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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Operation Bicycle: We have numerous bikes to sell! We have a terrific selection of bikes - including two stainless steel folding bikes and a scooter - all refurbished by our teens. If you are interested, contact Adrian at [email protected].
- Girls' Night Out has started! This Girls' Group is open to any and all young women (age 14-20) who are looking for a way to connect with other young women, serve their community, and be real outside of the pressures and cliques of school. If you have questions or want to join, contact Eden Trenor at [email protected] or call (206) 554-1560.
Volunteers needed:
- Homework helpers are needed at the No Name Café, especially to help out with Math and/or Senior Projects.
- We need help from someone interested in working with our teens to make our signature Holiday Pies for Thanksgiving.
- We are also starting new Ready to Work classes and need volunteers to help with mock interviews.
If you have a few hours to spare and can help us with any of these activities, please contact Cristin Felso at
[email protected].
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A LETTER FROM CRISTIN:
This was quite a summer! After taking a bit of "Cowboy Cab recovery" time, we rolled up our sleeves to prepare for two consecutive Ready to Work sessions in June and July - one for SAY (Social Advocates for Youth) and the other for local teens at TSS's new training classroom. At the same time, we also launched the first of our vocational training efforts - a welding and blacksmithing course!
In July, we hired a coordinator for our newly
initiated Girls' Group, Eden Trenor. We also welcomed two new board members to Teen Services: Juan Lobato and Tammy Samut (see below). James, our Teen Center Coordinator, took a van-load of teens Pokémon hunting in Golden Gate Park, which was a great way to get them out hiking, and we took first place in the Vintage Festival parade in the non-motorized division!
But, perhaps one of my favorite highlights was our golf adventure. As described below, this was a profitable opportunity for TSS and a chance for me to learn a lot more about golf tournaments - including sitting at the 18th hole tee off with someone called "the long driver." His job was to hit the ball a long distance to start the play and ask for a donation in exchange! Never knew there was such a career... thinking about that for my later years.
We are now well into our fall routines, which you will hear more about in our next newsletter and on our website. But before closing, I do want to send a special thanks to all who help to make TSS the vibrant organization that it is. We have big plans for 2016/17, and we cannot succeed without you.
With kindness,
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LATEST NEWS ON READY TO WORK (RTW)
Mock interviews are an important part of the RTW workshops
During June and July, we held two consecutive RTW workshops in our new classroom at the Teen Center. The first was for SAY's Sonoma youth to help prepare them for summer internship opportunities. Following completion of the six two-hour classes, each teen received a Work Readiness Certification and was hired as a summer intern with a local nonprofit.
The second was for Sonoma Valley youth, all of whom completed the course and several were placed in jobs within our microbusinesses and/or businesses in the community. Each of these is a paid opportunity, giving young people a head start in navigating the world of work. To learn more about our Ready to Work program, click HERE.
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TSS INITIATES A SUMMER WELDING COURSE
Teens practice skills learned in the TSS summer welding class
T
his summer TSS, in collaboration with Hanna Boys Center, held the first of what we hope will be a series of vocational training sessions. Nine teens (8 boys and 1 girl) completed a seven-week program, arriving each Saturday at Hanna for breakfast at 8:00 am and working with instructors throughout the day, ending at 4:30 pm. Lunch was provided.
The classes were taught by local blacksmith, Anastatia Chiurco, and the welding teacher from Hanna Boys Center,
Mike Snowden. Every student learned three types of welding, how to torch cut, and how to use a plasma cutter. They all made dinner bells, steak turners, and some yard art. The class included a field trip to two sites: Steel Geisha Designs, owned by Anastatia, that creates residential and commercial pieces and Munson Design, owned by Marty Munson, who does commission and custom pieces. They were also fortunate to stop by Leader Glass and see a demonstration of glass blowing.
The teachers really enjoyed the experience and would love to do it again if possible. Pre- and post-assessments from the kids were equally positive about the entire experience.
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NEW COMPUTERS COME TO TEEN SERVICES
Thanks to the generosity of Chuck and Cathy Williamson, we were able to purchase 15 Chrome Books for our RTW sessions plus a set of four computers for the Teen Center Computer lab. However, the gift did not stop there. The Williamson's son Ryan (see photo below) is one of our RTW Facilitators and also a self-proclaimed "computer nerd." He recognized a "teachable moment" and instead of just purchasing the four computers and installing them, Ryan ordered the parts and involved students from his summer RTW sessions to learn how to build the computers. This was a
win:win gift for Teen Services and the teens!
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T
SS BENEFITS FROM A LOCAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Jodie Taylor, TSS Operations Manager, fetches golf balls the easy way
Each year the Rockin' H Ranch & Broderick General Engineering Annual Charity Golf Tournament manages to attract golfers who care for more than just the game, and this year that meant a significant gift to Teen Services. Held at the Rooster Run Golf Course in Petaluma on September 1st, this tournament had everything.... a putting contest, personalities, raffle, live auction, and the game itself. The end result was a profit of ~$36,000 which was split among three selected nonprofits: Teen Services Sonoma, The Wheelchair Foundation, and Food for Thought.
We all pitched in to help and have fun. Jodie's job (pictured above) was to take the golf cart and follow the long driver's balls; watch to see if anyone made a hole-in-one after the drive (the prize = a golfing trip for four); then receive the balls and return them to him. It was a hilarious afternoon.
We are extremely grateful to Earl Broderick who invited us to be a recipient of this generous gift. We would also like to thank the following who made an in-kind donation for the auction: Cottage Inn and Spa, Best Western Sonoma Valley Inn, Girl and the Fig, Eagle Distributing, Barking Dog, Homegrown Bagels, Lagunitas, 3 Badge Beverage Corp., and Mary's Pizza Shack.
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TSS WELCOMES TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS
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Juan Lobato is a Teen Services "alum" having been involved in the organization back in 1996 when it was called El Nido. His favorite memories of that time are working as a team with his friends and knowing that people cared about him. He recognizes that much of his success today is the result of what he learned from participating in the work program. Juan went on to Santa Rosa Junior College and then worked as the manager and bartender at the Breakaway Café. Eight years ago, Juan began a career in banking and is currently a Personal Banker with Exchange Bank.
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Tammy Samut has been at Google for nearly seven years, most recently as Google's Internal Events Manager curating large scale events for the employees at Google's headquarters. Prior to events, Tammy was the lead recruiter for the BOLD Internship program, hiring interns with
diverse backgrounds, experiences, and passions
in non-technical roles at Google
.
Prior to joining Google, Tammy worked in the Commercial Real Estate Investment world in Client & Investor relations where she planned internal company and external client events.
Originally from Sydney, Australia, Tammy moved to Sonoma in 2015 and is excited to be a part of the Teen Services Sonoma Board.
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HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Please consider making a donation to Teen Services Sonoma. Funds will be used to further our efforts to support teens and young adults with work-readiness skills and experiences that empower them to succeed. We recognize that not all youth are ready for college. Teen Services is the only organization in the valley offering an alternative pathway to a successful career. We need your help.
One of our goals for 2016/2017
is to engage, employ, and empower 100 Sonoma Valley teens through our Ready to Work programs. Please consider sponsoring a teen through this program to enable that young person to be ready to take on a meaningful job here in Sonoma Valley. The cost for one teen to go through the program is $650, so we need to raise $65,000 to meet our goal. With your help, we can reach and surpass that goal. To support one of our teens or to make a general donation to Teen Services Sonoma, just click HERE.
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THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS!
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INDIVIDUALS
Ben Dudley
Charles Allan Musto
Chris Hofstetter
Chuck and Cathy Williamson
David and Grace Meeks, KAKATU Family Foundation
Edward Jazlowiecki
Frederick Creamer
Gary and Marcia Nelson
Patti England
Shelley Burns
FOUNDATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS
City of Sonoma
First Congregational Church
Impact100 Sonoma
Sonoma Valley Community Foundation
Sonoma Wine Country Weekend
Women's Fellowship First Congregational Church
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BUSINESSES AND CORPORATIONS
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3 Badge Beverage Corp.
Barking Dog Roasters
Best Western Sonoma Valley Inn
Eagle Distributing
Earl Broderick General Engineering
Exchange Bank
Girl & the Fig
Keysight Technologies
Lagunitas Brewing Company
Mary's Pizza Shack
Nelson Family of Companies
Optima Building Services
Rockin' H Ranch
Homegrown Bagels
Sonoma Index-Tribune
Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma Valley SUN
The Cottage Inn and Spa
Warren Construction & Roofing Inc.
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