Become a Friend of Chop's!   

Each day at Chop's Teen Club we have the opportunity and the challenge to make a positive impact on our community's teens. You may know that we provide a safe, fun and productive environment for teens, but that's only the beginning. For just $1 per year, teens gain so much more than a membership. They gain independence, confidence, and the encouragement to try new and different things. They become leaders, volunteers, artists, athletes, musicians, chefs, and technology wizards. They are encouraged and empowered to tap into their true potential.

While we receive 70% of our budget through the DeMeo Grant, we do need to raise the remaining 30%, or $270,000 annually to continue to offer a low membership fee as well as provide quality programs that teens enjoy and connect with.

This is where you come in! As a fellow community member, we invite you to become a "Friend of Chop's" and join the team who believes in the power of our teens to become the next generation of Santa Rosa citizens to positively tend to our community. It's no secret that when teens thrive, the entire community benefits. Please consider a donation to assist us in providing an ongoing platform for success of our teens.

Click here to make a donation.  

Teen Member Highlighted in Press Democrat

Please join us in congratulating teen member Lily Thrailkill, who was recently the featured teen in the Press Democrat's Teen Life page. Lily is also our current Honored Member. (Read more about that below) Lily is an excellent example of a teen member who joined Chop's and connected herself to so many of the programs we offer, and doing what we like to call "tapping into her true potential" as she explored new areas of interest, made many friends from several different schools, as well as discovering a new niche for her passion of volunteerism through her work with Chop's Creek Clean Up Program. Click here to read the Press Democrat article. Click here to read the article. 

Chop's Teen Club's Executive Director Diana Curtin was recently selected to receive North Bay

Diana with Chop's Board President Max Beach

Business Journal's Nonprofit Excellence in Leadership Award with twelve other North Bay nonprofit leaders. Forty nominations were received, and only thirteen selected, so we are very proud of Diana, an outstanding leader and visionary whose skill and expertise at running Chop's is felt by staff, teen members, the board of directors, and our community, day in and day out.  "I am honored and privileged to be in the position to lead such a valuable and unique resource for our community, Chop's Teen Club.  Receiving this award is one of my most proud accomplishments and I want to send a heartfelt thanks to the Chop's staff, board and volunteers, and to the North Bay Business Journal for the recognition," said Diana Curtin.  "I'm proud to serve on the Board of Directors for Chop's Teen Club because our mission helps kids, each and every day - - we see the positive energy and the positive outcomes.  All of us on the board are fortunate to work with our Executive Director Diana Curtin, who  leads Chops with expertise, passion, and energy." said Board President Max Beach of Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moskowitz, LLP. "The entire board and I are very proud that Diana received this award."

Chop's Teen Club has its very own Interact Club, where students from all middle and high schools come together to develop leadership skills. Chop's Interact Club is unique, as most Interact Clubs are based on school campuses and membership is for students of that school only.  We offer the opportunity for students of all schools to collaborate.  Sponsored by Santa Rosa Rotary West, Interact Club commits to complete two community service projects each year. Currently the club regularly visits the Brookdale Senior Community where the students enjoy playing games and engaging in good conversation with the seniors. Soon you will see them ringing bells to help the Salvation Army raise funds during the holiday season. And finally, they are beginning a new project called Project Inspire, where the club will adopt a tree in Santa Rosa to hang thoughtful words of inspiration with the goal of spreading hope and brightness throughout Santa Rosa. 

YEC Members with Supervisor Mike McGuire

Lily is being honored because at just thirteen years old she is has become a leader amongst her peers. Lily is the first to offer someone a hand, teach a friend how to do something, or just simply strike up a conversation with a new member. Instead of a birthday party Lily asked her parents if she could come to the middle school dance. Lily loves Chop's so much that she rides a razor for almost 40 minutes just to get here, and instead of sitting around she is constantly asking the staff if there is anything she can do. In addition to helping out around the building, Lily also keeps our community clean by volunteering with the Creek Clean Up Program. She has racked up so many hours at Creek Clean Up that she was recently honored at the First Saturday Clean Up Reception. Lily is currently the leading Chop's member for volunteer hours, and was recently featured in Press Democrat's Teen Life page. (see article above) On behalf of Chop's and the Santa Rosa Creek Watershed, we want to thank you Lily for bringing your joy and positivity to our community.