Press Release-Camp Lakodia Chosen for AmeriCorps' Project

From: CSD - Sep 14, 2006

PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT
Release Date: Sept. 14, 2006
Contact: Derric Miller
CSD Communications Office
dsmiller@c-s-d.org


Camp Lakodia Chosen for AmeriCorps’ Project

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Nine volunteers from AmeriCorps arrived in South Dakota to begin their seven and a half week assignment at Camp Lakodia, located on Lake Herman in Madison, S.D. The volunteers will work with camp staff on an array of projects, including establishing shoreline erosion control on the eastern shore, general landscaping, cleaning the entire facility, painting and sealing wooden benches, cutting firewood, and a number of other tasks.

Camp Lakodia is a premier full-fledged, four-season resort with a wide range of amenities and activities to accommodate a multitude of tastes and lifestyles. Events at the camp range from corporate retreats and weddings to youth summer programs and family gatherings. Camp Lakodia was established in 1941.

AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is a full-time, team-based residential program for men and women age 18–24. Each year, AmeriCorps*NCCC engages teams of members in meaningful projects in communities across the United States. Service projects, which typically last from six to eight weeks, address critical needs in education, public safety, the environment, and other unmet needs. Former President Bill Clinton established AmeriCorps by signing the National and Community Service Trust Act in 1993.

Camp Lakodia met the criteria for AmeriCorps because the camp is owned and operated by CSD, a national nonprofit human service organization and relay service provider. Camp Lakodia’s profits are reinvested in the camp to meet the mission of the parent company. CSD’s mission is to provide the tools conducive to a positive and fully integrated life for deaf or hard of hearing individuals.

Besides the physical portion of their experience, the team members’ cultural and linguistic experience will also be enriched through deaf or hard of hearing employees working at Camp Lakodia and CSD offices in Sioux Falls. All volunteers will spend at least three hours per week learning American Sign Language, and they will also travel to Sioux Falls to the South Dakota Association for the Deaf center in October.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for these AmeriCorps volunteers to learn about deaf culture, while truly magnifying everything about Camp Lakodia that makes it so attractive for our youth and visitors,” said Ben Soukup, CSD chief executive officer. “We would like to thank AmeriCorps and the volunteers for their investment in Camp Lakodia, and look forward to providing a meaningful lifetime experience for the volunteers.”

For more information about Camp Lakodia, go to www.camplakodia.com.

About CSD – CSD, also known as Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc., is a private, nonprofit human services agency headquartered in Sioux Falls, S.D. and is also one of the world’s oldest and largest telecommunications relay service providers. Through a wide variety of contracts and partnerships, CSD serves an estimated 18 million users in 30 states across the nation. Since its inception in 1975, CSD has been dedicated to providing quality services; ensuring public accessibility; and increasing public awareness of issues affecting deaf, hard of hearing and individuals with speech disabilities. For more information, see the company Web site at www.c-s-d.org.

About AmeriCorps – AmeriCorps is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent federal agency created to connect Americans of all ages and backgrounds with opportunities to give back to their communities and their nation. The corporation also oversees Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America. Together these programs engage more than 1.5 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service each year. To learn more about AmeriCorps, go to www.americorps.org.

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* CSD ~ An Official Sponsor of the 2007 Winter Deaflympics