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'Thank God there was a door' A safe harbor for stormy lives Animals love human volunteers Bean Project changes lives City Red Cross chapter helps victims of 300 blazes yearly Cops continue crusade for needy kids Dental clinic for kids delivers smiles Denver Partners find joy in mentoring Determination helps single mom Feast gives poor a meal fit for king Green thumbs, warm hearts help harvest hope for needy Homeless critters need Christmas, too Kids Cafes serve up sustenance Little white ball leads teen to turnaround Mentors help teens excel in school, life Musician strikes chord with mentors Once-homeless teen opens door Project Angel Heart's meals a blessing to Denver's sick Rape awareness program also emphasizes prevention Reach out by reading aloud to kids Recipient: Samaritan House help 'a miracle' Salvation Army long has helped the needy, especially at yule School's goal is personal growth Specialist helps keep Indians in class Students communicate, learn through dance moves Sungate helps abused kids survive confusion and pain
'Thank God there was a door'
A safe harbor for stormy lives
Animals love human volunteers
Bean Project changes lives
City Red Cross chapter helps victims of 300 blazes yearly
Cops continue crusade for needy kids
Dental clinic for kids delivers smiles
Denver Partners find joy in mentoring
Determination helps single mom
Feast gives poor a meal fit for king
Green thumbs, warm hearts help harvest hope for needy
Homeless critters need Christmas, too
Kids Cafes serve up sustenance
Little white ball leads teen to turnaround
Mentors help teens excel in school, life
Musician strikes chord with mentors
Once-homeless teen opens door
Project Angel Heart's meals a blessing to Denver's sick
Rape awareness program also emphasizes prevention
Reach out by reading aloud to kids
Recipient: Samaritan House help 'a miracle'
Salvation Army long has helped the needy, especially at yule
School's goal is personal growth
Specialist helps keep Indians in class
Students communicate, learn through dance moves
Sungate helps abused kids survive confusion and pain
His cup runneth over since he was paired with golf-loving mentor
By Kevin VaughanDenver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
Roberto Ornelas isn't Tiger Woods. Yet. But the 14-year-old student at Denver's Kepner Middle School dreams of a brighter future than he might have imagined only a year ago, thanks to a mentor, the game of golf and his own hard work. "It's a cool game to play, and not many kids my age are playing it," Roberto said. He is one of 300 youngsters who have been matched with a mentor by administrators at a program called Save Our Youth. Save Our Youth was launched by a group of inner-city churches after the infamous Summer of Violence in 1993, a span that saw teen-agers gunned down and sparked new state laws and renewed efforts in the community to head off trouble. "We really do not recruit kids at all," said Save Our Youth's Marcia Flaa. "We always have kids who are coming. "We work on recruiting mentors." Tim Scates, a 57-year-old attorney whose two daughters are grown, heard the pitch for Save Our Youth at church a little more than a year ago. Through the program, which is run out of a modern office in West Denver, youngsters are paired with adult mentors, who are asked to make a minimum one-year commitment. Save Our Youth features five key components: Building the relationship between a young person and an adult mentor. Acquiring the skills needed in life. Participating in a service project, either locally or abroad. Last year, a group from Save Our Youth spent time in Juarez, Mexico, building a home for a poor family. Achieving academic excellence. The organization offers help with schoolwork to students involved in the program. Exploring career options. Youngsters are given the chance to consider possible scenarios for life after school. The key to it all, however, is the relationship between student and mentor. "We can offer all kinds of activities, but what is really going to make a difference in the life of a young person is that relationship," Flaa said. Scates, a fanatic about golf, decided he wanted to participate. He offered to teach a young man the game of golf, and to play with him. Roberto wanted to come to Save Our Youth, in part, because he was worried about his performance in school. The two were matched. For the past year, they've gotten together once a week. Scates has taught Roberto about the game — both how to hold and swing a club, and about the etiquette required on the course. Several months into it, Roberto offered a simple observation: "To tell you the truth, Tim, I thought it was going to be boring." They've played plenty of rounds on a par-3 course, and they've gotten in 18 holes a few times. Scates talks with pride about Roberto's natural ability. And he talks about the future. Roberto, he believes, now has an opportunity he didn't have a year ago — to earn a golf scholarship to college. Along the way, Roberto has made dramatic improvements in school, and they've come with Scates encouraging — but not tutoring — him. He's also won a spot on his school's basketball team. Scates gives the boy all the credit. "Whatever Roberto has done in the last year that I've seen, Roberto has done," Scates said. Contact Kevin Vaughan at (303) 892-5019, or vaughank@RockyMountainNews.com. December 1, 2000 NewsWeatherOpinionNationWorldSci/TechDeaths BusinessStocks Bank Rates SportsBroncosAvalancheNuggetsRockiesCollegeRockyPreps RecreationSnow Rept.HikingBikingFishingGolfCalendarDentry EntertainmentMoviesDiningMusicOn StageBooksTV Living Comics Health Food Home & Garden Family Travel Cookbook Births Weddings Crossword ClassifiedPlace an adAutoCareersHomes User Agreement / Privacy Statement © Copyright, Denver Publishing Co.Subscribe to the NewsQuestions? Comments? Talk to Us
Roberto Ornelas isn't Tiger Woods. Yet.
But the 14-year-old student at Denver's Kepner Middle School dreams of a brighter future than he might have imagined only a year ago, thanks to a mentor, the game of golf and his own hard work.
"It's a cool game to play, and not many kids my age are playing it," Roberto said.
He is one of 300 youngsters who have been matched with a mentor by administrators at a program called Save Our Youth.
Save Our Youth was launched by a group of inner-city churches after the infamous Summer of Violence in 1993, a span that saw teen-agers gunned down and sparked new state laws and renewed efforts in the community to head off trouble.
"We really do not recruit kids at all," said Save Our Youth's Marcia Flaa. "We always have kids who are coming.
"We work on recruiting mentors."
Tim Scates, a 57-year-old attorney whose two daughters are grown, heard the pitch for Save Our Youth at church a little more than a year ago.
Through the program, which is run out of a modern office in West Denver, youngsters are paired with adult mentors, who are asked to make a minimum one-year commitment.
Save Our Youth features five key components:
The key to it all, however, is the relationship between student and mentor.
"We can offer all kinds of activities, but what is really going to make a difference in the life of a young person is that relationship," Flaa said.
Scates, a fanatic about golf, decided he wanted to participate. He offered to teach a young man the game of golf, and to play with him.
Roberto wanted to come to Save Our Youth, in part, because he was worried about his performance in school.
The two were matched. For the past year, they've gotten together once a week. Scates has taught Roberto about the game — both how to hold and swing a club, and about the etiquette required on the course.
Several months into it, Roberto offered a simple observation: "To tell you the truth, Tim, I thought it was going to be boring."
They've played plenty of rounds on a par-3 course, and they've gotten in 18 holes a few times.
Scates talks with pride about Roberto's natural ability.
And he talks about the future. Roberto, he believes, now has an opportunity he didn't have a year ago — to earn a golf scholarship to college.
Along the way, Roberto has made dramatic improvements in school, and they've come with Scates encouraging — but not tutoring — him. He's also won a spot on his school's basketball team.
Scates gives the boy all the credit.
"Whatever Roberto has done in the last year that I've seen, Roberto has done," Scates said.
Contact Kevin Vaughan at (303) 892-5019, or vaughank@RockyMountainNews.com.
December 1, 2000
