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| Dr. Sonny Lara Founder of Firehouse with Firehouse Youth |
Drs. Sonny and Linda Lara are
trained Statesmen through Dr. Clyde Rivers, President and Founder of iChange
Nations™ Statesman’s Program. They have embraced their passion to help others,
particularly youth that have little to no potential to succeed in life. They
reside and work in the San Jose, CA region. They are impacting may lives on a
daily basis. We are proud to call them iChange Nations™ Statesmen.
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Transforming at risk youth, throw
aways, gang members and drug addicts is what Firehouse Community Development is
known for. Drs. Sonny Lara and Linda Lara knew unless someone intervened with
these type of young people they would be handed a death sentenced or life
imprisonment. Unless someone stepped in a detoured them from this type of
lifestyle this would be their fate.
With this in mind, the Firehouse
set out to rescue and save the worst of the worst. Those who nobody thought
could be saved. Those, who all hope of any type of turn around seemed
impossible. Their only hope of survival would be for them to escape a bullet or
never get caught by the police for doing a violent crime. These are the type of
youngsters that Firehouse sought out to bring hope.
Drs. Sonny and Linda knew the
first step in doing so was to establish a safe haven for these youth. A place
where they would feel welcomed and accepted. A place where you weren’t looked
down on or discarded as unworthy because of the neighborhood you came from, the
clothes you wore, the tattoos on your body or the amount of income your parents
made. Where youth felt valued and accepted.
So believe it or not a “hand shake”
is what opened the door for Firehouse to begin this task. A hand shake of
warmth and love for each and everyone that we encountered. Soon the trust
between Firehouse and the youth was established. They began to open their
hearts and we were able to come in and bring hope.
We then began the Firehouse
School Program. Four or more F’s, a low GPA, truancy and disciplinary issues
was and continues to be the criteria for entrance into the program. This
program is not for the valedictorian, on the contrary. There are enough
programs for them. It is for those who are failing in school and life, and need
guidance to get back on track. At Firehouse we believe every life has value and
that includes the worst of the worst.
We know that if we had the
opportunity to encourage, empower, enlighten and speak life into these
youngsters they would succeed. Four days a week we are on school campus.
Allowing students with four F’s or more come to our program to receive help.
We are only funded to take case
loads of forty students, but we had over a hundred students wanting to get in
the program. There was no way we could turn any of them down even though we
knew we would not receive any funding for them. We were overwhelmed by the
response and knew we had the opportunity to transform their lives.
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| School Graduation of Firehouse Youth |
We have now seen such great
transformation in these young people. They have gotten their GPA’s from 0.2 to
some as high as 4.0. Yes 4.0! And now being accepted at colleges and
universities. We are so proud of our
students who have completely turned their lives around. Off drugs, out of gangs
and out of trouble. They are now working and going to school. We give God all
the Glory for we know it is Him that has made all this possible.
Written by Dr. Linda Lara
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