“If it wasn’t for my peanut allergy I would probably still be in the Navy.”
Just as life closes one door, it opens a window. For Luke, that window was AmeriCorps NCCC. He joined as a Corps Member right after high school and traveled all throughout the Southwestern region of the United States serving communities and learning skills he thought he would never learn. After his year of service, he thought going to school to become a welder was the right path for him, but two semesters in he started to miss the “bizarrely unique experience that is NCCC.”
His enthusiastic, sociable, and easygoing personality made Luke a perfect fit for a Team Leader position with AmeriCorps NCCC. He and his team created a close bond throughout the ten months together, and they still keep in contact to this day. For their final project, they worked together to create an entire camp curriculum for children struggling with food insecurity. They built the infrastructure, planned the meals, designed the activities, and got to see the kids thoroughly enjoy their camp experience.
The confidence Luke gained from NCCC led him to work in a classroom with children who have special needs. Luke loved the job, but had always wanted to join the Peace Corps, so he applied to a youth development program in Ukraine. Although he was a great fit for the program, he was denied was, again, because of his peanut allergy. But, another window opened when his friend recommended NECHAMA.
He began by volunteering with us in our warehouse in Minnesota, and was soon offered a position as a Team Leader for a home-rebuild project in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wanting to continue his work in the nonprofit realm, he applied for the Logistics Coordinator job and it was a perfect fit!
Luke, we love having you here! Thank you for all that you do for our organization!