Exciting Message From the Himoff Family:
In addition to owning and operating Point O’Pines Camp for Girls and Jimbo’s Club at the Point, we have owned and operated Suzie Q’s Restaurant. Our vision for Suzie Q’s has been to provide year-round employment to local residents and offer delicious, reasonably priced meals to the community in a beautiful, Adirondack-style building that reflects the stunning landscape of the North Country.
Over the past thirty-two years, we have been fortunate to have worked with hundreds of wonderful children. We know that solid educational opportunities, feeling healthy and safe, and experiencing community support are essential foundations for positive development. We have seen firsthand how dedicated mentors such as teachers, camp staff, coaches, and many others can greatly enrich the lives of children and promote future success. We are also acutely aware that for many communities and families, economic hardship is a substantial barrier to prosperity.
In our own Adirondack community, budget restraints limit the extra services that are provided to help engage students in education and prepare them for a lifetime of success. Dedicated and talented teachers in our local school work to provide the best opportunities for their students, but the resources available to them are increasingly limited. There are children and families in our community who are hungry and living in poverty. When basic needs are unmet, it becomes increasingly difficult for children to have positive educational experiences.
We feel incredibly fortunate to have resources that we can dedicate to help ameliorate the impact of economic challenges on our community. We are very pleased to announce that we have donated the Suzie Q’s building and land to the Family YMCA of the Glens Falls Area, and have provided initial financial support for programming. Using this gift, the Family YMCA of the Glens Falls Area is launching an innovative Adirondack outreach center. The vision for this center is that it will provide the foundation for community partnerships focused on enriching the lives of children and families in our Adirondack home. We believe this project will become a model for other similar ventures that can be established to address unmet needs throughout the Adirondack region. The Y intends to fund the ongoing costs of operation through grants and the generosity of local residents and businesses.
This summer, the center will collaborate with the North Warren School District to expand its “No More Learning Gap” summer program to our area. Beginning July 5th, about 30 rising 1st and 2nd graders will begin a six-week learning and enrichment program that will improve reading skills so students are better equipped for success in the upcoming school year. Additional programs will be launched during the school year to address pressing needs throughout our community. The overarching goal for these programs will be to guide local youth down a path to success by helping them discover and achieve their educational and vocational aspirations.
We will continue to work closely with the Y to support their mission of promoting community involvement. Our lives have been greatly enhanced through our involvement in service to important causes in our community. This summer, we will provide opportunities for our older Point O’Pines campers to enrich their own lives by participating in an optional service project with the Y where they can mentor young children in the “No More Learning Gap” program.
We are delighted to be part of such an important development in our Adirondack community. We are certain that this initiative will provide an essential platform that will help children in the North Country realize their full potential.
