Determined to rebuild the lives of Mississippians who are coping with the aftermath of a devastating tornado, Americorps National Civilian Community Corps member Jordan Mohr arrived in Yazoo City this morning prepared to help assess damages and sort through the rubble.
Mohr, 23, media representative for the Delta unit of the southern region's Americorps NCCC, has worked on various relief missions during the last years. Last month, Mohr and his unit sent 7,500 aid packages to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with building supplies for earthquake victims.
After Americorps' regional director toured Yazoo City Sunday and surveyed the damage, Mohr and his unit were called on to assist with relief efforts. A native of Greensboro, N.C., Mohr was busy preparing his unit yesterday for their aid mission at the organization's southern regional campus in Vicksburg.
"I expect to see a great many people in need of assistance," he said. "My team will not rest and stop until we regain the lives they lost, that's our mission."
Mohr says helping disaster victims is a "deeply personal" calling. He lived in Florida and Latin America while growing up and witnessed the impact of hurricanes and tropical storms on those communities.
After graduating from Elon University with a bachelor's degree in history, Mohr joined Americorps to gain a broader perspective and volunteer experience, before going to graduate school for a master's degree in interactive media.
"It's always been a life-long goal to spend time giving back to others," he said. "I'm thankful I've done the program this year. It has provided a great deal of perspective and I've gotten the chance to help people across America."
AmeriCorps is a 10-month residential program for men and women ages 18 to 24 who work in the areas of disaster preparation, response and recovery; environmental conservation; public safety; urban and rural development; and education.
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