July 26, 2016
Janeth Monroy: Holding up the Sky for Mountain Shadows Residents
By: Sheryl Wilde
There is a Chinese proverb which says, “Women hold up half the sky.” It is upon this adage that the non-profit organization, Half the Sky, a Foundation dedicated to transforming the lives of marginalized children in developing countries, was born.
Janeth Monroy, a senior at Mission Hills High School, is holding up her share – and then some. Many of those reading this Blog may know Janeth. Along with being an active volunteer for Half the Sky, she’s an indispensable member of the Mountain Shadows Community Homes – San Diego Morale Committee where she’s the go-to girl whenever and wherever help is needed at every Mountain Shadows event. Whether it’s helping residents create ghoulish crafts on Halloween, steering them through the Cake Walk on Carnival Day, or spreading Cupid’s arrows of love on Valentine’s Day, Janeth is there at the heart of the action.
“Janeth is so outgoing,” says Leticia, Mountain Shadows Residential Coordinator and Janet’s mom. “She’s been coming to Mountain Shadows for about 7 years now. She loves the residents and has established relationships with so many of them. She really cares about them.
“I’m so proud of her. She’s a teenager. She could be doing anything – hanging out with friends – anything. But she chooses to come to Mountain Shadows to be with the residents.
“She’s a very unique teenager. She’s so kind and helpful to everyone.”
In addition to her volunteer work at Mountain Shadows, Janeth is President of her school’s 300-member AVID chapter. AVID is a global non-profit organization committed to preparing all students for college and other post-secondary opportunities. She’s also Secretary for her school’s Relay for Life events, which include fundraising and cancer education.
With all of the activities in her busy life, why does Janeth choose to spend so much time with our Mountain Shadows residents?
“I feel like the residents have changed me. Each one is different. I’ve learned so much from them. I’ve learned not to take life for granted. I just love the residents. And Mountain Shadows feels like home to me.”
We welcome you home Janeth. And we thank you for standing side-by-side with our Mountain Shadows family, helping to hold up the sky and transform the lives of our residents.