Written by Tanya Terry
The Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation is extending a unique invitation to teens age 14-17. Through the Step Forward Program, the teens can receive the benefits of a one year teen membership at the YMCA of Greater Flint, a Teen Literacy Program with Dort Financial Credit Union, post high school education and certification options, a Workforce Readiness Workshop and volunteer service opportunity with the Foundation and the Flint YMCA.
Karrie Kuzma recently talked to the Courier about what inspired the creation of the program.
“The YMCA was just about to open up, and the CEO took me on a tour when it opened,” she said. “When I was there, she told me kids had been coming in getting day passes, and some of them are coming a few times a week. She said she didn’t know why they didn’t just get a membership. A membership is only $29 per month for teens. She said the day passes were $15. So, that’s two visits if they’re coming for a week, versus 30 days for a membership. So I said” ‘Well, maybe we can pay for some memberships for some teens.'”
Karrie Kuzma talked to her son, Kyle Kuzma, a professional basketball player for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. Initially, she asked him about getting 30 teens the memberships.
“We’ve always wanted to do a program with financial literacy,” shared Karrie Kuzma. “We thought: ‘Maybe we can tie in the whole thing.’ Kyle said: ‘Let’s do it.'”
Karrie Kuzma shared that when she talked to the Flint YMCA’s CEO, Shelly Hilton, she decided the Foundation would enable 40 teens to get memberships, instead of the initial 30 she had spoken of previously.
One advantage of the program, Karrie Kuzma pointed out was that the teen program participants can learn a trade.
“Let’s say they don’t want to go to college, and they want to be an electrician, or a plumber, or if they want to be a hygienist or a massage therapist. There are other things they can do. So, let’s show them what they can do.
“It keeps them out the street. That was the other thing that Kyle and I talked about. And maybe it can bring the next Kyle – because they get to use that facility and benefit from it.”
At the end of the program, the teens’ parents will be asked to come with their children. Karrie said the hope is that the parents will, at this time, open a savings account for their teens.
“There’s a lot of people in Flint that are lower income – that just go to a check cashing place. But, you loose money when you have to pay those fees. It’s so much easier to have a bank account and have direct deposit. That’s kind of what we were hoping for with that program.”
The application period for the program has opened for the Step Forward Program. Karrie Kuzma said the program will take place once a week, with 10 kids in each weekly session.
For more information, or to register a teen in the Step Forward Program, use the QR code below see the flyer at the YMCA of Greater Flint Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FlintYMCA
