Welcome to the Roy Maas' Youth Alternatives, Inc. (RMYA) website. I write this letter to you today with great anticipation, excitement, and optimpism. We are truly hopeful that this site will educate our visitors about the services we offer, the children we serve and ways that you can help us make a difference in the lives of our less fortunate children.
Since working with RMYA for well over a quarter of a century, I have been reflecting on how things were when I started compared to how things are today. Needless to say, we have grown in every aspect of the word. In 1982, I was hired as the Business Manager. I worked with Roy Maas and handled all the finances of the agency. At that time, we didn’t have computers and everything was done with a pencil and a legal pad. The Internet was unheard of and my Rolodex was a rubber band tied around a pack of business cards. Today as Chief Executive Officer, my responsibilities consist of the entire agency, each and every child, staff, and volunteer. I truly enjoy my work with children. I take pride in the services we offer and the manner in which we deliver them with love, trust, and hope. Personally, to say that we’ve grown would be a modest understatement, but I will let you be the judge. Since 1976 we have provided counseling and residential services to thousands of children, and today, we typically serve almost 3,500 children, youth and their families a year. RMYA has a well-deserved reputation in the community for providing quality services, and we are proud to have accreditation by the Council on Accreditation which ensures that best-case practices are utilized throughout the agency. We are honored to be the recipient of the 2008 San Antonio Ethics in Business Award in the Not For Profit Category, and we were one of 50 businesses selected as one of the San Antonio Express-News 2010 Top Workplaces. The Bridge has been the recipient of the highly competitive federal Runaway and Homeless Youth Grant since 1976, and provides services to about 400 children annually. The Counseling Center has been the recipient of the highly competitive state Services To At-Risk Youth Grant (STAR) provider for San Antonio and Bexar County, since 1984, and provides free Master’s level counseling services and crisis intervention for almost 3,000 children a year, and TurningPoint has been the recipient of the highly competitive federal Transitional Living Program Grant since 1999.
However, to me, the reason RMYA has been so successful is because of the dedication of our staff and the results we see in the children and families we serve. Today, we have over 160 experienced staff: 5 upper administrative staff have been with RMYA for 20+ years and over 1/3 of our staff have been with RMYA at least 5 years; 20% have Master’s degrees. These numbers are unheard of in the social work field. Agencies that provide services like ours report a high turnover rate because of the ‘burn-out’ factor. This field can be very draining, both physically and emotionally. Our statistics are rare and high because RMYA works together as a family. We work very hard to make sure that our staff feel they are supported. If any one of us feels that we need help in any area, project, or event, there is always someone to lend a hand. We depend on each other just as much as our children depend on us. Our work environment is a “Family Environment”. Yes, we are “co-workers”, but what keeps us striving for the best is that we are also family and we never feel alone. Which brings me to the “results”. We couldn’t continue working here as long as we have, nor can RMYA have the positive/professional reputation we have today if we didn’t see results in the children and families we serve. One of the greatest rewards of our work is the satisfaction that we made a positive impact on the life of a child, and in our case, in the lives of over 68,000 children over the last three decades. The biggest ‘pay off’ is when the children we once worked with return as adults to say thank you, and to bring us up to date on their lives. Today, many of our past residents have become chefs, probation officers, firefighters, a lawyer, and many other types of professionals. These successful adults give RMYA credit for their success. Although, not every child who comes through our doors may become a ‘white collar professional’, we take pride in knowing that RMYA has been part of the reason they have become productive citizens of our community. It doesn’t take much more than that to remind us that we are doing a great job and the impact we have on our abused and neglected children will live in their hearts forever.
I would like to thank you for being part of the Roy Maas' Youth Alternatives, Inc. Family. To all our volunteers, staff, supporters, and especially our children, we are family; brought together with love and commitment to improving the lives of others.
With respect & love,
