Gomez encourages kids in his old neighborhood

Young Youth Visionaries is an awesome program Founded by Terrance and his brother. They are role models the kids look up to. The article below mentions my brothers, but I have two sisters also, Vanessa, now a high school counselor and Cecilia, a funeral director. Joe

Council member addresses Youth Visionaries kids

By DAVID HELDRETH BARSTOW — Council member Joe Gomez reconnected with his childhood neighborhood Thursday. Gomez spoke to kids in the Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy at the Bighorn Community Center. Gomez told the kids that they can do anything if they set goals, work hard and go to school. Throughout his speech, Gomez gave kids sports cards for answering questions. “He told us to go to listen to our teachers and be good at school,” said Charles Ross, 7. “We need to learn and to work hard at sports if we want to be famous. He gave us baseball cards, too.” His words gained more meaning to the kids when he said that he grew up at 920 Bighorn, directly across the street from the Bighorn Community Center at 921 Bighorn. Gomez’s family moved onto Bighorn while he was in high school and lived there for 14 years. “I’m a councilman, and I have brothers that became a lawyer and a probation officer,” Gomez said. “It shows that where you’re from doesn’t matter. I used to be ashamed of where I was from, but now I’m proud of it. I want people to know.” Terrance Stone, president and CEO of Youth Visionaries, met Gomez through events around the city, and Stone got Gomez’s attention when he mentioned the organization operating at the community center. The conversation led to the idea of Gomez speaking to the kids. Gomez said he hopes to speak at the community center again in the future. Youth Visionaries was started to financially, academically and socially help at-risk youth.