April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month!
Volunteer Highlight: Meet Dave, a dedicated YMCA of Orange County Adventure Guides “Y’s Guy”
For Adventure Guides Dad Dave Alfaro, his involvement with the program started with a simple need: more quality time with his kids. Now over 7 years into the program, he has ascended the ranks as not only a participant, but as a passionate volunteer helping other dads find the same connection he did.
Life moves fast for most families. Between school drop-offs, late meetings, sports practices, and the constant pull of screens, it can be hard to find real time together for parents and kids. Many dads want to be present, but as the days fill up and the weeks blur, making time for those moments, let alone making the most of those moments, takes intention.
That was the place Dave Alfaro found himself seven years ago, travelling often as he worked his cybersecurity job. With a young son and daughter quickly growing up, he felt the need to prioritize their time together in a more meaningful way.
That is what led him to Adventure Guides.
“We wind up with competition from so many things like school and sports and screens and games. It really is tough for dads and kids to connect, and that’s what drew me initially to the Adventure Guides program.”
Today, he is proudly what has been coined a “Double-Duty Dad,” heading out on camping adventure two weekends a month, spending quality time with his son and his daughter. Being outside, unplugged, and surrounded by other like-minded dads trying to do the same thing with their kids created a kind of connection he hadn’t realized he was missing.
“I jumped into it and immediately thought, my gosh this is awesome. It’s really what’s been missing.”
A great visual of all he’s gotten out of the Adventure Guides program is his daughter’s vest, covered in colorful patches, each representing a campout or activity she did together with her dad. But to Dave, it is much more than a collection of activities, “These are all memories,” he says. “Memories I’ve built with my daughter and what’s now become the best group of friends I’ve ever had.”
Those memories inspired him to get more involved. He wanted other dads to experience what he had found. He started helping with recruiting, explaining the program, guiding families through paperwork, and encouraging them to attend that first campout. From there, he said, the hook is usually set. One or two campouts later he would usually end up getting a call saying that it was amazing, and they couldn’t believe they hadn’t found it sooner.
From there, his role grew as he got involved with Circle and Expedition leadership roles, and was eventually asked to join the ranks of the “Y’s Guys,” a play off “Wise Guy.” No longer was he just recruiting or supporting his own expedition, but any expedition in need, helping foster traditions, planning, and ensuring that dads and kids alike get the most out of the program.
“It’s a labor of love for me,” he says. “The more families I can bring in, the better it is for everyone. That's really my volunteer story and why I love this program and why I love what I do with the Y so much.”
Join a campout, meet other families, and see what Adventure Guides is all about. Start by learning more at ymcaoc.org/adventure-guides/.