Valerie Cassity
Special to the Sun

The Every Teen Counts (ETC) center in Wofford Heights held an open house for the community Wednesday, Aug. 10, with much fanfare including a ribbon- cutting and several dignitaries in attendance.

ETC opened to the youth of the Kern Valley earlier this year on Feb. 8, and because it has been such a success, those in charge wanted to make it official and invite the community to tour the center. “The kids are responding well and the community is responding well,” said Julie Brueggeman. “It looks like we’re staying, so we thought we’d open it up and have the community come check it out,” said Brueggeman, the person who made ETC a reality. Brueggeman is Program Director for Family Preservation Community Services (FPCS), a 501(C)(3) organization which provides coaching and ‘wrap around’ services that help keep families that are having troubles intact. When Brueggeman attended the December community meeting held in the wake of two tragic deaths at Kern Valley High School, she overheard students’ bitter comments about their feelings of not being heard; they wished for a place where they could go and just talk openly.

Brueggeman immediately set the wheels in motion. She wanted to get such a place functioning ASAP, and the center was open two months later. Brueggeman said she has received strong community support and is especially grateful for Ed Saling, who donated the property, and the Rotary Club of the Kern Valley which has given generously to the center in order to ensure it has what it needs. “We strongly got behind Julie and ETC,” said Paul Cromwell, Rotary President. “We need to help sustain this group, that’s why the Rotary Club is behind this 100 percent.”

Two staffers, Maria Holm and Melissa Vittoria, run ETC and supervise young people ranging in age from 12 to 17, who hang out at the center taking daily cooking classes, getting help with homework, or having a sympathetic ear when needed. Homework is strongly emphasized; no fun activities, such as the Xbox Kinect, computers, pool and air hockey tables, until homework is done. “We want to help bring up the grades of all of our kids, and a couple of them even got incentives for improving their grades last year,” said Vittoria.

There are also cooking classes every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. The snacks are taken to nearby retirement homes and shared with the residents. The ETC folks have adopted The Burlington and Kern Village Assisted Living and enjoy spending time with the elder residents. “I like getting to come hang out and cooking for the old folks,” said Nicholas “Bubba” Hastings, 12. “They help you with your homework here, too. It’s fun,” said Hastings, an ETC regular.

In addition, ETC hosts special events like dances and hikes. Recently, they held a mother/daughter day and Dr. Holly Spohn-Gross gave an inspiring speech. Next week they will offer free haircuts to the boys. “The kids love being here,” said Vittoria. “We practically have to kick them out at closing time. It’s a great thing.”

ETC is open from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. during the summer and will resume its school hours, 2:30 to 7:00 p.m., when classes begin Aug. 22. To learn more, call ETC at (760) 376-4100.