User:Dbiel/ScratchPad/NCCC accomplishments

Example Of An AmeriCorps*NCCC Team- Aged 18-25 (Source: Team Eagle 2, Perry Point, MD Campus: Service Year 9, 2003)

Main article: National Civilian Community Corps

AmeriCorps NCCC, or National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), is an AmeriCorps program in which 18 to 24-year-olds dedicate 10 months to address national and community needs. 1,200 members are trained annually at and operate from one of three regional campuses, located in Sacramento, California, Denver, Colorado, and Perry Point, Maryland. They travel with their team throughout a multi-state region to a series of service projects, each typically lasting six to eight weeks.

Projects fall in the areas of disaster relief, public safety, the environment, education, and other unmet needs. Teams frequently work with non-profit organizations such as Habitat For Humanity and the American Red Cross, tutor students in public schools, and build trails for various national and state parks.

While in the program, members receive room and board, a modest living stipend of approximately $13 a day, health coverage, and, upon successful completion of the program, a taxable education award of $4,725.

Members are required to complete a minimum of 1,700 hours of service, including 80 independent service hours. However, members complete an average of 1,850 service hours per term.

Program History

AmeriCorps*NCCC began in 1994, when legislation to create all the AmeriCorps programs was passed in a bipartisan bill signed by President Clinton. The legislation for AmeriCorps was written under the Presidency of George H.W. Bush. The first campus was located in Aberdeen, MD. This campus later relocated to Perry Point, MD, and three other campuses opened in Charleston, SC, Denver, CO, and San Diego, CA. In 1998, a fifth campus was opened in Washington, DC to increase the exposure and support for the NCCC program.

Efforts failed, and even after the crucial support provided by NCCC members during the wake of the September 11th attacks, as well as countless other natural disasters and ongoing projects in poverty housing, education, the environment, and health, NCCC continually faced budget cuts from Congress, with constant threats of shutting the program down entirely. Through the efforts of SaveNCCC.org, enough letters were sent to Congresspersons to convince them that this program was essential to providing services in a timely manner that could not be achevied through other means.

While the program is still operational, it has been down-sized. Campuses are currently located only in Perry Point, MD, Denver, CO, and Sacramento, CA. A fourth campus is slated to open in Fall 2008 in Vinton, IA - in the heart of the flooding. While the rhetoric of the Bush 43 administration has pointed to increasing funding and the scope of AmeriCorps, the reality is that this unique program has constantly come under the fire of Republicans, written off as wasteful spending.

NCCC members are still only able to serve two years with AmeriCorps*NCCC, and a total of three years in any AmeriCorps programs. Most AmeriCorps programs pose no term limits n their members other than the standard AmeriCorps-wide limit of three years of service to any member. Any AmeriCorps member serving a third year is not eligible for the education award, however.

During the directorship Col. Fred Peters, however, seven AmeriCorps*NCCC members were invited back for a third term of service. All the Corps Members had been serving their second year as Team Leaders during the 2001-2002 year, and were looking to renew their Team Leader contract for what would be a third year of AmeriCorps service. These Team Leaders arrived to their resepctive locations only to be told that the contract was not valid, because as stated in federal legislation, NCCC members are only allowed to serve two years.

The opinion of NCCC Director Peters and AmeriCorps Director Rosie Mauk was that the seven members should be allowed to serve out their third term, under the agreement that such a mistake would never happen again. Legal counsel for AmeriCorps argued that this would be a violation of federal law, and therefore, not an option. Most of the members were offered full-time temporary employment with AmeriCorps or the Corporation for National & Community Service, the parent organization of AmeriCorps.

Program Accomplishments

"Since 1994, more than 12,000 members have invested more than 20 million service hours on 6,500 service projects with thousands of nonprofit organizations and other public agencies to provide disaster services, tutor children, preserve the environment, build homes for low-income families and meet other challenges. In FY 2006, 100 percent of members served in the Gulf Coast Region on multiple team deployments assisting local communities to recover from the effects of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.

Since September 2005, the NCCC has deployed over 2,000 members to the Gulf Coast Region to assist the relief and recovery effort who have collectively served more than 900,000 hours on over 395 projects in the Gulf Coast Region. NCCC members served as resources to the American Red Cross and FEMA during the initial relief period and then shifted to supporting local community-based organizations on recovery projects. To date, disaster service accomplishments include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assisted 2.5 million people;

• Leveraged 73,000 volunteers;

• Refurbished 5,320 homes;

• Completed 10,695 damage assessments;

• Supported 726 emergency response centers;

• Distributed 2,369 tons of food;

• Distributed 1,817 tons of clothing; and

• Served 1.3 million meals.

However, NCCC accomplishments in FY 2006 extend beyond disaster services in the Gulf Coast. NCCC engaged 1,127 members on 542 projects in 48 states and the District of Columbia. The retention rate was 89 percent and members completed 1.7 million service hours.

Projects in 2006 were focused in communities with the greatest need, whether rural and wilderness (23 percent), urban (65 percent), or suburban (nine percent) settings and in partnership with more than 400 different organizations including faith-based (20 percent) and community-based groups (40 percent).

... the NCCC has seen a tremendous upsurge in the numbers of volunteers leveraged and managed by NCCC teams. The NCCC is effectively demonstrating a “force-multiplier” capability in a national crisis. In FY 2006, NCCC leveraged 73,000 volunteers—more than four times our target for the year."

Customer Satisfaction Index of NCCC performance by project sponsors

"Service projects are conducted in partnership with project sponsors (community based, state, and national organizations). NCCC service is performed as a direct outcome of the needs defined by these organizations. A primary aspect of NCCC effectiveness is determined by the degree of satisfaction with NCCC services by the project sponsors. The American Customer Satisfaction Index is the most widely used national indicator of customer satisfaction. In 2006, NCCC’s score of 91 was the third highest among federal programs."

In 2005, AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) was also among the highest rated U.S. Federal Government agencies in the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina, the Corporation for National and Community Service issued this summary:

"The following chart lists the number of participants who have contributed to hurricane–related activities for each of the Corporation for National and Community Service's programs, the total number of hours they have served, and the number of volunteers they have recruited or coordinated. Data are current as of August 1, 2007." Since Katrina (2006 and 2007 Combined):

NCCC:

• Participants: 2,964

• Service Hours: 1,407,802

• Volunteers Leveraged: 185,625

In a 2006 document, Habitat for Humanity stated:

"Habitat for Humanity has participated in the NCCC since 1994, and the members of the NCCC have been instrumental in working towards Habitat for Humanity’s goal of eliminating poverty housing across the United States. Over 5,100 NCCC members have participated in more than 500 individual Habitat for Humanity service projects, and they have served with 142 Habitat chapters in 43 states. The teams have been especially helpful in working with our rural affiliates who have extremely limited resources build for low income families in their communities."

"We know that since 2000, AmeriCorps NCCC members have helped construct and renovate more than Habitat 1,500 homes and supervised more than 45,000 volunteers. 

In the Gulf Coast region, we currently have at least four NCCC teams working with our affiliates [rebuilding lives] destroyed by the hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma."

Accolades

NCCC Disaster Mitigation, Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Relief and Recovery

NCCC's disaster relief work on the Gulf Coast post-Katrina has been extremely well received.

According to the Executive Director of the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Services, Marsha Meeks Kelly:

"You can't go anywhere on the Gulf (Coast) to any civic meeting that when you mention NCCC, you don't get a standing ovation."

In 2007, the Habitat for Humanity-Mississippi Gulf Coast volunteer manager stated:

"We actually can't live without our NCCC. They're a great asset to our organization."

In Sept. 2007, an editorial about NCCC by the Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, the Sun Herald, stated:

"Among the many who wear the name "hero" in our book of golden deeds performed here, the Americorps volunteers will forever have a place of honor in our memory - idealistic young people, and seniors also, who came here and lived in Spartan conditions for month after month, in military tents, going out day after day to help the people of South Mississippi pull themselves out of the debris and rebuild."

The highly respected former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, James Lee Witt, wrote:

"Trained members of AmeriCorps (part of the National Civilian Community Corps, or NCCC) have responded to every national disaster since its inception in 1994. As director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from 1993 to 2001, I saw firsthand how the young men and women of the NCCC helped to rebuild communities and lives. What made the NCCC critical to our disaster response is that it provided us with disaster-trained and certified volunteers who could be mobilized at a moment’s notice."

"... when we weren’t responding to a disaster, these hardworking individuals supported FEMA disaster-mitigation programs. In the Northwest, they worked diligently on FEMA’s Project Impact, which was designed to protect communities by reducing the impact of natural disasters through planning and prevention. Today, many Northwestern communities are safer from floods and earthquakes as a result of these efforts."

"More recently, as a consultant to Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco after Hurricane Katrina, I have seen how the program has been able to mobilize its members from across the country to focus on the vast needs of that region. In fact, NCCC members began their response in the Gulf States even before the hurricane hit... During and after a disaster, when untrained volunteers seek to help their fellow Americans, NCCC volunteers are able to manage them, increasing their effectiveness and their ability to make a real difference."

As quoted in the Congressional Record, Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi stated:

"There have been over 1,600 National Civilian Community Corps members in my State of Mississippi since August 30, the day after Hurricane Katrina struck our coast. They continue to provide essential assistance. The State of Mississippi put our State office of the National Civilian Community Corps in charge of the emergency 24-hour call center, as well as supply distribution centers."

"To date, the National Civilian Community Corps has assisted 1,140,000 people; cleaned out 1,500 homes; contributed nearly 2,000 tons of food and 2,790 tons of clothing; served 1 million meals; refurbished 732 homes; supported 654 emergency response centers; and completed 1,730 damage assessments."

"The thousands of volunteers who are helping care for children and helping the gulf coast recover and rebuild are the backbone of the progress being made in the hurricane-damaged region of our country. They give hope to our families."

Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia remarked:

"NCCC members deployed to the gulf within 24 hours of Katrina making landfall and have been there ever since. In total, nearly 1,600 NCCC members have provided 320,000 hours of volunteer service. These young people are 18 to 24 years old. They muck out homes, remove debris, rebuild schools and community centers, coordinate the work of episodic volunteers, help families and senior citizens rebuild their homes and lives, and support other needs."

Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland concluded:

"Most recently, NCCC have provided more than 250,000 service hours valued at $3.8 million to projects in the Gulf Coast region, which reflects their critical service during every American natural disaster since the program started."

U.S. Representative Doris Matsui of California wrote in 2006:

"Every time I meet with NCCC participants I am impressed at their level of commitment to protecting and serving our communities... NCCC members were deployed to the Gulf within 24 hours of Hurricane Katrina’s making landfall and have been there ever since... NCCC members’ contributions to this country have never been more significant, and I hope that other members of Congress will join me in pushing for full funding of the NCCC."

The CEO of the Southern Maryland Chapter of the American Red Cross, Mike Zabko, is quoted as follows:

"There is no way to quantify the help and services NCCC members have given us. They sometimes work 14, 15, 16 hours a day. They're relentless. You can't put a price tag on that."

The National Service Congressional Caucus noted in its 2007 letter to the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies:

"... the President's budget states that, 'in the chaotic atmosphere of the Gulf Coast hurricanes, it became clear that NCCC members had the training, mobility, and experience to help respond to the Gulf Coast tragedy in a demonstrable way that truly made a difference for thousands of individuals.'"

A 2006 letter to the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, signed by fifty-two U.S. Representatives stated in part:

"Since 1994, the AmeriCorps*NCCC team members have played an important role by developing leaders and strengthening communities through team-based national and community service in the areas of disaster relief, education, unmet human needs, environment, and public safety. They can be found working in our schools, our non-profit organizations and on community projects throughout our nation."

"Americorps*NCCC members are 100% disaster trained and available for immediate deployment in the event of a natural disaster anywhere within the United States. Trained in CPR, first aid, disaster response, and firefighting, NCCC teams have responded to every national disaster since the program was established."

In his 2006 letter to Congress, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote:

"AmeriCorps*NCCC is the jewel in the crown of CNCS. ... According to the Corporation for National Service, these teams have logged more than 800,000 hours, serving more than 677 projects in California since 2000. As an example, they have provided 35,000 hours in support of wildfire suppression and tutored over 28,000 students."

"The Western Region Campus located in Sacramento trains 250 members each year ... The teams are on call 24/7 and respond to disasters nation-wide. The Sacramento campus is responsible for the rapid deployment of its teams to numerous national disasters, including wildfires, floods and mudslides in the western states."

In its 2006 editorial, the Boston Globe wrote:

"Some have questioned the cost of the NCCC.... But that investment buys highly trained emergency response teams -- which have proven their effectiveness -- not to mention committed graduates. For a nation concerned about emergencies, both natural and man-made, Congress should be growing NCCC and AmeriCorps, not strangling them."

In his April 26, 2006 letter to Congress, the Director of Recovery in New Orleans' St. Bernard Parish wrote (emphasis added):

"As the Director of Recovery for St. Bernard Parish, I wish to acknowledge the monumental accomplishments of the AmeriCorps NCCC team members which have supported our recovery efforts. Let me preface my comments with the fact that I have no previous affiliations with the organization prior to their assignment to the Parish. ...

AmeriCorps NCCC rapidly identified, developed and implemented an Operations Command Center that coordinated all aspects of the mission. They developed tracking boards which identified all of the Rights of Entry available for use within the 33 debris zones of the Parish. They assigned specific volunteer teams to each structure. They coordinated the movement of personnel to the different zones of operation, as well as the placement of essential tools required for the accomplishment of the tasks.... They provided the necessary safety staff to oversee the operations and ensure not only the safety of the volunteers within the Parish, but the continuity of the services provided to the citizens. They implemented a training program which resulted in identifiable and measurable reduction of hazardous material in our debris stream as well as a reduction in physical accidents resulting in treatment by a physician....

For the record, over 1200 homes have benefited from this process which is being commanded and controlled nearly exclusively by AmeriCorps NCCC team members. Their leadership enabled us to effectively engage thousands of volunteers. The Parish would not have been able to accomplish this task but for the efforts of these personnel. They have been a force multiplier of expediential proportions.

As a Colonel (sel) in the United States Marine Corps, I have recently served on both a Marine Expeditionary Force and Division Staff in Iraq. The competence, dedication, and capabilities of these young American citizens compares to that of the Marines I have had the distinct honor of serving with. The command and control processes, procedures implemented in the ever-changing environment in which AmeriCorps NCCC has operated, has been exemplary. ...

Respectfully, David Dysart Director of Recovery St. Bernard Parish"

In 2006, the legislatures of both houses in the State of Vermont unanimously passed a joint resolution in support of NCCC, calling it:

"a program that has brought untold benefits to communities across the country and enabled thousands of Americans to serve their nation in a most constructive manner."

The Vermont state Senator introducing the resolution stated:

"I have witnessed the huge amount an NCCC team can accomplish in six short weeks is nothing short of amazing. NCCC... leverage(s) a small taxpayer investment into an enormously effective program. Our country clearly sees the many critical needs we have in our nation. Now is the time to expand opportunities for young people to serve, not eliminate great programs like the NCCC.'”

A 2006 letter to Congress "from more than 300 national service programs"praised NCCC's disaster response work:

"NCCC has been on the front lines in the nation’s response to the greatest natural disaster in U.S. history. To date, 1,600 members of the NCCC have been deployed to the Gulf Coast to perform an endless array of desperately needed services in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. The NCCC’s trained mobile response units provide humanitarian aid and physical service, as well as manage the thousands of outside volunteers who want to help. The programs members can be immediately deployed; four NCCC teams were pulled from other assignments and sent to support shelters in Mississippi and Alabama within one day after Hurricane Katrina made landfall."

The National Lieutenant Governors Association in 2004 adopted a resolution commending AmeriCorp NCCC on its tenth anniversary, noting:

"WHEREAS, Corps members are taught CPR, first aid, disaster relief, and are often certified to fight forest fires. AmeriCorps*NCCC members have responded to every national disaster since the program was established to include the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001.... NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the National Lieutenant Governors Association commends the AmeriCorps*National Civilian Community Corps for their 10 years of service to America, and look forward to building an even stronger relationship between the NCCC and the 50 States and the U.S. territories."

Former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell saluted NCCC:

“Young people that serve in AmeriCorps*National Civilian Community Corps show us the best of America’s spirit. They tutor our children, aid victims of disaster, and restore our streams and parks. I urge you to support these young Americans.” Colin Powell

Senator John McCain of Arizona wrote in 2001:

"... In April of last year, when the Mississippi's flood waters threatened the town of Camanche, Iowa, an AmeriCorps NCCC team was brought in to coordinate volunteers and help plug leaks in the town's levee. "This AmeriCorps crew has probably single-handedly saved $1 million to $1.5 million worth of property damage since they've been here," Camanche Public Works Director Dave Rickertsen told the St. Louis Post Dispatch. NCCC teams also helped out last year after floods in Ohio and Florida, a hurricane in North Carolina, and forest fires in six western states, providing disaster relief to an estimated 33,500 people. This year they've been dispatched to help combat nine floods and dozens of forest fires."

A previous CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, former Pennsylvania Senator Harris Wofford, testified to Congress that:

" ... when an NCCC's team moves in, as it did in Harrisburg in the flood, in Florida and elsewhere, they come fast, they know what to do, they stay to the end, they work night and day. They generally have a major role in organizing the unpaid volunteers that flow in but have to be organized."

A series of vivid photographs offering a glimpse of working conditions for NCCC Corps Members in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina is posted online.

NCCC Fire Fighting and Fire Mitigation

In 2006, the Boulder Colorado Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service honored NCCC fire fighters:

"In recognition of Americorps NCCC Wildfire Team's continued hard work and dedication to wildland fire and fire mitigation." "Thank you for your positive attitudes and willingness to go above and beyond all expectations."

According to a Corporation for National and Community Service report, in 2000:

"Federal firefighting officials with the National Park Service (NPS) requested assistance from AmeriCorps during one of the worst fire seasons in 50 years. As of this morning, 65 large wildland fires were burning more than 800,000 acres in 11 states. 'AmeriCorps members have helped us fight fires for the past three years and they've performed extremely well,' said Don Boucher, NPS fire manager for the National Capital Region. 'They're badly needed out west, and we're very glad they are joining this fight.'"

In the State of Arizona, Steve Lombardo of the Crown King Fire District wrote:

“The AmeriCorps*NCCC teams have been instrumental in helping to reduce the fuel loading from around the community, increasing the chances of survival from a major catastrophic event. This past year the fire team responded to several fires during the height of fire season, mitigating major threats to the community. They were instrumental in the Fire District’s public education programs designed to help citizens participate in fuel reduction on their properties and were directly responsible for many properties being treated by home owners and significantly more homes were protected than could have been by department personnel alone.”

A vivid series of photographs of NCCC firefighters in action is posted online:

Photos of NCCC firefighters joining the battle against the Blackerby fire in state and national forests in Idaho are posted, as are dramatic photos of NCCC corps members joining the fights against the East Humbolt fire in Nevada and the fires at Payette National Forest and Salmon-Challis National Forest in Idaho.

NCCC and Environmental Conservation

An important partnerships for NCCC has been its association with The Nature Conservancy. In 2004, the Nature Conservancy announced that:

"Last year, 166 AmeriCorps members worked on Conservancy projects in eight states. From Oregon to New York to the Florida Keys, they removed invasive plants, developed archaeological dig sites, repaired state park facilities and visitor centers, and maintained trails. In Minnesota, AmeriCorps members were trained to work as full-time burn crews and participated in 21 controlled burns on more than 1,200 acres. ... 'We've been working with AmeriCorps since 2001,' says Colin McGuigan, a Conservancy land steward in Central Minnesota."

"AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps), the branch of AmeriCorps that partners with the Conservancy, is a 10-month, full-time residential program for men and women between the ages of 18 and 24 who serve around the United States in teams of 10 to 15 members. They work to meet community needs in disaster relief, the environment and youth development."

In 2005, NCCC teams worked with Nature Conservancy staff in New York State:"

"'AmeriCorps -- National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) volunteers are working with The Nature Conservancy to restore critical wildlife habitat in Montauk and Shelter Island' ... 'Restoration of maritime grasslands in Theodore Roosevelt County Park is no small feat,' explained Bruce Horwith, Montauk site conservation director for The Nature Conservancy. 'This habitat is a globally rare community and a home to rare moths, breeding birds, and endangered plants. We are truly appreciative of the work of the AmeriCorps team in helping to restore this unique community.'”

"Invasive species are among the biggest threats to our parks, preserves, and other protected areas – they spread rapidly over large areas, displacing native plants, and threatening native wildlife,' said Mike Laspia, executive director of Mashomack Preserve. 'Invasives can even affect our recreational opportunities and the ecological health of our waterways, forests, and other natural areas. ... We are thankful to have such a hard-working and committed crew of young people helping us out."

NCCC also has a long-standing partnership with the National Park Service. One 2005 report, from Big Bend National Park in Texas, stated:

"Every year, Americorps NCCC Volunteers contribute thousands of hours to Big Bend’s Volunteer Program. Americorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) are young volunteers between the ages of 18-24. In Big Bend, they are an invaluable work force for the trails program, usually staying six to eight weeks and camping the entire time. Don Sharlow, Trails Supervisor, says 'The Americorps work extremely well with the trail crew, learn quickly and produce an amazing amount of quality work. They do all of this with smiles on their faces and sweat on their brows.'”

Enthusiastic praise for NCCC was expressed by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's Division of Parks and Recreation:

"In a time when we are looking for positive stories about the generosity of the human spirit, Delaware State Parks salutes some of the most incredible and productive volunteers we’ve ever had,' said [Parks and Recreation director] Salkin. Fort Delaware State Park ... has been the beneficiary of the elbow grease, enthusiasm and energy of AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) volunteers this year.... The 18- to 24-year-olds have donated more than 20,000 work hours to the parks with an in-kind value of approximately$140,000, according to Glen Stubbolo, coordinator of Division of Parks and Recreation volunteer activities... The AmeriCorps teams have blown the lid off our expectations by setting a new standard for what volunteers can do,' Stubbolo said. 'Very simply, they’ve done a massive amount of work for us that not only improves our parks but improves our ability to serve our visitors."

NCCC and Education

NCCC volunteers (Corps Members) earn Educational Awards upon successful completion of service. These awards, which are matched by many colleges and universities, can be applied to college tuition. As of early 2006, Corps Members had earned Education Awards valued at $48.5 million.

The NCCC Corps Member Training Institutes are designed to prepare individuals and teams to serve and to generate NCCC Team Leaders who are trained as coach, mentor, team captain, trail boss, and project manager for projects in education and elsewhere.

In conjunction with the American Council on Education, Corps Members who complete course requirements during their year of service can earn undergraduate credits hours in "Core Supervisory Skills"and "Introduction to Service Learning."

The leadership training, service learning, and educational awards embodied in the NCCC program have already helped launch numerous public service careers.

NCCC teams have worked in partnership with public school systems across the country, mentoring and tutoring needy children. A summary of national service work by AmeriCorps NCCC, released in early 2006, states that NCCC had by then tutored 319,000 students.

The dedication of NCCC teams to their educational projects is illustrated by their accomplishments with the Harford County, Maryland schools:

As reported in 2005, schools "in Aberdeen have been the beneficiaries of National Civilian Community Corps Team volunteers this year.... They provided intense, focused instruction to those students identified with the greatest needs... Additionally, they mentored individual students and took part in a number of other school-based projects, acting as coaches ... The Americorps NCCC volunteers have planned science nights ... and helped with Literacy Nights and Book Fairs. A proclamation for extraordinary service to the students of Aberdeen was awarded to each [NCCC] team by Aberdeen City Council President, Gina Bantum."

NCCC Work for People With Disabilities

The Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, stated:

“In just a few months NCCC teams made major improvements to Windrush Farm and have had a profound impact on the community. I commend their efforts to make a difference, and I applaud their hard work, generosity and commitment to community service. They represent the true spirit of humanitarianism and serve as an inspiration for us all.”

["Windrush Farm Therapeutic Equitation Inc., specializes in classes for emotionally, physically, and mentally challenged individuals."]

As reported by the Charleston City Paper in 2006:

"Brad Cashman, a NCCC team leader from August 2004 to June 2005, currently serves as the volunteer coordinator for Crisis Ministries in Charleston. He speaks emphatically about the importance of this Americorps program."

"To understand America's problems you have to come face-to-face with them. NCCC allows people to understand these core problems and develop solutions,' says Cashman, whose team's projects included Habitat for Humanity house building in Ft. Myers, Fla., mentoring and tutoring in St. Tammany, La., and counseling and caretaking for disabled adults and children at Camp Easter Seals in Nashville, Tenn. — a post that required changing and showering the residents, and often necessitated 65-hour work weeks."

As noted in "Stories of Americans With Disabilities in National Service:"

"AMERICORPS NCCC Joe Tierney, AmeriCorps*NCCC Alumnus 2001 and 2002... Disability: Traumatic brain injury

Joe Tierney dedicated two years of his life to service with AmeriCorps*NCCC. During these years he tutored children, built houses, designed and built wheelchair ramps, surveyed and mapped a historical graveyard, blazed trails, worked at a camp for children and adults with disabilities, and much more. Of his time there he writes, 'Throughout my service I met some amazing individuals, traveled to some fascinating locations, and learned a variety of skills, but most importantly my service gave me the opportunity to recover, the ability to experience life with a smile. I made the decision to join AmeriCorps because I felt an obligation to give back, I understood that I was very fortunate to have recovered and that I would have never done it without the help of many thoughtful, committed, competent individuals.'"

As noted by Julia Cashion, Easter Seals Camp Lindahl, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee:

"Easter Seals Camp serves individuals living with disabilities. Our Campers require a great deal of individualized support. Simply put, we could not serve the amount of Campers that we do year after year without the able bodied volunteers of AmeriCorps. The NCCC team members not only contribute creative ideas, diverse skill sets, and positive attitudes, but they are the extra hands, eyes, and ears that help to create the special 'Summer Camp' experience that our Campers, all living with disabilities, deserve."

As noted in a 2002 notice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency:

"Oklahoma City, OK -- Oklahomans in the 45 disaster-designated counties have two weeks left to apply for disaster assistance if they suffered losses as a result of the January 30th ice storms.... "AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) has assisted more than 250 affected families in Ponca City, Enid, Kingfisher, Cedar Lake, Oklahoma City,Yukon, Hinton, Ft. Cobb and El Reno with debris removal and clean up. Team members are focusing on the homes of elderly, disabled, and those with special needs."

As noted in a 2001 AmeriCorps bulletin:

"Fifty members of Denver's National Civilian Communtiy Corps (NCCC) ... arrived in Houston this week. The volunteers traveled more than 1,000 miles by van and will be in Houston for three weeks to assist United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) with cleanup of flood–damaged homes. AmeriCorps will help with removing damaged goods, mud, Sheetrock and the cleaning of homes belonging to the elderly and disabled flood victims."

NCCC and Veterans

Founded and organized by senior military veterans, NCCC "employs veterans in its command structure,"creating and fielding trained, cohesive, reliable, rapid-response, civilian national service teams, pre-screened and regionally pre-positioned. As indicated in the following excerpts, the National Civilian Community Corps has rendered appropriate service to thousands of U.S. veterans and their families.

In a signed editorial written for Memorial Day, 2006, former NCCC National Directors "Army Brigadier General (Ret.) Donald L. Scott, Currently Deputy Librarian of Congress, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Andrew P. Chambers, and Colonel (Ret.) Fred Peters" included this passage:

"People like General Powell and Senator McCain also recognize the value of NCCC to our nation’s veterans and military families. From 1999 to 2004, NCCC worked with several dozen organizations – including the San Diego County Veterans Service, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the Vermont Office of Veteran Affairs, the City of Bridgeport, Vietnam Veterans of San Diego – on 38 separate service projects that directly assisted more than 8,000 veterans. For the past decade, NCCC teams in Perry Point, Maryland, have engaged in service projects at the VA Medical Center, assisting residents and helping patients prepare for their re-entry into society. And, NCCC members have lent strong support to the Veterans' History Project, taking time beyond their required NCCC service commitment to preserve the sacrifice and memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice."

A June 5, 2006 column published in the Washington Times, "Congress Should Rethink Cutting Service Corps," included this quote:

"Dear Sgt. Shaft: ... Based at five regional campuses, NCCC teams work on behalf of civilians and veterans in all 50 states. ... Somehow, though, NCCC has been practically eliminated from the proposed 2007 federal budget.... As former directors of NCCC, we know firsthand what a mistake that would be. We have seen their work at a Maryland VA Medical Center -- where, for more than a decade, corps members have served."

"We know that a 10-member AmeriCorps NCCC team served at the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs to ensure that veterans could obtain the benefits they earned. Clayton Clark, veteran services coordinator, had strong praise for their efforts, saying, 'The team spent 2,000 work hours on this project in four weeks.'" ...

"NCCC needs, deserves and appreciates support from all members of the military family."

• Brig. Gen. Don Scott (Retired)
• Lt. Gen. Andrew P. Chambers (Retired)
• Col. Fred Peters (Retired)
• U.S. Army Former directors, National Civilian Community Corps

Sgt. Shaft replied:

"Dear former NCCC directors:

"It seems preposterous that as our military reserves and National Guard are spread thin because of other commitments, the U.S. Congress could even think of defunding this vital civilian disaster-relief partner. I urge the Congress to join the administration in continuing to fund this essential program."

In its 2004 statement, "Serving Those Who Have Served", the Corporation for National and Community Service wrote:

"... For the past decade, members from the AmeriCorps *National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Northeast Region campus in Perry Point, Md. have engaged in service projects assisting residents of the local Veterans Administration Medical Center. Members assist hospital staff in providing care to residents, organize recreational activities, conduct arts and crafts shops, and help bridge the generations between youth and elderly. NCCC members serve in the Alzheimer’s unit; physical therapy rooms; chronic illness centers; psychiatric units; and even in the outside community, helping soon-to-be-released patients readjust to their new lives."

The NCCC Experience

The challenges and satisfactions of service in the National Civilian Community Corps have been chronicled and blogged by active corps members and by alumni.

In 2007, an NCCC team posted weekly updates, including its experience performing disaster relief work in New Orleans.

Other AmeriCorps NCCC members have compiled and posted their remarkable "Stories of Service" online.

NCCC Photographs and Videos

• A series of vivid photographs offering a glimpse of working conditions for NCCC Corps Members in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina is posted online.

• Photographs are posted online illustrating an NCCC project in Florida sponsored by the American Red Cross in which Corps Members installed hurricane shutters at the homes of low-income residents.

• NCCC Hurricane Recovery photos are posted at Corporation for National and Community Service Websites

• Good photographs of NCCC Corps Members doing reconstruction work in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina with Habitat for Humanity are posted online.

• A vivid series of photographs of NCCC firefighters in action is posted online: photos of NCCC firefighters joining the battle against the Blackerby fire in state and national forests in Idaho are posted, as are dramatic photos of NCCC corps members joining the fights against the East Humbolt fire in Nevada and the fires at Payette National Forest and Salmon-Challis National Forest in Idaho.

• A photograph of a plaque awarded to NCCC firefighters by the National Park Service, featuring a montage of dramatic snapshots and the inscription: "In recognition of Americorps NCCC Wildfire Team's continued hard work and dedication to wildland fire and fire mitigation. Thank you for your positive attitudes and willingness to go above and beyond all expectations" is posted online.

• Impressive photos of NCCC work on a 600-yard wheelchair-accessible boardwalk completed at White Sands National Monument with the National Park Service in New Mexico are posted online.

• The video, AmeriCorps*NCCC: In Their Own Words, is available online, as are numerous other videos easily located via search engine.