GET TO

THE POINT T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E N C C C A T L A N T I C R E G I O N

T H U R S D A Y , J U L Y 4 , 2 0 1 3

V O L U M E X I X , I S S U E 1 4

Protecting Yourself from

The Sun Meg Wheeler, Raven 1 Health & Wellness

Liaison, highlights the importance of sun screen

to Corps Members’ health. Page 6.

Life After AmeriCorps Online resources to aid you in

your search for the next step. Page 9

Staff Spotlights The Atlantic Region welcomes

two new staff members. Page 8

2 JULY 4, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

I’m a member of the National

Civilian Community Corps,

an AmeriCorps Program.

N-Triple-C members are 18 to 24 and spend

10 months getting things done for America

while developing their own leadership. We

serve on teams to help communities prepare

for and respond to disasters, build homes,

and help the environment.

To learn more, visit NationalService.gov or call 1.800.942.2677

CONNECT WITH AMERICORPS NCCC ATLANTIC REGION

Sam McKenzie, Community Relations Specialist (CRS)

Phone: 202.528.3755 ● Email: smckenzie@cns.gov

Mona Hillstrand, Assistant Community Relations Specialist (ACRS)

Phone: 202.815.4259 ● Email: rhillstrand@cns.gov

Ben Dillon, Community Relations Support Team Leader (CRSTL)

Phone: 443.995.7940 ● Email: bedillon.guest@cns.gov

Facebook.com/NCCCAtlanticRegion

@AmeriCorpsNCCC

NationalService.gov

03 Gallery Images from Round 3 projects

05 Bulletin Board Update of Independent Service

Hours & Team Reminders

06 Health & Wellness Meg Wheeler, Raven 1 Health &

Wellness Liaison, highlights the

benefits of sunscreen; Also, a

recipe for Broccoli Quinoa

Casserole, Page 7

08 Staff Spotlights The Atlantic Region welcomes

two new staff members

09 Life After... Online resources for planning

your Life After AmeriCorps

10 CAP/Media Reps.

11 Shout Outs

12 Team Project Map

About the cover

A Corps Member’s

boots are her constant

companions. See the

blog post AmeriBoots:

Made for Serving, by

Class XVIII Corps

Member Ashley

Peoples, for more on

the boots’ significance.

ISSUE IN THIS

CONTENTS

↑ Members of the

composite team

Sasquatch 1 stand

alongside a

roadside guardrail

near the

Appalachian Trail

in western Maine.

GET TO THE POINT | JULY 4, 2013 3

G ALLERY

Removal & Restoration ↑ Buffalo 4 member Kaitlyn Liafsha removes drywall from a flood-

damaged home while working with Respond and Rebuild in New

York City.

→ Raven 2 members, covered in mud, work with the Armstrong

Conservation District in western Pennsylvania.

↓ Buffalo 1 Team Leader Rico Hernandez paints a dock post while

doing hurricane recovery work with Jersey Cares in Ocean County.

4 JULY 4, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

G ALLERY

Roughin’ It

↑ Members of composite team Sasquatch 1 rest around a boundary

monument after a rigorous two-day search on the Appalachian

Trail in western Maine.

→ Members of Moose 1 repair a boardwalk while working with the

Nature Conservancy in southern Maine.

↓ Raven 5 member Brock Barbosa (left) and Raven 5 Team Leader

Khaled Ismail (right) roll a log section after cutting it with a

chainsaw at Bryant Pond 4H Camp in western Maine.

GET TO THE POINT | JULY 4, 2013 5

“Start where you are. Use what you

have. Do what you can.”

– Arthur Ashe

Raven Unit Team Leaders, with the assistance of

Raven 1 member Meg Wheeler, form a human

pyramid to represent each team’s level of ISP

completion thus far.

At the mid-way point in the service

year, the Raven unit has taken a

commanding lead in the race to

finish the minimum number of

Independent Service Project hours.

Percentage of ISP Hours Complete

Raven: 69.95%

Buffalo: 61.89%

Moose: 51.53%

Due July 5!

Day of Service Snapshots for Project

Outreach Liaisons

Résumés for all Corps Members

BULLET IN BO ARD

Moose Unit Support Team Leader Emily Tiffany

stands atop the shoulders of Operations Support

Team Leader Chandler Ballentine during All Corps

Day, June 19, at the Atlantic Region Campus.

6 JULY 4, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

HEALTH & WELLNESS

The Miracle Product We Want You to Try!

By Meg Wheeler, Raven 1

Health & Wellness Liaison

There is an underutilized

miracle product out there on

the market. Its short-term effects

can prevent redness, burning,

irritation of skin, and in some

cases, blisters. In the long run,

this product can help to

prevent cancer, permanent

skin damage, and with

consistent use can decrease

the onset of wrinkles.

It is hard to fathom that such

a product would be relatively

cheap or easy to find, yet it falls

under both categories. It can

be found in nearly any store

and costs approximately $12 for

a large bottles. With such

common availability, low prices,

and amazing effects, why is

that Corps Members (but also

people in general) are not

using this product more often?

As summer time has arrived

for the Corps, the majority of us

find ourselves out in the sun just

lying out to get a tan,

socializing, or playing sports.

Many people do not realize

that even a short amount of

time in the sun unprotected

can be harmful to your skin.

Sunscreen is a simple product

Continued on page 7

The Term Life

Insurance group

produced this

infographic.

GET TO THE POINT | JULY 4, 2013 7

HEALTH & WELLNESS

that can make an amazing

difference in your skin’s health.

Easy to find, easy to purchase,

and easy to apply, it is a shame

that Corps Members are returning

from their days red with sunburn

that could have easily been

prevented with the simple

application of sunscreen.

The Top 5 Reasons We

Should All Wear Sunscreen

1. The ozone layer is depleting

and your body needs

shielding from harmful rays.

2. Skin cancer rates are on the

rise and sunscreen has been

proven to decrease the

development of skin cancer.

3. It helps to prevent facial

brown spots and skin

discolorations.

4. It also helps to reduce the

appearance of facial red

veins and blotchiness.

5. It slows down the

development of wrinkled,

prematurely-aging skin.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups chopped broccoli

1 (10 ounce) can low-sodium cream

of mushroom soup

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup French fried onions

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

Salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 cup French fried onions

DIRECTIONS

1. Place quinoa in a bowl; pour in

enough water to cover. Soak for 30

minutes. Drain and rinse several

times.

2. Bring quinoa, water, olive oil, and 1

teaspoon salt to a boil in a

saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-

low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is

tender and the water has been

absorbed, about 20 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175

degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square

baking dish.

4. Place a steamer insert into a

saucepan and fill with water to just

below the bottom of the steamer.

Bring water to a boil. Add broccoli,

cover, and steam until tender, 2 to 4

minutes.

5. Stir broccoli, cream of mushroom

soup, Cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup

French-fried onions, sour cream, and

lemon pepper into cooked quinoa;

season with salt and black pepper to

taste. Spoon quinoa mixture into the

prepared baking dish.

6. Bake in the preheated oven until

heated through, 10 minutes. Sprinkle

with 1/2 cup French-fried onions and

bake until topping is lightly browned,

about 5 more minutes.

Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

↑ One cup of cooked quinoa contains over 8

grams of protein, 15 percent of your daily

iron intake, 21 percent of your daily fiber

intake, and only 3 grams of fat.

8 JULY 4, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

ST AFF SPOTL IGHTS

Education: Bachelor’s in

Sociology from Morgan State

University; Master’s in Social

Work from the University of

Georgia

Hobbies: Shopping, going to

restaurants, spending quality

time with my family and

friends and watching movies.

Craziest thing you’ve ever

done: Participate in a 5K mud

run WITHOUT training first.

There were big hills and

obstacles along the race

course that my body was not

prepared for! It was a

challenge, but lots of fun.

What is your favorite quote?

“You must be the change

that you wish to see in the

world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Most beautiful place you’ve

ever traveled: Oahu, Hawaii. I

lived there for four years

during Elementary School. I

have very fond childhood

memories of tropical weather,

beautiful flowers, and the sky-

blue ocean.

Who do you admire? I

admire ALL people who are

not afraid to take the path

less traveled to reach their

goals. I admire anyone who

does not allow fear to hold

them back from

courageously pursuing their

dreams. I admire all people

who dedicate their lived t

making a difference and

uplifting others.

What’s on your bucket list?

Travel the world.

Hometown: Lanham, Md.

Nicknames: Beth, Bethanne,

Liz, Betty, Bethy, Mama B, etc.

Any versions of Elizabeth—

nothing too exciting that is

worth sharing.

Education: University of

Maryland-College Park—Go

Terps!

Hobbies: I enjoy a good

game of Ultimate Frisbee, but

I have no skills—deal with it! I

love hiking with my dog,

doing anything that involves

food, and sometimes I pick up

a guitar.

Most beautiful place you’ve

ever traveled: I once drove

from Mexico City to Oaxaca.

It’s a six-hour drive through a

cactus-filled desert with

snowcapped mountains—

very contrasting landscapes.

As a lifelong east coaster, I

had never seen any of that in

person before and it took my

breath away.

Craziest thing you’ve ever

done: Jumped out of plane or

played in a punk rock band.

Who do you admire? I really

admire Amy Poehler—I know

there are better answers to

this question, like Helen Keller

or Harriet Tubman, and that’s

legit—but Amy is hilarious and

classy. She does a lot of great

things for women and young

girls as far as building

confidence and breaking

barriers with the kind of humor

that’s all heart and no

pretention.

What is your favorite quote?

“Anyone who has never

made a mistake has never

tried anything new.”

What’s on your bucket list?

Perform improv comedy, go

to the opera, travel to

Southeast Asia, get a PhD for

free, open a restaurant, raise

chickens, live on the beach,

publish something worthwhile,

grow my own food… do

bucket lists end? I think the

point is that they are infinite.

There is too much to learn

and do!

BETH STEWART

FEMA CORPS UNIT LEADER

KALIAH THOMAS

CAMPUS COUNSELOR

ATLANTIC REGION WELCOMES TWO NEW STAFF MEMBERS

GET TO THE POINT | JULY 4, 2013 9

L I FE AFTER AMERICORPS

Online Resources for Life After AmeriCorps

My.AmeriCorps.gov

Search listings for all AmeriCorps positions. Apply

by September 1 for Team Leader positions or by

October 1 for Corps Member positions.

AmeriCorpsAlums.org

“AmeriCorps Alums is the only national network

for the over 800,000 alumni of AmeriCorps

national service. We represent the pipeline for

21st Century Leaders who exemplify a Lifetime of

Service.” Visit the website to find an alums

chapter near your hometown or to browse the

listing of “jobs for alums.”

EdAward.org

How to use and optimize your Segal AmeriCorps

Education Award.

Idealist.org

“Idealist connects people, organizations, and

resources to help build a world where all people

can live free and dignified lives. Idealist is

independent of any government, political

ideology, or religious creed. Our work is guided

by the common desire of our members and

supporters to find practical solutions to social

and environmental problems, in a spirit of

generosity and mutual respect.”

TheSCA.org

“SCA's mission is to build the next generation of

conservation leaders and inspire lifelong

stewardship of our environment and

communities by engaging young people in

hands-on service to the land.”

WWOOFInternational.org

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms

(WWOOF) links volunteers with organic farms and

growers.

← Infographic produced by the Corporation for

National and Community Service (CNCS). Visit

NationalService.gov for more information.

10 JULY 4, 2013 | GET TO THE POINT

COMM UNITY RELAT I ONS

In doing your specialty role work for the rest of the year, think about what

you want out of your role. How can you use the role to work toward

personal and professional goals? What accomplishments can you

highlight on your résumé? You are not only representing AmeriCorps

NCCC in your role; you are developing skills that can transfer to your work

after your service term.

TEAM MEDIA CAP ALUMNI APPS

BUFFALO 1 179

BUFFALO 3

BUFFALO 4 1

MOOSE 1

MOOSE 2

MOOSE 3 1

MOOSE 4 22

MOOSE 5 2

RAVEN 1 2

RAVEN 2 1

RAVEN 3 2

RAVEN 4 2

RAVEN 5

TOTAL 208 4 0 0

WEEKLY UPDATES FOR MEDIA/CAP REPS Media Reps.

Include at least three

Twitter posts (tweets) in

the Media Rep section of

the next Weekly Progress

Report. Glide path: 3

tweets by July 7, 6 tweets

by July 14, 10 tweets by

July 21.

Send project press

releases to media outlets

this week. With many

teams changing projects

mid-round, immediate

follow-up calls are vital. If

you leave a project

before sending out your

press release, revise the

release to reflect past-

tense accomplishments

and send it out.

Upcoming newsletter

articles due: Moose 3 on

July 7, Raven 3 on July 14,

and Phoenix 3 on July 21.

CAP Reps.

Additional options for

events (each count as 1

event and 1 contact):

college job postings and

request for information

emails to potential

applicants. Ask Sam or

Ben for more information.

If you are going to the

West Virginia Initiative,

you may be asked to

staff the NCCC info table

in the summit exhibition

hall at some point.

Standby for more details

next week.

← Events and media hits

from composite team

reps count for their

permanent teams.

GET TO THE POINT | JULY 4, 2013 11

SHOUTS OUTS

Spray, spray, spray the mold, gently with the stream, scrub away,

scrub away, scrub away, scrub away, AmeriLife is but a dream!

Buffalo 3 Buffalo Four is having a

great time working

disaster relief in the

Rockaways and hitting

the beach to get our

tan on when we can!

Hope all the other

teams are enjoying

their projects!

Buffalo 4

Phoenix 3 has dubbed

itself “Clarity 15.” Every

day we put our life on

the line for

spontaneous dancing.

Our motto so far: “pee

often, pee often.” Hugs

and felicitations to our

permanent teams.

Phoenix 3

Raven 2

Shout out to Jeremy—“Oh nooooo!!! We miss you!!!”

Raven 4

We miss you,

Sean and Erin!

Interesting fact about Maine this time of

year: it’s monsoon season. This is not good

for Sasquatch. Please send solar powered

hairdryers. We’re all wet..

Sasquatch 1

Moose Force is

about to greet and

teach over 90 kids

aged 8–12 this

coming week! We

admit we are

nervous but our

training was

thorough and our

sponsors are

fantastic, so we will

start strong and

persevere!

Moose 4

Raven 1

Dear

Appalachian

Trail, please

return our Jessie

to us promptly

and free of all

wood ticks and

other malicious

insects. Dear

Dismal Swamp,

please return our

Dimi to us

promptly and

free of all fire

and other

incendiary

materials.

Sincerely, Raven

One.

What Are Shout Outs? Shouts Outs are short

messages submitted

by teams each week

to share with the rest

of the Corps. A Shout

Out can be a “job

well done” to another

team, a “we miss you”

to members who are

away from their

teams, an update on

a team’s project, a

poetic turn on

AmeriLife, or an inside

joke. Whatever it may

be, a Shout Out is one

little way to keep the

Corps connected

throughout the

service term.

For Round 3, Class XIX teams are slated to complete 23

projects across nine states. Four projects will focus on

hurricane recovery efforts in New Jersey and New York.

Five projects will focus on environmental

stewardship in recreational camps and

conservation areas in three

different states. Seven projects

will assist low-income or

underdeveloped urban

and rural communities

through housing

and facilities

improvements.

Where in the Atlantic Region Are They? Round 3, Week 2

BUFFALO 1

Toms River, N.J.

Jersey Cares

Disaster Services

BUFFALO 3

New York, N.Y.

World Care Centers

Disaster Services

BUFFALO 4

Queens, N.Y.

Respond & Rebuild

Disaster Services

MOOSE 1

Wells, Me.

The Nature Conservancy

Environmental Stewardship

MOOSE 2

Bridgeport, Ct.

Habitat for Humanity CFC

Urban & Rural Development

MOOSE 3

Russell, Mass.

Appalachian Mountain Club

Environmental Stewardship

D.C.

MOOSE 4

Elkton, Md.

Project Crossroad

Urban & Rural Development

MOOSE 5

Sudbury, Mass.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Environmental Stewardship

MOOSE 8 (A.K.A. SASQUATCH 1)

Andover, Me.

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Environmental Stewardship

PHOENIX 3

Suffolk, Va.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Disaster Services

RAVEN 1

Toms River, N.J.

Jersey Cares

Disaster Services

RAVEN 2

Kittaning, Pa.

Armstrong Conservative District

Infrastructure Improvement

RAVEN 3

Kennedyville, Md.

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

Environmental Stewardship

RAVEN 4

Lincolnville, Me.

University of Maine: Tanglewood

Infrastructure Improvement

RAVEN 5

Bryant Pond, Me.

University of Maine: Bryant Pond

Infrastructure Improvement

MAINE

VERMONT

NEW YORK

NEW

HAMPSHIRE

CONN. R.I.

PENNSYLVANIA

MARYLAND

VIRGINIA

WEST

VIRGINIA

NEW

JERSEY

DELAWARE

MASSACHUSETTS