So, who better than this longtime KidWorks volunteer to put her own elegant handwriting skills to work addressing envelopes and short thank you notes from our staff to generous donors and supporters?

Her faithful service behind the scenes is both inspirational and invaluable which is why we nominated her for volunteer of the month at KidWorks.

“I’ve been doing the addressing and short notes twice a year for about three years with about 400 each time,” Karen says. “So, I guess so far that’s more than 2,400. I like to use a felt tip pen for easy movement across the paper. I sort of became an ‘expert,’ proving the old adage that practice makes perfect.

Karen began her teaching career in Fountain Valley in 1968, then taught in Boston, Massachusetts and Fort Pierce, Florida before returning to California in 1978. She worked in Irvine at the same school for 35 years.

“Throughout those 47 years, I taught every grade from kindergarten to sixth grade but my last 25 years were instructing third grade,” Karen says. “Third grade was definitely my favorite grade to teach because the students know how to read and write and still love their teacher. I love working with the children because they love the attention and are so loving and willing to accept help.”

Karen first heard about KidWorks through her church around 2005.

“I helped at the summer program that was held out of a garage,” Karen remembers. “I tried to  continue to help one afternoon a week after school started but it was too hard for me to do both teaching during the day and help out at KidWorks. When I retired in June of 2015, volunteering at KidWorks was the first thing on my ‘to do’ list.”

Adds Karen, “I volunteered one afternoon a week helping with the kindergarten through third grades until the COVID pandemic forced in-person programs to temporarily stop. All of the staff and volunteers are so friendly, helpful and professional.”

“We are so blessed to count Karen as one of our treasured volunteers,” says Beckie White, our Manager, Marketing & Communications. “Karen’s decades of experience as a teacher shine through every time she’s in our classrooms. We’re also so grateful that Karen continues to expand her involvement with us, helping with fundraising, prayer walks and more.”

Karen’s deep faith leads her to stay involved with KidWorks in so many ways.

 “I was motivated to get involved with KidWorks because I wanted to help kids on a one-to-one basis and being in a Christian environment was very important,” Karen says.” I loved volunteering on Tuesdays because that was the day the children were taught a Bible lesson.”

Karen has also attended our prayer walks and helped out as a hostess this January. 

Karen also knows that we rely 100% on outside donations to fund our programs. With that in mind, she recently became involved with KidWorks’ Fund Development Committee and donates a monthly financial gift.

“I want to keep the programs going strong long-term, and a monthly gift is definitely one way to do that,” Karen says.

Karen stays busy in retirement.

In addition to volunteering at KidWorks, her hobbies are sewing, crocheting and other crafts.

“When my daughters were young, I made all of their dresses until third grade when the trend went to wearing more casual attire like pants or shorts to school,” Karen says. “Now I’m using my sewing skills to make skirts and dresses for Operation Christmas Shoebox with a group from my church. I also made small six-inch high stuffed bears for the boxes. During the COVID lockdown I crocheted an abundance of beanies for the Christmas shoe boxes and baby blankets that I donated to local crisis pregnancy centers.”

It’s so inspiring to know that Karen positively impacted thousands of young lives during her 47 years as a teacher—and that she continues to do so with each KidWorks student she meets in our classrooms.

Karen says it best: “My hope for KidWorks is that every child will have the opportunity to expand their education and prepare for the future to be a God-loving citizen.”

By Glenn Leibowitz, volunteer writer

“If you want something done, ask a busy person.”

No one knows for sure who first said these wise words, but the quote is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin.

The KidWorks team might suggest another version of the quote:

“If you want something done, ask Jared Pacheco.”

This ninth grader at Valley High School is our April 2022 “Volunteer of the Month.”

Not only has he been active in a variety of our programs since fourth grade, Jared has also been volunteering at KidWorks for almost a year.

Jared helps tutor grades kindergarten through fifth during our afterschool programs, does administration work for our volunteer department (including scanning, printing and filing) and assists with set-up, decorating and clean-up at KidWorks events. 

Jared finds that assisting our younger students with homework comes naturally to him.

“I usually interact with them by understanding their problems because I was once their age not that long ago,” Jared says.

He’s also an active member of our Youth Leadership Team, where he helps create and set-up youth nights. Jared joins the group for community improvement projects.

“The Youth Leadership Program has helped me to stand up and speak for myself and to interact more with people,” Jared says.

Our April Volunteer of the Month has also participated in Campus Crash (where middle and high school students visit universities and colleges), plus our spring and summer break activities.

“Jared is always asking how else he can help as soon as he finishes one task,” says Rachel Cervantes, our Volunteer Coordinator. She was his fourth grade KidWorks teacher.

Adds Rachel, “We always laugh and have a running joke that Jared got lost helping somewhere else because he disappears and then when he returns, sure enough, he says that he was helping someone else, somewhere at KidWorks!”

Rachel describes Jared as having “a lighthearted, joyful spirit in all that he does.”

Rachel says Jared “is very approachable and warm with everyone he encounters. He makes all of us feel at ease and ready for a laugh. He has bloomed into a leader.”

Maria Ruvalcaba, our Youth Leadership Development Coordinator feels the same way about Jared.

“Jared is one of the few students who shows up early and helps with set-up, registration and decorations; he’s one of the last students to leave, helping with tear-down and clean up,” Maria says. “He’s not shy in asking for directions and is always willing to lend a helping hand wherever needed.”

Maria adds, “Jared loves being at KidWorks and supporting us wherever he can. It’s comforting to know that we can trust him and see him as an extension of support to all staff and students.”

In his spare time, Jared enjoys biking and playing with his three dogs. 

Jared plans on attending college/university after graduating high school, and majoring in sociology, with career aspirations of becoming a social worker.

We are very thankful for the way Jared makes such a tremendous positive impact on all of those he serves at KidWorks. He’s a perfect example of so many KidWorks students who decide to give back as a way of expressing gratitude for all they’ve received.

By Glenn Leibowitz, volunteer writer

We invite high school and college/university students to learn more about how KidWorks can provide you with opportunities to earn service hours, intern and volunteer. 

“I’m a big believer in the notion that the course of our lives is largely impacted by life opportunities, those that come naturally and those that are presented to us by people who go the extra mile,” says Rachid Chamtieh, our March 2022 “Volunteer of the Month.”

He adds, “KidWorks’ focus on changing lives by walking in the shoes of our kids and their families aligns with my beliefs that the power of change always starts from within.”

Rachid does much more than share this philosophy, he lives it as a 12-year leader and supporter of KidWorks.

As Managing Partner of Deloitte’s Audit & Assurance Pacific Southwest practice, based in Costa Mesa, Rachid has provided exceptional financial stewardship, advice and wisdom to KidWorks. He’s served in several volunteer executive/leadership roles.

Rachid has been part of Deloitte’s Orange County office for 27 years. Previous roles with the firm include Leader of Deloitte’s Real Estate Practice in the West region, member of Deloitte’s national board council, plus various leadership roles in Orange County and Los Angeles.

Rachid’s volunteer leadership/executive roles at KidWorks have included:

Chairman of the KidWorks Board of Directors, 2014 to 2015 and 2016 to 2017, where he led the board during a transformational part of our journey, including leadership changes and improved financial discipline. This included the 2014 feasibility study that led to the major capital fundraising campaign, “Building Dreams,” that made possible the Dan Donahue Center’s significant 2017 expansion and update.  He was Vice Chair from 2012 to 2013 and first joined our board in 2009.

KidWorks Board of Directors Treasurer and member of the Audit and Finance Committees, where he supported processes, initiatives and policies to assure our financial health for the long term. 

KidWorks Advisory Council, a current position, where is a trusted resource and counselor on vision and strategy matters to David Benavides, our Executive Director/CEO and his management team.

“I’m grateful for Rachid’s service to KidWorks. His leadership and expertise as treasurer, as board chair and throughout our Building Dreams campaign has increased confidence with our existing partners while attracting new supporters. He’s changing lives and walking with our students behind the scenes,” shared David Benavides, KidWorks CEO and Executive Director.

Rachid’s financial experience and guidance, insights and support over the years contributed to KidWorks receiving a four-star rating from Charity Navigator in 2020, the widely recognized premier independent and third-party evaluator of non-profits.  

A four-star rating is the highest possible ranking from Charity Navigator. This was a step up from our prior three-star rating. We’ve maintained the four-star rating since 2020.

As a financial professional with nearly three decades of experience, Rachid knows how essential good financial stewardship is for any organization.

“We walked the walk that our donors asked of us,” Rachid says. “Looking back several years, we understood that stepping up our financial discipline was instrumental to our brand’s trust with key donors and the overall donor community in Orange County.”

Rachid adds, “The board and executive management of KidWorks are committed to demonstrating to stakeholders that we serve them in the same way we serve our community. This means maximizing the impact of their contributions in Santa Ana, the most important element of our strategy.”

As KidWorks looks forward to celebrating our upcoming 30th anniversary, Rachid sees a bright future ahead.

“I’m convinced we can continue to make more of an impact,” Rachid says. “I’m a big believer in the concept of KidWorks satellite centers at various locations in Santa Ana and I hope someday to see 10 to 20 throughout this soulful and diverse city.”

He adds, “I consider myself an ambassador for KidWorks and have and will always provide any support needed to serve the mission.”

Rachid and Deloitte have also supported our KidWorks Foundation for Success luncheon since its inception in 2007. Deloitte was an original financial sponsor and has been for 15 years.

Rachid has also encouraged his Deloitte colleagues to support KidWorks. This has included volunteer and financial support opportunities.

Rachid and his wife Rola, have two boys RJ, eight-years-old and Rami, six-years-old. They enjoy time with family and friends, playing basketball and travel.

Rachid perfectly articulates his vision for children and youth with these words: “We should not rest until every kid in Santa Ana has the same opportunities and choices as all kids in Orange County. It’s a long journey but I am a big believer that when we align the smarts and hearts of Orange County, anything is possible.”

With exceptional and gifted leaders like Rachid, we also believe anything is possible for KidWorks and the thousands of students and families we serve.

By Glenn Leibowitz, volunteer writer