New effort reaches out to 'at risk' youth

With local residents meeting and learning how to have a gang injunction implemented here to keep Fallbrook’s streets safe, one group of former gang members and drug addicts is taking their own approach to reach out to ‘at risk’ youth in the Fallbrook community.

I See the Light Industries is a group of Fallbrook residents that has keen awareness of what the gang, drug and alcohol lifestyle is like; they have lived it. Founder Victor Murillo, a 32-year-old nursery worker, came up with the idea for the group after taking over the position of youth leader at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Murillo began attending Emmanuel Baptist for marital counseling and succeeded in changing his life. After taking over the youth group, Murillo felt that the apparel he chose to wear was not a good influence on the youth he was working with.

Murillo, whose favorite types of shirts used to be those from Skin Industries, Famous Stars and Straps and Metal Militia, became aware of the negative connotations the shirts reflect.

“The Skin Industries shirts have silhouettes of naked women on them,” he explained. Murillo realized that youth need a better example in himself and his clothing.

In January, Murillo came up with I See the Light Industries, a clothing line that “has a big design” and a positive message tied to it.

Eliseo Higinio, also a Fallbrook native, felt that I See the Light could be more than a message; it was a way to reach young people who might normally be cast off to the outskirts.

Higinio felt that by passing out shirts to young people, he and the rest of the group could “really reach people.” As a recovering drug addict, he wants to prevent young people from making the mistakes he made.

At the age of 13, Higinio was drinking alcohol; by 19, he was addicted to cocaine and methamphetamine. After five years of being addicted to drugs and alcohol, Higinio was taken to a rehab center near Ensenada, Mexico.

Higinio thinks that by selling these shirts as an alternative to Skin shirts, he can share his story with someone ‘at risk’ and help them decide to curtail their drug use. Doing that, he says, he will feel like he has “done some good.” He hopes to prevent others from becoming addicts.

Murillo had a drinking and partying lifestyle that gave him a certain element of notoriety in Fallbrook. Drinking at age 14 led to a partying lifestyle for 18 years. Now, Murillo is trying to find a way to help others.

I See the Light uses the proceeds from the shirts to support a missionary family in the Philippines and has also bought supplies, such as blankets and arts and crafts, for an orphanage in Tijuana.

I See the Light is working toward being able to monetarily support a local rehab center for recovering addicts as well as a mentoring program to help those individuals find healthier alternatives to their lifestyle.

“Gang injunctions push [kids at risk] off into the outskirts,” said Higinio. “We need to be able to offer them some sort of alternative to their lifestyle. We can deal with the youth, nonbelievers, anybody. In my heart, I want to do something positive.”

I See the Light shirts can be bought at http://www.iseethelightindustries.com.