By James Menaker | Executive Director
The Land of the Midnight Sun has never been hotter. Winter was brutal, dipping to fifty five below and hanging on until the middle of May, but summer has roared back with a vengence. We have twenty two hours of sunlight each day without a cloud in the sky and temperatures that soar into the mid 90s. Most people are trying to stay home and stay cool, but Joel's Place is abuzz with activity at the moment.
Our summer food programs are handing out 50 meals a day while we weekly distribute bags of food to hundreds of kids with our Bone Builders Backpacks. We are hosting day camps for youth with developmental delays as well as week-long skate camps. We paved and fenced the parking lot, creating a volleyball court/basketball court/outdoor skating/community garden area that gives great outdoor options on beautiful days. Later this summer we are hosting an A.skate clinic for kids on the autism spectrum, putting on a booth at the fair and insulating our building to prepare for winter. It is a whirlwind of activity, all designed to turn Joel's Place into an optimum Youth Center for the young people of Interior Alaska.
There is great energy and excitement about Joel's Place right now. The community is rallying around us as we begin to turn our attention towards future goals: paying off our building and offering our services for no charge. We are built around providing safety, fun and development for youth and have no desire for a few bucks to come between our resources and our kids. It is a phenomenal time to be involved here and I am so grateful for all of you and the ways that you hold us up as we hold up our youth. My deepest and warmest thanks go out to you all.
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