When asked, Christopher Alcala tells people he works at Disneyland. But really, he works with Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Physical Security Systems group, in what might seem like a far cry from the California-based amusement park.
"I enjoy going to work every single day," Christopher says. "It's fun getting to build different relationships and it's different from anything else. So, when people ask me what I do or where I work, I tell them I work at Disneyland."
Christopher's joy and excitement at work is largely a product of his upbringing. As a child, his grandparents instilled a sense of positivity and selflessness in him.
It's a mindset that also manifests through Christopher's decades of volunteer work — a trend that has continued during his two years at the Lab where volunteer opportunities abound. In fact, Christopher has trouble naming each of the organizations he currently helps or has helped in the past — at work and outside of work.
"I was looking at it, and it's over 60 organizations that I've volunteered for throughout my career," Christopher says. "It's always been a passion of mine to give back, and I love talking to new people."
A history of helping
Volunteerism began early for Christopher. His grandparents used to volunteer at a local church when he was growing up, and his uncle, who continues to volunteer with Christopher now, was always looking for opportunities to help out local organizations. Soon, Christopher started volunteering, too, and as he grew into adulthood, he became even more involved with his community.
"I didn't realize the impact it would have on my life," Christopher says. "I didn't realize it was work because I was always having so much fun."
The inherent joy Christopher gets from volunteering, along with his excitement at meeting new people, has led him to a variety of different organizations. He has volunteered for the Española Humane animal shelter, contributed to behavioral health organizations, appeared at holiday giving campaigns and applied and qualified to referee and umpire for various local sports. As he widened his involvement in the community, Christopher says he realized he was trying a lot of new things and finding a lot of joy in putting himself in positions to learn and grow.
"I think you either have the drive or the passion to do something new or you don't," Christopher says. "And sometimes it's that question of are people willing to take that leap, and get over that voice saying, ‘I'm not sure,' or ‘I don't speak too well in public,' or ‘I don't know if that's a fit for me'?"
Along with diversifying his involvement as he has gotten older, Christopher has grown to value his ability to foster a more enriching environment for future generations, including his own children.
"It makes me feel good because when I was in high school, I didn't have that support system," Christopher says. "And when you're out there, you can be that support for these kids."
Christopher also points out that nowadays, almost every activity a kid might want to get involved in comes at a cost.
"Almost everything requires money that a lot of times families don't have," Christopher explains. That's where he believes his volunteerism can have a major impact and alleviate what families must contribute. "What are we doing for the youth? Because it takes a village to raise a
"I was looking at it, and it's over 60 organizations that I've volunteered for throughout my career," Christopher says.
'A modern-day Santa Claus'
When Christopher first got hired by the Lab in November 2022, his understanding of the entirety of the Lab's work felt a bit limited. So, he looked for ways to learn more and meet new people.
That's when he stumbled across WESST, the Worker, Environment, Safety and Security Team. Through this team, Christopher soon found himself volunteering with the Challenge Tomorrow initiative, which takes trailers to Northern New Mexico's schools to teach students about science and the Lab.
"I attended a training, and I instantly knew it was for me," Christopher says. "I get to go out to schools, talk to kids about what we do, the cool research we do here and how we are more than just bombs."
From there, Christopher got in touch with Kayla Norris from the Community Partnerships Office and learned more about the numerous volunteer opportunities at the Lab. Kayla is the outreach coordinator for the Lab's giving campaigns, and she helped get Christopher involved in the Lab's holiday toy drive.
There, he saw an opportunity. Working in the Lab's warehouse, he had access to Lab vehicles and trucks. So, with his manager's approval, he used the trucks to deliver the toys across Northern New Mexico, going as far as the Navajo Nation. Christopher's volunteering at the Lab increased through 2023 as he got involved with activities like soup kitchens and back-to-school initiatives. Eventually, the calendar rolled around to the holiday toy drive again, and once more Christopher helped deliver.
"People are really, really gracious, and I remember this year when I went to Las Vegas, it was snowing and I was taking toys to the Children, Youth & Families Department where kids are dependent on these toys," Christopher says. "And it's funny, in our newsletter story, they called me 'a modern-day Santa Claus.'"
Christopher says he helped deliver more than 7,000 toys last holiday season, but he doesn't believe he could've done it without the support of his management.
"I had tremendous support here. As long as you're following all of the rules and policies, they never told me no," Christopher says. "That was huge for me in terms of being even more engaged."
Christopher says the Lab as a whole is a very welcoming environment for those who want to give back to the community, and he is always trying to let people know about new opportunities to get involved.
"I think that's one of the bigger challenges is always trying to get that information out there," Christopher says. "LANL is so big and there's so many things going on. So, if this helps somebody or if this inspires just one person, then it's all worth it."
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