Still in a New York state of mind

Team 4 departed January 8. Front row: Nik Kadel, Sam Jumper, Lindsey Stene, Reese Glaser, Sean McMullen, Rosie Alberio, Monica Sweeney. Middle row: Brian Strandberg, Chantel Schlegel, Mollie Thiet, Tara Sloane, Dan Shimek, Jeremy Pickle, Tyler Tretbar, Matt Coulter, Teresa O’Neill. Back row: Karl Erie, Derick Schneibel, John Greiner.Though Hurricane Sandy may seem like old news to many, our Corps has steady presence on the East Coast where continuing recovery efforts are still vitally necessary. Many residents are still displaced from their homes and funding for national relief efforts is stalled in Congress.

Early in the morning on January 8, our fourth team deployed by van to assist with disaster response. The team of 24 joined 12 corps members already on the ground who served over the holidays, some of who will head back to Minnesota later this week. Team 4 will be stationed in Manhattan and working in Brooklyn with the New York Cares volunteer agency, administering wellness checks and mucking out/gutting houses full of debris, mud and mold. They will return home on January 30 and, along with the nearly 100 corps members who served out East, will be publicly honored during a Timberwolves game that evening.