These stories originally ran on the Conservation Corps of Minnesota & Iowa’s blog at www.ConservationCorps.org.

When floodwaters receded after Hurricane Harvey, Nancy and Leon Gibson’s home in Brazoria County, Texas was covered in mold. Just a few months before, Leon had undergone open heart surgery and was under strict doctor’s orders to stay out of his home until the mold was removed.

An AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team from the Conservation Corps of Minnesota & Iowa was quick on the scene to assist with mucking and gutting. The team removed drywall from the Gibsons’ damaged rooms and tore up the entire kitchen floor.

When the work was done, Nancy Gibson wrote them a heartfelt poem of thanks on behalf of her family.

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This post originally appeared on the America’s Service Commissions State Service Blog on September 28, 2017.

This past month, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria have left a trail of destruction across the United States and its territories. State service commissions and their local AmeriCorps programs have sprung into action to help affected communities respond and recover. Working with their Governor’s and First Lady’s Offices, state emergency management agencies, Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOADs), and the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Disaster Services Unit (CNCS DSU), these state service commissions are playing a critical role in coordinating national service and volunteer resources on the ground.

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