Money is running out on the Teen Center, and unless it can raise $75,000, it may have to close its doors for good.
Since it opened its doors eight years ago, the Santa Cruz Teen Center has been a lifeline for hundreds of the city’s teens. “It’s just a good place to relax and it keeps you off the streets,” said one 16-year-old sophomore, a regular visitor to the Center. But the money is running out on the Teen Center, and unless it can raise $75,000, it may have to close its doors for good.
The Center lost its city funding last December as the city struggled to balance its budget. Though it was forced to give up its premises, it found a smaller location for free at the Louden Nelson Community Center. It also received grants from the Packard Foundation and, perhaps most tellingly, the Santa Cruz Police Department, but even that is not enough to keep the Center running until the summer.
Still, the Center has not given up. It has already raised $25,000, including many small donations of $25 from community members, and is currently looking for additional grants. “We’re funded until the money runs out,” says center director Robert Acosta. Read more at Santa Cruz Sentinel.
