Developing Youth and Conserving Natural Resources
Become a Corpsmember ›
Paying jobs, education, and
career coaching available
Hire a Crew ›
Contract skilled CCNB crews for your Conservation or Zero Waste project
Donate ›
Help a corpsmember achieve their goals on a path to a better future
Our Impact
Last Year Our Youth Corps...
Diverted 495,507* pounds of E-waste from the landfill.
*Based on internal weights. Official count will be available in Fall 2024.
Restored 366 acres of natural habitat.
Reduced fire fuel on 487 acres of public and private land.
Restored or maintained 130 miles of trails.
Diverted 7,945 tires from the landfill.
Corpsmember Spotlight
Veronica R.
Corpsmembers like Veronica bring energy and motivation to CCNB’s programs. She joined in 2022, and after a few months with Natural Resources where she learned to operate a chainsaw and other tools, she began a very successful trajectory with our Zero Waste Crews. And we are sure there is more to come in her future.
Veronica shared with us how she’s making great progress completing hours towards her Forklift certification, a skill she uses often as part of the Zero Waste team. She earned a leadership position within her crew, and she has made strides in several other areas as well. “I learned how to be more professional,” she said. She has learned how to be a positive leader, and she credits the work of the Career Pathways team in supporting her. “I feel encouraged by the support that I get from [Career Pathways Coordinator] Jackie,” she said. Veronica attained her driver’s license, which opened several opportunities for her, and CCNB assisted her every step of the way.
Veronica’s aspirations don’t stop there. She recently passed her first subject matter GED test, which is another milestone she is motivated to reach. “My main goal is to get my [diploma],” she said, “I am missing three more [tests], but I want to pass all of them this year,” she added. Veronica also shared how her teacher at our on-site John Muir Charter School has been a great support. “They cheer me on, trust, and respect me,” she said.
As she works on a variety of skills, earning her diploma, gaining experience in leadership and professionalism, and her English, she thinks about a future in nursing. “I care about people’s wellbeing and want to go into nursing in the future,” Veronica said. With a calm demeanor and exceptional work ethic, we are sure she can achieve this goal.
Project Spotlight
Edible Food Recovery
Since the very first trip of CCNB’s Edible Food Recovery Program, which is made possible by a refrigerated truck purchased with a grant from Zero Waste Sonoma, we have helped divert thousands of pounds of food from landfills and onto the tables of people surviving food insecurity. The exponential growth represents an invaluable service to our communities and corpsmembers alike.
Just in the last two fiscal quarters (January to June), Zero Waste crews have recovered over 100,000 pounds of food! From packaged food, meat fish and poultry, to baked goods, beverages and desserts, this impressive number of recovered foods also represents valuable training hours in food handling for corpsmembers—another skill they can add to their tool belt.
Most of the food comes from Tier 1 generators—large grocery stores such as Whole Foods, Safeway, Nugget Markets—and is distributed locally within Sonoma County. Some of our partners include Redwood Empire Food Bank, ExtraFood, Farm to Pantry, and Una Vida. CCNB connects the dots; we handle and distribute the food collected during 4 to 5 collection routes weekly. Contingent on continued funding, the Zero Waste Department is looking to expand services to local school districts to repurpose edible food from lunch programs.
The Edible Food Recovery program is an exciting addition to Zero Waste’s efforts to divert materials from the landfill, and at the same time assist in the fight against food insecurity in our communities and help corpsmembers grow a variety of skills for their future.
