Et cetera : NCCC-FEMA Corps Hickory 6 Volunteers with the Lupus Foundation in Washington

Hickory 6 celebrates volunteering at the Walk to End Lupus Now in Washington D.C.

By Sarah Kubishta

For Global Youth Service Day on April 27, FEMA Corps team Hickory 6 from the Vinton Campus volunteered at the Walk to End Lupus Now in Washington. This event took place along Pennsylvania Avenue with participants walking to the Capital and was organized to stop lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue. The funds raised by participants are used to raise awareness and provide free programs and services for lupus patients and their families.

Members from Hickory 6 helped set up for the event, handed out over 2,000 water bottles, cheered on the walkers and cleaned up after the walk. It was a wonderful way for the team to learn more about lupus and become more connected to the community in which they have been living and working since March 29. Team leader Tara Johnston stated, “It was a great morale booster for the team. We were able to work together and it was really nice working outside in our nation’s capital.”

Hickory 6 is excited to explore more volunteering opportunities in Illinois where they have just been deployed by FEMA to respond to flooding near Chicago. In Chicago they hope to volunteer with the Lupus Foundation of America or a similar organization, continuing to raise awareness throughout the nation.