By James Menaker | Executive Director
There are two seasons in Alaska: Winter and Construction.
Construction season has been very good to us this year. Since the end of last winter we have finished paving the outdoor area of our facility, fenced it in, upgraded our sound system, added two inches of weather-resistent foam and put up brand new siding on the facility. The result is a bright, shiny new building that has opportunities for kids to play outside in a safe environment and just screams, "This will be fun!" to everyone who comes by.
First I want to thank the state of alaska, the Rasmuson Foundation and our other generous individual and corporate donors whose belief in our mission allowed these projects to go from dreams to reality. Second, I want to thank the staff who have been willing to put up with disrupted schedules and work environments in order to see a greater, long term improvement come to reality.
The upgrades are not just about looking prettier. They are about being able to invest more of ourselves into more kids. The shiny new siding covers insulation that is going to save us hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in heating and utilities bills in the coming years. This will be money that we can use to pour resources into the youth who frequent our facility. The paved area is fun to skate on, but more importantly the fencing allows the space to be controlled by our staff, providing safety and security for the kids who are playing. We hosted a two week day camp for kids with autism in June which would not have been possible if we did not have clear boundaries and lockable gates to keep them from wandering into the road or neighboring areas.
Joel's Place is not simply about youth getting in from the cold to run around and get out energy. It is about the less blatantly obvious moments of transformation: the quiet conversation with staff in the cafe; the healthy meal when they are just looking for empty calories; the tutoring and mentoring that give confidence and hope. These all happen while the loud music and the chaos of the skate park are in full swing.
I am so grateful for our partners who are willing to help fund the big, flashy things so that they can see the small, important things.
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