Generosity

Generosity is a major part of being in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. You join to help people, plain and simple. Maybe you do it for the education award as well, but you can make four times that in a minimum wage job over the same time period. Anyway, the point is that AmeriCorps NCCC Corps members are generous in giving of themselves and their time and effort, and this isn't a one-way street.

The people we're working alongside with at Lutheran Disaster Response are amazingly generous. The volunteers here pay their own way to get here, and are provided with housing (usually in a church like we are), breakfast, lunch and dinner and shower passes to the local YMCA. There's a steady flow of volunteers for October, but as it gets colder there are fewer volunteers lined up. There's still a great need for volunteers as there are still a lot of people and homes in need. One volunteer we're working with in particular will be here until Thanksgiving, continuing his volunteering weeks after we've left and even after we've graduated and left AmeriCorps NCCC. His name is Jeff and he's our site supervisor. We work alongside him and get things done for those in need in the Minot area.

Some of the team with volunteer Jeff

He's had previous experience power washing, which is what we're mainly doing right now, and brought with him the knowledge of an oscillating ceramic super genius power washing attachment of awesomeness. With this new attachment it's possible to start and finish power washing, soaping, rinsing, and bleaching a house in a day (depending on the size). That's pretty darn nifty, as it was taking two days before. We're now able to help more people, at a faster pace because this one person decided to come help out. If you have the time and the ability to come out here just think of how many people you could positively affect, through your knowledge, physical labor and generosity.

~Diana