Congratulations are in Order (Part 2 of 3)

Another of our Corpsmember of the Year was Christian Ndushabandi. Christian was also selected as the Youth Speaker at this year’s CYCA Annual Youth Corps awards ceremony. The Gazette out of Colorado Springs, also published a story about Christian and his journey to becoming a 2012 Corpsmember of the Year (read it now here) and a copy of his speech is available on YouTube (watch it now here).

Christian Ndushabandi

(Corpsmember of the Year from MHYC’s Southern Front Range Region)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Christian Ndushabandi joined his first crew with Mile High Youth Corps at the age of 18 with a very different story than most of our Corpsmembers.  Christian was born in Rwanda. At the age of one he was saved by his babysitter after his father was killed and his mother was left for dead during the genocide.

Years later, two and a half of which were spent in a refugee camp, Christian and his mom were invited to come to the United States as refugees. Christian welcomed the chance to experience a daily life filled with opportunity and dreams. He enrolled in high school and began learning English. As his English improved and as he adjusted to life in the US, Christian decided it was time to start working. After a couple of jobs in food service, Christian found Mile High Youth Corps.

Christian’s first term as a Corpsmember, taught him a lot and challenged his ideas of American culture. Although he admits that the first 10 day hitch with his camping crew was challenging, he found a welcoming and supportive crew to help him adjust. Christian says, “My fellow Corpsmembers changed the stereotype I had about American teenagers. The members of my crew were curious and they wanted to know about me and my country. They made me comfortable telling my story, and I feel more relieved every time I do.”

Christian has now completed two Summer of Service terms with Mile High Youth Corps and looks forward to using his AmeriCorps Education Award toward a college degree. When asked about the role MHYC has had in his life, Christian says, “MHYC is different from any other job that I have had. It taught me how to work hard and they recognize hard work. I have had fun working and I’ve learned a lot about this culture, how to solve problems and how to make friends.”

Congratulations Christian! You are truly deserving of being called Corpsmember of the Year and your dedication to your own personal growth, your crew and your ability to keep going in the face of adversity epitomize the spirit of the Corps.

Read Full Post »

Congratulations are in Order! (Part 1 of 3)

This year Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC) has been honored to have three of our Corpsmembers be selected as Corpsmembers of the Year.  Corpsmembers are nominated by their peers and MHYC staff for this designation and then go through a rigorous process to become candidates for State and National Corpsmembers of the Year. Mile High Youth Corps has two Corpsmembers who will be recognized at the state level and one Corpsmember will be recognized as a national Corpsmember of the Year.

Danielette Griffin, from the Denver region and Christian Ndushabandi, from the Southern Front Range region, join eight other youth corps awardees from around the state to receive recognition at the Colorado State Capitol on Monday February 4, 2013 at the Annual Youth Corps awards ceremony. Christian has also been selected as the Youth Speaker for this big day.

Our third awardee is Jesse Roehm. Jesse has been selected to represent more than 30,000 Corpsmembers across the nation as a National Corpsmember of the Year. Jesse will be recognized in Washington D.C. during the annual The Corps Network National Conference the week of February 11, 2013. Jesse will visit with Senators and Members of Congress as well as participate in sessions and workshops as an active participant, providing his unique story and ideas to help support the national Corps movement.

Over the next three weeks we will be sharing the impact that our three Corpsmembers of the Year have had while at Mile High Youth Corps.

Danielette (Daniel) Griffin

(Corpsmember of the Year from MHYC’s Denver Metro Region)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

All of our Corpsmembers come to Mile High Youth Corps looking for something, and all of them come with their own life story and perspective. Daniel Griffin was no different. Faced with some big changes in his personal life, Daniel came to Mile High Youth Corps in January 2011, as a quiet and shy young adult who had a hard time interacting with new people.

Despite the personal challenges that Daniel faced, he always made the most of his Corpsmember experience. He worked tirelessly to push himself outside of his comfort zone and get to know the members of his crew and the staff at MHYC. Daniel used the leadership opportunities that MHYC provided to find a leadership style that worked for him and in turn resonated with the members of his crew. One of his peers said, “Daniel taught the team that everyone has the ability to shine.”

With his new found confidence, Daniel was promoted to assistant crew leader, was selected to participate in a 40 hour BPI weatherization training and represented MHYC at a Youth Summit Conference in Washington, D.C.

Throughout Daniel’s four terms with MHYC he exemplified what it is to be a member of the Corps. His ability to share his passion and his personal and professional growth with his fellow Corpsmembers made his whole crew and all of MHYC stronger.

Daniel had this advice for future Corpsmembers, “I would say that you shouldn’t do this type of work for the money. You should do it for the lasting relationships that you will make and the impact that it will have on your community. You will come away from this experience with some of the best memories you will ever have.”

Congratulations Daniel! You have made an impression on everyone you have come in contact with and are truly deserving of this award!

Read Full Post »

Happy Holidays!!

Wishing you the joy of family, the gift of friends, and the best of everything in 2013. Our sincere thanks for your support and good will throughout the year.

Read Full Post »

Whole Foods Support MHYC with Grab & Give Food Drive

This year we invite you to join Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC) and the Cherry Creek Whole Foods Market as we team up to fill the shelves of our corpsmember food bank. This is the first year that MHYC has been selected as a recipient  of the annual Grab & Give program. This program not only demonstrates Whole Foods Market’s dedication to one of its core values: Caring About Our Communities & Our Environment, it also ensures our youth will have healthy meals throughout the holiday season.

To participate, customers should choose from one of three, pre-packaged meals—designed to feed a family of four—at check out for $5 or $10. Beginning on Thursday December 13, through Thursday December 20, all meals purchased at the Cherry Creek Whole Foods, 2375 East 1st Avenue  Denver, CO 80206, will be donated to MHYC’s food bank.

For more information about the Grab & Give program or Mile High Youth Corps, contact Hilary Engelhart at hilarye@mhyc.net or 720.407.7281 x333. Invite your friends and family to help us feed our youth this holiday season!

Read Full Post »

Colorado Gives Day!

On Tuesday, December 4, 2012 Coloradans will come together again to raise millions of dollars for nonprofits like ours. Last year, a remarkable $12.8 million was distributed to Colorado nonprofits through Colorado Gives Day. Help us reach our $15,000 goal this year!

Mile High Youth Corps serves youth ages 16 to 24 by providing opportunities for youth to gain career readiness skills through community service. Currently youth ages 16 to 24 are experience the highest unemployment rates in the country, 17.1%, more than double the national average!

Your support can help us create more opportunities for youth to get to work. In 2012, Mile High Youth Corps received more than 1,500 applications for only 195 job opportunities. We know that we can make a bigger impact but we need your help. Preschedule your Colorado Gives Day donation today and help us build more opportunities for youth in our community!

Read Full Post »

Indy Give! Starts Today!

2012 Indy Give! Logo

Today is the kick-off for Colorado Springs’ fourth annual Indy Give! campaign. Our Mile High Youth Corps Colorado Springs location is participating once again. Click here to donate today.

As a way to kick-off this campaign, MHYC is joining forces with Rocky Mountain Field Institute and the Coalition for the Upper South Platte for a guided tour of the Waldo Canyon Burn Scar at the Flying W Ranch at 10am on Saturday, November 10. Your ticketsupports the work of these nonprofits in the Waldo Canyon Burn scar.Meet with experts, including special guest Jerri Marr from the Pike and San Isabel National Forest, and the groups leading the restoration efforts of the Waldo Canyon Fire. Learn about restoration techniques, next steps, and how YOU can help.

Limit 100 participants
$30/person
Age 18 and older onlySIGN UP ONLINE: www.uppersouthplatte.org/waldoevent.html

Can’t make this event? You can still give through Indy Give! Check us out at http://www.indygive.com/participating-non-profits/youth/mile-high-youth-corps-of-colorado-springs/

Read Full Post »

Two Weeks and Counting!

The count down has started and we are looking forward to you joining us to celebrate what we’ve built together over the past 20 years! This commemorative evening will take place at Mile High Station and will start with a cocktail hour from 5:30-6:30pm.

Our silent auction will boast unique Best of Denver, Best of Colorado and Family packages as well as a Premier Club Level Suite, with seating for 20, at the Pepsi Center for any Avalanche, Nugget or Mammoth regular 2012-13 season home game.

Our Wall of Wine will provide a wide variety of wines including many Colorado wineries that will tickle your taste buds for only a $20 donation.

To reserve your spot register online or contact Michele Bishop, Director of Development at 720.407.7281 ext 324 or micheleb@mhyc.net.

Individual tickets are available for $100 and tables seating 10 are available for $1,000.

Read Full Post »

Celebrating 20 Years and You’re Invited!

Join us to celebrate what we’ve built together over the past 20 years!This commemorative evening will take place at Mile High Station and will start with a cocktail hour from 5:30-6:30pm.

We will have an amazing assortment of items and packages available to bid on in our silent auction and a wonderful selection of wine to tickle your taste buds available at our Wall of Wine.

To reserve your spot register online (http://www.milehighyouthcorps.org/myhc-events) or contact Michele Bishop, Director of Development at 720.407.7281 ext 324 or micheleb@mhyc.net. Individual tickets are available for $100 and tables seating 10 are available for $1,000.

Read Full Post »

MHYC by the Numbers: Colorado Springs 2012 Summer Outcomes

 

Monthly Infographic #5 – MHYC-Colorado Springs 2012 Summer Outcomes

August 10 marked the end of the 2012 Summer of Service for land crews all across MHYC. Each Corpsmember of every crew worked their boots off to enhance and protect Front Range lands from Denver down to the New Mexico border. This year, MHYC employed and distributed a total of eight crews in the Front Range.

The crews that operated out of Colorado Springs (and Pueblo) were: the Marmots, the Bobcats, the Hayman, and the Steel City Crew. This infographic highlights many important accomplishments of these four crews combined. The outcome data here focuses on four major categories of typical MHYC land crew work: trees, trails, fencing, and erosion control.

Watch for another infographic next month!

Read Full Post »

2012 Summer Olympics

The Summer Olympic Games– It’s a contest of unbelievable physical strength, agility, speed, and determination but in Denver at the end of the summer, it’s also … barbecue time!

That’s right, jolly old England isn’t the only site of the Olympics this year. Friday, Mile High Youth Corps hosted our 12th Annual MHYC Olympics and Summer BBQ! Every year at the end of the Summer of Service program, all of the crews meet head to head to battle it out in the ultimate test of human ability — trying to stomach Jack’s cooking!

Crews competed in events including an egg-in-a-spoon relay race, water balloon toss, and the grueling hula-hoop pass. Throughout the afternoon, crews were awarded points based on their performance in the various events: 100 for 1st, 50 for 2nd, 25 for 3rd. When they weren’t competing, each crew also designed and created a team flag for the chance at even more points. And to round it out, 100 bonus points were given to the team with the best sportsmanship throughout the day.

Corpsmembers race to the hoop in the Hula-Hoop Pass.

A little basketball, a little lacrosse — it’s Swattin’ Flies!

On a hot summer day, the Water Balloon toss is the perfect event to lose.

Alex, intent on Egg Relay domination, heads to the finish.

After several hard fought events and some quick tabulations, the results were in and the MHYC Olympics would have a brand new champion! The Trail Blazers took a strong 3rd place finish, The Ridge Runners came in a close 2nd but in the end, it was The Path Finders taking home the gold!

The Path Finders are the 2012 MHYC Summer Olympics Champions!

The Summer BBQ also marked the end of the Summer Photo Contest on Facebook where crews had a chance to bring home the one-of-a-kind Golden Helmet. Corpsmembers, friends, family, and staff could all go online and “like” their favorite crew picture with the winner taking home the trophy and celebrating with a special dessert.

With your help, The Path Finders took a commanding lead early. The Trail Blazers inched past and  took the lead on the last day, but the Path Finders weren’t done yet. With a new MHYC record 126 likes and comments, The Path Finders are taking home the new Golden Helmet!

Congratulations Path Finders!

We all had a great time at the Olympics this year! It’s always bittersweet to end our Summer of Service program, but we are happy to go out with a bang! Thank you to all the Corpsmembers who served this summer; we are incredibly proud of the work you have accomplished and we hope to see you all back next summer!

Read Full Post »