Julianna Arballo, the “fun mom” who grew up in an orphanage, volunteers at Rockwood’s afterschool program because “I like to make a difference in a kid’s life.”
“I want them to feel they’re needed, they’re wanted. I want them to feel that they can trust someone,” said Arballo, who was “in and out” of an orphanage from ages 4-17.
A resident of Rockwood Apartments in Anaheim, Arballo arranges and chaperones field trips that include visits to the park with a free picnic for the kids provided by Jamboree. It gives the youngsters – who range in age from 4 to 14 – a chance to get out, get some sun, have fun with their friends, play sports and have a good time.
Arballo, who shares her time baking, cooking, painting and making pottery with the kids, also volunteers for Rockwood’s adult classes.
Resident Services Coordinator Andrew Janey says, “It’s important to have a role model in the afterschool program who the kids can look up to, especially since it’s such an impactful age range. It’s important to their overall growth. Julianna provides that role model with her encouragement and all the activities that she assists with.”
Arballo is passionate about helping kids explore their creativity and “just feel that they’re part of something.”
“I just love helping kids and being there for them. It makes me happy to see them happy,” says Arballo, who also volunteers at Lincoln Elementary School, where her “miracle babies” – Olivia, 7, and Emily, 5 – attend.
“I was told that I could never have children. God gave me my miracles babies. That gave me the motivation to volunteer. Knowing that I didn’t grow up with parents and grew up alone, I wanted to make sure that my children had everything that I never could.”
Because Julianna volunteers in the afterschool program as well as the school next to her apartment, “She already has a relationship with the teachers and school. She can bridge the gap with school and afterschool,” explains Andrew. “She’s very important to our resident community.”
When Julianna volunteers at her daughters’ school to help students with their homework or decorate the classroom, “My daughters get excited and their friends like when I come around. They call me the Fun Mom. The teachers know me. Even teachers where my daughters are not in class ask me to come.”
Growing up in an orphanage, Julianna was “always alone” and experienced much trauma. She remembers her early years as having “no one in my life, no resources and no one to talk to.”
Consequently, she has worked with kids her entire adult life to ensure that youngsters don’t grow up feeling alone.
“It's always good to have friends and never feel you’re alone. I don’t want them to ever feel like they’re lonely. I want them to feel like they can express themselves through creativity. I want them to know they have a safe place to go after school rather than going to someplace else and doing things that are not OK.”
Julianna devotes herself to the afterschool program because “I just really enjoy what I do.”
Her dream job – to become a teacher – was unrealized.
“Because I grew up the way I did, I wasn’t able to finish high school due to low resources. Even though I couldn’t be a teacher, I came really close to it. The thought of that makes me happy,” she concludes.
