[Community-service] Corperation for National and Community Service responds to recent disasters in the south

[Darian Smith]

Figured  I would pass this along  to you all.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 29, 2011

CONTACT: Sandy Scott
Phone: 202-606-6724
Email:
sscott at cns.gov
table end nesting level 1

AmeriCorps and Senior Corps Responding to Natural Disasters Across
Southern and Midwestern U.S.

Washington, D.C. – AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers are
helping communities respond in the wake of the devastating tornadoes
and flooding
across the Southern and Midwestern United States.

The tornadoes that ripped through Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee,
Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia on Wednesday were the deadliest in 37
years, causing
nearly 300 deaths and billions dollars of damage. They came as
communities in other states are reeling from the effects of flooding
and severe storms.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is working closely
with FEMA, state emergency officials, state service commissions, and
nonprofit organizations
to assess the dynamic situation and determine the most effective role
for national service participants in response to these disasters.

“Our thoughts are with the families and communities that have been
devastated by the severe storms and tornadoes,” said Patrick A.
Corvington, CEO of the
Corporation for National and Community Service. “Working closely with
state and local officials and nonprofit organizations, we are
deploying national
service resources to help individuals and families in dire
circumstances get the help they need.”

Here is a summary of current national service responses to natural disasters.

Alabama: AmeriCorps NCCC teams are on standby to help the residents of
Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, some of the hardest hit areas in the
Alabama tornadoes.

Kentucky: AmeriCorps members in Kentucky serving with the American Red
Cross Louisville Chapter, the Homeland Security Corps, and the Senior
Connections
AmeriCorps Program are providing vital services to those affected by
flooding throughout the state, including preparing shelters and
leading Community
Emergency Response Teams to support first responders in emergency response.

Oklahoma: RSVP volunteers in Oklahoma are providing assistance to the
residents of Tushka, where an EF-3 tornado hit. The RSVP volunteers
have helped families
relocate, cleared debris, prepared and delivered meals, and provided
transportation to seniors with critical medical appointments.
Additionally, two AmeriCorps
National Preparedness and Response Corps members have been dispatched
to Oklahoma to assist in disaster recovery efforts.

Mississippi: An AmeriCorps NCCC team was on the ground in Clinton,
Mississippi within 24 hours after a tornado struck to assist the
Salvation Army with
food preparation and distribution to first responders and evacuation
shelters. An additional NCCC team is working the City of Vicksburg to
notify residents
about pending flooding nd assessing the number of residents in each
home to assist first responders.

Missouri: AmeriCorps VISTAs in Poplar Bluff are helping with
evacuation efforts, setting up a shelter for displaced residents
affected by severe flooding
in Southeast Missouri. AmeriCorps St. Louis Safety Corps is working
closely with the Missouri State Emergency Management Corps to
implement response operations
in the region, clearing debris and assisting residents.

North Dakota: More than 1,000 RSVP participants have organized and
registered volunteers for sandbagging efforts in North Dakota. On
March 1, over a million
sandbags have been prepared in Fargo. AmeriCorps programs with the
YMCA and Youth Works in Fargo put 70 AmeriCorps members to work,
providing local assistance
to affected residents by sandbagging, collection food and water
donation, and setting up shelters.

North Carolina: An AmeriCorps NCCC team has been dispatched to Bertie
County to help with cleanup efforts, food donations and distribution,
and assistance
to first responders.

Ohio: RSVP volunteers in Athens and Meigs Counties have acted swiftly
in the face of potential flooding risks, monitoring river levels and
flood threats
and surveying the impact of the tornado damage.

Virginia: More than 210 RSVP volunteers in Pulaski, Virginia are
organizing supply drives for clothing and person hygiene kits and
overseeing donation management
to ensure efficient distribution of food and clothing. Six of the RSVP
Volunteers are assisting the American Red Cross Command Center in the
recovery efforts.

Wisconsin: An AmeriCorps NCCC team has been deployed to Adams County
to assist in debris removal and clean up efforts as a result of a
tornado that moved
through the area.

>From forest fires and floods, to hurricanes and tornadoes, to terror
attacks and oil spills, participants in CNCS programs have provided
critical support
to millions of Americans affected by disasters since 1994. Reflecting
the agency's growing expertise and commitment in disaster preparedness
and response,
CNCS has made disaster services one of agency's focus areas for its
2011-2015 strategic plan.

###

About the Corporation for National and Community Service:

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency
that engages more than five million Americans in service through its
Senior Corps,
AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President
Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more
information,
visit NationalService.gov.


-- 
Darian Smith
Skype: The_Blind_Truth
Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
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"The purpose of life is a life of purpose.

— Robert Byrne