Dear Friends,
Did your hearts swell along with mine at the sight of a young Angeleno stepping up to the microphone on Inauguration Day and boldly and beautifully speaking truth to power about the work we all have to do and the signs of hope that we can succeed?
Listening to Amanda Gorman deliver the inaugural poem, I was once again reminded of the power of young adults to affect change and to lead us with their words and their actions. Certainly, the power of young people is what we believe in and rely on here at the Corps. (Maybe you’ve noticed that our hashtag is #lacorpspower?) And this generation is ready to change the world.
Coincidentally, on the day of the inauguration, the very first cohort of the California Climate Action Corps Fellows were sworn in.
I am very excited that together with our partners at the Conservation Corps of Long Beach we are hosting two young women who answered the call to serve along with other up-and-coming leaders and will be working on innovative new ways for us to support communities in their quest for climate resilience.
Serena Lee is a graduate of UC Irvine where she studied, among other things Global Sustainability and Civic & Community Engagement. She was working in food justice and food recovery when she decided to apply for the California Climate Action Corps Fellowship. During her time with us, I hope she will see how all of these issues come together very tangibly in the neighborhoods where we work.
Mckenna Coffey is working from the Conservation Corps of Long Beach. “As a lifelong resident, I am truly honored to have the opportunity to serve our state and am deeply excited to continue building a foundation for a meaningful career in the environmental space.”
The momentum to get to work and to create opportunities for young people everywhere to believe in their power is growing. Last week, President Biden signed an executive order to create a national Civilian Climate Corps, and we join our fellow Corps around the country in applauding this move. We also remind the administration that the Corps infrastructure is here and ready to answer the call to meet this moment.
As we step into a new month with so many challenges still ahead, I am grateful that I am surrounded by the energy and resilience of LA’s young adults here at the Corps. I hope I never miss an opportunity to learn from them.
Yours in service and gratitude,
Wendy Butts
CEO, LA Conservation Corps