By Sarat Lue
When Deb told me that we are getting a team of AmeriCorps for 6 weeks, I had no idea what AmeriCorps is about. Even after meeting the team for the first time, to be completely honest, I did not know what to expect. A team of 11 hails from all over the nation, from Massachusetts to Colorado. Some were college graduates, high school graduates, and for some, just trying to find themselves. Furthermore, this was their first project of the year. In short, they were 11 strangers who come together for a great cause. This is going to be interesting and fun at the same time, so I thought.
After 6 weeks, I can honestly say that we could not have gotten a better team than Blue 2. The team members were dedicated, hard workers, but most importantly, they cared about our creeks and each others. It is not an easy task for a group of people to come together and do something amazing. Not every day is a big, bright sunny day. Nonetheless, they were there to support and help one another.
Even though they were here in San Jose for only 6 weeks, they had to split time between Coyote Creek and other duties. Despite their short stay, their impact is extremely incredible. They managed to remove over 20 tons of trash from the creek. Imagine that, 11 people hauled over 20 tons out of Coyote Creek. Wow! Aside from removing trash, they were able to see and understand the joint effort by the city and many non-profit organizations to make this community a better place. With their new found experience, they were able to reflect on the impact of their effort and how they can help their very own communities upon their return.
I can see a bright future for this team and the work that they will accomplish on many projects to come this year.
Below is the link to a thank you video for their hard work on Coyote Creek.