Never Give Up

PATERSON  “Work hard” and “dream big” were some words of advice to youth in the at-risk programs at Diocesan Catholic Charities during a Three Kings celebration inviting veterans and community leaders to speak with the children and teens at the Father English Community Center (FECC) here.

A collaboration between Catholic Charities’ Catholic Family and Community Services (CFCS) departments — At Risk Youth Programs and Supportive Services for Veteran Families occurred earlier this month. Stories of hope and success were by two veterans — Lucy Del Gaudio, a veteran advocate and program manager for Pruden­tial, and AJ Luna, director of Veteran Services for Bergen County, and a lawyer, Jessica Ramirez of D’Arcy Johnson Day law firm. The three speakers, all whom are Latino, spoke about growing up in similar neighborhoods to what the young people in the at-risk programs are living in now to give the youths a first-hand perspective.

Del Gaudio served in the U.S. Army during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and grew up in Union City coming from a Puerto Rican and Cuban background. “My message to the young people is that I don’t want them to give up,” she said. “There’s a great big world outside the walls of Paterson. We, as Latinos, have to rise up and make a difference. I want them never to give up and dreams really do come true if you put your heart and mind behind it.”

About 90 program members and their families attended the celebration for the Three Kings, a Catholic feast, which is especially popular in South American and Caribbean countries. Many family members of the young people attended, making it an evening for the families to share a sense of family values.

Delia Rosario, site director at CFCS-FECC and the Hispanic Information Center in Passaic, said, “The youth expressed that every single one of the speakers had struggles in their lives but despite the struggles they became very successful. Many of the youth identified with the speakers’ stories in overcoming their adversities. The message the speakers conveyed was that the world is full of many possibilities and that they have the power to shape his or her own life. Overall, the youth were very inspired by the speakers’ genuineness and vulnerability.”

Because of the success of the Three Kings celebration, the two departments at CFCS hope to make this an annual event. In addition to the veteran services department and the youth at risk department, several staff members at CFCS helped at the event.

David Pearson, assistant director of veteran services at CFCS, said, “The veterans department wanted to give back to the youth and it was important for us to let these kids know that they matter and that we’re there to care and share with them.”

The At Risk Youth Program targets children between the ages of nine to 17, who reside in the city of Paterson or Passaic and are at risk of failing in school or becoming involved with risky behaviors. Through contracts from the Department of Children and Families, CFCS administers five youth programs. The programs provide academic support, life skills, recreation and counseling for the youths enrolled. A safe and structured environment nurtures the adolescent’s creativity. The programs provide opportunities for the youth to express their voices and become peer leaders.

Also speaking at the event was Luna, who grew up in Brooklyn and served as a military police officer in Iraq for six years with the New York National Guard. After high school, he was figuring out what he wanted to do with his life and decided to join the military. He said, “It was the best decision I could have made serving the country. I told the young people that I know it sounds difficult right now but you can do whatever you want and I am living proof. I also stressed the importance of loving your parents.”

Rosario said, “On behalf of the Youth Risk Reduction programs we would like to thank Dave Pearson and the veteran’s program for starting this wonderful partnership with the department. This was Dave’s vision for the past two years and it finally became reality. I would also like to thank the veteran’s program, Jessica Ramirez and the law firm of D’Arcy Johnson Day for providing the funding to cover the cost of food for the event. Lucy Del Gaudio who provided the teens with a wonderful candy bar and AJ Luna who provided many board games and a signed picture of the Giants running back Saquan Barkley, courtesy of the N.Y. Giants.”