Wilkes-Barre, PA. – Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge William H. Amesbury administered the AmeriCorps pledge of service to eight Energy Corps AmeriCorps members in Pennsylvania during a swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, October 20, 2011.
The ceremony marked the successful completion of training for Energy Corps members in preparation for their term of AmeriCorps service. Gene Brady, Executive Director of The Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO) and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), spoke during the ceremonies, thanking the members for their commitment to service.
Energy Corps members will spend the next 11 months providing services in communities across the state. They will provide hands-on energy assistance to families in need, conduct energy education activities and help communities develop sustainability plans.
Member training activities during the week included community organizing and sustainable energy, home energy basics, residential weatherization installation, energy efficiency techniques, renewable energy issues and health and safety in the field. As part of their service training the members also attended a speech by Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times reporter and author of “Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System—and Themselves” and helped prepare meals for the Kids Café after school program, operated by the Weinberg Food Bank .
Host organizations for members in Pennsylvania include The Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO) of Wilkes-Barre, The Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) of Philadelphia, The Scranton Lackawanna Human Development Agency (SLHDA) of Scranton, Sustainable Energy Education Education & Development Support (SEEDS) of Honsedale, Growth Through Energy and Community Health Strategies (GTECH) of Pittsburgh, Mercyhurst College of Erie, and The Penn State Center for Sustainability of University Park.
Photo Credit: Curtis Salonick
Top Row L to R
– Gene Brady, Executive Director of the Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO).
– Michael Maholtz of Benezette, Pennsylvania. Energy Corps member serving at the Scranton Lackawanna Human Development Agency (SLHDA) in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
– Taylor Haag of Portland, Oregon. Energy Corps member serving at Growth Through Energy and Community Health Strategies (GTECH) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
– Matthew Dahlhausen of Cleveland, Ohio. Energy Corps member serving at the Energy Coordinating Agency in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
– Jodie Elstner of Center Valley, PA. Energy Corps member serving at the Commission on Economic Opportunity in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
– Allison Elick of Lancaster, Ohio, Energy Corps member serving at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania.
– Kayleigh Cornell of Jermyn, Pennsylvania. Energy Corps member serving at Sustainable Energy Education Development & Support (SEEDS) in Honesdale, Pennsylvnia
– Judge William H. Amesbury, Luzerne County Court of Common Please
Bottom Row L to R
– Eric Hammerbacher of Saginaw, Michigan. Energy Corps member serving at the Energy Coordinating Agency in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
– Jordan Goldsmith, State Coordinator of the Pennsylvania Energy Corps.
– Holly Hill, National Director of Energy Corps.
– Megan Oravec of Brunswick, Ohio. Energy Corps member serving at the Energy Coordinating Agency in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
