AmeriCorps serves community with NCO, Hope City
LAKE COUNTY >> The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps team is currently working on rebuilding homes damaged by fires, distributing food through food drives, collecting donated furniture to refurbish homes, and assisting in training and outreach within the community. The work officially started earlier this month and the service project goes until November 22 in Middletown and Lower Lake.
North Coast Opportunities’ mission is to develop and provide services to strengthen communities, one person at a time. Hope City’s mission is to serve individuals, families, and communities impacted by disasters in the US. AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is a full-time, 10-month, residential, national service program in which 2,100 young adults — 18 to 26 years old — serve nationwide each year. The Pacific Region campus in Sacramento, California, is one of four regional campuses. The other campuses are in
Vicksburg, Mississippi; Aurora, Colorado; and Vinton, Iowa.
“Here we are, splitting our time working on projects with both North Coast Opportunities and Hope City. With North Coast Opportunities, we are currently focusing our efforts on working with Redwood Empire Food Bank assisting them at their distribution sites with traffic control, handing out food, and helping to distribute Listos Materials such as the disaster readiness guide,” said one of the Americorps members, Aidan Setlock, who works as the VST (Vehicle/Safety/Tools) person for the program. “When
we are working with Hope City, we are helping them to build houses as well as other buildings of use to the community.”
In exchange for their service, members receive $6,195 to help to pay for college or to pay back existing student loans. Other benefits include a small living allowance, room and board, leadership development, increased self-confidence and the knowledge that, through active citizenship, people can indeed make a difference. AmeriCorps NCCC is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. More information can be found at www. americorps.gov/nccc.
According the Media Relations representative for the project, Rowan Dickson, “Americorps NCCC
has spent the first full work week in Middletown assisting in putting the finishing touches on completed houses by Hope City and North Coast Opportunities, alongside assisting in food drives in association with NCO. We also assisted in the Rainbow Bridge dedication ceremony (in Cobb) helping provide locals in that area with knowledge regarding disaster preparedness steps, and informing them of a new Alert System for Lake County.”
“The work AmeriCorps NCCC teams do varies based where teams are sent and what the sponsors have requested for them to do. But we’re fortunate to be here, carrying on the work of predecessor teams alongside Hope City and North Coast Opportunities, who have been working on this
project for multiple years. We’re glad to be assisting and working on the restoration of homes and buildings important to the community, as well as helping those in need to continue to be fed and well-supported during this difficult time,“said Dickson.
“AmeriCorps has been coming to Middletown for almost five years now. However, we have been working with Hope City for over 14 years. The mission of AmeriCorps NCCC is to strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based direct national and community service. Currently, AmeriCorps is involved in many different activities all over the United States, from rebuilding from natural disasters, as we are doing here, to working on urban
development projects in many of our country’s major cities”, concluded Setlock.
Those in the community interested in helping can visit the AmeriCorps website (nationalservice.gov) to learn more about AmeriCorps many different programs,
including NCCC and SeniorCorps. They can also learn more about some of the non profits by visiting the websites of North Coast Opportunities (ncoinc.org), Hope City (hopecityinspiringhope.org) and Redwood Empire Food Bank (refb. org)