| "Time
of Change"
The
Kalihi YMCA was established in 1946. Over the past fifty-seven
years, the Kalihi YMCA has gained a reputation for providing quality
programs to children and teenagers. An important reason
for this success has been the commitment of volunteers and staff
to ensure that programs reached out into the communities that
children and teens resided in. In part this had to be done
because the Kalihi YMCA facility was small and without many resources.
This did not stop the Kalihi YMCA from developing long-term collaborative
relationships with the DOE and the City's Parks and Recreation
department, thus ensuring the Kalihi YMCA was able to provide
a range of services to young people in the community.
Over the next two years,
there will be significant changes to the Kalihi YMCA. The
primary change will be the demolition of the existing buildings
at the Branch, and the construction of an entirely new four-story
facility. The new facility will allow the staff to run children
and teen programs simultaneously at the Branch, something we have
been unable to do in the existing building. One opportunity
this opens up is that it will now be possible for teen activities
to be held at the Branch during summer months at the same time
that our children's summer programs occur. This will be
possible because the children's programs will take place on one
floor, the teen programs on another.
The changes over the
next few years will be exciting, and they will open new opportunities
and challenges for the Kalihi YMCA. What will not change
is our commitment to offering quality programs in Kalihi-Palama
and throughout Oahu. There will be specific examples of
this commitment:
- The Kalihi YMCA
has developed a teen director position that will be responsible
for all after school activities at the Branch and in other communities.
The teen director will also coordinate the Youth Legislature
program, the Youth Leadership program and other programs for
Kalihi-Palama teens.
- The Kalihi YMCA
will continue to identify children who need financial help in
order to participate in "school's out" programs like Summer
Day Camp and Intersession breaks.
The Kalihi
YMCA has enjoyed strong volunteer and staff leadership over the
generations. This has helped to encourage the growth of
beneficial and enduring programs. An equally important reason
for the success of the Kalihi YMCA has been the support we receive
each year from donors like you. Your generosity makes it
possible for the Kalihi YMCA to create new programs, and to see
to it that these programs are available to the children and teens
that need it.
The future is bright
at the Kalihi YMCA. We ask for your help to continue a tradition
that has lasted for decades, and one we intend to continue for
years to come.
Kalihi
YMCA
2006 Annual Support Campaign
Case Statement
“Enter
New Statment”
In 1952, the Board and staff of the Kalihi YMCA opened a brand
new facility to serve the children and teens in our community.
Over the next fifty years, the Kalihi YMCA became a “home
away from home” for thousands of young people. Children
learned to swim, to camp and to explore and learn about our island
home. Teens took part in clubs where they developed friendships
that have lasted a lifetime, and where they also learned many
of the skills that helped them grow into responsible and productive
adults. At the same time, the Kalihi YMCA created outreach programs
for teens that had problems in school, with their families or
with substance abuse.
Over the years, Kalihi YMCA programs, particularly our teen outreach
programs, have expanded into almost every community on Oahu. One
byproduct of our expansion is that we outgrew the building space
in our original Branch. In order to address our need for more
program and office space, ground was broken in 2003 for a brand
new facility.
The new Kalihi YMCA facility will open in the summer of 2005!
The building will allow us to build on our history of quality
programs, and make it possible for us to offer expanded programs
to children, teens and, for the first time, adult members. The
Kalihi YMCA will embark on a number of initiatives in the new
building:
• A prime objective of our new facility is to create
a safe and positive environment for Kalihi teens to spend their
non-school hours. In order to do this, we will expand the hours
our “teen drop-in” program is open into the evening
and weekends.
• We will have an entire floor dedicated to children
programs. This will include a computer center, arts and crafts
rooms and a multipurpose room for larger activities.
?We will open a 900 square foot fitness facility for use by
dues paying members.
? The new building will also have a variety of meeting rooms
available for use by community groups.
The expansion of the Kalihi YMCA is the fulfillment of a dream
that many people have had for some time: the purpose of the new
facility is to be a beacon for children and adults who want a
place to grow, to learn to be challenged.
More than ever, we will need your support, and the support of
many individuals and businesses in the community to keep our building
open longer, and to offer different programs while it is open.
The Kalihi community is one challenged by issues like drug use,
low graduation rates and crime. The Kalihi YMCA has worked for
sixty years to help address these serious problems. Please help
us “break new ground” in our new building by making
a donation when one of our volunteers calls you during our Annual
Support Campaign!
The Kalihi YMCA has a rich history. With your help, we will move
on to the next sixty years of creating programs that enrich the
lives of children, teens and adults!
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