Kathy Kmonicek Newser and AmeriCorps alumnus Colin DeVries stands outside Citi Field before the AmeriCorps anniversary ceremony.
On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana and would eventually turn New Orleans into flooded, uninhabitable land brimming with death, destruction and hopelessness.
The city needed help, and AmeriCorps was one of the first programs to provide it.
AmeriCorps engaged more than 110,000 people in devoting 9.6 million hours to rebuilding the Gulf Coast region, including areas where Hurricane Rita — one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded — struck just weeks after Katrina.
Kathy Kmonicek DeVries, left, Melanie Sacks and Patrick Moran of City Harvest and Chaquina Johnson of City Year, right, take part in a swearing in ceremony during a White House live feed at Friday’s anniversary.
I was among those people in 2007, and I did it in the name of national service as a member of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps.
During those 10 months, I made lifelong friends while living out of a suitcase. At a Boys & Girls Club in California, we helped children of broken homes with their schoolwork.
With United Way, we assessed the lingering, unrepaired damage in hurricane-affected communities. We worked long days rebuilding homes for displaced families as Habitat for Humanity site leaders. At a volunteer camp, we prepared and served fresh meals to the hundreds of volunteers who traveled far to help rebuild amid sweltering Louisiana heat.
It was a life-altering experience that taught me humility, discipline and the value of teamwork. AmeriCorps gave me renewed purpose and offered an opportunity to give back to the country I am fortunate to call my own.
Kathy Kmonicek
AmeriCorps volunteers take a selfie while President Obama speaks during a White House live feed for the AmeriCorp anniversary.
Enlarge
Kathy Kmonicek
AmeriCorps members applaud during Friday’s 20th anniversary celebration.
Enlarge
Hundreds of AmeriCorps members showed up at Citi Field to celebrate two decades of getting things done.
Kathy Kmonicek Richard Buery, deputy mayor for strategic policy initiatives, speaks at Friday’s ceremony for AmeriCorps’ anniversary. Kathy Kmonicek Kelly Tsai, spoken word poet, reads a poem during Friday’s ceremony for Americorps. Kathy Kmonicek Kevin Cummings, managing director of NYC Civic Corps, speaks to the value of service.
Previous Next
Enlarge
On Friday, thousands celebrated 20 years of AmeriCorps at locations across the country. They celebrated two decades of rebuilding and improving American communities; two decades of getting things done.
President Obama’s comments were broadcast to some 400 active and former AmeriCorps members who gathered at Citi Field. He remarked on his own experience as a grassroots organizer while standing alongside former President Bill Clinton, who presided over the first AmeriCorps swearing-in ceremony on Sept. 12, 1994.
“AmeriCorps’ enduring impact remains after 20 years one of the most important things I’ve ever had a role in in public service,” Clinton said.
Charles Dharapak/AP Former President Bill Clinton listens as President Obama speaks about community service and the value of AmeriCorps on the South Lawn of the White House Friday.
After two decades, more than 900,000 AmeriCorps members have committed 1.2 billion hours of service.
Obama praised that commitment.
“(AmeriCorps members) have helped America become stronger, more resilient,” he said. “They don’t just believe in — but live out — that people who love their country can change it.”
AmeriCorps has been getting it done for 20 years, and I’m proud to say I served.
Colin DeVries is an associate homepage editor at the New York Daily News and a chapter leader of AmeriCorps Alums NYC.
cdevries@nydailynews.com
Follow on Twitter @colin_devries
Lifestyle – NY Daily News