It’s a Celebration: Class

XIX Graduation 2

Corps Member Reflection:

Jameylee Taylor 3

Put it on a Pizza: An

affordable and easy recipe 4

Corps Member Reflection:

Gracie Billingsley 5

Shout Outs 6

Team Leader Reflection:

Joseph Jensen 7

Team Article: Ocean 6 8

Inside this issue:

December 2013

AmeriCorps NCCC Southern Region

Southern Heat

December 2013 Page 2

Who are you, What are you doing, and How did you get here?

By: Jameylee Taylor

Before leaving campus for my very first assignment in FEMA Corps, I had

taken part in a training on networking. Later, I would lead my team in this

training during a “Life After AmeriCorps” session. One of the things that we

learned is that building networks is a learning resource and when meeting

new people, you should always make a point to find out their name, their

position, and what lead them to be involved in the field they are working in.

This can give insight on what action steps you may want to take in your own

future endeavors. However, I think that it is important to ask yourself the

same question every so often. This can help you determine what you are doing

that is or is not working. If you are unhappy, perhaps by looking at the steps

you have taken to end up in such a situation, you can develop action steps to

create a better scenario for yourself. If you find yourself in a situation which

pleases you, it is a good habit to step back to discover what it is that has

gotten you there, and continue to strengthen those skills. So, who am I, what

am I doing, and how did I get here?

I am Jameylee Taylor, a Corps Member serving communities through disaster

services, while sacrificing my own luxuries, for a total commitment of ten

months. Before taking part in AmeriCorps, I had a desire to serve others and

travel. I was raised by caregivers; nurses who even after they clocked out,

continued to serve our neighbors in need every day without receiving more

than a thank you in return. I grew up with a sibling who was born with a rare

and severe deformity and around a diverse group of people within my community who also suffered from a wide range of

disabilities. I served in my community when weather turned our homes into islands between rivers, when the only way

to check on our neighbors’ homes was via fishing boat. Finally, I served my own family, when those caregivers I was

raised by had fallen ill and needed assistance with the smallest tasks. In a way I grew up seeing many suffer, but I saw

instead how much a helping hand can make a difference and for some people, lending that hand is a natural reflex.

Where I am from, it is hard for young adults to find opportunities and many of us cannot afford to go to college. I found

out about AmeriCorps during my senior year of high school and immediately wanted to be a part of it, but was reluctant.

I spent a few years in community college and taking odd jobs before coming back to the idea of AmeriCorps several

times. While doing work in property preservation, I had come to learn more about the Department of Homeland Security

and FEMA. I had wanted to work in disaster relief or as a medical first responder. I also enjoyed helping to assess

damages and hazards to homes after disasters hit. I had a desire to get involved, but it did not seem realistic that after

just turning 19 I could have an opportunity such as that. Finally, I had received an email that FEMA Corps was going to

be created!

I joined this program for several reasons: to serve others, to travel, to have an experience, to have new resources and

opportunities and to get involved with FEMA firsthand. So far, this has been the best decision I’ve made in my life.

AmeriCorps gives me the resources that I need to be the best I can be. With the support that I’ve gained from this

program, I have developed confidence and leadership skills. I am motivated to work as hard as I can and to create a

better future for myself as well as the communities that I serve. I am currently working in national preparedness and it

has been so fulfilling to be a part of this division because they work with a goal of making America more prepared and

resilient to disasters that may strike in the future. My goal is to one day begin a career within FEMA. Without the

experience I am gaining in FEMA Corps, I would not have the opportunities both in my personal growth, and

professionally, that I will have upon graduating.

So who am I, what am I doing, and how did I get here? I am Jameylee Taylor, a 21 year old FEMA Corps member. I am

serving communities, working harder than I ever have before and gaining new learning experiences every day. I am

traveling the country in a 15 passenger van with nine other people, who in a short time went from being complete

strangers, to my family and support system. With just two backpacks and a pair of steel toed boots, I am exploring new

cities and new cultures. I am learning about myself and others. How did I get here? Filling out an application, clicking

accept, getting on an airplane with the promise of the adventure of a lifetime, and never looking back.

Page 3 Southern Heat

It’s a Celebration!

Congratulations to our Class 19 members of

AmeriCorps NCCC here at the Southern

Region. On Thursday, December 12, Corps

Member and Team Leader graduates

celebrated with family, friends, staff and

honored guests in a 90-minute ceremony

that successfully brought their ten months

of service to a close.

Gov. Phil Bryant addressed those in

attendance stating, “The sheer benefit and

joy of helping people you don’t know—

there’s nothing greater than when that

person says thank you”.

One hundred and ten members took the

AmeriCorps pledge and became alumni of

the program. Honored guests included: Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, NCCC National Director Kate Raftery and

the parents of Joseph Massenburg, a Southern Region Corps Member who passed away earlier this year while serving

in New Orleans.

Welcome to the AmeriCorps Alum family and thank you

for your service and dedication over the past 10 months.

More photos from Class 19’s celebration can be found by clicking the photo.

Page 4 Southern Heat

Pesto Cheese Pizza

What You’ll Need:

1 package refrigerated whole-wheat pizza dough

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons water

1 large clove garlic, quartered

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/4 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

What To Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Grease a pizza pan and spread the dough evenly onto the pan (in whatever shape you like). Set aside.

3. Make the pesto: Place the basil, pine nuts, parmesan, oil, water, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse

a few times, and then blend until fairly smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides.

4. Spread 1/4 cup of the pesto onto pizza dough, covering evenly. Put the rest of the pesto in a tightly sealed

container and store in the refrigerator.

5. Spread the ricotta cheese on top of the pesto (it may not cover the

entire pizza). Sprinkle the mozzarella on top.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

http://greatist.com/health/recipe-pesto-cheese-pizza

If you have recipes that you would like to see included

in the newsletter, email Kevin at KJones@cns.gov.

CHECK US OUT!!!

December 2013 Page 5

Oh the Places You’ll Go, the People You’ll Meet

By: Gracie Billingsley

As my adventure ends in Greenwood, Mississippi

representing the "A", one can only think of the genuine

hospitality the Greenwood community offered openly, the

serene Yazoo River trail, historic value and small town

charm. Prior to arrival in Greenwood, I was met with a deep

desire to have a "big bang" finish as this project was the last

in my service year as an AmeriCorps NCCC member but

when I found out we would be in Mississippi, our home

state, an urge of indifference swept through my mind. Now,

as this journey ends I could not have been any more

thankfully caught off guard to be in Greenwood. Our

sponsors, Hart and Thomas have exceedingly met the

criteria of conveying to our team what we needed to, and

more as they organized home cooked meals to be delivered to

our home and on some lucky evenings, we were invited to a

select home of a Greenwood citizen. When can you say in

your twenties you were given food after a work day? Not just any food but home-cooked meals; everything from delicious

desserts to soup you will dream about for years to come. Working in the Art Place Mississippi was interesting from

learning and hearing from Robin, a professional artist who explained that the Art Place uses creativity to reach and

encourage at-risk youth to cleaning the interior of the main building, the work we did was great as we provided a

stepping stone for this non-profit in organization and cleanliness for future artists to make a difference with students.

Environmental projects seem to run rapid on the River 5 team making trail work seem unending, but working on the

Yazoo River Trail had a different feel. We had not done anything like this kind of specific work before. We were tasked

with clearing out the sides of the trail 15 feet back while making sure no overhanging vegetation was visible and making

it look aesthetically pleasing. At times it seemed meticulous but the end result was all worth it.

Our team walked the trail at the end and

being able to see how much of a

difference we made to the trail

resounded in my bones, in reflection and

parallel to my time in AmeriCorps

NCCC. I can clearly see that at times

this year, there may have been days less

glamorous, from the hard work we did

day in and day out to living with a group

of people you never met before, but I can

proudly say I helped to make a

difference. I made my mark and it was

all worth it with a group of people.

Thank you to Greenwood for being the

small town you are. Thank you to River

5 for being the small team we are. We

made a difference; a real, real gritty,

sweet and an extraordinary difference in

this town and the communities, states

and people we have served. Overall, from

the work to the people, Greenwood was a

success.

Page 6 Southern Heat

I would like to give a big huge shout out to Derek

Miller. I want to thank you for helping me out

with my problems and being the extra

shoulder that I can cry on from a distance. You

have helped me a lot. - Lashay Anderson

Right before Thanksgiving, a Presidential Disaster

Declaration was issued for the state of Illinois,

following a series of severe storms and tornados. I

would like to give a shout-out to the members of

Ocean 6 who dropped everything in order to spend

their break assisting survivors. Eddy LaPoint,

Sarah Siegler, Holly Wolf, Amran Nero - kudos to

you!

I can remember the exact moment I met Nathaniel

James Hill and how I was so impressed with his

maturity, especially when I discovered he was only

18. He is the baby of our team but has quickly been

given the nickname Grandpa. He has the biggest

heart, a weird obsession with snow, and is sent the

BEST care packages ever….yes, that’s my favorite

part about him. Honestly though, without Nate

none of the dishes would get cleaned. Thanks for all

that you do. - Erin Troedson

Ocean 5 would like to give a shout out to their

amazing Unit Leader Justin! Thanks for always

being so positive and helpful; your energy is

contagious!

We would also like to thank our TL Collier for

constantly pushing us to be better and reminding

us to have fun.

Lastly we would like to thank our friends and

family for supporting and loving us through this

crazy journey.

Shout out to Summit 5 for always being an

example of a great group and hard workers.

Krysta Jensen has been doing a great job as POL,

setting up weekly team ISPs, creating Toy and

Food donation drives for homeless shelters,

orphanages, and Toys for Tots, and coordinating

volunteer opportunities not only for her own team,

but for teams around her. She has found that

Volunteer Coordination is a field she wants to

have a future in, and is doing great work in

pursuit of that goal. - Doug Harrigan

If you have shout outs for your fellow members, Team Leaders

and/or staff, please email them to Kevin at KJones@cns.gov.

December 2013 Page 7

Perspective

By: Joseph Jensen

The plane was a small glint above the Rocky

Mountains. I flew inside its belly. For the first time

since arriving in Denver, I was granted perspective on

the land around me. The Great Plains die in Colorado,

seemingly endless flatlands slowly rising until the

Rockies burst forth from the ground, jagged amethysts

staggered under a clear blue sky. The sprawling city

nestled in the mountains’ lee, giving birth to smaller

towns and villages off crisscrossing highways. Mesas

carved from red rock rose like suns. I felt very small in

that small plane. The pilot’s voice clicked and popped

into my headset. He pointed down into a valley.

“That’s Jamestown,” he said. “You see those hills?”

I did. They were brown, and barren. Remnants of

trees pocked them like charred toothpicks.

“The fires hit there a few years back. When the rain

came, there wasn’t nothing to hold the dirt back.

Everything came down with the water and washed out the town.”

There were a few buildings, and a road they’d manage to rebuild. My friend was down there, working in a trailer

which doubled as Jamestown’s new city hall. I couldn’t see her. The flight continued. The pilot’s finger pointed at new

things. Bridges washed out. Neighborhoods caught in the path of the floods. Bodies of water the size of reservoirs.

“Those are the left-over puddles,” the pilot explained.

We took a big loop and headed back toward the airport. It was late in the afternoon and the sun broke down over the

mountains upon Denver, fading plaintively from yellow into hues of pink and crimson. The snow capping the tallest

peaks glowed. Car lights flowed in a steady stream down highways to little towns and villages.

Up there, I saw everything. I saw the damage wrought when the earth poured through in a muddy slurry. I saw the

survivors, bereft and homeless, marching toward winter with a brave look on their faces. I saw those that came to help

them from every corner of the country. A man smarter than me once said that he who knows the why to his life will be

able to bear almost any how. Up there, seeing everything, my frustrations

with bureaucracy and shared beds and living allowances made the small

plane feel even smaller, and for the first time, really, I knew why I had joined

FEMA Corps.

Interested in being an AmeriCorps NCCC or FEMA Corps Team Leader

next summer or fall? Apply today! DEADLINE IS MARCH 1, 2014.

For additional information about the Team Leader position, go here:

http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-

nccc/americorps-nccc-team-leader

AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps Team Leader (Summer 2014):

https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=52154&fromSearc

h=true

AmeriCorps NCCC Team Leader (Fall 2014):

https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=52151&fromSearc

h=true

Page 8 Southern Heat

Team Article: Ocean 6

By: Sarah Anderson

On August 26th we arrived to the Vicksburg,

Mississippi campus just like everyone else.

After a week we left the comforts of our

temporary teams and joined Ocean 6, or as we

like to call it, “O6.” Amran Nero, Sarah Seigler,

James Glade, Joleesa West, Edward Lapointe,

Jake Boyce, Holly Wolf and I bonded

throughout the remainder of CTI. When we

found out we were being deployed to Chicago

for our first SPIKE we were thrilled! However,

during the government shutdown we were

afraid that our location would change. Luckily

the original plan remained and we had the

privilege to experience a city with great

diversity, history and culture.

For the first week we stayed in Lombard, IL

with Gulf 4. Our time was spent in Individual

Assistance and Public Assistance trainings in

the federal building on Clark Street. A few days

were also spent at the American Red Cross of greater Chicago where we learned about their mission. Our lodging was

moved to Hillside, IL. It was conveniently closer. Our teams were then split up into two separate groups: one at the

Red Cross and the other at the federal building with FEMA.

Those who worked with FEMA at the federal building compiled reports for the Red River Basin area which is a high

flooding zone. They created resource guides by researching and then adding the information they found about ware

houses, large animal shelters, hotels, motels and Laundromats to the guide due

to the inevitability of a flood. The resources and information they compiled will

be a great help for individuals in those areas.

Those who worked with the American Red Cross on West Harrison Street

learned how to update the shelter database with new information they

received. Another database they worked with was a networking service called

CAN. They also facilitated shelter surveys at schools, churches, and other

organizations.

On Make a Difference Day, we volunteered with an organization called “Kids’

Rank” which helps military kids stay on track with good morals and knowing

the importance of serving their community. We read to children who were just

beginning to learn how to read. During our first ISP we helped landscape at a

Veterans’ home. We also volunteered at a “Girls on the Run 5k” for breast

cancer.

Our schedule changed its comfortable pace of only working 5 days a week after

a devastating 80 tornados hit both Indiana and 15 counties in Illinois on

November 17th. The tornados were declared a federal disaster on November 26th and we were moved from Hillside to

Peoria over our Thanksgiving break. We have visited Gifford, Washington, Springfield, Peoria and East Peoria so far.

It is heartbreaking to see these communities torn apart and even though their world has been flipped upside down,

they stay hopeful. We all have had the pleasure of meeting so many great people. Our adventure has been an

inspiring one.

We are now working 7 days a week registering disaster survivors for federal assistance and also working on

community mapping, canvasing, and finding as much information as we can about the counties affected. It feels good

to finally work as DSA.

2715 Confederate Ave

Vicksburg, MS 39180

601-630-4040

Community Relations

Department:

Erika Roberts, CRS

eroberts@cns.gov

Kevin Jones, ACRS

kjones@cns.gov

Claire Smith, Unit STL

claire.smith@fema.dhs.gov

AmeriCorps NCCC A Unique Way to Serve your Country

AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) strengthens communities and develops leaders through direct, team-based national and community service. In partnership with non-profits—secular and faith based—local municipalities, state governments, federal government, national and state parks, Indian tribes, and schools, members complete service projects throughout the region

they are assigned.

FEMA Corps

The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) joined forces to establish a FEMA-devoted division of 1,600 service corps members within AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) solely dedicated to disaster readiness, response, and recovery.

AmeriCorps NCCC

Southern Region

Who Cares?

As AmeriCorps members, Team Leaders and staff we often find ourselves in the caretaker role. We take care of teams,

children, the elderly, friends, spouses and partners. Taking care of others is commendable whether one does it

personally or professionally. Yet it is hard work and can be emotionally draining. Here are some important ideas for

caretakers to consider.

Foremost is the question of self-care. I like the analogy of a flight attendant’s safety spiel. If you are on an airplane and

the cabin loses pressure, you are to first put on your own oxygen mask, and then to help someone else. Why? If you

can’t breathe; you can’t help others! Caretakers must take care of their own needs.

Another consideration is the motivation behind caring for others. It is noble to give of oneself, but what about

vulnerability and control? If most of your connections with other people involve providing care; I might wonder if you

are afraid of being vulnerable to others. If you constantly take care of others; they need you. They can’t leave you.

Perhaps your gifts come with strings attached.

Finally, caretakers often have a hard time allowing others to care for them. There may be a variety of reasons for this.

If you fall into this category, it might be helpful to consider that you may be depriving someone else of the opportunity

to take care of you. Someone might be waiting to do something kind for you if you simply ask or open yourself to

receive.

If you struggle as a caretaker, Leigh Ann and I would be delighted to help you discover ways that you might open up,

set limits and enable others to care for themselves and for you!

Joseph Holbrooks, M.A., Ed.S.

Campus Counselor