The Americorps National Civilian Community Corps class that came to Vicksburg this week will be last to arrive during the summer.

“We’re changing over to a winter campus so that our Corps members can be trained before the height of hurricane season,” said Americorps NCCC community relations specialist Erika Roberts on Wednesday after the third AmeriCorps class arrived in Vicksburg. “This class is our bridge class to help us bridge the gap between us changing over.”

The Vicksburg operation — at the former All Saints’ Episcopal School on Confederate Avenue — will join those in Vinton, Iowa, and Perry Point, Md., as winter campuses.

The other two programs, in Sacramento, Calif., and Denver, are fall campuses.

For the winter session, team leaders will arrive in January and members in February. All members will serve the required 10 months and complete at least 1,700 community service hours through November. Hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30 with the height in August.

The bridge class is smaller, at 70 members, than a regular class of about 160, Roberts said.

Members will train this month and begin fanning across the Southern region Aug. 3 to work on volunteer projects. The bridge class will graduate in May.

New member Alexzandra Cutts of Coweta, Okla., a suburb of Tulsa, joined to follow in the footsteps of her youth minister who volunteered with AmeriCorps a couple of years ago, she said.

“I feel called to do the work,” said Cutts, 19. “I had a mission trip in Louisiana, and it was the best trip I’ve ever had. We did hard work, but it wasn’t that hard.”

Team leader Samantha Ahrendt of Pewaukee, Wis., returned for her second year at the Vicksburg campus.

“That whole year was just a great experience,” said the 22-year-old. “I got to serve in six of the 11 states, and I really believe in the program.”

A University of Wisconsin graduate in meteorology, Ahrendt said her experience in natural disaster relief helped her see the “other” side of weather.

“I spent so much time studying severe storms and hurricanes,” she said, “and to be on the other end is pretty cool to see.”

AmeriCorps NCCC is a team-based residential program for young men and women ages 18 to 24.

During the program, members are paid a $200 living allowance every two weeks. After completion, each member will be eligible for a $5,550 Segal Education Award.