Only 3 months left of AmeriCorps and these blogs

After spending 3 weeks in Joplin doing disaster relief my Team Leader chose me to be one of the Corps members staying back in Joplin to help train the 4 new teams from Vinton, IA who were taking over the project. I departed ways with Cedar 4 while they headed back to campus for mid year training JW, Melissa, and myself headed to Quapaw, OK where the new teams would be living for the duration of their project. Quapaw is only about 30 minutes away from Joplin so the commute wouldn’t be too much but it was longer than our commute from Carl Junction. The camp that we were living on was a camp for disadvantaged youth and their camp season had ended. The property included a pool and hot tub, horses, and even a herd of buffalo.

The new teams arrived that evening and training began the next morning. I actually loved facilitating the trainings alongside with FEMA because it is something that I want to do in the future. My career goals of working in student affairs will require me to facilitate trainings to the students in many areas so it was a great experience helping 40+ individuals learn a new skill that I myself had only learned 3 weeks earlier. After spending a few extra days in Joplin we traveled back to Vinton and spent the weekend before reuniting with our teams on Monday August 8^th. It was great to be back in Vinton and I can’t wait to go back.

Ok now onto our Round 3 project. Chisago City, Minnesota. JW, Melissa, & I pulled up to the White Pine Lodge to find Cedar 4 working diligently on our new home for the next 5 weeks. Our cabin had to be scraped, painted, and the screen porch was dismantled and replaced.








So far we have painted 4 cabins and are continuing work on others. We worked at the Ki-Chi-Saga festival this past weekend and I had the opportunity to judge a car show with Sheldon & Natalie. Below are some pictures of my favorites!

It was a hard weekend to miss on Nantucket because it was the infamous Demo weekend that I have driven in since I was 15 and having never missed the derby before it was very sad day. My family did great in the derby taking home 4+ trophies to add to the Manchester trophy shelf. Unfortunately a driver was severely injured when his car burst into flames. It is the worst injury at the derby since my cousin got his hand caught in the steering wheel over 10 years ago. (Contrary to our local newspaper that stated there have been a few broken necks over the years that is completely untrue). Hopefully he recovers quickly and prayers are sent to him and his family.

Here are some pictures from the derby!

This weekend I am meeting up with some of the Minnesota Conservation Corps members we met in Joplin and are going to the Vikings/Cowboys Pre-season game. I am wicked excited since I haven’t been to a professional game in years plus it will be warm. Most Patriot’s games are in the dead of winter and its FREEZING. The following weekend (Labor Day Weekend) I am headed back to Vinton for my own mini vacation. There is a derby in Blairstown that weekend that I am going to (I need my derby fix!)

We are headed back to Vinton for transition Sept 9^th and head out on our round 4 project (our final project) and will be headed back to Minnesota, Loretto to be exact. We will be working at a YMCA camp in Minneapolis until October 15^th. The project is only a month long and we are not quite sure yet what we will be doing between October 15^th and graduation but are hoping to find out soon.

I had my Team Leader interview on August 10^th. I am waiting to hear back for a second interview for the Support Team Leader position in the Programming Office and I am getting nervous that I will not hear but that’s my natural reaction. I am crossing my fingers and toes!

That’s all for now!

Katy

Updates as of June 7th

Again sorry for the delay.

Cedar 4 wrapped up their time in Hot Springs, SD and we accomplished quite a bit.

• Benches painted
• Boardwalk installed
• Nature trail mowed and graveled
• Invasive species removed (Canadian Thistle)
• Barbed Wire Removed
• Buck and Pole fence assembled and placed (1000 feet)

The last week we were there an archaeologist came from Custer State Park and took us around the Whitney Preserve and showed us different sites that the Native Americans once inhabited. He showed us rock art, tipi rings (rings of rocks they used to keep their tipi's in place) and other artifacts. It was pretty cool that all these artifacts were so close to us and we had no idea.

We found out our next project for Round 3 which is scheduled to be in Chisago City, Minnesota. Cedar 4 will be working with the Park and Rec on a campground that they acquired that has been closed for 6 years due to the previous organization's inability to fund the property. We were getting all geared up to head out on July 18th after mid year training when our Team Leader called to tell us that we were being pulled for Disaster Relief and would be leaving for Joplin Missouri on July 11th.


July 11th came with 130+ winds in Vinton, IA which brought the entire Corps and Iowa Braille & Site saving school staff and students to the basement tunnels for shelter of the alleged tornado. It turned out that it was not a tornado however the damage was severe. The roof of the main building was torn off, my ceiling caved into my room, one of the dorms completely flooded with rooms having waist high water and all of the residents belongings ruined.










Everyone was safe just a few destroyed personal items however our trip to Joplin was delayed as the entire Corps spent July 11th cleaning up the campus. Remains of the roof, glass from the windows, and the numerous trees that had fallen down was Class 17's main priority that day. Working in the hot sun all day we cleaned up a good part of the campus. Due to no electricity the entire Corps spent the night in Cedar Rapids. The 5 teams deployed to Missouri on the 12th while the rest of the Corps spent the day providing disaster relief to the town of Vinton. Some places are still without power in Vinton however the campus is being run by generators.

We are now in Joplin, MO with Cedar 1 and Oak 3 working alongside FEMA. We are doing Case Management with Survivors of the Joplin Tornado from May 22nd. The section that was directly hit by the mile wide tornado is devastated for miles. Some lost everything and even after 2 months later are still struggling to get back on their feet. I am glad that we are here to help in any way that we can however it is going to be a very difficult project on an emotional level. This is the first project that my team has worked directly with individuals and the fact that it is due to a huge disaster is unfortunate. We will be here until the end of July and head back to Vinton on August 1st. We are still unsure about how long we will be there due to the fact that we missed mid year training. We will be there for a few days at least to debrief on our South Dakota project and get briefed on our Minnesota project.












That is all for now and I will keep up with my blog at least once a week!

I promise!

Katy

Becoming a terrible Blogger

Sorry guys I know its been almost a month since I've written.


Here is a quick overview of what we did in Scenic, SD.

Took down about 3 miles (give or take) of old barbed wire fencing (which hurts)
Watched 3 cattle brandings (some participated)
Demolished an old airplane hangar (previous ranch owner had his own plane)
Put together 120 feet of board walk for our hot springs project

Now to Hot Springs

We got here May 27th and got to explore a little that weekend. It's a small town with a few touristy attractions (Mammoth Site, Evans Plunge,)

Tuesday we started work and took a little orientation and mowed the Whitney Preserve Nature Trail. Since the first day our main priority has been the board walk that we started when we were in Scenic. It is a long and tedious process since we need to make sure everything is even. The weather has been super hot (high 70's to low 90's) and isn't the best to be working out in but we are making the best of it. Worst part of it is my farmers tan which is going to make me look ridiculous when I go to the beach in a few weeks when I'm home for summer break.

I'm loving South Dakota but I am excited to find out what our next project is and where it will be.

As soon as I hear I will keep you updated!

Katy

Scenic South Dakota

Hello All!

Cedar 4 is now in Scenic, South Dakota where we will be for the next 3 weeks until we move to Hot Springs South Dakota where we will be finishing out our 8 week round with The Nature Conservancy. Our housing in Scenic is in the middle of Badlands National Park. We live in a 4 bedroom house that sits on top of a hill at the end of the 2 mile drive way. On the property are 3 horses and hundreds of cows which is a new experience for a lot of us. 

Monday was our first day of work at the =7 Ranch (pronounced Double Bar 7). Our sponsor Doug took us through the Badlands where he showed us where we will be working for the next 3 weeks. We removed old barbed wire fence and will continue to do so for some of the time that we are here. 

Today we began to build the boardwalks that we will be transferring to Hot Springs in a few weeks to put on the public access ways. We also began to demolish an old airplane hanger on the property and hopefully will finish once the wind dies down.

As for tomorrow we will get to see the =7 Ranch's cattle get branded which will be a first for all of us.

Below are some pictures! 

XoXo

-Katy-

 Kim with one of the horses.

Amanda and I with our Coonskin Caps 

Amanda, Matt, & I at the Badlands

Herding the cattle

Last week in Flint and back to Iowa

It was our last week in Flint, Michigan and 4 days left of working on the bright orange hallway that seemed never ending. All 9 members of Cedar 4 worked tirelessly priming, trimming, and painting the hallway that would inevitably get abused by the residents who walk down them daily. When we first got to the project the walls were drawn on, punched through, etc. Some residents liked the orange and were not pleased that they were being changed for various reasons. Some actually liked the orange opposed to the new colors of “Coconut Milk & Coffee Milk” as we referred to them while others actually were part of the reason that orange was originally chosen. Others felt that it wasn’t necessary to paint because it was just going to get destroyed. We came into work one morning to find that someone had keyed the wall. Even though it was only the primer it is still discouraging.

Our last day of work was definitely an experience to remember. On the last day all 9 of us were working diligently on the orange hallway in hopes of finishing at least one hallway before we left. I was setting my roller into the paint tray when Amanda asked me “Can you hear that? I think they are fighting.” Being so close to the laundry room I could barely even hear myself think. All of a sudden Amanda throws down her roller and sprints towards the elevator to find our Team Leader. She had just witnessed a domestic assault. From what she could hear it sounded as if a woman was being choked by a man. We contacted our supervisors and they came and took care of the situation. What surprised me the most was that the woman went back to the door of the apartment. One of my teammates told me that she probably went back because she had no other place to live and that was her option. The cops were called and due to the lack of police officers in the area they arrived four hours later to find the individual away from his apartment. We had our final debrief with our sponsor, finished as much of the hallway as we could, cleaned up one final time at KMS and headed back to our housing to cook, clean, disassemble our beds, and pack up all of our stuff. I acquired quite a bit of stuff over the 6 weeks so packing was a bit of a challenge however I made it work. Better pack lighter next time!

We left for Iowa Friday April 29^th at 7am. Well at least we tried to. Concentrating so much on making sure we didn’t take anything with us including the keys to the Boys & Girls Club we forgot to unlock the gate for us to leave which left us stranded until the executive director came to let us out. It took us just under 10 hours to get back to Iowa which landed us in Vinton around 4:30pm (CST). We unloaded the van, grocery shopped for the week, and visited with old friends who we haven’t seen in weeks.

Saturday Cedar 4 worked with Maple 4 about an hour away from Vinton at Pilgrim Heights Camp and Retreat Center in Montour, Iowa. We helped move sticks, branches, and leaves to clean up the grounds and cleaned up the bunks to get the camp ready for the upcoming season as a one day service project to celebrate AmeriCorps Week.

Saturday night a bunch of us went to Golf Right (What I like to call my place away from the bamboo  J) and hung out with old friends. There a few places in Vinton one can go as far as night life goes and this is by far my favorite, I can relax there. Sunday a bunch of us went to Cedar Rapids to prepare for our trip to South Dakota. Sunscreen, bug spray, among other things which are needed to “survive” in rural South Dakota were on our shopping lists. This week is full of trainings, debriefings, briefings, packing, cleaning, and lots more driving. 

After meeting with our Unit Leader I found out that after our summer break our midyear transition we are in Vinton until July 18^th when we depart for round 3. The best part about this is the demolition derby is the 16^th of July and I am trying to get a car. There is also a roll over contest but I don’t want to push my luck. I called the Benton County Speedway and they are sending me the information and the name of a salvage yard in Independence, Iowa that could potentially put a car together for me so I am wicked excited and hope that it all works out but I will definitely keep you updated.

XoXo

-Katy-

3 weeks wrapped into one entry

Sorry Everyone,

This lack of availability for blogspot (it’s blocked by the blocker at the Boys and Girls Club) has caused me to be a terrible blogger. It’s been about 3 weeks since I last wrote so I will try my best to mention everything even though it may not be in order.



I’ve already told you about Flint and the crime that has gone on. We witnessed a robbery and had our gas stolen right out of our 15 passenger van but it did not stop there. Someone broke into the fitness center at the Boys and Girls Club which houses an Xbox & a Wii which were both stolen. Neither one of them were recovered which leaves the Boys & Girls Club without. This isn’t the first break in they had however before all that was stolen was ice cream.



One weekend half the team went to Longway Planetarium and went to 2 Laser Light Shows. We saw Radiohead and Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon. This was my first laser light show so it was pretty cool.



As a part of our service project we worked with our sponsor at local Food Drives that he supports. In the course of 2 days we handed out over 30,000 pounds of food to the local community. With these two food drives it really affected me at the point I could feel tears building up. At the beginning I did not realize it because I was busy filling boxes and moving food items but towards the end when we were running out of food and people were walking away with only boxes of microwaveable popcorn, grits, or nothing at all it started to break my heart. We had already helped out when we first arrived in Flint with the Boys and Girls Club for their food drive except the atmosphere was different. Those requesting food pulled their car into the parking lot and we loaded the food in their vehicle and they never even left the car. They both accomplished the same thing by providing food to those in need however the interaction was greater and seemed more personal.



On Good Friday a few of us went to Frankenmuth. Frankenmuth is a German town located 20 miles north of Flint. The first stop we made was at Bronner’s the world’s largest Christmas store. My mother would have loved it and if we ever traveled to Michigan you bet my dad and I would be tagging along. Who knew there could be that much Christmas stuff. We stopped into the numerous fudge shops located on the main stretch as well as the Cheese Haus. We stopped in a few of the shops in the outside mall area and I found my new addition to my Coozie collection… the WOOZIE! The Woozie is a Coozie for… you guessed it… Wine Glasses. Even though Wine is not my first choice it’s a collection and the Woozie is the perfect addition.



Our time in Flint is coming to a close and we have our last four days of work this upcoming week which means a wicked busy week ahead. On top of our regular work day from 8am-5pm we now have tacked on paperwork, finishing up our independent service projects for this round, packing, and cleaning up our housing.



Tomorrow marks the last day (YAY!) that Amanda and I are required to go grocery shopping as we are the grocery shoppers for this round. I am not a fan of grocery shopping especially with a group of people when you have to shop for a group of 9.



All this talk of leaving Flint and I forgot to tell you what our next few weeks will bring. On Friday April 29th the 9 of us from Cedar 4 will pile ourselves and our luggage into our 15 passenger van and begin our journey back to Vinton, Iowa. We will be in Vinton for a week for more trainings (including Chainsaw training for me!), debriefs, and briefings, and a chance to see some familiar faces that we have only seen through facebook and skype these last 6 weeks. Now what’s next for Cedar 4?





SOUTH DAKOTA!



Cedar 4 will be driving 12 hours from Iowa to Hot Springs and Scenic, South Dakota for a total of 8 weeks. We leave on May 5th and head back to Iowa on June 30th. The towns are much smaller (even smaller than Nantucket) one even has a population of 87 (just slightly larger than my graduating class at NHS). We will be building nature trails in the local parks, removing invasive species, building boardwalks, and even demolishing some old buildings. Our laundry will be 9-30+ miles away depending on which town we are in and will be without cell service and internet for 8 whole weeks… imagine that. I am really excited to head to South Dakota especially since we will be surrounded by nature and be able to go out exploring during the warm months. We are not too far from Mount Rushmore and only about an hour north of Nebraska which leaves opportunities to explore.



Due to the lack of internet blogging again will be somewhat difficult so it may be a while in between posts but I will definitely update it on my travels to New Hampshire and Vegas.


That’s all for now!


XoXo
-Katy-

Interesting week

Hello all!

In the last week we finished up at Centerview which was the apartments for the elderly that were in much better condition then the first building we were in when we first arrived. Since we finished we went back to KMS to continue working on the disastrous apartments. It's really surprising what a coat of paint will do to an apartment... Looks somewhat brand new!

Cedar 4 got to experience Flint MI early this week on separate events. On Monday we saw two people rob a house of all it's armor from the windows and doors to sell it. Our sponsor called the police on them and they were already aware and knew who they were. As soon as they heard the sirens they took off only to return later with an empty truck to fill it up again.

On Tuesday morning it was my turn to drive to work. Getting into the van I noticed our gas cap was open so I tightened it back up and closed the door. After starting the van I found the gas gauge to be at 3/4 of a tank which was odd since we filled it up the night before... Someone had hopped the fence and stole our gas right out of the tank.

yesterday I found out that my grandfather passed away early in the morning... He lived a good 95 years and is now at peace with Nana. The service will not be until later which is great since I won't be able to make it home until July. Her is a
Few pictures of him.





RIP Gramps!

XoXo
-Katy-

4 weeks left

Hello all

I started cheer practice on Monday and it was a lot of fun however I realized how much I don't miss cheer crunches or how tired I can get after a series of jumps. Especially when 9-11 year old girls keep repeating "do it again do it again!" I've also found a new desire to gain my strength and flexibility back which is now another goal I have to reach by November.



We have now completed a few rooms and will be finishing up at this building soon. As said before these apartments are in much better shape than the first however they still needed some work. One apartment was in rough shape because the tenants boyfriend had tried to set it on fire in one of their arguments. Needless to say the tenant no longer lives there. I am not sure where we will head next after this building is complete but we will find out next week I'm sure.



Here is a picture of me and my roommate at induction! Miss you Becky!

On other news!

Had a minor scare last week (thought my iPhone crapped the bed) so for those of you who really know me that would be like losing an arm but no worries it's fine. (knock on wood)

I've been reading quite a bit lately and of course it's an Elin Hildebrand book which only makes me miss home and long for my break in July but luckily I haven't been home sick!

Becky had her baby today! So excited and baby Brooklyn is doing well! Congrats 171!

My cap and gown was sent out today and graduation is about 7 weeks away!

That's all for now!

XoXo
-Katy-

No Internet makes Katy a terrible blogger

Hey everyone,

We have been in Flint Michigan for a week now and tomorrow will commence our first full week with the Flint Housing Commission. In the past week we have cleaned and emptied out apartments of former tenants. None of the units have been left in good condition with all of them need a good clean.
Below is one of the bath tubs.


A few apartments were left with the personal belongings of the former tenants with items including family pictures and even social security cards. I couldn't imagine leaving all of my personal belongings behind. Most of these tenants have been evicted for a variety of reasons such as failure to pay rent and drug possession. The turn over for these units happens a lot but there are over 1,000 people on the waiting list in flint to get in these housing units. We finished a unit on Monday and someone was living there on Tuesday.

One of the FHC employees told us that there are commercials on television that say the jails are full and the only way you are put in jail is if it is a felony or higher which causes an increase in crime that is below a felony.

On Monday I start my independent service hours with the Boys and girls club cheer team which I'm wicked excited about. I've missed cheerleading so it will be a great way to get back into it.

Next weekend we are trying to plan a trip to meet up with cedar 6 since they are only 45 minutes away.

That's all for now. Blogging on my phone isn't that much fun but I'll try and keep up!



XoXo
-Katy-

Flint Michigan!

On Saturday we found out our first round project and Cedar Four will be heading out for Flint Michigan at 6:30am this Thursday to begin our 9+ hour drive. Since our project reveal we have had spent much time prepping for our upcoming project. All 9 of us will be living in one classroom at the local Boys & Girls Club. Luckily we will have access to WiFi so hopefully I will keep up to date on my blog more often. With living at the B&GC we will have the opportunity to get independent service project hours right where we are housed which will be a convenience.

Cedar 4 will be working with the Flint Housing Commission helping to update Section 8 housing units. We will be painting, reflooring those units that need it, and doing general maintenance and cleaning in the units to get them ready for new tenants. There currently is a wait list for these units and the unit that we will be focusing on will be for the elderly and veterans. The goal from our project sponsor is to complete 27 units by the end of our 6 week stint in Flint. Flint is currently the 4th most dangerous city in the United States however do not be worried. We will be in a secure location and previous teams have been sent there and they have not run into any issues. Like most cities there are good and bad parts. As long as we are aware of our surroundings everything should be fine.

Tomorrow is induction which means we will have completed our training as Corps Members and will now officially will be apart of the AmeriCorps NCCC program.

Now it's time to start packing!

XoXo

-Katy-

Almost done with Training!

Hi everyone!

The 3rd week is almost over and we just completed our mini project! It was a 3 day project where my team and I worked at Rodgers Park in Vinton, IA. On the first day we helped clear brush and trees to make way for a new trail from the park to the brand new Nature Center. In the afternoon we helped move Karen from her old office into the new nature center.

Andrew and me

On the second day it was raining therefore not much work was done outside. We worked in the garage disassembling a hydraulic trailer, cleaning up, and disposing of trash and recyclables. We took a break to enjoy black bear stew (yes we ate bear) that was shot and cooked by Karen the naturalist who works at the park. After we ate she showed us all the animal skins and skulls of animals that reside in Iowa. It was pretty cool considering skunks were one animal that she showed us and everyone knows how much I am terrified of skunks.

 Amanda & Me!

On the 3rd and final day we built a foot bridge and cleaned up the park. It was rather cold out so we did not get to participate digging the trench where the footbridge was going due to the frozen soil but other than that it was not too bad.

Some of Cedar 4 on the footbridge we built!

Cedar 4 at Rodger's Park

Tomorrow we have our first project debrief where we present as a team our project and its results to our Unit Leader and other members of the staff.

We find out our first round project Saturday and I cannot wait!

I am trying to be more up to date on my blogs from now on hopefully internet access will allow it!

XoXo

-Katy-

New post after 2 weeks

Hey everyone sorry I haven't posted recently the internet has been kinda in and out and I have been super busy with CTI (Corps Training Institute) Last time I wrote was the day we had team reveal. Our team overall is great and I am wicked excited. We have been going through training for the last 2 weeks and continue our training with our CTI mini project which begins on Tuesday. We will be staying in Vinton and helping build a trail for a nature preserve. It is going to be a lot of work but it will be fun. I am finally getting accustomed to the early mornings and going to bed early but I definitely miss sleeping in. It's hitting me that I am here for a while and will not be coming home anytime soon. I'll be planning my trip home for summer break (July 1st-10th).

Ok time for bed I'll try to keep updating more often.

XoXo

Katy

Team Reveal!

Saturday night a bunch of Corps members headed out to the local bowling ally and then made our way to Mickey's. Mickey's is a 18+ karaoke bar. Let me tell you watching karaoke (the same 2 guys singing over and over again) isn't as much fun when you are not drinking but I'm doing well!

Today was the day we found out our permanent teams. Group P was said to leave each other and our Team Leader (TL) Stasha however we were excited to find out our new teams.


I am in Cedar 4 with our TL Kim. We have 8 Corps Members (CMs) for the next 10 months. It looks like I will be one of the 5 van drivers and begin training tomorrow. I may even be one of the three CMs in my group to operate the Chain Saws on project sites.

That is all for now!

XoXo

-Katy-

Update on the first week!

Sorry for the lack of posts since I actually arrived. My laptop won't hook up to the wireless at the moment and the computer lab is ALWAYS full.

Once we arrived in Chicago the airport was full of 18-24 year olds waiting for their departure to Iowa. We departed on a plane that most deemed small until I told them about my 9 passenger plane to Boston. Upon Arrival we were greeted by NCCC Team Leaders who checked us in and boarded us onto the coach bus to Vinton, IA.

As soon as we arrived we were thrown into check in, travel reimbursement, room key pick up, and uniform sizing. The day was jam packed until 10ish when we finally could go to sleep. (Early for me I know)

My roommate is Becky from Florida and we get a long great. Unfortunately for us since we are roommates the chances of us being placed on a team together are unlikely.

The next few days were rather boring. Waking up at 5:30 every day to sit through meetings that we would get spoken to if we feel asleep. The first week will be boring but the fun stuff starts on Monday when we are told our teams.

At the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School (IBSSS) there are actually students who do live on campus in a different area than the NCCC members therefore we do occasionally see them on campus. On the third floor of the Old Main building is the IBSSS Museum. IBSSS has been around since the 1800s and has a very long history. Mary Ingalls (Laura Ingalls sister) was a former student. When we toured the museum we learned a few letters in braille which I found interesting but realized just how complicated it can get when introducing math and foreign languages.

Thursday night a couple of girls and I went into the town of Vinton to explore. Right off the bat we found a stray dog and stood by it until the owner pulled up in her mini van to take him home.

After that we walked into various shops which all had signs in their windows "Welcome to Vinton AmeriCorps NCCC!" This felt great that the entire community was excited and enthused of our arrival.

We found ourselves at Peony's Chinese which is the only restaurant so far that we found in Vinton. It was very inexpensive with a total bill of $27 for the four of us.

We ran into fellow NCCC members there and stopped off at a local bar/restaurant Ron-Da-Voo where the guys grabbed a drink.

Today (Friday) after our introduction to CTI (Corps Training Institute) my group and I ventured to Cedar Rapids where we were shown damage of the flooding from 2008. Afterwards we headed to Target to get some odds and ends that we might need and picked up the remaining items for dinner.

Tonight is the first meal we will cook as it has been catered by the cafeteria since our arrival.

Tomorrow we get to sleep in and do not have our first meeting until 10am! This is the result of some Corps members taking a pack test at 5:30am for firefighting teams.

That is all for now

XoXo

-Katy-

Tomorrows the day!

The day has finally come that all of AmeriCorps NCCC members have been waiting for.... Arrival day for the Vinton, Iowa campus. Since traveling from Nantucket and the wind forcasted tomorrow I chose to head out a day early. I am glad to be going however I was still sad to leave. This is a different kind of trip or adventure where I won't have the option of going home on the weekends if I want to thus missing my family and friends. I left Nantucket at 5:25 after saying all of my goodbyes and got to boston about an hour later. I'm spending the night in Boston and heading out to Chicago at 8:25 then out to Iowa at 12:10. Ok that's all for now! As long as I get internet access now the real adventure begins.

-XoXo-

Katy

Travel Itinerary is here!

Now that we are three weeks away from our arrival my flight itinerary has come in. After beginning my application on December 2009, Submitting April 2010, having my phone Interview June 22, 2010, and hearing of my acceptance on September 7th 2010 I have now found out my last piece of information before I arrive in Iowa.

I leave Nantucket on February 15th at 6:45 and will arrive in Iowa at 1:10 after 2 layovers. It's going to be a long day which at times makes me wish I did not live on an island 30 miles out to sea.

Today I received a letter from Nantucket Resident and State Representative Timothy Madden. In the letter he congratulated on my recent completion of my Masters from SNHU and commending me on my application and acceptance to the AmeriCorps. This letter was definitely not expected however it was great letter to receive.

XoXo

-Katy-

Motivational Statement

Here is my motivational statement from my AmeriCorps Application.

Having interned with the American Red Cross my direct supervisor was a former Vista and having talked about my past experiences with volunteer work and my desire to serve she suggested that I look into the AmeriCorps. The most recent event that has made me who I am today was the loss of my mother who in September 2007 was diagnosed with stage four lung and brain cancer. My mother was a very simple woman who enjoyed the simple things in life; a walk on the beach, spending time in her garden, and the smiles of her children.

My mother had worked at our local elementary school for twenty three years. She loved working with children and the amount of money she made was never and would never be the deal breaker. She loved seeing the children every day and seeing them grow through their years with her. When my mom was diagnosed and was out sick from work the children always asked where Mrs. Manchester was. All of the students made her get well cards which were delivered and hung up in her room to see. The one that touched my heart the most was from one student who had yet to meet her. The card read, “Get Better Soon. Hello I am Emily Ferreira I moved here in November. So you wouldn’t know me. I look forward to meeting you. I hope you get better soon. –Emily”

By reading all of these cards it showed me all of the lives my mother had affected in her 55 years even ones she had yet to meet. With losing her at the age of 55 and my brother at the age of 30 it has shown me more than ever that life is short and that I want to spend my life giving back and helping others.

XoXo

-Katy-

Counting down the days from Sunny Florida

Iowa is just 5 weeks away and the packing process has begun however I’m taking a break because  I am on vacation until the 21^st. I’m visiting family in Florida and wishing my grandfather a happy 95^th birthday and then to New Hampshire to say my goodbyes to my friends before I head out. 

I got a call from one of the Unit Leaders last week. She said that after reviewing applications that mine stood out and asked if I was interested in becoming a Team Leader.  I was definitely interested however that would mean I would ship out on January 11^th and I’ll be in Florida. I was honored to be chosen but this time around I decided to stick to a general Corps Member. 

I spoke with the person in charge of scheduling travel for Corps Members about my travel to make sure that I would be getting travel from Nantucket and that they realized I can’t just drive to an airport. Many people do not realize that Nantucket is an island that is 30 miles out to sea. Since I am such a “special” case when it comes to travel she will be booking my flight ahead of the others to make sure everything is taken care of. Because of this I think I’ll be headed off the rock on the 14^th instead of the 15^th so that I can make sure I don’t miss my flight to Iowa instead of potentially getting stuck on ACK.

I think it is starting to hit me that I will be gone until late November and missing a Nantucket summer with all its activities for the first time in my life. This will be the first demo that I’ll miss driving in since I started in 2001. Even though I will be missing out on many things I have done for years now I am embarking on a new adventure and have a great opportunity to help those in need in the United States.

That’s all for now!

XoXo

-Katy-