AmeriCorps: Headed to Baton Rouge

After waiting patiently, or not so patiently, for 6 months to find out my first project location, I finally have some answers. Not all the answers, because that just wouldn’t be the AmeriCorps way. There’s always got to be a little room for ambiguity.

Instead of just telling us, most of the AmeriCorps teams had a cute reveal, not unlike those gender reveals you see on Pinterest. Last week our team leader had us meet for an activity. We tied balloons to our legs and then in a frenzy that lasted only a minute we popped each other’s. It wasn’t until after they were all popped that we realized there were puzzle pieces inside, and these puzzle pieces would solve our first project location. It embarrassingly took us nearly 20 minutes to solve the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle puzzle designed for ages 4-6. As you may have guessed from the title of this post, we’re going to Baton Rouge. We are among the 8 out of 30 teams in the Pacific Region being sent out on disaster response to do mucking and gutting in areas affected by the flooding.

Most teams will go on one disaster project per year, and hardly any teams go on more than one because they are known for being brutal. 10 to 11 hour days, 6 days per week. You work in less than ideal conditions and often live in even worse ones. Many people are housed in large gyms with hundreds of other volunteers, sharing one bathroom. Admittedly, I have been a little nervous about this, especially after a post went around about unfair working conditions AmeriCorps members were facing in Baton Rouge. I was also a little disappointed that I didn’t have one of the projects in our region. Some people are headed to Portland, Oregon to do work with Habitat for Humanity while others are working at food banks in Wyoming. A few teams are even camping for the two months and doing trailbuilding.

However, I am happy that my service will have an immediate and direct impact. If you aren’t aware of the flooding in the Baton Rouge area, it has been overwhelming and tragic. 7.1 trillion gallons of water fell over the course of only a few days, which is crazy when you consider that only 2.3 trillion gallons fell during Hurricane Katrina. Over 146,000 houses have been damaged and destroyed, and more than 103,000 people have registered for FEMA assistance. The need is urgent, and seeing my impact will be easier.

I am also excited to challenge myself. My entire life I have been challenged by academics, but there haven’t been many situations that required me to challenge myself physically and mentally. I am obsessed with the TV show Survivor, and there’s a saying on the show that the host Jeff Probst always says. In intense situations that require inhuman exertion, he always tells the contestants to “dig deep,” because they can always find something more within themselves to give. I want to see if this is true, and I want to find the outward limits of my energy and willingness to serve others.

On Friday we will be officially be inducted into AmeriCorps NCCC Class 23. We will walk off stage and right into the vans for a 31 hour drive to Baton Rouge. Let’s hope I don’t ruin my back before I even get there.

If you would like to make a donation to help out the victims of the flooding or learn how you can help, visit The Louisiana Flood Recovery website.

  One Reply to “AmeriCorps: Headed to Baton Rouge”

  1. Chris
    November 4, 2016 at 12:37 am

    Great update Jackie. Enjoy this journey and stay strong.

    Chris

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