“No worries, this is a stellar organization, this is why I do what I do for it.”

It is people like Jamie that make Spectrum what it is.

I wrote about them the other day, they are Princeton students who are holding a retreat at the Vermont Zen Center, they went to our drop-in center yesterday to do community service. Justin Verrette, our coordinator, was raving about it—he said it was “awesome.” Evidently, they did a lot of cleaning and organizing, and then one of the females who loves to cook prepared an incredible lunch for the kids. To top it off, over lunch, this very diverse group of young people shared about their diverse religions and backgrounds. Justin said it was fascinating. He let one of the Princeton students go out with the Street Outreach team and the student was deeply grateful. Another one of them, he said, wants to come back again this week if at all possible before they leave. So all and all it went very, very well.

It was quite an ordeal making it to D.C. last night for the presentation on Capitol Hill naming Spectrum as Agency of the Year. The National Network for Youth put it on and it was worth the various planes, trains and automobiles (cab actually) I had to take during the winter storm to get there. There were a few hundred people there, youth workers from around the country, including Hawaii, California and Oregon. Very impressive, and several congressmen and women too.

I said that I accept the award on behalf of our incredibly dedicated staff, our volunteers and our board, but also on behalf of the young people whom we serve, that in many respects they are the real heros, most of them having come from backgrounds of abuse, poverty, neglect, abandonment, domestic violence and sexual abuse. “It takes incredible determination, tenacity, and will to come from that and create a life of happiness and meaning,” I said. “This award, it is for them.”

A few weeks ago I wrote about Fr. Charlie Ranges, the pastor of the church my wife and I attend in Essex Junction, and how he donated the money that was in his wallet when it was lost. (He found it in the dumpster and gave us $144.)

Today he mailed us a $50 check with this note:

“Once again St. Anthony came through. Sr. Yvonne couldn’t find her keys and Sr. Marion showed up with them. Thank you St. Anthony, who told me to send $50 to Spectrum for a favor received.”

Thanks Fr. Charlie!

Earlier today, members of the Vermont Zen Center participated in a ceremony to pay homage to Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. This bodhisattva, the archetype of our compassionate selves, is said to be the “hearer of the cries of the world.” She is often depicted with 1,000 hands and 1,000 eyes so that she may aid all those in need. Participants dedicate the ceremony to those in need by placing a card with the person’s name on it on a special altar. And this year, Zen Center members also made a donation to Spectrum to help our youth in need.

Also, young people who are members of the Princeton Religious Life Council will be doing community service at our drop-in center and shelter tomorrow. This will include preparing lunch and sharing their stories with our youth over the meal. This very diverse group (Hindu, Buddhist, Judeo-Christian, Muslim) is on a retreat at the Vermont Zen Center, which serves as a way to incorporate new members. Students share their spiritual autobiographies, describing the relationship between their religious practice and their family background. They visit places of worship, organize prayers, meditation, and meetings with religious leaders, and spend an afternoon doing volunteer work. At the end of each day, they take time for reflection, conversation, questions and debriefing.

A week ago the five boys in our Murray Street group home were woken up at 4:30am when a faulty sprinkler head went off and flooded the house. We have put them up in the Hawthorne Suites nearby since then, and last night one of our staff, Patrick Farnsworth, went to the Hannaford’s on Dorset Street to pick up food for the boys. He shopped and rung up $132.34 worth of items and then found out that the cashier/store would not accept our check. This was mind boggling since we use this same procedure every week at the Hannaford’s on North Avenue. The clerk was going to have Patrick return all the items to the shelves when the man behind him in line said, “You’re from Spectrum? Let me just pay for it.” He put it on his card and Patrick was able to get the food over to the kids. His name was John Canning. I just called him at his home to thank him for this incredibly kind and generous act. “It was the least I could do,” he told me.

An example of the incredible goodness of people.

I have been at Spectrum almost exactly six years, and the first week I was on the job, back in 2003, I decided to go meet the Burlington police chief to introduce myself. Her name was Alanna Ennis, and when I walked into her office, and told her I was the new E.D. at Spectrum, her immediate response was, “Boy, do you have a long way to go to get the reputation of your agency back.”

I tell that story now because I received the following letter the other day from the CEO of the National Network for Youth:

Dear Mark,

On behalf of the National Network for Youth I would like to thank you for the work you have done and the example you set for work on behalf of runaway and homeless youth in your community. The Agency of the Year Award is presented to a National Network member agency to honor the vital role that youth agencies play in the healthy development of youth, families and communities.

This award will be presented at our Annual Awards Celebration and Congressional Reception on Tuesday evening from 6:30-8:30 pm on Capitol Hill. The reception will be held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building room G-50. Other awards will be given to youth, adults, and organizations whose outstanding achievements have significantly advanced the field of youth development and youth services.

Victoria A. Wagner
Chief Executive Officer

It has been quite a transformation, and journey, from that initial encounter six years ago, to this. This national award is a tribute to our dedicated staff and board. It is something to be proud of.

I received this email from one of our staff, he has been here about 4 years and has worked with troubled youth for over 30 years:

“I really mean it when I say that this is the greatest place to do the work I love most.”