VOM Teen Center finding its footing

Membership is up – way up – at the newly reopened Valley of the Moon Teen Center in Boyes Hot Springs. Following six years of planning, fundraising and building, the former El Nido Teen Center now boasts almost 100 members. But while the membership numbers are exciting, actual use of the facility on a daily basis is not yet stellar, according to some sources.
Beautiful on the outside and fully functional on the inside, the new center features classrooms for learning and studying, a computer room, a kitchen, an indoor gym and even a new outdoor basketball court. Executive director, Rebecca Hermosillo is ecstatic about the new Teen Center and its members and has only glowing words for its operation and programs.
“When we closed our doors last year, we had fewer than 10 regular members,” said Hermosillo. “As of our reopening on August 1st, we had five. Today, three months later, we’ve built our membership to an impressive 95 teens and it grows almost daily.” Capturing the theme of its logo, the Teen Centers’ motto is, “… empowering teens to soar.”
Hours of operation are 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., with dinner offered around 5:00 p.m. According to Hermosillo, there are between 25 and 35 teenagers at the Teen Center on any given day. But are they participating, wonder some in the community. “Walk in there at dinner time,” said one, who asked not to be named, “and there are plenty of teens sitting around eating. But as soon as dinner is over, they leave. They don’t stick around and hang out.”
All teens are asked to fill out a membership form before gaining initial admittance, after which they are then counted as members. As with other agencies serving youth, however, not all members show up regularly.
Big Construction Effort
The new Teen Center is the result of an enormous effort spanning six years, according to Art Fichtenberg, Chair of the Teen Center’s Construction Committee. The project involved finding the site, acquiring it, designing and re-designing the facility, securing some $943,000 in government grants and another $250,000 in private donations, plus numerous contributions of materials and volunteer hours. Fichtenberg singled out Jere Starks, from Infineon, and architect Gary Baker for their contributions, and has named twenty “angels” in all, without whom the new Teen Center might not have been built.
According to the Teen Center’s Web site, its present Board of Directors comprises Osias Encarnacion, Board President, Kira Van Hall, Board Vice-President, Hermosillo, Director of Programs, Stefanie Shackelford, Director of Business Operations, Judith D’Amico, Board Secretary, Kathy Mazza, Board Treasurer, and Shana Sharp and Fichtenberg, Directors. In the view of many, the Teen Center is fast on its way to fulfilling the vision they and their predecessors had when the metamorphosis began back in 2002.
The Teen Center’s mission is “to provide education, support and attention to the physical, emotional and mental well being of each individual. Time and attention is given to recognize and develop the potential within each teen, to guide them toward a path of accountability in becoming a productive and successful adult in today’s society.”
While the funds raised over the past six years went to build and open the new Teen Center, raising the money for continuing operations is still something to be grappled with, and grants are actively being sought. Teens are asked for a $25 membership fee upon joining, although it’s not required. The Teen Center has taken in less than $35,000 in direct public support for each of the two preceding years, an amount below what would be expected to cover general operating costs to keep the Teen Center open and staffed, even before consideration of funding the anticipated programs.
Programs for Teens
A priority for the new Teen Center, programs designed to bring teens in, and to keep them interested in coming back, were extensively researched during the transformation. Hermosillo and her team conducted a survey at the high school to help narrow the decision, and some of the programs that made the cut included cooking, art and digital photography. The popular Cycle Links project, to repair and sell abandoned bicycles, is due to resume in the near future.
Sonoma Valley High School senior and local graffiti artist Sebastian Hall comes in on a regular basis to do art with the teens. Berta Paredes, another local artist, comes in on Fridays to give basic art instruction in acrylic and pastels. Because art of this nature requires nothing more than inexpensive materials, this is a program with staying power – and one the teens respond to.
A jewelry-making class got a shaky start with no attendees but now, Hermosillo states, it’s a favorite, especially with the boys who make pieces for themselves, their girlfriends or family members. Recently, two members worked together to hand-bead a rosary – one working on the necklace and the other working on the cross.
In the kitchen, local chef and proprietress of the Epicurean Connection, Sheana Davis, is on site two times a week for cooking class. Davis is working to implement a program formulated in New Orleans where she helps the teens combine a love of cooking with job skills. She not only teaches them cooking basics but the workings of the front and back ends of a restaurant as well. Other local chefs have been getting in on the action and the Teen Center is always looking for more volunteers willing to help out.
But according to Shackelford, former board president, former interim executive director and current director of business operations, the nutrition – or Daily Healthy Meals as it’s referred to on the Web site – and cooking programs aren’t living up to expectations. “It’s great that dinner is served to these kids every day,” said Shackelford. “But the original idea of the Nutrition Program was for the teens to be completely involved in meal planning, cooking and clean-up. To my knowledge, this isn’t happening.” Shackelford went on to state that the teens need and want to eat things other than what they’re fed at home. Considered more of a snack food, quesadillas and frozen pizza weren’t the food choices originally intended for the Nutrition Program but rather, food that was nutritious and satiating. And while the cooking classes are a wonderful idea and something the teens enjoy, making gourmet food wasn’t one of the goals, either.
But Hermosillo was adamant when she stated, “Volunteers are asked to tie all the classes they teach to careers or employment in some way. And while most of these boys won’t go into jewelry-making as a career, they still do enjoy the class and feel a great accomplishment at creating something beautiful.”
Career Development
When it comes to employment, the Teen Center has put in place a program called Work Readiness. A partnership program with SAY (Social Advocates for Youth) in collaboration with the Teen Center and Nelson Staffing, the program’s goals are to help teens become marketable in today’s work environment. To run as it’s truly designed, this program requires $330,000 in funding, which is yet unavailable.
However at this time, the Teen Center is putting together workshops to get the ball rolling. Resume writing and job readiness training are always available and board president Encarnacion is working with a group of potential employers around the valley willing to come in and conduct interviews with the teens to try to fill open positions. And on November 13 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, the Teen Center will be conducting a special resume-writing workshop that will include help on how to write a resume, how to fill out a job application, as well as workshops that concentrate on the “dos and don’ts” of interviewing for a job. The workshop is open to all teens throughout the valley.
Moving Forward
“Rebecca and the Teen Center team are doing the best they can,” said Shackelford. Teens are coming and programs are running but, due to financial constraints and staffing shortages, it is difficult to add programs, build membership and run the Teen Center as it was intended. She went on to state that what the Teen Center really needs are volunteers dedicated to coming at least two to three times each week. Volunteers who are there not to judge the members but to facilitate anything that they want to do, be it art, boxing, homework help, etc.
The Teen Center seems, after years of planning and fundraising by a large team of volunteers, poised for success, but is searching at the moment for funding and volunteers. A merger with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley is a possibility but funding stands in the way. “Merging our two organization makes sense and is something we’ve talked about for a long time,” said David Pier, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs, “but the obstacle is money.” Reportedly needing at least $100,000 per year for three years, committed in writing before moving forward, this appears not to be an immediate prospect.
Zero Gang Tolerance
The gang issue is something the Teen Center has grappled with, both in its previous incarnation as well as today. When asked to comment on earlier incidents at the old El Nido Teen Center across the street, Sheriff Bill Cogbill simply stated that the issue is being worked on and should in no way be associated with the new Valley of the Moon Teen Center.
So while programs are used as vehicles to get teens interested in coming to the Teen Center, one aspect that can get them kicked out is gang activity. Hermosillo and Encarnacion are strict about the no-gang rule and are trained to spot even the slightest infraction, be it a hand signal, cat-call or even something in a piece of artwork. “There are nights I’ve had to kick out every single kid. But the next day, they’ve cleaned up their act and they’re back,” said Hermosillo.
Encarnacion said the Teen Center has piggybacked on the same color ban used by the schools and for the most part it’s respected around the Teen Center. “The word in the community used to be that the teen center was a gang hangout,” said Encarnacion. “We’re changing that reputation one member at a time. And we need to make sure parents know that this is now a safe place – the community’s place, in fact – to come.”
Conducting gang awareness workshops for Hispanic parents is one way Teen Center staff makes this happen. An open house geared specifically at parents in the Hispanic community is planned for early next year, and reaching out to parents whose children are not at risk but just need a place to go continues to be a priority. For now, Hermosillo is working hard to keep membership growing. She drops fliers around the valley about workshops and events, and she uses the teens to help spread the word whenever possible.
Reaching Out
Because gang activity goes hand-in-hand with graffiti – “tagging” is a way for various rival gang members to claim territory – the Teen Center has implemented a graffiti removal program. Recently awarded $3,000 by the Sonoma County Community Development Agency as part of the Springs Redevelopment Project, teen clean-up crews will be out around the Springs removing graffiti and keeping the area clean.
The Teen Center is also working closely with Sonoma County Sheriff’s Sergeants Greg Stashyn and Dave Pederson. The two officers are invited to events and informed of goings-on. They have an open invitation to pop into the Teen Center and often drop by during dinner to chat with Hermosillo and the teens. “The kids are a little skittish about having the police drop by but we’re trying to keep an open line of communication and foster good relationships all around,” said Hermosillo.
In an ongoing effort to bring the two sides of the valley together, the center will be the site for a party later this month hosted by KYLD, better known as Wild 94.9. Hermosillo hopes the San Francisco-based radio station will draw and unite teens from all sides of the valley. With a predominantly hip hop playlist, KYLD’s music is something that Sonoma teens can relate to, regardless of neighborhood, school or social standing.
“Through the KYLD party, we’re extending an invitation to all Sonoma teens to come and check us out,” said Hermosillo. “The center is new, it’s fresh and it’s a great place to come after school to do homework, use the computers, work out, take a cool class or just relax with friends. We want everyone in the community to know that and to feel welcome to come here anytime.”
Interested volunteers should contact Hermosillo at 707.939.1452.