(925) 240-1359
Hope, Support, Healing and Opportunity
Empowering Latinx youth and young adults of color to realize their strengths
One Day at a Time was founded in 1997 by Brentwood native Johnny Rodriguez, who saw how much difference a single caring adult could make. As a campus resource officer, Johnny volunteered his time to offer workshops for students who were at high risk of violence or gang involvement. Believing those young people needed guidance and an opportunity to believe in themselves, he created ODAT.
As the program grew, it expanded in 2009 to include young adults and shifted its focus to empowering youth from all backgrounds, helping students build positive relationships and embrace one another’s differences. In 2010 ODAT partnered with John Muir Health to launch the Beyond Violence program for youth and young adults hospitalized at the John Muir Trauma Center, offering wrap‑around services to reduce re‑injury and retaliation.
To concentrate fully on youth services, ODAT sought fiscal sponsorship and, in 2012, became a project of Community Initiatives, a 501(c)(3)nonprofit. In 2015 the organization launched its first elementary‑level mentoring program, giving younger children support to develop self‑esteem, social skills and peaceful conflict resolution.
Our Mission
One Day at a Time provides Latinx youth and young adults of color with Hope, Support, Healing and Opportunity to realize their strengths, their self‑worth, and their power.
Our Vision
A world where Latinx youth and young adults of color are safe, connected, self‑empowered, inspired, liberated and heard.
Our History
Core Values
Respect
We treat everyone with kindness and dignity.
Trust
We honor and create places of safety, integrity, accountability, consistency and support to build trust.
Understanding
We suspend judgment to acknowledge other points of view.
Growth
We are committed to opening doors and providing opportunities for youth to be heard and to support personal development.
Equity
We identify and apply resources according to community needs.
Dedication / Perseverance
We endure and commit to overcoming communitychallenges that would stop us from fulfilling our Vision and Mission.
Our History
One Day At a Time or ODAT was founded in 1997 by Johnny Rodriguez, to help turn around the lives of young men and women that were at high risk of becoming involved with violence or gangs.
Prior to this, Mr. Rodriguez had spent his time working as a campus resource officer and volunteering across East Contra Costa County middle and high schools in community outreach and gang awareness work. He saw that many of the youth he worked with just needed some guidance and an opportunity to believe in themselves and therefore started ODAT. Due to the need in 2009; ODAT services expanded to include young adults, both in terms of program and leadership development. Additionally, ODAT also redirected its focus and became centered on empowering youth and young adults from all backgrounds and not just focusing on specific subgroups. This has improved school climates by allowing youth; whom otherwise may not have known each other, to develop positive relationships with their peers and embrace and learn from each others’ differences.
Additionally, in 2010 ODAT partnered with John Muir Health to offer the Beyond Violence program to youth and young adults in East Contra Costa County that are seriously injured and are victims of street violence and end up at John Muir Trauma Center, Walnut Creek. ODAT’s Intervention Specialist then works with these clients for a year and provides resources, referrals and wrap-around services to reduce or prevent future re-injury, retaliation and recidivism linked with violence. More information on this service can be found in the ‘Our Services’ tab under ‘Hospital Linked Services’.
Previously, ODAT had been its own, stand-alone non-profit, but due to the staff wanting to commit the majority of their time and passion to serving youth and young adults; ODAT leadership made the decision to seek out fiscal sponsorship and in 2012 ODAT became a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, a 501(c)(3), public benefit, not for profit organization. ODAT has grown in many aspects, one of them being that in 2015, ODAT started its first ever elementary level Youth Mentor program at a local elementary school. The purpose is to work with young children in order to improve self-esteem, practice positive social interactions, develop positive attitudes towards individuals and school, improve individuals decision-making skills, express oneself through group activities and learn skills to manage anger and to resolve conflicts using peaceful solutions.