Corps Member Training Institute

Due to the government shutdown, Corps Member Training Institute was condensed from a month to two weeks. Fortunately, the staff worked extremely hard to ensure that all necessary trainings were completed in the short amount of time. Unfortunately, the new schedule left very little time for unit outings – hikes, museum visits, teambuilding and PT games. We did, however, get to take our temporary teams out to dinner for the first week, which gave us a chance to get to know them and sample some delicious local cuisine (nothing fancy, but I am a firm believer that the best conversation very often happens around food, so I was happy).

As always, we made the best of it.

AmeriCorps Next Top Model  (Uniform violations edition)

Unit time at Red Rocks Amphitheater

Chief Mountain, CO - elevation 11,709ft

Chief Mountain, CO

Classes, classes, and more classes. From Red Cross First Aid/ CPR certification to diversity training, from driver training to AmeriLympics, the shortened CTI was jam-packed with information as we prepared the corps members for induction and deployment. A week and a half into CTI we finally got our permanent teams, and I could not have gotten luckier. For our first round project, we will be working on disaster recovery in Lyons, Colorado, the hardest hit area in the September flooding.

My fantastic team all geared up for disaster recovery

Before we knew it, Induction Day was upon us. Before I knew it, I was holding one of my corps member's hand and tearing up as we listened to an incredible, inspirational reflection by Sun Unit's very own on challenges, perseverance, and turning obstacles into opportunities. The ceremony came and went, and the corps members of Class 20A were officially sworn in. A big congratulations, and best of luck to all!

Leadership of the Sun Unit on Induction Day

My amazing team on Induction Day!

A Week in the Life of an AmeriCorps NCCC Team Leader (In Training)

As some of you may have heard, "The most recent continuing resolution passed by the House would cut all federal funding for the agency that oversees [NCCC], the Corporation for National and Community Service, effectively wiping out AmeriCorps."

Source: An AmeriCorps Alum Defends The Program Against Republican Defunding Threats

Time and time again I have heard people refer to my life as a "permanent vacation." I suppose it's an easy assumption to make if you base your judgment on the photos that I post without ever actually having a conversation with me. Sadly, we're human and that's what we do - we judge without investigating, we stereotype, we assume and we put people in boxes.

But here's the thing - most of the time, we're wrong.

Yes, I travel, I travel a lot. Unfortunately, travel and vacation are not synonymous. I am, however, fortunate enough to have a job that allows me to explore new places on a monthly basis, acquire new skills, work with and learn from amazing individuals, and get unlimited satisfaction from helping those in need.

So, what exactly do I do for a living? Well, I suppose there is no better way of answering that question than recalling the last week (and a half) of my life.

Wednesday: Partnered with the American Red Cross and answered
phones at the Rocky Mountain PBS telethon, raising $1,066,061
to aid the victims of Colorado Flooding

Thursday: Chainsaw training to prepare for future
environmental projects

Friday: Helped out flood victims with Boulder CareConnect, mucking,
gutting, and cleaning out basements       

Saturday: Volunteered at the Denver River Sweep,
clearing out invasive weeds along the bank

Thursday: Teambuilding Ropes Course, helping my roomie
get over her fear of heights

Thursday: Teambuilding Ropes Course

Friday: Partnered with Operation Blessing to help clear debris in 
Lyons, CO, one of the hardest hit areas

Friday: Trailer park in Lyons, CO destroyed by the flood

Friday: Assisted in clearing mud from a home devastated by a
flash flood in Lyons, CO

Friday: Mucked and gutted a home of a flood victim in Lyons, CO

Yes, I am lucky enough to have a job that does not always feel like work. However, what AmeriCorps NCCC members get done for communities throughout the United States is priceless. If I could have a dollar for every time that I heard "Thank you AmeriCorps, this would not have been done without you," perhaps I could fund this program myself...

Last Round... For Now

For our last round in AmeriCorps, we were assigned a local split project: for the first four weeks, we would help the Sand Creek Regional Greenway in Denver with trail maintenance and outdoor shenanigans. For the remained of the round, we would be working at the Action Center assisting them in their mission of providing an immediate response to basic human needs and promoting pathways to self-sufficiency for the homeless.

I was really excited to spend the last two months of this program in Denver - unlimited access to hiking in the magnificent Rockies, yoga studios on every corner, farmers markets with deliciously fresh goodies, great music venues, breweries, weekend getaways to nearby National Parks (Utah Arches, I am coming for you!), endless places to explore, museums and book stores, half off Sushi at Red Ginger, and very importantly, public transportation.

Our first day at work involved a brief orientation followed by a tour of the Greenway, which spans 14 miles throughout Denver and the surrounding area. With a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, a truly beautiful place to work.

Sand Creek Regional Greenway in Denver, CO.

For the next three days we did some trash pick-up, caged and painted cottonwood trees so the beavers don't eat them, and posed for quite a few pictures:

Painting cottonwood trees so beavers don't snack on them

After a long day of trash pick-up

In the wise words of our Unit Leader, "The only constant in AmeriCorps is change."

As we were finishing up work Thursday afternoon we got a call from our Team Leader about an urgent meeting when we get back. At the meeting, our expectations were confirmed: we were getting deployed to Oklahoma City on disaster relief following the May 21st tornadoes.

Mountains, Friends, and a Ukulele

Third transition week; can you believe how fast time flies? It seems like only yesterday I was settling into a cabin in Texas with my brand new team and trying to teach little kids how to chop up apples for cobbler without losing a finger. As a matter of fact, it seems like it was the day before that that I was trying to figure out how to start up my chainsaw in Arkansas... and the day BEFORE that Casey and I were plotting the capture of our trailer's mouse.

TIME FLIES IN THE AMERILIFE. Our days in this program are dwindling down, so what's a girl like me to do to hold on to what makes me happy for a little longer? Oh yeah, apply (and get accepted!!!) for another year. AS A TEAM LEADER!

Colorado sunsets still take my breath away

Anyway, upon our arrival in Denver we were greeted by a group of friends enjoying the sunshine on the lawn, playing the guitar, and hula-hooping. I LOVE COLORADO.

The crazy thing about AmeriCorps is that, after the initial month of training (CTI, Corps Member Training Institute), you only get another month to spend with people that you have gotten extremely close with. That month is spread out into four separate transition weeks, the next (and last) one being your transition into the real world. But even after not having seen these people for ten weeks at a time, even after not having spoken to them due to lack of cell reception or ever-changing circumstances, once reunited it seems like you were never apart to begin with. It's a truly beautiful thing that I have enjoyed throughout my life having family on a different continent, and it's truly amazing to make those connections again.

My transition week, in photos:

My very first AmeriFriend and my AmeriProm date. No, he does not have awful style: 
the theme was "White Trash Bash," I must have missed the memo...

Beach, mountains, great friends, wine and a ukulele... day spent at Bear Creek Lake

CONQUERED THE MANITOU SPRINGS INCLINE!!! 1 mile of stairs at an elevation of over 8,000 feet

SO incredibly proud of my team for finishing!

Started Memorial Day Weekend with a hike in Fort Collins, elevation 7,000 feet.