This past week, in addition to a team from Rock Island, Illinois, we received a new NCCC Americorps team. Americorp is a federally run program for youth from 18-24. They volunteer for eleven months of service to this nation. The groups of 10 to 12 "kids" are based out of 6 campuses nationwide. Our latest team, named River 5, is from the Vicksburg, Ms. campus. In the eleven months of living, working and travelling together, they work at four different "spikes" or work sessions. The term "spike", I believe, comes from the old Civilian Conservation Corps established by Roosevelt in the 1930's, where people in a similar program travelled around the country building parks and structures and would camp out, using the spike to set up their tents. Habitat for Humanity is fortunate enough to have one of the spikes to work with our affiliate here in Tuscaloosa. Some of the group have come straight from high school, some college, and some have graduated college. At the end of their year service, they are awarded a lump sum payment with which they can apply to student loans that they may owe or to future tuition for school. During the eleven months, room and board and usually one fifteen passenger govt. van for their transportation. They get something ridiculous like $4 per day for three meals, so generally shop and make dinner together at wherever they are staying and pack their own lunches. During the ten weeks that they work with us, they get very good at building homes. They generally are ambitious, want to learn and are quick studies at what we show them and then they pass it along to their associates on the team. Ther are a joy to work with and a great asset for Habitat. I have had the pleasure to have worked with probably twenty teams since 2006. I love having N-trips around to work with us. Each team has a green-shirted team leader. The team members all wear grey t-shirts with the Americorp emblem on the sleeves. Their uniforms for the year are also provided, including black work boots. It is always interesting for me to watch the team dynamics of each team. We try not to compare one team to another (you know, parents don't have favorite children. . . .)    Loooking forward to getting to know River 5.    
     We also had a group this week from Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Rock Island, Illinois . They drove down to work with us on the second Major League Baseball sponsored house in the Alberta City section of Tuscaloosa. It is the 17th home that we have started since the tornado came thru here last April 27th. Pastor JD has brought mission trips from his 240 member congregation to New Orleans after Katrina and this is his first (but we hope not last) trip to Alabama. We got all of the exterior and interior walls up and most of the exterior sheathing installed and also most of the Hardi siding was pre-painted. Our homeowner was out with her nephew and made up all of the hadrail sections, working down their "sweat equity" hours that are required before they own the home and move in. We are coming off last week where we blitz-built a house in one week, with help from the local firefighters, so I was dragging just a bit on Monday, but as the week went on, the energy and excitement of getting this next home going came back. This one, Brandon tells me, will be completed on June 22nd. Check with me on Friday and I'll let you know. . . That's all for now- Love, Peter