A new home for the YAK

PALMER — The YAK is moving.

The faith-based, non-profit youth center is relocating from its original location off Arctic Avenue to the same building that holds the Humdinger's Gourmet Pizza Company. Director Jeff Gail said that moving away from the place where so many fond memories where made is “bittersweet” but the YAK is about the people, not the place.

“It’s not about where the Yak is,” Gail said.

The YAK offers Palmer youth a safe place to spend their time, after school or during summer vacation. The staff and volunteers operate under an “unplugged” philosophy that encourages participating youth to engage with each other without Wi-Fi, video games and other distractions. Participating youth can engage in a variety of activities at the YAK, from billiards and ping pong to music and art.

“The one thing that we don’t have… we don’t have video games so they can just ‘check out.’ We don’t have TV’s for them to just flip through. We have engaging games,” Gail said.

Kids can of course bring their cell phones, but they are encouraged to interact with each other. They often go on outings outside the facility during the summer, venturing to places like Hatcher Pass or Girdwood.

Gail said that one of his favorite aspects of the YAK is how it pulls the youth together, fostering peer-to-peer relationships. He said that the YAK is a place where they can connect naturally with each other without the pressures of cliques typically seen in public schools.

“When you hit the Yak, you’re all a part of the Yak,” Gail said.

Andrew Miller founded the YAK in 2014 with a simple yet grand vision to provide a warm and welcoming environment where local adolescents can participate in wholesome activities supported by caring mentors during these vulnerable and formative years of their lives. Gail said that it’s designed to be the place where everybody knows your name.

“It’s that old school Cheers mentality,” Gail said.

Gail said that the five-year lease at the original location expired and there wasn’t enough opportunity to grow so they had to venture outwards. He said that this location is temporary, likely to be there for about two or three years. He said that operating out of this space is about keeping up their momentum until they can find a permanent home.

“Everyone wants to see the Yak become a permanent part of Palmer,” Humdinger's Gourmet Pizza Company owner Gordon Fletcher said.

In addition to owning Humdinger’s, Fletcher sits on the YAK board of directors. He said that he does not currently own the building, but he is in the process of acquiring it.

“I’m vested now. I’ve got to purchase it,” Fletcher said.

On Jan. 18, Fletcher stood inside the other half of the building with Gail, envisioning how the YAK will unfold in the space. He said that side of the building has been vacant since he opened Humdinger’s six-and-a-half years ago. He said that he was a youth pastor for 10 years and he’s all in when it comes to the YAK’s future, knowing the importance of having an encouraging, safe and stimulating place for youth to go.

“There is no exit strategy. I can’t think like that,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher said the YAK is a safe place.

“Idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” he said.

He also said the ability for mentors to provide constant and positive influence is also important, and there is a beneficial ripple effect that children take to their homes, which expand to the greater community

“Healthy teens create healthy families. Healthy families create a healthy community. That’s a legacy benefit for our community,” Fletcher said.

The YAK’s new home will feature several assets to accommodate the youth’s wide spectrum of interests and needs. Some of these features include a kitchen area, a living room area with couches and a stage for art and music. Youth have free access to multiple instruments on hand, from guitars to pianos. Gail said that it’s vital to have ways for the youth to express themselves and grow.

“We feel that it’s absolutely essential for kids to have that release through art and music,” Gail said.

The YAK has been blanketed under the Lazy Mountain Bible Church and is transitioning into its own entity, according to Fletcher. He said that moving forward, the YAK will always operate under faith because, “what’s wrong with the 10 commandments?”

“We are non-denominational but we are not going to lose our faith base,” Fletcher said. “We don’t preach.”

Fletcher said that the morals emphasized in the Bible are effective ways to show kids what is right and what is wrong so when they grow up, they will not break the law. He said that many of the laws still in place can be compared to teachings in the Bible and there are no laws against acting justly. He quoted Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Gail said that the YAK has four board members with eight to 10 steady volunteers/mentors.

“The volunteers make it possible,” Gail said.

Gail has a degree in recreational management. He said that he joined in 2016 because he knows what it’s like to grow up in the Valley.

“I grew up in here in Wasilla and Palmer so I know exactly what it’s like to be a youth in this small Valley with nothing to do. So, being able to really somehow- and I say somehow because to me it feels like such blessing- that I get to play a role in giving back to the kids… getting to know the kids, taking them on adventures and whooping them at pool,” Gail said.

Gail said that the YAK has gotten a lot of support from community, which in part is why they strive to take their kids out to help others. Plus, it’s great character building.

“It’s making a difference in the community,” Gail said.

Gail said that the Friends of Palmer Golf Course Club recently donated $15,000 to the Yak after their annual charity golf tournament. This will be used for transportation and renovation. He said that YAK stands for “Youth in AK.” He said they’re hoping to add other locations in places like Sutton and Wasilla after they secure a permeant and self-sufficient location in Palmer.

Palmer City Manger Nathan Wallace said that the YAK recently submitted an application for $1,000 grant and it’s set to be on the agenda for review. He said that Palmer is very supportive of the YAK and wants to see it prosper.

“It’s a program we support… Anything that helps kids stay active and keeps their minds going is a good thing,” Wallace said.

The YAK should open the doors to its new facility by mid-February to early March, according to Fletcher.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com