get to the point

October 24, 2012

Community Relations Office

Sam McKenzie,

Community Relations Specialist,

SMcKenzie@cns.gov

Tristan Fowler,

Community Relations Support Team Leader,

TFowler.Guest@cns.gov

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NCCCATLANTICREGION

AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is a full time team-based

residential program for men and women ages 18 to 24. The mission of NCCC is to

strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national &

community service.

For more information about NCCC

Visit www.americorps.gov/nccc or call 1 800 942 2677

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 to prepare for

and respond to disaster, build

homes and help the environment.

To learn more, or apply, visit

americorps.gov/nccc

get to the point ATLANTIC REGION // PERRY POINT, MD VOL. XVIII, ISSUE 21

Above: (From Left) Justin Brammer, Chris Grandon, Tierra Caldwell, Laura Hazeltine and Jessica Reichmuth, members of Moose 5, in Vermont. On the cover: (Clockwise from top-left) Lina You of Moose 3 in Scoharie, NY; Members of Buffalo 2 at Habitat for Humanity Seven Rivers; Members of Phoenix 4 with STL Brooke Gates in Maine; the back of Raven 3’s 15p prior to departing Perry Point for Round 4.

contents:

3 A Reflection on Appreciation, by Cynthia Maddox-Byrd

4 Alumni Spotlight: Samantha Saladino, Class XVII

6 Bursting the AmeriBubble: National News

7 Announcements / CAP & Media Scoreboard

8 Humor: An NCCC Member Meme

9 Team Shout Outs

10 Team Project Map

Get to the Point

What makes me feel like my work is meaningful?

3

By Cynthia Maddox-Byrd

Raven 5 Member

T o be honest, most days I ask

myself this question.

Most of my joy in working

everyday for eight hours stems

from the praise that we sometimes

receive. I feel like it’s shallow to

have to wait until someone praises

me on a job well done, but I feel

like I wouldn’t know otherwise.

I start to ask myself if anyone

realizes all the hard work we do,

and if they appreciate it, and if

they do realize it, how long until

they forget? I should be able to

supply my own encouragement,

my own joy, but most of the time I

either can’t or won’t.

It’s hard working eight or more

hours doing something that can

strain your mind, body, and

sometimes soul. Sometimes I am

just too tired, but when someone

pauses to thank us, to get to know

a little about us, I smile through

the tiredness.

Even if it is only a two-minute

conversation, at least they stopped.

Even if they honk as they’re driving

down the street, at least they

noticed. Even if we’re not in

uniform and we are working on

laptops in the evenings, at least

they give us comfort in a free cup

of coffee or a plate of apple fritters.

When people come up and

shake our hands, thanking us

constantly, or even a smile or nod

in our general direction, I know

that we have touched those people.

I feel I can keep working, even if it

is hard work. I can keep going.

At the end of the day, the

people and the communities we

help make it all worth it.

Get to the Point

4

How did you find out about

AmeriCorps?

I found out about the program

when I was on an alternative spring

break down in New Orleans and we

worked with an AmeriCorps team.

My site leader was amazing and he

really pushed me to look into it.

Funny, though, I completely

forgot about it after I applied

because I just kept getting wait

listed. I didn't think much of it, but

one day I got an acceptance email

for NCCC Class 17. I knew I was

meant to go and dropped

everything in my life to go after it.

How did NCCC impact your

life after AmeriCorps?

I give back as much as I can. I

am apart of so many organizations

and love to help out. I work for the

Pitch For Kids Fund through the

Hudson Valley Renegades now, so I

get to go after my career in sports

while still giving back all my time to

what I love most: to serve others.

When I tell people about my

adventures through NCCC, I

honestly don't believe they think I

am telling the truth. It is really

funny to look back on my time and

see what I have accomplished and

how strong it has made me.

I am now out on my own in the

world, with my own place, and all

the adult problems it comes with.

And I can say that AmeriCorps

NCCC sits strong into why I am the

way I am. I know I can be

completely independent and be OK.

NCCC taught me how to be strong.

What advice would you give to

current NCCC members?

Keep an open mind. Let

everything happen. Don't force

anything, like I did. Enjoy every

moment because it is over before

you know it. If you hate it, suck it

up! I promise it's over soon.

Learn something new. Take on

a hobby. Learn as much as you can

about each other. Be kind to one

another and have fun with cooking.

There are plenty of things you can

make besides rice and beans on a

budget.

Take photos and video. You will

look back on them one day and

realize how amazing it was. You

will forget all the bad times,

because nobody remembers those

and you will see all the wonderful

things you have accomplished.

Always remember it only takes

one person to start the change.

Continued on Page 5

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT A Q&A WITH SAMANTHA SALADINO ATLANTIC CLASS XVII BUFFALO 4

Get to the Point

5

Continued from Page 4

What advice would you give to

current NCCC members?

Take a moment half-way

through each round, look down at

your hands, and think about all you

have done with that pair of hands

through AmeriCorps. It's actually

pretty cool!!! Just enjoy it all. Keep

smiling and become a family.

What was your favorite aspect

of NCCC?

I love team building and

becoming one. It's a team for a

reason. A lot of people lost that by

the end of our year, including

myself. Looking back on it, that was

the only thing I miss most. Having

that family the whole time.

I loved the PT and military line

of it all too. To me that is fun. I

always wanted to be a part of the

military and I still think about

going. Sometimes AmeriCorps

showed me how strong I was.

What was one of your most

interesting projects as a Corps

Member?

Maine was one of my most

interesting projects. We did a lot.

We cut trails, built a bridge, ran a

haunted house, coached soccer

kids, ran an after-school class and

went on field trips! We were all

over the place.

It was fun because we were in

such prime location, so close to

Arcadia, Bar Harbor and so many

hiking trails. It was a beautiful time

of year to be a part of Bangor,

Maine and I think our whole team

really loved that project.

Do you have any future

AmeriCorps plans (as in doing

another year)? If so, what?

Yes, I will be going to VISTA

this summer, and after I will be

going to become a Vista leader.

That is my plan. I will be stationed

down in VA and will be working

with TAF, planning events for non-

profits and raising awareness. I am

truly excited about this

opportunity.

Afterwards I plan on coming

back as a VISTA leader or possibly

a NCCC team leader. I believe I

have what it takes to show a group

of individuals a wonderful

experience and I do that now. I

would love to show an NCCC team

my skills and be there through all

their firsts as well.

“ Take a moment half-way through each round, look

down at your hands, and think

about all you have done with that pair

of hands through AmeriCorps. ”

Get to the Point

6

BURSTING THE

AMERI- BUBBLE

Temporary Employees Sue Wal-Mart

Reuters News Service

A lawsuit filed Monday

accuses Wal-Mart Stores and two staffing agencies of requiring temporary employees to show up early for work, stay late and work through lunch at the world’s largest retailer.

The proposed class action, filed in a Chicago federal court, claimed that Wal-Mart and the agencies violated minimum wage and overtime laws, potentially affecting several hundred temporary workers in the Chicago area.

Wal-Mart declined to comment immediately, saying it first needed to review the lawsuit.

Wal-Mart has faced protests in various American cities lately, and some workers said they planned to walk off the job on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Such actions are being sponsored by groups including a contingent of workers called OUR Walmart that is calling attention to what it says are tough working conditions.

BBC News Alter ego Clark Kent is

resigning from the post of star reporter at the Daily Planet, the Metropolis newspaper where he has worked since the first Superman comics were published in the 1940s.

DC Comics, which publishes the Superman stories, says Kent will walk out in protest that hard news has given way to too many "soft" entertainment stories.

The move has been prompted by the Daily Planet's takeover by a conglomerate.

The publisher has hinted that the Man of Steel might even go the way of many journalists and become a blogger, in an effort to get his views across to a wider audience.

"Why am I the one sounding like a grizzled ink-stained wretch

who believes news should be about, I don't know, news?" says a disillusioned Kent, according to a leaked panel from Wednesday's edition of the comic that appeared on the Newsarama.com website.

New Superman writer Scott Lobdell told USA Today newspaper: "This is really what happens when a 27-year-old guy is behind a desk and he has to take instruction from a larger conglomerate with concerns that aren't really his own."

Clark Kent Quits Reporting at the Daily Planet

Illustration by Andy Kuhn

Hurricane Coming, Island Residents Warned; U.S. Could Be Next CNN Blog

Millions of people in the

Caribbean are being warned to get ready for a hurricane that's expected to strike tomorrow, bringing destructive waves and life-threatening mudslides.

Tropical Storm Sandy will be a hurricane by morning, and

Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba are in its projected path, the National Hurricane Center says.

Some areas could see 20 inches of rain in the coming days.

The United States might be in for a battering as well.

As Sandy pushes its way northeast, it could brush by Florida

on Friday, says CNN Meteorologist Dave Hennen. Some forecasts say it could go on to slam the Northeast on Halloween, but other models say Sandy could miss the U.S. entirely.

Jamaica is under a hurricane warning. Cuba issued a hurricane watch in several areas, and much of the Bahamas is under a tropical storm watch.

Get to the Point

7

COMMUNITY COUNCIL

EVENTS Monday, Nov. 5, 7pm Zombie Dash (All CCRs) Tuesday, Nov. 6, 7 pm First Floor Kitchen Arts & Crafts (Buffalo CCRs) Wednesday, Nov. 7, 7 pm The Village/Outdoors Scary Movie Night (Raven CCRs) Thursday, Nov. 8, 7 pm Field in front of 9H Glow Tag (Moose CCRs) Friday, Nov. 9, 8 pm to Midnight AmeriProm (All CCRs)

COMMUNITY MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT The last community meeting will take place on Friday, Nov. 9 from 9 to 11 am. The STLs will run the meeting, which will be titled “The Service Games: Closing Ceremony.” Corps Members are encouraged to supplement their uniforms to be Olympic Athletes.

Shout-Outs: Ben Dillon—Again, fantastic job with this week’s “Get to the Point.” I very much like the NCCC member meme. I’ve been wanting to make something like that all year. What do you all think of Ben’s new designs and creations for “Get to the Point?” Post on the Media Hub and Class 18 Group! Moose 3 Media—You just so you are aware, you hold about 42% of the media hits for this round so far! Great work! Let’s see if you can break 50%! All my CAPRs—I’m very proud of all the events you have done on your own. Without a CAP Regional Coordinator, and with my composite, I am very en-couraged by all your work to spread the word about AmeriCorps NCCC! Reminders: Please submit your headshots for yearbook! As of 9 am Wednesday morning, I have headshots from: Raven 4, Buffalo 4, Moose 4, Raven 2, and Raven 3. If your team is NOT on here, please send these to me ASAP, or if you have al-

ready submitted them on the Facebook Media Hub, but you name is not on here, PLEASE CALL RIGHT AWAY. This is your LAST CHANCE to make a difference as a CAP or Media rep. Last chance to spread the word about AmeriCorps NCCC. Young people and aver-age Americans need to know about YOUR hard work. Tell them. Share your stories. Time is run-ning out. Make it happen.

CAP & MEDIA UPDATES

The Scoreboard Shout-outs, Tips and the weekly progress report. All the info you need to stay on top of your CAP and Media work.

CAP

Events

Media

Hits

Alumni

Events

Elected

Officials

Buffalo 1 5 0 0 0

Buffalo 2 1 1 0 0

Buffalo 3 5 10 2 0

Buffalo 4 2 3 1 0

Moose 1 3 1 0 0

Moose 2 2 1 0 0

Moose 3 6 42 1 0

Moose 4 2 9 1 0

Moose 5 4 0 1 0

Raven 1 3 7 2 0

Raven 2 1 4 0 0

Raven 3 0 4 0 0

Raven 4 0 1 0 0

Raven 5 2 8 0 0

Phoenix 4 0 3 0 0

Raven 5’s Lex Ogilvie wears the CAPR cap for a day at a recent CAP event.

Get to the Point

8

What My Friends Think I Do

AN NCCC MEMBER MEME

What My TL Thinks I Do

What I Think I Do What I Actually I Do

What My Parents Think I Do

What Passersby Think I Do

Get to the Point

CRSTL “Thanks to Chris Grandon for all his help around the office and helping to complete the graduation certificates.” BUFFALO 2 “As the time is winding down, we are enjoying our time in Delaware! Shout Out to all the units: remember, YOLO! You Only Live Once! Everybody enjoy the rest of Round 4. See you back at the point in a couple of weeks! Shout out to Sami: Good luck at the National Aquarium! It’s not the same without you!” BUFFALO 3 “We miss you, Rocky!” BUFFALO 4 “Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand, Six Hundred Minutes, Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand, Moments so dear, Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand, Six Hundred Minutes, How Do You Measure, Measure A Year? In Daylights, In Sunsets, In Midnights, In Cups Of Coffee, In Inches, In Miles, In Laughter, In Strife? MOOSE 1 “We are happy to be whole again with our TL back in action!” MOOSE 2 “See you soon!” MOOSE 3 “Mr. Cangelosi, can we please have our trampoline back?”

MOOSE 4 “Congratulations to everyone who has made it this far in their service year. It was a tough one. When the 15th of November gets here (and it’s coming real fast) you can look in the mirror and say, I DID IT. You can be proud of yourself, because this was not an easy ride. So congrats one more time. You carried on the NCCC legacy and you got things done for America!” MOOSE 5 “We got your letter, Jessi, and we are proud of you! Keep persevering and having fun!” PHOENIX 4 “Almost done! Hang in there and keep up the good work, N-Trips! See you soon, B3. Love, Rocky.” RAVEN 1 “Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.” -Rumi RAVEN 2 “Raven 2 had the honor of passing the keys to the homeowners of 8 & 10 Catherine Street this past week at the dedication ceremony. We are very

excited to have seen the transformation of those two homes throughout our project and are looking forward to working at the Ann Street home this week.” RAVEN 4 “Raven 4 is helping to warm up campus for when everyone returns after Round 4! We are glad to be sharing the village with the Nomadic Neanderthals and Buffalo 2. See everyone else soon!”

SHOUT OUTS!

9

Get to the Point Get to the Point

Buffalo 1 Taft— Tunkhannock, PA

Buffalo 2 Tomoyo— Wilmington, DE

Buffalo 3 Tony— Berlin, VT

Buffalo 4 Tiffany— Reisterstown, MD

Moose 1 Patrick—Portland, ME

Moose 2 Megan— York, PA

Moose 3 Jami— Schoharie, NY

Moose 4 Casey— Philadelphia, PA

Moose 5 Toby— Deerfield, NH

Raven 1 Keiper— Marion, MA

Raven 2 Davey— Newburgh, NY

Raven 3 A.T.— Bridgeport, CT

Raven 4 Millena—Kennett Square, PA

Raven 5 Dan— Brownsville, PA

Phoenix 4 Jessica— Suffolk, VA