AmeriCorps NCCC volunteers

Each member of the AmeriCorps NCCC Silver 7 Team received a Certificate of Appreciation like this one signed by Pateros Mayor Carlene Anders in recognition of community service following the 2014-15 wildfires.

Members of the AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) Pacific Region Silver 7 Team pose with Pateros Mayor, Carlene Anders along the shore of Lake Pateros. Pictured from left front are: Carolyn Zhao, Abby Luu, Mayor Anders, Brianna Roscoe and Tiffany Cruz. Back row from left are: Sage Luksevich, Cassie Sheehan, David “Drew” Groves, Team Leader Michelle Pennoni, Haley Borgrud, Zach Steaple and Joao Vilca Soto.

Posted Wednesday, April 12, 2017 2:19 pm

Mike Maltais, Staff writer

PATEROS – The latest team of 11 AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) volunteers have been busy working with the Okanogan County Long Term Recovery Group (OKLTRG) since their arrival here March 28.
Last Tuesday, April 4, Mayor Carlene Anders presented each team member with a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of “your assistance in the recovery of survivors from the Washington State Wildfire Disasters of 2014 and 2015.”
AmeriCorps members are comprised of 18-to-24-year-old volunteers who serve a 10-month period helping communities with projects including disaster relief, infrastructure improvement and urban/rural improvement.
“After successfully completing 1,700 hours of national service you receive an education award ($5,800),” said team member Zach Steaple from South Bend, Indiana. “That can be used towards college, student loans and what not.”
Team member, Cassie Sheehan from Maquoketa, Iowa, said she was looking “for something I could do where I could be outside all day,” and decided on a tour with AmeriCorps.
The Pateros crew, called Silver 7, is made up of volunteers from 11 states including Washington, and works out of the AmeriCorps NCCC Pacific Region. They are completing the third of four rounds at different locations throughout the Region. Silver 7 started at John Day National Forest in Oregon, then served in Las Vegas where they performed homeless counts before arriving in Pateros for the next leg of their tour.
“They have one more round after this but that location is still undetermined,” Anders said. “They leave here May 15.”
Two previous AmeriCorps teams have served with OCLTRG, the first arriving in March 2015.
“We were awarded Sponsor of the Round by the first group,” Anders said and explained that each group voted for the favorite sponsor of its tour.
“We anticipate we will get a round four,” said Anders of an upcoming AmeriCorps team. “We expect them at the end of May and they will leave July 11.”
Anders said OCLTRG holds weekly work planning meetings with Silver 7 “so they go where we need them to go.”