Uncle Comes Through With Study Books
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Del.icio.usUncle Jack has come through again, and the teachers at Olomana School’s HYCF campus want everyone to know it.
A longtime friend of the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility, Kaneohe businessman and soccer king Jack Sullivan recently purchased five sets of new World Book encyclopedias and five sets of five dictionaries for Olomana’s incarcerated students. That means writing checks for about $3,000.
“He called up, as he usually does, and said, ‘I’m here, do you need anything?’ and I just blurted it out,” said Melissa Zen, teacher in charge of the long-term boys. “He’s come through a lot for us, and hardly anybody knows what he does here.”
Zen explained that the students are required to do one hour of homework every night, yet they can’t look anything up when they have a question. “These are the kinds of resources that they would have at home,” yet she said there are woefully few reference materials to assist them in their institutional living quarters, and all of the books are in use or too old. The problem has continued for more than one year.
“One set of encyclopedias there is of 1968 vintage,“she recalled. Another hurdle is that DOE materials can be used only under supervision.
In addition to the long-term boys, living units for the girls and the short-term boys will share in the bounty. It may not make homework a joy, but it will speed up the learning process after hours.
Sullivan is known worldwide for his commitment to youth soccer, and he helped establish AYSO in Hawaii in 1974 with inaugural games at HYCF. He’s played Santa Claus at the women’s prison and the youth facility. More recently “Uncle Jack” created a non-profit vehicle to assist the facility -the HYCF’s Citizens Liaison Committee. One example that stands out for Zen is the Student of the Month Club.
“Jack and Dr. Peter Kim will get others to donate to the fund so we can reward the students, show movies and take them on field trips. We even went bowling.”
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