Patrick Mackie and Rob Miller are both from the same area of Philadelphia, but they didn't meet until Tuesday, in Vinton. They discussed neighborhoods they were both familiar with, and the best places their for teens to find jobs, as they tried on overalls.
The two were among nearly 200 arrivals Tuesday at the Iowa Braille School, where the AmeriCorps NCCC has been based since 2008. The first Fema Corps teams arrived last year; the second group is now in training and will begin their service in a few weeks.
Campus Director Dan Milnes said program administrators have already identified specific types of projects, although teams do not yet know where they will serve. All FEMA Corps teams work in areas that have been declared Federal Emergency Areas because of tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding or other disasters.
After four weeks of training in Vinton and a two-week FEMA-specific training in Alabama, members will participate in an Induction ceremony Sept. 28 before heading out for their first projects. Many will also assist with local projects and events at various times.
The first day's activities include signing in, a variety of paperwork, and fitting for uniforms, including coveralls, boots and gloves.
The members and team leaders began their second day with a group meeting (called Community). Milnes welcomed the members and told them that NCCC has "great neighbors and wonderful partners" in both Vinton and the IBSSS family. He told them to take care of that partnership.
"They are good for us and we are good for them," he said.
Dan Boddicker of the IBSSS staff welcomed the members as well. He told them that the very first AmeriCorps team leaders who arrived came during the Flood of 2008 and spent their early days in Vinton sand-bagging and helping to run a Red Cross shelter. Also, in 2011, another group of new NCCC arrivals were awakened early on July morning by the storm and immediately went to work clearing the grounds.
The roof of the IBSSS building, seriously damaged by that storm, is still under reconstruction. Milnes told the members that soon they will be helping other disaster victims recover from their losses.
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