The Maui Youth & Family Services historic Ka Pono building in Makawao was the recipient of a well-deserved and needed interior and exterior maintenance and landscaping last weekend, courtesy of good-willed Rotarians content to spend a Saturday in service. The project was part of the Weinberg Friends Program, in which Rotarians perform a community service project and in return The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation donates $10,000 to a local nonprofit chosen by the Rotary Club. This year, the Rotary Club selected Maui Youth & Family Services to be the recipient of the award.
“We chose Maui Youth & Family Services not only because of our Club’s dedication to youth support programs, but also because [MYFS] is the only agency on the island that provides outpatient substance abuse services for adolescents,” said Rotary Club of Kahului President Robert Kawahara. “This project is well-matched with the Weinberg Friends Program because the organization meets an important need in the community by increasing access to health care for at-risk populations, which is one of the Foundation’s main goals.”
Maui Youth & Family Services is a Maui nonprofit that works with adolescents and families affected by addiction, substance abuse and mental-health related issues. The organization plans to use the funds in the operation of their Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Substance Abuse Program, which treats approximately 80 adolescents per year suffering from drug and alcohol addiction and helps them reconnect with their families as part of the recovery process.
“We are extremely grateful to both The Weinberg Foundation and the Kahului Rotary Club for this help,” said Deborah Gouveia Couch, Program Coordinator at Maui Youth & Family Services. “Having an environment that is cheerful, welcoming and professional reflects how much we respect and value our clients. We want our clients to feel comfortable while they are here, and this project will go a long way in doing just that.”
The Ka Pono building in Makawao, which houses the Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Substance Abuse Program, was constructed in 1920 and received a much needed “face-lift” from approximately 25 Rotarians. Described as “quaint, yet highly functional,” the facility now has a completely repainted interior and clean surrounding grounds.
The Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation, founded in 1959, is one of the largest private charitable foundations in the United States and grants funding to nonprofits that provide direct services to low income and vulnerable individuals.
For more information about Maui Youth & Family Services, call Frances Duberstein at 808-579-8414, ext. 8102, or visit myfs.org
Photo of Rotarian Stewart Karlin courtesy of MYFS
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