The Challenge
We challenge ourselves and our island communities to support our young people in every way possible as they transition into adulthood. The ages of 15-25 can be a demanding time. Young people at this time in life, more than any other, need education and support. Being a teenager or young adult in the islands is drastically different from living in an urban area where there are services to assist this age group. Isolation, lack of information, lack of community awareness, and lack of services can drastically impact the ability of a young person to access help and feel supported by their community. Our goal is to ensure that young people in our unique community are surrounded with support and provided with a clearly defined path to supportive services should they need them.
The Solution
We are a grassroots, local organization bringing a new wave of information and services to our community regarding this age group. Foundation members are currently working on an ongoing needs assessment on all three of the major islands, and the response has been overwhelming–the needs are great.
As a private foundation, we plan to work with community partners to support our young people and assist community providers by offering coordination and educational services. Initially, healthy intervention, mental health services, and prevention of crisis will each be a focus. In the future we hope to coordinate with local services to help provide stable housing and sustainable jobs for our youth.
The word “Foundation” used in our name is no accident. Our foundation will consistently provide essential stability and support. It is time we come together as a community to address the tough issues regarding mental health services in our area.