AmeriCorps Volunteers Partner with City to Promote Sustainability Initiatives

Bloomington, Ind. - An AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team will serve with the City of Bloomington this summer, aiding the City’s efforts to promote sustainability by supporting the Hoosier to Hoosier Community Sale and removing invasive species at City parks. The team of eight volunteers, called Team Oak 8, will be in residence in Bloomington from July 13-26 and again from August 7-30.

The Hoosier to Hoosier (H2H) Community Sale, which has diverted more than 430 tons of waste from the landfill over eight years, contributes to both waste reduction and an increase in general awareness of waste issues and reuse opportunities. The sale is anticipated to raise over $40,000 to support local nonprofits and sustainability programs this year, in addition to diverting waste from the landfill. For H2H, Team Oak 8 will coordinate donation pickups, clean and sort donations at the warehouse, and help community members with their purchases on the day of the sale, Saturday, August 18.

The NCCC team also will provide assistance to City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation with large-scale removal of invasive plant species, primarily at Upper and Lower Cascades Park and Griffy Nature Preserve, as well as provide support for the two City-owned community gardens.

Team Oak 8 will be the fourth team of Americorps volunteers to assist with local initiatives since 2015. Previous AmeriCorps teams were instrumental in the Monroe County Energy Challenge as well as the Hoosier to Hoosier sale.

The AmeriCorps NCCC and its FEMA Corps unit engage up to 2,800 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; FEMA Corps members are solely dedicated to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery work. The programs are administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), a federal agency that engages more than five million people in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs. For more information, please visit www.nationalservice.gov.
 

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