cOMMUNITY vIOLENCE iNTERVENTION 

HERMISTON DIVISON

CESAR NAJERA

REGIONAL DIRECTOR

My passion for bringing hope and change to those trapped in a life of darkness and hopelessness is driven by my own life experiences of doing exactly that.  The odds seemingly stacked against me-with thirty years in and out of both the juvenile and adult correctional systems, plagued by addiction, and involvement with a gang lifestyle- I have defied those odds and dedicated my life to helping rebuild the community I feel I once took from, by working with individuals experiencing the same struggles that I have overcome.

I know what it feels like to be facing those adversities and feel as though you have no resources or advocates to help you take that leap of faith to get out of it, and I have committed myself to changing that for others. My philosophy is that in order to change anything, you have to change everything- something I wish I had learned early on.  For this reason, I became involved in youth mentorship, became an Oregon State Certified Foster Parent, and developed a devotion to youth advocacy in order to offer that opportunity to youth in my community to change their lives.

I came to understand the crippling effects of addiction and gang involvement, and strive to aid struggling addicts and individuals break off those chains.  My positions, both where I work at a residential treatment center and within the Jail Ministry at Umatilla County Jail, and my heavy involvement within my church and the recovery communities, allow me to simultaneously deliver a message of hope, and aid in the development of support networks and productive release plans for both clients and inmates.

There is hope beyond that darkness, one that each person truly deserves.  The key is helping them realize their value, believe in themselves, and take that leap of faith.