PROGRAMS

BUILDING FUTURES: Youth Mentoring Press Release

February 23, 2010
 
“Community, YMCA Rally to Save Youth Mentoring Program”
 
Port Townsend, WA-- When the word hit last November that the local office of Big Brothers Big Sisters was being shut down by its parent organization Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound because of budget problems, Branch Manager, Liesl Slabaugh’s heart dropped.  Within hours of the announcement, however, calls came in with offers to help.  “There was an incredible outpouring of support from the community,” says Slabaugh.  The Port Townsend City Council responded with funding, Port Townsend and Chimacum School principals offered space and support ; and  Bill Kush and the Board of the Jefferson County Family YMCA offered an umbrella organization and a home base.
 
Says Slabaugh. “We’ve now officially been taken under the wing of the YMCA and have a new name:  Jefferson County Family YMCA Building Futures Youth Mentoring Program.  Mentors and their mentees will be called ‘Y-Buddies.’”  Building Futures is staffed by two part-time former Big Brothers Big Sisters employees -- Jay Cacka, Program Coordinator and Kim Hammers, March Coordinator.  More than 60 existing matches in Port Townsend and Chimacum are in the process of being re-enrolled in Building Futures; friendships are continuing unbroken and will be professionally supported by the new program.
 
In the school-based mentoring program, matched pairs of mentors and students meet at school once per week to spend one-to-one quality time building a friendship.  They may play outside, do a craft, read a book, play a board game, do some homework, or just hang out together.  School-based mentoring has been shown by independent studies to have positive impacts on academic performance while reducing risk behaviors such as trying drugs/alcohol or using violence to solve problems.  “The power of a consistent, positive, caring adult presence in the life of a child cannot be underestimated,” says Slabaugh, “in fact, it can change the whole trajectory of a child’s life.”
 
Volunteer mentors are aged 15 and up and are carefully screened by professional staff.  Once matched with a child of similar interests and temperament, the match is trained and coached by Building Futures staff to ensure quality relationship development, child safety, and to address any problems that arise.  Staff works very closely with school staff.
 
Donations are needed to keep the program running.  Contributions can be sent to the YMCA Building Futures Program at PO Box 1637, Port Townsend, WA 98368.
 
Anyone interested in volunteering to mentor a youth should call “Building Futures” staff at the Jefferson County Family YMCA, (360) 385-5811 or email Jay Cacka at jeffcomentorsjay@gmail.com

YMCA WINTER 2010 PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES

YMCA Y-KIDS CHILDCARE

The Jefferson County Family YMCA offers state licensed childcare at our Mountain View site.

Children must be 5-12 years of age.

We offer after-school childcare, when school is in session, and childcare camps during the winter, spring & summer school breaks. We are closed on other school holidays/closures.

Spring Break Day Camp – Join us for a week (or just a day) of fun during Spring Break, April 5 - April 9

Camp runs from 8:00 am – 5:30 pm at the Mt. View Commons.  Space is limited – All participants must pre-register to reserve a space.  Contact Gary Perless or Jocelyn Hanbey 360-531-2914 for a registration application.  Ages 5-12. 

Fee: $27.00 per day (plus a $25 registration fee for those not already enrolled in Y-Kids).

We accept private pay and DSHS / DCFS payments (must be pre-approved for DSHS/DCFS).

Childcare rates and policies are set by the Clallam County Family YMCA

Please contact the Clallam County Family YMCA staff listed below about policies & billing:

Child Care Policies: Cathy Bourm - Child Care Director
Phone:     1 (360) 452-9244 ext. 307
E-mail:     cathy@ccfymca.org

Childcare Billing: Christina Schildknecht - Billing Specialist
Phone:     1 (360) 452-9244 ext. 313
E-mail:     christina@ccfymca.org

● Payment Policy Payments are due on the first of each month. You will not get a "reminder" so please make arrangements to have payments made on time.

● For those of you using our easy and convenient bank draft (EFT) system, we recommend choosing a day prior to the first day of the service month to ensure your payment is never late should there be a problem with your account.

● If payment is received between 1 and 5 days late, a $25 late payment fee will be added to child care fees. If payment has not been made after 5 days, child care services will be suspended until account is brought up-to-date.

● Please note returned draft processing fees are separate from late child care fees.

Cooking Classes with Chef Arran Stark

of Cultivated Palette

JANUARY			FEBRUARY			MARCH
5	Grains		2	Vegetables #2		2	Fish
12	Legumes		9	Eggs		9	Stocks Sauce #1
19	Potatoes		16	Poultry		16	Stocks Sauce #2
26	Vegetable #1		23	Meat		23	Soups
Tuesdays: 6pm-9pm at the YMCA-Mountain View Commons Ages 15 and up Tutorial demonstrations with samples $25 per individual class / $240 for complete class listing Limited seating Registration and questions: call: (360) 385-3283 E-mail: avschef@yahoo.com

YMCA Expedition Club

The Expedition Club and Thai student trek beyond the rice fields to the waterfall in Thailand

“A Place not Like Any Other”

Jefferson County Family YMCA

EXPEDITION CLUB

Expedition Club Instructor: Robbie Roberts

Robbie Roberts founded the YMCA Expedition Club, which exposes Jefferson County youth to the outside world through the “Urban Plunge”, where groups of students spend three days with the homeless on the streets and in the homeless shelters of Seattle. He also initiated the Pha Pang, Thailand Global Community Program that has taken 80 students in the last four years to teach English and exchange culture with villagers in Northern Thailand. 

ICHIKAWA EXPEDITION 2009

The following students participated in the Expedition: Rose Ridder (12), Megan Walsh-O’Brien (13), Madison Braden (13), Shea Shoop (12), Allison Tuuri (14), Alanna Dailey (13), Annalise Rubida ((13), Eli Vercoe (14), Jackson Mifsud (13). During the month of September, for seven days the YMCA Expedition Club hosted five Japanese students and a chaperone. The visiting group of students spent two days participating in Blue Heron and Port Townsend High School classroom activities, they traveled to a farm in Discovery Bay, and ferried to Seattle for a day. Each Japanese student stayed with a local family and every evening a different family would host a get-together for all the students. On November 2nd, 2009, the YMCA Expedition Club traveled to Ichikawa, Japan for seven days. The team traveled over 17 hours to reach their destination of Kansai Airport and then ultimately, the town of Ichikawa. The team’s first night was spent in a traditional Japanese inn, located in the mountains, called Refresh Park. They slept on tatami mattes and futons. The following day they visited Seka Junior High School and were the honored guests at Ichikawa High School where they participated in calligraphy class, a Japanese tea ceremony, a math class and a Zen Buddhist meditation session. The evening of the first day they were the guests at a welcoming party in their honor. On day two the American team traveled to Hemaji Castle in the city of Hemaji and the historic Mt. Shosha temple. The evenings were spent with their host families where they had traditional dinners and their Japanese baths. Day three the team went by bus to Kyoto. They rode the Sagano train through the Sagano river valley with dramatic scenes of the changing fall colors and a raging river. They ate lunch in Kyoto near the Tenryuji temple and did some gift shopping. They found Kyoto a beautiful and intriguing city. On day four they did an activity with their host family. Shae Shoop and Mr. Roberts had the opportunity to travel to Hiroshima and return home on the Shinza (bullet train). While it was an exhausting trip of close to six hundred miles, it was a remarkable day that gave them both a much deeper appreciation of the dreadful outcomes of atomic weapons and the need to limit them. Several other students went to Japan Universal City, Kobe, and four of our students spent a good part of their day at the Center for the elders of the village. They regarded it as their most engaging experience. On the final day and evening we were treated to the farewell party and ceremony. The students gave speeches and answered questions about their experiences in Ichikawa. They ate delicious Japanese food and celebrated a successful week of global community. The team returned home on the 9th of November. In summary, it was an extraordinary trip. This was the first time that middle school students have been on the team and for most of them it was the first time to travel overseas. They did extremely well and in all aspects of the cultural exchange they represented their families, schools and their community with respect. Mr. Roberts was very proud to be part of this team.

 This program is offered in partnership with the Jefferson County Family YMCA

We'd like to hear your comments and suggestions

Please complete this form and click Submit button at the bottom

YMCA OPEN GYM

BALANCE AND FALL PREVENTION
EXERCISE CLASS
TUES. AND THURS.  MAR. 16TH  through APR. 22nd 
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Classes will be held at the YMCA – MT. VIEW GYM
Handicapped Accessible Entrance. 
Suggested Donation:  $50.00  (~$4.00/class)   Payable at registration. Donations will be shared between the YMCA and the Food Bank.
Class size limited to 20.
INSTRUCTOR:  MaryAnn Moore, PT
The course will include:
 Beginning strengthening exercises Aerobic conditioning Balance and stability exercises            Body mechanics
Questions:  Contact Uptown Physical Therapy       385-1035 or YMCA: 385-5811

YMCA Expedition Club: URBAN PLUNGE

The six students who participated in the October
21st (2008) Urban Plunge had only the clothes on their
back, a sleeping bag and one dollar. They traveled
to Seattle by public transportation. They were
participating in a program directed by Jim “Robbie”
Roberts and sponsored by the Jefferson County
YMCA.
The Urban Plunge is a three-day two-night
expedition on the streets and in homeless shelters of
Seattle. The Plunge is part educational journey, part
dedicated service, and part endeavor to build
alliances of empathy. The folks that they live with
and communicate with during those three days tell
them stories about an America that is often ignored,
stereotyped, and in many cases left waiting and
wanting. The primary goal is understanding.
The Urban Plunge is just one of four Place-Based
Education programs that are sponsored by the
Expedition Club and Jefferson County Family
YMCA. The Expedition Club was started by six
students and Robbie in 2002 and was inspired by
Gandhi’s wisdom that to want change is not
enough. “You must be the change you wish to see
in the world…” The Club gives the youth in our
community the opportunity to “be the change” here
at home in America with the Urban Plunge,
Walkabout and Neskowin Retreat and abroad with
the Global Community Project, a month long
expedition to a small village in Northern Thailand.

Expedition Club