Courtesy Photo | WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD — The Wheeler branch of the Armed Services YMCA is seeking...... read more read more
WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD — On a recent sunny summer morning, a handful of children were playing in the Armed Services YMCA’s courtyard, here.
After about an hour of hula hooping, tossing balls and playing on the jungle gym, they lined up and made their way inside one of the classrooms for story time and to share highlights from their morning.
“What was your favorite part of the day?” Brianna Perez, their preschool teacher, asked when they were all seated and settled in the reading area.
“Playing outside!” said 4-year-old Andrew Severin.
“The fish!” said 4-year-old Jeremiah Haten, pointing to the marine-themed decorations on the wall.
“Jeremiah!” said 4-year-old Ava Wilkins, wrapping her classmate in a hug.
This summer program for preschool-age children provides an affordable child care option for Army families who are looking to socialize their children and give them an early start on their education.
“I feel like preschool options in Hawaii are really limited,” said Stephanie Severin, Andrew’s mother and an Army spouse whose background is in children’s education. “I was on the wait list for the Child Development Center for a year and had even started looking into private preschools off-post, but they were really expensive, so I was glad when there were openings here.
“I really like it, especially the Parent Participation Preschool program because it let me be there with him and help him transition into preschool. I feel that made for a good transition.
“He’s made a lot of friends here,” she added, “and so have I. There are a group of us parents whose kids have moved up through the classes together, and we’re friends outside of class.”
This is exactly the role that the ASYMCA of Honolulu was created to fill, said Faith Carrabis, ASYMCA of Honolulu’s outreach director.
“The military does a good job of taking care of its people, but it helps to have other organizations step in and fill in needs as they arise,” she said. “We make sure that we provide services that meet our families’ needs.
“We create a family when some of us have no family here,” she added. “We become each other’s family.”
For the past 100 years, the Armed Services YMCA of Honolulu has been supporting military families with services and programs aimed at making their lives easier. It is not a government-funded organization, but a private nonprofit that relies on individual and corporate donations to sustain its mission of supporting military families.
In 2016, the ASYMCA of Honolulu enhanced the lives of 49,421 service members and families on Oahu, according to its 2016 annual report. Over the years, it has continued to expand its program offerings, including introducing low-cost summer camps and robotics camps.
Its 1,230 volunteers provided 4,358 hours of service in 2016, which translates to roughly $102,674.48, according to the annual report.
In addition to its regular and summer preschool programs, it provides a Children’s Waiting Room at Tripler Army Medical Center and the U.S. Army Health Clinic at Schofield Barracks. Parents can drop their children off while they attend a medical appointment.
New family support
Therese Szatkowski, director of the Wheeler Branch of the ASYMCA, said this service is especially helpful for those who are new to the island and far away from their family support systems. She was one of those people when she first moved to the island with her husband and young son only to find that she was pregnant with their second child. She found herself wondering who could watch her son while she attended her doctor appointments.
“With (the Children’s Waiting Room) you don’t have to worry about who’s watching your child because they’re all professionals; they’ve all been through background checks,” she said.
She said the best part of working for the ASYMCA is knowing that she is giving back to the Army community.
“I’m an Army spouse myself and I understand the struggle they face,” she said. “I feel like our programs give parents a place to build relationships and establish friendships that continue outside of the YMCA. It’s a place to connect and build community.
“Being able to give back and support other military spouses is the most meaningful part of the job to me,” she added. “It’s great to be able to help out that parent who can’t afford a full day of preschool, or the single Soldier who has two kids and needs support with her children.”
ASYMCA Locations
The ASYMCA has three branches
on Oahu:
Wheeler Army Airfield
1262 Santos Dumont, Bldg. 122
624-5645
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
1260 Pierce St., #145
Navy College Bldg.
473-3398
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Bldg. 455, Kaneohe Bay
254-4719
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2017 22:05 |
| Story ID: | 236966 |
| Location: | WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 128 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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