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News
Governor
Launches Americorps Recovery Effort
Posted 26 June 2008
Governor Culver announced an AmeriCorps member deployment that will be
dedicated solely to disaster recovery. The first 230
members will be deployed in the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City area with the
Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) Corridor Flood Recovery.
AmeriCorps offers an opportunity to get involved and help others with
flood relief, while earning a monthly living allowance and an
educational benefit.
“I urge Iowans of all backgrounds, from college students on summer
break to recent retirees, to apply,” said Governor Culver. “The spirit
of service is alive and well in Iowa, and AmeriCorps members are
proving this. Every Iowan can be a part of our statewide recovery
efforts.”
Members will receive a living allowance and will be granted an
educational award for college tuition or loans ranging from
$1,000-$4,725 based on length of service. Preference will be
given to applicants who are able to start by June 30. The eight to ten
week commitment must be completed by September 12.
Of the 230 positions available for Corridor Flood Recovery, 200 are
full-time VISTA summer associates and 30 are yearlong AmeriCorps VISTA.
The Governor’s Office is working with the Corporation of National and
Community Service and other state and federal partners in allocating
additional teams and positions in other areas of need statewide.
During the response to Iowa’s recent disasters, AmeriCorps members have
been deployed across the state. Currently AmeriCorps teams are
assisting in the recovery effort in Parkersburg, Cedar Falls and Vinton.
In Vinton, 18 team leaders with AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian
Community Corps) are helping manage Red Cross shelter operations at the
Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School, which is also the location for
Iowa’s new NCCC campus of 140 full-time members opening next
month. NCCC -- a full-time, team-based residential program for
men and women ages 18-24 – has a strong history of disaster
preparedness and response, including a major role in Katrina recovery
efforts.
About 30 other NCCC members are working in other parts of Iowa.
The Denver, Colorado campus deployed 12 members to Parkersburg to
assist with tornado recovery efforts. The team has cleared debris from
over 250 homes, and has managed a mobile volunteer station that has
managed more than 4,000 local volunteers. Nineteen AmeriCorps
NCCC corps members from the Perry Point, MD campus arrived in Cedar
Falls on Saturday, where they have fed displaced citizens, assisted in
shelters, and operated emergency response vehicles.
Volunteers need to be physically fit or have experience in housing,
human services, human resources, logistics, first aid training, and
event planning. There is also a need for individuals who hold a
commercial drivers license with passenger endorsement.
Volunteers’ focus will be on coordinating flood-relief efforts,
identifying the changing needs of the community, expansion of
neighborhood resource centers, developing partnerships, building
coalitions and securing resources while working in conjunction with
city, county, state and federal agencies and organizations to clean up
parts of the Corridor area affected by
flooding.
Interested applicants are encouraged to visit
www.volunteeriowa.org/flood.html. For more information on the project,
go to www.vistacorridorrecovery.org. In addition, informational
sessions will be held in Cedar Rapids at Kirkwood Community College in
the Ballantyne Auditorium
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