The city peace program

By Yareli A

The City Peace Project is a program that was founded by Danny Sanchez, the program has been around for a few years now. Along with Danny, he has a staff full of people who enjoy making a difference in the community and are always positive and spread their good vibes. 

Belinda Robeldo is one of them; the program has also helped her in many ways. 

Danny Sanchez didn’t have an easy life growing up; he had his struggles and his low points in life. Some of them were drugs, gangs, and going to jail.

Sanchez: “My life before the program—before, when I was younger, I used to get into a lot of trouble. I used to just do things I shouldn’t be doing like drinking, drugs, and hanging around people I shouldn’t be, like gangs and stuff like that.”

Danny never really had the support he gives to the students from different high schools or the attention their staff gives. 

 Sanchez: “So, I made a lot of bad choices when I was younger and that’s what inspired me to do the work I do today because I didn't have someone like me or like Belinda to guide me.”

To me, Danny is a huge inspiration because he showed that no matter how hard life gets or the bad pathways you take in life, everything gets better with time. You are the person who can decide to grow and become a better person and be good for yourself.  Belinda is also part of the program. She is a safe place for most students here at Yerba Buena High School. Belinda also didn’t have such an easy life growing up. 

Things like being in jail didn’t stop her from allowing herself to achieve more now. To me, Belinda is the person I can go to when I’m not okay or when I'm stressing on something for too much. Having someone like that at school makes me feel so safe. 

Robledo: “I love it. Makes me feel like they have somewhere to be. Like Danny said, we needed that. Sometimes it just takes one person. Little does everyone know, they cure my trauma more than I cure their trauma.”

When teenagers have that one person at school they can trust and feel supported by, they feel encouraged and they're willing to work on themselves. A lot of kids who went down the wrong pathways usually feel like they won't make it or that they won’t succeed. They're used to people giving up on them, but I believe that the program gives you that hope and support you always wanted.

I can say myself I'm not the best student, but having them telling me I can do it and how important it is to finish school and creating plans for after really encouraged me to try harder and to never give up on myself.