Lynn, Saugus activists net awards, grants

LYNN – Jason Cruz stumbled upon Lynn 16 years ago while visiting a friend.He never left, choosing instead to surround himself with local youth to offer them guidance and the key to artistic expression.To recognize him for his long-standing and continued efforts, Bank of America recently bestowed Cruz with its prestigious Local Hero Award.Jasmine Fiandaca of Saugus also received a Local Hero award and will direct her grant to Grace Ministries North Shore.Local Hero awards are given to those who contribute significantly to the health of their communities through volunteer service and civic engagement.During a ceremony at Boston’s Paramount Theater, the bank’s charitable foundation presented Cruz, Fiandaca and three others with the award and $5,000 commensurate grants.Cruz, 40, will direct his grant to RAW Artworks, the Lynn therapeutic arts program where he has been a staff member since 1994 and a mentor to hundreds of North Shore youth.”The award was recognition for the work I’ve done in the past 15 years, both at RAW and with St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, where I’m a youth minister,” said the soft-spoken art therapist. “It’s for the work I’ve done with the RAW community, with the kids. Some of my best teachers have been the young people I have worked with.”Cruz grew up in Florida, where he graduated in 1995 from Jacksonville University with a degree in photography. He later earned a master’s degree in expressive art therapy from Lesley University.”When I applied to grad school, I came through Lynn a couple of times because Michael Gioaccini, my best friend for 20 years, was from there. I ended up enrolling at Lesley and began looking for a practicum. Then I got a call from RAW Arts to apply for an internship and I’m still here,” he said. “I love making art with the kids and being a youth minister at St. Stephen’s because that allows me to do my work from many angles.”These days, Cruz leads three boys’ groups and runs a court-mandated program for juvenile offenders, providing outreach and crisis intervention. He is also co-founder of a Build a New America Fellowship that addresses racial and social issues through action.In addition to Cruz and Fiandaca, Bank of America gave Local Hero awards to Clementina Cher of Boston, Van Chey of Lowell and Paul Corcoran of Waltham.