AmeriCorps NCCC Team helps A Brush with Kindness

Two AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) teams, inducted into the NCCC program on March 8 in Vinton, Iowa, have arrived in the Twin Cities ready to complete their first service projects. One team (shown at right) is serving with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) and its A Brush with Kindness home restoration program, while the other team is serving at Guadalupe Alternative Program (GAP) located in St. Paul.

The 11-member NCCC team is at TCHFH and A Brush with Kindness for six weeks helping reconstruct homes damaged by the tornado that hit the near north side of Minneapolis last May. As of September of 2011, there have been some plans discussed in a Star Tribune article about constructing a multi-family permanent housing unit for families earning $20,000 to $50,000. 

For now, HFH and A Brush with Kindness will be utilizing NCCC members to help with doing their part (which consists of providing the opportunity to work and live in a safe environment for low-income families and assisting current home-owners who may not be physically able to make repairs and do home maintenance, respectively). According to Habitat for Humanity’s website, more than 20 percent of the population residing in the Twin Cities metro area spends too much on housing and the problem of affordability is growing faster in Minnesota than in any other state.

AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, residential, national service program in which 1,100 young adults serve nationwide each year.  During their 10-month term, NCCC Members – all 18 to 24 years old – work on teams of eight to 12 on projects that address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and urban and rural development. Members mentor students, construct and rehabilitate low-income housing, respond to natural disasters, clean up streams, help communities develop emergency plans, and address countless other local needs. The North Central Region campus in Vinton, Iowa is one five regional campuses in the United States and serves Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The other campuses are located in Perry Point, Md.; Sacramento, Calif.; Vicksburg, Miss.; and Denver, Colo.

In exchange for their service, NCCC Members receive $5,550 to help pay for college, or to pay back existing student loans. Other benefits include a small living stipend, room and board, leadership development, increased self-confidence, and the knowledge that, through active citizenship, people can indeed make a difference. AmeriCorps NCCC is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, visit the website.