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.

South Dakota is a place with beautiful hills, mountains and springs. Beneath the surface, the Lakota Indians at the Reservation have received the “short end of the stick.” In Rapid City you have a great community that is thriving, while about two hundred miles away the Native Americans on the reservation are struggling to make it.

For six days we had the opportunity to work and experience the Lakota culture. During the day we worked on the buildings and showed the “Res Warriors”, and what it means to be a “Ranger”. We worked together as a united Ranger Troop to paint several buildings on the Reservation.

In the evenings we had an opportunity to do some cultural events. The most sacred event that we took part in was a “sweat.” We learned the significance of it because it is prayer for family and if you are bothered by something you can leave it there. We entered the tent which represents the shape of a womb, for prayer. The steam from the water poured on the hot rocks represents the breath of life.

One of the things that the Native Americans do is play basketball like we do. After work we went to play with them in three on three tournaments. Although we lost, we realized that they were just like us.

We also learned to ride. For most of us this was our first time on a horse.

After lunch we sat in a circle and talked about our culture and shared our stories, which had an impact on the way I see life. The young men on the reservation may be poor, but they have the faith and determination to do better for themselves. The Urban Rangers and Res Warriors came together and finished painting the exterior of four buildings. What we did was not only encourage the Res Warriors but uplifted the whole community, just like we do our own community. They inspired us just like I hope we inspired them.

Our group hopes this could be the start of a great connection between the KC Urban Rangers and the Pine Ridge Reservation Res Warriors. We left the Reservation, but it will forever be a part of our hearts.”
-Raymond L Banks, Urban Ranger

If you would like to help a Rangers return to Pine Ridge in 2010, please click here.

KansasCity.com

KansasCity.com – article 2

• Jordan Burdick received the “Man-Up Award” – in recognition of the Ranger who best demonstrated the NEVER FAIL commitment of the Urban Ranger Creed: “Never fail to be mentally alert, morally straight and physically strong to shoulder my share of the mission.”

• Kalib Gilmore received the Leadership Award – in recognition of the Ranger who best fulfills all of the commitments of the Urban Ranger Creed, especially, READY: “Ready to be an example for others through spirit, courtesy, neatness and care of equipment.”

• Georell Bullock received the Freshman Ranger Award – in recognition of the Freshman Ranger whose attitudes came to fully meet the Urban Rangers’ standards for behavior, productivity and safety.
All of this summer’s “graduates” will return to high school in the fall. Staff will work with them throughout the school year.

You can learn more about this special day by clicking on the links below:

NBC Action News

Fox 4 News

Over 120 applications were received for the program. Due to funding constraints, only 36 young men could be chosen for this year’s program. “It grieved us to have to turn down so many promising young men who wanted to be rangers,” said Fr. John Wandless, President. “It hurt every time we had to tell someone no. But, finances can only be stretched so far.”
If you’d like to donate to the Urban Ranger Corps click here.

Click on the links below to learn more about this year’s summer program.

NBC Action News

Fox 4 News

Before the Ranger program, Kalib said that he spent his summers trying to find something constructive to do in order to stay out of trouble. Playing sports and helping his grandfather with construction helped, but he was seeking other ways to be involved. He came to the Urban Rangers ready to work, though he had long since missed the application deadline. Kalib was not a registered Ranger for the summer, but through his enthusiasm and intense desire to be a part of the program, he quickly convinced the staff to find a place for him. Since that time, Kalib has continued to prove his competency and commitment to learning and self-improvement.

Kalib credits the Urban Ranger Corps with helpsing him grow and become a better person. He has shown substantial growth in the areas of responsibility, hard work, determination, loyalty, respect and perseverance. In addition to learning how to paint and renovate houses, Kalib has learned many valuable skills through his Ranger education. These include money management; budgeting, saving and investing; how to properly manage a business; and also how to network with business professionals.

These skills have helped Kalib with many areas of his life. He is an Honor Roll student, was crowned Homecoming King, is a member of good standing in student government, he plays first string defensive-back on his high-school football team, was the Defensive Player of the Year for basketball, was the ‘Most Improved Player’ on his baseball team, received the Urban Ranger ‘Man-Up’ award in 2009 and the Urban Ranger ‘Leadership’ award in 2010. He continues to volunteer for the Urban Rangers whenever and wherever needed.

Kalib is proud of his achievements and looks forward to his future. His current goal is to attend Tuskegee University and study aviation, with the ultimate goal of becoming an Air-Traffic Controller. He has hopes of being awarded scholarships to help in this pursuit.

The Model Block is a demonstration project of the Urban Ranger Corps. Our goal is to demonstrate one strategy of how our central city neighborhoods can be restored to quality places where one can raise a family and seniors can maintain the value of their “nest egg.” The Model Block is also a way to provide an affordable homes for lower income families, homes in the range of $70,000 rather in the range of $150,000 of current “in fill” new construction which no lower income family can afford.

The house at 3309 had been destroyed by fire (although every timber in it and its foundation were structurally sound). Its lot was an overgrown jungle-like site. The vacant house had been used for drug dealing and other illegal activities. The house had been the major impediment to completing the work of The Model Block. In the summer of 2008, the City of Kansas City after many City code citations (including health hazards) declared the house a “dangerous building,” removed all of the utilities (water, gas and electricity) from the property, and scheduled the house for demolition. At that point, the Urban Ranger Corps intervened, with the assistance of Legal Aid of Western Missouri, and asked the Jackson County Circuit Court to award control of the house to us for the purposes of renovation. On November 14, 2008 the Court so ordered.

The Urban Rangers went to work with the help of several local businesses. The property was cleared of all weeds and shrubbery, the outside of the house primed and painted and a back deck added, the inside gutted and all new flooring, windows and fixtures were installed. A new hot water heater was also installed, and carpeting and tile were laid. New kitchen and bathroom fixtures were completed. Today is it the “pride and joy” of the Model Block.

During summer 2009, through a special Kansas City grant (PIAC), new curbs and sidewalks, and driveway pads were installed in The Model Block. The house is now ready to be sold! On November 19, 2009, the Court deeded the property to the Urban Ranger Corps.

If you would like a tour of The Model Block or the house, please contact

Rev. John Wandless, CEO
816-305-1879
John.wandless@urckc.org

For more information click here

About 35 teens between the ages of 14 and 18 are spending their summer working. They’re fixing up homes for their neighbors and rehabbing others that used to vacant or abandoned.

For more information click here