ABOUT

Colorful collage of various stickers with phrases like "Chop's Teen Club," "Good Vibes," and "Friends" in bright, bold fonts on a mixed background.

Who is Chop?

OUR HISTORY

If you’re in search of a beautiful, uplifting story, you’re in the right place!

Our origin story is a testament to the power of one person to envision and then create, beyond his own lifetime, an extraordinary bridge of opportunity for generations of Sonoma County teens.

Charles DeMeo, a native Santa Rosan known by family and friends as “Chop”, came from humble beginnings – the son of a single mother in a household where money was tight and time for a parent to help support growing teens was scarce. A bright young man, Chop managed to secure an education, become an attorney, and then helped to build a successful family-based law firm. But he knew that just because he had struggled as a teen and then gone on to succeed beyond his wildest dreams, that’s simply not everyone’s story

Bronze bust of a man in a suit, smiling and looking right. Background has repeating words "Chops" and "Vision Club.

Chop was a quiet, humble man who lived frugally. Unbeknownst to virtually everyone, he saved throughout his lifetime, invested well, and over the course of decades amassed a fortune.

Toward the end of his long life, Chop confided in his [great] nephew, Santa Rosa Honorable Judge, Brad DeMeo, that he wanted to fund the creation of a teen center where young people, particularly those who were in need of support, could flourish. From his living room window, he watched kids from Ridgeway High School sitting on the curb after school with nothing to do. He was reminded of his own struggles as a teenager and this, Brad DeMeo is convinced, is what led him to leave his estate to create a safe, welcoming place for teens. Chop saw teens as an asset, not a problem.

The secret of the legacy gift still between them, Chop shared with Brad toward the end of his life “Boy, are they going to be surprised when they find out what we’ve done.” And were they ever! Charles DeMeo’s gift of $16 million created Chops, where teens find the bridge that he imagined to the future.

Illustration of a person with a TV for a head, labeled "Teen Club." The person wears a striped outfit, surrounded by abstract yellow shapes on a blue background.
A man in a dress shirt and tie smiles while standing beside a small aircraft inside a hangar.
Chop's great nephew Brad DeMeo
Black and white photo of a corner restaurant named "Lena's" with a stucco exterior, arched windows, and trimmed bushes along the building.
Chop's historic location was formerly home to the Battaglia Hotel in the 1890's, then popular Santa Rosa nightspot Lena's restaurant

  • Yes, our Founder, Chop DeMeo was frugal AND he had a great sense of humor.

    READ SOME OF OUR FAVORITE STORIES

    Every Valentine’s Day, Chop’s nephew Brad and niece Nancy would stop by to share a box of candy and catch up with him. Of course, Chop couldn’t resist sneaking a few treats to his dog on the sly!
    Chop worked his way through college, leveling up to become a lawyer, a developer, and even a philanthropist. Fun fact: one of his side gigs was digging graves—including Luther Burbank’s!
    Chop was famously thrifty and loved growing his own vegetables. He’d secure his briefcase with a bungee cord to keep it closed, use pencils down to the tiniest nub you could barely hold, and he used bailing wire from nephew Jack's barn to keep his car muffler off the ground.      
    When working with his brother Nick, they could be seen pulling out their desks from the house to the patio to watch the kids play.
    Chop adored his Great Dane so much that, even on his deathbed in the hospital, he convinced his nephew to bring his furry friend for a visit. Let’s just say it took some creative thinking to pull it off—but it was absolutely worth it!

    The mission of Chop’s Teen Club is to provide a safe, fun and productive place where Sonoma County teens engage, connect and discover their true potential, and that has not changed as we adjust to today’s new normal.