2010 IN REVIEW
We are off to a very exciting year as we plan our seventh year of operations. It will begin with the 9-Weeks Summer Phase in early June and, in late August, continue with the School Year Phase through May, 2012.
Last year we received 124 summer applications but had funds for only 36 positions. We eventually accepted 41 (knowing that not all would get through the challenging Orientation Week). For summer 2011, because of increasing community appreciation of the Urban Rangers, we expect applications to exceed 200. If, in the early months of 2011, we manage to receive increased donations and grants, we hope to enroll as many as 60 rangers.
The Year 2010, our sixth year of operations, was a banner year for the Urban Rangers. There were many noteworthy moments we enjoyed.
In May 2010, all the rangers who had completed the 2009 Summer Phase and returned to high school, had advanced to the next grade level or graduated. Among the five graduating seniors, one is attending University of Missouri at Columbia on an engineering scholarship.
A “Healthy Living” component was activated. It includes comprehensive adolescent physical examinations at Swope Health Services; dental services at Seton Center’s Dental Unit; assessments of swimming ability at the Cleaver YMCA; and daily exercises and periodic hiking.
For five years prior to summer 2010, Missouri Department of Conservation rangers have provided natural environment workshops for the Urban Rangers at the Anita B Gorman Conservation Discovery Center. For summer 2010, the Missouri rangers invited and led the Urban Rangers on a three day canoe/sand bar camping trip on the Current River. The camaraderie developed among all the rangers on that trip is now legend.
During the summer 2010, ranger teams painted six low-income family homes; several cabins in the City’s Swope Park Camp Lake of the Woods; and cleared two segments of a planned 20 mile mountain bike/hiking trail that runs through the park.
Our first (ever), but modest, grant applications to significant Kansas City area foundations and to the United Way were approved.
At the end of the 2010 Summer Phase in August, all 29 rangers who completed the summer returned to high school; 12 of them are seniors scheduled for graduation in May 2011.
Our first annual fundraising dinner on October 29, Urban Rendezvous, was a huge success thanks in very large measure because of the dedication and hard work of Pat and Marti McLarney, our Honorary Co-Chairs. They set a very high performance standard for Urban Rendezvous II (scheduled for October 14 at the downtown Marriott). Community support was fantastic at both the corporate and individual levels. Over 400 persons attended. Net income was approximately $110,000.
At the end of the year, our four recently rehabilitated homes in our “model block” had 36 new windows broken and two fire bombs thrown into one of the homes. The reprobates were retaliating because they mistakenly thought that we had requested a police “warrant sweep” of the area. (We knew nothing about the sweep.) The “silver lining” has been the outpouring of encouraging letters and donations from the community, some from as far as Blue Springs and Overland Park. The outpouring included a $3,500 anonymous challenge donation. Many new friends were also gained for the Urban Rangers.
We pray for and thank our many supporters, including the parents of the Urban Rangers during 2010. This includes the may volunteer teams who prepared nearly 1,500 “brown bag” lunches for the rangers. Our thanks also includes the gentle lady who sent a $50 holiday gift card for every ranger and the Leawood Rotary club who sent a large donation to purchase needed Christmas gifts (clothing and a few household items) for the rangers.
We also owe great thanks for those who conducted enrichment workshops on Fridays during the summer: MOCSA, PeaceWorks, Catholic Charities/United Way’s Money Management project, Joe Fleming Photography Workshop, and Nelson Hopkins.
Above all, praise the Lord for keeping the rangers safe. Fort the sixth year, there were no injuries during the summer.
Peace,
Fr. John Wandless
President
Urban Ranger Corps.
