Texas Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program of American YouthWorks, is home to 20 young adult AmeriCorps members ready to respond to emergencies throughout the state of Texas and, when in need, the nation. In 2013, our Emergency Response Teams have responded to three major national disasters and helped on several disaster mitigation projects. Just as new members were coming in for orientation in January, they were promptly trained and sent to New York and New Jersey for two months to muck and gut homes and manage incoming volunteers and donations in the hopes for a speedy return of families to their homes. Then in April, with the explosion of a fertilizer plant in the city of West, Texas, the teams deployed to assist in the overwhelming amounts of donations and volunteers that poured into the small community. Almost immediately following the West disaster, a major tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma and our members were once again on the ground to help place the massive numbers of volunteers in the areas most in need.

These members are often among the first to respond to emergencies in Texas communities and the surrounding region. The members get a well rounded experience and on-the-job training by consistently rotating mission duties and leadership, setting them up to be the Nation's next leaders in disaster and emergency management.