Mark your calendars for the next Veterans Club Community Service Project Event!

April 27, 9:00 am – 11:00 pm 

• Our club is volunteering for the 23^rd Anniversary William Shatner Hollywood Horse Show
• A fantastic event you do not want to miss!
  • Gala Dinner
  • Celebrity Auction
  • Vince Gill Performance
  • and of course, a phenomenal Horse Show
• Proceeds benefit local charities, including Veteran-oriented Dream Catcher of LA
• Minimum volunteer time is one three-hour block
• Volunteer Questionnaires are available online or at the VRC
• Questionnaires must be submitted directly to Daryl and Jennifer Curtis
  • FAX (818) 509-2299
  • email: volunteershchs@yahoo.com
  • USPS:    HCHS Volunteer

C/o Daryl Cutris
4718 Poppyseed Street
Bakersfield, CA 93313

• Volunteers must submit an application and RECEIVE WRITTEN CONFIRMATION from the coordinators to be allowed in.
• We will carpool if there is enough interest.

For more information contact Veterans Club Secretary Dasha Gariepy or stop by the VRC.

2013 Volunteer Questionnaire[1]

The first was painful, but expected – a grandmother to cancer. The second was unexpected but understandable -an uncle suffered a sudden brain aneurysm. The third loss was and still is indescribably painful - the suicide of a close Marine friend, Mike.

It is horrifying that our military members are committing suicide at the alarming rate of one every twenty five hours.

No one understands this statistic better than Ron Capps, who, with gun-in-hand was startled out of the act by his ringing cell phone.

Using his experience to reach out to others, Capps created The Veterans Writing Project, which uses writing as a way of healing. It is no secret that writing is therapeutic, and Capps’ utilizes this idea by giving ”veterans the skills they need to capture their stories and do so in an environment of mutual trust and respect.”

Many of the Veterans at Vanguard are dealing with the effects PTSD, myself included. We talk amongst ourselves, and we approach recovery in a variety of ways: my favorite is theraputic writing. Mike didn’t acknowledge his PTSD, and he didn’t seek help. I know when he pulled that trigger he felt completely alone.  

If you or someone you know is suffering, please reach out.  To a professional, to a friend, to a Vet here on campus. We had each other’s backs on active duty, and we’ve got your back now. You’re not alone.

Tim Tebow’s favorite bible verse is John3:16, which was etched in eye black on his facewhen he led his college football team, the Florida Gators, to the BCS Championship title in 2009.

Contributed by Brittany Aase

In light of this past weekend’s Super Bowl game and the end of the 2012-2013 NFL season I thought it was a great time to reflect on God’s work that took place during a playoff game in the 2011-2012 NFL season.

Tim Tebow, back-up quarterback for the New York Jets (former Denver Broncos quarterback), spoke at Impact Church in Scottsdale, Arizona on Super Bowl Sunday this past weekend. In addition to sharing his testimony with the members of Impact Church, he also told a remarkable story about the unlikely coincidences that the Bible verse John 3:16 had during the playoff overtime victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers last year.

After the Broncos victory, a man came up to Tebow and asked if he realized what had happened. Tebow replied with what he thought was the obvious: they won and were moving on in the playoffs! The man went on to tell him about all of the similarities that took place between Tebow’s statistics and John 3:16:

He threw for a total of 316 yards,
averaged 31.6 yards per completion,
his yards per rush were 3.16,
the time of possession was 31.06 minutes, and
the peak ratings were 31.6.

Tebow was shocked and ecstatic. He said, “What was so cool about it was I can’t take any credit. I had no idea….I wasn’t even a part of it. God was using it and I was just like a little puppet.”

The next day John 3:16 was the number one thing searched on Google and the #1 thing posted on Twitter and Facebook. It is truly amazing how God works in each of our lives and how he uses our talents and devotion to spread His goodness.

The Lord uses His followers as puppets in different ways, sometimes guiding us to an unexpected career change, or softening our hearts.

For example, a couple of weeks ago the Lord kept directing me to 2 Corinthians 5:10. At this time my thoughts, attitude, and feelings about a particular situation were hardened. When I let Him take control I was convicted and put my anger aside to respond in a way that would be right in His eyes. We can’t change people or their perceptions, but we can make the decision to do what is right.  It is so difficult to do when conflicts arise with those that you are close, but at the end of the day I can say that I have complete peace.

The most extraordinary puppet shows ever performed are when God uses His Christian followers as puppets to carry out the truth of His word.

How has God used you as his puppet?

For more insight on Tim Tebow’s testimony follow the links below:
Tebow Talks Bible Verses Ministering Tebowing
Tebow Professes His Faith Carefully

Contributed by Kenia Cueto

Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a mentor? Travel back through your past personal experiences to search and select individuals who have influenced your life in a positive way. Were they of the same race, gender, age, education, or socio economic background? Did they have the same approach in guiding you?

This blog is not intended for research, comparison or study, rather it is a lifelong observation on the effects of people’s leadership and guiding actions towards one another.  It is also intended to express the ease in which a positive, caring mentor can change a mentee’s path in life. 

As children, our parents become our first mentors (or at least that is our hope). A parent need not be educated or wealthy to make a positive difference in their child’s life.  Constant positive reinforcement and encouragement of a child’s academic progress, for example, is crucial – even if the parents themselves never attained a formal education.

Unhealthy mentoring and/or abuse of one’s own power, whether it is at home or in the workplace, can lead to negative outcomes, and lack of self-worth or success. Telling a child he or she can achieve great things with hard work is obviously better than telling them they will never amount to anything. Because parents are the first mentors in a child’s life, the effects of bad parenting may cause a life-long struggle in diverse areas of their children’s lives.  

We can change the title “parent” to coach, teacher, boss, supervisor, co-worker friend, or sibling. Anyone can be a mentor.  In fact, you may not know it, but someone may already perceive you as a mentor figure. It is important to be cognizant of your perceived status in relation with others, because you might become the one to make or break the spirit, plans or future of your mentee.

Many articles and training manuals have been written on how to become a mentor, but in my opinion, it takes little effort to make a big difference in someone’s life. Below are six everyday principles that you can follow to ensure that you are a positive mentor. 

1. ROLE MODELING- Personal values and morals play a key role in showcasing who you really are. You will earn the respect of others by the way in which you live your life in and out of work.
2. INSTINCT- Many times it is your instinct that will tell you someone needs a little bit of your time.  It may take one or multiple mini-mentoring moments to make a difference.
3. TIME- Making time for your mentee is a great way to build a stronger bond and reassure them you will be there for the long run.
4. LISTENING - It doesn’t take much time or effort to listen intently. The fact that you are taking a moment out of your day for your mentee will give importance and credence to their self-worth and journey.
5. PATIENCE- The mentee may take a while to accomplish his or her goal, therefore show patience to reinforce your support.
6. SUPPORT- There are many ways to show your mentee that you are on their side.

• Monetary Support helps reinforce your belief of the mentee’s success. It gives them a chance to recognize that you are serious about wanting to support them, and shows that you believe in the course of action they are taking.
• Moral Support helps build self-esteem. Make the interactions genuine, positive, and continuous. Opening a way to build self-worth in a productive manner may profoundly impact someone’s life forever.

“Life’s most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?”
Martin Luther King, Jr

When you’re married to the military and relocate as much as I have (I lost count after twenty moves) you learn to deal with change. My husband can call me at a moments notice and ask, “Hey, ya wanna move to Zimbabwe?” and I’ll let loose with a whoop of excitement. I love to experience new things, and I’m a seasoned traveler.

Like me, I always expected my military friends to move, because it comes with the territory. I completely understand that they are here today, gone tomorrow. But as a rule, most civilians don’t just rip up their roots and leave for new adventures. That’s my role, after all.

You can imagine my disbelief when an acquaintance-who-could-have-been-a-great-friend announced today that she was moving. I was so looking forward to building this particular friendship, it never dawned on me that I might not get the chance. My reaction to her news took me completely by surprise: I cried. In spite of the fact that I’ve only known her for a couple of months, the reality that “moving happens” in the civilian world hit me hard. I was thankful for my ever-present sunglasses, because they hid the tears that swam in my eyes.

I don’t know if I was crying because she is moving, or because I had to face a change that I did not initiate. Maybe it was a bit of both. But I did what I always do when I need to mull something over – I dove into the internet in an effort to understand my complicated emotions.

What I found was a phenomenal article written by business Guru Tom Mendoza, who observed that “Most people are averse to change. They like to keep things the way they are; they like to stay in their comfort zone.”

I’m sure they (like me today) simply want to bury their heads in the sand and pretend change isn’t happening. Unfortunately, as I found out, change finds it way into our lives whether we want it or not. And when it does we have to face it.

How we face it is critical. Mendoza explains, “More than any other, one single attribute separates people in the workplace. That’s attitude. Attitude is critical when it comes to embracing change.”

I think this theory is demonstrated well in the following image, and today I can completely relate to the caterpillar.

The butterflies among us probably don’t need any advice on how to handle change.

But the caterpillars in the crowd need to head over to Forbes’ site and discover 6 Powerful Ways to Embrace Change.

Are you a butterfly, or a caterpillar?


ostrich image compliments addictinginfo.org; caterpillar image by Mike Waters, joyfultoons.com

Flu season is upon us, and the immunization debate is raging.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, an average of 36,000 Americans die each year from the flu. The elderly and the very young are at highest risk.

In this technologically advanced age, how can so many people die from a virus for which we’ve developed a vaccine? The answer is simple: even though the current vaccine is considered the best protection available, it is only about 60 percent effective.

There are a large variety of influenza virus strains, with new strains continually appearing and replacing older strains.   Annual Vaccines are only tailored  to protect against infection and illness caused by the three likeliest strains that research indicates will be most common during a season.

Aside from that, flu vaccines can have serious repercussions, including death, which further clouds the issue of whether to vaccinate or not.

Some medical professionals, including the prestigious Mayo Clinic, claim that the flu shot is the best bet for avoiding influenza and staying healthy this season; others would rather lose their jobs than submit to the shot.

Personally, I choose to skip the shot and take my chances each year.

What about you? Do you think protection from a deadly virus is worth the risks? Sound off below.

If you haven’t heard, the Internet is abuzz with news of Walmart’s astounding new veteran initiative, which plans to go into action on Memorial Day.

Time Magazine explains that Walmart is “focusing on putting returning veterans to work, with a promise to hire 100,000 veterans over the next five years.”

WHNT out of Huntsville, Alabama claims that this is ”one of the largest hiring commitments for veterans on record.”

The New York Times reports that Walmart plans to “hire every veteran who wants a job” but adds that veterans must “have left the military in the previous year,” a distinction which effectively eliminates hundreds of thousands of veterans who are in need of employment.

However, Gary Profit, senior director of military programs at Wal-Mart (and retired Army brigadier general) said that “because of the size of Wal-Mart’s retail operation and supply chain, it is almost certain that the company could find a job — even a part-time one — close to any veteran who wanted one.” He continues, “If you’re a veteran and you want a job in the retail industry, you have a place at Wal-Mart.”

In these rough economic times, this is good news indeed.

Are you Walmart employee, or have you been hired through another veterans initiative program? Sound off below!

 Photo courtesy of WHNT.com

I love listening to the sounds of the season, but my school commute falls during the same play-list rotation each day -which means I hear the same tunes morning and night, day after day after day. Not to be a Grinch, but it’s only December 4  and I’m already tired of “Little Drummer Boy.”

Why don’t I just change the channel, you ask? Because then I would miss one of the greatest versions of   ”Carol of the Bells” ever arranged, sung by the a cappella group Pentatonix.

Do you listen to Christmas music in the car? What station helps you get your carol on?