200+ AmeriCorps and Senior Corps Members Deployed to Midwest for Flooding Response
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for service and volunteering, has deployed more than 200 AmeriCorps members, most of whom are part of the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team, to areas of Iowa and Nebraska impacted by severe flooding. Previously, AmeriCorps members provided assistance in Missouri, and additional teams are on standby.
In Iowa, more than 110 AmeriCorps members are deployed or activated. AmeriCorps members from Iowa and Minnesota have established volunteer centers and are beginning muck-and-gut operations, while AmeriCorps members serving with FEMA Corps are supporting the disaster agency directly with operations and survivor assistance registration. Additional AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team crews will arrive later this month.
In Nebraska, where nearly 120 national service members are responding, two dozen local Senior Corps volunteers have been aiding the response efforts in the Omaha with disaster cleanup and at volunteer reception centers. Approximately 35 AmeriCorps members serving with FEMA Corps are registering survivors for assistance, while nearly 40 members of the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team are leading muck-and-gut operations, coordinating volunteers, and managing incoming donations.
“America is at its best when we can come together to support our neighbors in times of need,” said Gina Cross, acting director of AmeriCorps NCCC and head of the Disaster Services Unit at the Corporation for National and Community Service. “This is never more true than in the days, weeks, and months following a disaster. As those in Iowa and Nebraska begin the recovery process, we’re committed to standing with these communities over the long haul, because in times of disaster, you can count on us.”
AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams are expertly trained crews that provide support for shelter operations, call centers, volunteer and donation management, muck-and-gut operations, blue-roof tarping, and debris cleanup, among other services. This response also includes AmeriCorps members of FEMA Corps, an innovative partnership to enhance the nation’s disaster response and recovery capacity, while expanding career opportunities for young people.
Working closely with FEMA, CNCS is coordinating with state and local authorities to monitor and assess additional resources needed within the community. In addition, the agency is working with Serve Nebraska and Volunteer Iowa, the State Service Commissions responsible for implementing national service programs across the state.
CNCS provides strong support, expertise, and trained and dedicated volunteers to help communities to prepare for, mitigate, respond, and recover from natural and man-made disasters. From forest fires and floods, to hurricanes and tornadoes, to terror attacks and oil spills, participants in CNCS programs have provided critical support to millions of Americans affected by disasters since 1994. In the last two years, thousands of AmeriCorps members were deployed to areas impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, Florence, and Michael. The agency still has active resources in many of those regions.