Teresa Flores, 19, a student at UC Berkeley, speaks at the CCISCO
awards ceremony after being named Outstanding Youth Leader for helping
to enact the Williams vs. California settlement at Liberty High School
in Brentwood. She is the first youth representative on the CCISCO
board.
CCISCO PHOTO |
By Voice staff
Sixteen Catholics nominated by their parishes were among
33 youth service leaders honored for their leadership and community dedication
by the Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community (CCISCO) on Feb. 17
at Santa Maria Church in Orinda.
CCISCO, a federation of 25 religious congregations and five youth and
parents groups, was founded in 1996. It now represents 35,000 families
and trains individuals in the tactics of community organizing to advocate
for neighborhood homework centers, school reform, health care resources,
increased police protection, affordable housing, and other societal issues.
A year after its founding, the organization began a youth organizing program
to help young people develop their capacity to shape public policy and
community. Since then, these leaders have helped to establish 30 after-school
homework centers, created four multi-service youth centers; and have secured
millions of dollars in new public investment for youth-friendly facilities.
During the past 12 months, the initiative has trained over 100 leaders
from Richmond to Brentwood and engaged over 1,000 youth in campaigns to
advocate for $1.2 million for recreational programs in Richmond, a new
youth-led employment and career training in Bay Point for high risk youth,
and increased health care resources in eastern Contra Costa County for
thousands of uninsured youth.
“Contra Costa has the highest death rate for young people in the
entire Bay Area,” said Lizette Nogueda, CCISCO youth leader and
chairperson for the event. “But CCISCO youth leaders are dedicated
to changing that and we will not rest until all young people can grow
up in a healthy and safe environment.”
Among the 2008 honorees and their accomplishments are:
Yeimi Alba, St. Mark Parish, Richmond. Alba recently
organized a “Know Your Rights” workshop for immigrants at
her church.
Pablo Cardenas, St. Anthony Parish, Oakley. Cardenas,
a fledgling CCISCO member, has chaired forums and led research meetings
at the state, county and local levels.
Emma Carella, St. Bonaventure Parish, Concord. Carella
serves as a core member/recruiter for her parish junior high program and
has built houses in Mexico with parish members for the past two years.
Teresa del Real, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Brentwood.
Del Real is helping lead an effort to improve access to college for her
community’s underserved youth.
Eugene Flores, St. Joseph Parish, Pinole. Flores serves
as an Emmaus Peer Ministry leader, a Eucharistic minister and youth choir
member at his parish.
Sheila Flores, St. Mark Parish, Richmond. Flores initiated
a community dance class for women and participates in community youth
and drama groups.
Luis Enrique Gomez, St. Mark Parish, Richmond. Gomez
worked as a children’s coach during a 2007 summer tournament and
helped build a soccer field which serves 100 youths and 80 adults.
Carolyn Grant, St. Anthony Parish, Oakley. Grant is a
volunteer for her parish’s senior luncheon and also serves as a
lay minister, acolyte and supporter of the senior brown bag program.
Annie Kubitschek, Santa Maria Parish, Orinda. Kubitschek
assists with the development of the youth ministry program there.
Alex Lopez, St. Peter Martyr Parish, Pittsburg. An active
parish participant, he is a talented musician and soccer player.
Xavier Marin, St. Anthony Parish, Oakley. He is committed
to the development of the parish youth group and serves in the parish
wherever he is needed.
Ivonne Molina, St. Mark Parish, Richmond. Molina is an
altar server and is active in “Esperanzas de Amor,” a church
group which supports families with special needs.
Destiny Poenhelt, St. Joseph Parish, Pinole. Poenhelt
is the Emmaus peer ministry leader and also serves as a faith formation
aide Ilene Rosas, Santa Maria Parish, Orinda. Rosas assists with the development
of the parish youth ministry program and provides music for its liturgy.
Sam Scheffler, St. Mary Parish, Walnut Creek. Scheffler
is an altar server, a member of the student council at St. Mary’s
School, and he volunteers weekly for the Lindsey Museum in Walnut Creek.
Andres Tejada, St. Anthony Parish, Oakley. Tejada volunteers
as a helper for parish Sunday breakfasts and directs parking lot traffic.
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