

And A Warm WelcomeIn May, the NCCC Southwest Region will welcome Shawn Shul-ze, our new Deputy Region Director for Operations. Shawn grew up in Texas, where he attended college and later earned his Master’s Degree in Finance. He is a retired Army veteran, where he served as a Finance Officer and most recently comes to NCCC from the Science and Technology Directorate for NORAD and US Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colo-rado, where he served as Deputy Operations Manager for the Mission Assurance, Threat Alert, Disaster Resiliency and Response Project. Shawn has been married for more than 22 years to his wife Tricia and they have two children.

Click below to see the new outreach video about FEMA Corps: “Making a Difference When It Matters Most.”

In case you missed itTake a walk down memory lane with us. Check out the video showcasing 20 years of memories at the Southwest Region campus in Denver.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=680886608621520&set=vb.232486053461580&type=3&theater

A New FEMA Corps Video

Memory LaneA Celebration of 20 Years

on the Denver Campus

Class 20-A

Red Rocks AmphitheatreTuesday, July 29, 2014

9:00 a.m.

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

Alumni Engagement Opportunities

Volunteer with TeamsThere are opportunities each round to volunteer with a team on their ser-vice projects or during independent service projects that members develop or sign up for. Come by yourself or with co-workers, fami-ly, or friends! Contact Heather (303-844-7420) or check out our Face-book page each round for spike locations.

Recruit New MembersWe can use all the help we can get with recruit-ment, especially now that we are looking for twice as many members with the addition of FEMA Corps. We’ll get you up to speed on the current talking points, send you recruitment materials, and can find and register you to attend recruitment fairs. Contact Rachel (303-844-7438) for more information.

Spread the WordThe measure of our effectiveness can be amplified with your help! If you see or hear some-one talking about the impact or use-fulness of NCCC, we’d like to know about it! Our main campus email is ncccsouthwest@cns.gov. We also encourage you to spread the word about NCCC at conferences, with colleagues and friends, and other appropriate plac-es. Thanks!

Develop Project IdeasIf you work for a nonprofit or government agency or know someone who does and could use the brawn and ability to get things done that an NCCC team offers, please let us know! We are always looking for fresh and meaningful project ideas. Contact Dana (KS, MO, NM), Crys-tal (OK, TX), or Chris (AZ, AR, CO) for more infor-mation.

Do you find yourself lying awake at night wondering how you could re-live your days in NCCC? Well the next best thing is here! Stay involved with the NCCC Southwest Region campus by helping us in one of the following ways.

Live outside of the Southwest Region?The regional campus in your area would love to hear from you! For Atlantic and Southern, contact Kevin. For North Central, contact Angela. For Pacific, contact Sandra.

April 7-26: Follow and share our “20 Ways AmeriCorps Helps the Earth” blog series on Tumblr.

May 19-July 16- Round 4 projects for Traditional NCCC teams

June 10-August 1- Round 2 projects for FEMA Corps teams

July 11- Project Concept Form due for hosting an NCCC team during November and De-cember, 2014

July 29, 2014- Class 20A Graduation at Red Rocks, 9am

August 1- Project Application due for hosting an NCCC team during November and De-cember, 2014

September 1, 2014- Team Leader application deadline to serve Winter 2015

October 1, 2014- Corps Member application deadline to serve Winter 2015

November 20, 2014- Class 20B Graduation

Connect with other Alumni in the Southwest RegionIf you would like to keep in touch and hear about gatherings with other alumni in the Southwest Region, contact the Alumni Leadership Council at nccc.sw.alc@gmail.com