Summer Intern for La Luz part of U.C.R.Y. Program

08.30.08 | By DFP in: The La Luz Family

United Community Resources for Youth, U.C.R.Y. for short, was formed following the outpouring of community concern in the wake of the tragic death of one of our valley’s young men last October in Maxwell Park.

The public gathered for meetings to address contributing factors that lead to at-risk behaviors that put young people in danger.

One solution stood out: offer them hope, encourage and support them to complete their education, help them find jobs and show them a path to a brighter future. This summer a pilot project by U.C.R.Y. placed summer interns in two Sonoma Valley nonprofits: Vineyard Workers Services and La Luz Center.  The high school students worked as volunteers for four weeks and earned a stipend from the agency to boot.  The experience was an introduction to the world of work and brought some revelations to José Lopez, the delightful young man who spend a month at La Luz:

“Working at La Luz as an intern has given me good experience with my people skills…I’ve learned and have improved my ability to talk to people more easily. What surprised me when I was working at La Luz was I thought it was going to be easy sitting at a desk and picking up the phone but it wasn’t.  It was actually quite difficult.  I answered phone calls, helped people fill out applications for apartments and jobs and helped people fax papers where they needed to go.

When I graduate from high school I want to get a job and be able to pay for my college fund.  I was hoping to go to an automotive school and once I graduate from college I was thinking of working for a big car complany like Toyota as a mechanic or something automotive.”

We enjoyed getting to know José and wish him well as he goes off  to his junior year at Sonoma Valley High.  We look forward to continuing in the Summer Internship program and here’s hoping that many more businesses will open their doors to these students next year.

The public gathered for meetings to address contributing factors that lead to at-risk behaviors that put young people in danger.

One solution stood out: offer them hope, encourage and support them to complete their education, help them find jobs and show them a path to a brighter future. This summer a pilot project by U.C.R.Y. placed summer interns in two Sonoma Valley nonprofits: Vineyard Workers Services and La Luz Center.  The high school students worked as volunteers for four weeks and earned a stipend from the agency to boot.  The experience was an introduction to the world of work and brought some revelations to José Lopez, the delightful young man who spend a month at La Luz:

“Working at La Luz as an intern has given me good experience with my people skills…I’ve learned and have improved my ability to talk to people more easily. What surprised me when I was working at La Luz was I thought it was going to be easy sitting at a desk and picking up the phone but it wasn’t.  It was actually quite difficult.  I answered phone calls, helped people fill out applications for apartments and jobs and helped people fax papers where they needed to go.

When I graduate from high school I want to get a job and be able to pay for my college fund.  I was hoping to go to an automotive school and once I graduate from college I was thinking of working for a big car complany like Toyota as a mechanic or something automotive.”

We enjoyed getting to know José and wish him well as he goes off  to his junior year at Sonoma Valley High.  We look forward to continuing in the Summer Internship program and here’s hoping that many more businesses will open their doors to these students next year.