Volunteer Profile: ‘The power of a conversation’

Hector Garnica volunteers in the THINK Together North Los Angeles county office within the staffing department and also tutors at Tried and True Tutoring. He is currently furthering his education at Mount San Antonio College where he is majoring in Business Economics and Education.

Hector Garnica

Hobbies: Mixed martial arts fan. “It’s a big pastime of mine and I enjoy using it to create community and to build higher self-esteem within our local youth. Just teaching a kid some new moves can increase their self confidence,” says Garnica.

Q: How did you first get involved with THINK Together and begin volunteering?

“I learned about THINK Together’s opportunities through networking at The Irvine Company. After learning more about the organization I realized that this might be a place where I can thrive and at the same time support the organization to grow.”

Q: Why did you choose to be a part of this particular organization?

“Meeting and learning from new people in a non-profit organization seemed like a great opportunity for me to professionally grow more. I also wanted to have a more local volunteer focus. Observing how individual goals fuse to create the overall vision of an organization is also why I wanted to support a non-profit like THINK Together.”

Q: What is the best part of volunteering at THINK Together?

“As an office volunteer I mainly support staffing. My favorite part is reaching out to potential candidates to gauge their interest and experience in working with students. It’s fulfilling for me to help in an area that requires lots of support plus it’s a great learning experience for me. I get to learn how a nonprofit’s staffing department works.”

“I also really enjoy working within this office’s environment. Feeling like I am a part of THINK Together’s mission and vision greatly motivates me. I’m thankful for where I am and for being able to witness nonprofit work at a local level. This is the kind of work that creates community!”

Q: What would you recommend for others who want to get more involved in the community through volunteer work?

“Ask yourself where exactly you fit in by thinking about what really captures your attention. Take some notes when you’re reflecting so you can refer back to them. This will help you see where your true motivations lie. Once you’ve figured it out don’t hesitate, get involved right away. If there is some sort of hesitation stop and think about your involvement before committing yourself to a project or service.”

Q: Do you have a memorable moment you would like to share?

“I’d have to say it was a conversation I had with Frank Flores, the staffing coordinator for North Los Angeles. I have to start off by saying Frank is a great mentor. I was at odds with staffing initiatives and kept asking myself, “Who do we want working for us?” And I also asked myself, “Is this the right role for me?” I went to Frank for some guidance and he took this as an opportunity to give me one of the best speeches I have ever heard. It was so natural,  I felt the true essence of THINK Together’s work through his inspiring words. I kid you not I almost cried. He really captured my attention and helped me set a platform for my volunteer service within the staffing department as well as benchmarks for my growth. After this conversation all of my volunteer duties felt worthwhile and were very self-fulfilling.”

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