About the YouthBuild AmeriCorps Graduate Volunteer Corps
- As part of the YouthBuild AmeriCorps Katrina Rebuilding Project, a special AmeriCorps program of 30 YouthBuild graduates has been formed. Members of this YouthBuild AmeriCorps Graduate Volunteer Corps will live in Gulfport for one year to help build up to 300 units of housing in the community.
- The YouthBuild AmeriCorps Graduate Volunteer Corps arrived in Gulfport on July 17 and began construction work on July 24. The members live and dine at the Gulfport Naval Construction Battalion Center, thanks to the generosity of the U.S. Navy Seabees.
- During the work week, the YouthBuild AmeriCorps Graduate Volunteer Corps spends at least eight hours each day on the construction site, building and rehabilitating homes. During the evenings and weekends, Corps members enjoy the majority of the benefits incorporated into a typical YouthBuild program, including college-readiness, life, and work skills training; recreation; and peer counseling.
- For their year of service, the Corps members will have the opportunity to obtain important resources to further their education and career goals. Each member will be eligible to earn an AmeriCorps Education Award worth $4,725, an Individual Development Account totaling $4,800, and OSHA and HAZMAT certifications.
- Corps members will also have leadership opportunities to mentor younger YouthBuild participants, as the graduates will be joined by rotating crews of 35-45 current YouthBuild students approximately every month.
- Members of the YouthBuild AmeriCorps Graduate Volunteer Corps are:
- Francisco Arroyo (Yuba City, CA)
- Mario Atkins (Aurora, IL)
- Matt Chapman (Live Oak, CA)
- Miguel Colon (Franklin Square, NY)
- Justin Crocket (Youngstown, OH)
- Darnell Daniel (Columbus, OH)
- Marc Aaron Davis (Marysville, CA)
- Joshua Doyle (Weymouth, MA)
- Travis Elmore (Medford, OR)
- Darnell Fountain (East St. Louis, IL)
- Elva LeRoy Fredrick (Olivehurst, CA)
- Jose Guerra (San Jose, CA)
- Brian Hale (Madison, WI)
- Otis Hamilton (Marysville, CA)
- Joseph Hartsfield (Youngstown, OH)
- McLean Jordan (Sacramento, CA)
- Bryan Loftin (Olivehurst, CA)
- Pia Mowli (North Chicago, IL)
- Ruben Nunez (Springfield, MA)
- Christian Parks (Brockton, MA)
- Harold Ponder (Newark, NJ)
- Evan Sallee (Johns Island, SC)
- Antonio Simpson (Compton, CA)
- Juan "Carlos" Surita (Bronx, NY)
- Vincent Wanzer (Battle Creek, MI)
- John Wilcox (Chautauqua, NY)
About the YouthBuild AmeriCorps Katrina Rebuilding Project
- In total, the project will engage nearly 400 YouthBuild AmeriCorps graduates and students to leverage the construction skills they learned from their programs to build up to 300 units of housing in the Gulfport area, with a concentration in North Gulfport.
- YouthBuild USA examined hurricane-resistant building systems and consulted with the Mississippi Governor's Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding, and Renewal; local officials; and property owners to determine what type of housing should be built and where. To create neighborhoods that accord to community architecture and character, the new housing will be a mix of panelized building, modular housing, and stick-built construction in cottage-style designs with an average square footage of 1,090 per unit.
- YouthBuild USA received a $2.9 million grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service to cover the non-construction costs of the project. Additional support has been received from The Home Depot, Aramark, and individual donors.
For more information, please contact Project Director Deborah Jefferson
at 601-906-4644 or djefferson@youthbuild.org
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