Through mentoring, Dennisse helped a young teenage girl, who was a chronic marijuana user, to stop consuming marijuana and work towards positive goals. Dennisse helped this teen graduate from the Lifeline CAT program, Community Assessment Team.
Through her volunteer service with Lifeline’s Community Assessment Team (CAT), Dennisse is making a difference. CAT works with kids ages 5 to 18 who need positive role models to stay away from criminal activity or are on probation and working to get back on track. Dennisse mentors youth, helps case managers with filing, and schedules intake appointments for her supervisor Cheryl Macias.
As a volunteer , Dennisse is an important part of the Lifeline team. She encourages first time volunteers to ask questions, especially since she was afraid to ask questions when she first started volunteering. According to Dennisse, North County Lifeline’s helpful, positive environment welcomes and supports volunteers. The constructive criticism that staff provide allows volunteers and interns to grow from their experiences.
Dennisse is a human service major at the University of Phoenix and has been volunteering at North County Lifeline for five years. She decided to become a volunteer because she wanted more hands-on experience in human services. She simply walked into Lifeline’s Vista office and asked the receptionist whether or not Lifeline offered volunteer positions. She started volunteering for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program as a tax admin assistant. Since then, she has volunteered for the past three years in North County Lifeline’s youth programs.
Dennisse, *thank you* for all you do to help kids. You change lives and inspire us all. We are grateful for your service.
Story submitted by Mirta Ortiz, AmeriCorps VIP Fellow
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