Meet Bruno: CityYouth Mentor Making A Difference

Bruno has spent over 30 years bringing worlds to life on screen, lending his visual effects talents to productions like Wednesday, Halo and Snow White. When he’s not at his workstation, he’s likely somewhere on a mountain bike trail doing things that make people half his age raise an eyebrow. He’s a dad of four, a devoted soccer sideline parent, and since October, a CityYouth mentor.

Bruno grew up without a lot. He knows firsthand what it means to have limited access to the kinds of experiences and support that help kids believe in what’s possible for them. That history is part of what drew him to find ways to give back. After reaching out to a local organization in Waterdown looking for a way to help, he was pointed toward CityKidz. He’d never heard of them before, but what he found when he walked through the door was a team of people genuinely thrilled to have him and ready with the perfect volunteer role.

It didn’t take long for his presence to matter. Showing up consistently is how trust gets built, and Bruno felt that shift happen in real time. Early on, he was the new guy, and the teens were friendly but guarded; eye contact was harder to come by. But week after week, he kept showing up. Slowly, something changed. “I feel that now it’s a little more personal and they’re more open towards me,” he says. That growing trust opened doors. When a group leader mentioned Bruno’s career to the youth one evening, the room moved on quickly. But the next week, one young person pulled him aside. “Bruno, I wanna be like you. I wanna be an animator,” the teen told him and Bruno has been happy to share every pointer he can.

That moment captures something Bruno believes deeply about what CityKidz makes possible. “You don’t have to make a difference with everybody,” he reflects. “If it’s just one, it’s a big step.”

He carries that conviction into every session. “Where these kids are at, it’s not their limit; the sky is the limit. They can reach for more. They can reach their goals. They can have their dreams.”

For anyone on the fence about volunteering, Bruno keeps it simple: “You give yourself a chance to open up, to learn, to grow.”

These kids have people in their corner. You could be one of them. Join us as a CityYouth mentor today.