How did the Civilian Conservation Corps provide jobs during the Great Depression?

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A long line of unemployed men in coats and hats stands outside a soup kitchen in Chicago, with a storefront sign reading Free Soup, Coffee and Doughnuts for the Unemployed. — Great Depression Unemployed men standing in line outside a soup kitchen, Chicago.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a New Deal program designed to combat unemployment during the Great Depression by providing gainful work to young, unmarried men.1

Operating under a semi-military regime, recruits lived in remote work camps and performed essential conservation labor. Their projects included:1

Environmental Restoration: Planting over 2.3 billion trees, building 6.6 million check dams to control soil erosion, and fighting forest fires.1
Infrastructure Development: Constructing 126,000 miles of roads and trails, 45,000 buildings and bridges, and significant infrastructure for the National Park System.1
Defense Support: During the approach of World War II, efforts shifted to building military facilities and airfields.1

Workers received a $30 monthly allowance, with $25 sent directly to their families to provide financial relief. While the program was groundbreaking, it is important to note that it practiced segregation, with African American and Native American participants largely confined to separate camps.1