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U.S. Army Veteran and environmental building pioneer Rick Schwolsky has dedicated his life in retirement to constructing homes for Veterans at VCP of Longmont.
For Rick Schwolsky, his time in the military taught him the skills for a life of service.
Intangibly, he explains that his induction into the Army in 1969 brought discipline, education and camaraderie to a formative time of his life.
“I was a self-centered teenager who became aware for the first time that I was a part of something bigger and more important than myself,” he reflected. “I learned what it means to be a citizen.”
More tangibly, after basic training he went through an Advanced Individual Training program that taught him heavy equipment operation, which he applied in military assignments and subsequently throughout an illustrious 40-year career as an entrepreneur in environmental building.
That career included installing a solar heating system on the roof of the West Wing at The White House in 1979. At the time, President Jimmy Carter said in relation to clean energy that the installation could be “a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people.” (For more on the project, read this story published last week in The New York Times.)
More recently, Rick has put his skill sets to work for a different mission: fixing Veteran homelessness. Late last year, he surpassed 1,000 hours volunteering at Veterans Community Project of Longmont.
Those hours have included anything from framing the first walls of the 240-square-foot homes in the Village to leading individual and corporate volunteer groups during construction.
“Everything I’ve done in my life has led me here,” said Rick. “I’ll look back on working with this incredible volunteer family as one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.”
Because of that volunteer family, VCP of Longmont is nearing the completion of its 26-home Village. That means more Veterans will soon regain the dignity of home through the VCP program that has demonstrated in 85% success rate in helping Veterans transition from experiencing homelessness to achieving permanent housing.
“Rick’s knowledge and leadership are invaluable,” said Jerry Crisafulli, construction and operations coordinator for VCP of Longmont. “He’s saved us a lot of angst by thinking through the construction process methodically and coming up with a good system. His DNA is in this Village.”
Rick was introduced to VCP of Longmont by a fellow Veteran-led organization, Team Rubicon. After learning about the project and the meaning of the work, he recalled, “I signed up on the spot.”
He said his time since that moment has been full of lasting memories, from seeing the victorious look in the eyes of someone who mastered the use of a nail gun to listening to the intense voice of a fellow volunteer speaking about his service in Vietnam.
Being able to share a mission with volunteers from all walks of life is a gift, he said. One particularly special tradition is when volunteer groups end a day by signing the studs or other interior locations with messages of gratitude and encouragement. Messages like “Welcome home” or “You are loved here” or “Thank you for our freedom” meant to silently inspire future residents.
“Those words will always be a part of these homes, even when they’re covered by drywall,” Rick said. “They mean everything.”
Like those words, Rick will remain a part of VCP of Longmont even after construction is soon complete. He is quick to say that hitting the 1,000-hour milestone is not about him. Rather, it is about the mission and people who have enlisted in it.
“This milestone means that we’re that much closer to our goal and that I’ve spent that much time with people who I’ve come to love,” he said.
Although, personally, he acknowledged, “It also means that I’m not too old to pound nails.”
Are you interested in joining Rick in our mission to fix Veteran homelessness? Explore volunteer opportunities at Veterans Community Project.