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Earth Day is every day at Fresno EOC Local Conservation Corps

Apr 15, 2022

Earth Day is every day at Fresno EOC Local Conservation Corps
Earth Day is every day at Fresno EOC Local Conservation Corps (LCC). The Recycling Program is one branch of the LCC that recruits corpsmembers year-round to teach them job skills and how to be a steward of our planet. The Recycling Program collects California Redemption Value (CRV) beverage containers, including aluminum cans, plastic, and glass bottles. They also recover electronic waste, tires, and mattresses. These items are recycled to reduce toxic waste, protecting our water sources and the air we breathe.LCC’s Recycling Program provides services to businesses, schools, and other locations generating large volumes of beverage containers free of charge. Julio Lopez is the Manager of the Recycling Program. He says corpsmembers can be involved in collecting CRV after  events like Fresno State football games or concerts at the Save Mart Center. “Once the concert is over, corpsmembers will go into a section where the audience was and pick up every piece of CRV material they see. They put it in bags, load it in the truck, and bring it back to our base in West Fresno. Half of the money generated by the recycled material goes to Fresno EOC, and the other half goes to the Save Mart Center.”
Not only do corpsmembers collect recyclable material, they also help to run a CRV Buyback Center in Friant. Julio says, “The public can redeem their cans and bottles at the center for cash. Corpsmembers are learning job skills and teamwork, with a big focus on customer service. And this process truly makes a difference to our environment.” According to CalRecycle, for every 10 pounds of aluminum you recycle, you eliminate 37 pounds of carbon emissions from the air. 

Another important part of the corpsmember training involves operating a forklift, a high-demand skill necessary to move the massive amounts of recycled material they collect. Viviana Godinez has been a corpsmember for almost a year and says she has met a lot of people, learned a wide variety of skills, and built up her confidence to try new things. “I received a forklift certification and am enrolled in YouthBuild, which focuses on the construction trade and skills. Plus, I also help with other projects. For example, today I am collecting mattresses for recycling. I am a Child Development major at Fresno State but after this exposure to new opportunities, I may be switching to construction.”

 

Any corpsmember who has not finished high school can attend the on-site YouthBuild Charter School of California (YCSC) to earn their diploma; meanwhile, high school graduates are encouraged to enroll in local college classes. The education and job training are free of charge, and all corpsmembers enrolled in the LCC will be paid while they are training out in the field, but not for time spent in the classroom.

 

Julio says he likes to encourage corpsmembers by sharing the LCC motto, Training tomorrow’s leaders today. “That’s what we’re doing here because all of these young people are potential leaders.”

 

For media inquiries, please contact pr@fresnoeoc.org

 

About Fresno EOC Local Conservation Corps (LCC)

At Fresno EOC LCC, young adults between the ages of 18-26, will have the opportunity to participate in the following vocational training areas, earning $15 per hour; recycling, solar/weatherization, construction, public lands, and landscaping.

  • LCC partners with the Cities and Counties of Fresno and Madera to partner on Amnesty Day collection events for tires and e-waste from residents
  • LCC partners with the Mattress Recycling Council on mattress collection events for the public
  • LCC partners with the Fresno Metro Flood District to post signage advising residents to not pour oil down flood drains

In addition to developing vocational skills, corpsmembers are required to enroll and progress in an academic program concurrent to their enrollment in LCC’s paid skill-building vocational training programs. Corpsmembers lacking a high school diploma enroll in the on-site YouthBuild Charter School of California (YCSC). High school graduates are encouraged to enroll in local college classes. Once enrolled at LCC, corpsmembers can receive an AmeriCorps scholarship, which allows them to earn an education award (college scholarship), up to $2,300, while serving their community.

 

Click here for an application to become an LCC corpsmember.

 

Click here to learn about the LCC’s Mental Toughness Orientation.

 

Click here to learn more about how to recycle your e-waste and CRV with Fresno EOC LCC.

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