“I’m always going to be there for her even if what we’re doing isn’t very inspirational; she knows I’ll be there.” ~Sally Cook, Spectrum Mentor for over 3 years~

Dear Mark:

I write to offer my warmest congratulations to you and your associates in being

chosen as “Agency of the Year” by the National Network for Youth.

Under your leadership and inspiration, Spectrum Youth and Family Services has

developed into an agency that is truly dedicated to the mental and physical well

being for at risk and homeless youth in Vermont. For nearly forty years, your

team has offered shelter, counseling and support to all those youth in critical

need, and has served more than 700 youth in just this past year.

As you know, it is critically important that the youngest generation of

Vermonters receives the best care and assistance available if they are to flourish

in life. Your agency embraces this philosophy and ensures that services such as

counseling for substance abuse and mental health, job development, supply of

hot meals, shelter and health care can all be accessed through one agency. It is a

true testament to your organization’s spirit that you be described as a “model

for all agencies” by Victoria Wagner, President of the National Network for

Youth.

Again, congratulations to you and all those individuals who have devoted their

lives in making Spectrum Youth and Family Services a “model for all agencies”.

I thank you and all your colleagues for your generous gift to our community.

Sincerely,

BERNARD SANDERS

United States Senator

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.

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 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.”

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.