Inspiring Conversations with Max Mendoza of Heartland 180

Today we’d like to introduce you to Max Mendoza. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Maximilian is a native of the Kansas City Metro area. Youth and prevention programs are passions of his and he dedicates the majority of his time to such programs. He himself was a troubled youth who ended up in the juvenile justice system in his adolescence. Coming from a background of drugs and gang activities, system involvement was inevitable. While Max was incarcerated, his cousin was killed in a drive-by shooting. This incident helped initiate his reform. He opened up to the opportunities provided; through the help of mentoring and the realization of his own self-value, he began working to reform his life.

While working on his education and participating in activities that allowed him to help his fellow inmates, Max developed a passion for helping those like himself. Upon his release, Max continued his education in Social Work. Due to his criminal background, he had difficulties finishing his degree and finding work in that field. His determination did not allow that to stop him. He volunteered to work with youth at every opportunity he could find. He began doing his own community outreach, advocating for juvenile justice reform, and speaking to youth groups about his mistakes and overcoming them. Through his volunteer work, he eventually made a reputation for himself that eventually reached the Kansas governor’s office. In 2012, Max became a governor appointee to the Kansas Advisory Group, (KAG), on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In the first year of his term, he was sent to Washington D.C. for the Coalition for Juvenile Justice national conference. He learned about youth engagement training and returned to Kansas with the information for the KAG to receive a federal grant for the training and development of a state youth committee. He was appointed chairperson and remains active with that committee today.

In addition to serving on the KAG’s Youth Committee, Max also serves as the Chairman of the KAG’s Membership Committee, the KAG’s Executive Committee, and on the KAG’s DMC/RED Committee (Disproportionate Minority Contact/Racial and Ethnic Disparities). He also serves as a Kansas Secretary of State Appointee to the Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee. Nationally he is a member of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice and locally he is involved as a member of the Advisory Board of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City, as a Board Member of P.A.C.E.S., as a Board Member of Keys For Networking, as a member of the Kaw River chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A), he has been a volunteer with Michael Bergen’s Hands to Hearts for the past 13 years helping to provide Christmas to disadvantaged children, and as a mentor to youth in his community.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was not an easy journey to get where I am today. Most people with my background never get to be as successful as I am. I had to overcome the stigmas of being labeled as a felon. It was difficult to find anyone willing to give me a chance with having that label. I also had to overcome a lot of internal challenges. I had found myself and developed my sense of self-value.

I didn’t know who I was and felt caught between worlds being multiracial and not having any strong family bonds. I had these false and conflicting images of who I was supposed to be. I had to first understand and see the cycles of trauma and unhealthy thinking. That was some of the hardest work was facing myself.

As you know, we’re big fans of Heartland 180, Inc. . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
In 2013, Rev. Jonas Hayes observed a need for prevention programming for disadvantaged underperforming youth in the community. With his experience with the 180- degree curriculum as a pastor in California and his helped start the Delta 180 program in Mississippi, Rev. Hayes began looking for partners and board members to help make his vision of a 180-degree program here in the heartland.

Rev. Hayes reached out to the Kansas Department of Corrections Juvenile Services about the program and curriculum. The Director of Community Based Services reached out to Maximilian Mendoza, who at the time was a juvenile justice advocate and governor-appointed member of the Kansas Advisory Group on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Mr. Mendoza became one of the four founding executive board members of the newly formed Heartland 180, Inc., a non-profit organization, which assists disadvantaged youth and young adults to achieve academic success and live to their full potential.

I wanted this organization to be a place where youth and their families felt heard and could find individuals that were relatable. To have staff who had shared lived experience, because this was one of my biggest hang-ups on being system involved. I had individuals telling me how I should be living and acting but none of them knew what it was like to live the life that I had lived. It was hard for me to take what they were saying at face value when they did not have the same lived experience or looked like me.

I needed examples that looked like me and have gone through what I went to show me that there was another way and that it really could happen. There is no better example than someone who has been there to help others on the same path. To show them that they can be examples of the change they want to see in the world.

We started off just serving youth who were system involved in providing Social Emotional Learning and realized that these were skills all youth need. We shifted gears to targeting our services to any youth struggling behaviorally, academically, and socially. A couple of years after this we realized that we need to be engaging parents and providing services for the parents and the family as well. That’s when we developed our Parent and Family support services. With this, we now provide parenting classes with the Parent Project curriculums and a class for both the parent/s and youth with the Strengthening Families 10-14 Program.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
The love people have for our city. We have such an amazing population of people who go above and beyond. I have developed such an amazing support system since being an advocate in my community and never know how many others like myself there are.

Pricing:

• Youth Programs Free to WYCO residents
• Parent Project $35
• SFP 10-14 free to WYCO residents

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Heartland180.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h180program/
• Facebook: “https://www.facebook.com/Maxforhope” and “https://www.facebook.com/H180KC“
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/H180Program
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcUrmq-xvLWkcCB7JVE67oQ
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/heartland-180-kansas-city?osq=Heartland+180
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximilian-mendoza-b0b00470?trk=people-guest_people_search-card