An Awesome Community Mentor
by Jose Armendariz serving in Santa Monica, CA
Juan is an energetic and positive resident of the Mar Vista Gardens community, and he is much more than a volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club; Juan is a role model for the young members of the club. When he enters the building, he greets everyone with a catch phrase that is his entrance call, “My duuude”. As soon as the kids hear his voice, they all gather around to greet him back with a huge group hug. This warm response from the children towards him is the result of a caring and significant relationship he has built with the members of the club through his constant and enthusiastic presence every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. During his time of service, Juan has given special attention to all the members of the club, their feelings are a priority to him because due to the empathy he has towards them. He does not want them to live under the same conditions as he did. Juan stresses that growing inside the public housing can be difficult, and he wants to impact positively all the children of the community. Also, his service to the club has been essential to sustain the VISTA programs we have created. What motivates Juan is his peculiar perspective to see life, he embraces a philosophy that serves as guidance for his volunteer service and future goals in life.
Juan has been a great influence for the members of the club, and he seeks to change children lives for the better. Juan’s goal is to become an elementary school teacher in order to have a tangible impact on the life of children. Therefore, he intertwines his career goal with his volunteer service experience. He can be seen around the club engaging and brainstorming all sorts of activities. Also, Juan’s willingness to help aids some of the problems this particular Boys and Girls Club encounters. Practically he is an extra staff to rely upon, and he shows interests in all of the VISTA projects. He thinks our work as VISTA’s is crucial for the academic development of the children within the community. He usually supports us to sustain the programs with his direct service. Juan believes that through positive interaction with children, the cycle of poverty can be broken.
Juan’s personal philosophy grants him a great attitude to serve his community. He believes everyone is a mentor and that anyone can give an answer to a problem. That perspective to see people allows him to appreciate anyone’s conversation or interaction. Children really listen to him, and he really listens to the kids, which results in functional relationships. His positive and energetic attitude make a difference inside the building, children behave better when he is around. Also, his support allows the staff and us to do other projects as well. Juan is a valuable asset to the Boys and Girls Club of Mar Vista Gardens, and we want to thank him.
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