Still Waters: Jamie and Joleen lead the way

Jamie Dominguez was fed up with the drug use in his community, so he did something about it. His efforts have saved three lives so far.

Jamie was tired of the criminal activities in his neighborhood, so he did something about it. He helped some of his elderly neighbors install security cameras. He began standing in his yard to monitor and watch and prevent.

That’s in his free time when he’s not operating his business, spearheading charitable causes through his car club and being a husband and dad.

I am proud of Jamie who didn’t just get mad about what was happening. He did something about it.

Joleen Trujillo lives in the same neighborhood. She lives in the same house where she was raised. She keeps an eye out for her parents, who still live in the same neighborhood where they raised their children.

Joleen was upset that people like her folks and other older residents were afraid to go outside on their porches anymore. She wanted her neighborhood to feel like home again. So she did something about it. She organized neighborhood meetings to talk out about the problems and see if there could be some solutions.

That was in her spare time when she wasn’t working and caring for friends and relatives.

I am proud of Joleen. Like Jamie, she didn’t just get mad. She did something about it.

Both Jamie and Joleen were at the public forum hosted by La Puente this week during HOPE (Homeless Outreach & Prevention Education) Week. Jamie served on the panel of folks who ranged from law enforcement to La Puente staff and board members. Jamie encouraged people not to just get mad but to get involved and work together.

I was proud of every member of the panel. They let folks know where they were coming from, and every single one of them is trying to do something about problems that are bigger than any one person in this community and bigger than any one organization. It takes law enforcement, city and county services, mental health services, La Puente volunteers and staff and community members like Jamie and Joleen to make a dent in some our problems.

The problems will persist, but hopefully the people working to solve them will be just as persistence.