AmeriCorps Week 2021 was March 7 to March 13 and was an opportunity to recognize the service of the 270,000 Americans engaged in AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs annually. Despite the unprecedented challenges posed in 2020, dedicated citizens continue to help communities, serving those impacted by COVID-19, ensuring students stay on track to graduate, combatting hunger and homelessness, responding to natural disasters, fighting the opioid epidemic, helping seniors live independently, supporting veterans and military families and much more.
Jacob Henry of Moorestown is currently serving with the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), a 10-month, full-time AmeriCorps program. Founded in 1994, AmeriCorps NCCC strengthens communities and develops its young adult members into leaders.
Henry began his term of service on August 19, 2020 at the Pacific Region campus in Sacramento, Calif. and will graduate from the program on May 26.
As a Corps member, Henry is completing a series of different six- to 12-week-long service projects in different places across his assigned region as part of a 5- to 12-person team. Projects support disaster relief, the environment, infrastructure improvement, energy conservation and urban and rural development. More information about his specific service projects is available upon request.
Before joining the NCCC, Henry attended Moorestown High School and Dartmouth College, which he graduated from in 2019 with a degree in government.
“I want to make positive difference and change in the world,” Henry said. “I studied government because I wanted to pursue that goal but in studying, I found myself somewhat disconnected from the people that I wanted to assist. Before I jumped into pursuing more education for a law degree, which I see as a logical next step in my career path, I want to experience first-hand how we can enact change and make peoples lives a little bit better. NCCC seemed like the best opportunity for me to do the kind of hard work with tangible results that I’ve wanted to accomplish.”
AmeriCorps NCCC members complete at least 1,700 hours of service during the 10-month program. For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, visit the website at www.americorps.gov/nccc.
