U-Turns Allowed (Focus Forward Magazine, 2nd Edition)

U Turns Allowed . . . 1

Since Last Issue...in their words Dan Casas he Sugar Shack, not so affectionately dubbed, was where Dan Casas spent a lot of father-son time with his dad, but there was nothing sweet about it. The Sugar Shack was a backyard living quarters behind the family house, in the heart of southwest Fresno.

That’s where Casas’ father would take him for his regular beatings across his legs, back and arms with his father’s industrial belt.

It didn’t matter if young Dan had done anything wrong, if his siblings had pulled some shenanigans he wasn’t involved in, or if the dad had a bad day at work at the railroad yard, the result was always the same.

Casas, the oldest of the three children, bore the brunt of his dad’s mood swings and steel toe boot, in and on the way to the Sugar Shack.

Growing up, the only re-enforcement Casas received from his dad was that he was stupid, lazy, good for nothing, and would wind up in jail some day. He was just another kid, destined to be in trouble. His mother was too busy roaming from place to place to place to give any thought to her kids. The raising of the kids was left to the elderly grandparents and to each other.

Fighting soldiers from the sky

Men who fight by night and day

Fearless men who jump and die

Courage peak from the Green Berets

Men who mean just what they say

Silver wings upon their chest These are men, America’s

The brave men of the Green Beret

best One hundred men will test today But only three

Silver wings upon their chest

win the Green Beret

These are men, America’s best

Back at home a young wife waits Her Green Beret has

One hundred men will test today

met his fate He has died for those oppressed

But only three win the Green Beret

Leaving her his last request

Trained to live off nature’s land

Put silver wings on my son’s chest Make him one of

Trained in combat, hand-to-hand

America’s best He’ll be a man they’ll test one day

Dan is the in-house counsel for Table Mountain Rancheria and its business enterprises. In addition, he is an adjunct Professor of Law at San Joaquin College of Law where he teaches Federal Indian Law and Tribal Sovereignty.

People might not get this, but, "needing" was my crime.

Since the last magazine I have had a child, Isaiah, who is now 2 years old and 2 handfuls! :) Last year around this time we moved from Clovis to the mountains near Shaver Lake. We are renting a house on a few acres in a beautiful area!!! Seriously, it’s almost like a dream.

My husband Casy works in Fresno and I found a job in Shaver Lake at the Shaver Coffee & Deli where I work the late shift and try to help ends meet. Of course, we are just like everyone else trying to keep up with bills and the regular life situations, but over all, life has never been this good. Casy, Savannah, Isaiah and I are together living life, pretty much drama free. Sober & Happy!

Adriana Guillen, from a poem written inside her cell at the Fresno County Juvenile Hall of Shame

ealous of the new love in her mom’s life, she rebelled. Though her future stepfather was a good guy, she chose to express herself through behavior---bad behavior.

She didn’t understand why she was acting the way she was, no one did. She went from bad to worse, never knowing it could be the result of sexual abuse by her next-door neighbor…how could she? She didn’t even understand what had happened to her.

What goes up, must come down –spinning wheel got to go round.

Isolated by choice, defiant to all, rejecting comfort or help, she didn’t care about consequences.

Have him win the Green Beret.

A former Green Beret, Casas maintains a strong relationship with valley veterans and the Wounded Warriors project and continues to enjoy scuba diving and hunting; remaining proficient with his hand gun defensive shooting skills.

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Adriana Guillen

Adriana Guillen

Dan Casas

Ride a painted pony, let the spinning wheel spin….

Adriana Guillen was 9 years old.

She was ten when she first ran away from home. After the first few runs, CPS got involved and she bounced from foster home to foster home. She was 12 when she stole her first car. That one landed her in juvenile hall. Using drugs at 12, she was caught in the spokes of a wheel of trouble that was spinning faster and faster. Drugs, trouble, the hall, substance abuse programs, releases, runaways--spinning so fast her life blurred.

You got no money, and you, you got no home.

Spinning wheel, spinning all alone.

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He is the father of five daughters and recently welcomed the newest addition to the family...a granddaughter.

The Voice of Justice For years, the velvety voice of radio celebrity Leslie Davis carried the soothing sounds of smooth jazz to dedicated listeners. Yet locked behind those soulful sounds was the powerful story of a woman who had conquered tremendous odds.

Rebellious and forthright from birth, those traits would carry this baby girl on the rough road that lay ahead.

Story Sponsored By:

See Jane Play

Leslie Davis

Leslie Davis

The second oldest of five girls, Davis’ life took an unexpected plunge down an Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole at an early age. Her world was suddenly topsy-turvy and all signs of normalcy, balance and security vanished. Up was down, left was right and there was no grinning Cheshire cat to show her the way out.

I am honored to have been featured in the first edition of U Turns Allowed. This was a difficult decision to make--knowing I would expose my true authentic self and the stigma attached to growing up in the Foster Care system along with my stint in Juvenile Hall.

The only reason I was willing to tell a small part of my story, was to give hope to the children who feel so alone, ashamed and not sure of their future. If I could help one person, then it was worth the risk.

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I’m still working in broadcasting, re-launched my production company and produced two concerts in 2013 and looking forward to producing a few more in 2014. I am on the board of the Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts, after a ten year vacation. This past couple of years I have connected with a few foster children, toured a Foster Care facility in Los Angeles and sparked an interest in becoming an advocate for Foster Children.

See Jane Cry See Jane Run Run Jane Run

nd run she did, as fast as she could from that event when she was twelve. The event when her childhood was taken from her; a childhood that had now become as distant as a fading landscape. Childhood now belonged to the time before the rape, when she played and laughed and smiled. After the rape was the here-and-now and so she ran.

See Janie run.

She ran down the path of least resistance, which led her to gangs and drugs. They got a strangle hold on her and squeezed tight. Crystal meth had become her solace; taking her to a place where she could stop her mind from running. Yet, in reality, she ran for days at a time, leaving her parents worried and at home.

She would go, returning home only occasionally for a shower, a quick change of clothes or to sleep for days on end. Her parents couldn’t tell her anything anymore – she came and went as she pleased.

Her mom called the cops time and again to report her as a runaway. She’d get picked up, taken home and in a minute, she’d be gone again.

Janie Her

Growing up in west Fresno in his single parent home was rough. Somewhere within, Darryl felt like he just didn’t fit in. It’s that very feeling of aimlessness that causes kids to do things they shouldn’t. The other neighborhood kids were in similar situations so it was only natural that the group would hang out and cause trouble together. One for all and all for one in this neighborhood may have been their rallying cry, but they weren’t exactly the Three Musketeers.

Boredom and an innocent dare from his two buddies to take some ice cream from a neighborhood store was all it took for Darryl to start stealing. He got caught, but for Darryl, something clicked. Was it the attention? The thrill? The dare? It was a dangerous feeling for an aimless young man.

Soon the Three Musketeers took their challenges to a new level; to see who could steal the most, the fastest and without getting caught. Once the trio mastered that, they took it from their neighborhood to the streets. First stop was the corner store but the next stop was the then-thriving Fulton Mall.

Darryl Du’Chene “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 20

First, allow me to say, “Thank you” for allowing me to tell my story! Many of my friends, colleagues and even relatives saw the magazine in doctor’s offices and were amazed at the contrast with the person they know now. The story opened a few doors that allowed me to speak to several youth and young adult groups, which gave me an opportunity to encourage them and let them know there is hope!

I am still working for the City of Fresno as a Community Coordinator and continuing to conduct soft skills workshops at Edison and Sunnyside High Schools through our Youth Job Preparation Program. The most exciting thing that has changed since the launch of the magazine is my wife and I have started a church in Southeast Fresno called Faith Worship Christian Center.

We launched it with the help of friends and family on March 3, 2012. Part of our mission is to transform lives and communities by meeting people where they are and loving them on purpose! We are currently having services at Mario Olmos Elementary School.

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I am currently working as a Mental Health Worker at a Psychiatric Hospital (EXODUS). I'm still collecting hours to be eligible to take the state exam to be a certified AOD counselor, and I'm currently shifting to the nursing field. I want to be an RN.

You see, Janie wasn’t a bad kid, she was just lost, confused, victimized and had now learned how to maneuver others for her meth-induced marathons. It’s startling what you can do when you need that high.

I have my 4 beautiful daughters and a wonderful supporting husband. Without his help and support I wouldn't be able to go through all this on my own.

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Thank you Focus Forward for being a big part of my life~thanks for believing and keeping up with me.

Tony Hoffman “Keep pedaling…Keep pedaling…

Faster, faster, faster…You’re doin’ it!”

Darryl Du’Chene Darryl Du’Chene started out as a straight-A kid.

His teachers believed he would go far. Du’Chene did go far, but far down the path to destruction.

Janie Her

See Jane Smile

elping kids navigate on and off the course through the Freewheel Project is Hoffman’s commitment to himself and his God, made while he was sitting in his cell at the Tehachapi prison.

Take a step back in time. Do you remember when you first learned to ride a bike? The training wheels offered security from falling; they made it safe for you to learn. Soon it was time to take them off, leaving you vulnerable to all sorts of risks.

You have to keep your balance or you’ll fall.

At 10, it was already clear that Tony Hoffman was a gifted athlete. Baseball, basketball, rollerblading, biking, Hoffman had a natural talent. Academically advanced as well, he tossed that aside for athletics, the only outlet in his life that took him to a “happy place”.

It was the following year that Hoffman lost his balance and fell.

Tony Hoffman As of 2012, I retired from racing BMX professionally and transitioned into a coaching position in the sport where I coach athletes from all over the world including, Germany, Ecuador, Australia and United States. Three of my athletes have attended the Olympic Games for BMX Racing.

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The Freewheel Project is now a 501c3 non-profit. My summer camp has grown from 20 kids over the course of the camp to 130, and from small talks and riding to structured learning environments like a school and financial basics course hosted by Fresno County Federal Credit Union alongside the professional instruction on the track. We are now in the process of developing a program called B.A.R.S (Behavioral & Academic Restoration using Sports) that will work with at risk youth to change negative behaviors, increase academic performance and of course, be rewarded with the enjoyment of sports.

I signed an exclusive public speaking contract with American Program Bureau this year, which is the largest speaking agency in the country and through this I will be traveling the country sharing my story with many types of audiences.

About this Magazine

By Susan B. Anderson, Attorney at Law

former member of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors and board member for Focus Forward

Focus Forward – U Turns Allowed Magazine 2014 Focus Forward produced the first U-Turns Allowed Magazine in 2012 featuring amazing stories about people who had been in the juvenile justice system as minors earlier in their lives. That edition of the magazine was such a huge success and Focus Forward is proud to present this second edition.

These stories demonstrate that a little help goes a long way and that one person can make a difference.

This edition of the magazine includes stories about people who were in the juvenile justice system or the foster care system and a few who work in the systems that serve these children. There is a common thread in these stories – it takes one person - someone who reaches out and offers a hand – one person can truly make a difference in the life of a child in our community.

The willingness to share a difficult story can help others.

It is not easy to talk about your difficult childhood, the adults in your life who failed you and mistakes that you may have made. One must admire the people in this magazine who are willing to expose themselves and share the difficult times in their lives with the hope of helping others understand the situations that many children in our community face every day. This magazine is utilized in the Focus Forward mentor program to give hope to young people who are facing difficult challenges today.

The Focus Forward team is helping to make U-turns happen everyday!

We are proud to dedicate this edition of the magazine to Nancy Pressley, our recently retired CEO. Nancy exemplifies those people who are involved in this effort.Words cannot express our appreciation for her dedication and hard work.

Nancy has developed and led an amazing team of staff and volunteers who mentor and teach young people in the county systems.

A special thanks to our team who made this magazine possible. Kathy Eide who wrote these stories – Catherine Curry who designed this magazine and Joachim Schirmacher, our photographer. Cheers to our story sponsors and donors and heartfelt thanks to our project sponsor, Fresno County Federal Credit Union!

U Turns Allowed . . . 3

Magazine Committee Susan Anderson Magazine Visionary Nancy Pressley Retired CEO Focus Forward Kathy Eide Casas Writer Extraordinaire Magazine Editor Molly Eide Marquez Freelance Editor Joachim Schirmacher Subject Photographer Catherine Curry McNally Magazine Designer

“Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead Our U Turns Allowed group began as a small group with our first publication and…we are still a small group, with one big goal in common...Stories of Hope!

It has been my honor to listen, learn and put into words the stories of these 20 remarkable women and men, all of whom have overcome struggles and challenges that I could never have even imagined. They are all to be commended and thanked for giving us a glimpse into their lives.

It is with pleasure that I have written the stories of Barbara Aranda, Dan Casas, Martha Cornejo, Leslie Davis, Robert de la Torre, Darryl Du’Chene, Steve Geil, Adriana Guillen, Janie Her, Tony Hoffman, Bruce Hood, Daniel Longoria, Kizzy Lopez, Joe Martinez, Susan Murdock, Carissa Phelps, Anthony Rispoli, Cynthia Toepfert, Anthony Tyler, and Morghan Young-Alfaro.

You are the stories of success.

Thank You, Kathy Eide Casas

Creative Team

Keri Bennitt Fresno County Federal Credit Union

Kathy Eide Casas

Joachim Schirmacher

Catherine Curry McNally

Writer Extraordinaire Magazine Editor

Subject Photographer

Magazine Designer

About the Cover: Capturing through my photos, even a touch of the power of the human spirit, the potential of determination and the belief you can turn your life around, is what is reflected within the images in this edition of “U Turns allowed.”

That was my turn.

And then it was their turn...Each of the ten who were featured in our magazine were given the choice of using any combination of paints and markers to create an image that gives the reader an insight into their source of inspiration, motivation and vision.

U Turns Allowed . . . 1

Each one is unique and individual as the person themselves. Together, their images form the cover of the second edition of U Turns Allowed.

Thank You, Joachim Schirmacher

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Table of Contents

About this Magazine . 3 The New Campus . 6 Hall of Hope . 7 Focus Forward Services . 8 Dedication . 9

She was moved 17 different times....

Martha was bouncing from home to home to home.

Susan Murdock Success and Susan Murdock are synonymous.

Bright, articulate, innovative and compassionate; she possesses all the perfect ingredients.

The Vice President of the Central Valley Region of Mental Health Systems, a Magna Cum Laude graduate, the recipient of prestigious awards, scholarships and certifications, Susan Murdock enjoys spending her spare time enjoying her family of eight children, the grandkids, reading and gardening.

Susan Murdock . . . 10

Who would know that she has been down the road less traveled--to hell and back--to emerge the successful mental health care leader she is today.

It all started the year she turned 18.

Raised in a two-parent traditional family with strong values and solid principles, life was like a Norman Rockwell painting.

All was sunny and bright for Susan and her family, until she turned 18 and the brightness turned to darkness--crystal darkness.

Sheltered and protected all her life, she had always secretly yearned for ‘fun’, though she had no idea what that really meant. Not strong enough to tell her friends no, she went along for the ride. Parties led to cocaine, drinking, marijuana, and then came the meth. She was hooked with her first try. She went back looking for more and she just couldn’t stop. Sunshine and lollipops turned to black clouds and the kind of candy that isn’t very sweet at all.

20 . . . Martha Cornejo

Attending classes at Fresno State and working two jobs, Martha was simply overwhelmed.

Unprepared for her new adult life, she failed her classes and was disqualified for the next academic year. Spiraling toward an all-time low, she considered giving up on the idea of getting a college degree of any type.

M OX I E

Yet, with Susan’s guidance and that of an academic counselor at Fresno City College, she enrolled at community college and took life at a more manageable pace. Resilient and tenacious, she successfully completed her classes and reenrolled at Fresno State. The Renaissance Scholars Program provided the support and encouragement she needed, coupled with her own determination. In 2010, Martha Cornejo graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Safety and Health. As a result of her own life experiences, Martha was strongly drawn to this field after developing an interest in helping and improving working conditions among immigrants and low-income families who labor in the most hazardous and dangerous conditions.

RESILIENT

HOPEFUL AC H I E V E R

One of her proudest accomplishments was working with CYC to ‘foster’ new legislation, Assembly Bill 12, which now extends foster care to the age of 21. Never again will a foster youth turn 18 and find herself like Martha – with nowhere to turn but the streets.

Having recently completed her tenure at Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, where she gained a reputation as a great organizer, she is now working with the SEIU-UHW in California as an organizer in training; focusing on hospital campaigns. Her experience allows her to utilize her exceptional abilities to bring people together and effect positive change.

Martha is also undertaking a fellowship with the Women Policy Institute with the Women's Foundation of California. The Women’s Policy Institute amplifies the voices of women who are leading grassroots social justice work, training them on how legislation is made and connecting them to those in power—a perfect fit for Martha Cornejo!

U Turns Allowed . . . 21

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quick·sand [kwik-sand]

Barbara Aranda has emerged from the grips of the quicksand.

noun a bed of soft or loose sand saturated with water and having considerable depth, yielding under weight and therefore tending to suck down any object resting on its surface.

Kizzy knew she hadn’t made it this far to let herself or her sisters down. She was determined to survive.

She continues to give back by being there for the parents of incarcerated juveniles. She’s lived the life. She knows how hard it can be. She shares her story once a month to the community at Hope in Action Tours. From time to time, she visits the women's program she was in and shares her real life story with the ladies that are living there.

Enter Kizzy’s teenage years.

She has broken the cycle of addiction and abandonment for her children. She loves and cherishes life today. She has regained her sanity, her home, her license, and her career. She has become an inspiration for others, and true to her words and the stirrings in her heart, she uses her experiences to mentor others and also volunteers as a coach at her church.

22 . . . Kizzy Lopez

In Barbara’s words, “I am so very grateful for everything I have today. It’s just the simple things that make me smile. For so many years I was angry and never smiled, I just hung my head down.”

One of the happiest moments of Barbara’s life was when her oldest son told her: ‘The past is the past mom, I don't care what happened, I just know I am so proud of you today.

The subsequent years found Kizzy locked into a battle of determination to be with her twin and to have their baby sister with them as well.

One foster parent took all three of the girls in and Kizzy found some resemblance of peace.

The girls were reunited with their father during high school. At 18, Kizzy left her abusive father’s home only to strike out on her own ending up homeless and couch surfing day to day. Sometimes survival meant stealing food or taking toilet paper from public restrooms, or wearing whatever clothes she had, for days at a time.

Many suspected she was hungry and vulnerable, an easy target for some, she could have taken an ‘easier’ path.When others would have used their bodies for money, she refused. When others would have looked out for only themselves and left their siblings to find their own ways, she refused. Kizzy knew she hadn’t made it this far to let herself or her sisters down. She was determined to survive.

Enrolled in community college, with part-time jobs, Kizzy and her twin desperately wanted custody of their younger sister who was living in the back of their father’s covered truck. Early on, Kizzy learned the system and she made a ‘deal’ with her own mother to fill out custodial paperwork for the younger sister, so Kizzy and her twin could care for her. The mom was financially and mentally unstable to care for her children.

Dad drifted in and out of their lives, but continued to fulfill empty promises. It was up to Kizzy and her twin to forge a new life as adults. Keeping true to herself, she would stay focused on her goal of making a better life for herself and her sisters through unimaginable situations.

YOU ARE A LEGEND.’ Barbara further explained, “He's funny, and all three of my kids continue to love me. I have been in the darkest of dark and got help and survived, and so have my children. Thank God for bringing me out of that dirty, dirty clay. He is who I thank and why I am here. I am blessed.”

Barbara Aranda just celebrated her 40th birthday and urges readers to share in her spirit of volunteerism and paying it forward, “This city and world both need more of those who are willing to take the time and energy to reach out to others. Perhaps by reading my story, others will take the challenge of giving of themselves. It’s an awesome reward in your heart.”

Kizzy grows up.

Their Sisterhood of Survival Looking back on those years, the memories feel more like a screen play, than real life. You never really know how much you can take, and how much you can overcome, unless you survive it.

Today, all three women are academic and career leaders in their fields and all share the same sense of justice and passion. It’s simply their way of life.

Barbara and her oldest son plan to collaborate on a book detailing their journey, from a child’s perspective and a mom’s perspective. We are hopeful one day it will be on the best-seller list.

U Turns Allowed . . . 13

Bruce Hood

U Turns Allowed . . . 23

Dr. Morghan Young-Alfaro, Ph.D.

Headed nowhere but to a life of crime, Bruce Hood was arrested 49 times.

“As functional of a unit as a dysfunctional family can be,” is how Morghan describes her years growing up. It’s hard to fathom that this academic super star possessed the wherewithal to pull herself up from the currents of abuse that held a grip on her entire family.

“To the children who are victims of abuse, I urge them to not own the suffering and abuse.”

Bruce Hood . . . 14

TRANSITIONAL

Paying it forward after graduation, Martha joined AmeriCorps where she worked at the Central Valley Health Network, a local non-profit serving underrepresented communities. Throughout her time in foster care and continuing today, she has also remained involved as a youth advocate and leader for other foster children with California Youth Connection (CYC).

She ran away. Her parents were desperate to help her. They hired a private detective but, when you just don’t want to be found, there are so many places to hide.

Barbara Aranda . . . 12

ADOPTED

As a young boy growing up in rural Caruthers, Bruce Hood worked on the farm. Hard work was something that was expected.

He found an interest in training racehorses, and even started his own business hauling hay. It wasn’t that he lacked drive or direction, it was just that the pull of drugs and alcohol lured him to a world where in order to exist, you had to be bad. Very bad.

He struggled in school but managed to complete a vocational program and also enrolled in classes at Fresno City College. He worked at the Vendo Corporation as a welding supervisor.

Life was hard, but he was okay. And then everything changed. In late 1982, a triggering event occurred. He was the victim of a car accident where both legs and arms were broken. His recovery was slow; he had time on his hands, pain in his body, and friends who weren’t friends at all.

24 . . . Dr. Morghan Young-Alfaro, Ph.D.

A product of the Central Valley, Dr. Morghan YoungAlfaro, Ph.D., is a role model for students and colleagues alike. An impressive young woman who has a firm grip on life, career and family, she has fought a hard battle, and won, emerging as only a true champion can. What is especially astonishing about Morghan is her unwavering ability to stay grounded, positive and inspirational to others who have found themselves in challenging and abusive situations. In fact, when asked what she would say to young people who are facing abuse and struggles in their own lives, her messages of hope and balance are crystal clear.

She said she’d like to share the importance of recognizing that every person, no matter how they’re perceived or what their situation, has a story. Good or bad, indifferent or passionate, right or wrong, it’s their story. Morghan went on to emphasize, “Just because a child or teenager is mistreated, does not mean that the person who is mistreating them is reflecting the worth of that child. Someone who is being abusive or neglectful to children has their own reasons for why that is occurring. It is certainly not okay; it is simply the story of their own life.

It is NOT a reflection of the child’s value. To the children who are victims of abuse, I urge them to not own the suffering and abuse.”

Admittedly, she agreed this is a hard place to get to in heart, mind and spirit. It was only then that the words about her own childhood abuse began to spill forward.

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“Even a Stone Can Change Under a Constant Drip”

Daniel Longoria

Anthony Tyler

Daniel Longoria

A quick Google search of motivational and educational speaker Daniel Longoria, brings up a host of hits. The reviews and testimonials are rave.

The list of his accomplishments includes being interviewed by the late great Peter Jennings of ABC World News Tonight.

Longoria is a Practitioner, Counselor, Trainer, Consultant, and Facilitator, all in one. The list doesn’t stop there. An impressive testimonial from Howard K. Himes, Director of the Fresno County Department of Social Services, had this to say after Longoria presented to their 2,200 employees, “The message that we can make a difference in peoples lives by planting seeds of hope, and although you might not see the immediate change from your intervention, there is always a possibility that it might bloom and help someone eventually change their life, has been an important message to remind staff of the importance of the work that we do for families.”

Daniel Longoria . . . 16

You may ask, “What makes his message so compelling, his speaking engagements so meaningful, so personal?”

Like a tumbleweed, young Anthony’s life rolled and rolled until he finally took root…

Imagine…

What it must be like when “mom” does not conjure up the person you love most in your life

26 . . . Anthony Tyler

Having a plastic bag to pack up your few belongings and thirty minutes to move to your “new” home with your “new” parents After five homes, losing count of the number of roofs over your head Having promises made and promises broken, but each time still believing… that belief is what has made Anthony Tyler into the person he is today.

The answer is this: Truly great speakers have lived their story. Their words are a reflection of their actions and lessons learned. Daniel Longoria’s story is personal because he has, indeed, lived his story, and lived to share it with others.

Anthony Tyler doesn’t have to imagine any of those scenarios, he has lived them.

A dad, a husband, a star employee and a Pop Warner football coach who is upbeat and optimistic, he frequently explains to the kids that there’s always a brighter side.

It wasn’t easy.

A childhood filled with first hand scenes of domestic violence. Parents that simply birthed him, giving him no more and no less than a biological start in life. No sense of belonging, because there was no one to whom he could belong.

Placed into Foster Care at age six when his mom got into legal trouble, his last real memory of his dad was when Anthony Tyler was five years old.

His parents divorced and his dad completely faded from the picture of Anthony’s life. Once in the system, Anthony was moved several times, each time having to learn a different routine, with different rules, chores and expectations.

His entire adolescent years were spent caged up, incarcerated. From ages twelve to thirty, with the exception of twenty-four months, he was incarcerated. Eighteen years. From a troubled child to a man in trouble, he grew up in the system.

His siblings were intermittently with him and without him, depending on which home they were in and where they were in the system. The only predictable aspect of Anthony Tyler’s childhood was the unpredictability.

Bullied as a young child, one of his most vivid memories was at six years old, when bullies renamed him M.R.F.F., an acronym for Mentally Retarded Freckle Face. Every child’s worst nightmare, the name continued to follow him, culminating with a resounding chant led by the bullies in the school cafeteria.

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Life unfurled. He rolled along.

He married his girlfriend.

He became a dad.

He was restless.

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“When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.”unknown

When you see Robert de la Torre’s handsome face and engaging smile, as a representative of the City of Fresno’s Learn2Earn program, you’re likely to believe he’s a model rather than someone whose first years were spent in and out of serious trouble. It was his quest for education that turned his life around.

Discouraged and with a now broken spirit, it would have been

easy for Joe to simply drop out and became another statistic. Yet, that same determination that compelled Joe and his twin brother, at age five, to walk through the kindergarten door, again compelled him to stay the course.

He effortlessly scored a perfect 100% on a civil service exam.

He was hired and worked graveyards. He enrolled in electronics courses at adult school.

He excelled. Xerox hired him. While there, he went back to school and received his bachelors degrees.

Robert de la Torre . . . 18

Joe sought out adult mentors to hold him accountable. He

Restless and empty still, he divorced. He worked. He went to school. He commuted to Fresno every weekend to see his daughters.

28 . . . Joe Martinez

His commitment to his children was the one constant that was woven into his oddly unsettled tapestry of life.

The next time opportunity knocked, he heard it! He received an award.

He left his job. The restlessness turned to emptiness and he discovered how to fill that gap. He found a combination of education and having someone believe in him, and that someone was God. His faith became the foundation that propelled and sustained Robert, allowing him to stand up to his full height, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.

In another interesting twist, that Robert believes clearly shows the hand of God is guiding him, he met Phil Kader, the former Director of the Fresno County Juvenile Hall. Literally days before Phil moved to accept a job in a different part of the state, he showed his belief in Robert by accepting Robert’s abilities and allowing him the clearance to share his R.O.C.K. program and peacemaking circles with those currently incarcerated in Juvenile Hall.

Robert de la Torre moved forward and though he’s looked back over his shoulder, his focus remains steadfastly forward.

spent countless hours in study, and received extra help from tutors.

From academic probation to academic excellence, Joe was able to graduate with academic honors, named to the Dean’s List, trained as a community organizer at Stanford University and American University in Washington, D.C., and was accepted to graduate school. After college, he found a job as a youth counselor, paying it forward in his own earnest way.

But his career goals would have to wait because Joe became a foster parent for Paul, his own two-year old nephew; yearning to give him the life his own foster parents had so generously given to Joe and his brother. At eleven, Joe adopted Paul and became his father; an accomplishment that far outshone anything on his Who’s Who list of achievements. Tragically, that chapter of Joe’s life came to an end with the untimely death of his young son. He works hard to channel his grief toward continuing his life-changing work for underserved youth. His faith has been his sustaining rock and today Joe is renown as a highly successful and respected youth advocate for homeless, runaway and street youth. He is nationally recognized as an expert in his field.

Joe Martinez credits his foster parents for giving him a caring, supporting and stable home and for believing in him.

Joe Martinez will forever miss his son.

He pays it forward by following the words of Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

An Admissions Advisor / Degree Completion Representative at Fresno Pacific University, Robert is also a co-founder of R.O.C.K (Restoring Our City's Kids) as mentioned above.

R.O.C.K. utilizes peacemaking circles to provide a process for bringing people together as equals to talk about very difficult issues and painful experiences in an atmosphere of respect and concern for everyone.

Ironically, it was Robert’s past that has led him to such a successful future.

Bennett Family Foundation

Robert currently has custody of his two beautiful daughters.

U Turns Allowed . . . 19

U Turns Allowed . . . 29

U Turns Allowed . . . 5

The New Juvenile Justice Campus Focus Forward was created in 2006 through the merger of two small community based organizations serving at-risk youth and with the collaboration of those at the Probation Department, the Department of Social Services and dedicated community members. At that time, the Probation Department was transitioning from the old juvenile facility, dubbed the ‘Hall of Shame’, to the new state-of-the-art full service facility, aptly named the ‘Hall of Hope’.

The new Juvenile Justice Campus, including the Hall of Hope, was built to address a wide range of youth and family needs well into the 21st century. However, with limited staffing and dwindling funds, Focus Forward was called upon to fund and facilitate services for the incarcerated youth, including mentoring and case management and in partnership with California State University, Fresno.

6 . . . A Focus Forward Publication

‘Hall of Hope’

creating positive change

and promoting successful outcomes

for youth in the Fresno County Juvenile Justice and Foster Care Systems.

In 2006, Focus Forward was pleased to host the grand opening of the Juvenile Justice Campus with a gala that showcased the campus. An elegant dinner was served and an auction of art, created by incarcerated youth, gave guests the opportunity to admire and bid on many creative pieces. The funds raised at that event, in conjunction with grant funding, allowed Focus Forward to take root at the new Juvenile Justice Campus.

The stories in this magazine demonstrate how one program or one individual can change the lives of troubled youth in the justice system or foster care system and benefit our community with individuals who become good neighbors, community leaders, and healthy, whole beings. When we embarked on this project, we were struggling with the appropriate name for this magazine. We interviewed the youth, describing the magazine. There were several creative suggestions, but one young man suggested “U Turns Allowed”. It was, without a doubt, the right name, and is indicative of the youth’s understanding that the support he has received will allow him to make that U-Turn.

Fast forward to 2014 and you’ll find that Focus Forward continues to work closely with the Probation Department.

This unique public/private partnership allows services to the youth to continue to expand and meet their identified needs. Flexibility and perseverance on the part of both Focus Forward and Probation have led to positive outcomes for the youth as well as for community members of the County of Fresno. We look forward to continuing to serve the youth in the Fresno County Systems, alongside Probation, the Department of Social Services, the Courts and our community partners.

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors for paying it forward and recognizing the value of these stories to the community.

It is your generosity that allows us to share them and for that, your community thanks you.

Please visit our website to learn about additional services and for more information: www.focusforward.org

U Turns Allowed . . . 7

Services for Juvenile Justice Youth Arts and Culture: Volunteers lead art and creative writing workshops for the youth. The workshops provide youth with opportunities to view themselves as having self-worth and give them the opportunity for positive self-expression. Art has been proven to assist the youth in developing critical thinking skills and providing an avenue for dissipating anger. Some of the art produced by the youth is auctioned at our annual art show, generating funds for our services.

Mentoring and Case Management:

We are in our sixth year of providing mentoring and case management to incarcerated youth. We utilize interns during the academic year along with community volunteers year around. Mentors meet with the youth at least weekly and develop trust by listening, tutoring, reading to them, and by helping the youth set goals and develop self-efficacy.

Mentoring and case management consist not only of providing the youth with services while they are in custody, but also connecting them to services when they transition to the community.

Meditation:

Youth participate in weekly meditation sessions in which they develop self awareness, critical thinking, and redirect their anger and frustration; building resiliency.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention:

Reproductive Health Education Classes are provided to incarcerated youth. Focus Forward volunteers are provided Adult Ally training so they can address youth concerns regarding HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and family planning.

Peacemaking Circles:

Volunteers lead the youth in a participatory process that allows the youth to share their truth, stories and experiences in a safe and supportive environment and allows them to hear others’ stories leading to self awareness and self responsibility in their relationships with others.

Services for Foster Youth: Access to Higher Education: Focus Forward fundraises for this annual event for foster youth which is provided by our County partners. The youth spend a day at California State University, Fresno learning about opportunities available to them in higher education.

The youth who participate develop a sense of community and belonging and are linked to education and other resources that support them in self-sufficiency.

Bright Futures Program: This pregnant and parenting teen program began in January of 2008 funded by First 5 Fresno County. The goal of this program is to strengthen families by providing supportive services to pregnant and parenting teens involved in the juvenile justice system. The intended outcome of Bright Futures is to give the teens the tools they need to make better decisions for themselves and provide their children with healthy homes, ultimately interrupting patterns of family criminality.

Best Dressed Kids/Teens: This program provides new and gently used clothing to foster kids. Focus Forward supports the program by offering an avenue for donations.

Spoken Word Poetry: Youth who participate in spoken word

Youth Scholarships:

poetry are able to express their anger, sadness and dreams in a positive manner. They develop self awareness and critical thinking skills, resulting in improved social and academic skills.

8 . . . A Focus Forward Publication

Each year, Focus Forward provides five scholarships to foster youth who have graduated from high school and have been accepted into college. These scholarships are for books or school supplies.

“Nancy is very passionate about her work and truly cares about her employees.”

Nancy Pressley

“Her countless hours, for her very minimal stipend, shows her dedication to the organization. She proves that when she commits herself to something, she gives it 110%.”

“Nancy is a dynamic leader, always supportive and kind.”

“She is unselfish, often putting others needs ahead of her own.”

“Under Nancy’s direction, we have expanded both the arts and culture and mentoring programs to provide more comprehensive services.”

“Consistently organized our annual Art Show with help from the board, partners, staff and volunteers.”

“Nancy has led Focus Forward in such a positive direction. Her leadership will be greatly missed.”

“We have established relationships with several agencies so that they can meet youth here while in custody prior to release so youth are more likely to access their services post release.”

For a very fortunate few among us, we come across that special someone in our careers or within our industries, who quietly and methodically make a big difference.

For those who care about all kids, that person is Nancy Pressley.

Her resume is impressive, filled with education, experience, honors and accolades. While she modestly acknowledges the praise, she quickly returns to the business at hand of doing the best she can for troubled youth.

However, don’t let her soft-spoken mannerisms fool you. She is the quintessence of the proverbial ‘iron fist in a velvet glove’. Though a slight soft-spoken person, underneath that exterior she is tough, determined and resilient.

It is largely due to Nancy’s tenacity that Focus Forward has grown to effectively partner with Probation, the Courts, CSUFresno and the Department of Social Services…all for the benefit of the kids in the juvenile justice and foster care systems.

It is with gratitude and love in our hearts, that we dedicate this second issue of the Focus Forward Stories of Hope, to Nancy Pressley.

“Nancy began our partnership with Fresno Barrios Unidos. We partner with them for reproductive health education (on our teen pregnancy prevention grants) and several other services for both our youth and mentors.”

“Nancy wrote the grants to begin our First 5 funded Bright Futures program for pregnant and parenting teens involved in the juvenile justice system.

Consistently organized our annual Art Show with help from the board, partners, staff and volunteers.”

U Turns Allowed . . . 9

Susan Murdock Success and Susan Murdock are synonymous.

Bright, articulate, innovative and compassionate; she possesses all the perfect ingredients.

The Vice President of the Central Valley Region of Mental Health Systems, a Magna Cum Laude graduate, the recipient of prestigious awards, scholarships and certifications, Susan Murdock enjoys spending her spare time enjoying her family of eight children, the grandkids, reading and gardening.

Who would know that she has been down the road less traveled--to hell and back--to emerge the successful mental health care leader she is today.

It all started the year she turned 18.

Raised in a two-parent traditional family with strong values and solid principles, life was like a Norman Rockwell painting.

All was sunny and bright for Susan and her family, until she turned 18 and the brightness turned to darkness--crystal darkness.

Sheltered and protected all her life, she had always secretly yearned for ‘fun’, though she had no idea what that really meant. Not strong enough to tell her friends no, she went along for the ride. Parties led to cocaine, drinking, marijuana, and then came the meth. She was hooked with her first try. She went back looking for more and she just couldn’t stop. Sunshine and lollipops turned to black clouds and the kind of candy that isn’t very sweet at all.

She ran away. Her parents were desperate to help her. They hired a private detective but, when you just don’t want to be found, there are so many places to hide.

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“To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

This once all-American girl now passed the years as a homeless helpless addict. Living in a car, on a couch or in the street, by now, she had five kids in tow.

The year was 1993. She was pulled over for driving under the influence and in possession; and charged with both. She was given the option of doing two years in a treatment program, with her kids. In exchange, if she had a perfect program with clean tests for two years, her record would be sealed. It was a scary and sobering gamble. The down side was that if she failed, she would face a ten-year prison term. No plea bargains, no what-if ’s, no more I’ll try harder.

Ten years baby,

That was the deal. Take it or leave it.

She did it. She enrolled. She worked hard.

She recovered from her addiction. She learned to be a parent.

While at the Home Again program in Redlands, where she was given this opportunity to restructure her life, they saw her great potential. Home Again presented her with the opportunity to attend San Bernardino Valley College.

She did it. She enrolled. She worked hard.

She completed her certificate as a Substance Abuse Counselor and earned an Associates Degree for Human Services.

She won every available scholarship for the students with the most potential in the substances abuse and social service field.

Susan Murdock had lived the lesson plans.

She went on to complete a prestigious six-month internship at a veterans hospital at Loma Linda University. She found love and married. Her husband at the time had also been through the recovery program and was employed as a medical biller.

But, they grew apart. The marriage ended, but her career had just begun.

She did it. She worked hard.

She could see she was making a difference.

The year was 2002. Susan went to work as a Senior Counselor, where she remained until the manager of the program became ill and she stepped in as Interim Director. The following year, she assumed the position of Manager. As a result of this position, she was required to return to college, which she did, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

She did it. She worked hard. She earned her degree.

She was now the mom of eight amazing children.

The need for her work escalated. In 2006, the Fresno Juvenile Justice Center opened and the unit increased from 24 to 40 beds. In 2008, Susan Murdock acquired the mental health piece to the adolescent and substance abuse unit and juvenile drug court. In 2009, Fresno County Probation broached the need for providing the kids who were going to CYA with an individualized program. New Horizons was born. 30 boys are enrolled in this specialized program; helping them reintegrate back into the community.

In Susan’s words, “During the years that I’ve been doing this, I get asked so many times why do we even try---these are just bad kids. The reality is—that’s not the case. The real story is this: we have hundreds of children who, over the course of years, have graduated from high school, who are in the military, who have their master’s degrees, who are social workers, business professional, substance abuse counselors.”

“To know that my first hand experience has played a role in their success is worth more than anything you could ever imagine.”

They did it. They worked hard. They have succeeded.

With their success, comes success for all of us, as a community.

The year was 1997. Susan was hired by The Alcohol and Drug Council as a Prevention Specialist. Working out of the old Hall of Shame, the former Fresno County Juvenile Hall on Tenth Street, she was responsible for providing alcohol and drug prevention education to every single classroom.

Thank you, Susan, for your courageous actions, your tenacity of spirit and your willingness to share your story.

You are an inspiration.

U Turns Allowed . . . 11

Barbara Aranda Caught in dirty clay, like quicksand, sucking you down as you struggle to get up and out to fresh air is how Barbara Aranda describes her ascent up from her rocky start to life.

Most typical nine-year old girls are playing dress up and hide and seek. They are carefree and inquisitive, conducting experiments for science fair, getting lost in reading, drawing pictures and pretending to be doctors, teachers and artists.

When Barbara Aranda was nine, she was conducting experiments, but she wasn’t experimenting with how fast an egg fries on a hot sidewalk or what happens when you mix oil and water. Barbara was experimenting with alcohol and marijuana. At nine…

At the tender age of two, Barbara was already part of the “system”, bounced from one foster ‘home’ to another. An engaging little girl, she was an easy target for those who wished to do her harm. Molested at her foster home and on visitations at her biological mother’s house, she was soon acting out. Not understanding what was happening to her, she was sent to ‘Mental Health’ sessions as a result of her actions. Yet, with no compass to guide her, she lacked any direction. Trying to escape the demons that surrounded her, she sought comfort from the only source she knew…drugs. Not just one drug, she continued to experiment with many, and developed a powerful addiction.

When she was flying high, she entered another world, one where numbness was so much better than the pain from her real life. Unfortunately, this highflying feeling was only an effect of the drugs, and when it was time to come down, she sank even lower. Little did young Barbara know that the quick sand was pulling her down into the vortex of self-destruction.

Her drug addiction continued for 15 long years. Promiscuity followed and she mistook the comfort she felt from sex with actual love. Not only were the drugs toxic to her system, but her relationships were toxic as well. Her Prince Charmings were abusers, but she knew nothing else. She gave birth to three boys. Cycles repeat and soon she neglected her own children, just as she had been neglected. In and out of prison, revolving in and out of jail and treatment programs, homeless, in and out of shelters, the rotating cycle of destruction felt endless. Yet, she survived.

Housed in a new program, it was there that the grips of destruction eased.

She finally got the clinical help she so desperately needed. Ironically, it was from a program in the same Mental Health system where she had started as a child and where she now works!

Today, Barbara Aranda has emerged from the grips of the quicksand. It has taken time and tenacity. It hasn’t been easy. As Barbara says, “It was finally my time and I have reversed the cycle.” She has accepted Jesus Christ as her savoir and has now realized that He was always there, she just needed to learn about Him and accept Him. Barbara currently serves as a Family Support Partner with the Mental Health Systems, where she herself received the treatment she needed so long ago.

She recently graduated with her Associate Degree in Business Administration from Heald College. Barbara plans to further her education with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services.

12 . . . A Focus Forward Publication

quick·sand [kwik-sand]

noun a bed of soft or loose sand saturated with water and having considerable depth, yielding under weight and therefore tending to suck down any object resting on its surface.

Barbara Aranda has emerged from the grips of the quicksand.

She continues to give back by being there for the parents of incarcerated juveniles. She’s lived the life. She knows how hard it can be. She shares her story once a month with the community at Hope in Action Tours. From time to time, she visits the women's program she was in and shares her real life story with the ladies that are living there.

She has broken the cycle of addiction and abandonment for her children. She loves and cherishes life today. She has regained her sanity, her home, her license, and her career. She has become an inspiration for others, and true to her words and the stirrings in her heart, she uses her experiences to mentor others and also volunteers as a coach at her church.

In Barbara’s words, “I am so very grateful for everything I have today. It’s just the simple things that make me smile. For so many years I was angry and never smiled, I just hung my head down.”

One of the happiest moments of Barbara’s life was when her oldest son told her: ‘The past is the past mom, I don't care what happened, I just know I am so proud of you today.

YOU ARE A LEGEND.’ Barbara further explained, “He's funny, and all three of my kids continue to love me. I have been in the darkest of dark and got help and survived, and so have my children. Thank God for bringing me out of that dirty, dirty clay. He is who I thank and why I am here. I am blessed.”

Barbara Aranda just celebrated her 40th birthday and urges readers to share in her spirit of volunteerism and paying it forward, “This city and world both need more of those who are willing to take the time and energy to reach out to others. Perhaps by reading my story, others will take the challenge of giving of themselves.

It’s an awesome reward in your heart.”

Barbara and her oldest son plan to collaborate on a book detailing their journey, from a child’s perspective and a mom’s perspective. We are hopeful one day it will be on the best-seller list.

U Turns Allowed . . . 13

Bruce Hood

Headed nowhere but to a life of crime, Bruce Hood was arrested 49 times.

As a young boy growing up in rural Caruthers, Bruce Hood worked on the farm. Hard work was something that was expected.

He found an interest in training racehorses, and even started his own business hauling hay. It wasn’t that he lacked drive or direction, it was just that the pull of drugs and alcohol lured him to a world where in order to exist, you had to be bad. Very bad.

He struggled in school but managed to complete a vocational program and also enrolled in classes at Fresno City College. He worked at the Vendo Corporation as a welding supervisor.

Life was hard, but he was okay. And then everything changed. In late 1982, a triggering event occurred. He was the victim of a car accident where both legs and arms were broken. His recovery was slow; he had time on his hands, pain in his body, and friends who weren’t friends at all.

14 . . . A Focus Forward Publication

He started stealing.

Shot twice by a security guard during a burglary, this would be the landmark event that began Hood’s steady stream of arrests. In and out of jail so many times, he nearly lost count of if he was going in the door or coming out to freedom. Each time the door swung open to freedom, it slammed shut behind him again.

Now entrenched in a lifestyle far outside the law, it was during a jail stay in 1990 where Bruce answered the call of Christ. This would be the event that changed his life, not just during his jail stay, but it set the course for what has ultimately become his life’s work.

He was the victim of a car accident where both legs and arms were broken.

Today he still bears the physical scars of both the accident and the shooting, but as he walked through the exit doors of the jail for the last time, he knew he would never be behind those bars again.

Today he still bears the physical scars of both the accident and the shooting, but as he walked through the exit doors of the jail for the last time, he knew he would never be behind those bars again.

Now when Bruce Hood enters the jail, it is in his position as Fresno Police Chaplain; healing, helping and providing solace.

Chaplain Bruce Hood was the first former inmate to become a paid Chaplain’s Assistant in the Fresno County Jail.

He went on to spend several years as a Senior Chaplain at the Fresno Rescue Mission, reaching out to other men who had experienced trouble. In 2005, Pastor Hood resigned from the Mission and founded the Feed My Sheep Ministries, a nonprofit organization headquartered in West Fresno. He didn’t stop there. Hood’s Fresno Innercity Outreach, also has a home in west Fresno. Men’s recovery homes, a women’s and children’s outreach program, gang intervention, food distribution, block parties, card shows, basketball tournaments, and marches against gangs drugs and violence are just a sprinkling of the programs that Hood has activated. Paying it forward indeed.

Bruce works with Prison Fellowship, giving his testimony and being a spokesperson for Fresno Innercity Outreach, Inc. He has also been involved with Fresno County Jail inmates by making countless court appearances as an advocate for inmate release and inmate transition to recovery programs. The men served at Feed My Sheep are those recently released from jail or those who come into the program, change their lives and are no longer at risk of incarceration.

Pastor Hood is well-known throughout Central California for his tireless work in bringing the Word of God, helping the hungry, and providing housing, rehabilitation, in custody services and job network services to those individuals on parole and probation. He has received many awards and recognition for his service to the communities of Central California.

Thank you Bruce for being a shining light for those in the darkness.

U Turns Allowed . . . 15

Daniel Longoria

“Even a Stone Can Change Under a Constant Drip” Daniel Longoria

A quick Google search of motivational and educational speaker Daniel Longoria, brings up a host of hits. The reviews and testimonials are rave.

The list of his accomplishments includes being interviewed by the late great Peter Jennings of ABC World News Tonight.

Longoria is a Practitioner, Counselor, Trainer, Consultant, and Facilitator, all in one. The list doesn’t stop there. An impressive testimonial from Howard K. Himes, former Director of the Fresno County Department of Social Services, had this to say after Longoria presented to their 2,200 employees, “The message that we can make a difference in peoples lives by planting seeds of hope, and although you might not see the immediate change from your intervention, there is always a possibility that it might bloom and help someone eventually change their life, has been an important message to remind staff of the importance of the work that we do for families.”

You may ask, “What makes his message so compelling, his speaking engagements so meaningful, so personal?”

The answer is this: Truly great speakers have lived their story. Their words are a reflection of their actions and lessons learned. Daniel Longoria’s story is personal because he has, indeed, lived his story, and lived to share it with others.

It wasn’t easy.

A childhood filled with first hand scenes of domestic violence. Parents that simply birthed him, giving him no more and no less than a biological start in life. No sense of belonging, because there was no one to whom he could belong.

His entire adolescent years were spent caged up, incarcerated. From ages twelve to thirty, with the exception of twenty-four months, he was incarcerated. Eighteen years. From a troubled child to a man in trouble, he grew up in the system.

Bullied as a young child, one of his most vivid memories was at six years old, when bullies renamed him M.R.F.F., an acronym for Mentally Retarded Freckle Face. Every child’s worst nightmare, the name continued to follow him, culminating with a resounding chant led by the bullies in the school cafeteria.

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From ages twelve to thirty, with the exception of twenty-four months, he was incarcerated. Eighteen years. From a troubled child to a man in trouble, he grew up in the system.

By age ten, he had begun to use and abuse drugs and alcohol.

The pattern continued and so did the frequency. Disrespect was the only way he knew to treat others. Gangs saw the vulnerability and gained their foothold on him. At age 10.

At age 12, his first arrest came. His new “family”, the gang, had already rewarded him with four gang related tattoos. At age 12.

He would go on to have 61 tattoos.

Juvenile Hall was Daniel Longoria’s childhood home. As a (300) Foster Care Dependent and a (600) Court adjudicated youth in out-of-home placement, his address was the Robert K. Meyers Youth Center and, later, the California Youth Authority in Preston.

His choices continued to send him downward. He experienced his first drug overdose. During one of the brief times he was free, he was hospitalized for five days as a result of this overdose. His substance abuse continued with cocaine and heroin, overdosing time and again. He totaled five separate vehicles, barely walking away from the collisions; oddly lucky that he did not seriously injure himself or others. He would never know or even think to question why he was spared, until much later in his life.

Even more incredible was that all of those experiences occurred during his two years of accumulated time outside of the justice system, between the ages of 12-30. A patchwork of two total years of freedom, during an eighteen year time span---and that’s how he chose to use that precious time of freedom; drunk, drugged and immersed in criminal activity.

All those years of fighting, stabbings, crime, and drugs would culminate with the majority of his adult life being spent in Corcoran, DVI Tracy, Soledad Central, New Folsom, Wasco and in the Pelican Bay Security Housing Unit where he finalized his crime and gang career.

He paroled in 1996, and was classified as a ‘level five’ threat with 150 security points. He was seen as a threat to the safety and security of the very institution that housed him. He was not even given consideration into becoming a pro-social member of society. Gangs, drugs, and crime had a vice-like grip on him.

And then, something loosened.

ABC World News Tonight was spearheading a story following reports that the guards in Corcoran prison were staging gladiator type fights between opposing gang members. Daniel came forward and spoke. His interview was aired on the national news in 1997, where he described the events.

It was a liberating experience for Daniel. He had been on parole for six months. He experienced a moment of clarity and chose to face the undeniable reality of the road to certain destruction he had worked so hard to make for himself. A path he alone had carved out and he alone had chosen to follow.

As is sometimes the remarkable case, there was one individual who helped Daniel. He attributes his Parole Officer Gary Paden, with being instrumental in building his foundation for a new life. He went further and surrendered himself to the PAAR Center, a residential recovery home for adult males and parolees.

The CEO of the PAAR Center saw in Daniel the extraordinary strength necessary to be able to share with others the struggles he had wrestled with, and was overcoming. He flourished.

Daniel Longoria had been given a second chance and he took it.

Life began anew.

Daniel believes that finding the beauty through the ruins in himself first, has made it possible for him to find it in others, allowing him to experience complete redemption in human service.

Against all odds, the stone has indeed changed its shape.

Sponsored by Dan Martin

U Turns Allowed . . . 17

Robert de la Torre Self-described as having “Little Man’s Syndrome” is how Robert de la Torre explains his rough start in life. From a traditional family unit of mother, father and sister, his sister ran away at age 15. Oddly enough, life took a similar turn for Robert at that same age. At 15, he was arrested for stealing cars at an auction yard. Slight for his age, he was placed on probation for this first offense. However, it was clear that he hadn’t learned his lesson when shortly after that first offense, he went out and stole a deputy sheriff’s personal car. What did he find in the car? The deputy’s gun.

Finder’s Keepers was Robert’s theory. The gun gave him the power to feel larger than life. Although at age 17, he still was only about 4’11” and weighed in at around 100 pounds. No more 100-pound weakling jokes for him. He had a gun.

His girlfriend was sent to Fresno and he followed. His priorities were off balance and bad decisions were the only decisions he made. He was trying to save money to be with his young love, but he lacked the patience. Instead of earning money the right way, he broke into cars and stole credit cards. He got the money, but in a cruel twist of fate, he lost the wad of stolen money out of his own pocket. Then came another bad decision, this time with serious consequences. He attempted to rob a woman at McDonald’s, selecting a target he thought would be an easy one. He was wrong. She attempted to escape in her car. He got mad and shot up her car and consequently, the woman was struck in the neck. He was tried as an adult at age 17 and faced 20+ years. Remanded to adult court, he took a plea of Assault with a Deadly Weapon, (ADW), and received the lowest possible sentence of two years. Shipped off for a 90-day observation for the system to decide if he would live at San Quentin or in the CYA, he was sent to CYA.

Bouncing back and forth between the Juvenile Court, Juvenile Hall and the CYA, he was constantly on the move, until fate intervened.

It was during one of his times in Juvenile Hall that a group of women came to visit the inmates, bibles in hand. Call it a fateful coincidence (although Robert doesn’t), that these ladies had ended up on the boys’ side of the facility, since they had been scheduled to only visit the girls.

One of the ladies was the mom of a childhood friend of Robert’s. She recognized him and approached him. It was that interaction that would change the path of Robert’s life.

They talked into the evening and after she left, Robert experienced a sense of freedom and remorse. He promised himself he would do better.

He served his time and was released to his parents who were supportive of his efforts.

He did do better….for awhile.

He found a job, but it was low paying and required hard physical work.

He had completed his high school requirements while incarcerated.

It was clear he was a bright kid, yet he had a nagging sensation there should be more for him. His friends mocked him. True friends they weren’t, but he wasn’t aware of that yet. He was hired as a temporary worker for the US Postal Service. Yet, in spite of how far he had come, that same ‘little man’s complex’ kept drawing him back. He bought a motorcycle, but had reckless abandon on the bike. Ticket after ticket came. He was book smart but still lacked smart choices.

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Life unfurled. He rolled along.

He married his girlfriend.

He became a dad.

He was restless.

When you see Robert de la Torre’s handsome face and engaging smile, as a representative of the City of Fresno’s Learn2Earn program, you’re likely to believe he’s a model rather than someone whose first years were spent in and out of serious trouble. It was his quest for education that turned his life around.

He effortlessly scored a perfect 100% on a civil service exam.

He was hired and worked graveyards. He enrolled in electronics courses at adult school.

He excelled. Xerox hired him. While there, he went back to school and received his bachelor’s degree.

Restless and empty still, he divorced. He worked. He went to school. He commuted to Fresno every weekend to see his daughters.

His commitment to his children was the one constant that was woven into his oddly unsettled tapestry of life.

The next time opportunity knocked, he heard it! He received an award. He left his job. The restlessness turned to emptiness and he discovered how to fill that gap. He found a combination of education and having someone believe in him, and that someone was God. His faith became the foundation that propelled and sustained Robert, allowing him to stand up to his full height, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.

In another interesting twist, that Robert believes clearly shows the hand of God is guiding him, he met Phil Kader, the former Director of the Fresno County Juvenile Hall. Literally days before Phil moved to accept a job in a different part of the state, he showed his belief in Robert by accepting Robert’s abilities and allowing him the clearance to share his R.O.C.K. program and peacemaking circles with those currently incarcerated in Juvenile Hall. Robert de la Torre moved forward and though he’s looked back over his shoulder, his focus remains steadfastly forward.

An Admissions Advisor / Degree Completion Representative at Fresno Pacific University, Robert is also a co-founder of R.O.C.K (Restoring Our City's Kids) as mentioned above. R.O.C.K. utilizes peacemaking circles to provide a process for bringing people together as equals to talk about very difficult issues and painful experiences in an atmosphere of respect and concern for everyone.

Ironically, it was Robert’s past that has led him to such a successful future.

Robert currently has custody of his two beautiful daughters.

U Turns Allowed . . . 19

Martha Cornejo Just off a bumpy dirt road in the small Arizona border town of Sonora, Mexico, ran the potholed trail that led to the doorstep of the orphanage where Martha Cornejo spent her first twelve years. Each day brought the same scorching rays of sunshine. Hot rays that would glisten through the smudged windows of the stark space she shared with the other orphans. In a room that should have been filled with toys, clothes and colorful decorations, instead it held neat rows of worn shoes, lined up under thin worn cots.

The Catholic order of nuns who ran the orphanage and cared for the girls kept a strict predictable schedule. With the start of each day, their shrill whistles brought the girls to life as their daily routine began.

Abandoned at the orphanage at birth, Martha’s mother was enveloped in mental health issues; unable to care for her tiny daughter. Though she had no family or adult constant presence in her life besides the nuns, to young Martha, the consistency of her life was something to which she adjusted. She simply knew no other way.

When Martha turned twelve, a new chapter in her life unexpectedly opened. Her previously predictable routine shifted dramatically with the appearance of her grandmother. Grandma lived in the U.S. and came to adopt Martha.The adoption quickly brought great and sudden challenges. Stability and familiarity were gone, replaced with a new country, a new language and a new family. Then came the abuse. Once discovered, Martha was quickly removed and placed into the foster care system.

The pages of Martha’s life turned again to a new chapter, this time authored by the foster care system.

Over the course of the next few years, she was moved 17 different times. At the age of 16, when most young adults are taking their drivers license exams and planning prom nights, Martha was bouncing from home to home to home.

Yet, it was during this time that Martha met a woman who would eventually become her mentor. Then Fresno County Supervisor and attorney Susan Anderson had a profound effect on Martha’s life. Though naturally suspicious, Martha was intrigued by this suit-wearing woman who seemed genuinely interested in her. When Susan shared that she had not always been successful and had indeed struggled to overcome her own obstacles, Martha dared to believe that maybe she, too, could one day be successful. Though she began to earnestly work toward that success, more struggles awaited.

On her 18th birthday, according to the foster care system, Martha literally overnight, turned from child to adult. With her new adult status, she was forced to leave her current foster home. Not knowing where to turn, she moved into the EOC Sanctuary Transitional Living Center for homeless youth. One day a child, the next an adult, Martha was unprepared for the glaring overnight transition from childhood to adulthood.

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She was moved 17 different times....

Martha was bouncing from home to home to home.

Attending classes at Fresno State and working two jobs, Martha was simply overwhelmed.

Unprepared for her new adult life, she failed her classes and was disqualified for the next academic year. Spiraling toward an all-time low, she considered giving up on the idea of getting a college degree of any type.

M OX I E

Yet, with Susan’s guidance and that of an academic counselor at Fresno City College, she enrolled at community college and took life at a more manageable pace. Resilient and tenacious, she successfully completed her classes and reenrolled at Fresno State. The Renaissance Scholars Program provided the support and encouragement she needed, coupled with her own determination. In 2010, Martha Cornejo graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Safety and Health. As a result of her own life experiences, Martha was strongly drawn to this field after developing an interest in helping and improving working conditions among immigrants and low-income families who labor in the most hazardous and dangerous conditions.

RESILIENT

ADOPTED

TRANSITIONAL HOPEFUL AC H I E V E R

Paying it forward after graduation, Martha joined AmeriCorps where she worked at the Central Valley Health Network, a local non-profit serving underrepresented communities. Throughout her time in foster care and continuing today, she has also remained involved as a youth advocate and leader for other foster children with California Youth Connection (CYC).

One of her proudest accomplishments was working with CYC to ‘foster’ new legislation, Assembly Bill 12, which now extends foster care to the age of 21. Never again will a foster youth turn 18 and find herself like Martha – with nowhere to turn but the streets.

Having recently completed her tenure at Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, where she gained a reputation as a great organizer, she is now working with the SEIU-UHW in California as an organizer in training; focusing on hospital campaigns. Her experience allows her to utilize her exceptional abilities to bring people together and effect positive change.

Martha is also undertaking a fellowship with the Women Policy Institute with the Women's Foundation of California. The Women’s Policy Institute amplifies the voices of women who are leading grassroots social justice work, training them on how legislation is made and connecting them to those in power—a perfect fit for Martha Cornejo!

U Turns Allowed . . . 21

Kizzy Lopez Meet Kizzy.

Welcome home.

Immediately struck by her confidence, composure and beauty, Kizzy is a story of success and survival.

The years passed. The girls circled in and out of constantly revolving schools, homes of relatives and friends and motel rooms. Always on the move, instability was their way of life. It was when the girls turned 10 that they became the older sisters to a baby girl. Homeless again, dad was gone.

The couch at an already overcrowded friend’s house was their current home. It was there that the mom snapped.

Overwhelmed and losing her grip on life, the mom grabbed their 18 month old baby sister, and started slapping her.

Once she started, she just couldn’t stop. The friend called for help. When that help came, it was in the form of a police officer who took all three kids away and placed them in a foster home, the first of many to come.

Articulate and well-educated, invisible to those who meet her are the obstacles she has overcome to become the champion she is today. Kizzy is a well-respected advocate, coordinator, and mentor for former foster youth in the Renaissance Scholars Program; those who are trying to continue their higher education. Indeed it is an ironic twist of life, that it was Kizzy’s own childhood experience in foster care that has laid the foundation for her fervent passion for guiding these students. Currently a doctoral candidate, an innovative leader in her field, a wife and a mother, she sets an unprecedented example of determination and success.

Welcome to the world Kizzy.

A twin, she and her sister were born on the Lemoore Naval base, to a mom who had just arrived here from the Philippines and a dad who was in the U. S. Navy.

For many military kids, moving is a way of life. But, for Kizzy and her family, frequent bouts of homelessness was a more realistic portrayal of their unsettled lifestyle. With home ‘sites’ stretching from the east coast to California, their family unit included their military dad, an alcoholic, and their mom, a docile foreign woman, afraid to make waves with her often-violent husband. The mom was considered the dad’s ‘possession’ and the dad treated her as such. Dad’s word was law. Drinking and using, not paying attention to his wife or his baby girls made him careless about the company he kept. Most of his party buddies were less than upstanding citizens; the more attention he paid to them, the less attention he devoted to his own world. Though still children, Kizzy and her twin sister were vulnerable to many dark forces. This was Kizzy’s reality.

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The children were sent to emergency placement. In young Kizzy’s eyes, mind and heart, her mom had given them away.

It was that placement that catapulted Kizzy from 11-year old child to 11-year old survivor.

Over the course of the next ten years, Kizzy’s tenacity and drive, her sheer will to survive, would turn her into mom, guardian, and protector. She and her twin worked in unison to protect their baby sister. A tall order for any child.

But, Kizzy was no ordinary child.

The puzzle pieces of Kizzy’s life could not be assembled in any order that fit. Kizzy knew that she had to be with her twin and younger sister. To be apart from them made life intolerable. In and out of homes and court, a biological aunt took the girls in. They were together, but with their 13th birthday came a separation that would have lifelong implications. On that one night when Kizzy had allowed herself to celebrate, came a birthday surprise that would be a birthday nightmare. In the middle of their slumber party, their maternal aunt made good on a directive from her husband: the girls had to go, and go they did. While their friends were there, a social worker came and took the girls away. The last vision the girls had of that home was the shocked looks and tears on their friends’ faces, with their sleeping bags laid out over the floor, as the girls looked through the back window of the social worker’s car.

Happy Birthday Kizzy.

Kizzy knew she hadn’t made it this far to let herself or her sisters down. She was determined to survive.

Enter Kizzy’s teenage years.

The subsequent years found Kizzy locked into a battle of determination to be with her twin and to have their baby sister with them as well.

One foster parent took all three of the girls in and Kizzy found some resemblance of peace.

The girls were reunited with their father during high school. At 18, Kizzy left her abusive father’s home only to strike out on her own ending up homeless and couch surfing day to day. Sometimes survival meant stealing food or taking toilet paper from public restrooms, or wearing whatever clothes she had, for days at a time.

Many suspected she was hungry and vulnerable, an easy target for some, she could have taken an ‘easier’ path.When others would have used their bodies for money, she refused. When others would have looked out for only themselves and left their siblings to find their own ways, she refused. Kizzy knew she hadn’t made it this far to let herself or her sisters down. She was determined to survive.

Enrolled in community college, with part-time jobs, Kizzy and her twin desperately wanted custody of their younger sister who was living in the back of their father’s covered truck. Early on, Kizzy learned the system and she made a ‘deal’ with her own mother to fill out custodial paperwork for the younger sister, so Kizzy and her twin could care for her. The mom was financially and mentally unstable to care for her children.

Dad drifted in and out of their lives, but continued to fulfill empty promises. It was up to Kizzy and her twin to forge a new life as adults. Keeping true to herself, she would stay focused on her goal of making a better life for herself and her sisters through unimaginable situations.

Kizzy grows up.

Their Sisterhood of Survival Looking back on those years, the memories feel more like a screen play, than real life. You never really know how much you can take, and how much you can overcome, unless you survive it.

Today, all three women are academic and career leaders in their fields and all share the same sense of justice and passion. It’s simply their way of life.

U Turns Allowed . . . 23

Dr. Morghan Young-Alfaro, Ph.D. “To the children who are victims of abuse, I urge them to not own the suffering and abuse.”

“As functional of a unit as a dysfunctional family can be,” is how Morghan describes her years growing up. It’s hard to fathom that this academic super star possessed the wherewithal to pull herself up from the currents of abuse that held a grip on her entire family.

A product of the Central Valley, Dr. Morghan YoungAlfaro, Ph.D., is a role model for students and colleagues alike. An impressive young woman who has a firm grip on life, career and family, she has fought a hard battle, and won, emerging as only a true champion can. What is especially astonishing about Morghan is her unwavering ability to stay grounded, positive and inspirational to others who have found themselves in challenging and abusive situations. In fact, when asked what she would say to young people who are facing abuse and struggles in their own lives, her messages of hope and balance are crystal clear.

She said she’d like to share the importance of recognizing that every person, no matter how they’re perceived or what their situation, has a story. Good or bad, indifferent or passionate, right or wrong, it’s their story. Morghan went on to emphasize, “Just because a child or teenager is mistreated, does not mean that the person who is mistreating them is reflecting the worth of that child. Someone who is being abusive or neglectful to children has their own reasons for why that is occurring. It is certainly not okay; it is simply the story of their own life.

It is NOT a reflection of the child’s value. To the children who are victims of abuse, I urge them to not own the suffering and abuse.”

Admittedly, she agreed this is a hard place to get to in heart, mind and spirit. It was only then that the words about her own childhood abuse began to spill forward.

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Her challenging childhood was not a reflection of her own value, it was something she just happened to experience. It was not a reflection of her own worth.

When her parents separated, it wasn’t a shock, but it was a disappointment. She was eleven. Though her mother was the abuser, the children were placed with her. Life was tumultuous at best. Her mom was an expert abuser, part emotional and part physical. Morghan used drugs to distract herself, ultimately being kicked out of school and attending an alternative campus. Morghan stayed at home until she was 15. It was then that an ironic twist of circumstances led the police to their home. The mom had called the cops, trying to have one of Morghan’s brothers arrested, but her maneuvering backfired. Thanks to the intervention of a school therapist who had reported her suspicions of abuse to CPS, the police knew there was something amiss in this house. While initially the police were hostile and suspicious toward the kids, it didn’t take them long to realize who the culprit really was. The police filed their own report to CPS, a case was opened and within a day, a social worker arrived to remove Morghan and her siblings. And so began a new course for Morghan and her brothers and sister.

The courts stepped in, and thanks to a progressive, intuitive judge, the kids were placed together with their 19-year old sister. Though essentially a house full of kids raising themselves, they did the best they could -- much better than being in a house with the abuser. Trying to raise themselves, a steadfast part of Morghan’s routine became a merry-goround of court appearances. From her 15th through her 19th year, Morghan appeared in court every three months; not a normal activity for a teenager who was just trying to be normal and fit in. There were two different court trials for Mom. The first resulted in a mistrial; the second, she was found guilty. A nursing assistant by trade, she took a deal where she would not serve any jail time but was permanently banned from working with children.

What came to light during this entire time, was that Morghan not only had developed tenacity and strength, she had a genuine love of learning. She went on to finish high school a year early and enrolled in community college. Still a ward of the court, the court allowed her to live with her father. Though awkward to live with someone she didn’t know, it was peaceful, and to Morghan, peaceful was good.

She went on to attend Fresno State, where she became passionately active in student organizations; everything from anti-war demonstrations to women’s groups. Fueled by her quest for learning, she worked two jobs and earned her degree. College years were vibrant and intense. Though she made several lifelong friendships, they were notably with her academic mentors, rather than with those her own age.

Robbed of her own childhood, her comfort and confidence level was higher with older people. She took advantage of every opportunity she could find. It was during these years

that she developed a Buddhist practice with the Soka Gakkai International. A source of profound empowerment, Morghan said the following about her practice and life mentor, Dr. Daisaku Ikeda: “The more I challenged myself to undergo a revolution at the core of my life – expressed in my daily life – and embrace the guidance of my mentor, I became who I uniquely am separate from what I had experienced as a child.

My Buddhist practice and mentor freed me to be me, and helped me to identify my purpose on this planet.”

She graduated, traveled internationally, and earned a Stanford fellowship for a Ph.D. During her six years at Stanford, she excelled academically but socially it was still difficult. It was actually there that she came to peace with the fact that her challenging childhood was not a reflection of her own value, it was something she just happened to experience. It was not a reflection of her own worth. In fact, it was that recognition that allowed her to be so successful in her research and rehabilitation efforts for incarcerated youth.

Working with young people in prison was a natural place for her heart and mind. It was while she was finishing her last year of dissertation that she started working at Fresno’s Focus Forward. Following her time there, she went to work in Oregon with an organization that served severely high risk youth, where she directed community-based programs and made a positive difference for the young people.

Since that time, California beckoned and Morghan YoungAlfaro is now a member of the administration at UC Merced.

She is one of only a handful of professional university staff that conduct internal and quality reviews. Her Intellectual skill set is ideally suited for this position as it allows her to refine deliverables to students, especially for this designated “Hispanic-serving” university that attracts many local youth who are the first in their families to attend college, just like Morghan was. She also teaches part-time at Fresno State in Women’s Studies and Anthropology, focusing her curriculum on examinations of juvenile justice and social justice issues.

While her younger brother today struggles with life on the streets, her older brother and sister have families and are settled, freed from their abusive past. Morghan and her husband and son are happily living in the Central Valley.

Through her tenacity, inspiring intellectual capabilities and her spiritual commitment, Morghan Young-Alfaro is now able to live a life that she’s proud of. Following her passion to see rigorous services offered to young people in the community, Morghan’s newest venture is consulting with community organizations on their assessment, reporting, and quality assurance needs, specializing in youth and education programming.

U Turns Allowed . . . 25

Anthony Tyler Like a tumbleweed, young Anthony’s life rolled and rolled until he finally took root…

Imagine…

What it must be like when “mom” does not conjure up the person you love most in your life

Having a plastic bag to pack up your few belongings and thirty minutes to move to your “new” home with your “new” parents

After five homes, losing count of the number of roofs over your head

Having promises made and promises broken, but each time still believing… that belief is what has made Anthony Tyler into the person he is today.

Anthony Tyler doesn’t have to imagine any of those scenarios, he has lived them.

A dad, a husband, a star employee and a Pop Warner football coach who is upbeat and optimistic, he frequently explains to the kids that there’s always a brighter side.

Placed into Foster Care at age six when his mom got into legal trouble, his last real memory of his dad was when Anthony Tyler was five years old.

His parents divorced and his dad completely faded from the picture of Anthony’s life. Once in the system, Anthony was moved several times, each time having to learn a different routine, with different rules, chores and expectations.

His siblings were intermittently with him and without him, depending on which home they were in and where they were in the system. The only predictable aspect of Anthony Tyler’s childhood was the unpredictability.

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The only predictable aspect of Anthony Tyler’s childhood was the unpredictability.

Elementary school brought unique challenges for young Anthony. Changing schools was more the norm, than not. First grade, second grade and third, Anthony was the new kid in class more times than he could count. Just as a tumbleweed rolls along with no foundation, constantly changing direction and turning, turning, turning, so did young Anthony.

After third grade, he stayed in one school. Stability was yet another change for this young man. His grades were good, but having no set examples, his social skills were not up to par. He was a smart kid, but a sneaky one, a trend that set the tone for the upcoming years. He acted out and why wouldn’t he? Always rising to a challenge, he was frequently in trouble for fighting.

Grades four, five, six and seven finally brought more stability for Anthony. He moved in with distant cousins and Anthony credits this family with his new will to settle down. Enveloped in love for the first time in his life, it made a difference for him and it showed.

Eighth grade brought a major change to Anthony. Once again, life tumbled him into a new direction. Though content where he was, a connection to his maternal grandmother compelled him to uproot and move in with his grandmother and his brother and sister. Grandma was loving and caring, but she had rules. His sister couldn’t live with the rules, so she packed up and picked up and left. Attending high school at Roosevelt, the routine was a good one for Anthony. He was finally in sync. He was a good student and displayed natural athletic ability. But, as was so often the case in Anthony’s life, change occurred. This change brought him from Roosevelt to Central High School.

He didn’t fit in.

Anthony attributes Coach Williams at Roosevelt with helping him turn the corner for good. He shared that he too had overcome much; it motivated Anthony who went on to excel. Sometimes knowing you’re not the only on who has faced and conquered adversity, can provide that badly needed impetus to move forward.

Since that tumultuous time, Anthony Tyler was the primary caregiver for his grandmother during the last five years of her life. Compassion and loyalty were characteristics that she instilled in him and it showed during those years of her life-ending illness.

Anthony is now a husband and proud father of two children, the director of medical provider relations for a large medical supply firm and, of course the optimistic and inspirational coach for his team.

With the ground finally solidly beneath him, this tumbleweed turns no more.

U Turns Allowed . . . 27

Joe Martinez Meet Joe Martinez. His resume reads like a Who’s Who for the nationally recognized homeless advocate he is.

Yet, Joe Martinez counts his most notable accomplishment as having been a foster parent to his young nephew, providing the strength and caring that his own foster parents unselfishly gave to Joe and his twin brother.

Who would know that Joe Martinez’s life of achievements began with a childhood of abandonment.

His remarkable story began at an early age.

Do you remember your first day of school? At age five,

most kids are a bundle of excitement and nervousness, proudly displaying their backpacks and nervously clutching the hand of their parent; partly wanting them to stay and partly wanting them to leave. When most other young students were proudly walking into their kindergarten classroom for the first time, Joe Martinez and his twin brother were left alone, abandoned by both parents. Simply gone. Yet, together, the boys walked through the door.

Fear, confusion and rejection set in at an early age for the brothers. In and out of foster care, the ‘system’ really did the best it could, but for those next three years, Joe and his twin rode the waves of instability in their “home” lives. Kids can be surprisingly resilient, and Joe and his brother proved this from the earliest of ages.

At age eight, the boys were matched with foster parents

who treated them like their own kids. Joe and his twin made a successful transition from hopeless to hopeful, turning their pain into power. In this new environment, supported with stability and love, Joe was able to thrive in school and sports and finally felt like he belonged; knowing and believing that someone really cared about him.

At age 15, like most teens his age, Joe sought out acceptance

by his peers. However, he withstood the pressures and was able to continue a successful path in varsity sports, academics and student government, surrounded by positive and supportive friends. School played a major role in opening many doors for him to succeed and thrive. Though Joe had a new identity, he never forgot his past that would once again emerge.

Joe graduated from high school and was the first in his family to attend college. He was coasting, but then came a speed bump. Campus life was not so easy. At 18, Joe found it difficult to keep up with school and work and still attend classes on a regular basis. There were so many new choices. Though he had maintained his path to success, now he was confronted with many different and independent challenges; decisions he alone was responsible for. Cause and effect became a big part of his life. If you don’t attend classes, you don’t pass classes.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Bachelor of Science Degree, Criminology/Law Enforcement from California State University Fresno with academic honors Dean’s List awardee, California State University, Fresno Stanford education community organizer, Stanford CA Alumnus of American University in Washington DC Participant in the Hispanic Leadership Opportunity Program Youth Advocate of the Year Hispanic Employee of the Year National Safe Place Coordinator of the Year

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“When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.”unknown Discouraged and with a now broken spirit, it would have been easy for Joe to simply drop out and became another statistic. Yet, that same determination that compelled Joe and his twin brother, at age five, to walk through the kindergarten door, again compelled him to stay the course.

Joe sought out adult mentors to hold him accountable. He

spent countless hours in study, and received extra help from tutors.

From academic probation to academic excellence, Joe was able to graduate with academic honors, named to the Dean’s List, trained as a community organizer at Stanford University and American University in Washington, D.C., and was accepted to graduate school. After college, he found a job as a youth counselor, paying it forward in his own earnest way.

But his career goals would have to wait because Joe became a foster parent for Paul, his own two-year old nephew; yearning to give him the life his own foster parents had so generously given to Joe and his brother. At eleven, Joe adopted Paul and became his father; an accomplishment that far outshone anything on his Who’s Who list of achievements. Tragically, that chapter of Joe’s life came to an end with the untimely death of his young son. He works hard to channel his grief toward continuing his life-changing work for underserved youth. His faith has been his sustaining rock and today Joe is renown as a highly successful and respected youth advocate for homeless, runaway and street youth. He is nationally recognized as an expert in his field.

Joe Martinez credits his foster parents for giving him a caring, supporting and stable home and for believing in him.

Joe Martinez will forever miss his son.

He pays it forward by following the words of Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Bennett Family Foundation U Turns Allowed . . . 29

Fresno County Federal Credit Union will always be there for you. No strings, just personal service.

Members get a checking account with free 24/7 access online and mobile devices, plus unlimited bill pay, and a VISAÂŽ debit card, free. Joining is a breeze, and membership lasts a lifetime.

We Believe in Focus Forward!

Fresno County Federal Credit Union considers it an honor to support positive change and more successful outcomes for young people in the Fresno County juvenile justice and foster care systems.

(559) 252-5000 • FresnoCU.com 30 . . . A Focus Forward Publication

Helping Each Other Grow and Thrive Fresno County Federal Credit Union was created in 1941, but it wasn’t until years later that it had an office location to call home. In the meantime, it existed in the briefcase of Fred E. Main, one of the Credit Union’s first members.

Together, Main and his fellow founding members formed the institution with a simple but powerful idea: that by pooling their funds together, members and their families would be able to help each other grow and thrive. From these humble beginnings, Fresno County Federal Credit Union has become one of the area’s leading credit unions serving more than 57,000 members with seven full-service branches and more than $500 million in assets!

One thing that hasn’t changed is that simple idea that started it all. To see it in action, just look at the institution’s Board of Directors – seven dedicated Credit Union members who volunteer their services in helping to steer its progress. They work as a team to represent the interests of the membership, making the Credit Union’s assets more useful and helpful, not just more profitable.

The results of their efforts are all around us. It’s in more than 72 years’ worth of local families realizing dreams of home ownership. In thousands of our neighbors benefiting from big-bank services without all those big-bank strings attached. In generations of Central Valley residents, in good times and bad, who have achieved financial stability, reached their goals, and flourished (thanks to a little help from their friends).

Of course, we don’t serve clients here, or even customers; we serve members. Members are owners of Fresno County Federal Credit Union, adding strength to a cooperative effort that benefits us all. You’re invited to experience membership in Fresno County Federal Credit Union for yourself. If you’re interested in lower loan rates, higher savings rates and no fees for the financial services you need, you’ve come to the right place.

U Turns Allowed . . . 31

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The Fresno Regional Workforce Investment Board’s (FRWIB) goal is to add to the economic vitality of Fresno County. To accomplish that end, we diligently work to create an environment through the following programs we offer to the community where a qualified workforce is in supply even before there is a demand.

One-Stop Resource Through the FRWIB’s progressive One-Stop Centers, employment and training services are provided to a diverse spectrum of job seekers through a unique combination of three (3) Workforce Connection One-Stop Centers located in Fresno, Coalinga and Reedley. At our One-Stop locations job seekers have access to free workshops, information on high demand jobs, career exploration, referrals to community resources, and job board listings.

The FRWIB also has a program specifically to address the needs of the youth in our community – the All Youth One System (AYOS). AYOS provides services for two targeted groups of youth: older, ages 19-21 and younger, ages 14-18. The focus for the older youth is to prepare them for employment by encouraging continuing education for diplomas, degrees and training certification. The major emphasis for younger youth is to assist them in academic improvements, encouragement to stay in school, and preparation for later employment.

U Turns Allowed . . . 33

Cultural Arts Rotary Cultural Arts Rotary Club (CARC) of Fresno did its own U-turn five years ago. Like many service clubs, it was losing membership and focus. For 60 years located in the downtown area now becoming known as the Arts District, members with an interest in arts suggested they take on that focus for the club.

Discussion, meetings, and strategic planning resulted in the name switch from Metropolitan Rotary to Cultural Arts Rotary – the only one in the world! Membership includes business people, attorneys, law enforcement, educators, community benefit organizations such as Focus Forward, and artists. The club participates in all Rotary International service projects but also focuses locally on arts, particularly for youth. Now instead of a club in decline, it is a club of expansion.

Our first recipient, middle school student Francisco Morales, lovingly stroked his trumpet from the moment he received it in 2012. A clarinet was awarded to high school student Elizabeth Leon in 2013, who worked in the fields until she was nine but now dreams of becoming an engineer and playing the clarinet in Carnegie Hall.

The arts in all forms open up new worlds for youth and their families, help them do better at school, and foster working together to achieve a goal. Cultural Arts Rotary wants to help more youth experience the arts and all its benefits.

CARC’s signature project is the Musical Instrument Project and punctuated by the annual AJ Parker-Foster Memorial Musical Instrument Award. Used musical instruments are collected, repaired and refurbished for school programs who cannot afford to purchase them through collaboration with the statewide Pawnbroker’s Association, Encourage Tomorrow, and private individuals. Since 2012, in memory of Clovis high school student AJ Parker-Foster who loved music and the arts, a student musician without his or her own instrument is nominated and selected based on need, community involvement, and scholarship to receive a new instrument.

Visit www.culturalartsrotary.org for information to get involved in CARC or learn more about the Musical Instrument Project.

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East Fresno Rotary Club

“Focus Forward official T-shirt sponsor�

Thank you East Fresno Rotary Club - Our Official T-Shirt sponsor! T-shirts are worn by the volunteer mentors while working with minors in the juvenile hall. These shirts help identify the mentors and reinforce the message of this magazine. Thanks to our partner, East Fresno Rotary for making this possible.

U Turns Allowed . . . 35

Based in Fresno, The Penstar Group is a real estate investment, development and construction company. Penstar Projects extend from Santa Barbara to the Central Valley, from Sacramento to Bakersfield and in the Inland Empire from Corona to Victorville.

Visionary CEO Tom Richards, is renown for his contemporary, yet thoughtful projects. Indeed, it’s that same vision that has led to his passion for his community.

Penstar’s most recent Fresno project, “The Shires” provides residents with luxury apartment homes in a calm and serene neighborhood setting. Efficiently designed with modern amenities, The Shires features gourmet kitchens with granite countertops, high-end energy efficient appliances, and custom styled finishes inside and out.

www.theshiresapts.com

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Knowing that not everyone has a home to go to, Tom Richards has worked tirelessly with government leaders to address homelessness issues in both the City and County of Fresno. Intrinsically involved as chair of the Planning Council, he was instrumental in preparing the 10 Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. Richards remains involved with the Leadership Council for the same and chairs the Mayor’s Fresno First Steps Home Initiative.

Terry’s House, built in support of families of patients at Community Regional Medical Center’s Level 1 Trauma and Burn Center was recently completed, and is a testament to a very personal story for Tom Richards.

Named for his brother, Terry Richards, Terry’s House was ‘born’ from Richards’ own personal experience.

At the age of 5, Terry was severely injured in an automobile accident; their mom traveled almost 80 miles a day to see Terry while he was recovering. With the opening of Terry’s House, Tom’s dream to provide a place of comfort for families to stay while their loved one is being treated, has become a reality.

U Turns Allowed . . . 37

Dreams do come true.

Last year alone, individuals like you granted more than $3.5 million to the community Bennett Family Foundation from their Donor Advised Funds through the Fresno Regional Foundation.

As a Community Foundation, we can help you fulfill your philanthropic dreams.

Donor Advised Funds

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT $59,795

granted nearly $2 million in 2012

FAITH SPECIFIC $77,607 ARTS, CULTURE, HISTORY $107,975 SHELTER/FOOD/ DISASTER RELIEF $134,100 YOUTH DEVELOPMENT $139,400

ACADEMIC AND EDUCATION $854,848

Peter Bennett tours the El Dorado Park neighborhood to see first-hand the results of grants from his Donor Advised Fund. Peter relies on FRF to inform him about opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives. Photo: the Fresno Bee

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HUMAN SERVICE $296,354 ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE $264,404

What is a Community Foundation?

The Fresno Regional Foundation Donor Advised Funds 2012 and 2013.

Community Foundations are public charities created by people interested in accomplishing and strengthening philanthropic goals in a specific geographic area. The Fresno Regional Foundation is a philanthropic steward that connects resources from individual donors and institutional organizations to enhance the quality of life in the San Joaquin Valley.

In the last two years, there has been $5.5 million awarded to Community Benefit Organizations throughout the San Joaquin Valley from Donor Advised Funds.

Donor Advised Funds provide a personal approach to giving.

invEstmEnt EARninGs ADDED:

Donor Advised Funds are convenient, flexible tools for individuals, families, businesses, or groups that want to be personally involved in their grantmaking. Once you establish a fund, you can add to it at any time, and receive tax benefits with each new gift. Donor Advised Funds are less costly and easier to administer than other forms of philanthropic giving, such as private foundations. The Fresno Regional Foundation has over 60 Donor Advised Funds.

If you have several community interests, you will find that a Donor Advised Fund is an ideal vehicle for fulfilling your charitable goals. Grants are awarded to charities in the name of the fund, or anonymously if preferred. It’s a simple, powerful, and fun approach to giving.

60 DonoR ADvisED FunDs: totAL vALuE

$9.2 million

GiFts into DonoR ADvisED FunDs:

$6.1 million

GRAnts AwARDED FRom DonoR ADvisED FunDs:

$5.5 million

$2.2 million Donors have access to the expertise of the nine staff members at Fresno Regional Foundation. In 2012, Charise Hansen, Program Officer for Donor Advised Funds, joined the Foundation to offer specialized services to donors with Donor Advised Funds.

Focus Forward benefits from a Donor Advised Fund.

Focus Forward continues to be recognized for funding by donors with Donor Advised Funds within the Fresno Regional Foundation. Focus Forward is one of approximately 375 Community Benefit Organizations that receive grants from various funds held within the Fresno Regional Foundation.

“ Our relationship with the Fresno Regional Foundation has afforded us the opportunity to learn about how to seek funding. The Fresno Regional Foundation has also served as our fiscal agent providing our organization accountability, transparency, and credibility in the community.” nancy Pressley Executive Director of Focus Forward

www.fresnoregfoundation.org 559.226.5600 5250 north Palm Avenue, suite 424 Fresno, California 93704

FRESNO REGIONAL FOUNDATION

U Turns Allowed . . . 39

Research overwhelmingly demonstrates children learn to read until 3rd grade, and after that point, they begin reading to learn subject matter. Children who read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade are more likely to graduate high school, stay out of crime and secure higher paying jobs. Yet in Fresno County, more than 55% of third graders do not read at grade level.

Factors such as prenatal care, optimal language development, a mother’s education level and stable parenting influence grade level reading. Thus, experiences in the first 5 years of life build the foundation for longterm learning and development. Children are most successful academically and socially when they live in homes and communities that prioritize their needs.

As a community, we can take part in helping all of our children read at grade level by 3rd grade. It’s easy! Sing, talk and play with young children to prepare them for school, encourage attending school every day, and create summer learning opportunities. These are proven activities that will make a difference. Together, we can change the odds for the children living in Fresno County.

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Learning to read and reading to learn.

all�children�to�thrive� so�they�can�become�productive�citizens.

We�want�

15 years ago, California voters passed Proposition 10 which established First 5 Commissions in every county. Since then, First 5 Fresno County and our partners have worked to change the odds for children. Our investments have helped to ensure children are healthier, they enter school ready to learn, and families are stronger.

We are proud to partner with Focus Forward to move our communtiy forward!

U Turns Allowed . . . 41

The Fresno Housing Authority works to create vibrant communities, build quality affordable housing, and support the success of approximately 50,000 residents throughout Fresno who reside in Housing Authorityowned complexes or who receive Housing Choice Vouchers.

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Breaking New Ground A Formerly Homeless Man Proudly Plants a Garden, Builds Community, and Embraces Opportunity

For Larry Collins, one of the biggest differences between living on the streets and living in Renaissance at Santa Clara is the simple pleasure of privacy. “You can’t close your door in a tent,” he says.

Born in Arkansas, Larry has been living at Renaissance since the day it opened in 2012. Before that, Larry had been homeless for several years. The stress eventually cost him his job at a manufacturing plant. “You can’t hold a job when you’re homeless. You gotta shave. You gotta shower. You gotta eat right. You need your rest – you can’t do that living in your car or on the street.”

At Renaissance, Larry has found stability and is taking advantage of the many services and amenities available to residents. “They have a Laundromat, a computer room, all these classes. All those things really benefit you.”

And Larry is adamant about giving back to this new community. He took the initiative to start cleaning up the neighborhood every weekend, and now others are helping out. “They feed people right out here, and all the paper plates and napkins blow up along here. So I get my bucket and I clean the place up.”

From his bedroom window, Larry can literally see how his life has progressed. “I got a garden back there,” he beams. “I got it started. I was going out there cleaning it up... and before I knew it, others wanted to help. So we ended up clearing out the whole thing, getting the dirt turned over... it took a while. But now I got some watermelons, cantaloupes. It all started from seeds. Now everybody has got great pride in it.”

“I really appreciate being here. I’m doing my best to use this opportunity as a stepping stone, to do better.”

U Turns Allowed . . . 43

43

Save on monthly energy bills with the CARE Program When you have eight growing children, it’s hard enough to make ends meet.

It was even harder after Mr. Vega was laid off.

The Vega family was relieved to learn how the CARE Program can help them save money on their energy bills during challenging times. See their story and learn how CARE can help you too at pge.com/TheVegas.

“Our bills are stacking (up). You keep seeing the pile add up and there’s nothing coming in….The CARE Program sounded good to me and I was quick to say ‘yes.’”

The Vega Family (pictured below) Bakersfield, CA CARE Customer

44 . . . A Focus Forward Publication

We’re here to help you save At Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), we offer programs, rebates and ways to save, because sometimes our customers need a little assistance. We understand that financial challenges can happen to anyone, at any time. The CARE Program is just one more way we can help you save. PG&E has helped over 1.4 million households save on their energy bills with CARE.

Why should you sign up?

“PG&E” refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. ©2014 Pacific Gas and Electric Company. All rights reserved.

The California Alternate Rate for Energy (CARE) Program offers a discount on monthly energy bills for income-qualified households.

Once your application is approved, you’ll see the CARE Program and your monthly savings listed on the first page of your bill. On average, CARE participants receive an annual discount of $594.

Here’s how to get started It’s quick, easy and safe to enroll. Apply today by answering a few simple questions at pge.com/CAREnow or call 1-866-743-2273 to learn more about the CARE Program’s benefits and requirements.

No proof of income is needed for enrollment.

U Turns Allowed . . . 45

FOSTER FAMILY AGENCY Serving Fresno, Kings, Tulare, and Madera Counties

Open Your Heart

Foster Family Agency

Become a Foster Parent

265 N. Van Ness Ave. Fresno, CA 93701

The Proteus, Inc. Foster Family Agency, a private, nonprofit, state-licensed foster family agency has provided stable, temporary out-of-home care to children since 1997. The agency certifies foster homes, matches children with foster families, and ensures that all necessary support is given to the children, its foster parents, and its families. The agency also provides extensive training to foster parents to

Phone: 559.499.2535 Fax: 559.499.2540 Email: gbmackie@proteusinc.org Website: www.proteusinc.org

thoroughly equip caring individuals with the tools necessary to positively impact the lives of foster children.

Trained Bilingual Staff 24-Hour, On-Call Support

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Certification of Home

Monthly Reimbursement

Orientation and Evening Trainings

$829 to $988 Per Child

PHILLIP AND HORTENCIA MARTINEZ Foster Parents

What do you do when your only child grows up and leaves the home, making you empty-nesters?

You fill it right back up.

That is exactly what Phillip and Hortencia Martinez did when they decided to become foster parents through Proteus’s Foster Family Agency in 2008.

Initially, the Martinezes planned on fostering two girls, ages two and three. When an older sister of the two girls asked the couple where they were taking her sisters, it weighed heavy on their hearts. Not wanting to separate the siblings, the Martinezes decided to take in the two older sisters, ages 6 and 8, bringing their total to four.

But there were more.

The four sisters had two brothers, ages 5 and 7, who were still without a home. Unfortunately, they did not have the space to take in the two additional boys.

“Typically, siblings are separated in the foster care system,”

were insecure, malnourished, and did not know how to

shares Elizabeth Sandate, Foster Family Agency social

read or write,” states the Martinezes. But the couple’s love and commitment was unwavering. Today, the

worker. “The separation adds to the trauma that many of

children are all excelling. They have progressed by leaps

these children experience in their biological homes.”

and bounds emotionally, physically, and mentally. “When

Instead of allowing the six siblings to be separated, the

we hear them talking about their future plans of becom-

Martinezes quickly renovated their home, adding an

ing firefighters, teachers, and social workers, we know we

additional room to accommodate the two boys, and modi-

are doing our job as foster parents.”

fied their vehicle to safely transport their growing family.

What was once an empty-nest is now full.

And now there were six.

“We have given them care, stability, and love. In return,

From years of neglect, the children were suffering from

they have given us the same.”

severe behavior and academic problems when they joined

The Martinezes were recognized by First 5 Fresno Couty in

the Martinez family. “When the children came to us they

2012 as a Hands-On-Hero. We could not agree more.

U Turns Allowed . . . 47

FRESNO REGIONAL FOUNDATION

learn more at fresnoregfoundation.org

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The FirsT Year oF Forever

T “

after all the soulsearching, debating and strategizing about how to carve a pathway out of poverty, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the results of philanthropy in the faces of children — children cuddled in their parents’ arms, absorbed in books, smiling, reading and learning together.

”

Dan DeSantis, CEO Fresno Regional Foundation

hat’s the vision and the promise behind the Fresno regional Foundation’s 2013 high impact grants aimed at success by third grade. The grants and the work they fund are the start of a new era in valley philanthropy, supported with an endowment that will keep growing and giving. it began with a $3 million grant from The James irvine Foundation. That inspired creation of The FUND for the san Joaquin valley, a new way to address the region’s most pressing needs. With donor support, The FUND is climbing toward an ambitious goal: a $20 million endowment that will make $1 million in grants each year. in the first year, it provided $600,000 to five creative initiatives aimed at one objective: preparing children to succeed in school by the end of third grade.

Third grade is a critical juncture for children. it’s when they transition from learning to read to reading to learn. if they’re behind at the end of that pivotal year, challenges multiply. high impact grants aim to boost children out of poverty by intervening at a strategically vital time.

Grant recipients are building success by the third grade in very different ways, in both urban and rural settings. Their work is as basic as teaching illiterate parents to hold books and discuss pictures with children or as complex as helping families find housing and jobs. a common thread weaves through their stories: improving student achievement goes far beyond tutoring. it takes engagement on many levels.

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We’re pleased to support the work of Focus Forward in the communities we serve.

www.dlclife.org 1620 West Fairmont Ave, Fresno, CA 93705-0323 (559) 241-0580

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Diamond Learning Center, Inc.

Learning is for Everyone

Board of Directors

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS !

Morton Rosenstein, M.D. Retired, Board President

A special thank you to Mental Health Systems and Promesa for their contribution towards this publication.

To learn more about Focus Forward, please visit us at www.focusforward.org

Susan Anderson, J.D., Board Vice President Joe Olivares, MSW, Board Secretary Susan Ryan, Board Treasurer President/CEO Fresno County Federal Credit Union Joseph Oaxaca, Project Director Arbor Older Youth Program, ResCare Elisabeth Tietjen, J.D., Littler Law Firm Melissa White, J.D., General Counsel, Trinity Fruit Sales Al Grasso, MSW, Retired Jim Powroznik, MA LMFT, Practitioner

~

Coreen Campos CEO, Focus Forward U Turns Allowed . . . 1

This magazine was developed through Focus Forward which is a Nonprofit Community Benefit Organization.

In order to continue serving youth in the juvenile justice and foster care systems, Focus Forward regularly accepts community support through donations and volunteerism.

www.focusforward.org

U Turns Allowed . . . 51

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