By Mary Owen
Starting this fall, local teens will have a place to hang out after school – the Santiam Teen Center.
“We anticipate [to] service 30 youth per day by offering classes, food, training, homework mentoring and mental health support,” said Joanie Wigginton, the center’s executive director.
“We will be open specifically during the school year for after school support and resources. This will provide our teens with 180 days of community outreach and support.”
To celebrate the fall opening, STC will host an open house barbecue 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at the center, 2800 Kindle Way, Stayton.
The center needs more volunteers who, once skills and background checks are complete, will help teach life skills and support teens in their educational pursuits. The center can also help provide a stable socio-economic platform within the community, Wigginton said.
The Santiam Teen Center is a nonprofit entity under the umbrella of New Growth Ministries, an organization established in Stayton in 2011. The vision for the teen center is for it to be a place of rest and positive reinforcement.
“More than ever statistics regarding youth loneliness, depression and anxiety are on the rise, and spending time with other people in person is one of the best predictors of well-being,” said Darcey Pokorny, board secretary for New Growth.
“Our youth need an encouraging voice, someone to listen, and to know their name.”
Current funding of the program, targeting teens ages 13 to 18, comes from grant support and, Wigginton said, “amazing support from the community in both time and in-kind donations.”
“We will also be working with the Oregon Food Share to ensure our kids will have healthy snacks and meals available to them,” said Heidi Fosmark, board vice-president.
“We want our teen center to be a home away from home, somewhere they will feel safe, comfortable and welcomed.”
Wigginton anticipates most participants to come from the local high schools, but teens that come from outside of the city limits will not be turned away.
“Building a teen center was always a dream of New Growth Ministries, and last year the city of Stayton offered us
the amazing support of a building and space to make this dream a reality,” Wigginton said.
New Growth offers resource services as well as one-on-one mentoring to parents, youth and host families, she added.
“These opportunities assist our supported youth and their parents to develop resilience in difficult times,” she said.
New Growth primarily serves the at-risk youth within a 20-mile radius of Stayton. The majority of clients fall within the North Santiam School District, with a significant percentage from homes falling below poverty guidelines, Wigginton said.
“Once established, we will be looking to add middle school options and expanding services to other age groups with purchasing of a potentially larger building,” she said.
The center is “uniquely qualified” to succeed due to community alliance and small business support, Wigginton said,
Sponsors of in-kind and financial donations include: City of Stayton lease; Oregon Community Foundation; Mike and Steffani Klein; United Way; Salem Association; Community 101; Capital Pawn; North Santiam School District Foundation; Stayton Kiwanis; Denise Busch, Paramount Real Estate; Doerfler Farms; Freres Lumber; Team Bonebrake; Dave Valencia Sate Farm; Calvary Lutheran; Budget Blinds of the Mid Willamette Valley; Stayton Law, Duncan, Tiger and Niegel; Beta Phi Sigma; Not So Shabby; SCTC; Siegmund Landscape; Knife River; and the Stayton Library Foundation.
For information, call 503-769-3536, or visit www.santiamteencenter.org or the center’s Facebook page.
