An Interview with Carlos Cervantes and Cynthia Wong from ARC’s Member Services Department
ARC held its 2026 annual retreat on Jan 30th-Feb 1st in Lake Hughes, CA, bringing together members, alumni, youth, staff, and allies for a weekend of healing and connection. This marked the first retreat led by longtime ARC staff member, and newly appointed Director of Member Services, Carlos Cervantes. ARC’s communications associate, Vanessa Gutierrez, spoke with Carlos and Cynthia Wong, on behalf of the Member Services team, about the enduring power of ARC’s retreats, and the amazing thing that happened when ARC’s OGs met ARC’s youth.
Vanessa: Carlos, can you talk about your first retreat?
Carlos Cervantes: My first retreat was in 2011. I was welcomed home. I was treated with respect. It was my initiation into a support network of people who were formerly incarcerated and allies who had real solutions for what re-entry was going to look like for me. That’s where I realized I wasn’t alone.
For Carlos, that experience became a ritual. One he now helps lead.
Vanessa: What was your vision for your first retreat as Member Services Director?
Carlos: To create that memorable space people have been yearning for. It wasn’t about spending a lot of money—it was about getting people there. Once the people were there, the activities became the memories.
One story captured that spirit.
Carlos: A young woman who had spent 18 years in prison asked if we could go swimming. She said, “I haven’t been swimming in 18 years.” That changed everything. We worked with the camp, opened the pool, and there were a dozen people in that water who hadn’t swum in years. That’s what retreats are all about.
For Member Resources Manager, Cynthia Wong, this was her first time helping lead planning at this scale.
Vanessa: What was that like?
Cynthia Wong: It was a lot of work. So many moving parts, an immense guest list, outreach across departments. But our goal was clear: make sure everyone felt engaged.
This year included nearly 80 youth, one of the largest youth turnouts in recent memory.
Cynthia: We were very mindful about the activities. We wanted youth to actually want to participate, but also to make sure everyone had options.
When asked what the retreat represents, Cynthia was direct:
Cynthia: I think about community. Having everyone under one roof, from the elderly to the youth. It’s a space to decompress, to recenter. A lot of the feedback was, “I just want somewhere I don’t have to think about work.” It felt like a reunion.
A major focus this year was inviting ARC’s “OG” members, who helped build the organization in its earliest days.
Cynthia: We wanted alumni and OG members there, along with allies and partners, so people could see what rehabilitation looks like in real life, and how far ARC has come.
What unfolded naturally was mentorship.
Cynthia: It wasn’t planned, but the OG members gravitated toward the youth—checking in, giving advice. It was powerful to see that happen in a space where the youth felt safe.
Carlos sees that as core to ARC’s mission.
Carlos: That’s how ARC came about. Passing the torch. Veterans come home and support the next generation. The retreat empowers people to build that network of peer support.
For both Carlos and Cynthia, the retreat remains a ritual of welcome and renewal.
Carlos: It shows what returning home can look like: a community that offers support and love.
Cynthia: I wanted people to have fun, to leave happy and wanting more. The feedback shows we created that safe space.
Fifteen years after Carlos first felt welcomed home, ARC’s retreat continues to do what it has always done: bring people together, build leadership, and remind every member—new or OG—that they belong.
