Summer of Service Reflections

Reflection 1. Summer Water Crew
By: Edder Valezquez

First I would like to start off by saying, my name is Edder Velazquez and I’m a proud member of the Mile High Youth Corps Water Conservation Pprogram. Now that the formal introduction is out of the way I can begin to let you know a little about myself and what I do for our organization.

Let me start with why I chose Mile High Youth Corps, before this job I was actually part of the carpenters union and working as a forklift driver for a meat plant here in the Denver area, during that time I felt very unsure of what I wanted to do with my life; I just finished graduating from the Art Institute of Colorado with a Bachelors in media arts and animation but had no desire to go further in my career. After two and a half years of just putting in work with no satisfaction I put in my two weeks and got busy looking for a new career choice. That led me to my younger brother Ademir; He would come home with his pants torn and full of mud and grass stains but everyday the smile on his face would never fade. I asked him about his job and he told me that he was a part of ten to twelve individuals co-existing together in conservation projects to better the community, and with that brief description I knew I had to go for it.

Now I’m part of the greatest part of the organization…. (In my opinion)…lol…and I love waking up every day knowing that I’m making a difference. To me this job isn’t just installing toilets. This job is much more, we go to underprivileged homes and non-profit organizations and install life changing tools that last a lifetime, yes I did call toilets “life changing tools”. The reason is because in my term we were able to install close to 900 toilets, and if you do the math that comes to about 6.4 million gallons of water saved every year, with all the savings these families and organizations can go out and get better equipment for their students or buy their son or daughter that present they want for their upcoming birthday. So I know that we do more than just “put in toilets”, we change lives.

Speaking of changing lives I can say without a doubt that being here has changed mine. I had no idea what I wanted to do in my life but now that I’ve got the chance to see all I’ve seen in the retirement homes and non-profit churches I now know. With my education award I am planning to go back to school to major in being a RN (register nurse) just so I can keep helping the unfortunate after my part here.

In closing I am grateful for everything Mile High Youth Corps has done for me and I’m proud to come back and start it again for my second term, but this time I will be coming back as a Senior Corpsmember.

__________________________________________________________

Reflection 2. Summer Conservation Crew
By: Bryan Trasvina

Hi, my name is Bryan Trasvina.
I’m currently in highschool going into my junior year. Before joining the Mile High Youth Corps I had no idea what I was going to do for the summer. Then one day I was talking to a friend of mine, Bobby Harris. He had told me that if I wanted to have a good summer that I should join the Corps.

I asked him what it was and he told me it was a summer job that was a lot of fun and had good people. At first I thought: well, hey, it’s a job and I could use the money. But when I first got to MHYC, I found it was a lot more than just making money. The staff, crew leaders, and other Corpsmembers really make you feel wanted no matter who you are or where you come from.

On my crew’s first project I had no idea what I was doing. I heard the words invasive weeds (which are weeds that were not there before or are not native) and I was completely lost. Then I spoke with a crew leader and she told me what they were. Later into the summer I was asked what I wanted to learn, and I said gardening. I learned very little about gardening and more about how to communicate as a team, build trails, tell the difference between native and non-native weeds, and how to use less energy to help the enviorment.

I have grown in this program more than anywhere else. I have grown in communication, attitude towards others, and actually talking to other people about how they feel and seeing if I could do anything to help.

Also, before leaving Mile High Youth Corps, I plan to use my education award on college, to study marine biology. And, in a future career use what I have learned from the Corps and pass it on to others.

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Did You Miss National Trail Running Day on August 22?

National Trail Running Day was Saturday on August 22. Did you miss it? Register for Hike for Youth, where you have the opportunity to run a 10K alongside Olympic trail runners and soak in their training secrets! Need some more motivation? 6 reasons to trail run at Hike for Youth…
1. Strengthens your leg muscles.
2. Improves balance and agility.
3. Increases your mental toughness.
4. Increases biophillia – humans want to be close to nature. Trail running puts you in nature.
5. Less traffic and cleaner air.
6. You’ll be supporting MHYC, green jobs and Denver’s youth!

Not a trail runner but like to hike? You can sign up for an easy (1-3 miles), moderate (3-5 miles) or difficult hike (6-8 miles), too!

Registration includes your hike/run, a gift bag and food and fun at the after-hike party. Sign-up here, today!

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MHYC Changed Me

I’ve done some cool stuff, stuff that I thought I’d never do, for the state of Colorado during my six months with YouthBuild. I’ve worked on a construction site for low-income families, learned how to make a difference in the community by recycling and volunteered by planting trees and fixing trails.

With the different programs MHYC offers I have decided on what I want to do with my career. I want to be a Youth Enrichment worker with any “super-sick” non-profit organization like MHYC and Urban Peak. With help from Art from Ashes, I found out that I’m a poet and I didn’t even know it! I learned that through poetry you can speak from your heart. With the help of JRT (Job Readiness Training) I’ve learned how to sit down in an interview and sell myself as a good candidate for a job. I’ve learned how to handle job situations, how to speak to my boss and handle myself when I get mad. I’ve learned how important work ethic is if you want to keep a job.

I love MHYC because it brought more of myself out, it challenged me mentally and physically and MHYC helps the community so much. I think MHYC is cool because all the different crews really help out Colorado in different ways. One day I would like to work for the Water Crew here at MHYC because they really make a difference. Coming to MHYC has changed my outlook towards helping others who really need it and by others I mean community.

- Brenden Fresquez

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Trailblazers Say Goodbye to Summer

Trees lost limbs, but we kept ours. Our crew lost members, but ten of us made it to the end. After eleven weeks of chainsawing and lugging around branches, we have the scars of Russian Olive Tree thorns dancing up our arms and a summer spent sweating under hard hats and chaps left to memories.

The Trail Blazing crew spent the last weeks of summer at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal where deer roamed our worksite and our sharpened chains sliced through hundreds of Russian Olive Trees leaving sealed off stumps where thorny thickets once reigned.

For some of us this was our first summer job. For others a way to earn an education award to use for college in the fall. For some it was the first time working outside, a first job in the United States, the first time using a chainsaw or chipper. But for all of us it was hard. Demanding. Hot. And ultimately, incredibly rewarding.

Armed with work boots, gloves, hard hats, eye protection, chaps, ear protection, chainsaws and, most importantly, a positive attitude, we set out each morning to rid the arsenal of villains disguised in dainty sage colored leaves. Russian Olive Trees, with their winding branches and pretty fruit trick you at first glance. They hide their keen thorns — known to stab all the way through the thick soles of boots — behind branches of small fluttering leaves attached to trunks curling in every which way appearing better suited for a fairytale than a chainsaw. But sweet and endearing, they are not. Thin branches didn’t go down without a fight; they whipped back at us leaving red and tender welts. And thorns clawed toward us grasping clothing and tearing through skin. But this invasive specie met its match. By our last day of work, we had conquered over four thousand Russian Olive Trees.

Amidst the turmoil of tree removal, we got to really take in all the Arsenal had to offer. We had an unforgettable visit to the Repository, where illegal animal products confiscated across the country come to be sorted and either destroyed, donated, auctioned off or stored. We saw tables made of whole elephant legs, rugs of every specie, benches covered in zebra skins, a rhino head, shelves filled with stuffed cheetah heads, drawers overflowing with ivory jewelry and stacks and stacks of snake skinned boots. We also got to glimpse the bison, blue herons and deer living at the Arsenal, spot a massive bald eagles’ nest, and even managed to have a few raging dance parties in the van on the way to and from work.

At the end of our ten-hour days we were covered in sweat, sore in places we didn’t know existed and covered in dirt. But through all the sweating and heat, we still managed to form bonds and friendships that will last far beyond our eleven weeks spent together. This may be the hardest summer job we will ever have. This may be the first of many. But we made it through and we are better because of it.

-Vanessa Notman

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Executive Director Update

In June MHYC and Colorado Legends and Legacies Youth Corps (CLLYC) merged. After months of discussions, assessments and highway miles logged on June 30th it was official. When the legal documents were submitted Michele, CLLYC’s Executive Director, equated the finality of the merger to the bittersweet emotion of a child leaving home for college. Letting go was difficult yet absolutely necessary for the Corps to succeed. During the weeks that have followed, Michele’s comment resonates with me.

The talent show performers and judges pose for a group photo.

Recently we held a talent show at the Corps. In the back of the MHYC warehouse the loading dock served as our stage. Music was blasting, the room was electric and there we were three MHYC staffers in wigs and costumes ready to ham it up as judges for the show. I loved it. Corpsmembers had worked hard in hot weather all summer when they decided it would be fun to put on a talent show. Now they were cheering on their teammates, laughing as staff was pulled on stage to dance with one of the acts and I was reminded of Michele’s comments. Letting go of this would be bittersweet.

Corpsmembers view the talent show from the warehouse mezzanine.

In this environment young people thrive. The service projects are meaningful. The staff is dedicated and their positive energy is contagious. It’s hard work yet the payoff can be so rewarding. With all of this, corps can be downright addictive. I give Michele and the CLLYC board a lot of credit for enduring bittersweet emotions to pursue the merger and seeing it to fruition. We are grateful for their years of investment in the youth and communities of the southern Front Range and we are looking forward to continuing their efforts…yes, costumes may be required.

- Kelly Causey, Executive Director

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Life of a Mechanic

Thanks to Mile High Youth Corps, I was able to successfully get my G.E.D. YouthBuild helped me find my leadership potential and showed me how to conduct myself as a young gentleman. The program has also given me vital qualities to successfully get a job and turn it into a career.

- YouthBuild Corpsmember

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Let’s Hit the Trail!

Calling all hikers and trail runners: Mile High Youth Corps invites you to join the sixth annual Hike for Youth on Saturday, September 12 at Golden Gate State Park. Whether you want a beautiful morning hike, a family-friendly stroll or a strenuous 10K trail run, Hike for Youth is for everyone- and you’ll be enjoying the trails MHYC Corpsmembers built. Your registration fee, along with your pledge raising efforts will directly benefit Mile High Youth Corps’ programs for urban youth. Check out these impact testimonials.

NEW TO 2009: 10k Trail Run for Youth
The course is a combo of single-track trail and dirt service roads with challenging elevation gains, hillside vistas and secluded mountain terrain. Bonus: A group of Olympic runners will share training secrets and race tips.

Step 1- Register Today
Choose an easy, moderate or difficult hike or the trail run and sign up with a credit card at www.hikeforyouth.org. It’s fast, easy and secure. Be sure to indicate that you’re hiking or running on behalf of the Corps! Registration includes your hike/run, a gift bag and food and fun at the after-hike party.

$25 in advance for adults (run or hike) ($30 the day of)
$10 in advance for youth ages 5-17 ($15 the day of)
$200 in advance for a team of up to 12 ($250 the day of)
FREE for kids ages 4 and under

Step 2- Collect Pledges for Great Prizes
All participants are encouraged to raise $100 or more in pledges. Don’t worry, it will be a snap! You’ll receive a link to a personal Web page immediately after registering. Customize and e-mail it out to start accepting credit card contributions from your friends and family. Ask your company to match your pledges and double your money. Ask BIG. Ask everyone. And win cool prizes for your fundraising, like outdoor gear and REI gift cards.

Want to get involved even more? Become a MHYC Champion Hiker!
We’re looking for individuals to serve as champion hikers and get a group of friends, co-workers or church members involved. Rally your troops and make Hike or Youth the activity of this fall. A group of up to 12 can participate for only $200… what a deal! Contact Anna Black at annab@mhyc.net or 303.433.1206 (opt. 1, x344) to register your team today!

Can’t Make it to the Hike?
Make a personal or company donation to MHYC here.

2009 Hike for Youth
7:30 a.m. Inaugural 10K Trail Run for Youth begins
9:00 a.m. Difficult hikes begin
9:30 a.m. Moderate hikes begin
11:00 a.m. Easy hikes begin
12 Noon The after-hike party begins

Thank you to our 2009 Hike for Youth sponsors:
The Ferranti Foundation
REI
The Denver Post Community
Wystone’s World Tea
Sunflower Market

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YouthBuild Needs You!

Youth Build is a success
Youth Build is a mess
Youth Build is what’s best
Youth Build has it’s ups and downs
Youth Build has it’s smiles and frowns
Youth Build can help you get to a better place so apply NOW…
Get yo GED Get up on yo feet
cuz it’s yo time smell da coffee

I know u wanna be strong not weak so get wit the program now yo life can be found not jus hallow without a sound lets get it poppin’ like NOW!

Apply at: www.milehighyouthcorps.org.

- Trenell Sanders, YouthBuild Corpsmember

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