A Closer Look: KidWorks’ Programs: KidWorks University Workshops

Editor’s note:  We are pleased to introduce our latest blog series, “A Closer Look: KidWorks’ Programs.”  We offer a full range of programs for children, youth and adults.  In this series, we focus on several of aspects, giving you a peek into what makes these programs tick—and sharing a few “little known secrets”!

You can always tell when KidWorks posts the list of workshops conducted by our volunteers:  Students crowd around the sheet, clamoring to sign-up for their favorites.

“Whether its music or woodworking, our KidWorks University workshops fill up fast,” says Noemi Juarez, KidWorks’ Director of After School Programs.

The workshops are individually tailored for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The idea behind KidWorks University is twofold:  First, it allows our students to learn to make the choices they’ll increasingly face as their educations progress, such as what major to select in college.  Secondly, it also gives the students a chance to develop their creative sides, which is part of our “whole student” approach to academics, character and spiritual development.

“In many ways, KidWorks University starts to give our students a taste of what a college or university environment will be like,” Noemi says.  “They develop skills and interests, and even have the chance to try something new, to have a variety of experiences.”

Variety definitely describes KidWorks University.  Classes have included music (classical, folklorico and more), ballet, acrylic painting, pop art, chess, soccer, physical fitness, computers, cooking, electronics (where they made their own flashlights) and poetry.

“Surprise—poetry was more popular than I thought it was going to be!” Noemi says.

She points out that the workshops are all volunteer-led.  Each workshop is four to five sessions and there are three to four workshop cycles each year.

“The volunteers are so passionate about their skills, talents and hobbies,” Noemi says.  “They are so delighted to share them with our students.  Some volunteers have been conducting workshops at KidWorks for years.”

Noemi says that workshop leaders have included anyone with a passion for something they want to share.  Volunteer workshop leaders have included high school and college students, Boy Scouts, professionals and retirees.

Interested in leading a workshop?  Just let us know.  Our students are sure to fill every seat!


By Glenn Leibowitz, Volunteer Content Writer

A Closer Look: KidWorks’ Programs: Youth Empowerment Network

Editor’s note:  We are pleased to introduce our latest blog series, “A Closer Look: KidWorks’ Programs.”  We offer a full range of programs for children, youth and adults.  In this series, we focus on several of aspects, giving you a peek into what makes these programs tick—and sharing a few “little known secrets”!

We’ve all heard the adage, “If you want to get something done, ask a busy person.”  At KidWorks, we have our own take:  “If you want to make positive change in the community, ask our youth!”

For several years now, the teens involved in our program have put their creative energies to work making the neighborhoods of Central Santa Ana safer, more welcoming and aesthetically pleasing.

They are part of our Youth Empowerment Network, YEN for short.  Today, YEN has 25 members, with participants ranging from sixth grade to early college.

“This is really a youth-initiated and youth-led program,” says Frank Bejarano, our Director of Youth and Family Engagement.  “They develop, design and address issues that impact themselves, their families and their neighborhoods.”

Funded by a 10-year grant fro the California Endowment, KidWorks’ YEN program is focused on four key areas where the youth continue to make an impact:

• Restorative Justice:  Based on the concept of rehabilitation rather than only punishment, YEN has worked hand-in-hand with the Santa Ana Unified School district to find alternative ways to create restoration and healing.
   
• Urban Agriculture:  YEN has helped create a community garden and compost operation at our Dan Donahue Center.  The youth are involving the entire community—children, youth, adults and seniors.  Their harvest so far has included kale, tomatoes, chilies and more.
   
• Health & Nutrition:  With obesity continuing to be a life threatening problem in Santa Ana and nationwide, our youth are behind efforts to promote healthy choices.  One recent success is convincing the Santa Ana School District to again offer fresh salad bars in school cafeterias.  They have also mapped the location of fruit trees in the surrounding neighborhood, hoping to eventually establish a local farmers’ market and food exchange.
   
• Active Transportation:  Active transportation lives right alongside the health and nutrition focus.  Here, the students have successfully advocated for bike lanes, skateboard parks and other ways to keep arms and legs moving.

“In addition to taking steps to proactively improve their neighborhood, our YEN members are learning leadership and project management skills that will last a lifetime,” Frank says.  “They take ownership of opportunities to make neighborhoods better—and then they get it done!”

By Glenn Leibowitz, Volunteer Content Writer 

A Closer Look: KidWorks’ Programs: Community Parent Council

Editor’s note:  We are pleased to introduce our latest blog series, “A Closer Look: KidWorks’ Programs.”  We offer a full range of programs for children, youth and adults.  In this series, we focus on several of aspects, giving you a peek into what makes these programs tick—and sharing a few “little known secrets”!

“They’re definitely fired up.”

That’s how Frank Bejarano, our Director of Youth and Family Engagement, describes the KidWorks Community Parent Council.

The Community Parent Council is a group of eight women from the neighborhood that’s nearby KidWorks’ Dan Donahue Center.  Over the past eight-plus years, they have turned fear and concern about the problems on the streets where they and their families live into action that has significantly improved the quality of life.

“When they started out, these women had never spoken before a city council or navigated through the processes required by a local governmental agency,” Frank says.  “Now, they can confidently sit at a table across from staff representatives from the City of Santa Ana or get all the permitting and approvals needed for a large street resource fair.  They are impressive to watch in action.”

While KidWorks provides meeting facilities and advice, the Community Parent Council is largely autonomous.  They identify the issues of safety, neighborhood improvement and community collaboration that matter most to them.  Then they get results.

Several examples of their success include having the city replace burnt out lights at Jerome Park, getting approval for a crossing signal to be installed at an intersection where pedestrians have been struck by cars and pushing landlords to spruce up rundown buildings. 

“One of their most effective outreaches was a community walk attended by the Director of Public Works, Code Enforcement Manager Alvaro Nuñez, Santa Ana City Manager David Cavazos and Santa Ana Police Chief Carlos Rojas,” Frank says.  “The women showed them first-hand the impact of gangs, illegal drug dealing and infrastructure neglect.  The community parent councilmembers are tenacious.  They don't quit.  Results soon followed.”

The KidWorks Community Parent Council focuses on external issues in the surrounding neighborhood, while the KidWorks’ Parent Advisory Council works with our staff to offer suggestions and ideas about how we can continuously improve our programs.

“Both are examples of how those we serve take a personal ownership in their community and the overall well-being of others,” Frank said.  “Their enthusiasm is a fire that never goes out.”


By Glenn Leibowitz, Volunteer Content Writer

Women of KidWorks: Alma Magana

Editor’s note:  This is the latest installment of our blog series, “The Women of KidWorks.”  This week, we highlight another very special mom!

Alma Magana, a KidWorks preschool teacher, has a special message for parents who attend graduation ceremonies for their four-year-olds.

“Please remember to invite me to your child’s high school and college graduation,” she tells them.  “I’ll go.”

While high school and college seems many years off for these parents and their young students, Alma is a person of her word.

Just ask Isaias Cambron, who recently graduated high school.  He attended KidWorks programs from preschool through his sophomore year in high school.

“You came!” Isaias said as she congratulated the cap-and-gown clad graduate. 

“I told you I would,” she says, recalling her promise of so many years ago.

Alma has been part of the KidWorks’ team since 1999, when she started as an after school volunteer at what was then our Myrtle Street center in Central Santa Ana.  She eventually moved to our Dan Donahue Center when it opened in 2005.  She’s taught at our accredited preschool since then—and is in fact our longest-term employee.

What’s it like to spend 175 days a year helping four year olds to learn the alphabet, recognize the primary colors and explore their artistic skills?

“I confess that sometimes I forget to leave the preschool teacher at the door when I go home for the day,” she laughs.   “I sometimes say to my daughters, Betty, 23, and Debbie, 19, ‘Did you wash your hands,’ and ‘Don’t forget to say hello when you meet someone.’”

There are more dimensions to Alma than many people who meet this soft-spoken woman may not fully realize.

She, her husband, Joel, and Joel’s father, Adolfo (both ordained ministers) and sister, Mirvella, oversee 13 churches the three of them have founded throughout the U.S., Mexico and Nicaragua.

Alma has also run 16 half marathons, many with her daughters.  She also sews (pillow cases, handbags and quilts), giving some of her creations to her students and their families.

Alma says that her deep faith in Jesus means that service in His name goes beyond preaching the gospel.

“To me, it’s important that I also give of my time, visiting with students and their families at their homes after work,” she says.  “KidWorks is like a seed we plant in a child’s life.  That seed grows there forever.”

By Glenn Leibowitz, Volunteer Content Writer

The Women of KidWorks: Corina Mora

Editor’s note:  This is the latest installment of our blog series, “The Women of KidWorks.”  This week, we highlight another very special mom!

“Siempre con una sonrisa.”

It means “always with a smile,” and it’s the motto that guides Corina Mora, receptionist and administrative assistant at our Dan Donahue Center, on how she lives her life.

“To me, those words say that it’s important to treat everyone the same, and always warmly,” Corina says.

Corina and her husband, Hector Sr., are very proud—and very involved--parents of four boys:  Adrian, 18-years-old, who will be a senior at Saddleback College; Hector, Jr., 14, an incoming freshman at Mater Dei High School; Isaac, eight-years-old, who is entering third grade and Nathan, five, who will be starting kindergarten.

All her boys have been part of KidWorks programs.  Finding out about KidWorks was easy since Corina’s parents owned a home right across the street from what eventually became our Dan Donahue Center.  She and her family now live in the same house along with her mother, Nelly, 76-years-old.

“My boys are everything to Hector and me,” Corina says.

As a working mom, she has learned the art of balancing parenting, a job, volunteering with Hector Sr. at our preschool and a full schedule of youth sports.

“We are a sports family,” Corina says.  “My boys all play baseball, and we are huge Los Angeles Angels and Dallas Cowboys fans,” she says.  “We even named our one-and-a-half year old French bulldog ‘Dallas’ and he has his own team jersey.”

Corina has become a valuable resource to the parents who come to our center, especially the moms.

“Sometimes the moms will tell me about a problem they are having, often with their children or financially,” Corina says.  “I’ll direct them to resources, but often a person just needs someone to quietly listen.”

From raising her own boys, Corina has learned that it’s important for parents to be proactive with those in charge if they feel their children are at risk in any way.

“Once, one of my little ones was bullied in school,” she says.  “I spoke up, and at first the principal dismissed my concerns.  I persisted, and eventually the situation was resolved when the mother of the bully was made aware of the situation.  This taught me to speak up when necessary.”

As one of the first moms to ever enroll a child at our Dan Donahue Center, Corina is filled with joy at each child see sees enter our doors.

“I am so excited about our upcoming expansion of the Dan Donahue Center,” she says.  “It will mean even more kids playing sports, doing homework and being in a safe place.”  And with a smile, she adds:  “When the kids are not here, it is too quiet.  I miss the chaos!”

High School Senior Justin Sung Helps Us "Build Dreams"

Justin Sung, a senior at Sage High School in Newport Coast, immediately knew whom he wanted his Eagle Scout project to benefit.

“With all the help that KidWorks provides to others, the least that I could do is give back to KidWorks by dedicating my project to such an amazing organization,” he says.

We think Justin is pretty amazing, too!

Eagle Scout is the final and highest rank a Boy Scout can achieve.  For his project—which was months in the planning—Justin designed and built a beautiful wooden bench and a brand new art cabinet, both of which as now installed at our Dan Donahue Center.

“We are also thankful that that Justin choose KidWorks for his Eagle Scout Project,” says Raquel Nava, Arts and Academics Coordinator at the Donahue Center.  “Our students are already sitting on the bench as they wait for programs to start, and we’ve filled the cabinet up with art supplies we use each day.”

Justin’s connection with KidWorks began when his older brother, Ryan, started a club at Sage High School called ReachOut, which organizes various projects that help our students.  When Ryan graduated, he passed the leadership baton on to Justin, who now serves as the club’s president. 

Justin says that ReachOut is already planning more projects to support KidWorks in the months to come.  We are very grateful to Justin and ReachOut for their dedication and love for our students.

By Glenn Leibowitz, Volunteer Content Writer 

The Women of KidWorks: Melissa Peralta

Editor’s note:  This is the latest installment in our blog series, “The Women of KidWorks.”  We celebrate the tireless women who generously serve at our centers each week.  Some of these women also happen to be the mothers of our students.  Others are KidWorks employees.  Their humility, perseverance and love touch our students, staff and volunteers each day. This week, we highlight another very special mom!

Melissa Peralta’s six-month-old daughter, Alanis, isn’t exactly sure where her mom goes each morning.  All Alanis knows is that she definitely doesn’t want her to leave.

Melissa, who has been KidWorks’ Volunteer Resources Manager since 2014, knows that one day her young daughter will understand that the unlimited love she has for her also extends to the hundreds of children and youth that Melissa pairs with our dozens of volunteers.

Since her days as a student at the University of California, Irvine, Melissa has had a deep desire to help others.  Her position at KidWorks represents that ongoing commitment.  Prior to KidWorks, she’s served at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Olive Crest in roles that included case management and volunteer engagement.

As a child, Melissa spent summers and weekends with her grandmother, Chole, at Chole’s home just a few blocks from our Dan Donahue Center.  The neighborhood today still faces the challenges of gangs, drugs and violence that it did back then.

“As children, we weren’t allowed to go outside the gate; we had to stay in the front yard,” Melissa recalls.  “Whenever I heard the gunshots, my Mom would say, ‘Don’t worry.  We’ll make sure you are safe.’  It wasn’t until years later that I knew what I was being protected from.”

Melissa sees KidWorks as an antidote to the negative aspects of the neighborhood.

“The kids are so happy to come to our centers,” she says.  “They are eager to learn and to be safe from what is happening outside our doors.”

Melissa sees a clear link between the help our volunteers provide to our students and her own parenting responsibilities with Alanis.

“I do everything possible to invest in my daughter’s future,” she says.  “Our volunteers are also doing everything in their power to make the same investment in our students.” 

As KidWorks expands and accepts more students, Melissa knows that there is much hard work ahead to recruit even more volunteers. 

Her parents, Benjamin and Carmen, who worked long hours to provide for their family, inspire her.  “I am willing to put in as many hours as it takes so KidWorks continues making a positive impact in Santa Ana,” she says.  “I tell every volunteer that even if they are only able to dedicate one hour a week, they are having a crucial impact on young lives.”

As six-month-old Alanis grows older, we know that she will be filled with pride in her mom and all she does to help others. Of course, KidWorks and our dedicated volunteers already feel that way, Melissa!   

The Women of KidWorks: Leticia Rivera

As her four young sons fidget beside her, Leticia Rivera reflects on what it’s like to be a parent while also being an active volunteer in several KidWorks’ programs.

“It’s a process—sometimes difficult and overwhelming—to be a mom,” she says.  “It can also be very difficult on a street like Townsend, where we live.  You avoid the gunshots and gangs.  You know that your sons can be vulnerable, so you keep them very involved in positive ways.”

For Leticia, KidWorks has been one of those positive influences.  And it goes both ways, says Sonia Rios-Guzman, our Parent Engagement Coordinator. 

“Leticia is humble, kind and hard-working,” Sonia says.  “She comes to every meeting of our Parent Advisory Council and Group of Moms, and she’s never missed a single KidWorks parents workshop.  She always wants to better herself.”

All of Leticia’s sons are involved in our programs, including Jose, fifth grade; Angel, second grade; Carlos, first grade and Francisco, kindergarten.

“I’ve always like giving,” Leticia says.  “It’s easy to want to help when I see a need.  How can I expect KidWorks to give to me and my family and then not give back?”

And give back she does!

“For our Myrtle and Townsend Street Resource Fairs, Leticia went door-to-door helping to gather neighborhood signatures giving the city permission to close the streets for the event,” Sonia says.  “No one gathered more signatures than her!”

Leticia is also quite skilled in arts and crafts.  She’s helped make accessories for our graduating students to wear along with their caps and gowns, and even taught mothers how to sew or knit dresses, scarves and hats to add to their personal wardrobe, using the sewing machines available at KidWorks.

Her son Jose is clearly proud of his mom.  “When I see her volunteer at KidWorks, it makes me want to help others,” he says.  Jose is a role model in his own right for his younger brothers as he volunteers assisting our teachers for the after school programs attended by kindergarten, first, and second grade students.

Leticia has also gotten her husband, Francisco, to join our Parent Advisory Council.  Of the 18 members, only two are men, and we hope he will inspire other fathers to join.

“Leticia always goes far beyond what is asked of her,” Sonia says.  “It’s no wonder her four boys—and all of us at KidWorks—look up to her!”

By Glenn Leibowitz, Volunteer Content Writer

The Women of KidWorks: Karina Torres

With three of her six children currently learning how to play a musical instrument, Karina Torres knows the importance of perseverance and determination.

She puts that philosophy to work at KidWorks, where this mom has volunteered for over seven years.

“Like with a musical piece, a plan is only successful if it is well thought out and you work really hard to make it the best it can be,” Karina says.  Then she smiles and adds, “I don’t like to just sit around, and if something needs to get done, I don’t need to be asked; I jump in!”

Sonia Rios-Guzman, our Parent Engagement Coordinator, says Karina is definitely a woman of action.

“Even though it might seem like Karina’s plate is full with six children, she still manages to volunteer and support KidWorks in so many ways,” Sonia says.  “And she does all of this while fully supporting her children in their educations.”

One of the ways Karina helps KidWorks is with our “Love & Music” program for aspiring musicians.  Karina is proud that three of her children are in the program:  Evelyn, 13, and Ashley, eight, who are both learning the violin and Jesse, 10, who is mastering the flute.

Karina volunteers in many other ways at KidWorks.  She is part of our Parent Advisory Council, has helped with neighborhood clean up days and both our Myrtle and Townsend Street Resource fairs.  For the most recent Myrtle Street Fair, she helped make over 150 ham and cheese sandwiches that were given out for free to those from the surrounding neighborhoods who attended.

Karina enrolled her daughter, Evelyn, in our after school programs six years ago when Evelyn was still in elementary school.

“KidWorks is not like other after-school programs, I see it as the best of all,” Karina says.  Then she adds with a grin, “On the very first day Evelyn started at KidWorks, I told her, ‘Get used to it. You are going to be there until you graduate from high school."

Recently, her 10-year-old Jesse gratefully told her, “Mom, you are always around for us.”

“Kids don’t always say it out loud, but it was his way of saying ‘thank you’,” Karina says.

Karina, we also can’t say “thank you” enough for all you do for our students and the community!

By Glenn Leibowtiz, Volunteer Content Writer 

The Women of KidWorks: Maria Velazquez

Editor’s note: We are proud to continue our latest blog series, “The Women of KidWorks.” We celebrate the tireless women who generously serve at our centers each week. Some of these women also happen to be the mothers of our students! Their humility, perseverance and love touch our students, staff and volunteers each day. This week, we highlight one very special mom!

Raising five daughters quickly teaches a mom or dad how to overcome obstacles and get the job done.  Just ask Maria Velazquez, a 10-year KidWorks volunteer, who puts those parenting skills to excellent use making her community safer.

She’s teamed up with other members of the KidWorks’ Community Parent Council, which consists of parents and community members, who work hard to do good in their Central Santa Ana community.

Two examples show Maria and her team’s positive impact:

Jerome Park is just blocks from our Townsend and Dan Donahue centers.  Several years ago, most of the park lights were either broken or burned out.  Gangs congregated at night, and families like Maria’s didn’t dare go there after dark.  So, she and our Community Parent Council worked with the City Council and Parks and Recreation Department to have new lights installed and maintained.  Now, families feel safer to relax at the park at a later time.

Then there is the dangerous intersection of McFadden Avenue and Raitt Street.  The absence of a left turn light results in collisions between cars and pedestrians.  In fact, a member of our Community Parent Council was hit, but thankfully fully recovered from her injuries.  So Maria and her fellow parent council members worked with city officials to get a left turn light approved.  It took three years but the light is set for installation in September 2016.

Maria has two daughters currently enrolled in our after-school programs, Joselyn, sixth grade, and Crystal, seventh grade (shown in photo).  Maria and her family have lived on Townsend Street for 23 years, and are right across the street from our center there.

When Maria became aware of our programs, she enrolled her then 14-year-old daughter, Andrea (now 28-years-old).

“At the time, the neighborhood was very violent because of the gangs and drugs, and it still suffers in that way,” Maria says.  “Before I enrolled Andrea, I really checked out KidWorks to make sure I felt it was a safe place.”

KidWorks quickly earned Maria’s trust and it wasn’t long before she was volunteering at the Townsend Street Center, cleaning the small apartment where classes were then held.

Since then, Maria has expanded the scope of her volunteer work at KidWorks, serving at both our Townsend and Dan Donahue Centers.

She is instrumental in the pre-planning of both our Myrtle and Townsend Street Resource Fairs, and also helps out on the day of the event by getting the word out into the neighborhood.  She also prepares and sells food at the events, with proceeds going to support KidWorks programs.

“Maria has grown so much from those early days cleaning our center on Townsend,” says Sonia Rios-Guzman, our Parent Engagement Coordinator.  “As part of her efforts to champion for the park lights and safer street intersection, she has spoken before the Santa Ana City Council, Santa Ana Unified School District Board and the Latino Heath Access organization.”

Sonia sums it up this way:  “Maria is a parent for whom giving has no limit!”

By Glenn Leibowitz, Volunteer Content Writer

The Women of KidWorks: Eleazar Díaz

Eleazar Díaz sees the bigger picture when she waters, weeds and prunes the plants and vegetables in the KidWorks community garden and compost at our Dan Donahue Center.

As a long time volunteer, she is keenly aware not only of the thriving plants, but also the positive growth in the community where KidWorks serves.

Eleazar is gladly willing to get her hands dirty in the garden soil, and she’s also learned to be a leader on our Dan Donahue Group of Moms and Parent Advisory Council.

It all began over 10 years ago when a neighborhood mom invited her to volunteer at the KidWorks preschool.  Her daughter, Yosely, then three-years-old, was too young to enroll—but Eleazar said “yes” to the volunteer request anyway.

“Since then, Eleazar has been one of our most dedicated and committed volunteer moms,” says Sonia Rios-Guzman, our Parent Engagement Coordinator.

Eleazar, quiet and humble, gives much of the credit to her daughter, Yosely, now 13-years-old, and a student in our after school programs.

“Before I enrolled Yosely in the KidWorks preschool, we’d walk by the center and she’d say, ‘Mom, I want to see the kids!’”

Eleazar brought her little daughter with her when she volunteered at our preschool.

“Yosely would pick up a white cloth and help me clean the counters,” she recalls.  “The very next year, she was old enough for preschool and we enrolled her.  Since then, KidWorks has become part of us.”

In her 10-plus years as a KidWorks volunteer, this mom has grown out of her natural shyness and learned to speak up with ideas and suggestions that are welcomed by the KidWorks’ Parents Advisory Council and Group of Moms.

“Eleazar is a real motivator for our parents, and she’s a role model, too, because she’s willing to take on any task,” Sonia says.  “When the parents or moms councils have an upcoming meeting, she goes down the list making phone calls reminding them to attend.  She’s a good planner too, and helped us with the countless details required to make our annual Townsend Street Resource Fair a yearly success.”

To Eleazar, the garden she helps tends is not the only metaphor for the potential within the central Santa Ana community where she and her family live. 

“When the doors first opened at the Dan Donahue Center, I saw this as a place that would be my support system,” she says.  “Today, when I come to volunteer, I love seeing that those doors are still wide open.  It means they are open for me and other moms to volunteer, get involved and make a difference.”

You continue to make a tremendous positive difference, Eleazar.  We appreciate all you do!

By Glenn, Leibowitz, Volunteer Content Writer

The Women of KidWorks: Monica Contreras

Editor’s note: We are proud to introduce our latest blog series, “The Women of KidWorks.” We celebrate the tireless women who generously serve at our centers each week. Some of these women also happen to be the mothers of our students! Their humility, perseverance and love touch our students, staff and volunteers each day. This week, we highlight one very special mom!

Over a decade ago, Monica Contreras looked out the living room window of her Santa Ana house and asked herself, “I wonder what they are building across the street where the old tortilla and taco shell factory used to be?”

Soon, she learned that all the hammering and painting would lead up to the opening of KidWorks' main hub, the Dan Donahue Center.

When KidWorks held an open house, Monica stopped by to see what services were being offered.

She soon enrolled her then four-year-old son, Miguel, into the KidWorks preschool program.

Since that first introduction to KidWorks, Monica has been one of our most dedicated and steadfast volunteers. She didn't just enroll her children, she became part of the family, and has worked hard to make her community better from the inside out. 

She began her volunteer duties at our preschool, washing dirty dishes, picking up stray toys, helping the teachers put together learning packets and raising her hand to volunteer for anything else that was asked of her.

Eventually, all of her children enrolled in our preschool program and now continue with our after school program.  That includes, Maria, now in ninth grade, Miguel, sixth grade, and Jimena, first grade.

“At the KidWorks preschool, I really enjoy reading to the kids and helping out with field trips,” Monica says.  “Me, my husband and our kids have received so much from KidWorks, that volunteering for me is a way for me to give back at least as much as we’ve received.”

Monica also serves on our Parent Advisory Council, which is a way the KidWorks’ team receives valuable feedback and ideas about how to continuously improve our programs and services.

She’s also become a resource to other parents seeking advice about raising their children and helping to direct them to available community resources.

“I often say to them, ‘Now that your kids are involved with KidWorks, why not get involved yourselves as volunteers?’” Monica says.

You’d think that all this volunteering would tire a person out.  Not Monica.  She’s also been a longtime member of the KidWorks running club, and now has 16 half marathons to her credit.

Sonia Rios-Guzman, our Parent Engagement Coordinator, says Monica has the perfect temperament to work with the kids and provide leadership on the parent council.

“She’s so good at making others feel comfortable,” Sonia says.  “We love her sense of humor.  During Monica’s more than 10 years as a KidWorks volunteer, she has been able to win many hearts.  She’s definitely a top mom!”

By Glenn Leibowitz, Volunteer Content Writer 

Our High School Seniors Are College-Bound!

KidWorks is very proud that the majority of the students in our programs earn their high school diplomas, and that many also continue their education at colleges and universities.

The class of 2016 is no exception. We are pleased to share this summary of where our graduating high school seniors will continue their studies this fall.

We also asked our scholars to let you read in the students’ own words how they feel about the next step in their journey of academic excellence. Here’s what several said: 

“I intend to pursue a career in law and also get a certificate in architecture. I’m really excited to check out all the potential research opportunities for undergraduates at Duke University and study abroad to learn about cultures and customs. KidWorks has prepared me by expanding my horizon and making me feel empowered.”

— Melisa Castillo

“I intend to major in psychology and minor in health studies with a concentration in peace, justice and human rights. KidWorks has provided me support, comfort and tools in order to grow and thrive into a much more confident being and a passionate youth. It has been my safe haven and second family.”

— Rosa Urquiza

“I look forward to going to UCLA in the fall so that I can begin the first step in my career as a physician. I am also really excited to get involved on campus, especially in areas of leadership and social change, which I feel KidWorks has prepared me for through my involvement in the Youth Empowerment Network.”

— Jessenya Reyes

“After five years of being part of the Youth Empowerment Network at KidWorks, I have been given many tools and one is the ability to speak up. I cannot wait to see what I could do with that strength at UCSB.”

— Sarahi Guerrero

“My proposed major is mechanical engineering. I am really excited that I’m moving on and I get to meet new people who might help me become successful. KidWorks has helped with my social skills and to value team work.”

— Ismael Fuerte

“The KidWorks after school program has helped improve my attention span and taught me discipline when it comes to setting time aside for study.”

— Melisa Castillo

“The KidWorks after school program has given me a lot of opportunities to try new things and has supported me with my college decisions.”

— Simon Garcia

A Tale of Two Santa Anas: Lilian Ramirez

Editor’s note:  This is the fourth and final installment of“A Tale of Two Santa Anas,” where our graduating high school seniors tell the story of their personal journey in their own words.  We are so proud of these students, who later this year will begin attending colleges and universities.

Growing up, I was probably the last person you’d expect to be standing on a stage in front of hundreds of people, singing solos or playing the guitar.

Back in elementary school I was very shy and reserved.  Except for walking to and from school each day, I pretty much stayed inside our family’s rented house doing my homework, reading books and listening to music.

Today, I’m an 18-year-old graduate of Valley High School in Santa Ana.  This fall, I will begin attending San Francisco State University, where I intend to earn a bachelor of music degree.

Our family--my Dad, Mom, and sisters, Emily, 14 and Ailani, seven, and me--live about one block from KidWorks’ Dan Donahue Center.  I’ve lived there since I was born.

For as long as I can remember, our neighborhood has had a lot of gang violence and poverty.  But that doesn’t mean every kid falls into that trap.

I credit my parents for giving me a strong sense of right and wrong.  “Listen to your inner voice,” my Mom always says.  “That voice will tell you what choice to make.” 

My love of music is probably something I get from my Dad.  From the earliest age, I remember how he introduced me to all his favorite kinds of music—rock, traditional Mexican music and classical.

For the past several years, I’ve been part of KidWorks’ Avanti program, where high school students like me learn from Joe Cristina a professional musician.  We get actual experience in composition, arranging, orchestration and production.

Thanks to Joe and KidWorks, I’ve now sung and played music before live audiences.  Also, each year in high school, I was part of our choir, and last year auditioned and was accepted by the Southern California Vocal Association Honor Choir.

I hope that my professional musical career will include touring the country, singing and playing music.  Yet, no matter where my love of music takes me, I’ll always remember Santa Ana, my city.  I’ll also always be forever grateful to KidWorks’ and the wonderful staff and volunteers who helped me all these years.

By Lilian Ramirez

Our Students Win Top Honors in Art Contest Promoting Fair Housing

Two young KidWorks students were recently recognized not only for their artistic talent, but also for their social awareness.

Fifth graders Lesly and Aaliyah took first and third place respectively in a poster contest sponsored by the Fair Housing Council of Orange County.

The students’ artwork was selected from among hundreds of posters submitted by students in grades four and five.

“The contest gave KidWorks students an opportunity to learn about fair housing laws and to depict what they learned in an artistic style that represents their views on fair housing choice,” says Kriss Goss-Marr, our Director of After School Programs.

The winning students were presented with a framed picture of their poster, a certificate, and a cash prize.

“I couldn’t believe that I had gotten third place out of all of those drawings,” Aaliyah says.  “I just drew a house with all the things that I would want for my family in my home.”  She is a student at our Bishop Manor center.

Lesly and Aaliyah are also applying the lessons they learned at KidWorks about financial literacy.  Both plan to save the money they were awarded.

“It’s inspiring to see our students envision their ideas about fair housing choice. Many live in overcrowded and very difficult home environments where it would be easy to get discouraged. However, this contest provided encouragement to dream and create change so that fair housing laws and healthy living conditions would be a reality for all.”

— Kriss Goss-Marr, Director of After School Programs

A Tale of Two Santa Anas: Kaely Catalan

Editor’s note:  We are so proud of our graduating high school students, who later this year will begin attending colleges and universities. “A Tale of Two Santa Anas” is our latest blog series, where the seniors tell their personal story in their own words.

I’m an optimistic person.  Maybe I got that way because I’ve seen difficult situations and learned the importance of making wise decisions.

For about 10 of my 17 years, my family and I have lived in an apartment where the neighborhood confronts the bad that comes from gangs, drugs, violence and poverty.

When my family first moved into the neighborhood, my twin 17-year-old sister, Leslie, and me looked around and said to each other, “What is this all about? Are we going to be safe?”

But I came to realize that new surroundings are also new beginnings.  The gangs and drugs did not attract me.  Instead, I said to myself, “That’s a problem.  Avoid it.  Don’t get pulled in.”

In June, my sister and I are graduating from Godinez Fundamental High School and in September we’ll both begin attending California State University, Fullerton.  I’m majoring in communications.  I’ll focus on either public relations or speech.

I love to write, and I’m an active blogger about music on social media, with over 3,000 followers!

So much credit goes to my parents and to the staff and volunteers and KidWorks who helped me all these years. 

My parents always emphasized the importance of family.  “Family first,” is one of my Mom’s favorite sayings.  Another is, “Everything comes in its time.”

To me, these words of wisdom mean to put others above material objects and to not grow up too fast.

Some of my friends ask, “What’s the name of that center you go to?”  “It’s called Kidworks,” I say. 

We need more places like KidWorks and more people like the staff and volunteers there who help students like me!

By Kaely Catalan

A Tale of Two Santa Anas: Leslie Catalan

Editor’s note:  We are so proud of our graduating high school students, who later this year will begin attending colleges and universities.  “A Tale of Two Santa Anas” is our latest blog series, where the seniors tell their personal story in their own words.

Everything was pretty safe in the Santa Ana neighborhood where my family lived until I was seven-years-old.  As kids, my twin sister, Kaely, and I could play outside, even at dusk.  I don’t recall seeing a single crime.

Then we moved.

Money was a little tight for my parents, so we all packed up and went to another apartment, just a block or two from KidWorks’ Dan Donahue Center.

Wow, everything was sure different in our new neighborhood!  As a seven-year-old, I heard my first gunshots, saw my first gang members and witnessed drug deals occur right outside our door.

You might think that it would be easy for someone like me to fall into the trap of the streets.  I saw classmates who joined gangs, and in class even sat beside a 16-year-old girl who became pregnant.

But I just didn’t make those choices.  I’m now 17-years-old, and my family still live in the same apartment.  In June I’m graduating from Godinez Fundamental High School and in September I will begin attending California State University, Fullerton, majoring in liberal arts.

I give so much credit to my parents.  They taught us kids the importance of good values, picking our friends wisely and having goals.

My sister and I started going to KidWorks when we were in fourth grade.  My Mom heard about their programs from a neighbor.  “You’re going,” she said.  It wasn’t even a discussion.  We’ve been there ever since.

My KidWorks mentors and tutors mean so much to me.  I remember asking them about college and thinking, “I would like to go there, too.”

Thinking about college is a little scary.  But I’ve faced scarier situations!  Like always, I’m going to give it my very best.

By Leslie Catalan

A Tale of Two Santa Anas: Edgar Morales

Editor’s note:  We are so proud of our graduating high school students, who later this year will begin attending colleges and universities.  “A Tale of Two Santa Anas” is our latest blog series, where the seniors tell their personal story in their own words.
 

I guess not everyone grows up on a street where you have to avoid gun crossfire from feuding gangs from the time you start walking to school as a kindergarten student all the way through high school.

But that’s how it is on Townsend Street where I still live.  I constantly have to check my surroundings, looking behind me and side-to-side, whenever I leave our apartment.

I’m 17-years-old now, but gangs and violence are still an everyday fact of life on my street

As a kid, I learned that anything could happen, and it often did.

But I never joined a gang.  And neither did my 21-year-old brother, Javier.  It just wasn’t for us.

I recently graduated from Mater Dei High School, and in September I will begin attending California State University, East Bay, in Northern California.

My dream is to become an architect.

I’ve attended KidWorks programs since kindergarten.  Now, I volunteer there six days a week, tutoring second, fifth and eighth graders.  I also help out with the “Love & Music” program for aspiring musicians.

When I tutor at KidWorks, I remember all the volunteers who encouraged me when I was frustrated with my homework and wanted to give up.

I recall the words of my KidWorks tutors from years ago, and say them back to the young kids I’m now helping:  “You are really smart.  You can totally do this.  You made it this far.  Now, keep going.”

My tutors’ words of wisdom will never leave me.  They keep me motivated and focused as I take my next steps forward towards a university degree and successful career.

By Edgar Morales