Lorena, one of the youth promotores, identified alcohol abuse as a "theme" in her community after observing broken bottles lying around the building complex, hearing several parents mention concerns about public drinking, and talking with one of her friends about his parents' problems with alcohol in his home. Lorena discussed the theme of alcohol with the other youth promotores and found that they too saw this as a serious problem in their community.

Applying the hope-energy-action model, Lorena and the other youth promotores collected data, using whatever methods and indicators they believed best conveyed the reality they were observing. They counted alcohol outlets in their neighborhood and compared this data to counts taken in wealthier surrounding communities. They also took photographs of children walking past men who were gathered outside bars and drinking, and of local convenience store refrigerators filled with alcohol yet containing very little milk.

[Youth promotores] counted alcohol outlets in their neighborhood and compared this data to counts taken in wealthier surrounding communities. They also took photographs of . . . local convenience store refrigerators filled with alcohol yet containing very little milk.

Armed with their photos and an overhead projector, Lorena and her team reported their findings to neighborhood youth and adults. During their presentation, the team reflected on the data they collected and shared their impressions with the larger audience. Some reflections were deeply disturbing. For example, when a youth was taking photos of a liquor store refrigerator, the owner chased the youth out and yelled, "Go back to your own country!" In another example, Lorena interviewed youth in her high school, asking whether they had ever tried alcohol. She observed that the boys who responded, "No," seemed ashamed and embarrassed about not having tried alcohol. Although these outcomes sometimes left the youth shaken, it also made them even more determined to address the issue of alcohol abuse in their communities.

Lorena and her team invited other youth and adults to discuss these outcomes and reflections and to take action. Using the agency as a bridge to resources and decision makers, the youth council successfully designed informational campaigns, mobilized the community, and defeated two liquor licenses.