The life Kenneth Montoya used to live was not an easy one. He grew up surrounded by gangs, drugs and alcohol. He didn't have a stable job. Instead, he sold drugs.

Many of his bad habits he learned from his own family.

Then came a twist in his life. Before he turned 20, Montoya and his girlfriend, then 16, were expecting their first baby. His situation at the time wasn't the ideal environment to raise a child, so he began to get his act together.

"I was just unemployed, living with my mom, and I didn't want that. I wanted to be responsible," said Montoya, 25. "I worked at a restaurant and sold drugs at the same time, but that didn't work out either. It never does."

Now things are different. This Father's Day, he has many reasons to celebrate with a barbecue surrounded by his family and friends. For the past three years, Montoya has had a permanent job as a crew leader with YouthWorks. Today, he is responsible for supervising five crews and about 60 employees.

YouthWorks is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide at-risk young men and women the opportunity to develop job skills, as well as learn the responsibilities that come with being employed. YouthWorks also offers an on-site GED program. According to its Web site, the program currently serves about 3,000 children, youth and young adults.

Montoya's girlfriend, Jessica Olivas, 22, said she has seen him mature and become a better father for their two girls, Brittany, 6, and 3-month-old Tiffany.

"He's a wonderful father, real outgoing. He takes the older girl fishing, camping or to picnics," Olivas said. "He's really stepped up. ... I know Kenneth is going to be great. It's sad to say this, but he is going to be a better father than what he had."

Tobe Bott-Lyons, educational coordinator for YouthWorks, said Montoya and several other men working with the program have shown much responsibility since becoming fathers.

"This couldn't run without the help of these three," Bott-Lyons said, referring to the dedication Montoya, Miguel Olivas and Pablo Robledo bring to the organization.

Like Montoya, Robledo and Olivas say their children have played a major role in their efforts to turn their lives around and offer them brighter futures.

"I needed something more stable and needed a paycheck every two weeks," said Olivas, 28, who is also Montoya's brother-in-law. "I wanted to be more responsible and bring food for my family, and also stay out of trouble." For nearly four months, Olivas has been the energy crew leader.

When he thinks about his daughter, Brianna Nicole, 6, he said she is worth all the sleepless nights he spent worried about providing a roof for her. And the best part of being a father is going home in the evening and receiving a hug from her, Olivas said. For Father's Day, he usually gets a card and drawings made by her.

"The best feeling is having her run to my arms and saying, 'Happy Father's Day, dad,' " Olivas said.

For Robledo, 25, his two sons have motivated him to join YouthWorks and work toward obtaining his GED. With a probation on his record, employers were not willing to give him a chance. Now he's an assistant crew leader for the river crew.

"I think (YouthWorks) is great for him," said Robledo's girlfriend, Jessica Anaya, 25, on a recent day after his shift was over. "It's nice to have a stable job," said Anaya, holding their 5-month-old son, Antonio Jesse, while their 6-year-old, Pablo Andres, ran around in a dirt lot and tossed a ball to his dad.

"He's my best friend," Robledo said of his son. "I get cards and drawings of me and him together, drawings of both of us skateboarding and family pictures. But the best gift is having (both of) them."

Contact Sandra Baltazar Martínez at 986-3062 or smartinez@sfnewmexican.com.