FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
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Corporation for National and Community Service
CONTACT: Siobhan Dugan
202/606-5000, x151
sdugan@cns.gov |
AmeriCorps*NCCC Members Respond to Hurricane Isabel |
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(Washington D.C.) -- In the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel, 90 AmeriCorps*NCCC
(National Civilian Community Corps) members are responding to people in need in
Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Team members were also on
hand offering assistance before the hurricane struck.
Through the American Red Cross, 72 members from the Perry Point, Md., campus
are providing family assistance and mass care to families affected by the
hurricane. During the hurricane, they served in shelters for people who were
evacuated from the coastal areas of Maryland and Delaware. Members set up the
shelters and provided food and clothing to the evacuees.
In the days leading up to the hurricane, 18 members from the Washington,
D.C., campus assisted with sandbagging and weatherization activities in at-risk
areas of Fairfax, Va., and Washington, before reporting to disaster shelters
after the storm to serve meals to dislocated families.
"AmeriCorps*NCCC members are frequently called upon to respond to natural
disasters and other emergencies," said Wendy Zenker, director of
AmeriCorps*NCCC. "We work closely with the American Red Cross and other
emergency agencies to make sure that people who have suffered hardships during
these times receive the assistance they need."
The deployment for Hurricane Isabel was unusual in that typically
AmeriCorps*NCCC members respond following a disaster. But because the hurricane
was so close to the Perry Point and Washington campuses, members were on hand to
help out even before Isabel hit, according to Zenker.
AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is a 10-month,
team-based, full-time residential program for men and women between the ages of
18 and 24. AmeriCorps*NCCC combines the best practices of civilian service with
the best aspects of military service, including leadership and team building.
Members serve in diverse teams of 10 to 14 individuals. Priority is given to
projects in homeland security and disaster relief. Teams are based at five
campuses located across the country but often are assigned to projects in
neighboring states.
AmeriCorps*NCCC is part of AmeriCorps, a national service program which
engages Americans of all ages each year in intensive service to meet community
needs in education, the environment, public safety, homeland security, and other
areas. AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community
Service, which also oversees Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America. It is
part of USA Freedom Corps, a White House initiative to foster a culture of
citizenship, service, and responsibility, and help all Americans answer the
President's Call to Service. For more information, visit
www.nationalservice.org.
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