The Tommy Awards — a dinner gala showcasing outstanding Manteca youth doing double duty as a fundraiser to support the Thomas Toy Teen Community Center — is set for Friday, Nov. 21, at Calvary Community Church on Lathrop Road.
The $75 ticket includes dinner, awards presentations, and performances for upcoming Manteca teen garage bands that entered the inaugural Tommy Awards competition.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner and program at 6:30 p.m.
Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are available at the website at thomastoycc.org.
Proceeds will help support center activities that include adding field trips.
The first to a worship concert of an up and coming Christian singer at the Stockton Arena involving a half dozen youth had a big impact with one teen indicating “it was the best night of his life.”
The plan, if money is raised, is to arrange field trips to science and art centers in places such as San Francisco and similar venture.
The non-profit currently serves 600 teens m the seventh through 12th grades Monday through Thursday from 2:30 to 6 p.m.
On any given day, the center at Yosemite and Fremont avenues serves between 60 and 80 teems.
Many come from under-served backgrounds.
“While their circumstances may not always warrant intervention by child protective services, many face difficult home lives,” noted Executive Director Amber Butler.
“Some arrive hungry, others simply seeking refuge from stress or instability. Several are at risk of academic failure or involvement in the juvenile justice system. The center offers them hope, direction, and a sense of belonging.”
The teen center operates as a safe haven for teens to interactive with peers in a large game room and café. It also offers mentorship through various programs.
Food is served at a discounted rate and can be obtained free by punch cards that are “punched” when they deposit smartphones in a locker at the door and do other small deeds.
The current programs are:
*Garden Club – Teens can claim their own little plot of earth to grow seasonal fruit, vegetable, or flowers, as long as they consistently tend to it.
*Art Club – Teens can learn the basics of art, or find encouragement along the path of discovering their own unique artistic style.
*Karate Club – Teens can learn self-defense and self-discipline and even earn belts in their martial arts training.
*Fitness Club – Teens can strengthen their mind and body with weight and cardio training.
*Gym Club – Teens can join us at a nearby gym to play basketball, volleyball, and other team sports.
*Music Club – Teens can learn to play guitar, piano, or bongos.
*STEM Club – Teens can learn about science while engaging in hand-on activities.
*Robotics Club – Teens can form teams to build robots to compete with other teams (probably an offshoot of STEM Club).
*Bike Shop – Teens can learn how to fix and maintain bikes.
*Fireside Studio – Teens can sign up for studio time to record podcasts, music and more
*Bible Club – Teens can learn the basics of the #1 bestselling book of all time.
*Debate Club – Teens can learn the art of debate, while learning that it’s ok to disagree and remain respectful of other peoples’ viewpoint.
*Tom’s Market (Pantry) – A place where TTCC teens and their families can supplement their food budgets.
*SERVE Team – A team of teen leaders who want to take ownership of the Center through service and planning.
“For many of our youth, this is more than a center— it’s a second home,” Butler noted.
So far, the center has more than two dozen volunteers.
Additional volunteers will allow the center to expand hours and offerings.
For more information on volunteer opportunities, go to thomastoycc.org
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
