According to a new report from the Population Institute, the United States gets a “D” grade when it comes to reproductive health.  In its analysis, the Population Institute looked at four different factors of reproductive health: effectiveness, which takes into account the number of teen pregnancies and percentage of unintended pregnancies; prevention, such as education programs, access to emergency contraception, and allowing minors to have access to contraception; affordability, including access to birth control for those without insurance and low-income individuals; and access, which looks at how "burdensome" it is to seek family planning and abortion services. 

ALEX WADE served as the HYSN Evaluator for 7 years, worked on managing our runaway and homeless youth grants, and was our newsletter editor for the past 4 years.  She helped us survive the reporting requirements of our federal funders, and document the positive outcomes from our programs. Funding and program changes led to her departure at the end of December.  Alex was known for her homemade mango chutney and her outstanding lemon bars.  She’s currently in Milwaukee visiting her 4 grandchildren.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever tells the story of the Herdmans – 6 children who lie, steal, smoke cigars, swear, and hit little kids.  So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant.  Everyone in town predicts that it will be the worst Christmas pageant ever.

Andrea Mateo advocates for education as the student member of the State Board of Education.  Emily Guerrero is passionate about preserving a heiau.  And Case McKinley worked to make it easier for persons with disabilities to get driver permits and licenses.  They were the youth panelists at the 23rd Annual Children and Youth Summit on October 7th.

I love to send cards to people. Yes, I am talking about folded pieces of paper that you put in an envelope and send via postal mail. I guess I'm old fashioned, but a birthday greeting on Facebook or an electronic Christmas card in my e-mail just doesn't have the same feel to me.

Have you considered what you would do if a disaster destroyed your office? Hawaii Youth Services Network got a wakeup call when Tropical Storm Darby hit Hawaii. A number of tenants in our building had water damage from the storm, including one whose entire ceiling collapsed. HYSN will need to replace flooring in 4 rooms in our office but, fortunately, had no damage to our electronics or furnishings.

I just returned from the National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Conference where I presented a poster session titled, Involving Youth in Teen Pregnancy Prevention via Culturally Relevant Video Production. I also facilitated a roundtable session on fidelity and adaptation. It made me realize how much in the forefront Hawaii Youth Services Network and Hawaii’s youth-serving agencies are when it comes to making our programs and materials culturally relevant.

Self-care includes any intentional actions you take to care for your physical, mental and emotional health. Too often, we are so busy taking care of others that we neglect our own needs, and I’m as guilty of that as the rest of us.

State Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland announced her retirement from the Hawaii State Senate in May. She has been Hawaii’s greatest champion for children, youth, elderly, homeless, victims of abuse and neglect and persons with disabilities. She has been the driving force behind Children and Youth Day – an event that brings thousands of families to the Capitol for a day of fun and learning. She has encouraged youth participation in legislative advocacy through the annual Children and Youth Summit, where young people share their ideas about what the legislature can do to make Hawaii a better place to live and work.

"I am perfect just as I am." Jasmine, a young adult with Down Syndrome read this line and smiled as she auditioned for HYSN’s bullying prevention video and PSA. One entire family came in to audition together because one of their children had been bullied at school. They and the many other youth and adults who make up the cast and crew are proud to be giving back to their community, and excited about being part of a real video.

Bullying is a big concern for children and youth in Hawaii and across the United States and Pacific Islands. According to the 2013 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 43% of Honolulu County’s middle school students reported being a victim of bullying on school property and 61% felt that bullying and harassment was an issue in their school. For the past 8 years, bullying prevention has been one of the top priorities at the Children and Youth Summit at the State Capitol.

Runaway and homeless youth are the most vulnerable segment of Hawaii's homeless population. They are disconnected from their families without support and guidance from caring adults. They leave home due to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and neglect or because they have unmet mental health and substance abuse needs.While on the streets, they are hungry, frightened, and lonely - at high risk for pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, assault, and rape.

Hawaii Youth Services Network staff are fortunate in having a therapy dog in training in our office. Milo’s human is Sonja Bigalke-Bannan, the National Association of Social Workers (Hawaii chapter) Executive Director, but we all get to share his love and comfort.

Last month, I fell and broke a bone in my hand. And what a learning experience it has been!

I spent a good deal of time reminding myself of how grateful I should be. Grateful that it was my right hand since I’m left handed. Grateful that it did not require surgery. Grateful that it didn’t happen last summer when it was so hot and the cast would have been much more uncomfortable. Grateful that it did not stop me from donating blood during December. And grateful that the limitations on my activities are short term and not permanent.

It’s time to be thankful. My birthday fell on Thanksgiving Day this year, giving me a double reason to consider my blessings.

We had 14 near misses from hurricanes and tropical storms this year. The storm paths made a lei all the way around the islands. I complained about the times the roads closed for flooding, but I know how fortunate I am. My friends in Saipan spent several months without electric power or running water after a major typhoon at the end of July. I had a dry roof over my head as the rain fell at 2 inches an hour, instead of a leaky tent or tarp like my homeless neighbors.

Each year, I look forward to the Children and Youth Summit at the State Capitol. I love to see youth take an interest in civic affairs, and I find that our young people are both thoughtful and passionate in sharing their ideas about what will make Hawaii a better place to live, learn, and work.

Hawaii Youth Services Network bids farewell this month to two long term employees, Regina Torres and Maricel Lumagui. Regina completed 8 years with HYSN in May, serving as Office Manager and working in our teen pregnancy prevention programs. Maricel celebrated her seventh anniversary with HYSN in July as our Program Assistant.

My trip to Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands a month ago made me think a lot about culture. I attended the Pacific Education Conference, a regional gathering for the public school system staff in the Pacific Islands and presented two workshops – one on pregnancy prevention in the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System and another about youth involvement in making culturally relevant videos.

My office sits in the middle of the Kakaako tent city. I walk past the tents daily, averting my eyes to give my homeless neighbors some visual privacy. Some of the camp sites are immaculate, all belongings neatly stowed. Others look like trash dumps, with discarded paper, bottles, and broken strollers or bicycles strewn on the sidewalk and streets. I worry about the toddlers, some wearing only a diaper, who could dash into the streets in front of cars.

Senator Mazie Hirono thinks the high teen birth rate for our Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth is shocking. Representative Mark Takai’s staff want information on foster care. And all of the members of our congressional delegation are delighted that Hawaii Youth Services Network is involving youth in making culturally relevant videos aimed at Asian and Pacific Islanders

Every day I see youth workers going the extra mile. You are all unsung heroes. But this month, I would like to honor someone who is truly extraordinary.

I love to read. I learned to read long before I started school. Most of my childhood scoldings started out with, "Judy, get your nose out of that book and (do whatever I was supposed to be doing)." Even now, I find it hard to imagine a day without reading something for fun, even if it's only a few minutes. And I don't care if it is a hard copy or on my Kindle.

I’ve been immersed in grant writing for the last couple of months as HYSN is applying for a total of 5 federal grants this spring. I’ve been writing grant applications for more years than I want to admit and I’d like to share some of the trends I’ve noticed recently.

I’m spending a lot of time at the State Capitol Building lately and I’m happy to say that it seems like a welcoming place. Other state capitols that I’ve visited are much more intimidating with their vast expanses of marble, metal detectors at every entrance, and security everywhere. I wouldn’t dare walk through one of those buildings in my rubber slippers and shorts. [...]

My life has been full of new experiences lately.

Commuting to work took on a whole new meaning when I flew in a 6-seat airplane in 35 mile per hour winds in order to conduct training on the island of Tinian. [...]

It’s a new year – with lots of news and changes at Hawaii Youth Services Network (HYSN).

The federal Administration for Children and Families awarded us a Competitive Abstinence Education Program grant. We are focusing on the risk and protective factors, cultural values and norms that influence the risk of teen pregnancy and STIs among Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Filipino youth. We’ve just awarded subgrants to two partners that will implement the Making a Difference curriculum with this population and we’re convening a multi-sector work group. [...]

FROM JUDITH’S DESK Tis the season of good will to all . . . But not perhaps for those affected by the Mayor’s policy of “compassionate disruption.” “Compassionate disruption” means enforcing those laws that forbid sitting, lying, or storing belongings on the sidewalk. I’ve heard disturbing things from outreach workers about how those laws are [...]

FROM JUDITH’S DESK Mental health was the predominant theme for the 250+ youth and youth advocates at the 2014 Children and Youth Summit. The five top priorities included: College/career/life skills education in schools Increase mental health awareness in schools, including training for teachers and supports for students with mental health issues Increase affordable housing including [...]

FROM JUDITH’S DESK This month I want to share some of Hawaii Youth Services Network’s plans for the coming year. HYSN has just been awarded a federal Competitive Abstinence Education grant to address the high risk of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander, and Filipino youth in Hawaii. We will [...]

FROM JUDITH’S DESK The National Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Center recently invited me to be an advisor on youth trends and issues and organizational management concerns. This will help them determine what kinds of training and technical assistance is needed to support federally-funded runaway and homeless youth programs across the country. [...]

It has been 14 years since Hawaii Youth Services Network raised its dues.

In 2000, the average cost of a gallon of gasoline was $1.90. Today it is $4.19. The training, partnership building, planning, and public policy development that we provide to you costs more too. [...]

I spent the first week of June in Washington DC attending the State Summit on Adolescent Reproductive Health and the National Teen Pregnancy Conference and Federal Grant Meeting. [...]

Recently I attended the Pacific Rim Conference on Disability and Diversity, and presented a workshop on working collaboratively with public officials (“A Little Aloha Goes a Long Way. . . “). [...]

Hawaii Youth Services Network has just completed a 30-second PSA that encourages parents and schools to work together to educate youth about sexual health. It features young people asking questions, such as “Can you get pregnant from having oral sex?” [...]

Last month, I attended an Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) federal grantee meeting that focused on sustainability. We are in the middle of the fourth year of a five-year grant. As one of the federal staff stated, “You are 75 grantees selected out of 1,100 application. The competition will be just as tough next time around and there is no guarantee that you will be one of the winners.” [...]

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? is a wonderful children’s book that I learned about through Na Lei Aloha’s Bridge of Friendship event last fall. [...]

Sam Cox, one of the founders of Hawaii Youth Services Network, received the Martin Luther King Peacemaker Award from Church of the Crossroads in January. We honor him for his many years of public service. Mahalo nui loa, Sam. The following is excerpted from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (January 18, 2014). [...]