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Gruber pledged 10 months to National Service

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Kateri Gruber of Melrose, Minnesota, is one of 160 men and women who pledged to perform 10 months of national service as part of the Atlantic Region’s Class XVIII of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), an AmeriCorps program.
As a Corps Member, Gruber has spent nearly 10 months getting things done for America to strengthen communities and develop her leadership abilities. Gruber and her team have worked on a variety of projects including Habitat for Humanity in Bath, Maine where the team weatherized old drafty homes; PhillyRising with the Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to revitalize neighborhoods by cleaning alleyways and clearing abandoned lots, and by helping construct and maintain community gardens; and the Department of Environmental Conservation Albany in Newcomb, New York to build and reclaim trails, maintain historical sites, and much more. Gruber also had the opportunity to work in disaster operations while deployed for 12 days to Hattiesburg, Mississippi after Hurricane Isaac. Gruber and her team are currently working on their last service project at Habitat for Humanity of Newburgh, New York building homes for low-income families.
“I first came across NCCC while researching for possible volunteer programs to join after college. NCCC had leadership opportunities plus all the types of volunteer work I loved to do, and so it was my first choice. I’ve learned a few things about myself, how I’ve grown and changed. I’ve discovered that through living, playing, and working with the same team of members – an extreme living situation to many people – I’ve come to realize who I’ve grown

Kateri Gruber
Kateri Gruber
into, what I’m willing to put up with, what my limits are, and how to get along with people you’ve only just met a few months ago or yesterday or will meet tomorrow. Growing in leadership is another aspect of this program that I’ve seen changing in my own life, learning when to step up or step back, and learning to make decisions for the betterment of the team and community we’re serving. AmeriCorps NCCC is a program that truly leaves its mark in every community it serves and in every member committed to Get things done!”
After her 10-month service term, Gruber will graduate from NCCC on November 15, 2012 with an education award of $5,550, which can be used to continue education or pay back student loans.
“I’m motivated to serve others by the knowledge that I am capable of fighting poverty, need, and waste-with whatever skills and will that I have. In doing so, I’m not only serving others, but serving my country as well. Getting things done for America, as our pledge says!” says Gruber about service.
AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, residential, national service program in which 1,100 young adults serve nationwide each year. During their 10-month term, Corps Members – all 18 to 24 years old – work on teams of eight to twelve members on projects that address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and urban and rural development. Members mentor students, construct and rehabilitate low-income housing, respond to natural disasters, clean up streams, help communities develop emergency plans, and address countless other local needs. The Atlantic Region campus in Perry Point is one of five regional hubs in the United States and serves fourteen states in the northeast part of the country. Other campuses are located in Denver, Colorado, Sacramento, California, Vicksburg, Mississippi and Vinton, Iowa.
In exchange for their service, Corps Members receive $5,550 to help pay for college, or to pay back existing student loans. Other benefits include a small living stipend, room and board, leadership development, increased self-confidence, and the knowledge that, through active citizenship, people can indeed make a difference. AmeriCorps NCCC is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency. The Corporation improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, visit the website at www.americorps.gov/nccc or read more at ncccblog.americorps.gov.