Portfolio of Americorps NCCC Southwest Region Sun 7's Round 1A Disaster Relief Project in Sevier County & Knoxville, TN in January, 2017 after the Gatlinburg Wildfires.

1. Disaster Relief in Sevier County, Tennessee
SUN 7
January 8, 2017- February 3, 2017
Table of Contents

2. 1. Executive Summary
a. Abstract
b. History of the Project
i. History of the Sponsoring Organization
ii. Initiation of the Project
iii. Community and Beneficiaries
2. Service Learning
a. New Learning and Experiences Acquired
i. Knowledge
ii. Skills
iii. Location of the Project
iv. Citizenship
3. Civic Engagement
a. Team-Community Connection
b. Overall Community Impact
c. Information and Insights for the Future
4. Personal Reflections
5. AdvocacyPlan
a. What Worked? What Should Remain the Same?
b. What Didn’t Work? What Should Change?
1.Executive Summary
A. Abstract

3. Sun 7 was sent to Tennessee to aid in the mission to work with the organization
Volunteer East Tennessee in the disaster recovery of Sevier County, Tennessee. Each
corps member had a unique job to perform, making this a diverse experience for the
team. The main divisions were the call center, data entry, and the donation centers. Sun 7
helped in the process of rebuilding the community by contacting survivors to gather
information, managing donation warehouses where items were sorted and distributed to
survivors, and coordinating volunteers. Overall, the experience emboldened the team
with new skills, confidence, and allowed them to be apart of something that will impact
the community far into the future.
B. History of the Project
I. History of the Sponsoring Organization
42 AmeriCorps members (AmeriCorps St. Louis, Washington Conservation
Corps, AmeriCorps Vista, and AmeriCorps NCCC) and program staff are still
actively serving in all functions which includes the Command, Planning, Logistics,
and all sections of Operations: Homeowner Intake, Donations / Warehousing,
Surveying and Volunteer Management.
II. Initiation of the Project
A small 4-acre fire (potential arson) began November 28 in Great Smoky
Mountains National Park. After a wind event, the fire quickly spread and devastated
Sevier County leading to the evacuation of 14,000 residents. Fires also broke out in
the Wears Valley area and in Pigeon Forge. A total of 17,904 acres burned and 2,460
structures were damaged or destroyed. An estimated 400-500 permanent residences

4. were affected by this disaster, 14 lives were lost, and 176 people were injured.
Although the fires are 100 percent contained, the impact on the community is lasting.
This project was initiated so that survivors could receive immediate attention and
Sevier County as a whole could move into long term recovery.
III. Community and Beneficiaries
Survivors of the fire as well as local organizations providing resources or services
were contacted during this project. Local volunteers also worked closely with NCCC.
2. ServiceLearning
A. New Learning and ExperiencesAcquired
I. Knowledge
The role that NCCC played in the recovery of the Gatlinburg Wildfire was
prominent. After thousands of homes and businesses were damaged and destroyed in the
fire, Volunteer East Tennessee teamed up with several other organizations in response to
the tragedy. Sun 7 felt fortunate to be a part of this recovery effort by maintaining
leadership positions throughout the project. Some team members spent their time in
Tennessee managing volunteers in a donation warehouse while others reached out to
survivors in a call center in order to provide them with the resources that they need.
Many community volunteers were eager to contribute their time to support this cause;
however, it was NCCC that was able to maintain continuity and provide knowledge
gained from hours of hard work to the new volunteers each day. In addition to this, Sun 7
was able to complete the preliminary work necessary before case managers could be

5. hired to respond to the families who lost homes in the disaster.
II. Skills
While on Disaster Relief in Tennessee, Sun 7 acquired many new skills and
experiences that will be beneficial to them for the remainder of the program as well as
beyond AmeriCorps. Team members practiced empathy and active listening when
reaching out to fire survivors in the call center. They also maintained a professional front
when calling these survivors as well as organizations in order to see what other resources
could be offered. Many individuals from Sun 7 were responsible for managing large
groups of volunteers each day. This required a sense of organization and professionalism
that could be useful in the future. Other skills learned include general safety and forklift
certification, team work (living and working with other teams outside of Sun 7), and
managing high levels of stress in a busy and emotional environment.
III. Location of the Project
The donations team continues to focus on transportation of donations to long-term
storage and baling operations in Knoxville. The members who worked in the Call Center,
located in the Volunteer Reception Center in Sevierville, worked on the long-term
recovery plan, Coordinated Assistance Network (CAN) entry and resource mapping
alongside the County and FEMA. These efforts have been continued since the team’s
departure. Surveyors are now conducting county assessments of right of way issues and
plotting debris locations on public property.
IV. Citizenship
Although there was not a lot of free time to be spent in the community, Sun 7

6. learned a lot about Gatlinburg Tennessee through the community members they worked
hand in hand with. Those working in the donation warehouses were able to hear the
perspective of many community volunteers. Team members working in the call center
were able to interact with survivors of the fire, including minority groups that were
affected. Sun 7 also worked alongside several organizations, businesses, non-profits,
schools, etc. from the area each and every day. This allowed the team to have a varied
experience while constantly learning about the community being served.
3. CivicEngagement
A. Team-Community Connection
Sun 7 was able to engage in the community in several different ways during their time in
Tennessee. The team worked six days a week in the donation warehouses, at the call center
or in the Volunteer Reception Center. These tasks came with the privilege of working
alongside hundreds of local volunteers who gave their time to aid in the disaster relief efforts.
Team members became well acquainted with these individuals, especially those who returned
day after day to give back to their community. This allowed for an even deeper intrapersonal
connection with the community and those who are a part of it.
In the little free time available, Sun 7 made sure to visit important areas of Sevier County
including Smoky Mountain National Park. This gave the team an even better understanding
of the area in which they were serving and allowed them to make an important connection
between the disaster and those who were affected by it.

7. B. Overall Community Impact
Due to the joint efforts of several different AmeriCorps teams and branches, Gatlinburg
and the surrounding communities are in the stages of long term recovery. They have been
equipped with numerous resources such as potential long term housing, medical assistance, and
further information to meet any and all of their basic needs. Sun 7 compiled a lot of the
preliminary work needed for case managers. There are now systems in place for the call center,
warehouse, and donation management which will be helpful to future teams and volunteers who
continue this mission. Before Sun 7 left Tennessee, they connected local organizations with each
other to establish a long term recovery team. This team will focus on the recovery and
rehabilitation of the Gatlinburg and Sevierville areas.
C. Informationand Insights for the Future
Sun 7 learned a lot about not only the disaster relief process, but about the team’s
strengths as well. Many members of the team were placed in leadership roles early on and
adapted quickly. The team was required to work in several different composite teams throughout
the round. This showed the team that they were able to work in a multitude of situations. The
team will take from the disaster round that they are able to work with all types of people and
situations, and they will be able to make the best of it.
4. PersonalReflections
Skylar Sade: When I found out my team and I were going on disaster relief, I was
overwhelmed with excitement. We were supposed to go straight to Little Rock, AR, but I'm so

8. thankful for the detour to Sevier County, Tennessee. The work that I was able to do to assist the
survivors of the fire was meaningful work and something that I will always hold close to my
heart. Disaster relief was overwhelming and sad at times, but even when I got one new resource
to share with a survivor, it made me feel like I was doing important work in the Call Center as a
Resource Mapping Specialist.
Daniel Hoisch: As a housing specialist and call center representative, I was given a first hand
point of view as to how dire the housing crisis was in Sevier County. While working in tandem
with the Tennessee Housing Coalition to locate new available properties and temporary housing
sites, I began to develop a slight sense of cynicism towards the leasing organizations in the area
for their lack of affordable housing. Of course I understood that this was largely due to supply
and demand after mass property loss to the fires, but I still could not help but feel as though
private rental companies were capitalizing off the survivor population's misery. Even after all of
the follow-up calls and research that I did online, Fair Market Rate housing in the surrounding
county areas seemed scarce. However, eventually the data that I collected made a difference,
because shortly after we left for Little Rock, Volunteers at East Tennessee reported that they
were coordinating with the Tennessee Housing Coalition to construct 25+ new housing
properties in the Sevier County area for families in need. I suppose that the biggest lesson I
learned in Tennessee was this: at times it may seem hopeless, and at times you might despair, as
if the work you are doing will never be enough, but rest assured that there is no task too small in
the face of disaster, as long as you put your full weight into the job.
Nathan Weidert: During disaster relief, I started out working at the Boyd's Bear Warehouse
with Daniel Hoisch, Kimberly Higgins, Erica Peterson and a few people from the Washington
Conservation Corps and Kat from Americorps St. Louis. I really enjoyed working with Darryl

9. who was the volunteer boss of the loading dock and one of the main people I worked with.
Which meant that we were in charge of loading the supplies and water that survivors got from
the Boyd's Bear warehouse into their vehicles. It was really surreal and rewarding knowing that I
was physically helping the survivors of these fires by helping them out with loading supplies and
water from their shopping carts into their vehicles. It was awesome being able to see these
people up close and personal and being able to help out in boots on the ground instead of
watching it all on the news over a TV screen. What I was really impressed with was Darryl, one
of the main volunteers, was retired and on a pension, and he still volunteered his time to come to
the warehouse everyday, working nearly 8+ hours everyday, well past sundown. He also had his
son come to the Boyd's Bear warehouse everyday that it was in operation except on school days
and to help out his Dad and volunteer. Their commitment to the volunteer job really impressed
me. I rather liked the Boyd's Bear warehouse because it was heartwarming and humbling to work
with so many people whose common goal was to assist the survivors of the fires. Another
personal highlight of mine is the night we went to an entertainment dinner show (tickets
generously donated to us by Sevier County) called the Dixie Stampede. It was my first time at
such an event as I have never went out to eat and then had live entertainment being performed in
front of my very eyes. It was very entertaining to watch as I ate the food and an experience I will
treasure the rest of my life.
Kimberly Higgins: Responding to an active disaster was something that I will never forget.
Working at Boyd's distribution center with the All Hands Volunteers made every day special and
unforgettable. My other role in Tennessee was planer, and though it was a lot of work to plan
where everyone was going the next day and making sure everything ran smoothly it was a
valuable experience. I enjoyed disaster relief so much I have even applied to be part of

10. AmeriCorps St. Louis ERT in the fall.
Hannah Hinson: I was beyond excited to learn that our team was going to Tennessee on disaster
relief, especially to the place that I have called home for the past four years. Our time in
Gatlinburg and Sevierville will be something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. While the
work we did in Tennessee was some of the most rewarding work I’ve ever done, it’s the people
that I will always remember. Our team was so lucky to be able to work AmeriCorps St. Louis,
Blue 7 from the Pacific Region, and with various VISTA and State and National AmeriCorps
members. Those people made the experience what it was. Disaster relief is the best experience
I’ve had in NCCC so far, and I know that a large part of the reasoning behind that are the people
I got to work with on a day to day basis.
Marley Donnelly: Being in Tennessee was a great experience and one I will never forget.
Working with Americorps St. Louis and Washington Conservation Corps was amazing. I had no
idea what was behind disaster relief and what really was done and I am so fortunate to have been
apart of it. As the floor manager for the Donations warehouse I was able to really work on
becoming a leader as well as working with many people from the St.Louis team who I will never
forget!
Callie Rogers: Assisting in the recovery of the recent Tennessee wildfires was one of the most
incredible and heartbreaking experiences I've had. I feel very fortunate to have served alongside
so many community members as well as dedicated volunteers from all over the country in an
effort to provide survivors with the resources that they need. Although my team was only able to
catch a glimpse of the tragedy this community experienced, I feel that we made a lasting impact
in our short time there.

11. Having never experienced disaster relief before, I had no idea what to expect. I
anticipated that the project would require working long hours and would be emotionally
demanding. But it was the stories I heard, the people I met and the difference made in just a
month’s time that came as a surprise.
There are countless things that I learned on this project that I will carry with me for the
rest of my life. This project taught me many important professional skills, but it also gave me a
new perspective on the impact of hard work, the importance of overcoming challenges and the
value of life itself.
Thomas Adams: When I was in Tennesse Gatlinburg and Sevierville I was helping out in the
Donations warehouse. I got to work with Americorps St. Louis and they make the experience
even more unforgettable. I learned a lot and will take the mouth with me for the rest of my life. It
was once in a lifetime experience.
Sherri Parry: This was one of the most challenging rounds I have done, yet I am grateful for the
experience. When I first heard about the program, I knew I wanted to be a part of disaster relief.
I was excited when my team was chosen for the relief in Gatlinburg, TN. I did not know what to
expect, but I was ready. Once we arrived in TN, I was disappointed when I discovered we were
not going to be a part of debris removal or community involvement, but instead we would be
working on composite teams in the warehouses and the call center. I first started off in the
Knoxville warehouse and I was stunned by the amount of donations that was stored in there. I
learned that there is such a thing as too many donations just by walking around the warehouse.
I learned from one of the members from St. Louis Emergency Response Team that they were
trying to come up with a solution to recycle the donations that were not going to be used. Their
solution was to sort the donations and then to bale them and ship them to a textile company and

12. have the money they earned off the baled clothes be returned to the county. From the start, I
was learning so much about disasters and how communities around the country proceeded to
respond to them. After that, I was put in the VRC, volunteer reception center, working on data
entry on the homeowner intake for those who had been affected by the fire. With this job, I had
to manage the database, enter homeowners into Crisis Cleanup, and enter homeowners into
CAN Red Cross for 10 hours a day. Looking at a computer screen for that amount of time felt
really draining and at times I felt like I was so far removed from the disaster relief and the
survivors because I was looking at a digital copy of what happened. In the end, I met some
really great people from other AmeriCorps programs who made my day all the better in East
Tennessee.
Jack Popwell: This tour on disaster relief was very different then mine from last year. Last year
I was out in the field everyday so I was very curious to see what it was like to be in more of a
support role. When we arrived in Tennessee I was instantly put into the role of Logistics Chief. I
had really wanted increased responsibility when it came to disaster relief since it had become one
of my passions since last year. This was a role that was honestly quite underwhelming and made
me realize how much I missed being in the field. This term was also a completely different
disaster from the flood the year before and it helped me realize how different each disaster is and
how flexible you have to be in order to be efficient and productive in the field. I also got to learn
how much behind the scenes partnerships are important in maintaining the supply line and
helping provide all the logistical support needed to have an effective place in the disaster relief
effort. I strongly believe this experience will help me in my future careers as well as future
disaster relief work.

13. Erica Peterson: After three days on the road, we arrived at the Volunteer Reception Center late
at night in Tennessee. I was very excited, but did not know what to expect; I had never
participated in disaster relief efforts before. Immediately we were welcomed by a slew of
amazing AmeriCorps members from all different programs, and of course we all caught on very
quickly to our designated tasks. I spent the majority of my time in a distribution warehouse
called “Boyd’s Bear” after the old factory it used to be. Working there everyday was a true
pleasure; it was full of dedicated and passionate volunteers, and an effort to show compassion for
the survivors seeking supplies. Each day was as exciting as the last, and the connections I
developed with those who frequented the place I will never forget. Halfway through the
deployment, I was transitioned to work in the dispatch operations. Here, I got to experience a
new world of disaster I had never thought of, and got to work alongside AmeriCorps members
that turned into lifelong friends. Overall, this deployment gave me the gift of experiencing a
unique community of people who, everyday, focused their efforts towards helping their
neighbors. I think that kind of connection, a friendship made through service to others, is one of
the most amazing ones.
5. AdvocacyPlan
A. What Worked? What Should Remainthe Same?
When Sun 7 arrived to Tennessee, many team members were given important leadership
roles. Members were tasked with projects they had never done before, but the flexibility and
positive energy of the team contributed to their success. As the project progressed, team

14. members gained more experience and became even more proficient in their highly specialized
roles on disaster.
Additionally, many of the tasks required working together with those outside of the team,
which was a true privilege- given the number of people involved in the recovery efforts. Sun 7
was able to accept this as a learning opportunity, from each other as well as the many other
teams, schools, organizations and community volunteers who had come together for a common
cause.
B. What Didn’t Work? What Should Change?
Since Sun 7 acted, in part, as pioneers of this mission, many challenges arose. The team
had to keep a positive attitude and learn to adapt to situations and try new solutions in order to
succeed. During their time spent in Tennessee, Sun 7 had to adapt to new living situations,
unpredictable hours each work day and many other situations. They successfully did so with
positivity, flexibility and lots of hard work
In the donation warehouses, team members struggled to tackle the daunting issue of
organizing thousands of donations with limited space and resources. This challenge was
addressed with patience, and teamwork. Members from different work sites communicated to
each other which methods worked, and which did not. This eventually lead to a well-functioning
system that sorted numerous pounds of donations.
On another end, those working in the call center often became discouraged by the lack of
housing options or resources available for survivors they spoke with over the phone. They
combated this problem by creating a new role that focused on calling local organizations and
businesses to inquire about the resources that were in high demand.
Overall, Sun 7 tapped into their creative abilities and met a world of uncertainty with

15. flexible solutions.