| Dolores Mendiola
Program Manager
Northside Weed and Seed Site
Houston, TX
Dolores Mendiola in the Mayor's Anti-Gang Office. |
The Weed and Seed strategy has been in existence for almost 14 years. One of the unanticipated and exciting results of our program is the number of individuals who have come from Weed and Seed neighborhoods, and returned to their neighborhoods to participate in continued Weed and Seed success. From time to time, In-Sites will highlight these individuals who were motivated to come back to help. This month, we feature Ms. Dolores Mendiola, the Site Manager for the Northside Weed and Seed site in Houston, TX:
It is hard to believe 16 years have passed since I graduated from Jefferson Davis High School. It is even harder to believe I am back in my old neighborhood as Site Manager of the Weed and Seed strategy.
I graduated in the top 5 percent of my class, but college was not an option. I had not applied for scholarships, grants, or loans like many of my peers; my parents definitely did not have the money. I knew I did not want my parents' life of poverty and struggle. My stepfather, a construction worker, was very strict and abusive and my mother was a stay-at-home mom with five children. A close friend and classmate convinced me to join the armed forces with her. The Marine Corps recruiter said all the right things and we enlisted the very same day. In 1991 we were flown to Parris Island, South Carolina, the only training area for female Marine Corps recruits. I made it through boot camp and chose to go into administrative personnel. It was through this job that I learned the importance of organization and accountability. I was able to travel to other parts of the United States and other countries, including California, Virginia, Kuwait, Japan, and Hawaii.
It was during my tour of duty in Japan that I suffered a near-fatal accident. I fell off of a 20-foot cliff and shattered my vertebrae. My dreams of being a career Marine came to an end. I was medically discharged from the Marine Corps in 1997 as a Sergeant and I became a disabled American veteran with rods and screws in my back. While I thought my life was over, little did I know a new chapter was about to begin.
I returned home and in 3 years, while working part time, I earned a degree in social work from the University of Houston. I always knew I wanted to enter the social work field and work with young adults. It was through my sister, a Harris County juvenile probation officer, that I became aware of a job opportunity with the Mayor's Anti-Gang Office. I was hired as an Early Intervention Counselor working with 10- to 17-year-olds in the municipal court system. Six months later, the director offered me the position of Site Manager for the Northside Village Weed and Seed. My loyalty to the kids on my caseload made accepting the position difficult, but a talk with my older sister encouraged me to accept the new challenge and a chance to make a greater impact in the community.
As the Site Manager of a Weed and Seed program I have the opportunity to be a catalyst for change in my “village.” With the help of the volunteer residents, school principals, community-based organizations, and elected officials, we are bringing about positive change. I am able to bring stakeholders at every level together to reach a common goal. Although most agree on providing services and bridging gaps of service, it is challenging to be the one person who holds all these people together.
When I speak to parent groups, leaders, or youth, sharing my stories of growing up in the Northside Village always helps break the ice and a sense of being home overcomes me. People know I can empathize with their trials and tribulations and relate first hand to the obstacles most of them face on a daily basis. I attempt to convey the message that the cycle of poverty does not have to continue and that, through the efforts of Weed and Seed, we can offer assistance to improve their quality of life.
I'm pleased that Weed and Seed has helped my old middle and high schools receive much needed improvements. A new addition has been made to house a library, state-of-the-art teleconference room, TV production program, and cafeteria. It's hard to believe my high school did not have a cafeteria when I was a student there; we used to walk across the street to the library, and cross over a concrete bridge to use the middle school cafeteria. Sometimes I drive by my old house to remind me of who I am, where I have been, and why I do what I do.
Today, I am in my fifth and final year of programming for the Northside community. I feel confident I have made progress and brought about some enriching changes for the neighborhood. Developers continue to move into the area and renovations are being made to some of the existing buildings. I hope the rich, diverse culture and the integrity of the barrio are never lost. For me, the Northside Village will always be a part of me; it has helped define who I am today. I pray that someday my daughter will understand the importance of giving back and service to community. I know that when you give from the heart, God rewards you twofold. I'm living proof.
Since Dolores joined Northside, she has greatly added to the number of collaborations, enhanced its sustainability, expanded Safe Haven services to the residents (including increasing the number of hours available for the computer learning center), and directed numerous area cleanups.
CCDO Director Nelson Hernandez visited the Northside Weed and Seed site in Houston in April 2005. He noted their successes and commented on the wonderful progress they've made, much of it a result of Dolores's efforts.
—Fred Filberg, CCDO Program Manager |
