Keeping VERY Busy During our Time Off

Although the main purpose of AmeriCorps is to really devote yourself to helping others and serving your country, there is still some down time now and then. We are lucky enough to be placed in Tucson, Arizona; a city with near perfect weather during the winter (a shock to all of us from the Northeast), a very cool college town (The University of Arizona), and endless spectacular hikes in every direction. With a half day on Friday and Saturday and Sunday free, Water 4 took full advantage of all of these local opportunities.

Most of Friday was spent doing tax outreach in two different neighborhoods in Tucson. Most everyone we spoke with was excited to hear about the tax assistance we were offering and asked further questions. Another thing we noticed about the neighborhoods was that every house owned 2-3 dogs… lots of barking as we passed by each house.
After finishing our outreach, the entire team hopped in the van and we drove to Pusch Ridge for a hike. The mountains were stunning as we quickly ascended the steep trail towards the peak. As we got higher, the views of surrounding Tucson became huge and sprawling. After a pretty ridiculous photo shoot, we headed back down to the van. Everyone was in a giddy mood. The hike got the entire team very excited about looking for more hikes.

After doing some tax outreach in the Flowing Wells neighborhood on Saturday morning and watching the Syracuse Orange beat the DePaul Blue Demons and extend their record to 21 - 1 (Go ORANGE!!!), 5 of us embarked on a hike in the Sonora Desert. We took the Gould Mine Trail to Wasson Peak. It was an incredible hike overlooking Saguaro National Park (where another NCCC team from Denver, Sun 1, is working) and 360 degree views of the surrounding Sonoran Mountains. We hiked just under seven miles round trip and got to watch a breathtaking sunset as we descended from the peak. We rewarded ourselves afterwards with Blizzards from DQ… days don’t get much better than that.

On Sunday, about half the team went shopping on 4th Avenue and the other half went to the McKale Center to see a basketball game between the top 2 teams in the Pac-10, the University of Arizona Wildcats and the California Golden Bears. It was an awesome atmosphere and a great game. Arizona won the game in the closing minute and the student section was going crazy.

As you can see… Tucson livin’ is good livin’. I think we are definitely refreshed and ready to get back to serving our country.

~Ian

There's a Box...

It has been three weeks in Tucson so far, and I love it! We are IRS certified, our housing is amazing, and the weather is beautiful! One of the coolest things I was able to take part in was the shelter simulation. Actually, it wasn't a simulation, it was a real shelter! We were deployed and had to create and staff a real shelter! How exciting was that?

Working on taxes has been pretty interesting. I never thought people would look to me to help them get their maximum return. It feels great to help people out in this way! I had no idea!

Tonight, Derek and I were in charge of making dinner and we nailed it! I decided to switch it up and make our dinner 100% vegan! We made fettuccine and pea alfredo! We used all non-dairy products in preparing the dish. I wanted to make something in ode to the vegans in the group who usually have to eat a salad. The dinner was perfect because it tasted like the real thing and everyone enjoyed it. EVEN Shiny Dave!!! I will have to give you the recipe sometime it is quite delicious!

Ha, we played this game called There's a Box, and we couldn't figure out how to play at all!!! We also had a chance to sit and get cranking on our Day of Service project that we must do this project round. I won't give any big details, but this will easily be one of the greatest experiences and accomplishments of our lives. The official name of our service project (slated for February 21st) is Community Unity Day! Rings a bell doesn't it? Until next time!

~Shawn

Flexible, From the F to the E

So after the crazy end to last week, things have mostly settled back to normal. Saturday we had a pretty lazy day, since we were still recuperating from setting up the shelter on Thursday night. Sunday morning we went to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, because Christina’s dad had been nice enough to get us passes. I admit that I was a bit skeptical about a desert museum, but it actually turned out to be really awesome. Our tour guide taught us all kinds of interesting things about the plant life of the desert—what different plants are called, how they’re able to survive with so little water, what they can be used for, and other fun and useful facts. And we saw lots of adorable animals. My personal favorite was the javelinas, because we don’t have those in MA. The weather was wonderful too, which is always a plus.

Today we experienced our first Mobile VITA site. We all went together to the Villa Maria Care Center, along with Cheyenne, and set up and ran the site. It was a little crazy…we forgot the back-up power cords to the computers, only five of the fifteen clients who’d signed up actually came, and space was a little cramped. But, we helped out those five people, we got to see how a mobile site works, and we learned a lot, so in the end I’d definitely call it a successful day. We had thought we would be doing mobile sites all of this week, however the tax prep software VITA uses is experiencing some sort of problem—so tax prep is on hold until they get that fixed, which ought to be next week. So, for the rest of this week, we’re keeping busy with community outreach instead, getting the word out about VITA to various neighborhoods. We’ll also have time to start planning our Day of Service which should be fun.

Way back during CTI, I remember being told several times during various meetings/trainings that one of the most essential qualities for Corps Members is “Being Flexible, from the F to E.” It’s definitely been true, throughout the program, but I think Water 4 has really had to embrace that over the past week or so. And I must say, we’ve been doing a pretty fantastic job! It definitely keeps life interesting.

~Jo

There and Back Again

With the first day of taxes coming around the corner, I have to admit it was pretty nerve racking. It felt like learning how to swim; preparing for that first jump into the pool, but "the pool was made of jello and I was on fire" as Shiny Dave described. The week flew by, and before I knew it, Thursday arrived and it was my turn to begin tax preparation with ACTUAL clients. But before I had the chance to finish my first return, Ashley, our Team Leader, received a phone call that ended our day early.

We found out that we were needed to set up a shelter on an Indian reservation nearly three hours away from our spike housing. So we rushed back to the apartments, threw whatever we could in our bags, headed out the door in less than 15 minutes, and met up with the Red Cross. On our way there we ran over a fallen down highway sign that gave us a flat tire, which in turn gave us the perfect opportunity to show off our tire changing abilities. We probably wouldn't earn a job working for NASCAR, but I was proud nonetheless. Haha!

We ended up not being able to reach our shelter due to flooding and the weather, so we joined and assisted NCCC team Sun 1 at their shelter located in the town of Sells. Luckily, no one was in need of the shelter. It was still an awesome experience to spend the night on the reservation and speak to the Tohono volunteers. It was a needed reminder of why I joined AmeriCorps and how awesome it is to experience parts of the country that I never would have normally been able to visit. Now we're back in Tucson.

~Derek

AmeriCorps to the Core

Hey all!

What a day we have had! I am currently writing this on my handy iPhone from a small room in a rec center on the Tohono Nation Indian Reservation in Sells, AZ. We were called in to help set up and run a Red Cross disaster relief shelter for the people on the reservation. There has been some crazy weather in the area; high winds and lots of rain are causing a lot of damage to people's homes and a loss of electricity.

Today started out like any normal day. We woke up, had our team meeting early in the day since we had a later start to accommodate the tax site schedule, then headed to United Way for lunch. After lunch we went to the community center in Flowing Wells to start working with people on their taxes. The community center's electricity was going in and out due to the heavy winds. We weren't sure if we were going to be able to complete any returns, but luckily the electricity came back on and we were able to fill out a few returns before we were called away.

We got back to our apartments to pack and promptly took off to meet up with our shelter manager at the Red Cross office in Tucson. As we were driving and got off at an exit both the Red Cross truck and our van hit a sign that was laying in the middle of the road and instantly gave us both flat tires. After a short hour and a half wait for the company that had to change the spare on the Red Cross truck (we changed our own tire very quickly and efficiently!) we were back on the road.

We arrived in Sells with another NCCC team from Denver, Sun 1, around 11:30 p.m. and were able to set up the shelter promptly. We haven't had any guests come in yet, so we are just waiting. Ian, Shawn, Derek and Sarah are all working the night shift with some Sun 1 members while the rest of us get some sleep so we can work during the day tomorrow.

Originally our team was supposed to go on to another shelter—the name of the place escapes me right now—after stopping to drop off supplies and cots. But, since the weather has just been nasty, the roads between here and there were flooded. We're waiting to hear whether or not our team will be continuing on to the second shelter in the morning.

We'll make sure to keep everyone posted of what's happening. Everyone seems to be in great spirits, excited to be here to help where we're needed.

~Jenna

What a weekend!

It was a very exciting first weekend in Tucson. If it weren't for the cold I've been enduring this past week it would have been beyond brilliant!

Friday night most of the team went out to enjoy the 4th Avenue scene. Shiny and I were both ill and opted to stay home. We instead spent our time sleeping. It was a great night, because I thoroughly enjoy sleeping. ^^

The next day I woke up rather early. I'm usually one of the first to rise in our apartment, if not the entire team. I had a long free day ahead of me so I "Yelped" things to do. Carmen (an opera) was playing at 11:00 at Century Park Place. Things in Tucson are extremely spaced out. It took a good 35 minutes to walk there from our apartments. (I really wish I could drive). The performance was amazing! I wish it were live-live opposed to broadcasting-live, from the Metropolitan Opera. Though not a musical, the experience reminded me of when I saw Jersey Boys... because the majority of the audience was significantly older than me, but a good audience! Carmen was, fortunately, really long. I was able to spend much of the day, nearly 5 hours, enjoying great music... and not spending money.

Unfortunately Carmen eventually did end, and I quickly found myself spending quite a bit of money at World Market. I was very, very happy to see boxed Spätzle, though it did make me a tad home-sick. I bought a couple boxes and will hopefully find a recipe to make Käse Spätzle for my roommates... because they aren't too fond of the Kimchi I've been trying to share with them... I have to eat it outside... The rest of the day I did a lot of nothing. I fixed my wireless settings on my laptop so I could finally get internet, which was quickly followed by a marathon of random google/wikipedia searches.

Sunday I went to church, and then the team and I went to Christina's house to have brunch, though the timing was more like Linner, with her family. There was so much food. I probably ate the equivalent to 4 breakfasts. Yum. :) The team had an overall fun time. There were Wii-sports challenges and then a walk in the desert. Meanwhile I either lounged or slept, because I was still ill. When we got back to the apartments I slept more.

Monday, Martin Luther King (MLK) Day, we had two projects lined up. First, from 9:00-noon, we helped raise money for Haiti earthquake survivors through the Red Cross. We held signs along the main road and collected donations. Derek and I held a huge sign together, at first. After about 30 minutes we decided that it would be more noticeable to drivers to actually wave at them as well, as opposed to just acting as sign-poles. We taped one end of the sign to a light-pole and the other end to my body (well my pant leg and the poncho I was wearing). I smiled and waved while Derek preformed elaborate gestures. We saw a significant increase in audience reaction, such as: honking, waving, and/or donating. We were having fun for a good cause.

Next, after a delicious pizza lunch from a pizzeria we are anxious to find, we did some "Rain Harvesting" for the Youth Volunteer Center. It's difficult to really explain what Rain Harvesting is, because they encouraged us to define it in our own words during our brief and debrief for the project. If I had to I would define it as: the act of actively collecting/directing water so that it is used to its fullest potential to benefit the environment. How this translates into action is landscaping in such a way that rainwater can be efficiently utilized by native plant life. We dug and placed stones to create a flow path for rain water, so that it meanders over the entire area opposed to just being washed straight down into a wash. It also included spreading mulch to retain water in the soil, preventing erosion. It was a short project, 1:00-3:30, but we all learned a lot about the environment and simple steps to help preserve it.

To complete our MLK Day of Service we watched the movie Crash as a team. Afterwards we discussed issues that arose or were neglected in the movie. I usually do not enjoy such discussions, because I'm rather emotional and can get very angry...which I did, but I am happy to have had them. I was able to talk about "taboo" topics with a very diverse set of people. I'm not sure when I'll have such an opportunity in the future. Afterwards I slept.

Tuesday we headed into the office and prepared boxes for each VITA tax program. Actually, we mostly prepared boxes. Derek and Shawn also prepared the computers we'd be using, and I organized the storage room. I like organizing. After work, dinner, and a quick run to Walgreens, I slept. I like sleeping.

I probably should make the title "A Restful Weekend"...

~Leia

Come Friday…I Can Do Your Taxes!

What a week! It’s hard to believe I was in Denver only 4 days ago. It feels so good to be settled in Tucson in our three cozy apartments and starting our project. Everyone at United Way has been so welcoming and it seems like the team is already very comfortable here. This project is incredibly different than the previous projects I have had with NCCC. I’m used to physically demanding work like construction and trail building, but this project takes a lot of brain power. It’s been quite a long time since I have been in a classroom so I feel a little out of practice, but I’m picking it up and starting to feel more confident with the concepts. We have been training all week, learning everything we can in four days about tax law. It might sound strange but it’s actually turned out to be a lot of fun! The two trainers, Carol and Ann, are very helpful and understanding about the fact that we are being thrown a ton of information at once. We have a test this Friday for beginner and intermediate level IRS certification so we are all a bit nervous. I never thought I would ever learn to do my own taxes let alone be able to do taxes for other people. The examples and stories the trainers use really put everything into reality and have helped me realize how much this truly is a service to many people in need.

On top of loving getting up and going to work, I feel very blessed to have such comfortable housing. Since being in AmeriCorps NCCC, I have had some interesting housing in the last year and a half. I know that the team feels very grateful to have so much space considering we had very little space or privacy last round. I even have my own room which is pretty unheard of in this program. I have tried to create my own “Zen like” atmosphere to help keep me mentally healthy. I even have a balcony to do yoga! Plus, it’s really nice to have a quiet place to do my paperwork and wind down from the day.

Class was pretty hard today, but we got through it and everyone seems to be getting the hang of it. I am very impressed with the team’s positive attitude and overall performance at work and I think they are going to do an amazing job this round. After training we played ultimate frisbee at the high school across the street, which was a lot of fun. The team is getting along great and even though we are split into three apartments, we still choose to hang out all together most of the time. Best part is…we laugh…A LOT, even about taxes! The quote board in our living room is full of hilarious Water 4-isms, and Shiny is a constant amusement for us every day.

Tucson is awesome! I can’t wait to tour around this weekend and check out 4th Ave. We drove down it the other day and there were tons of great thrift stores, cute restaurants and a Co-Op that I’m pretty excited about. Oh, and they have Trader Joe’s here which makes me very happy.

It is Ian’s birthday tomorrow so we are going to have a special dinner and his favorite cake. After our test on Friday we are going to go on a team sunset hike to celebrate both his birthday and our certification! All in all, life is pretty good here in sunny Tucson, AZ. I feel very lucky to have this project and especially lucky to have such a positive, open and supportive team. It’s going to be a good couple of months!

~Ashley

Tackling Taxes in Tucson

We arrived in Tucson on Sunday around 4:30 and got to see our AMAZING digs! We’re living in three cozy apartments that are absolutely beautiful. The apartment complex has two pools, a gym, clubhouse, laundry, and supposedly a spa/whirlpool. We still have yet to find this phantom whirlpool, but I’m sure we will find it in due time. The weather here is absolutely beautiful, I could not ask for any better weather than what we had today. Everyone is very excited to have all the space and very nice accommodations. We are a little concerned that the team will start breaking off into different groups since we’re not all in one house now. I personally think that we’re all very aware of the possibility and will continue to be so close and still want to hang out and what not.

We had our orientation for United Way and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program today. Cheyenne, our project sponsor, is absolutely wonderful. She has been very helpful in getting us settled into the apartments and the organization as well. We got to meet the majority of the administration of United Way. The day was a little long with a lot of presentations about the organization, but it was all interesting and very important to know. Tomorrow we start our IRS Certification training for the VITA program, so that will be pretty neat get a move on learning about taxes! Never thought I would be helping people do their taxes, let alone being excited for it! I’m really excited for the face time we will have with the people in the communities we’ll be serving.

All in all, it seems everyone is in great spirits, I don’t think anyone has stopped smiling since we got here.

Over and out,

~Jenna

Expect the Unexpected

So it’s our first transition week; the debrief about our Habitat for Humanity project is finished, the brief for our next project has been done, and now we are getting ready for our next project in Tucson, Arizona, or as we like to say "Taxes in Tucson." I really never thought that my group would end up with a project in my hometown. It just goes to show that you should always expect the unexpected. At first I was dreading the thought of going back to Tucson for a project, but this transition week and my teammates have really changed my mind about it all. I was afraid of how my team would react about being in such a random place like Tucson, but there is a light in their eyes that I love seeing. They are all truly excited and anxious for this project. We will be working with two amazing organizations, our housing sounds too good to be true, and to top it all off my team is going to get a chance to meet the people in my life who inspired and encouraged me to join NCCC. I’m glad to say that it was a good, but slow transition week, and I know Water 4 is ready to hit the road and head for Tucson. Taxes here we come!

-Christina

Home for the Holidays

I was originally planning to fly home to Washington, DC on December 19th and didn’t actually make it home until the 21st. The blizzard that wreaked havoc all over the east coast stranded me in Denver and then in Atlanta for a day. Although it was annoying to deal with the stress of rescheduling flights and the uncertainty of when I would get home, it was fun to get to spend a day on campus chilling with Sarah and then my Uncle in Atlanta.

Home has been awesome though. My brother just returned home from a semester in London and it was great to be reconnected with him. After a couple days of hanging out at home, my family hopped in the car and we drove to western Virginia for a little vacation. We went to a resort called ‘Wintergreen’ and went snow tubing for two days. It was a lot of fun and we lucked out with perfect weather.

We ‘celebrated’ Christmas the way that most Jewish people do around the world… and had Chinese food and watched a movie. Although I missed my new ‘AmeriFriends,’ it was great to reconnect with high school friends and enjoy the amenities that come along with living in a house with only three other people instead of ten. I celebrated New Years at the University of Maryland with a bunch of friends and had a great night.

All in all, it has been a great break. I love any time I get to spend with my family. I am very excited to come back to Denver tomorrow… but I am also a little overwhelmed with the idea that we will not get another long break until the end of the program… in August… I am very excited to begin our next project in Tucson… bring on the taxes!!!

~ Ian

Happy New Year!

First, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Our two-week break is nearing the end and I am very excited to get back to the Denver campus tomorrow. It was great to see family and friends for the holidays. I can’t forget to mention how great it was to have Chicago deep dish pizza again. The break was really enjoyable especially after coming off of the emotional project in Louisiana. I definitely cherish what I have a lot more because of that experience. I am looking forward to getting back to my team. It’s funny because we took a two-week break from each other but we have all been talking a lot during the break. It shows how well our team is getting along.

We will be heading to Tucson, Arizona next week where it will be nice and warm unlike here in Chicago. I tried to freshen up on my math skills over break since we will be doing taxes. Sadly, I am excited to do taxes because Finance was one of my majors in college. I have been looking up information about United Way which is the organization we will be working with and I have found nothing but good things. I know our team will exceed all expectations on the project with their help.
I can’t wait! I don’t know what 2010 has in store for me. But, I do know that the AmeriCorps NCCC experience will make this next year one to remember for all of us.

~ Jeremy