Et cetera : AmeriCorps NCCC team helps Marshalltown organizations with tornado recovery

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa - An AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) team is supporting Central Iowa RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) and the Marshalltown Long Term Family Recovery Committee from September 18 through October 9 with a community assessment to assist in the recovery efforts for Marshalltown.

On Thursday, July 19, 2018 an EF-3 tornado devastated a large residential and commercial area, as well as the downtown area of Marshalltown. Two months after the tornado struck, there is an immediate need to determine the current unmet needs in the community and assess what will be needed to help homeowners rebuild, especially with winter fast approaching. The Marshalltown Long Term Recovery Committee cannot proceed with recovery efforts without clearer rebuild information and cannot fill resource gaps without a community-wide unmet needs assessment of the tornado impacted area.

This is where AmeriCorps NCCC members will be able to help residents of Marshalltown. They and other volunteers will utilize an app developed by the Community Assessment Subcommittee of the Marshalltown Long Term Family Recovery Committee in order to complete an assessment of the tornado impacted properties and households. AmeriCorps NCCC members were trained on how to use the app on September 18 and began conducting assessments on September 19.

Central Iowa RSVP enhances the lives of adults age 55 and older by connecting them with rewarding volunteer experiences that meet community needs. Serving Marshall, Story, Hamilton, and Webster Counties, Central Iowa RSVP engages volunteers in a variety of assignments that includes a Volunteer Management for Disaster/Emergency Program coordinated by Central Iowa RSVP. This program utilizes pre-trained volunteers in a variety of disaster-related efforts and has 14 years of experience in disaster preparedness and response.  On July 23^rd the City of Marshalltown formally requested the assistance of RSVP in managing the mobilization of volunteers responding in the wake of this devastating tornado.

AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and its FEMA Corps unit engages up to 2,800 young Americans in a full-time, 10-month commitment to service each year. AmeriCorps NCCC members address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, and urban and rural development; FEMA Corps members are solely dedicated to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery work. The programs are administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). CNCS is the federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Volunteer Generation Fund programs. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.