[nabs-l] AmeriCorps national Civilian Community Corps (NCCC)
Darian Smith
dsmithnfb at gmail.com
Fri Sep 18 16:46:07 UTC 2009
I knew what I wanted to do from the get-go. Some years ago, I had met
a NCC team ( NCCC is team-based) at the colorado center for the
blind. They were working on one of the classrooms and I was a
summer student at the time. Years had passed and every once and a
while I was reminded and encouraged to join the program until one day
I did.
Let me say, that there were alot of challanges beyond those of a
corps member who joins and adjusts to being away from home or with a
new set of people. As you might imagine, it was more of a challange
to be allowed to do tasks and use tools that my team mates could
do. I believe the best gage of their expectations came from a
conversation my team leader and I had when she tole me that her
supervisor back on campus gave her strict instructions not to allow
me to use any power tool ( a conversation that, of course, they did
not have with me). That was but a small piece of a educational
and great time for many reasons. I went to my first Crawfish boil
and fish fry as well. And upon joining my shuffle round team in
alabama; I had never listened to so much country in my life, lol. i
gainned friends, some from New york to seattle and they are all
dear to me and we've all been there for eachother; it was so
amazing to look back and consider.
it is worth noting that there are many many ways you can serve
your community through national and community service, I just found a
program that fit what I personally wanted to do. I believe that I'm
not done serving just because I finished my term in NCCC. I
actually want to see service as a movement alive in well in the NFb,
maybe one day in a divisional form not much different than that of
nabs, as that can show others that we are ready willing and able to
serve our communities and are not simply an object of need that you
see on the street. The particular branch of americorps I was in had
very little exposure to blindness, and when leadership oppertunities
were presented, I had to push a little to get the chance to
contribute my skills. Still, there is a long way to go in this
branch (maybe not in other, maybe more so in others). i can go
back to the time when I started applying for team leader positions;
though I was asked to be interviewed by four campuses, no offers came
out of those interviews. I came to understand that most of the
people who got excepted for positionson campuses were people who
served in the same summer of service program that I did and were corps
members like I was, so I had wondered why they didn't at least have
me considered as an alternate for any possible openings. Again,
that was one program. and I think for one story in one branch there
are twenty successes, it's just that NCCC needed to see that i was
more than a blind guy in an americorps uniform, because all of their
project sponsors did. And that's what can happen if we work on
community service as a part of what we do, we will be changing what
it means to be blind in another important and real way.
On 9/18/09, Joe Orozco <jsorozco at gmail.com> wrote:
> NCC was actually my first choice, but I was an idiot and missed the
> deadline. I wound up doing a program under the National Direct Program and
> got a placement in Washington DC by way of Notre Dame AmeriCorps. Other
> organizations may do it differently, but ours had a regional orientation at
> the beginning of the service and then a national conference in the middle.
> In the local area there were about fifteen AmeriCorps members at six or so
> different sites. We had a general team meeting every two weeks, and this
> was nice to help build cohesion and compare notes on our experience. I
> learned a lot about the plight of the people on my case load, things not
> accurately portrayed by the media, and I learned a lot about nonprofit
> management. Anyway, I mentioned the different programs under AmeriCorps to
> make the point that you are bound to find something that works for you. For
> people with no work experience up to the point of college graduation this is
> certainly a good item to put on your resume, and although my program
> required members to be 21 and older, some programs will allow you to begin
> at the age of 18 before college is completed.
>
> Joe Orozco
>
> "A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the
> crowd."--Max Lucado
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Darian Smith
> Sent: Friday, September 18, 2009 1:35 AM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] AmeriCorps national Civilian Community
> Corps (NCCC)
>
> Yes, as Joe so accurately pointed out, there are multiple
> oppertunities within AmeriCorps. Their are Five basic Branches...
> SeniorCorps, Learn and Serve America, Vista and NCCC. If you
> check out the americorps website you will find out about all of them.
> Where did/do you both work?
>
>
>
> On 9/17/09, Joe Orozco <jsorozco at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I worked with refugee families and victims of human
> trafficking. It's
>> a noble job and a good way to get a taste of the real world in a way
>> to connect with real people. I hope others will consider AmeriCorps,
>> and be aware that Darian's promotion is but one component of
> the federal program.
>> There are other areas for you to choose from.
>>
>> Joe Orozco
>>
>> "A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the
>> crowd."--Max Lucado
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Serena
>> Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2009 8:30 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] AmeriCorps national Civilian Community Corps
>> (NCCC)
>>
>> Hi Darien
>>
>> I also am doing an AmeriCorps program--Unfortunately, I'm done at the
>> end of this month. I help place public defender clients into drug
>> rehab programs.
>> I really enjoy it! Has anybody else on here ever done AmeriCorps?
>> What have you guys done?
>>
>> Serena
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Darian Smith" <dsmithnfb at gmail.com>
>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>; "cabs-talk" <cabs-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2009 4:32 PM
>> Subject: [nabs-l] AmeriCorps national Civilian Community Corps (NCCC)
>>
>>
>> Hi all,
>> I was going through some old files and found a recruitment
> write-up
>> i created last year as a member of AmeriCorps, and thought it would
>> be of good use to all of you amazingly energetic students, that are
>> wanting to change the world.
>> Please feel free to pass it on to your friends, and other members
>> of your local student divisions.
>> have a great day,
>> Darian
>>
>> p.s. feel freee to contact me if you have any questions about the
>> program.
>>
>> AmeriCorps *NCCC: 15 years of getting things done!
>>
>> The national civilian community corps is an AmeriCorps program that
>> engages youth ages 18 - 24 in team - based community service.
>> Members come from all over the country to an assigned campus to be
>> trained on needed skills such as conflict resolution, team building,
>> CPR and first aid.
>> Members then get assigned to a team and sent to an area where the
>> need for service is the greatest; and then starts an opportunity of a
>> lifetime!
>> If you are or know a young person who likes to meet new people,
>> travel, and be a part of a team, then this program is a perfect fit
>> for you or someone you know!
>> What else you should know: aside from helping their country,
>> corps members get a small living allowance, health benefits, and an
>> education award upon successful completion of the program.
>> Additionally, the program covers the cost for food and travel, and
>> insures that members are housed during the 10 months of service.
>>
>> For More information, please visit our website at:
>> www.americorps.gov/nccc
>>
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