LORALEE

 A line forms in the hallway of the Tustin Family Youth Center on a sunny Tuesday morning. Mothers pushing strollers stop by on their way home from walking their kids to school and patiently await the daily delivery of goods. Today’s will be from Vons, which donates bread, pastries, eggs, several dairy products and toiletries every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The Monday and Friday delivery is made by Costco.
   Loralee Mendoza stands at the door of the staff room. Her hair, down to her waist, covers half of her tiny frame. Cheerfully she asks a mother what kind of bread she would like; sandwich bread it is.
   At 12 years old, Loralee is not a staff member at the facility nor an official volunteer. She simply spends her days at the center before leaving to get home schooled. She’s been a TFYC regular for about five years and is considered a member of the family.
   Mendoza is like any pre-teen, cute and funny, except her name is on a waiting list for a heart and lung transplant — a list she’s been on for four years.
   She suffers from pulmonary hypertension, which causes abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, forcing the right side of the heart to work harder than normal.
   A pink backpack directly connects her to a tank of oxygen, which she hauls around on a small dolly. It’s taken for granted by those who know her, but to others it is a rare sight that draws curious eyes.
  “She’s a very loving child and doesn’t allow her disability to stop her from anything. She’s involved in every activity here,” said TFYC Community Service Coordinator Barbara Guerrero. “We enjoy taking care of her.”
   After the morning rush, Loralee assists with Kids Corner, the free preschool program at the center. She transforms into a teacher, patiently aiding the children with crafts and later serving a snack. “She pretty much works here — it’s crazy,” the center’s Program Assistant Aaron Garcia said.
   Meanwhile, ESL/Citizenship classes are taking place on the other side of the center, one of the many free family and youth-oriented social, educational and recreational programs TFYC offers to the residents of Tustin. The Center also serves as a resource center for families in need, youth-at-risk and for those seeking self-improvement and vocational opportunities.
   Later in the day, Loralee sits down for lunch before preparing to head home. “Want some?” she asks the staff with a big smile, a smile almost hidden by tubes heading from the backpack into her nose.
   The flow of after-school kids begins pouring in just as she says her goodbyes. “See you tomorrow,” she says, heading off to live what to her is a normal life.
   Garcia now prepares the game room while fellow staffers ready for the snack program preceding the free after-school program and homework club. “A lot of these kids depend on us,” Garcia said. “It feels good, dude. The kids are happy so I’m happy.”
   When the fall holiday season arrives, TFYC takes on one of its most important roles. Recently, more than 500 Halloween costumes were handed out to children who otherwise wouldn’t have had a costume. By now, preparation for this year’s Holiday Basket Program is underway, a program in which groups, companies and organizations adopt families and give them a holiday basket which contains non-perishable food and Christmas presents. Last year, over 185 TFYC families received a basket. “It’s the only gifts these kids get,” Garcia said.
   Outside the center, kids begin heading home for the evening as program director Guerrero sits in her office with visible satisfaction at the end of another successful day. “We’re here to serve the families. We enjoy seeing that we can help someone,” Guerrero said. “We are the youth center that helps the needy. They know they can come here because if we don’t have it, we’ll look for it.”