"I'm a first grader in training."

That's how tiny five year old Shawntae would try — at least once a week — to talk her way into joining the group of "big" kids who rushed inside her local community center every afternoon.

But this year, she was finally old enough to participate in the club's main activity.

Homework.

She joined KCCHA's Homework Club at Nollwood in West Bremerton, where at-risk kids get help with their schoolwork — and life. Many of these kids come from single-parent homes, where mom or dad often work two jobs, and don't get home in time to share a snack, hear about the day and look over the solution to a tough math problem. So teen and adult volunteers at the Bremerton and Silverdale Homework Clubs are there to help fill the gap. The program tracks the kids' test scores, intervenes if a child has special problems and often acts as a liaison with the school district.

The club is just one of a series of KCCHA-sponsored programs that have won national awards. These programs owe their success to dozens of dedicated volunteers, as well as generous grants and contributions from organizations like: HUD; KeyBank; the Bremerton and Central Kitsap School Districts; the YMCA; the Bremerton/Kitsap Health District; Camp Fire Boys and Girls; Silverdale Rotary; and Its Time for Kitsap Kids.

"It's important for kids to have positive role models," says Illene Harris, KCCHA Youth Program Coordinator. "They need to have people who believe in them and want them to succeed."

"Our whole philosophy is simple — we're building stronger communities — one child at a time."