We’re saving our city millions of dollars, but most importantly, we’re saving a life, we’re mitigating trauma … and we’re working towards a more vibrant community.
Juan Avila
Juan Avila is a chief operating officer at Garden Pathways, an organization that mentors youth and young adults through life-building services in Bakersfield, California. In this video, he shares the story of José, a man who turned away from gun violence to focus on fatherhood.
Since its founding in 1997, Garden Pathways has helped hundreds of Bakersfield residents and mobilized community transformation through its inside out model, which provides comprehensive mentoring services to individuals and families at risk of being affected by violence. Like many community violence intervention programs, Garden Pathways incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy techniques in its mentoring approach to help individuals identify and replace negative coping mechanisms and responses with positive strategies that improve personal and community wellness.
Born and raised in Bakersfield, Juan faced a choice after graduating from college in Los Angeles about whether or not he wanted to return home and give back to his community, which he recognized as being even more torn than it was when he grew up. Now 20 years into his career as a community builder, Juan is proud to be helping his Bakersfield community “become more vibrant and improve the quality of life of residents.”