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Making ‘Smiles’
  
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By RICHARD TEW
About 150 volunteers showed up ready and willing to help bring smiles to the faces of some 32000 deserving children this Christmas season.
The “Smiles on Wheels” project is the brainchild of Irha Jabbary, the owner of ABC Dental. The project is designed to help children within the community receive a bicycle for Christmas who might not otherwise have the means to receive one.
Jabbary came up with the idea after seeing some of his own employees sponsor and be involved in similar actives over the years. Another motivation came from a personal loss when as a result of natural disasters in his home land took the lives of some 150 of his family members.
Leading this team of bike-builders is Murline Staley along with Josh Moreno also of ABC Dental. They’ve coordinated help and support from local businesses in the form of trucking logistic support from Clark Freight Lines along with food and man power from local eateries like Pizza Patron and Mi Tienda restaurants.
Overseeing and facilitating the teams of student volunteers were members of the Community Services Division of The Pasadena Police Department and with help from students from Pasadena Memorial High School and Lamar Consolidated High School from Rosenburg.
Bo Powers, a spokesman for the Community Services Division emphasized the importance to having students involved with the building and distribution of these bicycles.
“It’s going to give them a boost to their own self-esteem, some of these kids may have received bikes or gifts from programs like this in the past and now they get to give back,” he said.
Powers pointed out that by having different clubs within schools working together it helps to forge bonds amongst students who might not otherwise have the chance to interact with each other during their respective school activities.
“You see football kids with band kids, and their all rubbing shoulders, interacting and having a good time,” Powers said.
Pasadena Memorial also contributed members of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), the Varsity Football team, and Health Occupations Students of America.
Ele Manry is the adviser for the FCCLA club. She was charged with putting together a team of students to come and help with the build.
One of her students, Kristel Vela, a Memorial senior, said, “It makes me feel good helping out the community. It’s a great feeling knowing we’re helping others who might need it.”
For some students, this was the first time they were active in community programs like this.
Varsity football player Juan Lozoya said, “It’s my first time in the four years I’ve been at Memorial that I’ve been involved in something like this and I thought it was pretty cool.”
Also pitching in was Lamar Consolidated High School. It’s a long drive from Rosenburg for these able-bodied volunteers, but to them, it’s all worth it to help out the community.
Dr. Fred Guess, who coordinated his students to come lend a hand building bikes added, “We do a lot of community service projects around Rosendurg and we were contacted about helping Smiles on Wheels and I gathered my students and we came to help.”
Guess hopes to convey to his students the importance of helping out in the community.
“It helps them understand that they are actually doing something to help people,” he said. “Community service helps students to understand that they are actually doing something for people who might be less fortunate than them.”
Guess’ students echo his sentiments and sum up the theme behind “Smiles on Wheels.”
“I strongly believe in doing things like this. Kids really need love and support,” said Lamar Junior Celeste Bradley.
Lamar Senior Tam Tran added, “Giving back like this makes us feel thankful for what we have and what we might take for granted.”
The “Smiles on Wheels” project is the brainchild of Irha Jabbary, the owner of ABC Dental. The project is designed to help children within the community receive a bicycle for Christmas who might not otherwise have the means to receive one.
Jabbary came up with the idea after seeing some of his own employees sponsor and be involved in similar actives over the years. Another motivation came from a personal loss when as a result of natural disasters in his home land took the lives of some 150 of his family members.
Leading this team of bike-builders is Murline Staley along with Josh Moreno also of ABC Dental. They’ve coordinated help and support from local businesses in the form of trucking logistic support from Clark Freight Lines along with food and man power from local eateries like Pizza Patron and Mi Tienda restaurants.
Overseeing and facilitating the teams of student volunteers were members of the Community Services Division of The Pasadena Police Department and with help from students from Pasadena Memorial High School and Lamar Consolidated High School from Rosenburg.
Bo Powers, a spokesman for the Community Services Division emphasized the importance to having students involved with the building and distribution of these bicycles.
“It’s going to give them a boost to their own self-esteem, some of these kids may have received bikes or gifts from programs like this in the past and now they get to give back,” he said.
Powers pointed out that by having different clubs within schools working together it helps to forge bonds amongst students who might not otherwise have the chance to interact with each other during their respective school activities.
“You see football kids with band kids, and their all rubbing shoulders, interacting and having a good time,” Powers said.
Pasadena Memorial also contributed members of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), the Varsity Football team, and Health Occupations Students of America.
Ele Manry is the adviser for the FCCLA club. She was charged with putting together a team of students to come and help with the build.
One of her students, Kristel Vela, a Memorial senior, said, “It makes me feel good helping out the community. It’s a great feeling knowing we’re helping others who might need it.”
For some students, this was the first time they were active in community programs like this.
Varsity football player Juan Lozoya said, “It’s my first time in the four years I’ve been at Memorial that I’ve been involved in something like this and I thought it was pretty cool.”
Also pitching in was Lamar Consolidated High School. It’s a long drive from Rosenburg for these able-bodied volunteers, but to them, it’s all worth it to help out the community.
Dr. Fred Guess, who coordinated his students to come lend a hand building bikes added, “We do a lot of community service projects around Rosendurg and we were contacted about helping Smiles on Wheels and I gathered my students and we came to help.”
Guess hopes to convey to his students the importance of helping out in the community.
“It helps them understand that they are actually doing something to help people,” he said. “Community service helps students to understand that they are actually doing something for people who might be less fortunate than them.”
Guess’ students echo his sentiments and sum up the theme behind “Smiles on Wheels.”
“I strongly believe in doing things like this. Kids really need love and support,” said Lamar Junior Celeste Bradley.
Lamar Senior Tam Tran added, “Giving back like this makes us feel thankful for what we have and what we might take for granted.”
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