Preparation.

Hi all!

I'm 6 days away from hopping on a plane to Denver, Colorado! I wanted to start a blog so that family and friends could check out what I'm up to while I'm there. I thought I'd start it before I left to try to give everyone a little outline about what it is I'll be doing there for 10 months! I've had questions ranging from stuff about Peace Corps, to college, to a career, etc. So, I'll try to clear things up a bit here.

Americorps is part of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). You may have heard about them on the radio or something. Anyways, within Americorps there are 3 separate programs. VISTA, State and National, and NCCC, which is where I fall. NCCC stands for National Civilian Community Corps. It's a residential national service program for people ages 18-24. About 1,200 people serve in this program each year, and I feel EXTREMELY lucky to be one of them! We were told that many, MANY, more people than that acutally applied....I am so blessed!

NCCC covers all US states and territories. The country is divided into 5 regions. Being stationed in Denver, my region is the Southwest Region which covers Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas. For the first month, we will be in CTI (Corps Training Institute). We'll be trained in CPR, First Aid, disaster services, mass care, shelter management, leadership, and others that I know I'm missing but can't remember at the moment. Basically, they do the best they can to prepare us for whatever projects we may encounter during our term. Because we work so much with disaster relief efforts, Americorps NCCC works closely with The Red Cross and FEMA, so lots of our training is provided by them.

I will be assigned to one of 4 units: earth, fire, sun, or water. Within those units, I will be placed on a team of 8 to 12 other people. This is the part where I feel like I'm about to go and do a season of The Real World! Hahahaahaha. Anyways, we are expected to prepare and eat meals together, travel in a 15 passenger van together, and live together. But, we will also be working together on a variety of projects that may address any of these areas: supporting the environment, infrastructure improvement, energy conservation, urban and rural development, and immediate and continuing disaster response. We won't be assigned to our teams until we're there for a little while, I'm not sure the exact time. So that's something I'm really really looking forward to. Once we get our teams, the next big step is finding out what our round 1 project will be! There are 4 rounds total, though if disaster happens anywhere in the U.S. we could get sent at any time, to anywhere..even out of our region!

I could keep going...but I think this gives a good idea of what I'll be doing at least for now. So now I'm just tying up loose ends with paperwork, brainstorming everything I may need, and trying to figure out how to fit everything in my luggage! I shipped a box out this morning with bedding and towels, so that will help. But we'll see. I'm am just SO excited to get on with it already, feels like I've been waiting forever! I'll probably make at least 1 more post before I leave just because it's pretty much all I can think about and this definitely helps calm me :) Please feel free to spread the word about this blog, I'd love to spread the word about Americorps NCCC and all the cool stuff they do. thanks!!

Love,
Abby :)