Cain Gonzalez, a Youth Specialist at the SAFE Family Justice Centers, shares his experiences with mentorship, offers some insight, and hopes to inspire others to become a mentor in light of National Mentoring Month.

"The mentors at SAFE FJC were people I looked up to. They motivated me and pushed me to see my true potential. These mentors helped me realize that I could continue to break the cycle to which  I had been exposed earlier in my life."

Scams have been around for as long as we can remember. People have been known to commit fraud against one another for thousands of years. Some say the first scam was between two Greek sea merchants in 300 BC.

Why do people keep getting swindled? Well, scammers can be clever in the ways that they take advantage of others. Also, it is often difficult for law enforcement to catch scammers because it is a crime that is done in disguise and from an untraceable distance. Therefore, we must be aware of their ways so we can keep from becoming victims. 

For many of us, the approaching holidays stir feelings of happiness and joy. The weeks leading up to holiday celebrations are filled with phone calls, planning, and excitement about family gatherings, sharing meals, and exchanging laughter and gifts. But for those in our community who have suffered the trauma of crime victimization, the holidays may look and feel different.

More than 1,000 bullets were fired. At least 800 people were wounded. Sixty beautiful lives were lost. Countless lives were changed forever. Five years later, on October 1st, 2022, we went back to Las Vegas to assist with the remembrance events.

Recently, four youth ages 12-16 from across Riverside County who are part of the DA’s Crime Prevention Unit (CPU) outreach had the unique opportunity to take part in a Youth Mentoring Summit in our nation’s capital. They were accompanied by CPU and SAFE Family Justice Center staff. We thought you might like to meet these four outstanding young people and hear about their experience during this trip.