After over 40,000 hours of service to Hartford schoolchildren
this past year, the 20 members of Hartford's AmeriCorps finally
got their chance to shine last Thursday, August 20, at a Graduation
and Awards Ceremony at the Pope Park Recreation Center.
The AmeriCorps members tutored Hartford school children, ran
homework clubs and carried out several service projects. "This
year's corps is an especially resilient one. Corpsmembers were
called on to do more this year than in the previous two. This
year, for the first time, members served as counselors at Camp
Courant and are to be commended for their perseverance and tenacity.
I am not sure I could have served as well," said Hartford
AmeriCorps Director Jeffrey Parks.
The Hartford youngsters are among the 25,000 AmeriCorps members
who graduated nationwide this year. Hartford AmeriCorps members
work full-time and receive a modest living allowance. After their
year of service, each member is awarded $4,275 to help pay for
college.
AmeriCorps receives funding from BankBoston, United Technologies
Corporation, Fleet Bank, Phoenix Home Life, the Aetna Foundation
and the City of Hartford. The program is managed by Southend
Community Services, Inc.
This year's Hartford AmeriCorps graduates are: Tyasha Adams,
Arlene Concepcion, Dalyn DeJesus, Rosa Febus, Amy Fortin, Kizzie
Foster, Rosa Gonzalez, Geraldine Henry, Leticia Henry, Sara Jamison,
Lilliana Klinger, Kelly Littlejohn, Shyleen Lopez, Timaka McCann,
Victor Rodriguez, Jamie Santiago, Monique Sanders, Mark Taylor,
Tammy Ward and Tyrone Waterman.
Dee Griffin, Anchorwoman for WFSB Channel 3, was keynote speaker
at Thursday's graduation ceremony.
