Northlake woman serves in national service program

Caitlin George, 21, of Northlake recently began a 10-month term of service in the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), an AmeriCorps program.  George, based out of the regional campus in Denver, is currently serving on her first project.

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.

George arrived in Denver in mid-October to begin training. This training emphasized teamwork, leadership development, communication, safety, and project preparation.

As a Corps Member, George will be responsible for completing a series of six- to 12-week-long service projects as part of a 12- to 14-person team.   Her first service projects will end in mid-December, at which time the teams will break for the winter holidays and begin a new project in a new location in January.

“I choose to serve in AmeriCorps NCCC because I thought it would be a great opportunity for me,” said George.

Twenty teams composed of over 270 Corps Members and Team Leaders began service projects in November throughout the Southwest region.  Some of these projects include supporting underserved schools in Arizona and Missouri, building affordable housing in Colorado and Oklahoma, and assisting with Hurricane Harvey recovery along the Texas Gulf Coast, among a variety of others.

Before joining the NCCC, George graduated from Argyle High School in June 2014.  George is the daughter of Matthew and Kristine George.

AmeriCorps NCCC members, all 18 to 24 years old, complete at least 1,700 hours of service during the 10-month program.  In exchange for their service, they receive $5,815 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 make a difference.  AmeriCorps NCCC is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service.  For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, visit the website at www.nationalservice.gov/nccc.