2002

WEEK OF :Iu\\.\ \C1 f.ro~ ·

AmeriCorps Members 1\i aking a Difference in Decatur

After spending almost ten months to– gether, Walker said ofher team, 3 We have become a family. Although there are times that we get on each others nerves. like any family, we also love each other. 2 And what do their real families think? There are a few occasions when Corps members are allowed to go home. Walker said they have Christmas and Spring breaks and three personal days. AmeriCorps provides one round trip ticket to and from the main campus. Any other travel is paid for by the members. They do have a I5-passenger van to travel to and from projects. AmeriCorps is open to U.S. citizens, nationals. or lawful per– manent residents age 18 or older. Mem– bers serve full or part time over a 10- to 12-month period. Full-time members re– ceive an education award of$4,725 to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back student loans. They also receive health insurance, training, and student loan deferment. About half of the mem– bers also receive a modest annual living allowance of about $9,300, along with health insurance. Members who serve part-time receive a partial education award. Prentice added, 3 After this pro– gram is over, AmeriCorps doesn'tjust say goodbye. They continue to help members look for jobs and apply to schools. And they check on you periodically. 2 Walker agreed, 3 AmeriCorps is a total program. lt gets better every year and helps mem– bers learn skills and encourages you to go further.> To learn more about joining AmeriCorps, go to wv..w.AmeriCorps.orgljoining or call l- 800-942-2677 or (TTY 1-800-833-3722).

a degree ln P>)•ho Og). Walker said, 3 1 ''amed to tr.n d :md be r~ponstble for m}'!>elf but no; 'e rompletely on my O\\ n. I :1lso ~ ~ up fo· a second year m the pro;nun b«a -e I .,. anted to pro– vide a grot.pofp:op ewhat thts program otTered mez ~ar-e~ ••:1ous challenges in the program. \\ar er >.atd 11 has been a challenge foo her to contmuously lead and moUI.'ate her pee:: ever) day. And both Walker -and Pren~e agree that there are also orne ph) cba enges. \\a er; 2;r~ but said it was great for team-budding ,kills. Both agree that the Decatur proJect has been one ofthe best. Prentice sru ::.ervice projects includmg educauon. public safety, health, and the en' tronrnent. Although both are enjoymg Decatur. the:, say they have had a posni\ e expenence meach community they ha>e been m. Others on the East Central cam– pus havealso been pleased with what they have done Shemeka Cleveland, VISTA worker mthe ECCC LearningSkills Cen– ter, said, HThe :\CCC team has been a lot ofhelp w1th our summer tutoring project. We have about 20 students coming to the center get help v.11h math and rea\iing. They are able to get one-on-one tutoring and some of the ktds really need that. Also the NCCC members are really re– sourceful and creative. They have come up with some really neat and interesting educational games and ideas for the k1ds."

When Jeritta Prentice of Landover, Maryland, was a small child, she wanted to change the world. Years later, finding herself in college, 36 hours short of graduation and needing a break, she decided if she couldn't 'change: the world, she could at least make a differ– ence. Prentice is just one of II AmeriCorps volunteers spending SIX weeks on the Decatur campus of East Central Community College doing every– thing from renovating dom1s to tutoring young children. AmeriCorps*NCCC is a tO– month, full-time residential program for men and women between the ages of 18 and 24. AmeriCorps*NCCC combines the best practices ofcivilian service with the best aspects of military sen:ice, in– cluding leadership and team building. Members serve in teams of I0 to 15 mem– bers. Priority is given to projects in pub– lic safety, public health, and disaster re– lief. Teams are based at one of five cam– puses across the country but are sent to workon short-term projects in neighbor– ing states. In fiscal year 200 I, I,000 mem– bers served in AmeriCorps*NCCC~ Each volunteer in ; the AmeriCorps program is unique and each has his or her own story about how and why they got involved in the AmeriCorps program. The two youngest members joined directly out ofhigh school. Many members are in graduate school and one even has a master's degree in education. Cia Walker of Leominster, Massachusetts, is the team leader. She previously served as a corps member in the western region. A college graduate who holds

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LAKE MESSENGER.______________ SCOTI COUNTY TIMES___________ UNION APPEAL -------------- WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL_______ SPIRIT OF MORTON~------

CARTHAGINIAN ------------------------- NESHOBADEMOCRAT_________ NE~ONRECORD ____________ MERIDIAN STAR_________ CLARION-LEDGER.__________