by Lori Suzanne Holetz
Camp Harmon in Boulder Creek hosts a group of approximately 50 teens several times throughout the year. This group is known as SV FACES, and is under the directorship of Leilani Castillo, Director of Development & Education.
“Silicon Valley FACES is dedicated to creating and promoting an empathetic and inclusive community free of bias, bigotry, and violence through our programs and advocacy. We accomplish our mission through age-appropriate experiential learning programs that teach empathy, inclusiveness, effective communication skills, conflict resolution, and the constructive leadership skills needed to disseminate these attributes among classmates, colleagues, and the community at large.”
This past month, something very special took place. Two young adults were inserted into the group incognito…. They looked the same age as the rest of the kids. However, something surprising was afoot! These two individuals, Jaime Orozco and Silvana Cespedes went through the week, camping, joining discussion groups, eating, singing, and laughing with all the other kids. The discussions apparently were most impactful. Topics like prejudice towards law enforcement came up with kids making hurtful comments like “the police shoot first, ask questions later,” “eat donuts,” “are violent,” “think they are better,” “power trips,” and “us versus them.”
On the last day of camp, the kids were in for a big surprise. Jaime and Sil slipped out the back door and put on their uniforms. They walked in to the seated group to jaw-dropping wows! The kids never suspected the two police officers from the San Jose Police Department had been among them all along. They placed a board in the front of the room with all the hurtful comments that had been made during the week. Then Jaime and Sil circled the comments that hurt them the most, and each went on to explain why these comments were not true, busting through the prejudice and falsehoods. The room was in utter silence with respect as everyone watched the “walls” be taken down between the truth of law enforcement and their own thoughts and ideas based on lack of knowledge. However, now they knew Jaime and Sil. They had spent four days camping and going through this experience with them, all just as young adults hanging in the woods together. It was nothing short of deeply touching to witness, and hearts were blown open to tears.
For more information on Camp Everytown, SV FACES, please visit their inspiring website at: www.svfaces.org
