Pope John grad completes year with Americorp

SPARTA — Amelia Hansen of Sparta, a graduate of James Madison University and Pope John XXIII High School, completed a year as a team leader in National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), which is one of the most successful programs of Americorps. Members of NCCC live and work together in a team of 10 to 12 people to perform a variety of service projects. Some of the projects Amelia and her team worked on include; working on a farm in Maryland, removing invasive species from the Mystic River, doing community outreach in Camden and clearing trails outside Annapolis. During the floods last spring the team was sent to Mississippi to set up disaster relief settlers for the American Red Cross. Being responsible for the day-to-day operations of a team of 10 diverse young adults was a challenge. After a relaxing to trip to South Africa and then to Austria, Amelia will be continuing with Americorps as a support Team Leader based in Perry Point, Md.