JOSELITO VILLERO PHOTO
Timothy Druihet, program specialist with the Imperial County Office of Education, talks about the AmeriCorps Thanksgiving food drive Tuesday at Bucklin Park.
AmeriCorps member Ana Galvez said those who receive the help her group is providing are not the only individuals who benefit.
Galvez and the other 70 AmeriCorps members in Imperial County collected canned goods from residents throughout the county for the group’s Thanksgiving canned food drive.
“The members benefit because it makes us more aware of the necessity (for help) and willingness of others to help,” said Galvez, who is also a second-year Imperial Valley College student.
The group distributed fliers to residents living within the most populated residential areas of El Centro, Brawley, Imperial and Calexico notifying them of the drive. On Tuesday and Wednesday the members picked up the non-perishable items and distribute them to both Seeley and Niland Family Resource Centers, and Neighborhood House in Calexico.
Galvez said that when the group was passing out the fliers its members did not think they would get the sort of response they did.
By the end of their rounds Tuesday they had three pickup loads of canned goods to deliver to the organizations that will distribute them.
AmeriCorps member Alberto Marmolejo said the current economic crisis makes it a key time for collecting food for those in need.
“When you’re at your lowest point it is good to know someone is there to help you out,” said Marmolejo, who is a history major at San Diego State University-Imperial Valley campus.
Galvez said it adds hope.
“It shows that members of the community are united to help each other,” she said.
But, the canned food drive is just one of the many things the AmeriCorps members do.
They also tutor underachieving students in language arts at 40 school sites including special education and alternative education sites. They also mentor students, and hold a blanket and clothes drive during Christmas.
AmeriCorps is a one- or two-year program that recruits those over age 17 to volunteer within the community. In exchange for volunteering members are given a living allowance and are eligible for an educational award up to $4,725 per year.
“Another element of AmeriCorps is getting people involved in the community,” said AmeriCorps member Jason Hodge. “Help is not only needed during the holidays, but year round.
“Once people get involved in their community they take care of it more,” said Hodge, who is a civil engineering major at SDSU-IV.
“It gives them a sense of ownership,” Galvez interjected.
>> Digital Media News Editor Brooke Ruth can be reached at 335-4665 or bruth@ivpressonline.com
" I use to be an americorpse memeber as we'll a few yeers ago. "
holtville1 wrote on Nov 27, 2008 3:34 PM:
" alonso92231, I really am not trying to start anything but you shouldn't have posted that. You should have sat back, taken a few deep breaths, thought about it, proofread your comments, and then hit Post Comment.
I guess it's a good thing you aren't an English teacher. "
alonso92231 wrote on Nov 27, 2008 1:39 PM:
" I use to be an Americorp member and it is such a rewarding experience tobe part of such organization. I owe Americorp a lot becuase of them I became a math teacher and I got lots of rwading experiences helping others like on thanksgiving. Thank you "
holtville1 wrote on Nov 27, 2008 12:53 PM:
" The headline should probably have used "distributes" for the verb. It wasn't their food to "give." "
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newsguy wrote on Nov 27, 2008 6:48 PM: