In 2002, Michael Jones was the Associate Director of Programs for the San Francisco Conservation Corps. The San Francisco Conservation Corps Youth in Action (YIA) program is an intensive academic support, community service, and environmental education program serving 150 San Francisco middle school students ages 11-14, annually. Youth in Action goals are to provide participants with academic support and enrichment, opportunities to engage in meaningful community service, while learning about the relevance of urban environmentalism. Simultaneously, through a challenging combination of classroom activities and hands-on experience, participants develop basic job, social, and leadership skills, as well as an ethic of service that will help them succeed as students and active members of their community. YIA participants conduct community service projects in one of three project areas: Conservation & Recycling, Media, and Leadership.

In 2000, Michael was the Program Coordinator of Youth In Philanthropy. Youth In Philanthropy integrates two projects comprised by young adults, from San Francisco and Marin County, which actively partake in all aspects of funding youth oriented initiatives. This program introduces youth to the complex matrix of philanthropy ranging from such tasks as grant writing, oral presentations, and developing fiscal budget to enhancing social skills through developing a positive rapport with public officials and their community, at large.

Michael's professional career in youth development began with the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco. He has diligently worked with youth based organizations in the formulation and promotion of youth oriented projects. The impediment of tobacco sales to minors, awareness of environmental degradation, attention to rampant gun violence, and restoration of community alliances were issues in which, the advocacy and fortitude of youth, along with Michael's guidance, stimulated regionally/national projects. The efforts of these youth oriented projects have been widely recognized by public officials and other prominent citizens.

Michael's commitment to youth development is widely acknowledged by his peers within the non-profit sector, amongst community members and most importantly with the youth that he has closely worked with. In recognition of his efforts, Michael Jones has been honored with awards, gratitude and praise from his colleagues and youth. His pledge towards youth development remains steadfast and incessant.

Denise Padilla-Alcala began working for the Club in 2005 and was determined to accomplish anything that came her way. With the help and guidance of Michael Jones, Omar Assad, the Redwood City staff and the organization, she has grown tremendously.  Denise is the Program Assistant at the Redwood City Clubhouse and is also known as the “the one who keeps things together."

Denise grew up in San Francisco, California and moved to the East Bay after graduating from high school. She is currently attending Las Positas College in Livermore and plans on getting her Bachelor's Degree in Counseling Psychology from San Jose State University. She aspires to attend Stanford University to receive her master's degree in the near future.

Denise's plans for the community is to continue to support the families along with her co-worker, Dalila Amezcua and to take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities that the Boys & Girls Club has to offer. A quote she always remembers is:

“You should always take advantage of opportunities that are rendered because that can lead you to the door of your destiny."

“Siempre hay que aprovechar de las oportunidades que se nos presente porque eso puede abrir las puertas de tu destino."

Gladys Gudino was born in Los Angeles but moved to Mountain View, California with her mother and older sister when she was four. She graduated from Mountain View High School in 2003 and went on to attend college in Southern California. She knows that without the help of teachers and mentors in accordance with her family's unconditional support she would not have made it. In 2007, she was the first in her family to graduate from college, receiving a Bachelor's Degree in History and minors in Spanish and Chicano and Chicana Studies from UCLA.

While in college, she facilitated English classes to Day Laborers, taught Spanish to African American students in South Central Los Angeles, mentored incarcerated youth at Camp Kilpatrick in Malibu, and tutored middle school students in math. In addition to working in the schools, she participated in fair labor law campaigns, women's rights movements and student protests to demand affirmative action be used in college admissions. Upon graduation she had the opportunity to study abroad in Spain and Morocco and went on to travel around Italy and France.

Gladys knows the importance of getting an education and coming back to our communities to serve as role models and help the younger generations. She is passionate about motivating youth to excel in school and to follow their dreams. Drawing upon the cultural wealth and sense of solidarity in our communities, she wishes to create a college culture in every kid she meets and reminds them to rely on their hard work and dedication to achieve greatness in life.

Gladys plans to pursue graduate studies in the field of education and continue working to change the status quo. In her free time she enjoys cooking, dancing, and going to the park with her little sister and niece.

Paulo is a native of Mexico but was raised in Redwood City from the age of seven. He has been active in local basketball, soccer and football teams from an early age and currently plays in recreational leagues. His passion and devotion for the Boys and Girls Club began at an early age when he joined the Club in fourth grade. He was an active member throughout middle school. He returned to the Boys and Girls Club as a Senior at Sequoia High School and began volunteering for the athletic department as a coach. He was offered a part-time position over the summer after his Senior year in high school and his role at the Club has been growing ever since.

Paulo is currently attending San Jose State University and pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology. He plans to receive his teaching credentials as a P.E. teacher.

Francisco Espinoza is currently attending Foothill College. He plans to transfer to a state college to pursue his degree in architecture and in music. He was a Youth of the Year nominee for the Mervin G. Morris Clubhouse in 2007. He enjoys singing, writing songs, and playing piano. He is here for the experience because experience can help in the long run.

Gabriel Lomeli, grew up in Stockton, California and graduated from San Jose State University in 2008 with a major in Social Science and a minor in Psychology. He is now the Peapod Coordinator for the Mervin G. Morris Clubhouse. He was previously a CNG youth mentor at Hoover Elementary School. Gabriel taught his students the importance of maintaining good study habits, developing the right attitude towards school, and respecting themselves and others. His passion for youth development has grown exponentially as he has continued to help more young people cope with the daily challenges they face in school, at home, and in their community. His interests in film, editing, and music has also allowed him and other mentors to jumpstart a multi-faceted media program that teaches youth how to make and edit their own films, documentaries, and soundtracks.

After receiving professional training from the Adobe Youth Voices program, Gabriel has successfully assisted kids in the filming and editing of several clubhouse events and youth development stories. Gabriel chose to work with the Boys & Girls Club after college because he truly believes in the importance and value of making a positive influence in the lives of young people. He loves working with kids and continues to be a great role model for the many youth who look up to him.

Joining us back in the Redwood Forrest Club House is Ivan Martinez! Former youth of the year candidate in 2006 and CNG mentor; now Peapod Music Technology Coordinator, Ivan is also currently attending Cañada College. He is president of his own production company outside of the clubhouse. The "Baby Boss" that everyone loves.

Clarisa Ontiveros currently attends Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California. She has been a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula since she was seven years old. She started volunteering in 2006 at the Mervin G. Morris Clubhouse and was then hired on as a member of the teen staff.

As she gained more experience and knowledge in working with young people, Clarisa has since been promoted to SuccessMaker Manager, a position in which she can continously further her skills in helping young people stay motivated and focused.

Most recent news for Clarisa is that she won the 2010 Youth of the Year award

One of Martin's biggest achievements is going from a quiet, bashful club and community school member to a driving force in The Boys and Girls Club's athletic department. After spending nearly a year in community school, Martinez persevered and forged his own path back to Carlmont High School. Martin started at The Club as a volunteer leading activities for the kids during the Fall 2007 programs. His contributions evolved from coaching the 4th and 5th grade boys basketball team to overseeing all gym operations and daily programming as an athletic assistant.

He was selected as the September “Student of the Month” during his time in community school for his hard work and academic progress. He was also selected as part-time staff of the spring 2008 quarter. Martin currently attends the College of San Mateo.

A recent high school graduate, Luis Contreras has been attending the Boys and Girls Club since he was sent to Community School Central located in Redwood City. Luis Contreras is a teen staff at the Mervin G. Morris Club house. He enjoys spending most of his time at the Club and he was a youth of the year candidate in 2010. In his spare time, you can always find Luis playing sports in the gym often playing soccer or basketball and outside of the club he plays Ice hockey. The Boys and Girls Club has helped Luis see thing s in a positive light and helped him become more optimistic towards life. Luis is now pursuing his AA degree at San Jose City College and plans to attend San Jose State University to get his Bachelors Degree.

Although she has only been a member of our club since the summer of 2008, Talia Ontiveros has demonstrated her potential in a short time by being promoted from member to volunteer to Teen Staff. Despite her academic struggles, she persistently and gradually continues to improve in the academic sector. She can always be found socializing with members and staff delighting them with her bubbly and easy going personality. Her hobbies during weekends (besides coming to the club) are sharing time with family, listening to music and reading.

Her plans for the future are to graduate from high school and attend a community college to pursue a dental assistant certification.

Maria Menchaca was born and raised in Redwood City, California and is the oldest of four siblings. She attended Sequoia High School and graduated in 1998. She later enrolled at Cañada College. Before working at the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, Maria worked as an Office Manager for six years at a Drug and Alcohol Counseling Center. Maria continues to stay in touch with her community by helping and contributing her time as much as she can.

Nancy Gallegos graduated from San Jose State University with a B.A. in Justice Studies and a double minor in Sociology and Anthropology. It was while in college that she started working at the Moldaw-Zaffaroni Clubhouse in East Palo Alto, California as an Academic Assistant. After graduating college Nancy decided to change her career path and began working at a law firm.

Even though Nancy enjoyed working at the law firm, she felt that she wasn't making a difference in her community. It is then that she decided to return to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula.

Nancy is now the Academic Director at the Mervin G. Morris Clubhouse in Redwood City, California. She is excited to once again be a part of the BGCP family where she aspires to make a difference in young people's lives.

Nancy plans to further her education by pursuing her Masters in Social Work. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her fiancé and playing with her dog.

Guadalupe Ortiz-Sanchez also known as Lupe is the Academic Assistant at the Boys and Girls Club in the Redwood City Clubhouse. Guadalupe went from working in the front desk to facilitating her own classes working with kids ranging from second to fourth grade.

At the age of seven Lupe became a member of the Boys and Girls Club but stopped coming after graduating Hoover School. Lupe graduated from Woodside High School. She is the first person in her family to complete high school and start college; attending Canada College to major in Sociology to start her profession as a Social Worker.

Mayra Arellano was born to Mexican immigrants in Redwood City, California. Growing up, she was always taught that education is key to making a better life for herself. She strongly followed that advice as she graduated with honors from Woodside High School in 2004. However, education is only part of the formula for success. While working on her undergrad at Santa Clara University, she worked at Cowell Health Center. Making her family wish come true, on June 18, 2008, Mayra graduated from Santa Clara University with a B.S. in Pre-Med and a Minor in Sociology becoming the first member of her family to graduate from college.

Beginning with her early community involvement since high school to continue her education at Santa Clara, Mayra became an active member to the Latino community by giving her services to non-profit organizations. From working with disabled children to helping in homeless shelters and clinics, Mayra's ultimate goal is to help members of her community have access to the best possible health care and services.

Currently, Mayra works at Stanford Medical Center in addition to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula. Mayra plans to pursue her graduate studies in Fall 2010 to obtain her Masters in Nursing. She is currently applying for programs at San Francisco State University and Samuel Merritt University.

Victor M. Rosas has been a member since 1997. He started out as a member, primarily, for the music studio in the Intel Computer Clubhouse under the supervision of Alfonso Oseguera and Peter Pheap. He always had a taste for music but didn’t know how to get started or where to go to ask for help. Once in the studio he learned how to use state of the art equipment. In 2006, he became a teen staff in the games room while helping out in the music studio by engaging younger members. He was that summer’s teen staff of the quarter and participated in the 2007 Youth of the Year.

With the inspiration of his fellow employees and friends, he enrolled at Foothill College. He is still attending Foothill to major in music technology or visual arts and is still working in the games room. His smile and sense of humor brighten up the kids’ days. His favorite quote is “ If you can’t find something to live for, You better find something to die for”