The Territory Ahead Gets a Special Visit from a Fun in
the Sun Recipient
 Nine years ago when United Way of Santa Barbara County started Fun in
the Sun (FITS), many people in the community were skeptical about the new
program. This was a brand new idea, unlike any program this area had
seen before.
The staff at The Territory Ahead, on the other hand, believed
in this program from day one. Led by then-President Bruce Willard,
The Territory Ahead became the first company to participate in the FITS
“Lunch Bunch” program (where community members go to the FITS sites to
mentor young children).
This year, the staff at the company was treated
to a rare surprise during the annual United Way campaign.
Angelica Hernandez, who began going to FITS in the summer of 2000,
attended United Way's The Territory Ahead presentation this year with
Campaign Executive Joel Dinan. Angelica, now a Junior at Dos Pueblos
High School, was involved with Fun in the Sun both as a “camper” and
also as a Counselor when she was no longer a direct recipient of the
program.
After a brief presentation by Mr. Dinan, Angelica had a chance to tell
The Territory Ahead staff how the contributions they made over the years
changed her life. She began by introducing herself and telling the staff
about her summers before she attended FITS. “My brothers and I would sit
in the house all day. We would always be bored and both of our parents
were busy working two jobs. When I went to FITS, my life
completely changed. I was given the opportunity to go to the beach, the
zoo, the pool, and so many other fun places I had never been to. I
learned about different career paths through the “Lunch Bunch” program.
I realized there was so much more to life, so much I had never been
exposed to.”
After telling the group about her positive experiences at FITS, she
told the group what she is doing now. “I am a member of the high school
swim team. Without the free swim lessons I received during
Fun in the Sun, I would probably not be able to swim. FITS also gave me
the confidence to join a sports team. In fact, without the self esteem I
gained through this program, I would not have the confidence to stand
here and talk to all of you right now.” She also told the crowd about
the college level courses she will be taking next year as a senior at
Dos Pueblos High School.
To give people an idea of what happens when we do not invest enough in
youth programs, she spoke about the gang-related murder that happened on
State Street recently, when a 14 year old boy killed a 15 year
old boy. “Fourteen year old kids do not wake up one day and
decide to be a gang member. The problem starts years before that, when
children start forming bad relationships with the wrong people. This is
the result of a lack of structure in young people’s lives. I have
learned that firsthand, living in a neighborhood where many kids never
get a chance to learn what life is really about.”
Angelica went on to tell the group about her plans to attend UCSB in the
fall of 2008. Toward the end of her speech, she got emotional and began
to cry. She quickly composed herself and thanked everybody for
listening. Words cannot begin to describe what an impact FITS has
had on Angelica, and so many more of the program participants. Many have grown into young adults who can now give
back to the program by helping us tell the community how
valuable FITS is. It is exciting for us at United Way to see how this
program has changed the course of people’s
lives over the last decade.
Thank you to George Ittner, President of The Territory Ahead, Laurie Marx, Volunteer Employee
Campaign Manager, and the rest of The Territory Ahead for their continued
support of United Way programs and initiatives.
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Success Stories