Conservation Corps Programs
Cynthia Parsons’ article (Opinion, April 5) on national service and volunteerism was of particular interest, mentioning the growing number of conservation corps programs springing up in California.
As Parsons noted, the work tackled by the young men and women of the California Conservation Corps and other programs is work that might not otherwise be done. And it’s real work, whether it’s building hiking trails in the Santa Monica Mountains, fixing up the Wilmington Teen Center, or landscaping along the freeways.
We’ll be the first to admit the minimum wage pay isn’t great, but over the last decade, more than 32,000 youths have decided that money isn’t everything, and joined the corps. The value of the work itself, as well as the sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with putting in a good day’s effort, is something that is attracting a growing number of young people.
It’s a trend we hope we’ll begin seeing in other parts of the country.
BUD SHEBLE
Director
California Conservation Corps
Sacramento
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