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by Emi Kei Ryan
They’ve coached and safeguarded disabled and disadvantaged
campers, constructed hiking trails, led environmental education programs,
restored riverbeds, and built cabins all over the country. Motivated,
hardworking, and enthusiastic, these individuals, a majority of whom have
a college background, commit ten months of their lives to community service.
They’ve worked with the YMCA, Camp Fire USA, Easter Seal, the Boys and
Girls Clubs, 4-H Camps, the Police Athletic League, and many other organizations
to make camps safe, beautiful, and efficient so that campers may thrive.
These are the men and women of the AmeriCorps«National
Civilian Community Corps and they’re looking to partner with more affiliates
of the American Camping Association.
The AmeriCorps«NCCC
is a growing AmeriCorps program that does almost 500 service projects
a year in different areas: the environment, education, public safety,
and human needs. Teams also serve in disaster relief and fight forest
fires. Each team consists of ten to twelve members who are led by a team
leader.
AmeriCorps«NCCC
has five campuses located throughout
the United States. Campuses can be found in Charleston, South Carolina;
Washington, D.C.; Denver, Colorado; San Diego, California; and Perry Point,
Maryland. Each campus is assigned a region of states where AmeriCorps«NCCC
members travel to help organizations and communities with service projects.
Building Trails and Constructing
Facilities
Many camps don’t have the funding for the full staff of counselors they
need or to restore, renovate, and construct camp facilities for the number
of campers they would like to accommodate. This is where AmeriCorps«NCCC
steps in. AmeriCorps«NCCC
provides the labor and wonderful attitudes for the projects they’re assigned.
The camps that the AmeriCorps«NCCC
has collaborated with are appreciative and value the help.
Lori Stumpfol, director of Camp Allen, a camp supported
by the Lions Club and Kiwanis in Bedford, New Hampshire, commented, "The
NCCC team has been an extraordinary resource to upgrade facilities and
provide the extra hands and hearts to interact with and supervise our
campers."
When it comes to improving camps, the NCCC is an experienced
bunch. In San Diego, California, an AmeriCorps«NCCC
team worked with the Camp Fire Boys and Girls at Camp Cahito and Camp
Wolahi to construct hiking trails, remove unwanted vegetation, paint houses
and buildings, repair fences, and clean up debris. According to project
sponsor Nancy Thompson, "[The Corps members] helped to re-establish
several areas which had been unavailable for use for the past several
years. Now, visitors to both camps will enjoy increased recreational opportunities,
safe and cleaner facilities, and an improved forest habitat."
Helping Camps with Staffing Needs
AmeriCorps«NCCC members have worked
with campers with mental and physical disabilities as well as disadvantaged
youth. At Camp Courageous, an independent nonprofit camp in Monticello,
Iowa, members taught the campers the techniques of climbing a wall, swimming,
rappelling, and hiking, along with teaching the kids about social and
personal growth. Project sponsor Dina Grant said the members were "wonderful"
and enabled the camp to take 50 to 100 people off their waiting list,
which usually holds more than 200 names. Because of the success the team
had at Camp Courageous, Grant hopes that AmeriCorps«NCCC
and the camp will stay in close contact. She said, "Since we are
a year-round camp, we’d love for them to come work with us in the fall
as well as the summer time."
The AmeriCorps«NCCC
contribution goes well beyond the renewal of facilities. At 4-H Camp Howe
in Goshen, Massachusetts, members have served as one-to-one counselors
with special needs campers and, in addition, have coordinated and supervised
the participation in the camp program of student volunteers from local
public schools.
David Freedman, executive director of Camp Howe commented,
"AmeriCorps«NCCC increased
our staff counseling and supervision capacity, including males who are
difficult to attract; stimulated enthusiasm and high energy amongst us
all; and, at the same time, over the eight-week period saved the camp
more than $50,000 in labor costs associated with the painting, construction,
and environmental projects!"
The campers and staff are not the only ones who benefit
from AmeriCorps«NCCC’s participation.
By interacting closely with campers and their families, corps members
gain a deeper appreciation for their own lives as well as for those they
serve.
Program Provides Low-cost Help
AmeriCorps«NCCC comes at little
cost to sponsors. Camp sponsors are expected to assist with team training,
and provide supplies, materials, and technical supervision. If the service
project site is in the vicinity of an AmeriCorps«NCCC
campus, there is no cost to the sponsor for food and lodging, although
sponsors are encouraged to provide snacks and an occasional meal for members.
If the project is more than an hour’s travel from the campus, the project
sponsor is expected to provide assistance with the cost of food and lodging.
Could your camp benefit from the support of an AmeriCorps«NCCC
team? For more information about Americorps«NCCC,
visit their Web site: www.americorps.org/nccc/.
To find out more about how to apply for an AmeriCorps«NCCC
team, contact the campus nearest your community.
Originally published in the 2000 November/December
issue of Camping Magazine. |
