GULF COAST RECOVERY CORPS DEPLOYS STUDENT CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION (SCA) CREWS TO MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST

Crews Partnering with the Gulfport Greenway to Build Trails and Plant Trees and with KaBOOM to Build Community Playgrounds

Bay Saint Louis, MS. May 7, 2007—Three teams of AmeriCorps members from the Student Conservation Association (SCA) arrived Saturday, May 5th, at the St. Augustine Retreat Center in Bay Saint Louis to join The Corps Network’s Gulf Coast Recovery Corps initiative.

The contingent from SCA is composed of 24 AmeriCorps Corpsmembers and six staff. The crews are partnering with the Turkey Creek Community Initiative (TCCI) to complete a variety of critical restoration projects on the Gulfport Greenway. These projects include building and repairing recreational trails, planting a large numbers of trees and other projects to clean up the community. This effort is supported by the Gulfport International Airport.

The SCA crews will also partner with KaBOOM to build a playground during their stay in the Gulf. With the help of Gulf Coast Recovery Corps crews and other community partners, KaBOOM’s Operation Playground Program will build 100 playgrounds along the Gulf Coast by the end of 2008.

According to Katie Rose, The Corps Network Gulf Coast Recovery Corps Field Director, “It is great to have three additional crews here in Hancock County to help with the recovery efforts. We’re excited to have SCA bring their enthusiasm and dedication to the Gulf.”

The SCA crews are an important part of a large-scale deployment from our nation’s Service and Conservation Corps that continue to serve in Hancock County and other areas along the Gulf Coast as part of The Corps Network’s Gulf Coast Recovery Corps. The efforts of the Gulf Coast Recovery Corps will continue this summer, bringing more than 100 additional Corpsmembers and staff to the region from Service and Conservation Corps nationwide. The Gulf Coast Recovery Corps is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service’s federal AmeriCorps program.

About the Gulf Coast Recovery Corps
The Gulf Coast Recovery Corps assists residents impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in long-term recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. The Gulf Coast Recovery Corps deploys crews of young people (ages 18-25) from the nation’s 113 Service and Conservation Corps for four week projects that include rebuilding homes and structures, chopping down damaged trees near homes, removing debris, restoring trails, replanting marshes and trees, performing environmental restoration and completing other projects.

Building upon the successes of the Gulf Coast Recovery Corps, The Corps Network will establish a permanent Gulf Coast Conservation Corps this year to continue meeting the needs of local residents in the long-term recovery efforts. For more information about the Gulf Coast Recovery Corps, contact Katie Rose at krose@corpsnetwork.org or (228) 229-0803.


About The Corps Network
The Corps Network is the voice of the nation’s 113 Service and Conservation Corps. Currently operating in 42 states and the District of Columbia, Corps annually enroll more than 23,000 young men and women who contribute about 13 million hours of service per year. In 2004, Corps mobilized 124,000 community volunteers who contributed over 2.4 million additional hours of service.

Established in 1985 as the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps (NASCC), The Corps Network was at the forefront of the national service movement and remains so today. Corps are state and local programs engaging primarily young adults (ages 16-25) in service. The majority of Corpsmembers come to Corps looking for a second chance to succeed in life. In return for their efforts, Corpsmembers receive guidance by adult leaders who serve as mentors and role models, a modest stipend and a wide range of member development services
including significant educational opportunities, employment and training, life skill
development, and the opportunity to invest in their communities.

For more information, visit www.corpsnetwork.org or contact: Patrick Fitzgerald, The Corps Network at pfitzgerald@corpsnetwork.org or at (202) 737-6272.

Contacts:

Katie Rose
Gulf Coast Recovery Corps, Field Director
(228) 229-0803
krose@corpsnetwork.org

Patrick Fitzgerald
The Corps Network, Communications Director
(202) 737-6272
pfitzgerald@corpsnetwork.org

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