YAK needs $40,000 by Nov. 9 to fund 2015 operations

PALMER — The YAK is now up and running, but it’s going to need a lot more fuel to make it through next year.

On Aug. 17, The Youth of Alaska center opened its doors at 105 S. Valley Way for the first time, thanks to donations and support from the Mat-Su Health Foundation, Mat-Valley Credit Union, the Palmer Lions Club, Palmer City Council, Spenard Builders Supply, Wolf Architecture, local plumbers and painters and other members of the community. The building is now complete with a pool table, a dartboard, a foosball table, couches, books, board games, four acoustic guitars, an electric piano, school supplies, free Wi-Fi and a free coffee and snack bar for middle and high school age kids.

“I’ve always longed for a place like this,” said Lazy Mountain Bible Church youth pastor Andy Miller.

Lazy Mountain Bible Church is the main sponsor behind the YAK, but it’s available to anyone, just as Miller envisioned it. Now that it’s open and furnished, the YAK sees about 300 kids on a regular basis, Miller said, most of whom come from Palmer Junior Middle and Palmer High schools, Academy Charter and home-school programs.

“This is the one place where I feel like I can get out of my room for a while,” said sophomore home-schooled student Cutter Tormey.

But other students have different reasons for coming to the YAK. Miller mentioned one boy in particular, who has since moved out of Alaska.

“From day one he made this place his home,” Miller said. “He would show up right after school and stay until we closed.”

This boy came from a home Miller described as “not a restful place,” and YAK volunteers were sad to see him go, because they had already become friends with him.

“When you get to spend four hours, three days a week with kids, those relationships develop really fast,” Miller said.

The YAK is currently open from 2 to 6 p.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but with the monthly costs of utilities, rent, and liability insurance as they are, Miller and his volunteers are going to need continued support from the community to keep the YAK open, “because we’re a non-profit and don’t want to take money from tax dollars,” he said.

Even though their rent costs about half as much as that of the buildings on the other side of the railroad tracks, Miller said, the YAK isn’t making any money off their patrons, so they can use all the outside help they can get.

So, over the course of 40 days — Oct. 1 to Nov. 9 — YAK volunteers hope to raise $40,000 to cover the cost of running the facility in 2015.

Miller compared the YAK’s cost of operation to that of the nearby skate park, which according to him was $450,000.

“That would fund this for 20 years,” he said, gesturing around him inside the youth center. “If 1,000 people give $40, we’re done.”

The value of the YAK goes beyond child entertainment. Miller stressed the fact that the center is “not a daycare,” but a safe place for youth to work, play, relax, learn or be creative.

Where there is freedom to come and use the space during operating hours, there is also the freedom to leave, Miller said. At the same time, volunteers will not hesitate to ask kids to leave — or call parents if the child has signed in on the sheet of paper in the doorway — if they “can’t abide by the rules,” he said.

“All we ask is that they’re respectful of others’ property, kind to others, and that they listen to staff,” Miller said.

Ideally though, youth who use the facility will find some way to do more than just peacefully coexist, and for many that seems to be happening. Miller paused several times during his interview to greet incoming students by name, and later sat down for a jam session with a small group boys and girls.

“Not face-screen time, but face-face time is a really crucial thing for today’s culture,” Miller said.

He and the other volunteers often sit down and have informal guitar and piano lessons with the youth, Miller said — one way to remedy the issue, for some — but to offer any more structured events or programs to engage the youth of Alaska, which may require outside resources, will require more money, more volunteers, or both.

“We wanna see the youth of Alaska experience healthy, hope-filled, joy-filled life,” Miller said. “We can live our lives out for them (here), and that’s really cool.”

For more information, visit call Andy Miller at 414-2373.

To donate to the YAK and contribute to their 40 in 40 effort, visit bit.ly/1yvMNBU.

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.