This person donated to us on-line and in response to the question, “Why did you donate to Spectrum?” he wrote:

“You helped and saved our son and we will never forget it.”

From a first time donor:

“I’ve read about your program and the amazing impact you have had on at-risk youth. I am a firm believer in helping our most vulnerable citizens first and I fear that often people tend to look the other way or give their money elsewhere when the ones in need are troubled and at-risk teenagers. I am also impressed with your ability to use your available funds wisely and efficiently. (I recall reading that you were able to provide 2 or 3 hot meals for the same amount of money for which another organization was able to provide a cold lunch and snack.) Kudos to you for the amazing job you do.”

I gave a speech about Spectrum a few weeks ago, and our work with homeless teens, and received this beautiful letter from someone there:

“Dear Mark,

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with us. It was a real eye-opener for all of us to hear about the many people you are helping at Spectrum around the state of Vermont, as well as to hear about your own success stories. As a retired schoolteacher myself, it is heart-warming. We had no idea the Spectrum staff was so large and doing so much around the state.

The day after you spoke, I was talking with a gentleman at a local business where I work part-time, and he was raving, as he often does, about the help Spectrum is giving his grandson at one of your homes. This man says it is the first time a counselor has gotten this boy to open up, after a long time coming. After hearing you, and then hearing him, I can see that many impossible dreams can come true. Change can happen with heroic efforts like yours and your teams and we are forever thankful.”

This is a follow up to my last entry, describing the interactions between legislators and a dozen or so youth last Wednesday night.

We started off the hour going around the room with introductions. One one young man introduced himself by saying, “My name is Ed and I am the first one in my family to graduate from high school.” (I know the family and it is true.)

A young woman who was present talked about her addiction to drugs, and going to rehab, and said, “If I had left there, and returned to my home town, Rutland, I guarantee you I would have gone right back to drugs, hanging around the same old friends and the same surroundings. But I came here instead, to Spectrum, and now I am living in the SRO (our transitional living residence in Burlington), and I see a Spectrum drug counselor, and I am clean and drug-free. You get the support you need here. You are living with other young people who are like you, struggling to do the right thing, to stay away from drugs, to live a positive life.”

There were several sentiments like that, young people talking about the support they get at Spectrum and how our organization is helping them.

It made me feel very proud to be part of Spectrum, that we are really doing something worthwhile to help young people who have very significant needs.

At the end of the hour, one legislator said, “I am going now to a dialogue night in South Burlington, to talk with parents and students there, and the youth there have problems with drugs and alcohol abuse, but it still pales in comparison to the situations you young people face. No one in that community is facing sleeping on the streets, especially in the winter. We have to find a way to get your stories out into the broader community.”

Another legislator asked if we can get our kids to Montpelier to speak to the legislature in 2009, same idea, “They need to know what is happening with homeless youth in our state.”

Every year at this time we invite all newly-elected legislators to come to our drop-in center for a 90-minute session with our staff, board members, and most important of all, youth from our various programs. We did it again the other night, and 8 legislators showed up, including one city councilor and 7 state senators or reps. We had about 15 of our kids there, some who live in our shelter, others in our transitional living residence (the SRO), others who access our drop-in center.

It was an enlightening hour, to say the least. Here are snippets of some of the dialogue:

A legislator asked of our youth, “How many of you have ever been homeless and had to sleep outside?”

Almost all hands went up.

“How many of you know kids who are sleeping outside tonight?” (It was about 30 degrees that night.)

Again, almost all hands shot up.

“Where did you sleep outside?”

Answers were: the woods, park benches, a parking garage, doorways.

“How difficult is it to get drugs in this city?”

Answers: “I can walk down Church St now and purchase any drug I want by approaching the right people.” “I can get drugs at Burlington High School very easily.”

Another question: “If you could go back five years, what was your life like and what could you do differently so that you would not end up homeless?”

Answers: “I grew up in a crack house.” “My parents drank a fifth of vodka almost every night and beat each other up, that was my childhood.” “I lived with my father until I told him I was gay, and then he put me out and I was on the streets.”

The other thing that came across very strongly was the expressed desire among so many youths to have had limits put on their behavior. “I wish my parents had known I was using drugs and tried to do something to stop me.” “I was snorting lines of cocaine in school, I wish someone there had at least told me to stop.” It was very interesting, I have been talking with my peers in this field about this for years, but it confirmed my belief that young people may SAY they don’t want limits on their behavior, but in reality they need limits and want limits, and we as parents and educators don’t do them any favors by not providing limits.

I will probably write about this night further in another blog entry, there is still more to say about what legislators learned and I learned.

“Do you like ice cream and charity?” This is the question that a couple of Spectrum youth were asking mall-goers last night. Ben & Jerry’s at the University Mall in South Burlington partnered with Spectrum to help raise money for our 3rd trip to help rebuild New Orleans. Mall-goers donated a dollar to Spectrum and they got a FREE ice cream coupon from Ben & Jerry’s. We raised $388 dollars that will be matched by Ben & Jerry’s.

We will be back at the Mall and B and J’s in a few weeks. The determination of our kids and staff to raise the money to get back to N.O. is incredible.

“This article is a follow up to one that ran last year about one of our “mentees.” This is an incredibly inspirational family, they have some enormous challenges but face them ALL with dignity, determination and lots of love. I’ve come to really love this family in the years that I’ve worked with them.In addition, Alicia’s mentor—Terri Gerard—will be honored in January as our National Mentoring Month Mentor of the Year. I believe that Alicia will present her with this award.One of the many reasons that I LOVE my job!” -Deanna Cameron, Spectrum’s Volunteer Coordinator

Read her story, it truly is a dream come true.

… “She came home and said, ‘Mom, they’re just like us,’” said Binti Miller, Alicia’s grandmother. “I am happy that she doesn’t treat people as rich or poor, black or white, she just sees them as people. Because that’s what we are, we’re all people, and they’re all kids.”