By Robert S. Hong
Staff Writer
MONROVIA - For the past four years, Ulysses Gutierrez has dedicated his life to making things better for at-risk youths around the San Gabriel Valley.
To do so, he founded the Monrovia Youth Alliance, a YMCA- sponsored group for kids in danger of getting involved in drugs, gangs or other destructive behaviors, and offered them a place of comfort and solace.
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On any given day, a member of the alliance can come in for counseling, group activities or just a safe place to express their concerns.
"We work on building a one-on-one relationship with them," Gutierrez said. "A lot of them feel abandoned."
The youngsters are often brought to the YMCA by volunteers, who pick them up from home and drop them off when the day is over.
Along with teens struggling in school or at home, Gutierrez has also worked with gang members and young parolees. Some of them came to him to turn their lives around.
"I would turn in boxes of knives, guns, drugs," he said. "They would find security and identity through these things."
Patek Philippe Replica Gutierrez's goal is to allow his charges to find a new identity through discovering a passion or purpose in life, he said.
After all, that was how he changed his life.
Growing up, Gutierrez was involved in gangs and addicted to methamphetamines. His wake-up call came in the form of an overdose and a stint in rehab. Shortly after being released, he decided he would dedicate himself to helping others facing similar problems.
"I have a great passion for taking kids who look like they are not going to be successful and placing them on the path for success," he said.
The idea for the alliance came in 2004, when Gutierrez met with three gang-affiliated teens on a bench in Monrovia's Library Park.
"They were looking for a way out," he said. "They wanted to succeed, but didn't know how."
Since then, his work has spread by word of mouth, and now there are nearly 70 members.
For older members in the group, there are also opportunities for networking and jobs.
David Quijas, 18, said he used to run with the wrong crowd and was heading down a dark path.A friend recommended that he look into the alliance and since then, he said, he has renewed his relationship with God and got a job with the YMCA.
Micheal Cerda, 18, also said the program has helped him get back on track. Two years ago, he was running with a bad crowd and using drugs, he said. Then he tried to steal a car before being caught and arrested.
"At that time I was kind of defiant, then I ended up getting locked up," he said.
He was on house arrest when it was recommended he join the alliance. After some time, his eyes were opened to a new reality, he said.
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"I realized that being a negative influence on society can have no positive outcomes," he said.
For more information about the alliance, call the YMCA at (626) 359-9244.
