Thirty years of impact and inspiration

“The WCYCC provides young adults with the opportunity to engage with the community in a different capacity than what they had in the past,” Grant said. “We’ve seen some significant differences in some of the members who had challenging backgrounds, who may have even had gang affiliations. They come back years later and bring their kids by to show them projects they’ve worked on. To say, ‘Hey, I did that. I built that.’”

The WCYCC is made up of young adults, ages 16-30, who have the option to work eight-week sessions during the summer or join year-round crews. Each option presents an opportunity to engage in community and conservation projects throughout Weld County. WCYCC members get to learn a variety of real-world skills, establish lasting relationships with their peers and supervisors, and be a part of a team that actively makes the county they live in a better place. The relationship between members and the community is completely symbiotic.

“They all leave with a resume. They get to learn a ton of new skills, everything from conflict resolution to budgeting, to CPR and First Aid,” said Holly Bernhardt, current WCYCC Supervisor, who’s been with the program in various roles for over 15 years. “They’re building fences, they’re building houses, they’re cutting down trees, doing event setups; all kinds of stuff. One of the biggest things they take away is social skills. They’re working on a team, and they have to figure out how to work with a team,” she said with a laugh.

No memory the same

The work the WCYCC does is diverse. Across three decades, there are a score of projects to look back on.

“Some of the work the WCYCC does is obvious, and some of it goes under the radar,” Grant said. “There are the chainsaw crews that people have really grown to appreciate that take care of non-native trees in the area and keep them from consuming precious water resources. But then there are other things that maybe people wouldn’t automatically assume they’re involved with.”

One of the major projects that the WCYCC was a part of was helping to build a reconstruction of Fort Lupton — first known as Lancaster Lupton's Trade Fort.

“From 2007 until around 2013, we spent tons of time reconstructing the model of that fort,” Bernhardt said. “Our chainsaw crew went up and got logs from the mountains and we all hand-shaved those logs. They used those for the corners of each part of the building. We learned how to stucco to give it the appearance of an adobe structure.

“The project took years, and we’d go down there at least twice a week to shave logs over and over. It was such a cool project, and so multi-faceted, and we got to see just how hard it would have been to build something from scratch like that.”

David Woolman, the WCYCC Chainsaw Crew Lead, who’s been with the program for over 11 years — and who’s cited by the others as one of the most valuable assets to an organization filled with hard-working go-getters — highlighted a more recent project as one of the most memorable for him: the establishment of the Shurview Open Space in 2022.

“Shurview was the largest grant we’ve been awarded,” he said. “It was 27 weeks total, and as far as the scope of what was required of it, it was by far the largest project I can remember. We basically combined the summer service crew with my crew and had 19 people out there in the months of June and July [of 2022].”

The work of the WCYCC involved removing trash and debris from the area, performing weed control and mapping, fence installation, trail perpetration and more. It’s an effort that resulted in one of Greeley’s newest natural areas being ready for the public to enjoy.

So much to gain

While WCYCC crew members receive a modest living stipend, the real wealth of their time in the organization comes from the variety of skills they learn and the relationships they build with other members, their supervisors and the community. Additionally, they’re also offered an education award, which can be put toward a college education. Some of those who may not have originally considered higher education have seen just how much they’re truly capable of in the process.

“Recently, a girl from years back approached me at an event, and she was someone I recalled didn’t have everything figured out when she walked through our doors,” Grant said.

Grant went on to explain the girl’s experience in the WCYCC, combined with the access to her education award — provided by The Corporation for National Community Service — ultimately launched her into education at Aims Community College. Now, she teaches art at Aims.

“She told me, ‘I never would have gone back to school if I didn’t have that education award,” Grant said.

The evolution of the WCYCC has been something that longtime contributors like Grant, Bernhardt and Woolman have also been able to see over the years.

“I think I’m most proud of our ability to have been resourceful, and to have found strategies to make the program sustainable,” Grant said. “When WCYCC was first deployed, we were working for tools. Literally, just wondering: how do we get tools in our toolbox? But now we’ve seen the program go from less than 10 kids in a year go to 20, 30, 40 or 50 depending on the year.”

Sustainability and continued expansion of the WCYCC — along with the many benefits it offers participants — are elements everyone involved with the program would like to see flourish in the coming years.

While those involved with the WCYCC are impressed by its impact, perhaps no one takes more joy in its success than Ted Long, the program’s founder, who was recently honored for his effort at the WCYCC's 30th anniversary celebration held at Island Grove Regional Park in Greeley in September.

“For this youth corps to continue the way it has, it comes from the results of the project sponsors, the youth themselves, the county departments, commissioners and the entire staff of the Department of Human Services,” Long said. “To see something that was a vision 30 years ago continue all these years later to make an impact in the community is a wonderful thing.”

WCYCC’s pearl anniversary is a great time to reminisce on its past. For some, it’s also an opportunity to look to its bright future.

“I’d love for the WCYCC to become a household name,” Grant said. “You see those initials, or you see that logo, and you think ‘yep, I know those guys.’ Not only because we’re supporting and developing our own community and our own young adults but because we’re developing a pipeline of talented young adults who want to invest in their own future and the future of their community.”

For others, it’s an opportunity to be thankful for everything it’s provided in the present.

Agriculture is the backbone of Weld County, and the Women in Ag Conference highlighted the importance women have in this vital industry. We'll explore the unique event in the next issue of County Roots.