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Washington, DC - A team of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, to provide emergency assistance to area flood victims and help rebuild the flood-stricken city. The team members will spend the next three weeks removing debris, and cleaning and sanitizing damaged buildings to prevent mold.
“Americans have learned that they can count on NCCC when disaster strikes,” said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps. “From the terrorist attacks of 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina and the recent tsunami that devastated American Samoa, NCCC teams have responded to every disaster of the last 15 years. They oversee emergency shelters, organize donations of food, clothing and other materials, and lead teams of volunteers to help individuals and communities rebuild.”
The NCCC members are serving with Nechama, a Jewish disaster response organization based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and the organization's national disaster response team. Nechama has a long history of working shoulder-to-shoulder with urban and rural communities to help restore affected areas and provide emergency services to those displaced after a natural disaster.
Georgia officials estimated more than $250 million in damages were suffered across the state as a result of the September 22 floods – from the mountain region to the northern suburbs of Atlanta. The NCCC team will be housed in Decatur and plan to lead a team of volunteers to help mitigate the flood damage throughout the greater Atlanta region.
A team of twenty-one NCCC team leaders were recently deployed to tsunami-devastated Territory of American Samoa to assist the American Red Cross with efforts to provide food and shelter for those affected.
AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, team-based residential program for men and women ages 18-24. NCCC members are organized into teams of 10-12 members and serve in the region's local communities by responding to community needs in the areas of: disaster preparation, response and recovery; environmental conservation; public safety; urban and rural development; and, education. Corps Members respond to disasters, construct homes, develop trails in state and national parks, mentor children and youth, and meet many other needs identified by communities. NCCC members account for about 1,100 of the 75,000 AmeriCorps members serving nationwide each year.
NCCC and other AmeriCorps programs are administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year, the Corporation engages four million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America programs. For more information, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov.
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