Youth from Spectrum’s Single Room Occupancy (SRO) have been taking a weekly cooking class at Healthy Living. They are learning cooking skills that will be helpful now and in the future. And they are making fabulous meals! Check out this great article about the class in today’s issue of Seven Days:

Starting from Scratch: A local market is teaching young adults to ditch the dollar menu.
Seven Days, July 14

Last Wednesday I found out there were no AC’s in the four shelter bedrooms, and the kids were sweltering up there at night.  I called Lowe’s (no ACs in either store), Costco (same thing) and was about to give up when I tried one more place and found four.  Our staff went and picked them up, and a contractor popped them in the windows, which was great because it was another night of 90 degree plus weather. 

The next day I received this handwritten thank you card:

To Mark Redmond:

We the Spectrum shelter clients would like to express our appreciation for the time generously spent obtaining our air conditioners.  Many people take comfort for granted until it is lost.  Thank you for utilizing Spectrum funds and time for our comfort.  

It was signed by all the youth living in the shelter.  Very nice gesture on their part.

Incredible night at Healthy Living last night! Owner Katy Lesser and staff Nina Lesser-Goldsmith and Kim Cotton held a class there with the youth from our SRO, teaching them how to cook a wonderful chicken dinner, using healthy, organic ingredients, and all for free.  I attended as did staff members Bryonne Johnson, Ciaran Gilmore and Heather Pleva.  Take a look at the pictures, the kids were so attentive and got so much out of it, and Katy, Nina and Kim were awesome.  Seven Days sent a reporter and photographer, look for the story in next weeks’ edition.

One of our Spectrum youth is participating in the Governor’s Institute this summer, thanks to the generosity of  a private donor whose daughter benefited from the Insitute several years ago and wanted one of our kids to benefit as well.   This is a note I just received from the director of the Institute:

Dear Mark,

Just a note to let you know that our Spectrum kid at the Current Issues Institute is doing great, and we really appreciate all you and your staff have done to make this possible for her.  An added benefit is that she is very open about being in the foster care system, and this is making it a richer experience for many of the other teens there.  Thanks again and we look forward to working together in the future!

Best,

Karen Taylor Mitchell

7 Days wrote such a great story about Spectrum mentor Bill West, and they opened the story with the tale of Bill helping a Spectrum youth get his driver’s license.  Here is the email exchange between the young man’s mentor, Bob Hallowell, and Bill West, right after the youth passed his driving test:

Bob Hallowell wrote:

David told me he got his license!! This could not have happened without your kind help. Please understand that you have made a big difference in David’s life–especially at a time when I and many other members of the ”Spectrum team” are working really hard to help David get a job in his field of welding. Provable ”reliable transportation” is a requisite of most of the job opportunities.

I hope David was able to express some sort of gratitude for what you did for him. As we have discussed in our mentor meetings, the types of thank-you’s we may be used to are not always that forthcoming from our mentees. Thanks so much Bill!

-Bob

Bill West wrote:

Bob,

It was certainly my pleasure.  David was a good driver to start – he just needed to know the fundamentals of parallel parking and the proper sequence of steps for the “hill start” and “Vermont turnaround”.  I worked with him for two one-hour sessions and then again on the morning of his test.  He showed good self confidence until we realized he was going to get the examiner who failed him before.  The examiner presents himself as unfriendly, tough and unsympathetic (who knows if that’s the way he really is).  As we were waiting, he failed the middle-aged man in the car beside us which certainly didn’t help things.  After returning from the road trip, when David threw the thumbs-up at me, I was probably just as ecstatic as he was.  One of the first things he said was, “Now I can get a job”.   How much more rewarding can it get?!

-Bill

Meredith Evans and her mentee Tonya recently celebrated their three year match anniversary with Spectrum.

In June 2007, Spectrum’s Mentoring Program was fortunate to have the opportunity to “adopt” a few matches from Essex CHIPs which was ending their mentoring program at that time.  One of the matches that this included was Meredith and Tonya.  This match was also unique because, at that time, they essentially lived in each others’ backyards.  This made getting together spontaneously very easy and the two quickly developed a strong bond.  Meredith writes, “Though we’re pretty different, we find enjoyment in each other’s activities.  We also enjoy shopping, watching movies, and cooking together.”

When Tonya first found out that Meredith would be moving out of Essex and into Burlington, she was afraid that their relationship would drastically change or that Meredith wouldn’t make the trip back to Essex to see her.  This has definitely not been the case.  This pair continues to get together regularly, often doing a project at Meredith’s house, catching a show at the Flynn, snacking on ice cream, and shopping at the area malls.  They’ve also shared in each other’s interest—Meredith has seen Tonya perform with her school’s cheerleading team and Tonya has taken up scrapbooking that incorporates Meredith’s love of photography.  According to Meredith, “We’re learning from each other and broadening our horizons so our being somewhat different has really enhanced our relationship.”

Congratulations for being matched for three years!

This is a great article about one of Spectrum’s volunteer mentors Bill West.  After a liver transplant, West devotes his life to doing good. He is an inspiration to us all, and this piece in today’s Seven Days explains why.

Promises Kept, Seven Days

http://www.7dvt.com/2010promises-kept

This is one of my favorite photos, it is of one of our mentoring pairs. Muna is age 10 and lives in Burlington. Her mentor is Jennifer James. They have been matched through Spectrum’s mentoring program for almost two years now, in fact, this July will be their anniversary. Muna has four siblings and all of them have mentors, either through Spectrum or the Burlington Boys and Girls Club. I know their mother and she is very grateful for the support these mentors provide. I am sure that Jennifer is having a powerful impact on Muna’s life, and I am grateful she has devoted her time and energy in this way for the last two years.

And here is the early report from owner Katy Lesser:
“Mark, We just completed our first night with the SRO kids in the Learning Center. AWESOME!!! It went so well, with everyone starting to feel comfortable, eating like mad and having a ball. We are looking forward to the next session where they’ll really start cooking. It’s going to be great!”

p.s. Katy won the Vermont Small Business Association award last week, I was there for the ceremony at the Shelburne Farms Coach Barn, congratulations to her, a very inspiring night.

This Wednesday, I was interviewed by Melinda Moulton on the CCTV show “On the Waterfront.” It was a great opportunity to discuss Spectrum’s programs from violence prevention to transitional housing as well as the trends we are seeing in Vermont’s homeless and at-risk youth population. Check it out online.

On the Waterfront: Spectrum Youth and Family Services