AmeriCorps Teams Mobilize to Support Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

AmeriCorps members assist in recovery and rebuilding efforts in hard-hit communities

WASHINGTON, DC- AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, deployed AmeriCorps members to Florida and Texas after Hurricane Helene made landfall last week. AmeriCorps is coordinating with the Federal Emergency Management Agencyand other federal partners and the American Red Cross, among others to assess and begin recovery efforts.

Nearly 80 AmeriCorps members are on the ground helping communities affected by the hurricane. An AmeriCorps NCCC team of nine members are assisting Starfish Disaster Recoverywith debris removal, mucking and gutting and other tasks in the area of Madison, Fla. Eight AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corpsteams have also deployed to Gainesville and Tallahassee, Fla. to provide disaster survivor assistance. An additional FEMA Corps team is in Grapevine, Texas with FEMA's Personnel Mobilization Center to help deploy FEMA staff to Florida and other affected areas.

AmeriCorps NCCC teams also are clearing debris in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest in Virginia, and sorting and distributing donations with the Merriwether Fire Department in North Augusta, S.C.

Additional teams will be activated to impacted states, in coordination with FEMA and federal and state partners. Five FEMA Corps teams will deploy to Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C., and two will deploy to Atlanta, Ga., also to provide disaster survivor assistance. With a significant need to manage the phone lines, AmeriCorps' agency staff will be supporting incoming crisis cleanup calls.

"Whenever natural disasters strike, AmeriCorps members and volunteers show up with courage and unwavering commitment to help their neighbors recover, rebuild and heal," said Michael D. Smith, CEO, AmeriCorps. "Long after the storm, our teams remain on the ground providing communities the support they need from response to resilience. We will continue to work alongside our federal partners, national service counterparts, and state and local partners to aid those affected by Hurricane Helene."

From forest fires and floods to hurricanes and tornadoes to terror attacks and oil spills, AmeriCorps members have provided critical support to millions of Americans affected by disasters since 1994.

In March, AmeriCorps NCCC and VolunteerNC, the State Service Commission for North Carolina, signed a disaster relief and recovery memorandum of understandingto build North Carolina's ability to engage AmeriCorps NCCC as an integral part of the state's recovery and relief efforts in times of disaster.

Following a disaster, national service acts as a force multiplier, providing key resources and significantly expanding the capacity of existing organizations on the ground. AmeriCorps programs like NCCC are often involved in disaster recovery for months to years after the initial disaster. This year, AmeriCorps members with NCCC and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers protected or restored more than 680 structures after natural disasters.

AmeriCorps urges anyone who wants to get involved to seek volunteer opportunities following the disaster. For those interested in national service opportunities in emergency management, visit AmeriCorps.Gov/Serve. To learn more about AmeriCorps disaster response, visit AmeriCorps.Gov/DisasterServices.