On Sunday, August 11th El Cajon’s East County Transitional Living Center (E.C.T.L.C.) celebrated their tenth anniversary. They provide a variety of services to individuals needing help in getting back on their feet.
“Beans, Rice, and Jesus” is how President of the Board, Rolland Slade, described how, ten years ago, the East County Transitional Living Center in El Cajon started.
On Sunday, August 11th El Cajon’s East County Transitional Living Center (E.C.T.L.C.) celebrated their tenth anniversary. They provide a variety of services to individuals needing help in getting back on their feet.
“Beans, Rice, and Jesus” is how President of the Board, Rolland Slade, described how, ten years ago, the East County Transitional Living Center in El Cajon started.
The meeting Slade attended at a taco shop resulted in plans for and ultimate acquisition of a motel on East Main and renovating it into a facility that provides transitional living, emergency housing, family restoration, women’s programs, and men’s programs.
The converted motel has 101 rooms, a swimming pool for baptisms and swimming, a facility for religious services and dining. ECTLC operates men and women’s facilities in Dulzura and Flinn Springs.
Head Cook Robert Webb works with donated foods from Albertson’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut and many others. “My signature soups are cream of broccoli and bacon & potato.”
Webb acknowledged the talent of others like, Monique Sanchez, for winning their chili cook-off held every February.
ECTLC also shares what they are given. Chief Operations Officer Ivan Andujar explained that there has been a 50 percent increase in 2013 of local families and individuals using their box of food program.
During the anniversary celebration many certificates of appreciation were carefully stacked to hand out to those that helped them survive. According to the Director of Development and Finance Don Tendvahl “There are 15 churches and 33 organizations receiving the framed certificates.”
Tendvahl is a recipient of El Cajon native and race car drivers Jimmie Johnson Foundations’ programs and lives in a house Johnson helped to create in El Cajon.
The party provided a bounce house, food, unique cars, and games for the kids. The ceremony included a showing by Skyline Church’s Pastor Jim Garlow, who’s son, Jake, has also taken their programs. Garlow’s wife recently died of cancer and the Center dedicated a prayer garden to her memory.
Chief Executive Officer Harold Brown talking about the first year said, “The place was in shambles; the building permit instructions given to me was like a manual.”
The shambles, rebuilt and thriving, has future plans according to Rolland Slade to build a 3-story building and a detox facility. ECTLC also works with a variety of social services programs.
Program resident, Jonathan Langdon, from Santee, said, “It’s a great place to change your life.”
To donate or volunteer at the Center visit www.ectlc.org for further information.
