Londonderry News

DENVER – On Saturday, November 14, Amanda Chouinard of Londonderry, N.H., deployed to begin work on her first service project of the year with the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), an AmeriCorps program.

Founded in 1994, AmeriCorps NCCC is a residential national service program that supports disaster relief, the environment, infrastructure improvement, energy conservation, and urban and rural development.

Chouinard arrived at NCCC’s Southwest Region Campus in Denver and began training on Wednesday, October 14, for 10 months of full-time service with AmeriCorps NCCC.  This training emphasized teamwork, leadership development, communication, service learning, and certification by the American Red Cross.

Amanda Chouinard, Londonderry New Hampshire deployed with AmeriCorps NCCC

As a Corps Member, Chouinard will be responsible for completing a series of six- to eight-week-long service projects as part of a 10- to 12-person team.   Her first service project will end on December 17, at which time her team will break for the winter holidays and begin a new project in a new location in January.

Twenty teams composed of 250 Corps Members and Team Leaders began service projects last month.  Eight of the 20 NCCC teams traveled to Louisiana to assist with long-term hurricane recovery.  Eight of the teams traveled to projects throughout the southwestern United States, including a nature reserve in Missouri, a children’s hospital in Arkansas, and wildfire prevention work in Arizona. The four remaining teams stayed in Colorado to support Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks, Cal-Wood Education Center in Jamestown, and Learning Landscapes and Bluff Lake Nature Center in Denver.

There are four other NCCC campuses located in Perry Point, Md., Vinton, Iowa, Vicksburg, Miss., and Sacramento, Calif., each of which is a hub for its respective area of the country, though teams will travel to other regions for disaster relief projects.

Before joining the NCCC, Chouinard graduated from Londonderry High School in June 2009.  Chouinard said, “I have always wanted to do a term of service, so I thought, “Why not now?”  I’m able, ready, and willing.” Donald and Betty Chouinard are Amanda’s parents.

AmeriCorps NCCC Members, all 18 to 24 years old, must complete at least 1,700 hours of service during the 10-month program.  In exchange for their service, they receive $5,350 to help pay for college.  Other benefits include a small living stipend, room and board, leadership development, team building skills, and the knowledge that, through active citizenship, they can indeed a difference.  AmeriCorps NCCC is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service.  For more information visit thet AmeriCorps NCCC website.