Former tagger goes to College

Adrian Esquivel

Graffiti Abatement

My name is Adrian Esquivel (Fatz) I am an AmeriCorps member working at Winton Lifeline Community Center. A group of young at risk youth and I from the community get together on a daily basis and drive around Winton looking for graffiti to paint over. In case there is graffiti at a private property we ask for permission then we get a permission slip signed by the owner of the property before we paint over the graffiti not leaving patches but paining the whole fence with our paint that we get donated by Merced County. LifeLine CDC and CLEO have set up an account at the local hardware store to get our supply of rollers and green spray paint for the garbage cans. Lately, we been working with the local post office to get paint and have the permission to also go around cleaning mail boxes but that is still pending. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and money. We spend about three hundred to four hundred dollars a month for gas and about forty to fifty dollars worth of supplies like; rollers, brushes, spray paint for trash cans, etc.

What I find greatly satisfying is the positive feedback from the community. Once a lady named Aurora came to the site and made us lunch for cleaning graffiti across her street. Another day a lady came in and brought us sodas meanwhile we were working on her fence. Mario and Daniel B. were taggers working on community service hours for getting caught tagging. After seeing how grateful people were when we cleaned up the community, they both till this day have stopped tagging. Mario went back to school and Daniel got a job to keep busy. In conclusion, not only do we make Winton a better place, but we also make a positive difference or change in someone’s life. It’s a great feeling to get a paycheck and be happy about the changes you have accomplished!

Vincent is one of the young man who has been helping with the Winton Community Center. Adrian, Tunde and Vincent helped at the Merced Martin Luther King Jr. event.

"My MLK Day experience" by Vincent W. (left in picture)

"What I learned at the event was that everyone has their own place in this world. Not matter what skin color you are. I saw that there were a lot of mixed raced couples and that made me see they could be happy no matter who they are with. If it wasn't for Martin Luther King these people would have never found their real love. He was an important man. I never recognized Martin Luther King Jr Day was that important until yesterday. Thank you."

Can Afrian Red Worms build community?

Last week a friend of ours gave us some worms... yes.. the wiggly, slimy kind of worms!
So last night we created the new homes for them. We shredded paper, converted buckets, cleaned out the scrap food bin and made a new home for the hundreds of worms that are now in our possession.


Why? Well, here are just a few things that come to mind:

1. We get to recycle our food scraps and paper products into wonderful organic fertilizer. Yes, junk mail is good for something!

2. We have a great conversation piece :)... probably not at the dinner table though.

3. And most importantly, we get to share our worms with others. We want to have more community gardens in our communities. In times when food is expensive and people are out of work, having community gardens only makes sense and brings people together to share the gifts and skills they have. And having healthy, fertile ground is one of the requirements for a successful garden...... hence the worms!
Can you imagine the conversations around the growing of the worms? Can you imagine children touching worms and giggling as they might experience them for the first time? Can you image older ladies sitting together to come up with more creative ideas on the use of the worms? Can you imagine men sharing their gardening and farming experiences with each other? Well WE CAN!

For now, we have 2 buckets with worms, old shredded statements and scrap food in our backyard waiting to multiply and be shared with community!

New Years promise, resolution or responsibility?

A New Year, new beginnings and lots of resolutions that we are unable to keep. I spent the last few days dreaming and planning for the next year. But more than that I prayed for wisdom, asking God for a Scripture that I can hold on to when times get tough, when I am tired and when I don't have the strength to go on. As I am sharing this with you, I ask that you hold me to it! I need your support to keep me grounded in His Word, His Promise, His Instructions.

Proverbs 3:5,6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

To be honest, when I first read this, I thought it was a 'good old standard' while I was hoping for something extraordinary..... but soon reading the context of it, it spoke more to me. Because this is really a 'conditional promise'.....at least that is what I call it.

Here are the conditions (meaning my responsibilities):
1. Do not forget His teachings - spend enough time in God's Word to know it
2. Be loving and faithful - don't get so easily be bent out of shape
3. Do not be wise in your own eyes - don't become arrogant
4. Honor God with your resources - He is the keeper of all resources, spend it wisely
5. Don't walk away from His discipline - be open to Him, don't fear His discipline
6. Seek wisdom - don't do it alone, surround yourself with wise council
7. Preserve sound judgment - don't judge, that's God's job
8. Don't fear disaster - it will happen, don't worry
9. Don't withhold goods - use His resources, don't hoard them
10.Trust God and don't lean on your own understanding

And somewhere in it comes His promise "He will make your paths straight".

So, I guess it is not a 'good old standard' but has just raised my responsibility to living right if I also want the blessing!

For 2011 I ask of you that you help me live out my part of the promise!