An AmeriCorps troop started work in the Methow late last month, providing volunteer service to a number of local organizations and nonprofits.
The troop, which consists of approximately a dozen members, was working out of the TwispWorks campus through mid-July.
This particular troop is part of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) branch, based out of Sacramento, California. The branch is a full-time, team-based, residential program, and is primarily focused on undertaking various community service projects across the country. Members usually work for 10 months.
“We’re kind of the handyman AmeriCorps branch,” said Jake McDonald, who has been working with AmeriCorps since October.
AmeriCorps crews have landed in the valley for the past several years, recognizable by their grey NCCC T-shirts. They have helped with remodeling and landscaping at TwispWorks, built fences for wildfire survivors, cleared mud deposited by flash floods, and taught kids to read, among other projects. Volunteers receive a small stipend, plus food, housing and health care.
Previously, the current Methow Valley group had undertaken a wide variety of projects, including hurricane relief in Jacksonville, Florida, and tutoring services at elementary schools in Sacramento.
“It was a really tough job – both physically and emotionally,” said McDonald of his time in Jacksonville. He said it was particularly difficult to sift through the heavy damage that Hurricane Irma had caused to homes in the city.
In contrast, the troop’s work in the Sacramento School District was so popular among troop members that they petitioned for an extension – doubling the time they spent at that job, allowing them to stay in the classrooms until the end of the school year.
“Usually, [projects] last about three months,” said McDonald. But, “we were really into the job. We just didn’t want to leave.”
As a result of their extended stay in Sacramento, the troop only worked in the valley for about a month. However, while they were here, they provided a wide variety of services, including landscaping and contracting at TwispWorks, gardening at Classroom in Bloom, trail work with the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, and assistance with Red Shed Produce.
For most team members, life in the valley is a major change from what they are accustomed to. AmeriCorps troops consist of young people from across the nation, and generally are located in areas with which troop members have little or no familiarity.
“They try to put you in the exact opposite place that your from,” said McDonald, who grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta and had never been to Washington prior to this job. The other team members represent states across the South, Northeast and Midwest.
“I’m so restless,” said McDonald, describing the appeal of the travel based service program. “I get stir crazy very easily.”
“I need to do something that makes some kind of difference,” he added, “so this is perfect.”
