It was more than a heartfelt message.
A mother had contacted Thomas Toy Community Center CEO Amber Butler to thank her and the staff.
Her daughter had stopped cutting herself. Not only that, she was becoming more engaged in school.
It wasn’t an aberration. In the 18 months the teen center on the southwest corner of Yosemite and Fremont avenues has been opened, they have been successfully delivering on their motto: “Your life matters.”
And they are doing so in little ways as well as big ways with teens in the 7th through 12 grades.
“Our kids are not the ones out on the football field,” Butler told Manteca Rotarians on Thursday.
She noted some may consider them social outcasts that make very little connections with others.
That changes once they become a part of the after school offerings in the 6,000 square feet that was completely remodeled from the walls to create an inviting place for teens to grow socially, academically, and spiritually.
Spend an afternoon volunteering at the Thomas Toy Center and see what takes place in the cafe, “teen cave” with table games and large TV screens to furniture groups where they can interact with peers, to facilities designed for everything from recording music and fitness training to pursing art and even learning to repair bicycles and cars.
Not only will you notice how engaged the teens are but finding even one on a smartphone during the time they spend at the Thomas Toy Community Center is a significant challenge.
It is now the norm to see between 60 and 80 teens on any given day after school taking full advantage of the center offerings whether it is doing homework, being mentored in the proper way to train with weights, creating things such as bead brackets or simply handing out in a safe environment,
“Ninety-five recent of our teens are in broken homes,” Butler said.
Teens have related how they often feel safer and less ignored at the center than at home.
Helping change the protectory of their lives is an all-encompassing goal.
It runs the gamut from making free food available thanks to Chik-fil-A as well as a food closet to make sure they have food a home to helping them understand they are part of a community.
And It is a community that goes way behind the confines of 602 East Yosemite Ave.
They engage in community outreach activities that include thing such as picking up litter and abating graffiti.
But it goes way beyond that.
They take advantage of Costco that — instead of tossing flowers that have reached their preferred sales date — donates them to the center.
Teens will then take those flowers and deliver them to elderly individuals while at the same time engaging in conversation.
“You are supported by the community,” Butler said of the lesson they are helping teens learn in regards to the financial support the center receives. “You need to support the community.”
The bicycle and basic auto repair classes under the guidance of mentors were initially designed to help provide them with the skills needed to do those tasks on their own.
It now includes making donated bicycles rideable that are being donated to homeless kids.
They have also done the same in helping get two donated cars in improved running conditions that have been donated to the homeless being assisted by organizations not just with securing shelter, but being able to obtain jobs that the cars area an essential part of making happen.
Other endeavors run the gamut from baking classes on Fridays, volunteer experts providing lessons on how to properly apply makeup, to Elevate U programs on Wednesday at 4 p.m., that touch on life skills from money management to resume writing and how to prepare for job interviews.
Professional counseling as well as sociology-emotional support is also offered.
They also offer field trips to broaden teens’ horizons.
“Many have never been out of Manteca or even in a sit-down restaurant,” Butler.
An example of one excursion that touched on high was a trip to a Mercy Me concert in Stockton followed by dinner at David Wong’s restaurant.
“They learned how one is expected to behave in a restaurant,” Butler said.
Some trips are to explore future job possibilities and a better understanding of how the world works such as a recent excursion to the Leprino Foods cheese plant in Tracy.
Others are to give them a chance to experience things in their own community that their families can’t afford such as an outing to the Great Wolf indoor water park.
The spiritual aspect — which is not hammered — has been effective.
Recently, the teen room was cleared out to accommodate a Saturday night “Worship at the Center” for teens.
There were 125 teens in attendance.
Using a trough donated by Tractor Supply, youth pastor Tim Kemptner who serves as the Thomas Toy program director, accommodated three teens that wanted to be baptized.
Tommy Awards
Deadline is today
Thomas Toy Community Center is preparing for the 2nd Annual Tommy Awards, an evening dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the talents, achievements and voices of local youth.
The Tommy Awards will take place Friday, Sept. 25, at Calvary Community Church, 815 W. Lathrop Road in Manteca.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are now on sale for $75 per person.
Community members are encouraged to nominate youth for the social impact award before next Friday’s deadline.
Teens, on their own, are entering competition in the areas of visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, and media arts.
There are two separate divisions — one for high school students and one for junior high students — in all award categories.
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Local students in 7th through 12th grade are encouraged to participate and share their talents. Talents can be submitted through the center’s website or with the QR code.
You do not have to be a member to participate. Purchasing a ticket is an opportunity to enjoy a memorable evening while supporting the mission of Thomas Toy Community Center and celebrating the young people in the community.
For tickets and additional information, visit thomastoycc.org or follow Thomas Toy Community Center on social media.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
