“Fired up and ready to serve!” was the battle cry of 19 Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps members as they were sworn in Oct. 18 at Legislative Hall in Dover. In all, more than 100 AmeriCorps members will serve throughout Delaware.

Keynote speaker and Habitat for Humanity’s first volunteer Clive Rainey encouraged each member of the 2013 Delaware AmeriCorps class to deploy their weapons against poverty: their hammers, their computers, their mentoring talents, and most of all their hearts.

Thirteen members of the Habitat for Humanity Delaware team will serve in Sussex County, building and repairing homes for economically challenged families, ensuring they have decent and affordable living conditions. They will serve as construction experts, leading other volunteers to serve in the community. They will serve as mentors, helping families on their journey toward homeownership. They will serve as volunteer coordinators ensuring volunteers receive the training they need to be productive, and they will serve in the ReStore, which keeps usable building materials out of county landfills and repurposes them to be sold at discount to customers. All proceeds of sales at the ReStore go into building and repairing homes.

Individual member profiles can be found at www.sussexcountyhabitat.org/americorps/members.php.

Members engaged in weeklong training that ensures they will be ready to serve. Members receive leadership training, disaster assistance training, and training in specific job tasks. Last year, Sussex County AmeriCorps members operated evacuation shelters during Hurricane Sandy.

Sussex County Habitat for Humanity is the administrator of the nationally recognized Delaware Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps program. The recognition for leadership and innovation by America’s Service Commissions noted the excellence of the members and the contributions the program makes in the state of Delaware. More information about the award can be found at www.asc-online.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewpage&pageid=783.

For more information on Habitat, go to www.sussexcountyhabitat.org. For more information on the Delaware AmeriCorps program, go to dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dssc/sov/americorp.html.