Interview with Roy Juarez Jr, president and CEO of Impact Truth

Roy Juarez Jr. is the president and CEO of Impact Truth. He is the author of Homeless by Choice. He has gone on two tours, Homeless by Choice Tour and the Impact Tour. He is a San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools school based mentoring partner 2022 CDS award recipient for, "It's Not Hard Work it's Heart Work".

Impact Truth
http://www.impacttruth.com/

Transcript

Don  00:06

Hello, my name is Don English Director of Children Deserve Success and Executive Director of the San Bernardino County Wide Gangs and Drugs Task Force. And I want to welcome you to our Children Deserve Success Podcast. Monthly we will be sending out these recordings regarding all things related to child welfare and attendance, School Attendance Review Board, foster youth services, McKinney Vento Homeless Programs in our county and the San Bernardino County Wide Gangs and Drugs Task Force. This month's focus will be an interview with Roy Juarez Jr. with Impact Truth. Roy, so happy to have you here today my man.

Roy  00:45

I honored to be here.

Don  00:47

I appreciate that. Let's jump right into it. Tell us a little bit about yourself, your organization and your journey to doing the work you do now.

Roy  00:55

Well, how much time do you have? No, my name is Roy Juarez. I'm originally from San Antonio, Texas. And I got into this work as just a way to give back. I grew up as a homeless kid I first became homeless at the age of 14, eventually with my nine year old sister into your brother due to domestic violence, when I was able to navigate my way all the way to college and cross that stage and grab that diploma. I had this burning desire to figure out why did I get so lucky. You know, in 2009, there was an estimated 1.6 million homeless kids why me? Do all the other kids like me get to make it all the way. And so that started a journey called the Homeless by Choice tour where I chose to live out of my car. And I was gonna be homeless one more time. But this time, it was gonna be my choice, not my family, not my situation. And I was gonna try to find and help kids that may have a similar story. And I was going to try to help them to not give up on life and dream bigger, and I was only gonna do it for six months. But there was so much need in our nation, I was able to see America through a lens and not very many people get to see. And there was so much need, that I ended up living out of my car for two and a half years circled the entire nation and spoke to over 100,000 kids and then my my phone just never stopped ringing.

Don  02:06

Wow. That's phenomenal. You know, I've had the opportunity to see you. And throughout that, that engagement. Now you've partnered with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, and our children deserve success department providing school based mentoring in our community schools. Please tell us a little bit about that and how that experience has gone.

Roy  02:27

You know, when I was on that journey, I remember being interviewed by one of us on radio. And the interviewer Renzo said, Roy, I love what you're doing. But how are you sustaining what the children are feeling when you speak? And I said Renzo, I'll be honest, I, I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just trying to create impact. I'm trying to help motivate the students. I said, but I'm going to put some thought to that. So I decided then to get friends, educators, professionals, community leaders, and I brought them all into a room and I said, we have a big issue here in the United States. We have a big issue our kids are facing, how can we help them. And so we started working and what we designed was the Impact Program. And that is what my partnership is with today. I'm working with students and taking them to this program that we designed to help them not just for more social emotional standpoint, to understand that, yes, we want you to finish school, and we want you to get to college. But what's after that, because when you're no longer needing to fall into a rove to meet for the Educate for your, for your teachers, for at home, but when you're alone, who are you? And how can you keep that going?

Don  03:36

Wow, I know that right now, more than ever, I've been in education going on three decades and from Classroom Teacher, assistant principal, Principal, etc. So really work with kids at the site level, and those kids who are marginalized right there to work with. But, you know, you talked about the social emotional piece, which is prevalent now. But really, we've dealt with before, right? Just on a larger scale? Absolutely. With the phenomenal work that you and your team are doing an impact tool, how do you feel that mentoring, that connection with social emotional states of mine affects success for these students? And what do you feel as key for professionals who work with that promise you? And what do I need to know and understand when trying to engage the population?

Roy  04:22

Well, I think that the main key is relationship, and it always has been, and it's, you know, there's there was a quote, In 1930 there was a White House of conference for youth and it talked about how we need to educate the whole child. And when I read that, quote, I thought we were having the same conversation almost 100 years later. Why why do we keep having to have the same conversation? You know, when we when I I remember that when I was homeless, and I have family finally took me in and this was a family who said Roy, we will keep you and I had heard many families tell me the same thing. We love you. We love you. We love every family told me they loved me like a son. Until that A grocery bill got higher, or until the electricity bill got higher. And then I realized I wasn't your son, because it was time for me to leave again. But this one family said, Roy, you go back to school because I dropped out, you go back to school, and we will take care of the rest. And they were the one family that stay true to their word. They kept me until I decided to leave their home. But I remember one time, my dad, my adopted I call my adopted dad was being interviewed. And they said, When was that moment that you decided, You know what? Roy and baby Ray, his little brother aren't going to be part of your family? Because what do you mean? They were what did you when did you decide they're going to be our family? He was the moment they walk through that door. They remind. And I asked myself, can you imagine as as educators, as a community, we think the same way, when we see kids that are hurting when we say when we see any kid in our community, that's our kid, because that kid is in our community, they are mine, and how we would treat them differently if we all thought that same way.

Don  05:59

Or I mean, you know, the kids just yearn for connection. And you talked about relationships, and the importance of that, in your book, Homeless by Choice, you speak about having the right people in your corner. And you're asked, How do you learn to be better, not bitter, speak a little bit about?

Roy  06:19

Well, I think that for those that are out there that truly, truly care about kids. One important thing is to make sure that you remain healthy, and you remain the word I want to. I'm gonna stick with healthy, because the thing is, compassion, fatigue is real. And the moment that you get tired, and no longer fighting for kids the way that you you think that you should be, that's not good. Because there's not as many people fighting for our kids the way you have been fighting for them. So that's why I say I need you to remain healthy. Because we need you in the long run. We need you for the long game, not the immediate, because that's what our kids need. You know, when when you come from a broken home, such as myself, and you go through many different families, such as myself, you start to test people without even knowing it. Because you don't want to be hurt again. So they say you love they love you like really? Why are you going to love me if I do this? Oh, you still love me? Okay, well, what if I did this? And what if I did this, you test them because you want to make sure that they're their words are real. So if you're not going to stay in the game for the long run, then the kid just thinks, See, I knew it. I knew and you're just you're just like everyone else. And that's hard.

Don  07:38

When you talk about compassion, fatigue, I'll never forget as a teacher, I would always say to kids, because they will say, Man every day, your on me or every day, this or that you demand this and you expect this? And I say yeah, because when I get tired, I'm gonna quit. Because that's really what you're saying, right? We as a community, we as leaders, we as those who impact a youth should always put our best foot forward. And when we can't we have to acknowledge that. Yes, you said take care of ourselves. I think it's vital.

Roy  08:10

And what does that look like that can just be taking a break? That can be saying, for me, for example, I'll tell my team, you need to stop booking me. You need to stop putting me out there on the road, I need two weeks off, because if not, no one's going to have a job like no one's going to be employed because I can't there's only so much that I can do you know, for another thing for me is my may go against some of my cultural norms that I was taught like, boys don't cry, I will cry my eyes out because it's healing. It lets it out. You have to figure out what works for you to relieve that burden that you have taken on. Because it's a real burden. To learn to let that go, whether it be running, whether it be art, whether it be music, whether it be boxing, whatever it is for you. But try to keep yourself as healthy as possible because our kids need you.

Don  09:00

Absolutely. One of your mentors, retired Lieutenant Colonel Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, who I had the pleasure of meeting 

Roy  09:10

I love her. 

Don  09:12

She said that it's important to leave a legacy rather than leave a legacy. 

Roy  09:15

Absolutely. 

Don  09:16

And she calls you one of our greatest living legacies. So what is that like for you? Who's your greatest living legacy? Or what do you think that living legacy piece is?

Roy  09:27

For me? I think that Well, first off, I absolutely love my mentor. She that's very nice for his in public. Well, I remember when I was putting her through it though. She one time she said out of all my mentees. I have never invested more time, more energy and more money and I've got the littlest results. But you know what? She was right. I but I was testing her. But she didn't give up. There were people in her company that said, get rid of this one. This one's this one's a bad egg. And she said no If I see something, I see something in him, No, you need to just get rid of him. And she never did. She long suffered with me. And so I thank her for that because I am who I am today and where I am today, because someone cared enough to say, the moment he walked through that door, he is mine, she had that same mindset. For me. I think that my living legacy, personally would be my family. You know, we were separated and torn apart in many ways that many people know what it feels like, broken homes. But I have been able to, with the participation of my family, bring us all back together, and we filled those cracks with love. And today, I can be in the same room with my biological dad, who at one point wanted my mom dead, I can be in the same room with my mom who decided to leave with her boyfriend. And I think that's what I want kids to see You know, some people Don, they fight for a bigger house, for a fatter paycheck for a nicer car, and that's fine. Fight for what you want. My fight has always been to bring my family back together. And after 20 something years, I've been able to do that. They had to be agreed to it. But change had to start somewhere. Change has to start with us.

Don  11:20

I think Roy, one of the things you talk about often is healing and forgiveness, which is important when we talk about our own personal health. So what's happening now, what's new with Roy Juarez Impact Truth, talk to me about it?

Roy  11:34

Oh my gosh, if I'm gonna be real, that pandemic put a beating on us, like everyone else, right. But you know, I, I'm very loyal. I'm very loyal. So when times are good, you know, times were really good for me with my company. But when times are bad, I needed to be the one to take the biggest hit. So for our company, I had the money say that I was supposed to for six months, like you're told in business school. But the pandemic lasts longer than six months. So we actually went under almost $200,000. But I sold everything moved into my best friend's little bedroom so I can keep everyone employed. I did not want to let go of anyone. And so I borrowed and to keep everyone employed. And it got to a point where we ran out of everything. And my team. This tells you what kind of team you have. You want to have the good to the right team with you. They said Roy we know we don't have any more money. So we're not quitting. But we have to go get another job so we can pay our bills, but we're still going to work for impact truth. And I was like, Guys, I'm so sorry. I'm trying to make it worse, you know, we we get it? Well, when things open back up, we worked so hard during the pandemic to realign ourselves to make sure that we made it there. Within the first three months, we had paid off that debt and got back on our feet. We have grown. We are now a speaker bureau. We represent over 30 speakers. We during that time, we opened up a second company for a book publishing company. And we started publishing books we have, we're currently working on over over 12 books right now. That will we'll be putting out later this year. For different people. It's just been an amazing pivot and taking everything that we've learned from my past years as a speaker as an activist, pushing it forward. And it has, it has grown tremendously.

Don  13:27

Wow. I'm just so proud Roy, as the director of children deserve success to partner with you to really take advantage of you. Trust me, people, we are getting a bargain as it relates to Roy. But really his ability to connect. We all have a story. That's right. And I tell kids that I you know, I'd say don't let the tie for years, right? You know, I grew up without a mom Mom passed when I was born. So I can totally relate. That's just the tip of the iceberg. But the point is, we got to go forward, we got to pay it forward. Like you. I'm blessed to be sitting in this seat. And so but again, our partnership, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools and impact truth is something that that we will sustain. Absolutely. And I look forward to that as we go forward. This podcast reaches educators, law enforcement, mental health professionals, as well as many other value community partners. As one of those value partners, as an international motivational speaker, a child advocate, a former Air promise youth yourself, what last words of wisdom do you want to leave?

Roy  14:35

I think it's something that you mentioned that in life, we have a choice, we can be bitter, or we can be better. And I beg every person that's listening to be better, because there's enough anger and hatred and issues in this world and we don't need to add to it. Instead, let's be better. Let's come together as community and love every child as though they were our own.

Don  14:57

This man lives that truth. I will tell you all. Roy Juarez Jr. is the president and CEO of Impact Truth. He is the author of, "Homeless by Choice". He has gone on two tours Homeless by Choice Tour and the Impact Tour. He is a San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools school based mentoring partner. And he has received the 2022 CDS award recipient for, "It's Not Hard Work it's Heart Work". So, Roy just so happy you're here. So thankful to have you. My team is going over there turning backflips I can't wait to for Roy to come in their presence. And, again, I just want to thank you so much for all the work that you do, and how you sustain it. I don't know. But obviously you do because you do hard work, which is heart work. So, thank you so much.

Roy  15:51

No thank you so much. And thank you to my mentors who helped me get to this place.

Don  15:55

Thank you for listening. We hope you find this information valuable. If you have any topics or questions that you would like addressed, please email them directly to cwa@sbcss.net as always, we hope you stay well and continue to transform live through education.