Growing Pains

​Dear SSYO Family & Friends,
​
We hope this message finds you in high spirits and good health. Thank you all very much for your continued prayers, love, and support. It is with great joy and excitement that we share with you that we are back at full capacity for our RISE After School program. This means we have 24 students currently attending with a waitlist forming. This is particularly great news, as we haven't been at full capacity for our After School program for over six years! Our staff are overjoyed to have the building buzzing with life again to this extent!

As you all know though, growth comes with challenges in the form of “growing pains.” Our biggest challenge now, is adding to our Program Staff in order to maintain an ideal staff-to-student ratio. One of our biggest program strengths is the ability to invest in personal relationships with each student as a result of healthy ratios. We also need additional Staff in order to accommodate unforeseen sicknesses and/or vacation time for other Program Staff. With these things in mind, we are currently looking to add another member to our SSYO Staff asap. It's critical that we find the right person who will fit the culture and mission well. We humbly ask that you all keep this need in your thoughts and prayers as we search.

Regardless of the pains and/or challenges that come with growth, we look forward with excitement to the challenge. Someone told me once, “Don’t ever start to complain when God gives you what you once prayed for.” We've been praying for growth since COVID hit and now it's here. So please keep us in your prayers for the search and funding needed in order to hire the new addition. Great things are happening here at SSYO and you all are vital to ensuring great things continue to happen. The future is ridiculously bright here at SSYO. Strong, young lives will continue to be built in our city, as long as we’re able to keep moving forward. Thank you all again for your various contributions toward the mission and work of SSYO. We love and appreciate you all!

Sincerely,
Jake Moevao

Jake Moevao

Liavaa Iakopo Moevao is known to most as “Jake.” Jake is the Executive Director here at SSYO. Prior to joining the team here, Jake served as a Youth Pastor at Calvary Corvallis & is currently coaching high school varsity football at Santiam Christian School. Jake is very passionate about doing family & leadership well. Outside of work, Jake loves spending time with his wife & daughters, hanging out with family, traveling, watching sports, and having time alone to play sports video games.