Report Title:

Faith-based Organizations to Provide Services to the Youths of Hawaii

WHEREAS, the community of Hawaii has social and economic problems including, but not limited to, issues of drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, child welfare and poverty that directly affect the youth of our community; and

WHEREAS, although the State of Hawaii presently funds state agencies and community organizations to provide necessary social and economic aid to the community, the vast social and economic dilemmas are yet to be rectified entirely and thus additional alternative professional aid of faith-based groups providing non-sectarian services are imperative; and

WHEREAS, faith-based organizations of Hawaii have a long and venerable history of services to the youths of our community addressing the social and economic problems currently present in the State of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, faith-based organizations have cultural, spiritual, human, financial, and structural resources which are ubiquitous in the community of Hawaii and have contributed to troubled youths' emotional and psychological healing, self-worth, purpose, and relational connectedness; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has contracted with faith-based organizations such as the Salvation Army and YMCA for the purpose of providing the necessary social and economic services to youths; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-First Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, that Hawaii State government agencies serving the youths of Hawaii either directly or through purchases of service be encouraged to invite faith-based organizations to provide services to the youths of Hawaii, either voluntarily or through the mechanism of formal purchases of service; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the services shall be mainly non-religious and non-sectarian, focusing on recreation, counseling, mentoring, education, vocational guidance, and spiritual nurture and youths shall participate voluntarily and with the permission of custodial adults; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and to the single executive or board heading each principal department of the state executive branch.