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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Ready to Work: The fall course starts at Sonoma Valley High School on November 10th. If you know a teen who would benefit from this program, please contact the Teen Center (707-939-1452) to enroll her or him. For details and registration, click here.
- Holiday Pie Sales: Teen Services is pleased to announce its 5th annual Holiday Pie Sale from Lovin' Oven. This year, we will be baking cranberry apple, pumpkin, and pecan pies under the tasty direction of master welder and baker-extraordinaire Anastatia Chiurco. For details and to place an order, click here. And if you want to help out, just call (707-939-1452) to volunteer.
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A LETTER FROM CRISTIN:
Fall is definitely my favorite time of the year. The wonderful crisp air and fall colors remind me how lucky we are to live in Sonoma Valley. At Teen Services, fall also means two new Ready to Work (RTW) courses are underway - one at Hanna Boys Center, facilitated by Eden Trenor, and the other to start soon at Sonoma Valley High School, facilitated by Ryan Williamson. We are so grateful to Ryan and RTW advisor, Celia Canfield, for their efforts in fine-tuning the curriculum this year.
This fall also means some changes for Teen Services. We are pleased to welcome Jared Cohen as the new No Name Café Manager. Jared's first job was actually at the café when he was a 15-year-old student at Sonoma Valley High School. He graduated from Santa Rosa Junior College with an Associate Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences and worked in a management position at CVS here in Sonoma. He started working with us last spring as an Employment Specialist, and it is wonderful to have him with us at the No Name Café.
At the same time, we had to say farewell to Jodie Taylor, as she has accepted a full-time position as the Business Manager for the Kenwood School District. Jodie started working with us in 2012 as the manager of the café and then moved up to Operations and Finance Director. She has been a key player in so many of our successes, from Ready to Work to Cowboy Cab. I can't thank her enough for all that she has contributed to our organization. She will be missed.
Below you will read about current activities at Teen Services and enjoy a new feature focusing on our alums. We are so proud of our teens and all that they continue to achieve.
With kindness,
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WEDNESDAYS ARE SPECIAL AT TSS:
Boys getting ready for a bike ride, while the girls make use of the Teen Center
Girls Night Out:
Every Wednesday from 2:30-4:30 pm, young women (ages 14-20) gather at the Teen Center - a safe, accepting, reliable place outside of the pressures of school, where they can connect with other young women. Coordinator Eden Trenor sees the potential of this group as the girls who have attended have expressed that one thing they've learned so far is acceptance. The get-togethers focus on a variety of topics: social justice, art, personal budgets, leadership, service, and team building.
Girls Night Out is partnering with other organizations in the community to introduce the young women to a diverse group of successful women role models. "The goal with this aspect of the program is to broaden the girls' definitions of 'success' and 'leadership' by exposing them to women who are making positive contributions to the world in a variety of ways." If you have questions or want to join, contact Eden Trenor at
[email protected] or call (206) 554-1560.
Teen Center Field Trips:
While the girls enjoy time at the Teen Center, James Cardenas (Teen Center Coordinator) plans some interesting trips for the boys. In October, these included bowling in Petaluma, a mountain bike ride at Tamarancho, a soccer game at Hanna Boys Center, and Drags and Drifts at Sonoma Raceway. To qualify for these free trips, the teens contribute service hours either at Teen Services or elsewhere in the community. Past service projects included trail maintenance on the Overlook Trail or working a booth at the health fair sponsored by the Sonoma Valley Community Health Center.
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NEWS FROM OUR ALUMS: GERARDO MEZA-PEREZ
Gerardo and Eileen at Farmers Insurance
As a student at Sonoma Valley High School, Gerardo Meza-Perez participated in Teen Services'
Ready to Work
program, where he learned about work etiquette, preparing a resume, money management, and how to successfully interview. Following the program, Gerardo began looking for a job, but ran into some difficulty as he was only 15, and most employers were looking for someone older. Several attempts were unsuccessful, so Gerardo thought he would have to wait, but he was ready just in case.
Eileen Keister had been in the insurance business for 25 years and had her sights on building an agency of her own in the community of Sonoma. The opportunity arose to buy a practice, and she opened her new Farmers Insurance office on Highway 12. She came into Teen Services to inquire about hiring staff that could learn and grow with her along the way. Gerardo's name immediately came up as someone who was energetic, ambitious, and perfect for the job.
To read the full story,
click here. Next month, we will feature another of our amazing alums.
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MEET SIMON, OPERATION BICYCLE MECHANIC
Simon Cutler, age 19, has a passion for bikes. In early 2015, he started hanging out at Teen Services with Bicycle Coordinator, Adrian Palenchar. Working with Adrian gave him an opportunity to learn more about bike mechanics and to give back. Within four months, his talents landed him a part-time job as Adrian's assistant. Now, Adrian claims that Simon is a much better mechanic than he is!
Simon loves the numerous options for riding in the valley - long and flat or short and intense - he likes both depending on his mood. But his smile broadens when he describes one of his favorites rides on Dry Creek Road "where I can go 40 mph for 5-10 minutes."
Simon also enjoys working with the other teens who come to learn how to fix their bikes. "When the teens find out they can fix their bikes themselves, it gives them a sense of independence and joy. A bike is both transportation and fun for them, so it is an important part of their lives."
Come by, check out the bikes, and say "hi" to Simon. He is always looking for young people to ride with.
Operation Bicycle is just one of our micro-businesses that provides work-based learning experiences for teens and generates support for Teen Services. To learn more about Operation Bicycle,
click here.
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THE LOVIN' OVEN KITCHEN GETS A SPRING CLEANING
Volunteers from Keysight Technologies offer their services
Keysight Technologies Inc., a leading electronic measurement company located in Santa Rosa, actively encourages its employees to get involved in local volunteer efforts, and we cannot thank them enough! As part of United Way's annual Day of Caring event, four Keysight volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got to work. As a result, our Lovin' Oven kitchen and the surrounding area were spotlessly clean, outshined only by the smiles from a job well done!
Mike McCoy (pictured below), a technical writer at Keysight, commented: "Many of us give to organizations through a Keysight Technologies United Way payroll deduction campaign, but this gives us the opportunity to get out and meet the people whom we support face to face. It's about giving back in a way that is much more tangible and it's inspiring to see all the good work being done in the community."
Thanks Ken, Jennifer, Mike, and Allen!
From left to right: Allen Zhao, Cristin Felso, Jennifer Westly, Mike McCoy, and Ken Grabenauer
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Miguel, Mauricio, Estevan and Francisco from our Lovin' Oven team assisted at the Sonoma Overnight Support Tea held on October 8th at Burlingame Hall, serving tea and treats to guests. SOS Executive Director Kathy King had this to say: "The four teens that helped us on Saturday at the SOS fundraising tea were fabulous. As always they were professional, very good with the donors, and most helpful in the kitchen and serving. Really we could not have done it without them."
And a special thanks to Patti England for sponsoring our teens for this event.
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Did you know that it costs Teen Services $650 to put a single student through our Ready to Work program?
We are pleased to offer this program at no cost to any Sonoma Valley youth who chooses to enroll, but we need financial support from the community to ensure that this course remains free of charge for the students. We are committed to serving every student who
wants to enroll.
We need community donors to step up so we don't have to turn any student away. Please consider a fully tax-deductible contribution this month to ensure we can serve all students who want to enroll.
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THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS!
Bob Albright
Ali Ansell
B. Slatkin Bookeeping - Barbara J. Slatkin
Celia Canfield
Patti England
KAKATU Foundation - David and Grace Meeks
Meghan Marsh King
Mary and Lee Nash
Anne Cassidy and Sam Turner
Warren Construction and Roofing Inc.
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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