Being Gay & Serving in AmeriCorps

This post originally appeared on June 29, 2012 on the AmeriCorps Alums blog.

by Ken Tran

 

Today’s guest post comes from Chad Jeremy Davis, the Chapter President of Seattle AmeriCorps Alums. He is from San Diego and has traveled all over the United States in service to communities. He currently resides in Seattle, WA.

Happy Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) Pride Month! As June comes to a close and Pride celebrations all around this country wrap up I thought I’d take an opportunity to reflect on my experience serving in AmeriCorps as an out LGBT individual.

I served between January 2004 and December 2005 in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) at the Atlantic Region in Perry Point, MD. I was 22 years old when I started my service and I had been openly gay since I was 16 years old. My biggest fear was the idea of a residential program that was built on aspects of military culture. I knew I had a desire to serve my country that was central to my being; yet, I also (thought I) knew that military-like residential environments and rural communities were hostile to lesbians and gays not to mention transgendered or bisexual individuals.

I was afraid of how the staff and fellow members would treat me or how well I would integrate into this thing called AmeriCorps. I also knew that I would travel to communities that were different and far away from my own. Needless to say, I had a lot of anxiety around this decision I had made to serve. However, my desire to serve was even greater than those anxieties, so I packed up my bags and left for Maryland.

Chad Jeremy with his NCCC team

I can honestly say it was an amazing and transformative experience, which isn’t to say it was without its challenges. What I experienced was that my fears, while understandable, did not come to fruition. I came to know people that would become some of my best friends. One in particular never had known a gay person before he met me. I helped him change his opinion on LGBT people and I did so just by being myself. The staff always treated me with respect and dignity and many have become long-time trusted advisors and mentors.

There were times when I did face certain bias and judgments from sponsoring organizations or community members, as did many other members on my team (women, individuals of color, atheists, and anyone else that was different from the identity of those with power and privilege). However, my team always came together during those challenging times to support each other. I came to respect that experience as part of the process of sparking change in attitudes.

In fact, I would argue that service is a great equalizer.

I was able to engage in conversations that I would never have if I weren’t serving alongside people with opinions different from my own. I would encourage, without hesitation, any LGBT individual interested in serving in AmeriCorps to do so! It is an experience you won’t forget.

LGBT AmeriCorps Alums and allies alike can continue to volunteer with the LGBT community. One area in particular is combating homophobia and bullying in schools. You can get involved with a LGBT youth center like I have, volunteer with a crisis hotline, a school based anti-bullying campaign or many other projects. There is another way we can lend our assistance, one that we are particularly well positioned as Alums to do – Tell more people, ESPECIALLY those that are different from yourself about AmeriCorps. I am not oblivious to the fact that while I am gay, I am also white, male identified, and from a just barely middle-class family.

If service is to continue to be the great equalizer I claim it is, than we need more individuals that come from different backgrounds and identities to be serving alongside us and alongside the communities we serve in solidarity with so that AmeriCorps becomes a model for the kind of world we want to create.

For another perspective on LGBT service in AmeriCorps and Peace Corps, check out the 2009 Idealist podcast that Chad participated in here.

Everyday Women Build… Every Day

Maddi, from Raven 1, reflects on the “Women Build” event with New Castle County Habitat for Humanity in Wilmington, Delaware.

Week two at New Castle County Habitat for Humanity and the greatly anticipated Lowe's National Women Build Week had arrived! The week was unique in that Lowe's donates funds to any Habitat that hosts a Women Build meeting specific criteria. Lowe’s is compelled to do this because such a large percentage of their customers are women. Raven 1 was assigned the prestigious task of leading groups of women volunteers, which totaled 236 over the five days.

I would be lying if I did not admit this assignment was accompanied by a small level of anxiety amongst our group; it was only our second week with Habitat. Many of us had little to no prior experience with construction or volunteer coordinating. However, our fears were quickly assuaged once the week was in full swing. The Habitat crew managed to be omnipresent on site; always available to lend support or instructions if our team members were in need, but also encouraging us to take the lead as often as possible. This was especially important for me because I have a tendency to take a back seat when learning new things, but with this new level of responsibility and trust, I became much more involved, actively listening to instructions and asking questions, knowing I would soon (within minutes) reteach the information.



 Keiper, Raven 1, Team Leader flexes with volunteers at the New Castle County Habitat for Humanity Women Build Day of Service



Our whole group excelled in their new roles. Ashley was able to convince even her most timid volunteers to go above and beyond their comfort zones, having one woman who was scared of power tools using a circular saw on the roof of a house by the end of the day. Keiper rallied volunteer morale by teaching her group different cheers to motivate and encourage one another. Overall the experience was a mixture of excitement and fun. Women of all ages came out, with all different backgrounds, stories and experiences. I was extremely impressed and inspired by how uninhibited my groups of volunteers were about the work. Not once did a woman pass one of her assignments because she did not know how, or because she was afraid. I even had a woman drilling in a guard rail on the edge of the second story of a house who was afraid of heights. "As long as I do not look down..." she assured the group, and she was the most efficient driller of the whole group!



--Maddi—

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep balance you must keep moving" -Albert Einstein

Raven 1 pictured with the First Lady of Delaware, left to right- Maddi, Emily, Andre, Skylar, First Lady Markell, Cassie, Ashley, Michael, Henry and Keiper



At least Ten Reasons Why We Joined NCCC!

What’s your reason for joining NCCC? Get at least ten reasons to join NCCC from Buffalo 4 in this introduction video about why they joined NCCC.  

Buffalo 4 is one of three NCCC Atlantic Region teams that will blog throughout the class 18 service year.  Take a look at Buffalo 4’s team brochure for more information about the team and their projects so far and read the personal story of Buffalo 4’s Team Leader Tiffany here on the blog

Round 1 Corps Members of the Round

At the end of the project round, NCCC members return to their campus for a period of transition which can vary from one to five days. During transitions members debrief their previous projects, prepare for upcoming projects, and participate in Corps Life activities such as community meetings.

At the NCCC Atlantic Region campus, each team nominates one member from their team to receive the P.A.C.E. (Positive Attitude Consistent Effort) award and one member from each unit is selected for the Corps Member of the Round recognition. 

Below are the three Corps Members selected out of 140 members for the Corps Member of the Round recognition for round 1 projects.

The Buffalo Unit would like to award Patrick from Massachusetts as the “Corps Member of the Round” for his hard work, dedication, and dependability.

This Corps Member was a pillar of the team this round. Patrick was always the first person to pick up the tools and start working in the morning, and brought 100% to any given task. The team describes this person as the hardest working member on the team, and this member surely deserves that title. Fellow team members are grateful for the hard work, but also for the support and companionship Patrick brought to each one of them. When the team hit a low point, he remained calm and collected and went out of their way to offer help to those in need. When fellow members were facing a personal crisis, Patrick was there to offer kind words and to be a listening ear. Something about Patrick that everyone appreciates is the unexpected jokes that he throws out. The team cannot help but laugh, no matter how bland the joke is.

As the Team Leader, I feel very fortunate to have Patrick on the team. He exemplifies hard work and positive attitude. I have especially enjoyed his gift in reading maps. I suppose he helped keep our team on the right path in many ways. On top of all of the above qualities, he is extremely modest about what they contribute to the team. Therefore, the team and I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Patrick for being a wonderful teammate and Corps Member. ~ Tomoyo, Team Leader, Buffalo 2

Watch a video of the Buffalo Unit leader announcing Patrick as the Buffalo Unit Corps Member of the Round. Read more about Patrick’s projects and see his teammates.

The Moose Unit awards Jessica from Indiana as the “Corps Member of the Round” for her exemplary leadership on and off the worksite.

Jessica is a model worker, and an exemplary leader on and off the worksite. She is patient, diligence and flexible. There is no task that I have given her that she has not been able to tackle, on time and with good results. I think one of her most important traits is her ability to see things from all perspectives and really help the team work together to get the goal accomplished. Moreover, I have observed her taking initiative more than anyone else on the team, a trait that has not gone unnoticed. But it is not just in comparison that she been industrious, she legitimately enjoys helping others and helping the team work together. Her constant effort and work that she puts into the team has been beyond helpful, it has been a saving grace. In summation, I want to reiterate my confidence in Jessica’s ability to lead and foster a healthy team dynamic. She is a self-starter (and I mean that in no uncertain terms), and that has showcased her as the assistant team leader for my team and really been a role model to others. ~ Tobiah, Team Leader, Moose 5

Watch a video of Jessica’s Team Leader announcing Jessica as the Moose Unit Corps Member of the Round.  More information about Jessica’s team is available here

The Raven Unit awards Quin from California as the “Corps Member of the Round” for her positive attitude, pushing herself and others, and strong ethics.

Quin has exemplified and been an example to her team by being positive, by pushing the team to reach its goal, by taking moral stances about her work, as well as being undoubtedly active and ethical in her specialty role even during CTI. A care is taken into her job that can be seen by event sponsors.  Her team speaks about her character in a way that these words cannot paint; even with colors such as ‘Avocado,’ ‘Rice Patty’, or even ‘White Duck.’ I would like to nominate Quin for Corps Member of the Round. ~ Daniel, Team Leader, Raven 5

Watch a video of the Raven Unit Leader announcing Quin as Raven Unit Corps Member of the Round. Read more about Quin, her teammates and her round 1 project in her team’s brochure

Congratulations to all 1st round awardees!

Ameri-boots – Made for serving

Take a walk in the steel-toe boots of Ashley from the Raven 1 blog team as she reflects on the boots that complete the AmeriCorps NCCC uniform.

I remember the first day I got to the Atlantic Region Campus at Perry Point was the day I fell in love with my steel-toes. Jet lagged and tired, but running off of adrenaline, I was escorted to the gym where I filled out a lot of paper work.  And that’s when it happened. In the corner of my eye I saw corps members getting fitted for work boots. So SHINY. I couldn’t wait to get a pair. Those boots are what stood between the Ashley who was lost in California to the Ashley who was ready to serve, travel the East coast, and have a fuller sense of herself.

I tried them on, wiggled my feet, and walked around to make sure they fit. For me, these boots were a symbolic test to see if I was ready for the lifestyle I was about to endure for the next ten months. I found a pair I liked, gave the staff person all my measurements, and then it was only a waiting game until the order came in. Those days leading up to when my boots arrived seemed to take forever, but when they finally did, my uniform was complete. I was proud. I was ready. The way I walked was different. Look at me and look at my cool boots.

My boots wait for me downstairs every morning before work. Putting them on means it’s time to wake up and get in the zone.

Coming home from work I take them off one lace at a time. After each lace, my body becomes more relaxed. I put them in the same corner and they wait for me to return the next day.

The dirtier they are at the end of the workday makes me feel more accomplished, but I shine them when the both of us need to be “polished” for our presentations back on campus.

 My Ameri-boots have become an extension of myself.

“You never truly know someone until you've walked a mile in his shoes”


~Ashley

  

Returning for FEMA Corps – Alumna Joins NCCC again to serve with FEMA Corps

After college, even Courtney's local fast food drive thru restaurant wasn’t hiring. She is now returning to NCCC to serve in the NCCC FEMA Corps at the North Central Region campus. Read Courtney’s story and her reflections from Class 17 at Perry Point, MD.

AmeriCorps NCCC has changed my life in so many ways, but the one that stands out is my shyness. I have never been the type who would do things that would put the attention on me or talk to random people. AmeriCorps forced me to step out of my comfort zone and I am thankful for that.

Just before I applied to AmeriCorps NCCC, I was in a standstill.  After going through two years of college, I realized I didn't like what I was doing with my life. My days were becoming a little repetitive, and I dropped out of college. After returning home, I couldn't find a job; even the local fast food drive thru wouldn't hire me! So, my boyfriend referred me to a program called AmeriCorps NCCC. I had never heard of it before. I did some research and realized it was exactly what I was looking for. I applied, joined the AmeriCorps group on Facebook and the waiting began! I was accepted in September of 2010 and from then on my life changed.



Courtney, far right, with her  class 17 team Moose 4 



There were some great moments and some challenging moments during my year. The most difficult? Two words: Camp Brown; aka, my 3rd round. It had to been one of the most challenging projects for my team. I am not a kid person, but being a co-counselor for a week and an activity counselor for the remainder of the round, I've grown to like children. Not saying I want to surround myself with children, but I can tolerate them a bit more. It was the first time that I had to actually lead people by myself. So, I pretty much was a single counselor, waking the girls up in the morning, taking them to breakfast, setting the table and making sure we made it to our activities on time. I told myself that I would try to be a positive role model to the girls and any other campers I interacted with; and I hope a little piece of me brushed off on them.

Overall, my favorite rounds of the year would have to be the disaster rounds I went on. The first was on the disaster composite team Thunder 1. We worked in Tuscaloosa, AL, primarily at the Volunteer Reception Center.  We also removed debris, conducted disaster assessments and worked in donations warehouses. Seeing the destruction of the tornadoes firsthand  was an eye-opening experience. So many people thanked us, even if we were just answering phone calls or registering volunteers.

Months later I was sent to New Jersey on another composite team which worked for the American Red Cross in bulk distribution. Even though our days were long and sometimes slow, we got the job done by helping the older Red Cross volunteers.



Courtney, left, works alongside local Boys Scouts, firefighters and police officers distributing clean up kits for residents of Cranford, NJ with the American Red Cross



Out of all of my disaster deployments, working for All Hands in upstate New York was the most rewarding. My team and I  went into dark, murky basements and hauled out buckets and buckets of mud and muddy water for hours, but it was SO worth it! I learned to push myself, even though I was exhausted.  But I knew that somebody had to do it.



Courtney serving with All Hands in upstate New York

To the current and future AmeriCorps NCCC members: your service year can be amazing. Your service year may be hard and you might want to quit, but continue to push yourself and get things done! Since graduating from Class 17, I feel so confident; as if I can do anything. I now feel as if I can go back to college with a more level head and determination to complete my degree.

Courtney has decided to serve with the brand new NCCC FEMA Corps at the North Central Region campus before she heads back to college.  

Want to join her?

More information about FEMA Corps is found here

 

Raven 1 Celebrates Cassie’s birthday!

Despite being an independent woman, Cassie discovers that her new "team-life" is better than she anticipated. Here she tells of her recent surprise birthday party with Raven 1.

I’m a very self-sufficient person, I think.  I tend to keep to myself and have had the same friends for years.  I was in a few clubs in high school, but never really on a team, like for sports.  So when I joined NCCC, I was definitely in for a new experience after living on my own for a few years.  In AmeriCorps NCCC, we live, eat, breathe and sleep as a team.  In the morning, we make breakfast in the same small kitchen and brush our teeth together in the same small bathroom.  We work together, ride home together, cook dinner together and eat together.   We have team meetings a couple times a week. When we want to go to a store or restaurant, we generally go together.

There have definitely been a few times where I’ve wondered what I got myself into.  It’s a big adjustment and the only time my team is quiet is when we’re eating.  While I’ve definitely wondered what I’m doing here from time to time, I generally find myself very excited that I made the leap.  I live, eat, breathe and sleep with nine very amazing people.  When I’ve found myself struggling, there is always someone there to offer help or advice or just to listen.  They help support my goals, no matter how silly or serious they are.

Most importantly, they help me have fun in my Ameri-life.  One of my favorite memories of my team so far was the birthday surprise they gave me.  It’s hard being sneaky in such close quarters, but Raven 1 does it well.  Without me knowing it, they decorated the dining room of our spike housing with balloons and a "Happy Birthday" sign.  They blindfolded me and brought me in.  Everyone, including Edgar (the toy Raven mascot), wore party hats. They were playing some classic country tunes, which is one of my favorite kinds of music and a taste of home for me.  It was goofy and fun and a great way to break away from our everyday routine.

Check out my surprised face in this video!

~Cassie

Take the First Step- A Journey of A Thousand Miles

The NCCC adventure starts with one step – applying to the program. Tomoyo, a Class 18 NCCC Atlantic Region Team Leader from California, shares how her first step led two NCCC terms of service.



Tomoyo as a Class 18 Team Leader of the Buffalo 2 team

 Hi there! My name is Tomoyo and I am currently serving my second term of AmeriCorps NCCC with the Atlantic Region campus. I served as a Corps Member for Class 17 and I have proudly returned in Class 18 as a Team Leader.

Each project during my Corps Member year posed new challenges and, as a result, I was able to gain a plethora of new skills. These skills range from resume worthy items such as experience with tutoring first graders and managing community volunteers at a donations warehouse after a major disaster, to those that are worthy of mention 50 years from now as I sit in a rocking chair reminiscing the ‘good old days’ to my grandchildren. These include surviving on $4.75 a day, living in a tent for a month in sauna-like Alabama, cruising miles on end in a 15-passenger van and establishing unbreakable bonds with 10 strangers from all over the country that I would not have crossed paths with otherwise.



Tomoyo at the Class 17 NCCC Atlantic Region graduation

 In short, my experience as a Corps Member was absolutely life changing. During the 10 months, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a robotics competition, assist with maintenance work at two camp sites, staff an after-school program, paint an entire floor of a VA hospital unit, interview World War II veterans, as well as assist in the response and recovery of three major disasters: the tornado that devastated Alabama, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

Growing up in California, I had very little idea of what life is like on the East Coast. All I knew was that it snows in the winter and pizza tastes better. The day I browsed the AmeriCorps website for the first time, I read the description for NCCC and I immediately knew that it was exactly what I wanted to do. Just as the famous quote by Lao Tzu, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,”



Tomoyo and her Class 17 team take a break at Camp Vacamas in NJ



I knew that the first step for me to see what else is out there was to apply to the program. Fortunately I was accepted into the Perry Point, Maryland campus for Class 17.  My journey three thousand miles away from home was everything I had hoped for and more. I am here to continue my journey throughout the Atlantic Region as a Team Leader and I would like to encourage anyone who is looking for a challenge or an exciting new opportunity to take that first step towards discovering what else is out there for you. 

 

As I lead my team this year, I am both anxious and hopeful for all of the challenges my Corps Members will face. It is not easy to move to a new state, live with a group of strangers, grocery shop to accommodate everyone’s unique eating habits, walk around in steel-toe boots and dig holes for six hours a day.

Tomoyo leads her team in a team building exercise

But as a Team Leader I have taken it upon myself to convince these young leaders that it is possible to live without television, that the work we are doing indeed has a purpose, that they will most likely survive tick bites and most importantly that each one of them is capable of much more than they think they are. I cannot wait to see my Corps Members walk across the stage at graduation with their heads held high, full of pride for all of their accomplishments and excitement for what lies ahead of them.

~Tomoyo

What are you living for?

Tiffany from Louisville, KY, is a class 18 Team Leader at the NCCC Atlantic Region campus.  She has an amazing story of survival and service.  Read how accepting a call to lead a team has changed her life.

The writer, Albert Pine, once wrote, “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” That quote became real to me in December 2008 after I was involved in a fatal head on collision car accident where a young man of the same age lost his life. As a result of that accident, I was underwent four surgeries, two weeks of hospitalization and six months of rehabilitation. After surviving such a horrible ordeal, I could not help but ask, “What am I living for?”  Despite the service given to my church, university, and job as well as through my sorority, I found a void that I could not fill.

Luckily, I had a supervisor who at one point could relate and she recommended AmeriCorps to me, as a result of her successful service year. Initially I down played the idea that a new “job” could be what I was looking for but I applied anyway because at that point it could not hurt to try. In November 2011, I received a phone call from Jason, an Atlantic Region Unit Leader, inquiring about my interest in a Team Leader (TL) position for the 2012 service year. Unknowingly, that call changed my life.



The 2012 Buffalo Leadership team, My NCCC Family-Sharon (Unit Leader),
Tony (TL), Taft (TL), Elisabeth (TL), Tomoyo (TL), and Tiffany (TL)



After accepting the position and without any hesitation, I packed my bags to leave Louisville, Kentucky to head to the Atlantic Region campus in Perry Point, Maryland. On January 5, 2012, Team Leader Training (TLT) commenced and my service year started like a whirlwind. TLT was four weeks full of service, team building, weekend adventures, crucial training sessions and challenges. I can honestly say I work with some of the most talented, intellectual, unique and daring group of individuals the nation has to offer.



Still shot of meeting President Obama on MLK Jr. Day of Service 2012 (while still in Team Leader Training)



Though TLT was fun, it was nothing in comparison to the adventure of Corps Training Institute (CTI). CTI marks the arrival and training of Corps Members. Despite my background in leadership development and mentoring, nothing is like being responsible for the training and growth of 10 people. The joy I experience when I think of my team can possibly be compared to the joy a child brings a parent. With this position, I was hoping to pass along some wisdom and such but in exchange, my Team, my Unit Leader, and members throughout the Corps and staff have provided me with an immeasurable amount of experience and support.



My unbelievable team, Buffalo IV, on Team Reveal Day!





AmeriCorps NCCC fully recognizes the impact a leader can play in the life of others. Daily I have the opportunity to wake up and be an agent of change through serving my team, the local community and in part the nation. 



My birthday outfit-how cool?



As stated in my mission statement, I will continue to offer my ambition, energy, time and passion to cultivate an open atmosphere of achievement, personal growth and change for those in the community of need because they deserve it. As a TL, I take pride in watching and serving alongside my team as we “Get things done for America.”

Now you must ask, “What am I living for?”

~Tiffany