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A group of 10 young adult volunteers with AmeriCorps are stationed in Concordia Parish for a two-month period to assist the Clayton and Ferriday communities with cleaning up parks and facilities. (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

One-half of the group has been focused on restoring the Town of Ferriday Recreation gymnasium across the street from Ferriday Town Hall. (Sabrina Robertson | The Natchez Democrat)

The other half of the AmeriCorp River 5 team cleans up the ballpark in Clayton. (Submitted)

The other half of the AmeriCorp River 5 team cleans up the ballpark in Clayton. (Submitted)

A group of 10 young adult volunteers with AmeriCorps are stationed in Concordia Parish for a two-month period to assist the Clayton and Ferriday communities with cleaning up parks and facilities. (Submitted)

FERRIDAY, La. — A team of 10 young adult volunteers from states all over the country are visiting Ferriday and Clayton area for two months, investing their time and sweat into helping make the communities better.

The team arrived in early September from the Vicksburg AmeriCorp office and will be here for four more weeks, working from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily on various tasks to clean up Concordia Parish Recreation District No. 1 parks and facilities.

Recreation District No. 1 board member Glen Henderson said the group is grant-sponsored to stay here for that period of time.

“We only have X dollars to take care of such a pretty wide area,” Henderson said. “Our grant writer Tuwanna Williams was able to get us a grant to bring this group here.”

This week’s task for one-half of the River 5 team was painting and cleaning up the interior of the Town of Ferriday Recreation gymnasium across the street from Ferriday Town Hall.

The other half of the team is cleaning up and restoring the food pantry, basketball court and baseball in Clayton, said team leader Craig Kuhnert, who is from New York state.

Henderson said the gym in Ferriday has been unusable for a period of six months before the team’s restoration efforts.

“This is an 11-month program for me as a team leader and 10 months for everyone else and we go four rounds — each round takes about two months give or take — where we go wherever we’re needed. We are also available for disaster response, hurricanes and earthquakes and things of that nature. Our projects vary greatly based on the needs of the community we’re called to.”

Before arriving in Clayton, Kuhnert said team members were in Alabama cleaning up trails in the National Park

“I joined AmeriCorps because I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do after high school,” said Bing Pfaltzgraff-Carlson of Cincinnati, Ohio. “I’ve been going around to different communities exploring different career paths and opportunities. … At the moment I’m looking at the National Park Service but that could always change.”

Braedyn Dochterman of Iowa City, Iowa, said he became interested in AmeriCorps at the suggestion of his parents.

“I like to explore the country but also help other communities within the United States, help the environment by cleaning up any trash and litter around as well as restore older buildings,” he said.

While in the Miss-Lou area, Dochterman said thus far he has enjoyed visiting St. Mary Basilica and eating out at Pearl Street Pasta in Natchez.

“I had a cousin who did this before me and had a really good experience,” said Colin Tilford from Kentucky. “I didn’t know what to do after college so this is my post-college gap year to grad school or nursing school.”

As or Kuhnert, he said the COVID-19 pandemic had just hit when he graduated from college and he found that the organization was a good way to “get his foot in the door” for working in a government capacity and pay off some of his college debt.

“I highly recommend this program. There is a lot of opportunity and it’s a great way to explore the U.S. in general. Without this program, I’d never have the chance to visit the South as much as I do. Also, it’s great for learning experience.”

Henderson said it has been great to have the team working in Concordia Parish and hopefully get some older facilities back to working condition.

“They have been awesome and the type of character they’ve displayed for as long as they have been here has been awesome. The community really appreciates them,” he said.

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