Fwd: Fw: Donation Email for KYAA activities in Atlanta.

[Sonny Poozhikala]

Hello Knanaya families, I am sending this e-mail on behalf of the KYAA 2018 Convention Committee. Please read their message below and donate through VENMO (@KYAA-Retreat) or Quickpay (kyaar...@gmail.com) or by sending a check payable to KYAA (500 S. Clinton St. Apt, 510, Chicago IL 60607).   

Dearest Knanaya Parents,

I recently read a series of emails regarding parent concerns for the youth programs at convention.One uncle raised concerns about the club/bar parties that are typically conducted every year for the 21+ age group. He questioned if these types of programs will help young adults to truly meet one another in a meaningful way.

As a young adult within our Knanaya community, I believe that there are many individuals who thrive in this environment (for instance, people who are extroverted/outgoing typically do well in this setting). These individuals are able to make meaningful connections and make new friends during those types of programs. Some of my own friends have met their current spouses at these types of programs. We would like to thank the Atlanta youth for organizing these events, because there many youth who enjoy and look forward to these types of programs. 

However, there are also many young adults who struggle with meeting people in this type of environment. Some of the challenges with the bar/club program is it is often very loud which makes it difficult to have conversation, or it's too big and people who are not extroverted can often feel lost or overwhelemd, or it can be centered around alcohol, etc. For many young adults the bar/club programs offer little opportunity to make new friends. Therefore, the Knanaya Young Adult Alliance (KYAA) has organized numerous alternative programs for this year’s convention. We have worked in conjunction with KCYL and the KCCNA’s Youth Chairman to organize these activities.

Our only goal is to host a variety of programs and activities that could reach all of young adults- no matter what their personality type is. For the daughter that prefers meeting people in small group setting centered around light-hearted competitive play or the son that enjoys collaborating with others... KYAA has created an activity for everyone.  

However, because KYAA is an independent organization led entirely by volunteers from within our own community, KCCNA and KCYL have not provided us with any funding for these events or other resources such as transportation or snacks. 

Therefore young adults have had to pay for these events out of their own pockets (even though they already paid a registration fee for convention). Many young adults are just beginning in their careers and they expressed that the cost of the programs were too expensive. So we reduced the cost/person for many of the events. This required us to raise $5,000.

If you are truly concerned about the safety of our youth at these bars/clubs and the value of the overall convention programs, please be generous and donate to KYAA.

What is the purpose of coming to convention and spending thousands of dollars on registration, travel, accommodation, etc... if our convention programs won’t help us to meet new people and eventually find a life partner? We should support these youth leaders who independently created a solution to the problems they've experienced. 

Below you can find a list of all the programs KYAA is organizing. 

Please remember we are not affiliated with KCCNA and we are VOLUNTEERS! We have put in many hours of planning to make this a better convention experience for all young adults... your own sons and daughters. However, unless we reach our goal of 5k, these programs will have to be canceled.

Some events organized by KYAA include:

Top Golf- A semi-outdoor game where players compete in small groups and try to score points by hitting golf balls at a giant dartboard. Many young adults have expressed that it is easier to meet new people in small groups and when alcohol is not the center of the activity. Therefore we have created an event at TopGolf Atlanta for this purpose. We will be splitting people up into small groups to play a golf games.

Escape Room- This program will also allow for small groups. Each small group will be “locked” in a room and will have to communicate and work together to find the key that unlocks the door so that they can escape. This program not only promotes meeting new people but working together towards a common goal.

Improv Class- This program will be conducted at the convention center itself. The class will begin with a short comedy show, and then will be followed by an improvisational comedy workshop. We will be in small groups for this activity as well. The class will teach individuals how to be more spontaneous, playful, creative, and to be a better listener. We encourage all young adults to attend this workshop.

Seminars on relationships- We are hosting two discussion programs throughout this week. First, we will discuss relationships- platonic relationships with our family/friends, being single and Kna, and marriage. Then, we will discuss our own Knanaya Kinship and how we relate to other communities. 

Senior Citizen Health Day- Our young adults wanted to take a moment during the convention weekend, to do an act of service for our senior citizens/ammachis and appachans (ages 60+). We will be taking vitals and conducting an exercise class for senior citizens. There are over 60 volunteers who have signed up for this event! 

Opening Youth Mass/Eucharistic Adoration- Although the youth always have a closing mass at the end of convention, we felt that it is important to recognize and emphasize our Catholic roots at the beginning of convention as well. Therefore, we will have an English Youth Mass to kickoff our convention programs and a Eucharistic Adoration to end our convention program.

Regards, 

KYAA Atlanta 2018 Convention Committee 

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