AmeriCorps team members aid KKB, help at Oliver Reservoir

Kimball benefited from the help of a AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) over the past two weeks. The group came in and lended its time and efforts to help with Oliver Reservoir and also to assist Keep Kimball Beautiful (KKB).

The AmeriCorps NCCC is a program for men and women between the ages of 18 and 24. This federal team-based program has its members serve full-time for a 10-month term assisting communities with projects that meet their needs concerning disaster services, environment, infrastructure development, energy conservation and urban and rural development.

The team that came to Kimball assisted in cleaning up and painting the public restrooms at Oliver Reservoir. The team also spent quite a bit of time and effort helping Keep Kimball Beautiful.

Larissa Binod, the director of KKB, helps educate kids about recycling. The elementary students that are a part of her Eco Club are evidence of this. On Sept. 23, the Eco Club took an after school trip to the recycling center, where the AmeriCorps team and recycling center staff waited to help teach them about recycling.

The children were split up into groups and each assigned an AmeriCorps team member as leader. Each group was in charge of recycling a different item. Some helped to compact boxes, while others prepared milk jugs to be recycled. A group of boys was in charge of ripping the pages out of old books to break them down for recycling.

The AmeriCorps teams sent out are made up of eight to 12 members with one team leader. The teams are made up of members from different social, cultural, socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. Some of the members are college graduates, and some are still in college but taking a leave. Some of them are just out of high school and looking to start their life in a "positive and selfless" manner.

"The teams are so diverse. It's done on purpose, to get you familiar with people from different walks of life that you might not otherwise have a chance to spend time getting to know," said Andrew Chavis, the team's media representative.

The team members are trained in leadership, CPR, first aid, team building, service learning, disaster response and several other areas.

"Every project is different and they really try to be diverse concerning that as well, we have teams that do wild land fire fighting and then others that might go to camps and tutor, like at YMCA camps. So it's really very broad," Chavis said.

The 10 months that they spend traveling and helping out different communities are an adventure. They never stay somewhere too long, however, the impact made as well as the friends are well enough to last them a lifetime.

"Before we were here we were in Detroit helping out at the YMCA there painting the facilities, bathrooms and gyms and then we also spent some time tutoring. So the jobs vary as far as whether to not we're involved with urban development or infrastructure improvement," Chavis said.

Both Chavis and Belle Kiley, a team member, found out about the work AmeriCorps does in different ways. However, that did not change the fact that they both viewed joining up with AmeriCorps NCCC as a great opportunity.

Chavis, from South Carolina, found himself interested while attending college for his associate's degree in science. Originally having heard about it in his history class, he later found out that his uncle had participated in the program.

Kiley, 19, and fresh out of high school from the state of New Hampshire, knew she had a passion for helping people. Even though her mind was not yet set on a major for college, she decided to sign up with AmeriCorps because she knew the group's mission to help.

"Some of my favorite parts of Kimball has been how interactive everyone has been with us and how they've been generally curious about us. They have asked us, 'Where are you from, what do you do, how do you like Kimball.' It's nice to see genuine qualities and the people are genuinely curious and interested so that's something I really enjoyed about Kimball," Chavis said.

Kiley had similar feelings about the way Kimball reacted to the presence of the AmeriCorps team.

"Along the same lines as Andrew (Chavis) said, the people are so interested in our personal lives and ask us so many questions, trying to get to know us and I believe that is a good thing because it really allows for a bigger impact to be made both from us to Kimball and from Kimball to us," Kiley said.

Binod expressed some deep appreciation for the AmeriCorps team and all the hard work the members put in during their stay.

"It was a privilege to receive the Maple 1 AmeriCorps team these past weeks at the Kimball Recycling Center. It is amazing the amount of work which can be done with a group whose mission is to serve," Binod said.

Chavis, Kiley and Binod all agreed that the highlight of the AmeriCorps team's time in Kimball was the work the group did with the Elementary Eco Club.

"Our hearts and community are moved by who these team members are and what they gave to us. I know I found new friends and in the coming months many residents will be a part of the legacy AmeriCorps Maple 1 left us," Binod said.

The AmeriCorps Maple 1 Team was able to stick around to enjoy Farmer's Day and to participate in the parade. The team members also helped with the float for Keep Kimball Beautiful.

Both Chavis and Kiley highly recommend spending some time with the AmeriCorps NCCC, possibly joining for a ten month term in order to have a very rewarding experience.

"I think that if you want to sign up just keep in mind that you don't know what to expect, but as long as you keep an open mind and heart then your experience will be truly rewarding," Kiley said.

The AmeriCorps Maple 1 team left Kimball Sept. 28, and then headed to Lincoln.