133 New AmeriCorps NCCC Members to Begin Service

PERRY POINT, Md. – Today, 133 young leaders from across the nation were sworn in as the newest members of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) at an induction ceremony in Perry Point. They join nearly 750 AmeriCorps NCCC members sworn into service this week at campuses across the country.

AmeriCorps NCCC, which is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), engages more than 1,600 individuals aged 18 to 24 each year who address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and urban and rural development.

The AmeriCorps pledge was administered by Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS. She was joined at the ceremony by Robert Kossak, Founder of Project Crossroad and AmeriCorps NCCC project sponsor and AmeriCorps NCCC Alum, Major Rebecca Lange with the US Air Force.

“These young leaders are answering a noble call to service and stepping up to make a difference,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS. “They tackle the toughest problems in our communities, refurbishing inner-city schools, constructing trails in national parks, and helping communities affected by disasters like Hurricane Sandy rebuild. NCCC is building a new generation of young people committed to helping their neighbors, and I commend each of these new members for their dedication to helping communities in need.”

The new members will deploy to six states and begin their term of service immediately. Working with local partners, they will tackle such projects as: rebuilding homes for survivors of Hurricane Sandy, creating nature play spaces for youth in Massachusetts, and supporting regional Robotics Competitions in DC and Baltimore.

Team leaders from the Atlantic Region Campus recently led volunteer efforts as part of the National Day of Service during the 2013 Presidential Inauguration, serving with Vice President Joe Biden and Mrs. Biden at the DC Armory. They later appeared with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on the Today Show to announce a friendly Super Bowl wager between Mayor Blake and San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee focused on the volunteer service.

Later this year, the Atlantic Region Campus will move to its new home at the former Sacred Heart of Mary School in Baltimore. The campus will remain a training facility for members who will serve in Maryland and 13 other states and territories – Conn., Del., Mass., Md., Maine, N.H., N.J., N.Y., Pa., R.I., and Vt. in addition to D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The last class of AmeriCorps NCCC members at the Atlantic Region Campus served as part of the nationwide national service response and recovery effort to Hurricane Sandy. Members performed such critical duties as serving in shelters, staffing call centers, managing a donations warehouse, mucking and gutting homes, removing debris, and leading teams of community volunteers. Some of these members will head to disaster affected areas for a second time during this term.

To learn more about AmeriCorps NCCC or to apply (individuals aged 18-24), visit http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/nccc.asp.