by Roseann Cattani Salinas Californian published October 17, 2024 https://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/local/2024/10/17/epicenter-celebrates-10-years-of-supporting-salinas-california-youth/75688314007/
In a cozy old house with rooms decorated with colorful posters and pictures of smiling faces, the staff at Epicenter are ready to celebrate.
Ten years ago, what started as a program supporting foster youth, has expanded to become a vital destination for all youth who need a safe space and a helping hand.
In their decade of service, Epicenter has grown to include programs for youth experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity and those fleeing domestic violence, explained Executive Director Richelle Santoya.
There is also Friday Night Live, a youth development program that focuses on drug and alcohol prevention and awareness for teens. Adulting workshops teach youth the basics of financial literacy or what makes a healthy relationship.
“What makes our organization unique is that we employ youth and young adults with lived experience, so they are the ones that are providing that on the ground support to our community,” said Deputy Director Sam Gomez. “The programs are all informed by our youth, if they have an idea, we help guide them through that process.”
Creating a positive change
The built-in flexibility allows Epicenter to meet people where they are.
During the COVID pandemic, Gomez described how they and a streamlined staff delivered groceries to families in need throughout Monterey County. They also helped a young artist develop a virtual arts program that included delivering arts kits to participants.
“The power of our youth’s creativity has been a highlight of what we do here at Epicenter,” Gomez said.
A new five-year project called Rainbow Connections aims to improve services and life outcomes for LGBTQ youth in Monterey County and is led by Angela Soto-Cerros, the program’s wellness outreach and engagement coordinator and former mentee of Gomez.
“We’re trying to create that positive change at the community level, the school level and the individual level, focusing on families as well,” said Soto-Cerros, who later said the program is something they wished they had as a teenager.
“Part of the project is being able to go into the schools and interact with students,” Soto-Cerros said. “Through representation I am showing that people like me, like them, can survive. It’s not all doom and gloom.”
The program offers bilingual support groups for families who may be struggling and want to learn ways to positively support their youth.
“They are able to meet with other parents and families going through the same journey and get that peer-to-peer support,” Soto-Cerros said.
The program also facilitates family meetings and provides training to youth serving professionals on how to interact with LGBTQ youth.
“We are just trying to educate the community so that we create that inclusive environment,” Soto-Cerros said.
A welcoming and inclusive space for youth
The drop-in center offers youth a comfortable and welcoming place to access services, and to do everyday things like use a computer to do homework or play games, pick up some pens or paint and make art, prepare a communal meal, attend a workshop, or simply hang out and socialize in a safe space.
Having a place where youth can access resources without judgment is important, said Danielle Gomez, a Youth Navigator at Epicenter.
Danielle Gomez is a former participant and understands first-hand the barriers both internally and externally that can keep youth from reaching out and getting what they need to thrive.
“When they get here they may think, they are not going to help me or they are going to look at me because what I am wearing,” Danielle Gomez said. “I tell them it’s okay; I’ve been where you are at.”