COM 0676.003 2004-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Beth Mehau/ Program Coordinator North Hawaii Drug-Free Coalition March 13, 2006 Councilman Fred Holschuh, Chair of the Nonprofit Grant Review Committee Committee Members, Dear Councilman Holschuh, I have been working closely in the area of treatment and prevention in the Honoka'a area over the last year and a half. One of the biggest problems I see daily are the children who are being un supervised and often neglected because parents have to work several jobs just to make ends meet. The YWCA Youth Center provides a supervised, safe place for youth to meet. They are given Internet access to help them complete homework, snacks and mentorship support. I believe that the community involvement that has been sparked over the recent closing of the centers doors has sent a clear message to our youth that they are not invisible and they belong to a community that cares. Many of the students attending the center stated in the YWCA survey that if they did not have this place to go to they would revert back to boredom and drug use. This statement troubles me because it means we still have a lot of work to do. The fact that many of these youth have already engage in drug use means that we are providing services to a high risk group. I think that the mentorship connections youth are making at the center is going to greatly impact their lives for the long run. It has been proven time and time again that if a youth can bond with at least one adult they are much more likely to succeed in life. I urge you and the committee to please strongly consider keeping the center doors open through a grant from your offices. Mahalo for your consideration, Beth Anthony Mehau Program Coordinator North Hawaii Drug-Free Coalition _ 887.0756 Comm. No. ~ • Ref. To; Raf. Dote 1