Helping young mothers ‘Reach for the Stars’

Amy R. Spurgeon

COSTA MESA -- Twenty-five Orange County young mothers will push

aside the diaper bags, bottles and juice drinks for seven hours today so

that they can participate in the “Reach for the Stars” Teenage Mother

Mentor Program in Costa Mesa.

“It is going to be great,” said 20-year-old Griselda Avina, a mother

of two. “The day will be focused on us, and we don’t have to worry about

anything but ourselves.”

The Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center established the

program this year mainly for teenage mothers in order to provide them

with encouragement and motivation in a chosen career field. The women

will be matched with professional Orange County women who will act as

mentors-for-the-day.

The young mothers will be treated to lunch, shopping bags full of

goodies and a series of speakers. Topics will include dressing for

success, fitness and stress relief, how to get a job, renter’s rights and

how to overcome obstacles.

“I am going to tell the girls how important it is to have positive

self-talk and not to listen to the negative things people say,” said

Holly Pineda, owner of The Athletic Club for Women of Newport Beach and a

program participant.

Program mentor Gwyn Blanton, who works at Deloitte & Touche, said the

day will be devoted to helping the young mothers figure out what they

want to do for a career so that they will have one less stress in their

lives.

“My life is a lot more difficult with kids,” Avina said. “It changes

your life forever.”

She said she will be writing her children a book on “The Rules,” so

that they won’t make the same mistakes she did. The program will be held

from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Deloitte & Touche Conference Center, 695

Town Center Drive, 10th Floor. A second “Reach for the Stars” session has

been scheduled for February. For more information about the Child Abuse

Prevention Center and teen mom programs, call (949) 722-1107.