Rocky Mountain Youth Corps’ Jasmine Romero Recognized in Washington D.C. as “Corpsmember of the Year”
TAOS, NEW MEXICO - ROCKY MOUNTAIN YOUTH CORPS is honored to announce that one of its very own Corpsmembers has been selected to represent over 27,000 AmeriCorps volunteers as The Corps Network’s Corpsmember of the Year. Jasmine Romero, of Taos Pueblo, along with six other outstanding young volunteers from across the country, is being recognized at the Corps Network’s 2015 National Conference in Washington D.C. In addition to presenting her story to conference attendees, Jasmine will meet with Senators Udall and Heinrich and Representatives Lujan and Lujan-Grisham to discuss the importance of national and community service in New Mexico. Ben Thomas, RMYC’s Executive Director, is “extremely proud of Jasmine and all that she has accomplished in her two seasons with RMYC’s Energy Efficiency Program.” Since joining RMYC in October 2013, Jasmine has worked hard to gain the skills and confidence she needed to excel in the field of weatherization. During her first term with RMYC, Jasmine learned the essential skills of home weatherization, gaining certifications from Santa Fe Community College in Retrofit Installer, Lead Safe practices, OSHA 10, First Aid and CPR, and Mental Health First Aid. Now in her second term, Jasmine is honing her leadership skills as an Assistant Crew Supervisor, while providing quality retrofits to homes of New Mexico’s low-income and elderly populations.
Each year The Corps Network honors Service and Conservation Corpsmembers whose accomplishments and personal stories exemplify the positive role that Corps serve for individuals and communities nationwide. They help serve as Corps Ambassadors, or spokespeople for the Corps Movement. For more information about RMYC’s work, please visit www.youthcorps.org.
About Rocky Mountain Youth Corps
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps inspires young adults to make a difference in themselves and their communities. Through training and team service, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps is a stepping stone to new opportunities. RMYC provides training and community service opportunities for a diverse population of New Mexico youth, ages 16-25. Crews protect, restore, and manage New Mexico’s parks, houses, and natural areas while developing essential life and job skills. RMYC crews also provide weatherization services to low income and elderly home owners across northern New Mexico. RMYC’s service projects provide the “classroom” for academic learning, community engagement, critical thinking, problem solving and practical application. In 2014, the organization has provided over $600,000 in Corpsmember stipends and benefits and distributed AmeriCorps Educational scholarships valued at over $500,000.
About The Corps Network
The Corps Network is the voice of the nation’s 127 Service and Conservation Corps. Currently operating in every state and the District of Columbia, Corps’ enroll more than 27,000 young women and men in meaningful community service every year. Since its creation in 1985, The Corps Network has provided national leadership and promoted the growth and quality of its member Corps’ as they provide education, workforce development, and an ethic of stewardship to diverse youth who address important community and conservation needs. Corps’ mobilize an additional 289,000 community volunteers who work alongside Corpsmembers to annually generate 638,684 additional hours of service, at an estimated value of $14,140,463.