HIWAY

HIWAY (which stands for Homer’s Involvement With Adults and Youth) was formed in 1995 by a group of citizens who met to discuss ways to improve life in Homer.  Not that life in Homer was bad but there were some concerns.  A survey was completed in town and three issues surfaced. Those were 1) a lack of police protection 2) nothing for the kids to do 3) need for a community center.  The group decided to address the first two concerns by applying for a Crime Commission grant that would get some activities going for the kids.  The thought was that if the kids were provided with opportunities for activities, that the need for police protection would decrease.  The group was successful and received a grant of federal dollars from the Crime Commission.  A coordinator was hired and the activities began, both for kids and families.

HIWAY was incorporated in December, 1996 and received its 501©3 tax exempt status from the IRS the following year.

In the Spring of 1998, HIWAY bought a building in downtown Homer and turned it from an eye sore into a viable community center.  It took the work of many volunteers, private foundation grants and personal contributions to make this happen.  A grand opening of “The Emporium” was held during Alumni Weekend in June, 1998, a short 3 months after the building was purchased.  The Emporium contains a 900 sq. ft. entertainment center on one side with coin-operated games, snack bar, booths with checker boards painted on, tv/vcr/video games. The other side contains a licensed child care center for child care before and after school and all day care for pre-schoolers, toddlers and infants.  It also contains a kitchen and large meeting room that is available to the public.  A lending library and the home of the ‘Homer Days & Knights Newspaper’  is also found in the Emporium.

HIWAY is a separate community-based entity that has a Board of Directors who serve on a volunteer basis to guide the activities that are planned to meet the needs of the whole community.  In addition, there are many volunteers who help with the activities and programs that make HIWAY the success that it is today and will continue to be.