"
First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination. "
-Napoleon Hill
First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination. "
-Napoleon Hill
Twenty years ago, a volunteer serving his hours of community service walked into an at-risk teen center—and a new destination in life began. At the time, he believed he would complete his required 150 hours of service then move on to college, basketball and finding his way in life; there was no intention of continuing the path of volunteerism. However, his soul began to forge a different reality, creating an inner voice, demanding to be heard. You might say Destiny began to control his fate and a new path in life appeared. The One Hundred and Fifty mandatory hours passed, but he continued to volunteer. More than that, he found a way to communicate in spite of the fears and other emotions that possessed those with whom he worked. Mastering the skill of listening eventually led to his employment working with others in the community.
I find it hard to believe that I have been working hands-on with the public for 20 years! It makes me smile while at the same time it is a great personal burden. Twenty years ago, I started as a volunteer, but a year later I began designing the Community Activity Network Project, (CAN), a project still not implemented today, unfortunately. The reasons and excuses are many. Through these blogs, I will identify those reasons holding us back as well as the plan for our successful future.
My name is Mike Svec and I am the founder of C-WYD Solutions LLC and the designer of the CAN Project as well as the I AM ME Program. Throughout my career, I have successfully participated in the launching and operations of many other programs. It is now time to implement the project closest to my heart that I have been designing for almost 20 years.
You may wonder what took so long, why this program is important, and what its origin is. Good question—and I will answer each in this blog. Every story has a beginning; you know how mine began, but the story of the CAN Project began about a year after my first volunteer experience.
I was working for the Clallam County Family YMCA as an Assistant Director of the Teen Scene, a drop-in facility for at-risk youth in the community. I was in charge of activities and occupying the idle hands of participating youth. It was brought to our attention that our community did not have teen or youth dances very often and we should hold one. I did my research, saw that was correct; there were only a couple of dances a year, and seldom sponsored other than by a school. After meeting with staff and researching (our “due diligence”), we put together a small grant for equipment to host the first dance. After stretching the funds to the maximum and working with the community, we were ready to host. I began promotion two weeks before the dance and we received a lot of positive feedback, not only from the youth in our program, but outside of it as well. Things were looking great.
A week prior to our already scheduled and promoted dance, it was brought to my attention that a local soccer club was hosting their annual middle school dance that weekend too. Their dances were a main fundraiser for them and most of the middle school-aged kids would want to go. I was puzzled as seemed to be non-existent in the community before then. Two days later after being notified of the middle school fundraiser dance, we learned that the Boys and Girls Club 15 miles away was not only throwing a fundraiser dance the same weekend, but they were hiring the Number One Seattle hip hop radio station to DJ it......
Caught completely off guard, I met with my team to discuss situation. We knew that with three events on the same night that the youth were going to be skipping between the three to find where the most people were. We knew from history this frequently leads to someone throwing a party full of negative behavior and our plans for a positive, safe environment would likely backfire.
That weekend was a bust. We had very few youths stay all night. Many popped in as they went between dances and they all ended up creating a house party. I was disappointed, not that we didn't throw a successful event, but that we had failed our youth and created an environment encouraging the behavior we were all working desperately to avoid. I was truly sad. In evaluating the situation, I made contact with the other two programs and learned they were disappointed as well. The Boys and Girls Club lost out on money and the soccer club did not make nearly as much as planned. The kids just did not stay or come into their events.
It was at this time I began looking for solutions. I researched my city, county, state, and finally the nation looking for an existing program we could implement for our community where organizations, no matter their affiliation, could input their events, listing programs available, hours of operation, and the services provided. I was astonished to learn there was no such program. I began looking for any program in existence that would allow the staff of different organizations in the same community to communicate between them. There was nothing. At the time, most were already overwhelmed with meetings, commissions, coalitions and staff meetings in their own organizations. Creating a new one wasn't a valid option.
It was at this time I began designing the CAN Project because I asked the question, if I didn’t do something, who would? I also realized that if I didn't know what I wanted the resource to look like, how would I recognize a resource that would provide the solution to the needs at hand?
For 19 years I have been designing and developing the CAN Project. I was hopeful someone smarter would create and implement a solution...but there has yet to be one developed. I have seen many sad things happen to youth, families, communities, and programs because such a resource has not been designed, developed, and implemented. I have witnessed many tragedies that could have been avoided with a resource like the CAN Project. Friends I grew up with when I started this journey have had children who are now having their own children. I have seen many of them suffer because such a resource does not exist.
I have decided now is the time for me to begin this journey to fulfill the CAN Project and implement it across the United States of America. I cannot do this alone. I need people like you who are taking the time to read this to assist me—to become a part of the fundraising effort by becoming a member, buying a discount card, a tee-shirt, making a donation, or by forwarding our information on to others with a belief and willingness to be a part of our success in making a difference in communities across the nation. Together we can make a difference, and I look forward to you being a part.
The CAN Project started 19 years ago from one person’s experience and imagination, but it can become a reality with your participation.
I find it hard to believe that I have been working hands-on with the public for 20 years! It makes me smile while at the same time it is a great personal burden. Twenty years ago, I started as a volunteer, but a year later I began designing the Community Activity Network Project, (CAN), a project still not implemented today, unfortunately. The reasons and excuses are many. Through these blogs, I will identify those reasons holding us back as well as the plan for our successful future.
My name is Mike Svec and I am the founder of C-WYD Solutions LLC and the designer of the CAN Project as well as the I AM ME Program. Throughout my career, I have successfully participated in the launching and operations of many other programs. It is now time to implement the project closest to my heart that I have been designing for almost 20 years.
You may wonder what took so long, why this program is important, and what its origin is. Good question—and I will answer each in this blog. Every story has a beginning; you know how mine began, but the story of the CAN Project began about a year after my first volunteer experience.
I was working for the Clallam County Family YMCA as an Assistant Director of the Teen Scene, a drop-in facility for at-risk youth in the community. I was in charge of activities and occupying the idle hands of participating youth. It was brought to our attention that our community did not have teen or youth dances very often and we should hold one. I did my research, saw that was correct; there were only a couple of dances a year, and seldom sponsored other than by a school. After meeting with staff and researching (our “due diligence”), we put together a small grant for equipment to host the first dance. After stretching the funds to the maximum and working with the community, we were ready to host. I began promotion two weeks before the dance and we received a lot of positive feedback, not only from the youth in our program, but outside of it as well. Things were looking great.
A week prior to our already scheduled and promoted dance, it was brought to my attention that a local soccer club was hosting their annual middle school dance that weekend too. Their dances were a main fundraiser for them and most of the middle school-aged kids would want to go. I was puzzled as seemed to be non-existent in the community before then. Two days later after being notified of the middle school fundraiser dance, we learned that the Boys and Girls Club 15 miles away was not only throwing a fundraiser dance the same weekend, but they were hiring the Number One Seattle hip hop radio station to DJ it......
Caught completely off guard, I met with my team to discuss situation. We knew that with three events on the same night that the youth were going to be skipping between the three to find where the most people were. We knew from history this frequently leads to someone throwing a party full of negative behavior and our plans for a positive, safe environment would likely backfire.
That weekend was a bust. We had very few youths stay all night. Many popped in as they went between dances and they all ended up creating a house party. I was disappointed, not that we didn't throw a successful event, but that we had failed our youth and created an environment encouraging the behavior we were all working desperately to avoid. I was truly sad. In evaluating the situation, I made contact with the other two programs and learned they were disappointed as well. The Boys and Girls Club lost out on money and the soccer club did not make nearly as much as planned. The kids just did not stay or come into their events.
It was at this time I began looking for solutions. I researched my city, county, state, and finally the nation looking for an existing program we could implement for our community where organizations, no matter their affiliation, could input their events, listing programs available, hours of operation, and the services provided. I was astonished to learn there was no such program. I began looking for any program in existence that would allow the staff of different organizations in the same community to communicate between them. There was nothing. At the time, most were already overwhelmed with meetings, commissions, coalitions and staff meetings in their own organizations. Creating a new one wasn't a valid option.
It was at this time I began designing the CAN Project because I asked the question, if I didn’t do something, who would? I also realized that if I didn't know what I wanted the resource to look like, how would I recognize a resource that would provide the solution to the needs at hand?
For 19 years I have been designing and developing the CAN Project. I was hopeful someone smarter would create and implement a solution...but there has yet to be one developed. I have seen many sad things happen to youth, families, communities, and programs because such a resource has not been designed, developed, and implemented. I have witnessed many tragedies that could have been avoided with a resource like the CAN Project. Friends I grew up with when I started this journey have had children who are now having their own children. I have seen many of them suffer because such a resource does not exist.
I have decided now is the time for me to begin this journey to fulfill the CAN Project and implement it across the United States of America. I cannot do this alone. I need people like you who are taking the time to read this to assist me—to become a part of the fundraising effort by becoming a member, buying a discount card, a tee-shirt, making a donation, or by forwarding our information on to others with a belief and willingness to be a part of our success in making a difference in communities across the nation. Together we can make a difference, and I look forward to you being a part.
The CAN Project started 19 years ago from one person’s experience and imagination, but it can become a reality with your participation.
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