October

It's October, which means the Cowlitz Americorps team is starting their second month together. Now that members have adjusted to their new jobs and host sites, they are ready for the next challenge: They have been divided into three groups to plan this year's service projects. Each group, consisting of 10 members, will be responsible for planning either Family Volunteer Day (November 22), Martin Luther King Day(January 19), or Americorps Week (May 9-16), and all team members will be involved the day of the event.

Community Emergency Response Team(CERT) training for members also begins this month. Following a major disaster, first responders who provide fire and medical services will not be able to meet the demand for these services. When people band together and respond to the need for volunteers in a disaster situation, often the lack of training and leadership leads to additional injuries and deaths. The goal of CERT training, then, is to prepare members of the community to respond appropriately and effectively when this duty calls. This training is provided for free by the Cowlitz Department of Emergency Management, a division of the Sheriff's Department, and is availabe to all citizens.

If you want to stay up to date about upcoming community events, check out http://www.cowlitztoday.com/. This community calendar is maintained by the organizations (including us) facilitating the events and is probably the most comprehensive collection of information for this area.

Here is what we have on the agenda for October:


Friday
Oct 10
National Depression Screening Day - Cowlitz County Guidance Association - 921 14th Ave. Longview, WA
12pm
CAN Team Meeting - Americorps office

Thursday
Oct 16
12pm
CAN Team Meeting - Americorps Office

Saturday
Oct 18
Free Shredding Day @ Fibre Federal - 796 Commerce Ave (Fiber Credit Union Parking Lot)

Thursday
Oct 23
12pm
CAN Team Meeting - Americorps Office

Friday
Oct 24
Americorps State Launch: Seattle Center - Seattle Center: Seattle, WA

Saturday
Oct 25
Make a Difference Day

Sunday
Oct 26
2pm
Cat Walk - Tam O Shanter

Tuesday
Oct 28
3pm
CERT Training

Wednesday
Oct 29
3pm
CERT Training

Thursday
Oct 30
3pm
CERT Training

Friday
Oct 31
Reflection Due- Americorps Office