Young adults dig in to projects that teach life skills
| Monday, Jul 05 2010 12:00 PM
Last Updated Monday, Jul 05 2010 06:40 PM
Images
Jesus Castro, 21, carries a shovel load of leaves to the green waste container as he and other members of ABLE take care of a lawn in east Bakersfield. The ABLE program of the Kern High School District teaches life and work skills to teenagers with special needs through the gardening work.
Terry George, 21, finishes up with a leaf blower as the ABLE crew moves on to its next job.
Trimmings fly as 19-year-old Michael Harris uses a weed eater to edge around a tree in northeast Bakersfield. Harris is part of the Kern High School District ABLE program.
Jesus Castro, 21, carries a shovel load of leaves to the green waste container as he and other members of ABLE take care of a lawn in east Bakersfield. The ABLE program of the Kern High School District teaches life and work skills to teenagers with special needs through the gardening work.
Phillip Barrlentos, 21, gets it low and level as he uses a trimmer on bushes during gardening work through the ABLE program of the Kern High School District.
Terry George, 21, finishes up with a leaf blower as the ABLE crew moves on to its next job.
On this mild July morning, there is chaos on Anthony Bolanos' front lawn.
Three white vans pull up to his home. Within seconds there are 15 young men on his property, which shies from the street on a quiet cul-de-sac.
"This house will take 10 minutes," Marc Urmston says, almost boasting.
Wearing gloves and carrying tools, the men disperse across the lawn with stunning efficiency. There are bushes to trim, weeds to pull. Flowers must be planted, leaves must be raked. The grass needs mowing.
Like clockwork, the job begins. There is buzzing and scraping, snapping and blowing. The noises fuse in a cacophonous din that will probably wake a neighbor or two.
Yet somewhere in this pandemonium, there is promise. Blades of grass fly with shades of confidence. Self-esteem sprays like a powerful sprinkler. There is comfort amid commotion.
"We give them responsibility to the community, which is a huge opportunity for them to feel good about themselves," Urmston says. "They can say, 'I have a job, I'm getting a paycheck, I'm gonna save some money.' It gives them a sense of responsibility."
Urmston is a special education teacher for Adult-Based Life Experience, a Kern High School District continuation program established in 1996 that teaches vocational and independent living skills to 18- to 22-year-old students with developmental disabilities.
Most of the ABLE participants live with their families or in group homes, although a few live on their own with some assistance. A number of them will probably never be self-sufficient, but ABLE aims to provide them with a smooth transition into adulthood.
They have a job coach, Virginia Parks, who helps them with resumes and interviews and coordinates paid work experience at companies like Best Buy and Baja Fresh.
"They are so driven to work and to be accepted, but people automatically think their behaviors are negative," says Parks. "I wish more employers would take the time to understand."
ABLE, which operates at six locations throughout Bakersfield, honored its 2010 graduates Friday in a ceremony at Kern Regional Center. It means, among other things, that Urmston will soon be without some of his hardest workers in the gardening program.
"Coach's Crew Lawn Service," as it is called on the group's dark gray T-shirts, has only been around for a few years. It began as an unpaid trial at Bakersfield Envelope and Printing, but it has quickly blossomed into a 30-yard business.
"We haven't even advertised -- it's just neighbors who see the great job we do," Urmston says. "They say, 'Can you do our yard?'"
The group works five days each week and earns about $50 per job, which helps to pay for proper attire and equipment. Federal funding through the Workforce Investment Act allows each participant to earn $950 over the summer.
"I'm supposed to teach these kids how to take care of themselves," says Urmston. "I can't do that in a classroom."
On this particular Thursday, 22-year-old Jesse Pompa is on his hands and knees near the flower bed of a house on Chevy Chase Drive.
"My boots are dirty," he says, pointing.
A few yards away, David Robles is touching up the front lawn. He would rather be operating the blower, but he remains upbeat.
"I take my turn," he says.
Across the street, Juan Ramirez has the blower.
When Ramirez started with ABLE four years ago, he hated it. He would express his emotions by punching walls with his fists. But Ramirez, who would like to start his own gardening business, has made noticeable progress.
He starts at the top of the hill, moving slowly and systematically, pushing debris toward the street below. When he's finished, Ramirez turns off the machine and returns it to the trailer.
As he crosses the street, he looks over his left shoulder at his latest accomplishment. He smiles, on to the next one.
"Parents might sit them at home in front of the television," Parks says, "but our students are capable of working."
