LIHU‘E — Young Life ministries has been around for almost 70 years, bringing together middle- and high-school children through weekly club meetings. About 15 years ago, however, a visionary California man decided to use the program to reach out to
LIHU‘E — Young Life ministries has been around for almost 70 years, bringing together middle- and high-school children through weekly club meetings. About 15 years ago, however, a visionary California man decided to use the program to reach out to children with disabilities.
Nick Palermo was volunteering with Young Life in 1980 when a group of 25 children in wheelchairs showed up. Six years later he officially launched the Young Life Capernaum ministry. Since then they have expanded to 148 club ministries in the United States, and in 12 countries.
“We’re specifically focused on kids with disabilities, and we pull some of the able-bodied kids in Young Life to kinda reverse-mainstream it.”
Now, for the first time, Capernaum ministries have arrived in Hawai‘i, and the first place they’re coming is Kaua‘i, thanks to Ana Munoz, a devoted mother of a special-needs child.
Munoz sent her daughter to a Capernaum Camp over the summer in Arizona. After seeing how positive the experience was, she decided to contact Palermo and try to set up a club on Kaua‘i.
Palermo and his wife Sue came to Kaua‘i this week specifically to support Munoz to set up the club here, and is encouraging special-needs children to pair up with able-bodied youth leaders. In the process, the lives of everyone significantly changes for the better, he said. Palermo said the club is open to children of all persuasions.
The first Capernaum club meeting takes place today from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Lihu‘e Missionary Church, on Rice Street next to Chevron gas station across from the Historic County Building.
Munoz said all are welcome to attend, although the club will be more focused toward middle- and high-school children. She said the club has already 25 volunteers, and will likely meet monthly.
Munoz said the children play music and games, eat pizza, do skits, and share messages from the Bible.
