Island grad takes a year for service

Published 10:34 am Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Islander Dylan Motroni has begun his first service project with the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

Motroni arrived at NCCC’s Southwest Region Campus in Denver and began training in October for 10 months of full-time service with AmeriCorps NCCC.

Twenty teams composed of 250 Corps members and team leaders began service projects last month. Eight of the 20 NCCC teams traveled to Louisiana to assist with long-term hurricane recovery. Eight of the teams traveled to projects throughout the southwestern United States, including a nature reserve in Missouri, a children’s hospital in Arkansas and wildfire prevention work in Arizona. Other teams stayed in Colorado to support Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks, Cal-Wood Education Center in Jamestown, and Learning Landscapes and Bluff Lake Nature Center in Denver.

Motroni graduated from The Northwest School in June 2009.

“I chose to do a term of national service because I wanted to take a gap year before college, and I wanted to use that time to help others,” said Motroni, the son of James Motroni and Debra Gibbs.

AmeriCorps NCCC members, all 18 to 24 years old, must complete at least 1,700 hours of service during the 10-month program. In exchange for their service, they receive $5,350 to help pay for college. Other benefits include a small living stipend, room and board, leadership development, team building skills and the knowledge that, through active citizenship, they can indeed make a difference.

AmeriCorps NCCC is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, visit the Web site at www.americorps.gov/nccc.