I am writing to oppose Bill 118 of disbanding the Commission on Children & Youth. I am the Chair of this Committee and feel that this Committee is contributing to the betterment of our community.
One of our projects that we have successfully completed was getting involved in the Talking is Teaching Campaign and getting these posters on our Maui Buses. Talking is Teaching is a national campaign that promotes literacy and is a protective factor against child abuse due to promoting family connection and engagement. We partnered and collaborated with community agencies and the Department of Transportation to successfully launch this project.
I feel by disbanding this Commission we are giving up on our children and youth. The message being reflected is that they are not important.
I would recommend reading our meeting minutes and you can ascertain that this Committee is focused on our children and youth and the needs of this community. We currently have projects that we are working on and would like to see them completed. Each member on this Committee is dedicated and works diligently on difficult tasks and will see it through to completion, no matter the obstacles.
Thank you for allowing me to provide written testimony on this matter.
Dear GREAT Committee Board Members!
I am writing to oppose Bill 118 of disbanding the Commission on Children & Youth. I am the Chair of this Committee and feel that this Committee is contributing to the betterment of our community.
One of our projects that we have successfully completed was getting involved in the Talking is Teaching Campaign and getting these posters on our Maui Buses. Talking is Teaching is a national campaign that promotes literacy and is a protective factor against child abuse due to promoting family connection and engagement. We partnered and collaborated with community agencies and the Department of Transportation to successfully launch this project.
I feel by disbanding this Commission we are giving up on our children and youth. The message being reflected is that they are not important.
I would recommend reading our meeting minutes and you can ascertain that this Committee is focused on our children and youth and the needs of this community. We currently have projects that we are working on and would like to see them completed. Each member on this Committee is dedicated and works diligently on difficult tasks and will see it through to completion, no matter the obstacles.
Thank you for allowing me to provide written testimony on this matter.
Sincerely,
Heidi Drahn Balthazar
2130 Lilikoi Road
Haiku, HI 96708
(808) 856-5515