BOYS AND Girls Club of Garden Grove CEO Mark Surmanian (center) with Sgt. 1st Class Kelhi and Sgt. Montalvo (Lions (photo).

On Oct. 2, Garden Grove Host Lions Club member Susan Lerma, in collaboration with CEO Mark Surmanian of the Boys and Girls Club of Garden Grove and also a GG Lion, U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Kelhi, Platoon Sergeant and Sergeant Montalvo, Squad Leader for 2nd platoon “Badgers” at California Job Challenge Academy assisted in a yard cleanup at the Larson location for the Boys and Girls Club to help prepare the location for their Toasting Great Futures Wine event being held on Saturday, Oct 8.

RESULTS of the cleanup.

SFC Kelhi brought 33 of their Scholar students to help facilitate this cleanup and said, “Giving them the opportunity to give back to the community while expecting nothing in return is an important lesson we want to share with the scholars and we are looking forward to continuing this as long as there is a need and there is always a need”

California Job Challenge Academy is a six-month residential program where Youth Challenge program graduates live at the Academy on Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, while completing in-depth learning at nearby Long Beach City College. They live and learn in a military atmosphere while still following strict COVID-19 safety protocols as they work to earn nationally accredited certificates in a chosen career pathway including cyber networking, welding, healthcare, automotive, and construction.