COMMUNITY
FEBRUARY 16, 2018
WWW.THEPRESS.NET
|
5
It takes a village Youth volunteer honored for work by Aly Brown Staff Writer
Village Community Resource Center (VCRC) recently recognized one of its youth volunteers for her positive impact on students. As a senior at Heritage High School, Destiny Barnes initially sought a volunteer opportunity at VCRC in order to complete her community-service hours for school. But once she stepped through the doors of the after-school program that serves low- and extremely low-income families in Brentwood and met some of the children, she was hooked. “I was interested in tutoring, because I love school,” she said when asked why she chose VCRC as her volunteer site. “I completed my hours a while ago, but I just stayed. I really love the kids.” Destiny shared stories of children in the program and those who made an impact on her. One foster-care child wouldn’t sit in the chair beside her for homework time when she offered him a seat. So Destiny sat down and began the lesson. Soon, the little kindergartener sat
in the chair. Then he scooted closer to her, inch by inch until he was sitting in her lap. “Ever since then, he and I became really close,” she said. VCRC Executive Director Kirsten Rigsby was inspired by Destiny’s dedication to the center. She described a young lady who would bring in new board games when VCRC’s became bedraggled and gift bags to each of the students during holidays. “She’s just an amazing person and student,” said Rigsby. “I thought there was an opportunity to celebrate what an amazing teenager she is, and to be able to recognize people like her in our community is valuable.” Embracing the idea, the center staff met at Mountain Mike’s Pizza on Jan. 29 along with board members and other volunteers to honor Destiny and present her with gift certificates. Rigsby said the VCRC was launched just over 20 years ago when the once-small community of Brentwood rapidly grew and brought with it gang violence and drug problems. Community leaders talked about ways to combat the issues, but nothing really happened until 1995 after a 15-year-old boy was killed in a drive-by shooting off Village Drive. The community recognized the need for a safe place for kids to be after school and built VCRC on the same street. At the time, it was more of a recreation center for arts and crafts.
Photo by Aly Brown
Destiny Barnes (center) is a senior at Heritage High School and was recently recognized by Village Community Resource Center for her volunteer work. As the crime rate declined, the center morphed with the needs of the community and staff recognized the growing need for homework assistance, especially among children whose second language is English. “Our families that speak other languages have the ability to give their children a gift and often times it’s not presented that way,” Rigsby said. “VCRC encourages kids to take pride in and nurture their first language while learning English. And we couldn’t do what we do here without the help of volunteers like Destiny.”
Factory trained ASE certified technicians
Find Out INSTANTLY What Your Home is Worth: www.FreeEastCountyHomeValues.com
Brian Sharp – (925) 998-9712 Brentwood
LOTS OF NEW New interior paint! New carpeting! 2 bedroom , 2 bath plus den in Summerset 3, a 55+ community. Living, dining plus family room. Stainless steel appliances. Interior laundry room. Approx. 1553 sq.ft.
PRISTINE CONDITION!! This Sunmist model has a great open floor plan! 2 bedroom, 2 bath home in Summerset Orchards. Beautiful hardwood floors. Indoor laundry room. Well maintained yard. Approx. 1252 sq.
$419,900
Joan Carter – (925) 354-2001 Brentwood
Joan Carter – (925) 354-2001 Brentwood
$445,900
$487,250
MEDAL LD AWARD
GO
2016
$649,900
FOR VIRTUAL TOURS OF THESE HOMES AND TO SEARCH THE MLS:
www.SharpHomesOnline.com
998-9712
MEDAL LD AWARD
20 2 166 MEDAL LD AWARD
R MEDA VE AWARD
20 2 133 2013 L
Brian Sharp
GO
$647,950
Brian Sharp – (925) 998-9712 Brentwood
GO
Joan Carter – (925) 354-2001 Brentwood
SPINNAKER RIDGE WITH POOL! Gorgeous home on huge pie-shaped lot towards the end of a quiet court. Beyond beautiful remodeled kitchen has custom cabinets with pull-out drawers and spice racks. Some glass fronts with custom lighting accents. Designer colors and touches everywhere. Ambiance galore! Rock pool and spa looks like your own private lagoon! Relax in your own personal hammock after a hard day at work. Custom BBQ island. Pre-paid solar means LOW electric bills.
SIL
SUMMERSET ORCHARDS Desirable Redhaven floor plan on large corner lot. Formal living & dining, plus open kitchen & family room. Separate den. Lg. master suite plus guest bdrm with on-suite bathroom. Approx. 2,195 sq. ft.
#1 for Brentwood listings sold multiple times over the last 15 years
MEDAL LD AWARD
2014
GO
GORGEOUS KITCHEN! Amazing kitchen! Granite slab, stainless appliances, new custom cabinets! 3 bedrooms. Central location.
Destiny has already been accepted to a handful of colleges, though she’s still waiting on word from UC Berkeley and NYU, her top choices. She plans to pursue a degree in journalism and political science. VCRC is currently accepting applications for students and always welcomes more volunteers. For more information, visit www.vcrcbrentwoodca. org. To comments, visit www.thepress.net To view a video, visit www.thepress.net/ multimedia
• Quality, Integrity & Trusted Complete Auto Service! • Foreign & Domestic • Free Shuttle Service 2 Year or 24,000 Mile Parts & Labor Warranty on all repairs.
SAVE UP TO
$100! $25 off of $150 charge or more $50 off of $300 charge or more $100 off of $800 charge or more On any repair or service. Valid on recommended services. Not valid with any other offer or special. Coupon must be presented in advance. Offer Expires 2/28/18. Discount does not apply to inspection or diagnostic labor time.
634-4145 | 8130 Brentwood Blvd. Joan Carter 354-2001
Lynn Valintis Glenn Huxtable 699-9278
437-5247
Jodi Marfia 354-8919
Darius Sarkari 497-6490
Katie Day 207-5380
Julie Gonzalez 219-5044
Steve Gursky 584-8708
www.MonkeyAuto.com Like Us on Facebook