Youth Alliance to host Change Makers awards dinner

The Youth Alliance’s second annual Change Makers awards dinner is scheduled from 5 to 10 p.m. Oct. 15 at Casa Maria, a former parish hall that rests adjacent to the old Mission in historic San Juan Bautista.
This year’s honorees are 2016 Youth Inspiration Award winner Javier Renteria and 2016 Change Makers Award recipients the Castellano family.
Renteria has dedicated 100 hours of community service over the last two years with the Youth Alliance, while the Castellanos “have long been pillars of change within the Latino communities of Santa Clara County,” according to the YA announcement.
“As a model of transformation, determination and commitment to community, Javier is a mentor in the YA 4H Stem partnership, has volunteered with LULAC, and is employed,” reads the YA’s release.
“(The Castellano family’s) support has made it possible for YA to provide much needed programs for local families, and to continue to push the boundaries of the possible for our children and youth,” it continues. “The Castellano Family Foundation stands by their honorable mission to invest in Latino arts and culture, education, leadership development and diversity in Santa Clara County.”
The Oct. 15 event features dinner, drinks, dancing, a live auction, a musical performance by local singer/songwriter Isaiah Pickett and a reception with Mariachi Juvenil Alma de Mexico.
Proceeds of the event will benefit the Youth Alliance, which has a mission is to strengthen and empower youth in Santa Clara and San Benito counties.
Founded in 1995, YA was made up of volunteers who were motivated to provide resources for local youth. Since then, it has grown to benefit over 6,000 children and their families each year in primarily underserved and under-resourced areas of our community.
YA supports after-school, summer, and late-night prevention programs, early intervention, bilingual counseling and case management, and intervention programs serving at-promise youth in the juvenile justice system.
Tickets are now on sale through the Youth Alliance website, or can be purchased at the YA Administrative Office at 310 Fourth Street in Hollister, by phone, or email. Visit youthall.org for more information.