The new executive director of the Santiam Teen Center is no stranger to ministry and youth services.
Before Steven Reed started Nov. 6, he held various positions in the Salem area from pastor to athletic director to middle school principal to university professor to baseball coach.
Throughout these diverse roles, Reed said his goal was to be a source of support for young people, and he sees his new position as the culmination of these experiences.
“That’s what really drew me here, was an opportunity to kind of put all of the skills that I’ve been building over the years into practice and begin to lead an organization that has a very similar direction that I felt like my life has always had,” said Reed.
As executive director, Reed provides leadership and oversees day-to-day operations at the Teen Center, which opened in 2019 under New Growth Ministries. He will also report to the group’s board of directors and coordinate volunteers.
Reed said support for volunteers is vital and he is committed to the training and resources they need to be successful.
“[Volunteers] need someone that has their back that leads from a supportive role, because they are the ones really, truly investing in the lives of the kids,” he said.
He said the community also plays an important role. One of his goals is to clearly communicate the needs of the program to local individuals, businesses and fellow nonprofits. He said, even if someone does not end up directly supporting the Teen Center, at least they are aware of opportunities to be involved.
If the program and the volunteers have the support they need, Reed said they will be able to see it in the kids at the Teen Center. The program is open to students in 7th to 12th grades and regularly serves up to 15 or 20 students each day, around 90 individual students over the course of a year.
Reed said the needs of these teens can vary broadly from physical things like food and clothing to more personal needs like a safe, quiet space or words of encouragement. Reed said he will know he has done his job if a student leaves the Teen Center feeling better than when they walked in, and especially if they encourage their friends to come as well.
In the bigger picture, Reed said the program will be a success if the teens they help today come back later as adults to volunteer and pass on their experiences.
