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Supporters and guests of the Santa Barbara Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse (CADA) were out in force Thursday at the Coral Casino Beach & Cabana Club for the fourth annual Gratitude Luncheon celebrating and benefiting the Fighting Back Mentor Program.
Founded by the event’s honorary chairwoman, Anne Smith Towbes, the Fighting Back Mentor Program includes trained adult mentors providing confidential counseling and prevention education for students in fourth to eighth grade attending schools in Carpinteria, Goleta and Santa Barbara.
The luncheon was designed to support the important work of dedicated mentors, and funds raised each year have gone to pairing a child with a mentor. Many of the mentors and their mentees sat at tables throughout La Pacifica Ballroom as they enjoyed the luncheon together.
The Penny Jenkins Mentor Champion Award was presented to Adele Rosen, who was praised for serving the Santa Barbara community for more than 50 years.
“Adele is a steadfast supporter of the Jewish Federation, a past president of the Women’s Division and founder of the Beyond Tolerance Center — a nonprofit that educates local students promoting education, tolerance and respect,” Towbes said. “Her commitment to mentoring, youth development and fairness are inspirational.”
During the award presentation, Rosen’s mentee — a confident and spirited 15-year-old, Daniela Reynoso — stood beside her. She admitted that, at first, she wasn’t happy about joining the mentorship program, but after meeting with Rosen several times, she grew to enjoy her company. Now they are often inseparable.
“I like having Adele around because I can always talk to her about most things and trust that it stays between us,” Daniela said. “Adele has improved my life in so many ways and introduced me to so many opportunities and ideas.”
Rosen has been a mentor for more than 10 years and was matched with Daniela when the girl was only 4. Now a sophomore at Santa Barbara High School, Daniela and Rosen have developed a special bond, nourished by trust.
“Trust is very important between us,” Rosen said. “I try not to give too much advice to Daniela, but I find that listening to her express her feelings is so important.
“Trust, inspiration, and respect are all good words for mentors, and I respect every mentor in this room, because for me it was more of receiving — I think I received more than I have given to Daniela.”
The day also included an impactful message from the keynote speaker, former Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns linebacker Chris Gocong, who starred at Carpinteria High School and Cal Poly before playing in the NFL.
Gocong said he was inspired to speak for “a program that truly has a direct impact on the youths in need in our community.”
“It made me look back at my youth — who my mentors were, how they shaped my path in life, my decision making, and where I possibly would be without them,” he said.
Gocong’s mother married when she was just 13, and gave birth to his brother, Ryan, at 14, and himself when she was 16.
“She was a very young, proud, stay-at-home mother of two living in Lancaster, California,” he said. “My biological father worked in the aerospace industry. From what I remember, he was a father who, suffice it to say, had an anger problem and would sometimes take it out on what or whoever was in arm’s reach.”
Although maybe not in a traditional sense, Gocong said the family’s home life was good and any challenges were not an excuse for achieving goals.
“Really, we had no idea the odds against us because — consciously or not — my mom never gave us that excuse,” he said. “Our present situation at the time was just that.”
Gocong’s father split off from the family when he was 8 years-old, and slowly the visits with his father evaporated and the commitments on his mother became all the greater.
“How my mom responded to that situation was what really mattered,” an emotional Gocong exclaimed. “The road along the way was not an easy one but she got her GED, enrolled in college to become a CPA, and got a job as an accountant at a local firm.”
He went on to say that it’s easy to judge a book by its cover, and make assumptions based on clothes and job to draw conclusions about someone.
“Never mind the faceless crowd that sums you up and writes you off at first glance,” he said. “Don’t let a stereotype or label limit you as a person — I am not my job or my car.
“And as much as I am influenced by my parents, friends and mentors, I am also an independent mind.”
Last year, more than 170 mentors in the Fighting Back mentorship program provided emotional, social and academic leadership, totaling more than 7,000 hours. And since its founding in 1994, the program has served nearly 3,000 local children.
Mentors meet with their mentees once a week for an hour at the student’s school campus, providing one-on-one mentorship. These interactions strive to build self-confidence, leadership skills and positivity, while helping to avoid negative or anti-social behaviors, and educating the youths about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse.
While mentors are only required to make a minimum one-year commitment, 91 percent of the matches last 12 months or more in the program, officials say.
Click here to learn more about the Fighting Back Mentor Program, donate and get involved.
— Noozhawk iSociety columnist Melissa Walker can be reached at mwalker@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.
