By James Menaker | Executive Director
March is a funny time in Fairbanks. We are rapidly gaining sunlight, snow is melting and streets are clearing. Every year the sunlight and the warm temperatures (rocketing up to the forties!) make people believe that we are having an early spring. Every year. Without fail we will have another really cold spell of below zero temperatures and blowing snow. It happens every year and it always takes people by surprise. However, even if we are not having an early spring, the weather does indicate that we are out of the throes of winter. We have turned a corner towards spring and summer. We are not there yet, but we are now headed in that direction.
Simlarly, Joel's Place is turning a corner. We have a full Board of Directors for the first time in years and they are utilizing their skills, passions and connections to grow this organization. We are hiring new staff to create programs to invest in the growth and maturation of our youth while they are having a ton of fun in our park. We are launching Snowskating at Joel's Place: A cross between skateboarding and snowboarding, snowskating will set up in our fenced yard area and provide a great outdoor recreation alternative for our athletes. We have people and organizations from across the community initiating to volunteer or provide food or play music or sponsor youth.
We are not completely stable yet; we continue to struggle with paying staff and bills on time. We still need to upgrade our equipment and facilities to create a safer and more fun environment. We need to build our partnership base throughout the community and we have some major debts on the horizon. We are not stable yet, but we are on our way. We have turned a corner and can see the goal in front of us. It will not be long before our finances are sustainable, our staff is well trained, our building is high quality, and the teenagers who come through here have a blast playing both indoors and outdoors while finding mentors and developing vision and resources for their futures.
We are not there yet, but it is coming soon. And you are a significant part of turning that corner. Thank you for your generosity, your support and all the ways that you have invested in the youth of our community. We are blessed to have you as a partner.
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