Covid 19

“Giving people a box of food eases their anxiety. They will have something to eat today or even through the week, and now they can focus on other things that life throws at them with this pandemic, whether it’s rent, foreclosure, finding another job even. By providing food for people, we’re supporting everyone we can through these difficult times. We’re here to do what we need to do. I don’t feel like a hero; I’m just a person trying to do my job.”

– Kyle Aparicio, Orange County Conservation Corps

“This is what I signed up for. I signed up to serve the most vulnerable young people in my community. I signed up to support a group of passionate people who are committed to making this community safe for everybody, and I signed up to be here in times of need.”

– Tessa Nicholas, Executive Director, Civicorps

“Urban Corps is giving me all the opportunities to work and go to school – even in this situation, they give us homework and assignments, and teachers are available to help. I didn’t lose my dream. I’m a senior and I’m still going to graduate.”

–Mohamad Alsydsnawi, Urban Corps of San Diego

Keeping Students Engaged

Local corps are providing computers, sourcing free internet and wifi hotspots, and providing tutoring and online classwork for corpsmembers and their children. They are also offering paid trainings and certifications to help keep careers moving forward.

Disaster Response

Corpsmembers from Urban Corps of San Diego pick oranges, limes, lemons and avocadoes from local farms, then deliver them to a warehouse that distributes fresh produce to community members in need.

Essential Services

The team at Greater Valley Conservation Corps is behind the scenes, doing the stuff that people don’t think about or notice is being done: upkeeping sites, digging trenches, and fixing sprinklers so the grass doesn’t die and cost the county millions of dollars of repairs.

In the News!

Greater Valley Conservation Corps is featured on ABC News’ Essential Heroes series, highlighting the essential work being accomplished, and the transformative power, of local corps service.

“With the pandemic, they needed boots on the ground and I immediately signed up to set up the hospitals. It was something I truly enjoyed. It was really hard work but I understood it would help so many people.”

– Obeth Borjas, corpsmember, Conservation Corps of Long Beach