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More teens are eligible for counseling services at the Teen and Family Center in Los Gatos, thanks to a $13,500 grant from the Community Foundation Silicon Valley. The center plans to expand its program to serve more underprivileged youths and their families.
The center plans to provide free services to teens from unincorporated areas of Los Gatos and San Jose.
"We don't receive funding to reduce pro-bono fees in that area," said Mary Ra, executive director. "This grant will enable us to give kids and their families the help they need."
Although the center already provides at-school services to students in the Campbell Union High School District and the Loma Prieta Joint Union Elementary School District, it was unable to offer additional help to some students in these schools. The center receives monetary support from the town of Los Gatos and from the city of San Jose, but can only direct this funding toward programs benefiting residents.
Students from unincorporated areas, such as those living along Highway 17, did not qualify for these programs.
With the grant, the center expects to offer more counseling programs for teens and their families outside the school setting. The center provides group-counseling programs as well as individual sessions for its clients. Its mission is to provide affordable and accessible counseling to low-income individuals.
The center is a nonprofit institution and has been in Los Gatos since 1983.
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