Diane Ortiz, the executive director of the Hollister Youth
Alliance, received the Blue Ribbon Award from the Child Abuse
Prevention Council. She was honored at the Blue Ribbon Walk April
16.
Diane Ortiz, the executive director of the Hollister Youth Alliance, received the Blue Ribbon Award from the Child Abuse Prevention Council. She was honored at the Blue Ribbon Walk April 16.
A nomination form submitted in February lists some of the reasons Ortiz was suggested for the award, which honors work with youth.
“Diane began working with Hollister Youth Alliance in 1994 and during her employment she has been instrumental in growing the Hollister Youth Alliance through the application for grants and donations,” the nomination form reads. “Diane has broken through cultural barriers to reach youth less fortunate and provided them with many opportunities for growth not only as individuals, but also as a holistic family/community approach.”
The form goes on to talk about Ortiz’ work in provide support programs and activities, as well as helping students learn to communicate with their parents and other community members.
“Her time and energy has aided in benefiting the health, safety and well-being of children in our community by providing youth and their parents with the skills needed to prevent child abuse.”
The Hollister Youth Alliance provides the Kids Club After School programs for children 6 to 12, with academic tutoring, homework assistance and other enrichment programs. It also provides the Collaborative After School Academy de Milagros, for first to eighth-grade students, as well as a summer camp and the Drop Zone for middle-school students. There is a teen leadership program that works with kids 13-19, which includes youth conferences, field trips, peer counseling, community service projects and more.
The agency also provides counseling and case management in the form of the Fathers and Motheres Learning Achieving, which works with adolescent parents, with children up to 5 years old and the Joven Noble, a weekly program that helps students develop social and personal development skills.
The Hollister Youth Alliance also provides gang prevention workshops and intervention services.
For more information on the Hollister Youth Alliance, call Diane Ortiz at 636-2853 or visit www.hollisteryouthalliance.org.
