Group will focus on gang violence

The Sonoma Valley was rocked last October when 17-year-old Luis Roberto Miranda was gunned down in Maxwell Park, allegedly over a dispute with gang members.

In the wake of the tragedy, gang forums to educate the public led to the formation of the United Community Resources for Youth (UCRY), a group aimed at better understanding the challenges facing youth with the hope of preventing gang violence in the future.

"There's a lot of resources in the Valley for young children. Once they turn into teenagers we kind of wash our hands of them and expect them to act like adults, but they're not adults," said Celeste Winders, a member of UCRY and the former executive director of the Sonoma Valley Teen Center.

In the weeks after Miranda's murder, Valley nonprofits came together to offer a series of public discussions about the issues surrounding gang violence. The gang forums brought former gang members to Sonoma to talk about the challenges and pressures youth face to participate in the gang lifestyle. As the forums drew to a close, interested parties joined together to continue holding weekly meetings to look at alternative ways of working with youth and handling the issue of gangs. This 15-member committee, which includes representatives from nonprofits, parents, business leaders and students, eventually became UCRY.

"This is a real grassroots committee. It's a true representation of the community and the people facing these issues," said Kenny Ramirez, a member of UCRY and executive director of Vineyard Workers Services. "For us to say we're going to stomp out gangs is not realistic, but what can we do? We want to unite the resources that are out there."

For the time being, the group is not planning to become a legal, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, but rather will remain an educational committee dedicated to improving communications between youth and the community in an effort to divert young people away from the gang life.

"We want to look at the real root of the problem and be really honest with it," Winders said.

Honesty will be a big theme for UCRY, Winders and Ramirez said. Finding an answer to this problem will mean asking tough questions of race and equality that many avoid.

"Are all youth being treated the same in the Valley? Are they really?" Ramirez asked.

UCRY's youngest members agree there are issues that should be discussed on a larger level.

"There is a little bit of racism (in the schools). They're not meaning to do that, but they are," said Jorge Torres, 14, a freshman at Sonoma Valley High School and a member of UCRY.

Winders said one of UCRY's strengths is the involvement of youth on the committee. Every member has his or her voice heard, and the younger members are vital to giving adults a clearer picture of what is actually going on with Sonoma's youth.

"We want to change how things are now and make them better," said Sandy Torres, 16, a member of UCRY.

The group's first goal is to complete a survey of Valley residents aimed at pinpointing the major issues facing youth and what needs are not being met. Winders said they plan to use this information to guide the organization's future projects.

"Gangs are simply another end to a set of problems," Winders said. "It's about getting the resources needed to keep kids out of gangs."

UCRY will hold its first public meeting on Monday, March 31, at 6:30 p.m. at El Verano Elementary School, 18606 Riverside Drive. The meeting will begin with an introduction to the organization, followed by a community discussion. All are invited to attend. The event will be simultaneously translated to Spanish and free childcare is provided.