Rey'na holds a finished kit packed with energy saving light bulbs, water saving aerators and shower heads and lots of love from us ACLCs at the MHYC warehouse!

From February to December, an ACLC’s life is subject to change at any moment. One day you may find yourself atop a mountain building a trail, the next lugging a chainsaw, the next screwing in light bulbs in a sweet, senior’s home and so on and so on. Currently we’re in assembly line mode here at MHYC, putting together energy and water saving kits to send out to homes across Colorado. So just what does a day in the warehouse on kit making days look like? Current ACLC Rey’na Guy walks the walk, talks the talk, assembles the kits and is featured in the following pictures to show you exactly what a day in the life of an ACLC is like.

Like many MHYC employees, Rey’na uses a reliable and efficient mode of transportation to work each morning.

Most mornings are started right off with a stretch and safety circle, but on this particular morning we had been met by with a dumping of snow. So along with her fellow ACLCs Rey’na grabbed a shovel and got to clearing off the walkways.

Next up comes stretch and safety circle. This is done everyday before starting work. All corpsmembers gather in a circle and go around with each person taking a turn answering a silly question (examples: If you could have any super power what would it be? Or If you could squirt any condiment out of your index finger, what would you squirt?) and also sharing a safety concern for the day (examples of safety concerns on the assembly line include getting cut by tape guns and tripping on empty boxes).

And on to the line!

While working the assembly line Rey’na does a variety of jobs including making boxes, stickering boxes, putting together packets of client education, inserting light bulbs, sink aerators and crinkle paper, taping kits shut and stacking and putting address labels on each individual kit.

BREAK! While making kits, ACLCs get two fifteen-minute breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. For her first break Rey’na keeps right on working, utilizing MHYC’s computer lab to do some job searching for after the program is complete.

Then it’s back to work until lunch.

Because work can be so physically and emotionally draining, it’s important to eat a well-balanced and nutritious lunch here at MHYC.

Then it's back to the grind! Rey'na fills kits with crumple rumple (packing paper) to pad the light bulbs and aerators.

Kits move down the line.

For Rey’na’s second fifteen-minute break, she takes a moment to get her mind, body and spirit in line with a little meditation.

Then it’s back to the line for the final leg of the day.

After a quick clean up up the warehouse, although her legs and back are sore, Rey'na's day at MHYC is complete and over a thousand kits are off to homes across Colorado!

Rey'na poses in front of a finished pallet of stacked kits. Each pallet holds 180 kits. On this particular day we completed 6 pallets... which means we made 1,080 kits!

-Vanessa Notman

I’m Casey, the Senior Crew Supervisor at MHYC. My job as staff is to work closely with Corpsmembers, especially the ACLCs, and study their ways. Like the anthropologists of yore I tip-toe through the jungle of stacked Energy Kit boxes, clipboard in hand, noting their behaviors and trying to understand their strange and fascinating culture. Of special interest to me is their language. Recently, a new word has emerged that I have been unable to comprehend. The word is “Oooyip.”

Casey Metz on the prowl, attempting to spot an ACLC in their natural habitat

I’ve asked the ACLCs directly about Oooyip, and on one occasion I even mustered the courage to try using it myself. These attempts were met with groans and eye-rolling—ACLC body-language for “Give it up, Casey. You don’t get it.” Here is my best attempt to distill oooyip’s myriad meanings into discrete definitions:

1. An all-purpose interjection used exclusively by ACLCs in a variety of contexts, too subtle to be understood by the MHYC office staff.
2. An onomatopoeic word for the yelp of a coyote [as sung in the closing scene of the documentary “Grizzly Man.”].
3. A rare and colorful bird, the only know specimen sighted during the 2009 ACLC mid-season retreat.
4. A lexical placeholder with numerous surface meanings, but a consistent underlying message: “We are a part group. We stick together. Only we understand the unspeakable core of our experience.”

I think the last definition strikes closest to the heart of Oooyip: It seems to serve, in any context, as a reinforcement of community—a nugget of culture that reminds its users of the culture itself. Back in my years as a Corpsmember we had a hand symbol that served much the same purpose. And I’m sure that future classes of ACLCs will also find unique way to express their sense of group identity. Perhaps this is what Clifford Gertz means when he says [“man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun.”]. Maybe we can take this lesson from Oooyip: We ought to be creators, rather than products, of our culture. And in my experience, AmeriCorps is an awesome place to make that happen.

By now the current ACLCs are rolling their eyes at me, because I will never understand the true nature of “Oooyip.” Who am I to translate the untranslatable, define the indefinable? Yet I continue into the mists of ACLC culture to try to find meaning. Next up: the rare and beautiful “jar dance.”

-Casey Metz, Senior Crew Supervisor

As an ACLC, I live on a stipend, which means no matter how hard I work or how many hours I put in a week, my checks still come every two weeks consisting of the same three measly digits. And while living on a serious budget is a great life lesson, as an ACLC, it’s your hours that really count.

For each day you miss here at MHYC that’s eight to ten hours less you have toward reaching your ultimate goal of 1700 service hours by the end of the ACLC program. And with less than four weeks left until graduation, many of us are trying to reach that goal by doing Independent Service Hours (ISP) to make up for days we missed.

Making up hours can seem stressful and overwhelming for those of us who racked up lots of sick days, but for most of us it’s actually a great opportunity to get out into the community, get involved and enjoy some volunteer work.

Me and Melanie working the welcome desk at Denver Art Society's Homeless Art Exhibit

To make up some hours, last week Melanie and I got the chance to partner up with a new nonprofit in the Santa Fe Art District, The Denver Art Society, and work at planning and executing their first Homeless Art Exhibit. The Denver Art Society’s goal is to level the playing field for all artists, providing space and opportunities for artists of all ages, races and classes to create and showcase artwork.

Going by the motto of ART FOR ALL, The Denver Art Society was able to get some canvas and paints donated to them, which they then took to different homeless shelters around Denver. The paintings produced by these homeless artists were then collected and put on display last Friday during the art walk in which all the galleries lining Santa Fe Drive have their doors open to the community.

So The Denver Art Society lined its walls, and the artwork was put up on silent auction with each painting going to the highest bidder. At the end of the night almost every piece of art had been bid on, and 100 percent of the profits from these sales went right into the hands of the homeless artist who created it.

Not only were Melanie and I able to make up some hours, we were able to be a part of an empowering and important night. To check out upcoming events and learn more about The Denver Art Society, visit http://denverartsociety.com/.

-Vanessa Notman

Me bonding with other volunteers Duy! and Alice.

Welcome to the final countdown! Only a month left of our year of service and many of us ACLC’s are scrambling to figure out what comes next. Do we stay in Denver or return home? Where on earth do you find jobs in this city? What will I do without food stamps? Do I want to start a career, go back to school, or maybe just bum around for a while until something crosses my path like tumbleweed [as we are in the wild west, you know]?

These questions are few of the many that are now facing this diverse group of young people as we rapidly shove light bulbs into boxes or sit wrapping Teflon tape around cardboard for hours on end. But surely something will come our way. Adrienne left us at the end of this week, returning to upstate New York and Le Moyne College in the spring. We will miss her, though it’s nice to know she’s got things figured out for herself. Melissa is negotiating a position with the Southwest Conservation Corps down in Gunnison, CO. Kate and TJ are preparing to start their own prospective families. The rest of us are in limbo, waiting for a turning of the tides to bring yet another transition to our lives. [Though I do have an interview scheduled later today!!!!]

I, for one, can’t wait for the holidays. A year is a long time to be away from home, and living on a stipend with little savings does not afford you the pleasure of purchasing plane tickets. After absorbing this chance for relaxation and rejuvenation on the sunny December beaches of Florida, I will return to Denver ready to battle my way into making a living- if I still don’t have anything lined up yet, that is…

-Melanie Kielich

Copy and paste this link into your browser and see the magic of kit making at MHYC!

Every morning, I start pedaling my bike before sunrise, through the city buildings gradually catching the pink glow from the east. Few people are out at 6:30am, and I savor the quiet of the cold air as my bike whirs down the street. I watch people in business suits, women in uncomfortable heels, and men with briefcases hurrying along, looking worried and stressed. I may have dark circles under my eyes and go to bed at 9:30 yawning, but at least, I think, I am not wearing a suit or stuck in a cubicle all day.

I arrive at Mile High, lock up my bike, change, and crowd into a van whose seats explode with dust every time we touch them. Most weeks, we load up chainsaws, helmets, raingear, gas and water into the back and roar off to various locations. Last week, we took the windy roads up to Golden Gate Canyon State Park to fell beetle-infested pine trees. As Swampers, we seasonals don’t operate chainsaws (much to my chagrin), but hover behind the Sawyers to haul away the branches and trees they cut down. It’s exhausting work, I admit, but I love being outside, burying my nose in freshly cut pine needles, and learning hands-on work.

Last year, I worked as a full-time volunteer for the Urban Servant Corps, also associated with Americorps. My placement was at Girls, Incorporated of Metro Denver, and by the end of the year, I was burn-out by working with 6-12 year old girls. What better change, thought I, than to work outside with my peers? And it has been a change, a very different Americorps experience. Both programs have taught me perseverance, tolerance, good-humor, and how to take care of myself. Mile High has also taught me that Russian Olive trees are a creeping, thorn-infested menace, that I can daily eat two sandwiches for lunch and still be hungry, that planting trees is much more work than it appears, and that I really do love working outside.

Last week, between felling dead pines and aspen, we gloried in the dark blue sky and glittering snow, had a snowball fight, learned that beetle-struck pine trees turn blue inside once they are cut, and watched ants swarm out of a massive aspen a Sawyer had just cut through. I am grateful I have worked with Mile High on the Forestry team. I feel more confident about cutting things and digging holes, and adore hot chocolate after working through a snowstorm. I work with wonderfully good-natured people, and I have watched summer deepen to autumn. And as I bike back home after work, I watch all the people emerging from their offices as if from caves and I think, Thank God.
-Caroline Gonia, Fall Forestey

We have battled Russian Olives. We have fell 60 foot trees. We have sliced off tree limbs and stumped massive trunks. And on Tuesday, we put down our chainsaws. It has been a love/hate relationship between us and these machines, but ultimately, we conquered. We came out on top. We learned a new skill, strengthened our forearms and — like an extended limb — we became one with the chain.

-Vanessa Notman

When I leave Denver, I will leave with my head held high, and say with pride:  “I lived on Colfax.”  It is the longest street in America, so long that it can host a marathon (and does).  It has been the subject of a New York Times piece and mentioned in Playboy magazine.  Jack Kerouac took up residence in a Colfax flat, and Charles Bukowski was known to walk its streets in search of his muse.

Steve contemplates life in Colorado. Who could ask for more? Mountains and Colfax!

I came to Denver with two duffel bags, a backpack and a two-and-a-half mile walk to work.  Fortunately for me, Colfax is close to everything.  It sees hundreds of busses run its length daily, and has several Light Rail stops.  It has grocery stores, convenience stores, dollar stores, furniture stores, thrift stores.  It has restaurants that serve food from every culture and every continent.  Within weeks of moving to Denver I had:  gotten a bike, furnished my apartment, figured out (roughly) the public transportation system, and eaten Indian food (twice).

Colfax is many things (quiet is not one of them), and to me and many others, it’s home.  It is exactly what I wanted when I came West, seeking employment and the challenge of living in a big city for the first time.  It is at once inviting and repulsive, culturally strong and gentrified, old and new.  It is unique while being wholly unremarkable.  But there is something universal, something allegorical about Colfax.  It exists in every city, in every decade, in every era of American history.  It is the Wild West, the seedy underbelly, the live music goldmine, the artists’ safe-haven, the restless, wild impulsiveness of youth.  It is a veritable museum.

-Steve Lynch

As we begin the final project of our term here at MHYC, assembling 20,000 energy kits to distribute across the state, reflection begins on the project as a whole. As an ACLC, I have brought knowledge and energy saving measures into the homes of countless clients. Though sometimes the job was monotonous, filthy, and/or frightening, with colorful property managers and even more colorful tenants, I now find myself more conscious than ever of how much water is sucked through the toilet in just one flush than ever before. In fact, before Mile High I never even considered it.

In September alone, the energy project serviced 1,036 homes creating $73, 872.24 in annual savings simply by replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents. Installing high efficiency sink aerators and showerheads in these homes resulted in the conservation of 8, 476, 118 gallons of water. These numbers, I know, are difficult to grasp in any practical form- but they are quite impressive nonetheless. Day in and day out, it is easy to overlook the impact that one has not only in an individual’s life, but also within the community and the environment at large. These immense numbers allude a bit more successfully toward change.

Angel and Chance work the assembly line producing energy kits

Whilst fall slides into winter, our minds turn to the assembly line. It’s surely not a glamorous task, but a lively and loud one at least. Repetitive motions abound. Focusing instead on various incentives, including mouth-watering lunches and fancy dress theme days, the energy crew tiptoes toward the conclusion of our year (or months, for some) of service with AmeriCorps. Though I was recently told that one cannot assess the impact an event has on your life for years to come, I can say for sure that I have many new tools in my belt to take with me into the future.

-Melanie Kielich

Ben and Reyna unite tape guns and use their super powers to make thousands of kits!

Melissa, Kate and Adrienne before heading back to Denver from the CYCA camping trip

My name is Adrienne Canino.  Last fall, I began looking for a term of AmeriCorps service.  I wasn’t where I wanted to be at my college, yet I didn’t know what I wanted to see myself doing.  I decided time spent serving my community was something I wanted to do a long time ago, so I started looking for a job. I wanted to work with the environment and I wanted to learn how to make that a career.  I applied to several different AmeriCorps programs and Mile High Youth Corps was one of the first to contact me.  Soon, I was on a plane to Denver.

Even though it was the middle of my college career, hundreds of miles from home, and a job I had no experience with, I’m more than happy with that decision now. Mile High Youth Corps has given me an amazing opportunity to work with people from all backgrounds and at all stages of their lives.  I’ve been able to put my efforts towards a greater movement for my country, and in return I’ve gained a better sense of myself.

Berto and Adrienne enjoy S'Mores around the campfire