Community Action
Youth Action Hudson was originally established under the name Community
Action in 1981. This came about because a coalition of concerned
community members was motivated by the negative effects that substance
abuse was having on their local community to promote awareness of
problem. The coalition's main focus in those early days was community
education through a series of "awareness lectures" and print education.
With its original background in adult alcohol and chemical abuse,
Community Action's transition to serving youth in 1995 naturally
brought them into youth substance abuse prevention and education. Later,
the emphasis on prevention was expanded on to include educating youth
on service, leadership, healthy relationships, violence prevention and
community life. Propelled by a volunteer coalition whose
mission was to create opportunities for youth, Community Action worked
to give youth the chance to get involved in their community and to build
healthy relationships with their peers.
Community Action evolved to incorporate an organizational structure that was intended to more effectively and efficiently manage the direct needs of the youth in the area as life was becoming increasingly more fast paced for our young adults. Wanting to stay closely connected to those they served, in 1999, the Youth Advisory Board was established to ensure that all Community Action activities were youth-driven and youth-led. In 2000 Community Action received its first AmeriCorps Volunteers and in 2001 Community Action hired its first Executive Director. In 2002, Community Action created a Program Coordinator position designed to coordinate all youth initiatives and programs and supervise the AmeriCorps Volunteers' efforts.
Community Action evolved to incorporate an organizational structure that was intended to more effectively and efficiently manage the direct needs of the youth in the area as life was becoming increasingly more fast paced for our young adults. Wanting to stay closely connected to those they served, in 1999, the Youth Advisory Board was established to ensure that all Community Action activities were youth-driven and youth-led. In 2000 Community Action received its first AmeriCorps Volunteers and in 2001 Community Action hired its first Executive Director. In 2002, Community Action created a Program Coordinator position designed to coordinate all youth initiatives and programs and supervise the AmeriCorps Volunteers' efforts.
Establishing Youth Action Hudson
In August 2008, board and
staff members began work to move the agency forward in a new three-year
strategic planning process that resulted in a new name and a revised
mission statement that would better reflect to the community the focus
of this agency. The name, Youth Action Hudson (YAH), was created
and selected by the youth working with our programs and approved by the
Youth Advisory Board. The efforts of our youth, staff, and board
members didn't go unrecognized, and we were fortunate enough to receive two
important grants that allowed us to increase the capacity of our organization.
The first grant, through the St. Croix Community Foundation and Hugh J
Andersen Foundation, was used first to implement the first Youth Action
Hudson website and the other, from the Otto Bremer Foundation, allowed
us to expand our executive director position from part time to full
time for two years.
Youth Action Hudson has since continued to expand and improve its programming as we perpetually work to provide youth opportunities to grow as capable individuals and compassionate community members.
Youth Action Hudson has since continued to expand and improve its programming as we perpetually work to provide youth opportunities to grow as capable individuals and compassionate community members.
