Saturday, December 29, 2012

What a difference a year makes

SPECIAL THANK YOU:
WAL-MART's 12 Days of Giving.  
Wal-Mart has generously given $12,500 to Joel's Place.  They are a major reason that we have been able to make positive steps forward this month.  We are so grateful! 




 I don't know where you were and what you were doing a year ago, but I can assure you that my life is remarkably different than it was last December 30th.  Last year I was working at Sears with a nagging feeling that I wanted to find something else to do with my life.  Carina and I had talked about having more kids, but were still a couple of months removed from making a decision.  Important appliances like our furnace were beginning to give indicators that they were on their last legs.

     Now, 12 months later, I have a new job, a new baby, a new furnace and water heater...life has changed at an astonishingly rapid clip.  Joel's Place itself has gone through substantial changes in just over a year: A new Executive Director for the first time in it's history, a new program director, 2 new cafe managers, a new Board President, four new Board Members, new skate ramps, new Red Room flooring, new pavement outside and a new financial outlook.  It is with great joy that I can write that we are out of the financial hole of 2012.  There are no overdue payments, no missed mortgage payments, no unpaid staff.  At one point this summer we were $40,000 behind.  To come to the place where we can put that all behind us, be able to be generous with our kids and start paying off our long-term commitments is simply staggering.  Thank you to all our friends, donors, supporters, advocates and champions.  Thank you to everyone who donated time, money and supplies to advance our cause.  Thank you to our major donors who helped pull us out of the financial hole.  Thank you to the Foundations and Programs who were faithful in sending out our payments.

     A special and heartfelt thank you to the Joel's Place staff who labored through transitions and uncertainty and missed checks and construction and me fumbling my way through this job.  You came to work every day with smiling faces and servants' hearts, eager to build up the youth of Joel's Place and give your best, regardless of the circumstances.  Jon, Leah, Kelli, Arlys, Linda, Poppy, Rhema, and Tami, you have made me so proud to be a part of this place.

     I love the winter season of holidays.  Thanksgiving is all about looking back and appreciating what has happened.  Christmas is all about the here and now, being in the moment and celebrating what we have.  New Years is about looking forward in hope and anticipation of what will come.  What does the future hold for Joel's Place?  Clearly, no one knows for sure, but here are my educated guesses of what we will be celebrating one year from now.
  • Joel's Place...Outdoors.  We paved the parking lot this past fall. This spring we will install basketball and volleyball courts, fire pits and outdoor skating elements.  My guess is that we will have kids playing here every moment the sun is shining this summer.
  • Raising a new generation of skaters.  It is time to introduce the joy of skating to a new batch of Fairbanks youth.  We will bring over school field trips, parties, youth groups, camps, clinics, UAF events and any other things that we can do to get more kids interested in skating.
  • Volunteer development.  Joel's Place is a community center.  We are going to recruit members of the community who will bring in new skills, abilities and passions to support the youth of Fairbanks.
  • Revived music scene.  We will host concerts of local talent at least twice a month.
  • Project On-Ramp: We are looking at ways to help youth transition from high-risk to full-time employment and higher education. 
  • Pick.Click.Give. It is time to sign up for the PFD again.  There are charitable giving options and Joel's Place is one of them.  We had dozens of Alaskans give nearly $6,000 this past year.  Please consider donating to us as we look to increase that number to $8,000.
  • The Plan.  On the money front, we will develop and implement the plan to pay off this building.
With gratitude, celebration and anticipation,

James

Friday, December 21, 2012

The New Normal

      I like a schedule.  I like knowing what I am doing and when the next thing is coming up.  Having grown up in Alaska, I live my day based off what time it is, not how bright it is or what it looks like outside.  On days like today, with the -44 degree weather and year-low 3 1/2 hours of sunlight, it just makes sense.  However we have introduced a new element into our lives that does not work with a schedule or care what time it says on the clock.

     Introducing Analucia Linnae Menaker, the cutest little pink polar bear ever.  Lucy was born November 23 (Black Friday) after 51 hours of labor and procedures in the hospital.  At 8lbs 13oz she is the runt of our litter, but is much adored by brother, sister, mom, dad and everyone who meets her.

     This being our 3rd child, the changes to our lifestyle were expected:  less sleep, more work around the house for dad and the kids, lots of people wanting to visit and meet the baby, did I mention less sleep?  All these are welcome costs  for the joy and privilege of having a new Menaker in the world as our family continues to grow.  However, life now looks a little different and I am struggling to define and adjust to our new schedule...our new normal.

     The first step is being more intentional with the two older children about what needs to be done around the house and how they can help out.  The next step is figuring out what is falling through the cracks and either making time to do it myself, asking for help or letting it go because it is not important.  Need to do several load of laundry?  Find the time.  Need to cook meals?  Ask for help.  Need to send out Christmas cards?  Let it go this year.  We are adjusting, I am working from home more, and we are filled with joy at our new gift.

     Joel's Place is also adjusting to a new normal.  This has been an immense year of transition for us.  First and foremost there has been a change in Executive Director for the first time in our 12 year history.  That would be enough, but we have also done major renovations to the facility (both indoors and outside) and had lots of staff turnover.  In addition, we are ending our run as AmeriCorps sponsor after five years.  AmeriCorps has been providing local non-profits with invaluable hours of service and giving high-risk youth an on-ramp into higher education and full-time employment.  It has been an immense asset for our community.  However the program had grown to a scope that was not sustainable for an organization of our size and we were faced with the choice of ending our participation or closing our doors for good.

     So as we move into a new year, we are looking at new leadership and new programs.  This new normal will include more utilization of our facility with school field trips during the year and camps over the summer.  The new normal will include partnering with the Youth Shelter in finding safety and support for those who have none.  The new normal will include financial stability and being proactive instead of reactive.

      Quick side note:  Did you know that we are only a few thousand dollars away from ending 2012 with no overdue bills?  None.  Caught up on our mortgage, all payroll and bills paid, ready to enter 2013 with a fresh slate.  For those who were with us during the financial crisis this past summer, you will join with me in my excitement if we are able to pull this off.  If you are interested, would you be willing to give a special year end
gift to help us put the financial woes of 2012 behind us and move into the new year?

     Thank you all for your support and encouragement over these past 6 months.  This is the best job I could have asked for and I am eager to see where we go from here.  Have a joy-filled Christmas and may God pour his blessings upon you and your household.

With much gratitude,
James