day inside

as I sit in bed at our extended stay (which is my go-to place to sit and relax seeing as how we have limited space to do much in our lovely little room) I am researching everything from the weather to graduate schools for next year to ways to update my team's facebook page (the link to which is:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pacific-Region-NCCC-FEMA-Corps-Silver-2/551924724841157?ref=hl) hopefully that works...

we have been called off today for work due to severe weather for this afternoon in northwest illinois, including a "moderate chance of tornadic activity." so in the meantime, I will be catching up on sleep, eating my favorite meal of cereal and milk, and hoping we don't get swept by tornados.

also, any family members out there who still don't fully understand what I've been doing or where the heck I've been for the past four months, my mother forwarded me a press release that was sent to my high school that I will include now for your clarification...

Local Residents Answer Call to Service in FEMA Corps

 

IRVINE, Calif. — Lyly Tran of Irvine, Calif., Elizabeth Villegas of Garden Grove, Calif., and Michelle Simes of Fountain Valley, Calif. are among 331 young people currently serving in the nation’s first class of FEMA Corps, a new unit of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) solely devoted to disaster preparedness and response.

 

During their 10-month term of service, Tran, 24, Villegas, 21, and Simes, 23, are providing important support to disaster survivors and gaining significant training and professional experience in emergency management.   Serving on teams of 10 to 12 people, FEMA Corps members both travel to disaster-affected communities and support longer-term recovery operations across the country. Projects range from working directly with disaster survivors to administrative disaster management tasks to sharing disaster preparedness and mitigation information with the public.

 

“Tran, Villegas, and Simes are part of a historic new chapter in the history of national service that will enhance our nation’s disaster capabilities and give  thousands of young people the opportunity to serve their country and gain valuable skills and experience for their future careers,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service.  “I commend them for answering the call to serve and making a difference for people and communities affected by disasters.”

 

“FEMA Corps will strengthen the nation’s disaster response by providing a dedicated, trained and reliable workforce to support disaster survivors and impacted communities during their greatest time of need,” said FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino.  “We have seen first-hand the value they have brought in assisting survivors following Hurricane Sandy and other disasters.”

 

Tran arrived at the AmeriCorps NCCC Pacific Region campus in Sacramento, Calif. in January and completed four weeks of leadership training and now serves as the Support Team Leader. 

 

Villegas arrived at the AmeriCorps NCCC Southwest Region campus in Denver, Colo. in February and completed six weeks of specialized training in the area of Community Relations.  Villegas is nearing the end of her first project round, during which she traveled to Lincroft, N.J. to help external affairs including writing press releases and reports, producing videos, and working on field photography.

 

Simes arrived at the AmeriCorps NCCC Pacific Region campus in Sacramento, Calif. in February and completed six weeks of specialized training in the area of Community Relations.  Simes is nearing the end of her first project round, during which she traveled to Forest Hills, N.Y. to provide support for emergency management and FEMA application processes before being called to serve in Chicago, Ill. The three will serve on several more projects before graduating from FEMA Corps in November.

 

FEMA Corps, a new unit within AmeriCorps NCCC that launched in Fall 2012, is an innovative partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).  People ages 18 to 24 from around the nation provide 10 months of full-time service on emergency management projects.  The program will engage 1,600 members annually when fully operational next year.

 

All 42 FEMA Corps teams that started last fall deployed to New York and New Jersey immediately after Hurricane Sandy and provided vital support to disaster survivors. In their first 10 weeks, FEMA Corps members conducted more than 11,700 case reviews, collected or distributed more than 400,000 gallons of water, distributed more than 14,000 education materials or preparedness kits, answered more than 4,500 FEMA registration or helpline calls, and  assisted more than 261,000 disaster survivors.

 

Prior to joining FEMA Corps, Villegas graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in 2010 and attended Cal State Fullerton studying Psychology.  Villegas said, “I chose to apply to AmeriCorps because my values parallel those of AmeriCorps and FEMA Corps. Those of the service field and a desire to see new locations are high in those values.” Elizabeth is the daughter of Laura Santana.

 

Prior to joining FEMA Corps, Simes graduated from Mater Dei High School in 2008 and California State University, Long Beach in 2012 with a degree in Psychology.  Simes said, “I chose to do a term of national service because I wanted to take part in a program that was committed to the service and aid of others. I was looking to be a part of something greater than myself, where I could utilize the gifts and abilities I've been given to assist others.” Michelle is the daughter of Kevin and Terri Simes.

 

Prior to joining FEMA Corps, Tran graduated from Garden Grove High School in 2006 and University of California, Irvine in 2010 with a degree in Biology.  Tran said, “[I chose to do a term of national service because] it is very gratifying to give back to the community and by doing a whole term I will be able to grow and learn more about myself while helping others.” Lyly is the daughter of Steve Tran.

 

After completing 1,700 hours of service, FEMA Corps members will receive a $5,550 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to pay for tuition or student loans.  FEMA Corps operates out of five regional NCCC campuses: Sacramento, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Vinton, Iowa; Perry Point, Md.; and, Vicksburg, Miss., but deploys teams nationally wherever the disaster-related need is the greatest.  For more information about FEMA Corps or AmeriCorps NCCC, or to apply online, visitwww.nationalservice.gov.