AmeriCorps NCCC Volunteers pitch in to help winterize plots in Sutter Community Garden. Team members came from all over USA as part of national “Make a Difference Day.” Photo by Susan Maxwell Skinner

CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Eight of AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps members last weekend bolstered volunteer efforts in two Carmichael parks.

Aged from 18 to 26, they were one of 16 NCCC teams raising a sweat in Sacramento. Enlisted from all over USA, the visitors were completing year-long terms with the Federal program. Their service coincided with national “Make a Difference Day.”

Sutter Community Garden and Jensen Botanical Garden benefited. Here the youthful team helped volunteers with fall chores that included spreading mulch, removing dead plants, hauling rocks and touching up paintwork.

Projects with several non-profits were set up in advance of the teams’ arrival. “When we get there, we just ask how we can help,” explained team leader Sy Coffey (22), from Richmond, VA. “And then we get stuck in. We feel satisfied knowing we are able to help others.”

“They’re always hard workers,” approved Beverly Scott, who leads Friends of Jensen Botanical Garden volunteers. “With their help, we got some tough projects completed. It’s great to have young people doing heavy work for us. They moved a big pile of rocks in no time. People who don’t have faith in American youth should meet an AmeriCorps crew.”

More than 200,000 young people are trained annually to work with nonprofits through federally sponsored AmeriCorps. The National Civilian Community Corps operates under the AmeriCorps aegis. Established in the 1990s, its programs aim to improve lives, strengthen communities and promote leadership through volunteer service. For information visit www.americorps.gov