Share Your Favorite Pics: FY21 Annual Report Cover Photo Contest

It’s that time again! We invite member organizations of The Corps Network to share some of your favorite pictures from 2021 to be considered for the cover of The Corps Network FY21 annual report. We are looking for powerful images that demonstrate the resilience, diversity, and impact of the contemporary Corps movement. Right now, as our country considers establishing a national Civilian Climate Corps initiative, show us what “a modern CCC” looks like. Please see below for specific criteria.

Even if your Corps’ photo doesn’t make the cover, please note that almost every photo submission we receive will be used elsewhere in the report or in other documents and resources produced by The Corps Network in the future. We sincerely appreciate all of the content we’ve received in past cover photo contests.

The last day to submit photos is Friday, February 18, 2022. The report will be published in March. Thank you for your consideration.

[Photo in banner: FY20 annual report cover photo, Idaho Conservation Corps]

Criteria/Suggestions + How to Submit Entries

  • Each Corps may submit up to 6 photos.
  • The deadline to participate in the contest is Friday, February 18, 2022.
  • Photos must be high resolution (300 dpi preferred).
  • Please provide a few details about the photo (where was it taken, who is in the picture, etc.).
  • Let us know if there is a specific person who should receive photo credit. Otherwise, we will credit your organization.
  • Preferred file formats are .jpg, .jpeg, .png. (if you have .heic pictures, please considering converting them to .jpeg files using a free tool like this).
  • Please no images that don’t include people. We want to see great photos of Corpsmembers at work.
  • Landscape-oriented pictures preferred, but portrait photos also accepted.
  • Please no photos that have been heavily edited or have an obvious filter applied.
  • Photos taken within the past year are preferred.
  • Remember – even if your picture is not chosen for the cover, we may use it on the inside of the document or in other resources from The Corps Network.
How to Submit Your Photos

Please email entries to Hannah Traverse, htraverse@corpsnetwork.org. Don’t forget to include a few details about each photo and if a specific person should receive credit. If your photos are too large to send in one message, feel free to send in multiple emails or use a file sharing service like Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, or WeTransfer. We can’t wait to see your entries.

Claire Hassler intern

Individual Placement Story: Claire Hassler

In addition to crew-based programs, many Corps work with state and federal resource management agencies to offer internship and individual placement opportunities. These service positions give young adults leadership experience and the chance to more deeply explore career opportunities.  

Over the years, several member organizations of The Corps Network have worked under our agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to recruit participants for the USFWS Directorate Fellowship Program. Once such member organization is the Intergovernmental Internship Cooperative (IIC), based out of Southern Utah University. IIC places the fellows and helps keep track of their progress throughout their term. Claire Hassler is serving through the USFWS Directorate Fellowship Program in partnership with IIC. We spoke with her about her service experience. 

Where are you currently based?

I am based in Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, which is in Marble Falls, TX, and Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, which is in Eagle Lake. I’m employed through Southern Utah University and IIC. My internship started in April 2021 and goes through February 2022.

How did you first hear about the USFWS Southwest Intern Program?

I had never heard anything about it before. I had a mentor who suggested I look at The Corps Network’s website because I told her I wanted to be working outside and she suggested it. I was looking mainly at trail positions but saw this on the partner’s section. I stumbled upon it and decided to apply even though I didn’t know much about it at the time. 

Can you tell us a bit about your background? What were you doing prior to the internship and what made you want to join?

I studied journalism in college, specifically multimedia journalism. I was working at the local paper doing primarily video and photography for them. But I always had an interest in science journalism and conservation and environmentalism, so I was hoping I could get more into that specifically. I spent a few months after graduating working as a staff photographer at a paper in Columbus, MS. When that internship ended, I was looking for the next thing and saw The Corps Network internship posting and immediately thought, “that’s exactly what I want to do” – so I applied.

Can you share more about where you’re currently serving and your responsibilities?

Every month I spend three weeks at Balcones and one week at Atwater, and I do similar things at both of them. Primarily, I go out on the refuges and I document with videos and photos. Sometimes that looks like photographing the nature and the scenery and other times it’s photographing staff in action or public events. That’s field time and I live for that. When I applied that’s what I was most excited to be doing, being outside. With every day in the field, there’s two days in the office. I go through all of that content and I edit it and make sure it’s organized so that at end of the internship I’ll be able to give them a big photo drive of edited and captioned photos. 

I also write Facebook content for the Balcones and publish those, make sure they’re spread out, relevant and interpretive. I’ve also been putting together some videos. Some are quick Facebook style with subtitles to share work that’s going on at the refuge. The one I’ve been working on for a while is for the Balcones website and it’ll be a “Welcome to Balcones, this is who we are and what we do” for their homepage.

What are some of your favorite parts about this program? What are some of the challenges?

My favorite part of this experience and what I’ve gained from it is learning how to look more closely with a lens of curiosity, because everyone I talk to and everything I look at is so interesting. The people here are so knowledgeable and willing to share what they know. There are so many stories to tell that I know the public would be interested in if they heard about it. I’m excited to go on from here: wherever I end up, wherever I live, I’ll be able to learn about the natural space and share that with people through photo and video. Also, getting to be immersed in the nature and live on the refuge and be out in the field doing photography. 

For challenges, it is a very creative, detail-oriented job, so it can be a lot to have to stay in that creative mindset for 30-40 hours a week. That’s been the greatest challenge: trying to be disciplined and channel that creativity on-demand. I’ve learned a lot about myself, so it’s been a positive experience. 

What training and support are you provided through this program?

Not any formal training, but I took the Eppley Institute Interpretation course, which was really helpful and I’ve used it throughout. I pretty much had a solid background in video, photo, and writing. Any questions that I have about the refuge or biology or ecology there are plenty of people to answer my questions. 

I meet with a mentor from the university and other interns in my cohort in other states virtually. Something that’s been huge has been having my mentor and my boss to guide me through the whole USA Jobs and applying for federal positions. It’s a whole different world and if I didn’t have help, I wouldn’t know what I’m doing at all. They review my resume and cover letters, told me about upcoming positions and what people are looking for. I don’t know where I’ll be after this internship yet, but I feel good about my applications because of all their help. The professional development aspect is really nice, as well.

What has been your favorite experience during the internship so far?

I got to go down in a cave as cavers were doing surveys of different species down there. The refuge biologist said I should go and take some videos. We got to climb down this skinny hole and get all muddy and see cave dwelling species with cool adaptations. It was unreal. I’ve never done anything like that before. 

You mentioned wanting to continue in this type of work. What are your goals down the road?

I’ve loved working for the Fish and Wildlife Service. I think at both refuges the staff are amazing and I really believe in their mission. I would love to eventually become permanent, possibly as a visual information specialist or a park ranger in visitor services in USFWS or for the Park Service. I would love to continue this work and hopefully get to tie in as much photography and storytelling as I can. That’s my passion. 

Why is it important for young people and your generation to be involved in this type of work?

The next generation is the future and eventually the entire workforce. I think it’s important for us to see how things are done and be able to ask questions and do that ourselves. I learn by observing others and modeling after the people who mentor me. This has been a great introduction to that and I have a good understanding of USFWS and what my role could be with them in the future. Every generation comes with a new way of thinking and doing things. Social media is the big thing now, but the next generation will also have a new set of skills and tools that comes naturally to them. It’s always important to bring the next generation and invite them to the table in a way that makes them feel valued and appreciated.

What would you say to others who are considering their next steps or a program like this? Do you have any advice?

Please do it and apply! I didn’t have any idea what I was applying for, but I knew that if you don’t apply, you’ll never know. So don’t be worried about your qualifications or previous experience because odds are you can learn on the job if you’re resourceful. 

For a person who gets this type of internship, make a plan at the beginning of your internship and make a list of what projects you want to do because it’ll fly by.  

 

Corps Recognized in 2021 Coalition for Recreational Trails Awards

Every year, the Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT) recognizes outstanding trail projects that make use of Recreational Trail Program (RTP) funds. Service and Conservation Corps across the country frequently partner with local, state and federal resource managers to build and maintain trails. In addition to contributing critical labor to a project, Corpsmembers have an opportunity to hone their trail-building skills and connect with professionals in the field.

Corps have often led or contributed to CRT Award-winning projects. Here are four projects from the 2021 CRT Achievement Awards that member organizations of The Corps Network helped make possible.

 

  1. Statewide Fourteeners Maintenance – 2021 Maintenance and Rehabilitation
    COLORADO

The Fourteeners Initiative hires Youth Corps and Crews to help maintain recreational trails that take hikers up to Colorado’s 14,000 ft peaks. This award recognizes the work done on over 14 miles of trails across 19 peaks. This project included contributions from organizations in the Colorado Youth Corps Association, including Southwest Conservation Corps, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (Colorado), and Mile High Youth Corps.

  1. Neahkahnie Mountain to Manzanita Trail – 2021 Maintenance and Rehabilitation
    OREGON

The Neahkahnie Mountain to Manzanita Trail Project created a new segment of trail to the Oregon Coast Trail (OCT). The new trail segment connects the OCT trail to the town of Manzanita. Northwest Youth Corps played an important role in the trail’s construction.

  1. Bridge Buttress Trail – Enhancement of Federal Lands
    WEST VIRGINIA

The Bridge Buttress Trail Project is a partnership involving the Access Fund, New River Gorge National Park and the Appalachian Conservation Corps (ACC). This effort focused on stabilizing a heavily trafficked climbing and trail access point. The ACC AmeriCorps members contributed to the nearly 1,400 hours of work to complete the project.

 

  1. Waterloo Valley Trail Bridge – Engaging Public Sector Partners
    NEW JERSEY

The Waterloo Valley Trail Bridge Project created a safer and more accessible trail in Allamuchy Mountain State Park. With the help of the New Jersey Youth Corps, an unsafe make-shift bridge was replaced with a 6-foot-wide, 60-foot-long bridge installed for hikers use.

 

To learn more about Corps partnerships with trail and transportation managers, please visit: https://corpsnetwork.org/our-impact/trails-and-transportation/

 

Update from The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team – December 2, 2021

By Meghan Castellano & Danielle Owen

There has been movement in Washington on the Infrastructure Package and the Build Back Better Act. Read this blog from The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team on what these updates mean for the Service and Conservation Corps community.

 

Budget Reconciliation Process (Build Back Better Act)

Funding for the Civilian Climate Corps (CCC) has been included in the budget reconciliation text, the Build Back Better Act. At present, the Build Back Better Act includes $30 billion for the new CCC. Specifically, $15 billion for AmeriCorps, $5 billion for the Department of Labor and $10 billion for projects at the federal land management agencies.

 

What’s happening now?

Late on November 5, 2021, the House voted on the rule for the Build Back Better (BBB) Act, the legislation that contains the Civilian Climate Corps (CCC). Rule votes set the parameters of debate for legislation on the House floor. House Democratic Leadership decided to hold off on voting on final passage of the BBB Act until the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office provided a “score,” or estimated cost, of the BBB Act. On November 19, the House passed the Build Back Better Act.

 

What happens next?

The BBB Act has now moved to the Senate for passage. In the Senate, every Democrat will need to vote in favor of the BBB Act for it to pass. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has stated that it is his goal to pass the BBB Act by Christmas.  There are still several procedural steps that will need to be taken with the legislation that could slow the process of final passage. The Senate parliamentarian will need to review the bill text to ensure it complies with budget reconciliation procedures. This may result in the legislation going back to the House for a second vote.

The passage of the reconciliation text in the House is a big step in the development of the Civilian Climate Corps. It is very exciting to see the Corps movement included in one of the largest pieces of legislation ever. Thank you to our partners and the member organizations of The Corps Network for your help keeping the Civilian Climate Corps moving forward.

 

Infrastructure Passage

The same night the reconciliation rule was passed, the House passed H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. President Biden signed the legislation into law on November 15. Since the legislation recently became law, it will take time for funding to reach different agencies, departments, and projects.

The bipartisan infrastructure legislation includes several Corps-friendly components. The language states that Corps are eligible to benefit from funding, partnerships and support through the following programs:

  • Healthy Streets Program: The goals of this Department of Transportation program are to mitigate urban heat islands; improve air quality; and to reduce the extent of impervious surfaces; stormwater runoff and flood risks; and heat impacts to infrastructure and road users. This program would deploy cool pavements and porous pavements and expand tree cover. It authorizes $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. Eligible entities that partner with a “Qualified Youth or Conservation Corps” are given priority on their application.

 

  • Career Skills Training: Under the Department of Energy, “Qualified Youth or Conservation Corps” are defined as an eligible entity. This allows the Energy Secretary to award grants to eligible entities to pay the federal share of associated career skills training programs under which students concurrently receive classroom instruction and on-the-job training for the purpose of obtaining an industry-related certification to install energy efficient buildings technologies. It authorizes $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2022, to remain available until expended.

 

  • Wildfire Risk Reduction: This section of the reconciliation text gives the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture $100,000,000 each for wildfire risk reduction. These efforts will utilize, “existing locally based organizations that engage young adults, Native youth, and veterans in service projects, such as Youth and Conservation Corps.”

Corpsmember Story: U.S. Coast Guard Veteran Launches Land Management Career Through Mt. Adams Institute VetsWork

 

Mt. Adams Institute, based in Washington State, is one of several organizations that operates Corps programs focused on providing military veterans opportunities to build skills in resource management. Below, read our conversation with Christopher Sutherland, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran serving as an AmeriCorps member with the Mt. Adams Institute VetsWork Environment program.

 

Where are you currently based?

In Washington State, but I work with Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, which is based out of Portland, OR.

One of the first jobs I had was with the California Conservation Corps. I’ve been working with programs like this for as long as I can remember. It seems like I do well in these types of programs.

 

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

I was born and raised in Northern California. I grew up in Santa Cruz and the Bay Area. I did a lot of surfing, a lot of hiking; spent a lot of time in the Red Woods in California. That’s where I really started to love the environment and working outdoors.

I went into the Coast Guard from there and moved around a lot, up and down the West Coast. I was on a ship; a lot of the work I did were patrols, basically from South America up to Alaska. I was a shipboard firefighter and a mechanic.

Then I spent time on the East Coast. My last billet with the Coast Guard, I was a lighthouse keeper in Boston at the first lighthouse in America, which was pretty cool. Being a lighthouse keeper was where I ended my billet in Massachusetts.

Then I moved back West. I started working in parks and recreation in Portland. I’ve just always been trying to keep my hands in the environmental field. I went from parks and rec in Portland into the Mt. Adams program and AmeriCorps. I’ve been with them for three years now. My first two terms for AmeriCorps were in Tillamook with an Estuary Partnership, doing a lot of similar work to what I’m doing now.

 

How did you first hear about the VetsWork program at Mt. Adams Institute? What made you want to join?

First, I’ve always liked doing environmental work. I’ve always wanted to work in parks and rec, or any kind of way I could get into outdoor projects. Of all things, I was just looking on Craigslist and I saw an ad for Mt. Adams Institute. I actually didn’t think it was real when I first saw it. But once I checked it out, I just thought, “Wow, I’ve been in the Coast Guard, I’ve been in the California Conservation Corps, I’ve always tried to work in parks and rec and I’ve done a lot of volunteering.” It just seemed like the right fit. I applied immediately. I’m more about the work and the mission than the pay. I just love doing this type of work.

 

What exactly were you doing before you enrolled in AmeriCorps? You mentioned you were doing parks and rec work in Portland?

Yes – It was a lot of maintenance work, cleaning up hazards. It was similar to the technician work I’m doing now, but I’d say more about park maintenance. And my background before that was mechanics and construction. In the Coast Guard I was a mechanic, but I was getting my firefighter qualifications. I wanted to be firefighter, but I took a pretty bad fall in the Coast Guard and injured my lower back, so that plan didn’t work out. But yes – I wanted to work outside and was doing that before I came here.

 

Can you share more about where you’re currently serving and your responsibilities?

My first two years with AmeriCorps were with Tillamook Estuaries Partnership, or TEP. A lot of it – and a lot of what I do now – was based on water quality and waterway restoration and improving salmon passage. A lot of planting along waterways and creeks. A lot of blackberry removal, ivy removal, anything that is preventing natives from growing healthy and strong along creek sides. It’s a lot of digging in the dirt, a lot of getting wet in creeks, a lot of planting plants.

But there’s also an outreach side. We involve community members. We work with school-aged children. We work with different types of adult groups. There’s a lot of diversity in our outreach – we try to reach to a lot of different groups and get them out and give them a chance to help us with these projects.

And then there’s a technical side of the monitoring. We’ll go back and we’ll look at what we’ve planted and check on survivability. We’ll build monitoring wells where we’re testing the water for temperature, salinity, turbidity; we punch that into a spreadsheet for the scientists to use. It’s a lot of data collection.

Fish salvage is another cool thing we do. If we have to remove something that’s impeding a waterway, we’ll electroshock the water and we’ll rescue as much wildlife that’s in the creek as possible. Just recently I think we rescued about 45,000 lamprey in one creek, and we’ve rescued a lot of Coho. Salmon passage is such a huge thing, historically and in the present. Salmon is so important to Indigenous communities in the Northwest.

 

Tell us about your service after your AmeriCorps terms in Tillamook.

After two years in Tillamook, I applied for the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, or LCEP. Very similar work except this time I’m working along the Columbia River. I think we have projects along about 150 miles of the Columbia River.

One of the larger projects I’m working on right now is really close to my home. It’s about a thousand acres of restoration. There were levees that were impeding a creek that was flowing into the Columbia River. Again, it was a lot of culvert removals, a lot of planting over the creek beds, a lot of taking care of plants.

This past summer was ridiculous. We had 120-degree days out here in the Northwest, which is pretty bad considering it’s usually about 60 degrees. Our summer was spent doing a lot of plant care, a lot of watering and a lot of mulching and making sure everything we put in the ground is going to survive.

So yes – this is my third term. They hired me for a fourth. My current term ends in March. After March I’ll have another 11 months with Lower Columbia. They’re putting me on my own project and giving me some freedom to help lead at this one site. It’s going to be interesting. Pretty much everything I’ve learned and a lot of the stuff I’ve done, I’ll be able to put into practice in my own job site.

 

What are some of your favorite parts about this program? What are some of the challenges?

Aside from working outside, I’d say my favorite part is just doing what I’m doing. I feel like what I’m doing is important. Everybody has just as much of an important job as the next person. This isn’t just grunt work. This is a process and I like that every part of the process is appreciated and respected.

Some of the challenges? Weather. The sites are very muddy and wet. They’re uphill; they’re downhill. They’re rutty and full of holes. Physically, I’d say it’s a challenge. You’ve got to be prepared for that.

But it’s a very positive atmosphere. Very diverse. There are a lot of different people from a lot of different backgrounds. And it seems like everybody is onboard. I know we don’t live in a bubble – that’s not reality – but it does almost feel like you’re in this perfect bubble at work.

 

You mentioned you’re doing another term of service. What are your goals down the road?

I want to take all this experience and, if not stay with Lower Columbia, I definitely want to stay in the environmental field. I think that’s going to be my pathway. I’ve got so much experience and learned so many different things over the past few years that it would be a waste to not pursue it.

 

What would you say to others who have separated from the military and are considering their next steps or a program like VetsWork? Do you have any advice?

I think most people who join the military need that type of structure. They need a cause. I don’t see this as really any different. And there are so many different sides to this work. It’s working with the Forest Service, it’s working for NOAA, it’s working with rocks and gems and geology, it’s working for all types of different environmental organizations. Just like the military, there are a lot of different things you can gravitate towards. There are plenty of positions with Mt. Adams and AmeriCorps that are so different from each other, but still within the same line of environmental service.

If they still want to feel like they’re doing something for their country or for the good of their neighbor, I’d say this is that kind of position. And there’s a lot of flexibility. I think Mt. Adams and even the places you serve, they understand what a lot of veterans have been through and they want to provide the best experience for the veteran. The program is designed for you, so it’s hard not to succeed. A lot of people have your back.

Corps Story: LA Conservation Corps’ Addresses Housing Insecurity with Pallet

Housing insecurity is a growing concern for many individuals throughout the country. Service and Conservation Corps like Los Angeles Conservation Corps (LACC) are working to make sure individuals have access to safe and secure temporary housing. Lawrence Melendez, a Senior Program Manager for the Corps, shares his insight on LACC’s partnership with Pallet.

Program Background:

In the Fall of 2020, LACC was introduced to Pallet by a district counsel in the city of LA.

“LA has many people experiencing homelessness. While the LACC is an environmental group, we also address any form of crisis going on, and I think that the homelessness issue can be said to be a crisis situation. So, we’re glad to help,” said Melendez.

Pallet creates temporary shelters that can be built on short notice to address crises. To date, LACC has built 611 temporary homes with Pallet for people experiencing homelessness. At the time of interview, Melendez estimated LACC would hit 700 by the end of November 2021.

“We build 5-10 a day, but they are in progress…The ones we assemble generally have two beds, so potentially we’ve housed 1,400 people,” said Melendez. “The goal is to get a little community of people together where other services can help. I believe it’s supposed to be considered a transition space, it’s not a permanent home.”

Corpsmembers:

LACC rotates Corpsmembers that work on the Pallet homes. Training takes place on the job; a main skill Corpsmembers learn is working together as a team to fit all the pieces of the homes together.

“I think there is some sense of teamwork just in the sense that you’re building a home. They know that they are building a home and I think that’s a cool thing,” says Melendez.

Corpsmembers generally come from the surrounding area and are ages 18-25. Some, but not all Corpsmembers, are AmeriCorps participants.

In addition to building their teamwork skills, Corpsmembers working on the Pallet homes see all that goes into creating a home. They work alongside electricians and plumbers and gain a sense of the coordination required to put together a large project.

The also problem-solve issues of prefabricated parts not necessarily fitting together and work out solutions to it.

Day-to-Day:

Building 5-10 homes a day is no small feat. Corpsmembers arrive at LACC’s site at 6:30 a.m. for a warmup and announcements related to the Corps. They then load up enough tools for a 5-10-person team, and head out. Melendez notes that the Pallet sites are up to an hour away depending on LA traffic.

At the beginning of a project, Pallet offloads materials to be constructed. Once at the site, Corpsmembers generally “stand up” all four walls and roofs. Next, they dive into “finishing work.” This involves weatherproofing, placing air conditioning and heating units, placing stickers, fire extinguishers and other finishing touches.

Melendez says at the end of their eight-hour day, Corpsmembers generally report 30 homes “stood up” and five finished.

A few weeks later, Corpsmembers will return with a punch-list to make sure all the stickers and items are in place. Melendez says that by this point, there are often people already living in the houses.

Completed Homes:

Completed Pallet homes have a “homey feeling.” They have locking doors and windows, providing security that many people experiencing homelessness don’t have access to.

“I describe [the houses] as if you’re a kid and trying to draw a home. It’s four walls and a roof, two pitches on the roof. It does have windows in the front and the back. They are 64 square feet, and they are square, so eight feet by eight feet,” says Melendez.

The homes also include outlets that are active if hooked up to power. They contain two fold-out beds with room for storage beneath, and shelves for more storage. Though the exteriors are white with silver trim, some communities have come together to paint them multicolored. Groups of these homes have been as large as 123 houses in a single area and as small as 20. Communities have separate bathroom and security units.

The homes not only provide shelter, but also enable people to have easier access to services they may need, while giving a sense of independence and dignity to the inhabitants.

Melendez notes that Pallet employs people who are of similar background to the Corpsmembers at LACC, making the partnership a great and productive fit. “It’s been a good partnership” he says.

 

 

Corps Story: Civic Works and Food Access

Civic Works is providing solutions to inequal food access within Healthy Food Priority Areas in Baltimore, MD. They are working against food inequity by creating a more sustainable, economically viable, environmentally responsible agriculture sector. Civic Works both grows their own produce at Real Food Farm as well as partners with local farms to source and provide fresh produce to seniors and others in the community. They currently average about 5,000 deliveries a year and have distributed 53,000 pounds of produce since October 2020. 

At any time, there are a few Civic Works AmeriCorps members serving alongside rotating volunteers to make weekly food deliveries through two programs. The Affordable Produce Delivery Program brings food to seniors in the community ages 55+. Each box contains $15-20 worth of produce, but customers only pay $5. If they don’t have available funds, they get their box for free. The small fee assists in fighting the stigma of receiving a free handout. This program’s capacity reaches 120 people on a weekly basis. A second initiative, the Corps’ Community Supported Agriculture program, or CSA, sells full-price produce and feeds 75-100 people weekly. 

The Process

A week as a Civic Works Corpsmember or volunteer includes taking down customer information and orders through calls and voicemails on Mondays, packing food boxes on Wednesdays, and making deliveries on Fridays. To ensure they have the amount of food needed each week, additional food is ordered from local farms within a 100-mile radius. 

At certain times of the year, Civic Works targets fulfilling other local food access and agriculture projects. These efforts include bringing produce to farmer’s markets; helping create more urban farms; restoring soil conditions; composting, and compost outreach; and assisting in transforming vacant and abandoned lots into community gardens and green space. Civic Works has grown 200,000 pounds of fresh produce and planted 25,000 trees. The Corps’ goal is to be a launching point for other farms and to be a place where other farms can come for help with logistics. 

The Impact

AmeriCorps member Harper Czumak-Daugherty began working with the program as a volunteer delivery driver and soon became more involved. They say food isn’t the only thing the seniors are hungry for. 

“Every time I interact with people that we deliver to, whether it’s in that verifying information stage or I’m actually at their door with the food, people are so appreciative. There is such a need for this. Especially the seniors, during the pandemic: a lot of them can’t get out to grocery stores,” said Czumak-Daugherty. “A lot of times they’re not getting a ton of other contact and they’re so hungry for that interaction, they’re so grateful. It’s also that these are our neighbors, so it’s satisfying to be able to be there for them.”  

Besides helping the community by bringing healthy food to the area, the Corpsmembers themselves are benefitting from workforce development. Corpsmembers are offered support and guidance through creating a five-year plan with Corps staff and leaders. They also receive an AmeriCorps education award at the end of their term.  There are many learning opportunities presented like networking, resume reviews, practice interviews, and a work environment in a historical building that is being preserved and is also open to the community. Program alum have gone on to work on other farms, started small businesses, painted community murals, and more. Czumak-Daugherty intends to use their education award towards grad school. 

Looking Forward

Logistics are often the most challenging part of the program. Civic Work hopes to grow in space and resources to be able to reach more people in the community. The program hopes to expand from 5,000 deliveries a year to 20,000 deliveries with more funding. For this reason, the Corps is applying for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for 2022-2024.  

Czumak-Daugherty reflects on their time working in the program: 

“I’ve been really grateful for my time here. There’s been so many learning opportunities, so much personal growth. This is also the first job I’ve been able to use my they/them pronouns. It’s a really amazing team, a really amazing program, and I’m really honored I get to be a part of it.”  

Corpsmember Story: Adelina Roybal

Adelina Roybal is on her pathway to success. She joined a Conservation Crew last year at Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) in New Mexico and served on several projects as an AmeriCorps member. She removed invasive species along the Rio Grande Bosque at Santa Ana Pueblo, maintained trails in Rendija Canyon near Los Alamos, and helped maintain the campgrounds in the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area near Pilar. She also helped plant trees in the south valley of Albuquerque. Adelina already had some experience with wildland fire fighting before joining RMYC, so it was natural for her to join a crew and expand her experience. She was between jobs and immediately felt comfortable at RMYC because she loves working outdoors and has a passion for the environment.

 

 

One of Adelina’s most memorable experiences at RMYC was when she took Substance Abuse Prevention training. Substance abuse has impacted her family at a very personal level, and the training she received helped her talk freely about it and identify with what she learned.

Adelina hates trash, and when she saw trash on the trails, she decided to clean it up and encourage her family to pick up trash. The conservation work deepened her feelings about the environment.

“It helped me give back to the community and to be more mindful of my surroundings. We need to leave nature as it is,” she said.

Adelina got married not long after she graduated from RMYC and now she and her husband are expecting a baby! She wants to return to wildfire fighting after the baby comes. RMYC empowered her as a woman working in wildland firefighting. When we asked her what advice she would give to a woman who is considering RMYC, she said, “Always push yourself. You are capable of anything. There is always time to further yourself. Everyone at RMYC was open and made me feel comfortable and safe, especially at the time of COVID. We all worked as a team.”

Corps Story: LA Conservation Corps and Food Waste Prevention

For the month of October, The Corps Network is highlighting Corps across the country that help expand access to food in their communities.

 

Over 2 million people in Los Angeles County face food insecurity. The number of individuals requiring food assistance has only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a mission to serve the community and the environment, Los Angeles Conservation Corps (LACC) found a way to help feed neighbors in need while also diverting waste from the landfill.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, roughly 30 – 40 percent of the United States’ food supply is thrown away. With a grant from CalRecycle, plus additional support from SoCalGas, LACC launched an initiative in 2018 to engage Corpsmembers in recovering food that would otherwise go to waste.

In partnership with the nonprofit organization MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity), LACC Corpsmembers drive refrigerated box trucks to area schools, grocery stores, restaurants, and other businesses to collect unused food. Everything they collect is brought to the MEND foodbank, where it is checked for quality, sorted, and distributed several times a week to individuals and families.

 

 

“I think this has been such a successful project because not only are we helping each other in the community, but the participants are able to see the huge difference they are making. It’s a win-win across the board,” said Karla Ramos, a site director for LACC who oversees the food waste prevention program.

While LACC participates in many initiatives that might seem more obviously connected to environmental conservation – such as planting trees and restoring habitats – the Corps’ partnership with MEND fits well into their project scope.

 

 

From a conservation perspective, it’s important to recognize that food waste is responsible for roughly 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Recovering food means not only preventing waste from decaying in the landfill, but ensuring that the land, water, and fuel resources that went into producing that food is also not wasted.

The MEND partnership promotes LACC’s workforce development and community-minded goals, as well.

“I personally think this fits really well into the mission we do. It’s not only providing an opportunity for our youth to learn new job skills and earn a paycheck while they’re doing that, but it’s providing assistance that the community [needs],” said Karla. “And, yes, this is a conservation project because we’re also diverting food from the landfill…[this work] is relevant because I think it targets a lot of issues we’re all trying to solve, [including] climate change. If there was less food being wasted, there would be less methane gas being released in the landfills and so on. But it’s also relevant because it plays a big role in our community [and] in our participants by showing them you don’t have to start big: you can start small to make that big impact.”

 

 

Since August of 2018, LACC Corpsmembers have worked with MEND to collect well over 1 million pounds of food, serving over 41,000 families. On a given day, they might collect over 10,000 pounds of food from a single location.

While the Corps made adjustments to the program to promote social distancing and other COVID-19 safety practices, the initiative has continued during the pandemic. Many Corpsmembers who have participated in this initiative live in Pacoima, the Los Angeles neighborhood where MEND is based; it has been particularly rewarding to support people in their own community.

“The food recycling project is what really brings a smile to my day,” said Dulce Rosales, an LACC Corpsmember driver participating in the work with MEND. “I see all the people lined up down blocks just to receive food and just knowing that I did the food donation pick-ups for them to have something – you know, it’s a really great feeling.”

 

 

In addition to helping address hunger and food waste, LACC ensures that this initiative provides a learning experience for Corpsmembers. Participants, like Dulce, gain much more than the satisfaction of assisting fellow Angelenos.

“Some of the soft skills include general communications. We instill in them that is a very big project…it has a lot of meaning behind it because we are helping a lot of individuals. We let them know that they’re highly relied upon; if they are not able to make it in, they need to be able to communicate that,” said Karla. “[In addition to communication skills], it’s being able to drive and handle equipment. Not just our liftgates, but also forklifts or pallet jacks so they can carry the large loads properly without getting hurt. I should mention they are also getting trained in safe handling of food.”

During her time with the Corps, Dulce received her OSHA-10 certification, participated in first aid and CPR training, and earned her driver’s license. She is now enrolled in a phlebotomy program in addition to her service at the Corps.

 

 

Beyond LACC’s collaboration with MEND, the organization addresses food insecurity through a partnership with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Serving alongside fellow Corpsmembers from other local programs – including Conservation Corps of Long Beach and San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps – LACC members visit food bank locations throughout the city to help operate food distribution events. During a distribution, there could be upwards of 50 Corpsmembers, the majority of whom are from LACC. This support has been essential during a time of increased food insecurity caused by the pandemic.

In addition to sending much needed food into the community, the Corps is also helping launch confident young workers. To other Corpsmembers who are considering joining a program like LACC, Dulce offers this advice.

“I would say go for it…When I first started, I didn’t know what I wanted to do and this program really pushed me to do things that I wouldn’t have done, such as getting my driver’s license. I never really thought I would need it. [And] continuing my education; I didn’t think I would even attend a single college class and I actually did. And pursuing a career—pursing something. This program definitely did it for me.”

Corps Story: Vermont Youth Conservation Corps Food & Farm Program

For the month of October, The Corps Network is highlighting Corps across the country that help expand access to food in their communities. Ezra Pasackow, a former member of Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC), talks about his experience working with VYCC’s Farm Crews and Health Care Share Project and how his service experience led him to where he is today.

VYCC’s Food & Farm Program and Health Care Share Project:

Between March and November every year, VYCC’s Farm Crews prepare produce for Health Care Share participants. The Health Care Share works through Vermont’s centralized healthcare system. Ezra, who served as a Project Lead with VYCC in 2019, explains:

“Medical centers partner with VYCC, then health care providers prescribe Health Care Shares to specific patients, and we provide a 20 – 24-week CSA to however many people are enrolled. When I was there, we provided about 400 – 415 shares. So that’s 400 – 415 patients, every week, from July until October.”

Participants enjoy fresh produce, and chickens; all grown, raised and processed by Corpsmembers.

Ezra’s Experience:

Ezra has a background in environmental studies. After college he helped with community development on farms in Mexico and Guatemala, which led him to work with VYCC’s farm in 2019:

“I was doing that farming aspect, I was doing that manual labor the growing of the food, but serving VYCC’s Health Care Share participants, people who had been identified as having diet related illnesses, that was a game changer for me. The food is going to people in my community and it’s going to benefit them.”

Ezra further explains: “I see the Health Care Share as really dialed in, using medicine, using professionals to identify people and provide them with access to produce and information about that produce. Information is a key part. You can go to the food pantry and pick up a bunch of food but if you’ve never cooked a beet before, it’s not useful.”

As a Project Leader, Ezra and a fellow Corpsmember managed VYCC’s 1.5-acre satellite farm in Northeast Vermont and oversaw a youth crew of 14-18-year-olds.

“With VYCC you’ve got two really strong aspects: produce is going to people facing food insecurity or [who have] diet related illnesses, and the work is being done by young adults who are getting job readiness skills, earning a wage, and learning hard and soft skills that can propel them to the next steps in their life,” said Ezra.

Youth crews and Corpsmembers alike quickly find that farming, while hard work, is rewarding. An average day on the farm involves harvesting, weeding, fixing fence lines, picking insects off plants, and addressing issues as they come, often in peak summer heat.

“You’re constantly scraping one thing off the list and adding two more,” said Ezra.

Despite this, he says that youth crews stay motivated by seeing the tangible difference they make.

“[They see] the impact of the produce that they grew, in dropping off some of these shares, in meeting the recipients, in seeing the joy and excitement and happiness [and people that say], ‘I can’t wait for Thursdays it’s the best day, I get to pick up my CSA.’ And that’s where it’s like, this is the why,” said Ezra.

 

Growing a New Farm:

Ezra has brought critical farming and leadership skills he gained from VYCC to his current role managing a 2.5-acre farm in Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanic Garden in Staten Island.

“Farming tests your ability to manage time, you’re working with nature and against climate change. You have to become okay with adjusting plans and become comfortable with being uncomfortable. It’s learning to manage those skills for yourself and as a leader – portray those skills with a sense of calm to everybody else.”

The farm Ezra works on now has a similar mission of providing high quality food to the community. The Heritage Farm is located within Staten Island’s only botanical garden (one of the 5 in NYC) and has an 85-member CSA. He says while they don’t have a Health Care Share system, they have a pricing model that allows produce to be accessible across economic ranges. The farm is unique in that they’re one of the only places to buy produce in Staten Island that’s also grown on the Island. Ezra notes that it is especially important from a climate change lens.

He also continues to work with young adults on the farm who can gain job experience while building community and seeing the importance of green spaces on an urban setting and learning how food systems work.

 

The Future of Farms:

Like VYCC, Ezra views these farms as a way to increase food access within local communities across racial and economic stratification.

“We can definitely be a part of a community that is creating an equitable, just and accessible place for people to enjoy and grow produce for them to have.”

Looking back on his experience with VYCC, Ezra says, “VYCC is in a unique position because they have so much experience and history of working with this demographic of young adult yet they’re on a cusp of a new generation of young farmers that are seeing the impact of small-scale farming within our communities as a way to fight climate change as a way to create equity and justice within our communities.”

Farms like VYCC are helping to reconnect people to their food and where it comes from. Whether Corpsmembers go into farming or not, it gives them a better appreciation for what it takes to grow good food and feed a community.