Youth Dynamics: Investing in lives

MOSES LAKE — Laughter and chatter filled the banquet room at the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center Saturday night. The sort of true, genuine connection and conversation that happens when people gather for a singular cause they all whole heartedly believe in. That cause was Youth Dynamics (YD) and the more than 150 people who gathered for YD’s annual fundraising banquet and silent auction were more than willing to show their support to an organization that has invested in the lives of countless youth over the years.

YD has been a staple in Moses Lake for going on 21 years now, with a fundraiser, in some shape or form, being held each year of its existence. With the price for admission, a silent auction featuring a broad and diverse number of items to bid on and the popular “Dessert Dash,” which featured mouth watering pies, cakes and other delectables, the funds raised are instrumental in YD’s mission of investing in the lives of local youth.

Whether it was local pastors, businesses owners, parishioners or even judges, as Grant County Superior Court Judge David Estudillo and his wife Sandra attended, a true melting pot of the community came together for the event and pledged financial support.

“This is one of our events where we raise money for our building and scholarships,” YD Director Todd Welch explained. “It pays for the kids to go on trips. So adventure trips is kind of what our base is and what we do. Last year we raised $7,000. So we are shooting for $12,000 this year.”

YD as a whole grew out of an outreach in the Seattle area and has since branched out to 11 different locations, dubbed “communities” by YD, in Washington and Oregon. Primarily focusing on high school and middle school students, YD’s ministry takes kids on hiking, rafting, and various other trips and outings. The adventure-based outreaches allow YD staff to minister to the youth and send them back into their everyday lives with an experience they are sure never to forget.

“We are reaching kids that are pretty high risk. And we want to take them on adventure trips. So whether it’s rock climbing, or it’s backpacking, or it’s mountain biking, or it’s lake kayaking, we know that if we get them out of their comfort zone, we can get them to trust us. And that’s a big deal,” Welch said.

Back on the home front, YD’s East Third Avenue location in Moses Lake, which recently underwent a massive remodel, is open from 6-8 p.m. on Mondays and 3-5 p.m. on Wednesdays, offering local students a safe, fun environment to come to and, in some instances, find solitude in.

“So Monday’s nights we feed them, because most of our students don’t eat. And then we do a lot of interactive games and we usually have somebody share a testimony about what has been going on in their life,” Welch explained. “Then Wednesday nights we do rock climbing from 3 to 5. The rest of the time we are in the high school volunteering and helping out there.”

The amount of money raised through the event was not immediately available.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com