Making change in the Mile High City

Image courtesy of Mile High Youth Corps

You may have seen them often in the Mile High City's roughest neighborhoods. Kakhied youth cruise the streets in white vans.  Sensing these green hoodie clad men and women behind you, there is no need to get out of the way or nervously cross the street unless they're carying a low-flow toilet, those are very heavy.

Part of Barack Obama's campaign has been a greater focus on service in our communities.  An ideal way to serve your community is to join AmeriCorps.  AmeriCorps is a naitonal service partnering the federal government with non-profit organizations and community service agencies in the spirit of Franklin Roosevelt's Civillian Conservation Corps formed by President Bill Clinton with the signing of the National and Community Service Trust Act in 1993.  Many Americans are not aware of the organization's existence, yet since its inception, AmeriCorps and the programs it encompasses have been responsible for community renewal programs, environmental education, trail and environmental mainainance, disaster relief, and providing services to this country's impoverished or struggling families.

One such notable program in the Denver Metro area is Mile High Youth Corps.  Founded in 1992,  MHYC has many programs under its banner to help the community including a YouthBuild program, community GED classes, a Water Conservation Crew responsible for installing low flow toilets in low income housing and non-profit facilities, and the AmeriCorps Leadership and Conservation Crew.  I myself spent the past year under MHYC's green hood as a member of the latter helping to cut down on the water and electricity expenditure of our city's families in needs along with helping to maintain our parks and community gardens.  The net effect being less stress on our environment, less financial pressure on our city's poor, more disposable income for those families to help stimulate our city's economy, and lower consumption of public utilities which helps to reduce the price we pay for said utilities.

Service is not for everyone.  It can be physically strenuous, emotionally challenging, and living on a stipend will either prepare one or make one nostalgic for the frugality of college life.  But hey, no one is asking anyone to wear a hair shirt.  So, if you too have been inspired to the the change that we have heard so much about over the last two years, then I encourage anyone to step up, and don the green hood.