Grayslake resident completes NCCC service

AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps graduated 479 members this July who completed over half a million hours of service and over 275 projects, including 78 disaster recovery projects. Dakota Lawson of Grayslake was part of this effort and completed 10 months of full-time service to communities in need.

Lawson, who arrived at NCCC’s Southwest Region Campus in Denver on Oct. 9, 2012, to begin his term of service, graduated from the program July 26, 2013. Most Corps Members departed from their respective campus and began travel to their home of record immediately following their ceremony.

Each Member was part of a team of about 10 other members who completed a series of six- to eight-week-long projects in different communities across the country. NCCC projects support disaster relief, environmental stewardship, energy conservation, infrastructure improvement, and urban and rural development.

Among their many projects, some teams in the graduating classes were called upon to respond to Hurricane Sandy, tornadoes in Moore, Okla., and wildfires in Colorado and California. AmeriCorps NCCC certifies 100 percent of its members in disaster relief, and has responded to national disasters since the program began in 1994.

There are four other NCCC campuses located in Sacramento, Calif.; Perry Point, Md.; Vicksburg, Miss.; and Vinton, Iowa, each of which is a hub for its respective area of the country, though teams will travel to other regions for disaster relief projects.

Before joining NCCC, Lawson attended Grayslake North High School and studied Civil Engineering. He is the son of Kent and Anne Lawson.