AmeriCorps NCCC
On a Wednesday at 1872 Cafe
Interview No. 206
Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch.
Published November 8, 2019.
The City of Rochester was recently awarded a grant through the Corporation for National and Community Service to host an AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team. We were thrilled to welcome the team of 8 young adults to Rochester in mid-September for a seven week project term and have been consistently impressed with their work ethic and commitment to the AmeriCorps motto of “Getting Things Done.” Since they started here in Rochester, the team has worked with Flower City Habitat for Humanity to build homes on Holworthy Street, preserved trails in Washington Grove Park, improved the streetscapes of the Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood, partnered with other local AmeriCorps programs, and built a brand new classroom to support refugee educational opportunities at Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services. Their impact on our community this fall is invaluable and we are so grateful for their service!
AmeriCorps NCCC and its FEMA Corps unit engages up to 2,200 young Americans in a full-time, 10-month commitment to service each year. AmeriCorps NCCC members address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, and urban and rural development. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.
Where are you from? What inspired you to join the AmeriCorps NCCC?
Taylor Walters: I’m from Youngstown, Ohio. I joined the AmeriCorps NCCC because I always wanted to travel, but didn’t know how to do it in a safe and productive way. Doing a service year seemed like the best option. I’m not just gallivanting around and broke; instead, I’m getting to be a part of something bigger.
Madi Bartlett: I’m from Hawaii, the big island. I’m on the same page--I wanted to get out of my small hometown and do something meaningful. This allowed me to explore more of the mainland U.S. and do it in a meaningful way.
What were some of your first impressions of Rochester?
Taylor: I immediately liked it, it’s very artsy and so am I. The people that we first met just walking around town were extremely friendly. Rochester is weird in a good way, with intriguing art, music, and people.
Madi: I feel the same way. I really like cities, but not ginormous ones. Rochester is very cute. I especially love the houses! And everyone here is nice and polite.
Taylor: It’s a welcoming town. And I like that people in Rochester are fans of Rochester.
What kinds of places have you visited?
Taylor: We helped Habitat for Humanity off of Jay Street; we worked at Washington Grove doing trail maintenance; we’ve been helping out in the Susan B. Anthony neighborhood. With AmeriCorps NCCC, you usually have one project sponsor, so you spend 6-8 weeks at the same site. This has been a little different because we’ve gotten to work on multiple different projects around Rochester. It’s nice to have that variety. We’re learning a lot of different things about the history of the neighborhoods.
Madi: It keeps us busy with different people and projects, which is nice. We also got to work with Project Homeless Connect and Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services.
How would you describe Rochester's neighborhoods? And people?
Taylor: We’re staying in the South Wedge, which I really like. It’s hipster and artsy, and the people are very open minded. You see a lot of pride and trans flags, which is nice to see so much support for.
Madi: Rochester has lots of historical things in industrial areas. It’s sick, I love it!
Taylor: I like both the history and the houses. And the people! Everyone is welcoming, attentive, helpful, friendly, and positive.
What will you remember most about your time in Rochester?
Taylor: It’s rare to see so many people who are so positive about their town. Nine times out of ten, people we meet are like, “I really like Rochester.” People take pride in where they live. They’re optimistic and happy.
This interview is sponsored in part by the City of Rochester.
AmeriCorps NCCC Team Cedar 7 has been working on numerous meaningful services projects around Rochester this fall. For more of their perspective, visit our Instagram.
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