Peacock Acres is a life-changing organization for foster youth in Monterey County.

"Both youth and service learners can take away so much from the center. The youth have the opportunity to make a change in their life if they choose too, while service learners get to witness the change and make changes in their own lives."

"I really enjoyed everything at The Learning Center. I know that we all have good and bad days, and we all cope with them in different ways. It always was difficult to hear stories about the youth, or hear them say that they did not want to be there. I can understand where they are coming from though. Situations in life are always going to be hard, and I was actually able to learn more about the youth and their backgrounds when they were going through difficult times."

"I loved that no day was alike. There was always something different going on and I loved that Peacock Acres does such an incredible job of bringing in different activities for the students at the center like yoga, pizza making, working with horses etc. I also love that we had a talent show and allowed everyone to do their own thing and that most were willing to share their talents. I was very impressed."

"I loved every moment spent at the center. I had a rough semester with my courses at school, and the center always took my mind off of everything. I could have been in really bad mood, but walking into the center, I changed. I enjoyed being with all of the youth and I took a lot away from my experience at the center."  

"The relationships here are very strong. When I see all the kids hanging out together, it looks as if they are all brothers and sisters. The staff members are helpful and a huge part of their daily lives. I think the relationships here make Peacock Acres a safe and fun environment for the students."

"When I was in middle school, I wish I had something like this to go to after school. It is not only a place to get work done, but it keeps these kids off the streets and staying out of trouble when out of school. Its safe, quiet, friendly, and fun for all students to easily interact and participate in the activities, etc."

"This experience was an amazing learning process, and I have gained so much from it. I know that through this experience I have gained patience and confidence in my abilities that I do not think I would have been able to gain anywhere else. While this experience was often challenging, it made me a stronger person overall. Through the freedom you have allowed me at The Learning Center with the students' extracurricular activities I feel that I have had the opportunity to share wonderful life experiences with them, and hopefully help them gain confidence in themselves. I had a great time developing relationships with many of the students at The Learning Center, and hope that I have made as big of an impact on their lives, as they have on mine. "

"One thing I will take away from the experience at TLC is the importance of keeping an open mind about people, especially staying open to people from all different backgrounds. I enjoyed that no one person at The Learning Center is exactly alike. Each one has a different story, different from what I have experienced. I loved the feeling I had when a student felt comfortable enough to approach me about a situation or even something they just wanted to share. As I work in other environments, I hope I can bring this openness to people and that they will also feel comfortable sharing with me" -Theresa (CSUMB Volunteer)