News
August 6, 2010
On August 6, 2010, family, friends, board members and staff celebrated
the graduation of the Summer Ranger Class of 2010. The event was held at
the Southeast Community Center, Kansas City, MO. Three of the 30 Rangers
received special awards:
• 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:
June 7, 2010
On June 7, 2010, 36 young men, 14-18, began Orientation Week for the
summer program. During the week they will learn close order drill, will
do 2, 4, 6 and 8 mile hikes, and will be evaluated for their physical
fitness. In addition, hands-on lawn care instruction was provided by
Vince Lombardi of GreatScapes, and hands-on painting instruction was
provided by Chester Hishaw, Hishaw Construction.
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.
September 18, 2009
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver and Rev. John Wandless, Urban Ranger Corps (URC), toured the Ranger's “Model Block” (10 homes in the 3300 block of East 60th St, in Kansas City). Congressman Cleaver was interested the URC strategy of rehabbing and landscaping a "block at a time" and training -- and paying -- at-risk neighborhood youth (14-18) as Urban Rangers to help improve their neighborhoods (while mentoring them to set career goals and complete high school). The Corps began its fifth year of operations in June.
For more information click here
July 6, 2009 - Urban Rangers Corps Gets Kids Working
KANSAS CITY, MO. - They're learning a trade, cleaning up their
neighborhood and staying out of trouble. Kansas City's Urban Rangers
Corps are teens learning to be successful in life.
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
Urban Rangers Corps reaches out to at-risk youths in Kansas City
Each summer, a group of teenagers from troubled neighborhoods in Kansas City, Missouri learn new skills and give back to their community by fixing up local homes.
The Urban Rangers Corps targets young men and women between the ages of 14 and 18, teaching them about basic carpentry, home repair and painting.
For more information click here
June 30, 2009 - Urban Rangers Clean Up
The Urban Rangers were out in the 64130 zip code cleaning up vacant yards and picking up trash. The Urban Rangers Corps was started by Father John Wandless, as a way to give you a positive way to spend their summer. They are paid for doing the work.
To watch the video click here
May 11, 2009 - Urban Rangers maintain their focus
When school lets out, the Urban Ranger Corps will begin its fifth
year of providing at-risk teens with summer jobs.
The rangers, young men 14 to 18, rehabilitate homes near the program’s
headquarters at 5908 Swope Parkway. They learn by doing: Painting,
making home repairs using power and hand tools, adding fences or decks.
For more information click here
April 2009 - Priest honored for K.C. Spirit
KANSAS CITY, MO - Two things badly needed work in the Swope Parkway neighborhood surrounding St. Louis Parish: homes, particularly those of the poor and elderly, and the neighborhood’s young men.
Four years ago, St. Louis pastor Father John Wandless dipped into his own money and launched the Urban Ranger Corps, an eight-week summer project that pays young men aged 14-18 while they learn basic home repair skills..
For more information click here
May 19, 2006 - Urban Rangers Try to Reclaim Houses
KANSAS CITY, MO - It is an unusual story of urban renewal. A millionaire priest is using his own money to reclaim one block of a blighted inner-city neighborhood.
The Rev. John Wandless has a vision that goes beyond the mess neglect has made of much of the block at 60th Street and College Avenue, KMBC's Bev Chapman reported. Wandless wants to trim the weedy lots and rehabilitate the empty houses to create a neighborhood.
For more information click here
News & Events
6/7/2010
On June 7, 2010, 36 young men, 14-18, began Orientation Week for the summer program. During the week they will learn close order drill, will do 2, 4, 6 and 8 mile hikes ..
read more....9/18/2009
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver and Rev. John Wandless, Urban Ranger Corps (URC), toured the Ranger's "Model Block"..
read more....