Et cetera : MLK DAY: A Day of Service

This Monday, January 16, 2012 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This day shines a spotlight on service as a powerful force to bridge economic and social divides - today and throughout the year. Class 18 Team Leaders from the AmeriCorps NCCC campus in Vinton are partnering with United Way of East Central Iowa and several non-profit organizations in honor of MLK Day.

The day starts off at 8:00 a.m. with a kick-off at Mount Mercy University for NCCC Team Leaders and other volunteers. After the kick-off the 27 NCCC Team Leaders split into three groups to assist four organizations.

Six NCCC Team Leaders are partnering with Green Iowa AmeriCorps to weatherize the Wellington Heights Neighborhood Resource Center. This includes training on basic methods for testing a home for air leaks, sealing air leaks, and basic home repair skills. The Green Iowa AmeriCorps Mission is to "Empowering communities through weatherization, education & outreach.”

This group moves on to Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Inc. (HACAP) in the afternoon where they are sorting food collection items and/or to putting together emergency food boxes in a warehouse environment. HACAP administers programs aimed at developing and sustaining self-sufficiency within low-income individuals and families. Within our six-county service area, HACAP provides nearly 30 different programs.

Ten NCCC Team Leaders are serving with Home to Stay. Team Leaders are helping catalogue donated books to a new community library for children of residents at Home to Stay. This program provides stable, affordable housing for families who have a member re-entering the community from a correctional facility. Home to Stay provides stable, affordable housing for families who have a member re-entering the community from a correctional facility. It maintains a supportive community which encourages and assists these families and their children as they work to make positive changes in their lives.

The final 11 Team Leaders are assisting Jane Boyd Community House with revamping their building. The mission of Jane Boyd Community House is to enhance the academic, emotional and social wellbeing of children and families in our diverse community with programs focused on developing successful and productive adults.

AmeriCorps NCCC Team Leaders are excited to be getting out and helping others on MLK Day. These projects are the first NCCC projects they are serving on since arriving at the campus on January 9, 2012.

The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the President's national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. NCCC is part of AmeriCorps which is overseen by the Corporation for National and Community Service. To find out more about MLK Day visithttp://mlkday.gov/ and for information on NCCC and other AmeriCorps programs visitwww.americorps.gov.