Working as Team Leader with AmeriCorps NCCC, I received 24 hour's notice that my team would be heading to Nashville, TN to help with flood recovery efforts. Initial information from AmeriCorps was minimal, so we didn't really know what to expect. About 48 hours after arriving in Nashville, it was clear my team and I were in for a life-changing experience. Our time in Nashville was, indeed, life-changing, and this is mostly if not entirely because of Nechama - Jewish Response to Disaster. We had the privilege of working with Dan Hoeft, a couple other staff members, and several Nechama volunteers. In an organized fashion, Nechama brought swift action in the form of direct service to people whose homes had been severely damaged by the floods. Nechama was all about doing the work that needed to be done. We worked long hours and worked incredibly hard, led by Dan and the Nechama crew. In one month we mucked and gutted a few dozen homes, and provided support to a few dozen individuals and families that were in crisis. My time with Nechama helped propel my into a career in human services non-profits. Nechama changed my life as I watched it change the lives of so many others.