LENDING A HAND FORMER GANG MEMBER TURNS HIS LIFE AROUND.As one of two outreach counselors at the Tarzana Treatment Center, Mario Castillo Mario Alfonso Castillo (born 30 October,1957) is a former soccer player from El Salvador who represented his country at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. • • is a friend to the downtrodden down·trod·den adj. Oppressed; tyrannized. downtrodden Adjective oppressed and lacking the will to resist Adj. 1. and the destitute des·ti·tute adj. 1. Utterly lacking; devoid: Young recruits destitute of any experience. 2. Lacking resources or the means of subsistence; completely impoverished. See Synonyms at poor. . He's a mentor to those down on their luck, who are battling their addictions, or struggling to stay out of gangs. With a warm smile and a helping hand, he offers advice and solutions to those who feel helpless. ``If I run into somebody on the streets, I'll educate them, I'll be their friend, I'll offer them help so they can get on their feet,'' said Castillo, 39. ``We all start at the bottom. When you're trying to change your life, when you're addicted ad·dict·ed adj. 1. Physiologically or psychologically dependent on a habit-forming substance. 2. Compulsively or habitually involved in a practice or behavior, such as gambling. or homeless, you have nothing. So to get back on their feet, they gotta got·ta Informal Contraction of got to: I gotta go home. start somewhere.'' Complete story on Page 8 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Mario Castillo, left, spent a lot of years overcoming anger, addiction and a lifetime in a gang to become one of Tarzana Treatment Center's outreach counselors. Jason Kandel/Valley News |
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