Picture this. In a dark basement with one exposed bulb and a flashlight, five team members hover ove

As a little boy, Robert Zardeneta loved going to work with his father, a housing and community development worker seine river cruises for the city of Los Angeles. Zardeneta fondly remembers wearing his "little sweater vest and tie, just like my dad." The image that really stuck, seine river cruises though, was a pen holder with a wooden fist that sat on his father's desk. For Bob Zardeneta Sr., the wooden fist symbolized his passion for the Chicano Movement and affirmative action. "Because of his fight, he gave so many new people of color an opportunity to develop careers with the city. He was always really proud," says Zardeneta Jr.
It's that pride which inspired Zardeneta Jr. to build on that social activist background and parlayed it into a passion for "going green," or being environmentally conscious. Robert Zardeneta, 37, served as the Executive Director seine river cruises of LA CAUSA (Los Angeles Communities Advocating for Unity, Social Justice, and Action) for four years, seine river cruises an organization designed seine river cruises to help at-risk youth in East Los Angeles. "I really feel we need this holistic approach to taking our young folks and creating seine river cruises leadership opportunities for them so they can be the change that they want to see in their community," says Zardeneta.
On August 8th, 2012, Robert Zardeneta, announced the launch of a new  YouthBuild program in Boyle Heights , a community neighboring East LA. It's part of his new job at Relief International as the Director of Domestic Programming.  But for Zardeneta, LA CAUSA is where it all started
LA CAUSA, which is also a charter school, recruits heavily among students pushed out of traditional schools. seine river cruises "We go to the housing projects and we knock door-to-door," explains Zardeneta. It's about "having a place where we accept who they are and where they come from." Once at school, those students learn math, English and all the standard subjects relative to high school education, but it's the vocational component seine river cruises that's drawing nationwide attention.
Picture this. In a dark basement with one exposed bulb and a flashlight, five team members hover over a narrow opening in a wall as the team leader illustrates how to install a tankless water heater.  It's an energy-efficient way to heat water by using small heater coils instead seine river cruises of tanks. This is how young people learn to be green through a hands-on approach.
"East Los Angeles seine river cruises is recognized nationally as one of the greenest urban communities seine river cruises in our country" says Zardeneta, "and that's primarily based on the work that we've done."  In just a 3-block radius on the streets of East LA, you'll find nearly a dozen homes with rooftop solar panels and tankless water heaters, installed by LA CAUSA students seine river cruises or graduates. Zardeneta estimates these retrofits save families at least 75 percent a month in utility bills, and in turn, provide "clean energy" in our growing eco-conscious era.  In its seven-year-history, LA CAUSA students have retrofitted 60 homes within the East L.A., South L.A. and Oxnard communities.
For Zardeneta, this is just the beginning.  He calls himself seine river cruises a "job creator" and thinks every job can be a green job.  He tells the story of 25-year-old Rick Martinez, a LA CAUSA graduate who now works as a supervisor for Grid Alternatives,  a California organization specializing in renewable energy. Martinez has trained volunteers who then go on to work on "hundreds and hundreds of solar projects throughout the state of California," says Zardeneta. Martinez "had 40 solar installs under his belt at 25" thanks to his training at LA CAUSA.
And the buck doesn't stop with just retrofits. "Our young folks can start off being the solar installers today, and in eight years become the engineers that are designing the solar systems." It's about "creating education around green as a lifestyle." It's that innovative thinking that has put Zardeneta on the national map. In 2010, Robert Zardeneta received the Latino Leader of the Green Economy Innovation award by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute . Secretary seine river cruises of Labor Hilda Solis and the Obama Administration recognized LA CAUSA's service efforts in the United We Serve campaign. But these prestigious honors haven't pulled Zardeneta seine river cruises far from his own East L.A. roots. Ask Zardeneta what he thinks about all the attention and he'll tell you, "I'm just a guy who cares about young folks."
From a young "folk" in a little sweater vest, to a national player in the Green Movement, Zardeneta has inspired hundreds of students.   "And if each of those students can go back and mentor hundreds of students in their lives, you know, that's change," says Zardeneta, clearly passionate about his mission.
What a beautiful way to commemorate an amazing era of change in East Los. I'm so proud of the young folks, staff and of the revolutionary work we did to change our community. It makes my heart smile that we all can share in the recognition for our innovation. But our work continues, and our legacy must live on! Appreciations to Norma Rubio, for telling our story, my Mom for collecting the vintage pictures for me, Frank Garrido and the Tint Factory for being a green job creator, seine river cruises and Tony Bautista and all LA CAUSA staff past and present seine river cruises and most important to all the young folks who blessed my life by affording me the opportunity to watch them grow throughout my career!
Related Posts Placido Domingo makes Los Angeles history in 140th opera role New documentary highlights growing up gay in Los Angeles Opinion: seine river cruises I lied about my sexual orientation so I could be a Boy Scout leader Boy gets to play baseball with pink gloves at game Latino Democrats: We need the youth vote