Emergency Services Newsletter - Southeastern, PA

Across the country, AmeriCorps volunteers devote a year of their lives to service through community-based organizations. They are paid a modest living stipend and receive educational awards upon completion of their service. While there are different factions of AmeriCorps (NCCC, VISTA), the volunteers at our chapter are from the National Preparedness and Response Corps (NPRC).  As many of you know, over the past several years, our chapter has dramatically benefited from the service of AmeriCorps volunteers, particularly in disaster response, but also in other areas as well. The chapter’s AmeriCorps alumni have gone on to educational programs in law, social work, and divinity, as well as careers at Red Cross chapters. 

This year, our chapter is hosting 8 AmeriCorps members who began their term of service on August 15th, spent a couple of weeks in training, then were shipped off to Mississippi to help with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. They are now back at the Chapter and working at full force in local response, preparedness, and Community Disaster Education (CDE) as well as completing individual internships with various staff members.  This year AmeriCorps members are required to complete a special project in addition to their other efforts here at Chapter and in the Philadelphia community.  

If you are interested in learning more about AmeriCorps and the abundance of programs that it offers, their website is www.americorps.org.