May News From Teen Services Sonoma

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Cowboy Cab June 3rd at Cornerstone Sonoma in The Barn at Tyge William Cellars - There is still time to sign up to sponsor this terrific event, to donate to the raffle, and get your tickets! Just click here or contact Cristin Felso, [email protected].

Free yoga classes for teens - Classes started on May 4th and will be held every Thursday at 4:30 pm at the Teen Center. Any skill level is welcome. Just drop by!

Operation Bicycle - Once again we will be offering our services at the Farmers' Market in the Plaza, every Tuesday evening May through September.

A LETTER FROM CRISTIN

I feel like I should be walking around with spurs on my boots and a lasso on my hip because all we are talking about right now is Cowboy Cab! Yep, one month away and the excitement is building!

We saw the new venue a couple of weeks ago (see photos below), and it is spectacular - the beautiful, white "barn" will serve as the reception area in which to enjoy some liquid refreshment and survey our spectacular auction items. We will enjoy our "cowboy grub" and entertainment with friends outside overlooking the vineyards and distant hills of Sonoma Valley. I can't wait to share it with you all!

We also have a few surprises in store including a visit from one of our amazing alums - Jason Davis - who will share a bit of his journey as he describes "where I was and where I am now." Current program participant, Norma Martinez, will also talk about her journey.

I can't even begin to thank all the people who are supporting us, especially our individual and business sponsors who help to defray the costs of the event. Last week, I walked into one of our local businesses to invite them to sponsor Cowboy Cab, and I felt so welcomed. It reminded me of the amazing generosity of our community and how the Valley rallies around its nonprofits. It truly does "take a village" and we most certainly live in the right village!

See you all at Cowboy Cab!

INTRODUCING THE BUILDING PROJECT

Ellie Bonn, a student in the 2016 welding class

"The skills I gained in this class are great for my career path, and it was fun getting to create art with the metal," wrote Ellie Bonn in the satisfaction survey following our pilot welding course held in partnership with Hanna Boys Center.

This summer, that course returns in an expanded version to include carpentry as well as blacksmithing and welding. During this seven-week program (June 24th - August 5th), students will learn hands-on skills, discuss career opportunities with industry representatives, and enjoy several field trips, including one to the Fort Ross Festival where our "welder kids" will be dressed in period garb and serve as apprentice blacksmiths.

Ellie's enthusiasm convinced us to work hard to include more girls in the program so we are reaching out to the Girl Scouts, Altimira and Adele Harrison Middle Schools, and arranging for a field trip for girls with Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance. Several grant applications have been submitted to underwrite the course.

OPERATION BICYCLE KEEPS GROWING

The Wednesday bike ride

Teen Services now offers a Bike Mechanics 101 Certification Course as part of its Operation Bicycle program. Teens enroll in four different classes covering basic bike functions, tools, riding safety, and simple mechanics such as fixing a flat. Completion of the course results in certification, 20 spending credits to be spent on items in the bike shop, and privileged access to the drop-in repair shop.

Program Coordinator Adrian Palenchar is excited about these new classes, but he is equally excited about the new "bike and hike" program that he initiated. "The whole idea is to get teens off the couch and outside so they realize how many places there are to explore." Every Wednesday, Adrian and the teens head off on a new adventure exploring places like Jack London State Park, the Sonoma Development Center, or the Montini Trail.

On May 10th, the group will head out to explore Stuart Creek Run in Glen Ellen, where they will learn about the Sonoma Land Trust project to re-engineer Stuart Creek to encourage the return of steelhead!

COMMUNITY PARTNERS: SOROPTIMISTS

The Teen Center and the Soroptimists are joining forces to help create a Girls' Club, which will meet at the mentoring centers at Adele Harrison and Altimira Middle Schools. The activities will be aligned with the Soroptimists' "Dream it, Be it" program that focuses on understanding the value of teamwork within sisterhood rather than competition, and will provide members with skills and leadership opportunities.

Teen Center Coordinator Gabby Petersen is looking forward to this pilot project. "Depending on what the participants decide they want, the club may include service projects, speakers and discussions on tough issues from racism to gender expectations, fun outings, and even sessions teaching hard skills like how to change a tire."

TSS TEENS CELEBRATE EARTH DAY

Teen Services joined several other nonprofits at Sonoma's Earth Care Festival held at the First Congregational Church on April 22nd. Lovin' Oven's Alondra and Kenzie (left) baked and sold muffins and cookies, and Simon and Filemon from Operation Bicycle (right) tuned and parked bikes for visitors to the festival.

A SNAPSHOT OF COWBOY CAB 2017

The Barn at Tyge Williams Cellars

JUNE 3, 2017 - 6:00 - 10:00 pm

Dress: definitely western casual

Venue: The Barn at Tyge William Cellars

Setting: outdoors overlooking the vineyards

Décor: western flavor plus some smiling faces and the power of words

Food: appetizers and dessert by Lovin' Oven, cowboy buffet by Ramekins (see menu below), finishing with Cold Stone ice cream

Drink: wine and beer will be flowing plus Prohibition Spirits will showcase part of their line of spirits

Silent auction: fabulous wine lots

Raffle prizes: two spectacular packages - A Giant Experience and Fun in Sonoma - details on our website

Entertainment: great dancin' music by Kate Targan and her band plus some surprise games and prizes

The mood: anywhere from jovial to downright silly

THE GOAL: support a minimum of 150 teens through our Ready-to-Work programs

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Much of the planning of this year's event is under the creative expertise of TSS Board member, Tammy Samut, who is also the Internal Events Manager for Google, so be prepared!

Cowboy Buffet by Ramekins

Brined and roasted BBQ pork
BBQ baked Beans
Grilled BBQ chicken, house bbq sauce
Truffled Potato chips
Broccoli Coleslaw, toasted almonds, shredded carrots
Jalapeno Cornbread with whipped honey butter

HOW CAN YOU HELP? SUPPORT A TEEN THIS SUMMER!

Last month, we told you about our Serve Safe Certification plus Service Etiquette classes for our Sonoma Valley youth. Certification is required by the state of California for anyone working in the food service industry, whether that be the Lovin' Oven or in one of our local restaurants.

The cost per student for materials, instruction, and refreshment is only $35 opens a gateway to employment in the food service industry. We would like to provide scholarships to 30 local teens this summer and thanks to recent donations we are nearly half way there!!

Please consider a fully tax-deductible contribution to sponsor one or more youth - only $35 per student - in our Serve Safe Certification program.

Donate Now