Newsletter fall 2010

Making a Difference. Changing Lives.™ Together, we are changing the lives of over 28,000 children, families and seniors.

Fall 2010

Upcoming Events

Hard at work at our Education Center

Thanksgiving Food Drives Oct/Nov

Although the sticky, humid weather outside may have led you to believe it was still summer on the last day of August, it was definitely fall inside Volunteers of America’s Education Center. While most of Minnesota was off at the State Fair, eating cheese curds and fried ice cream on a stick, our students were already back to school, hard at work.

You can help make Thanksgiving a special day for those in need. We are looking for groups to collect and deliver food to program sites the week of 11/12. www.ThankgivingBagsMN.org

Adopt a Family Oct/Nov/Dec You can add a special jingle to the upcoming holidays for those in need. We are looking for sponsors to “adopt” children, families, and individuals in need by purchasing and donating gifts and a meal.

Sponsor registration is open online. Gift drop-off dates are 12/10–12/11

www.AdoptaFamilyMN.org

Fund the Ride Sept/Oct Access to transportation for experiential learning trips is essential to the success of programming for our 3 alternative high schools.

Sadly, our oldest van recently “bit the dust,” leaving us with only 1 van for nearly 350 students. For ways you can support Fund the Ride, contact Vicki Testerman at 952-945-4063 or vtesterman@voamn.org or visit to www.FundtheRide.org

My name is Alex…

“My name is Alex and I’m a senior at North High school. I’ve been in [Volunteers of America-Minnesota’s Foster Care program] for about three years now. I like to think that not much has changed, but my whole world has changed. I wake up, go to school, but it’s different now. I’m in Advanced Placement classes, I’m getting college credits in high school. Not everyone [thrives] in foster care, at least that’s what they tell me. I like to believe different. You see, I don’t think I ever thought I’d be where I am today. I integrated completely into my new life. Not just academic changes, but attitude and lifestyle changes. I have become an excellent speaker and a student [leader] at my high school.

Continued on page 3

Take SALT High School student Joniqua for example, who spent the second day of English class working on her first writing assignment: recapping the events of her summer break.

It was eerily quiet in the SALT commons area, that is, until first period was over and students started spilling out of classrooms, talking a mile a minute, obviously excited to be back with their old classmates. Many of the students were wearing brand new backpacks, generously donated through our Operation Backpack program.

Continued on page 6

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One-on-one in the classroom “You need to relate to each child individually and on their level,” reports Dorothy Miller. “And, it takes both time and patience. Eventually, you discover you can make a real difference.”

Dorothy Miller, age 67, is a dedicated volunteer for our Experience Corps program which engages people over age 50 in boosting literacy and academic performance in urban schools.

After retiring from a long career as an education assistant and parent liaison at Andersen United School in Minneapolis, Ms. Miller has been working one-on-one with first graders at the same school since 2008.

“My work with Experience Corps is actually a continuation of what I did in the past,” says Ms. Miller. “I enjoy being in a school setting and it’s gratifying to know that I can help a child in their education and their life.”

Miller describes that she establishes a special connection with each of her

students in order to effectively engage them in learning. “You’ve got to find a way to reach each child, if you can.

Some are sad and lonely, others simply need a little help paying attention,” she explains.

One of her students, Tou*, isolated himself and would not speak. He liked to draw, so Ms. Miller bought him some colored pencils. “Drawing really helped him to open up,” she says.

After that, Ms. Miller was able to work with him to strengthen his reading skills.

“It’s a gradual process. You’ve got to let them know what you expect,” Miller states. “For example, boys like to play around, so I play around – to a point.” To illustrate, Miller describes Dwon* as a smart student who simply wasn’t reaching his potential because of assorted classroom shenanigans.

“I encouraged him to try harder and actually helped him more by helping him less,” she reveals.

Ms. Miller points out Experience Corps members are an important anchor for the kids in the classroom, but that the work can sometimes be grueling. So why does she do it?

“Experience Corps gives me a sense of purpose and something worthwhile to do, plus I enjoy being a part of the Experience Corps community. If you love what you are doing, it’s easier,” she reports. *Name has been changed to protect privacy.

Noteworthy tidbits Ten University of Minnesota medical students recently completed their service learning requirements by participating in our Unbefriended Elders Project which serves individuals 65+ who are at risk of incapacity and who have no clear support group to help make medical decisions. The students went on home visits with the project coordinator, worked to assess each individual’s competence, and initiated or completed health care directives for the individuals.

Our Experience Corp member, Val Jackson, and RSVP member, Gladys Roy, are featured in a recent book, The American Way to Change: How Services and Volunteers are Transforming America by Shirley Sagwa.

Their stories describe how they applied a lifetime of rich experiences to make positive contributions in the community. The book also chronicles a variety of other individuals who are changing the nation through volunteer service.

2 Making a Difference. Changing Lives.™

Thanks to a grant from the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation, contributions from many individual donors, the renovation of Southwest Senior Center is complete. The Center is now more accessible, functional and better reflects the energetic senior programs taking place there.

Volunteers of America-Minnesota was one of the first charter school authorizers approved by the Minnesota Department of Education under a new law passed by the legislature in the 2009 session. The new criteria for authorizers includes stricter financial and academic controls and adherence to national standards for charter school oversight and quality.

Services, presented, “Mental Health Issues of Older Adults: A Story of HOPE” at the event.

The Department of Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Division awarded our Mental Health Clinics funding to continue providing mental health services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and their families for a sixth consecutive year.

The Hennepin County Juvenile Corrections Department selected our Mental Health Clinics for two new projects: 1) Functional Family Therapy which is an evidence-based, well-documented, and highly successful family intervention program for dysfunctional youth ages 12 through 18; and 2) Wrap Around In June, more than 70 people gathServices for Somali and East African ered at Rondo Community Outreach youth which is a process for multiple Library in St. Paul to learn and discuss systems to come together with youth how mental health can change with and their family to create a highly age. Our own Atashi Acharya, Diindividualized plan to address complex rector of our Senior Mental Health emotional and behavioral issues.

Corporate partners spotlight Throughout the year, our program participants and sites are positively impacted by generous contributions from local corporations and their employees. Here are three shining examples of how partnerships with the community mean so much to us, our program participants, corporations, and volunteers.

Bowling is backbreaking work as well, but a little more fun! In July, over 130 bowlers who recruited their own sponsors to raise funding for Volunteers of America of Minnesota, participated in our annual Bowling for Backpacks event. We were thrilled with the level of participation and enthusiasm of the bowling teams, which included teams from:

Bowling for Backpacks kicked off our annual Operation Backpack drive to collect new backpacks filled with school supplies for low-income students heading back to school this year. For the second year, Qwest made a company-wide commitment to collect 600 stuffed backpacks for local students. Through this donation and grant funding for our Experience In the spring of this year, our Omegon Corps program, Qwest has proven to program was chosen as a commuBest Buy (Rogers), Boston Scienus once again this year that they are nity partner for Comcast Cares Day, tific, Buca di Beppo (Maple Grove), committed to supporting low-income which is their annual company-wide CDW , Central Bank, Crowne Plaza, students and promoting quality educaday of volunteerism. Omegon, which Edina Care Center, Hilton, National tion programs. In addition to Qwest, offers intensive treatment services to Weather Service, Omegon, Tremenother corporate groups like 3M, youth with mental health and chemical dous! Entertainment, TwinWest Beckman Coulter, Minnesota Public dependency challenges, is housed in Chamber of Commerce, VOA National Radio, Digineer, Optum Health and one of our older buildings that needs a Services, Wells Fargo. others, also participated in large lot of love – and Comcast brought the onsite backpack drives, bringing the love. Over 30 Comcast employees, Operation Backpack total to over along with the friends they recruited 1,200 backpacks for our kids in need! from Extreme Yardworks, Herman’s Thank you so much for your amazing Landscape Supplies, and Siwek support!

Lumber & Millwork, donated their time, talents, and supplies to upgrade the landscaping around Omegon, transform our gymnasium, and even install a backstop for baseball. As one youth resident so eloquently greeted Comcast team leaders, Tom Elliot and Joe Thill, “Welcome to Homegone” – Bowlers from TwinWest Chamber of Home, indeed!

Commerce are ready to hit the lanes.

While we needed all of your efforts to make Bowling for Backpacks so successful this year, we would like to give special recognition to the Wells Fargo team, led by team captain, Craig Drevecky, for being the top fundraising team, collecting $2,300 in contributions for Volunteers of America of Minnesota.

Students at Stonebridge Elementary school in Minneapolis look through their new backpacks, dropped off by a team of Qwest employees.

Interested in getting your office or organization engaged in giving back to the community? Please consider participating in our Thanksgiving Food Drives, Adopt a Family, or creating a new project together. Please contact Vicki Testerman at 952-945-4063 or vtesterman@voamn.org.

Comcast employees add mulch to the front The Wells Fargo “Bowl It Like You Own It” landscape area of theOmegon property. team shows off their Top Fundraising Team trophy.

Making a Difference. Changing Lives.™ 3

Take a look at what’s been happening throughout our organization

Our Phoenix High School had no student library. So, Boy Scout Jeffrey Arcuri of St. Paul led a group of scouts and volunteers to construct and paint six bookcases, as well as conduct a book drive for more than 100 new and used books last spring as part of his Eagle Scout Leadership Services Project. The group invested a total of 274 hours in the venture. A million thanks to Jeff and his team for your hard work and contributions.

Seniors at our Southwest Center worked for three months with world class autoharp and mountain dulcimer player, Karen Mueller, to build, decorate and learn to play the Mountain Dulcimer (a stringed folk instrument).

In May, the group held concerts at Walker Methodist, Barton Open School and Southwest Senior Center.

Funds for project were provided by COMPAS Community Arts Program through a grant from the McKnight Foundation.

A group of women who are residents of our Group Residential Housing (GRH), who are completing their program of recovery from addictions, assisted the local Habitat for Humanity organization to rehabilitate a local home. Interestingly, the women themselves were homeless (before GRH) but felt a desire to give back to the community because of the benefits they have received through our program.

Metro Deaf School-Minnesota North Star Academy (MDS-MNSA) 2nd Grade teacher, Sara Hansen, was awarded a check for $7,330 as a winner of Qwest’s Technology Grants for Teachers in May. Sara’s grant request focused on the application of technology to enhance the use of bilingual curriculum in the classroom. Qwest received eighty grant applications from teachers across the state, and only 15 were chosen as winners!

In June, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak delivered the commencement address and presented diplomas to 26 of our Adult High School Diploma program students. The graduates were all English language learners age 18+ who enrolled in the program to earn a high school diploma and acquire English skills.

Bernie Weyaus, a resident at our Villa House in Mora, part of our Services to Persons with Special Needs program, gave his crappie a “thumbs up” during a day of fishing on Knife Lake. Bernie and several other residents earned a day of fishing as a result of making significant progress toward their individual goals such as behavior, hygiene, motor skills, social skills and community participation.

4 Making a Difference. Changing Lives.™

Noteworthy tidbits Continued from page 2

The Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department selected our Mental Health Clinics for a three level project called Family and Parenting Development services to improve the wellbeing of families.

Level One is Parent Skill Building geared toward improving parenting skills. Level Two is Therapeutic Parent/ Child Interaction geared toward improving interactions between parents and children. Level Three is Coordinated Therapeutic Services geared toward improving the mental health of the family’s children.

Twins players Nick Punto and Kevin Slowey joined high school student volunteers from our Minnesota Action Team, as well as other special volunteers, for “Homerun to Health,” a baseball-themed health fair for older adults at Volunteers of America’s Park ElderCenter in June. The event provided older adults with awareness and information about improving and maintaining their health including blood pressure/blood sugar management, maintaining flexibility, engaging the brain and improving eye-hand coordination.

Following an eight-week course given by the King Boreas Toastmasters Club, several women who are residents of our Group Residential Housing (GRH) received awards for achievement in public speaking. In August, they received the awards and delivered acceptance speeches.

Our GRH program began in late spring of 2010 and serves up to 24 women who are homeless and completing their program of recovery from addictions.

Our Services to Persons with Special Needs program organized a Special Olympics delegation in Foley with a softball team of 15 athletes and 6 staff coaches. The “Foley Phantoms” held eight practices before traveling to Pine City to complete with other teams in July. The group will participate in additional sports including basketball and bowling in the coming year.

Our Park ElderCenter hosted Senator Al Franken, senior advocates, and senior service providers for a discussion of upcoming changes to the Older Americans Act in August.

The Act funds many critical services for seniors in Minnesota. At the meeting, Senator Franken reported the findings of sessions with more than 400 seniors across the state about what’s working and what needs improving.

David Schuchman, MSW, LICSW, director of our Immigrant and Refugee Behavioral Health program, recently had a piece published in a book, Voices from the Field: Defining Moments in Counselor and Therapist Development.

Schuchman’s section describes his journey to a career motivated by the values his family lived—multicultural, caring for the dispossessed and powerless.

Our South Home in Princeton and Ashland House in St. Paul, both of which are part of our Services to Persons with Special Needs program, are participating in a two-year project through the University of Minnesota funded by the U.S. Department of Education called Training in Active Supports. The project trains direct support professionals to provide people with disabilities more opportunities to become engaged in their own lives. This program is designed to help our residents be more connected to the community and also increase staff job satisfaction, productivity, and sense of purpose.

Global Academy, Birch Grove Community School, and TrekNorth Junior and Senior High were recipients of the “Volunteers of America Charter School Network Excellence Awards.”

The awards honor Volunteers of AmericaMinnesota authorized charter schools that have demonstrated strength in the areas of educational programming, financial management and oversight, and school board governance.

Making a Difference. Changing Lives.™ 5

Hard at work at our Education Center Continued from cover

Despite the heat, many students rode their bikes to school, and as part of a new bike program, they’ll even earn Physical Education credit for it!

And outside, the student-planted and maintained community gardens were growing like crazy!

Over on the other side of the “Ed Center,” students from our Opportunity High School, an ESL (English as a Second Language)-focused school serving primarily Somali immigrants, were busy catching up and reuniting with old friends.

A mouth-watering assortment of tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers, onions, and hot peppers were almost ready to be harvested and used in school lunches this fall.

Downstairs, the highly-motivated students in our Independent Study Program were busy planning and mapping out the first outdoor adventure trip of the school year: a wild rice harvesting expedition in the Boundary Waters.

If the first week of school is any indication of how the rest of the year will turn out, it’s shaping up to be a pretty great year over at the Education Center!

Find out more about our Education Center at www.voaec.org.

Fund The Ride Access to transportation for experiential learning trips is essential to the success of programming for our 3 alternative high schools. Unfortunately, our oldest van recently “bit the dust,” leavingg us with only 1 van for nearly 350 students. If you would ld like to donate a van, make a donation toward the purchase of a van, or know someone else who can help us obtain a vehicle, please contact Vicki at 952-945-4063 or vtesterman@voamn.org or go to www.FundtheRide.org

6 Making a Difference. Changing Lives.™

My name is Alex…

Continued from cover

When I first came into foster care at fifteen I was nervous, perhaps even a little scared, but I realized early on that I was in good hands and good care. I am told that others aren’t so lucky. With the help of my foster parents, I have become a new person, I want to succeed. With the help of my foster parents, I was given the want and time to study, the want and hope for college. When I’m not studying, I am involved with Debate, Speech, DECA (a leadership program for student entrepreneurs), and even Model UN at my school. I have also participated in Link Crew, a program that allows juniors and seniors to get freshman oriented, and make sure they have a good first year experience. Not only that, but I am the senior speaker for graduation at my school, and with my foster parents’ assistance, I will be attending a business convention at Florida in April. I will be going to college in the fall– of course we haven’t decided where yet, but just knowing that I will get to go to a university and possibly even a private school made me realize just how far I’ve come. But I couldn’t have done any of it without the help and support of my foster parents.

While I have only known them for three years I feel as though I have known them my entire life. I used to see them as my foster parents when I was fifteen, but now I’ve come to realize they are more important than that. They’re family. It is for this reason that am writing this letter. I know that not just anybody can make a difference, but everyone together, can. To show that anybody, no matter what background or what influences they may have, can live the life that they build for themselves. They just have to strive for it.”

Since the time Alex wrote this letter, he graduated from high school and is attending college.

Standing before the world “Sitting here at this desk in the Insight News office is a surreal experience for me because I’m reminiscing on where I was and how I moved to where I am now,” said Shanice Brown, reflecting on her first day of work as a reporter intern for Insight News.

Being a teenager can be a confusing and complicated part in one’s life. With hormones going wild and a young person trying to find herself, it’s hard to believe that things can get more challenging that than. That is far from the truth.

Since the age of 14 Brown has been battling multiple issues and is still battling some. “I’ve suffered from multiple sexual abuses and sexual assaults, starting at age 10. Those events warped my mind and I turned into a different person,” she said.

As the years went by, her troubles piled on. “I became sexually active, I started smoking marijuana and drinking large amounts of alcohol.”

On July 14, Brown turned 17 years old. “It was my first teenage birthday sober and out of treatment,” she said.

But for Brown the week continued to get better! “July 15 was a celebration for me. I have one year of sobriety. I never thought that I would see this day,” she said. “If I choose to use chemicals again, all of the privileges that I am experiencing in my life right now will instantly crash and burn and I am not willing to lose what I have gained.”

This fall, Brown will be a senior at Robbinsdale Cooper High School. “This is my first time in mainstream schooling.

I have started the college application process and have taken the ACT. This is a big moment in my life because I’ll be the first in my family to graduate high school and the first to attend college,” she said. During my drug use, my education was no longer a priority in my life. I failed class after class, lost credits and got kicked out of schools. Now I only need three credits to graduate early of do Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) to earn college credits. Now I have a strong chance of getting into college and earning scholarships. My future is beyond bright.”

Brown says what she has experienced in her past has shaped her into the young woman that stands before the world today. “Those experiences gave me strength, hope and determination to fight for the things that matter. I once had a love of writing until I gave it all up to be drunk and high. But now, that love and skill are back in my hands and are being used in ways I only imagined as a child. I’m here to stay. I won’t allow myself to be drawn back into that dark era of my life. I have an internship as a writer, I have college and my senior year around the corner and have my strength and a year’s worth of health and sobriety.

I’m too far to step back down,” she said.

The series of excerpts above are from an article which appeared in the August 9-15, 2010 issue of Insight News and have been reprinted with permission.

We are proud to note that Shanice Brown is a former participant of our Avanti Center program, which provides residential treatment services for females with emotional and behavior problems. The program helps young women gain the skills necessary to improve their quality of life, the lives of those around them, and to succeed as adults. Ms. Brown

completed the program in 8.5 months.

“I came to Avanti totally burnt out,” she reports. “I was supposed to be here for 10 months to a year. I was someone I can’t recognize now. I have self-esteem now. I love myself. But I also have confidence in myself. I accept that I am unique and I love it!” A shining example of an individual who has overcome difficult circumstances, Shanice is now destined for a bright future.

Hot Volunteer Opportunities!

Elementary School Tutor Improve the reading skills for K-3 students in Minneapolis or St. Paul schools through our Experience Corps program. 4-15 hours per week, M-F, daytime hours. For more information, contact Janet Triplett at 952-945-4164 or jtriplett@voamn.org.

Youth Mentors Make a positive difference in the life of a youth residing at our Bar None (Anoka) or Avanti (Blaine) treatment centers. Days/times are flexible. Training provided. For more information, Michelle Rosenau at 763-753-2500 or mrosenau@voamn.org Tutors for Adults Learners Assist refugee/immigrant adult learners at our Education Center in Minneapolis to advance their English, writing and/or math skills. 1-4 hours per week, M-F between 5-9 pm. For more information, contact Heather Cox at 612-375-0700 or hcox@voamn.org.

More volunteer opportunities are listed on our website at www.voamn.org. Click on the red “Volunteer!” button on the left side of the screen.

Making a Difference. Changing Lives.™ 7

Leave A Legacy…

Gifts that make a difference for years to come.

Would you like to help those in need, but don’t think you can?

Did you know you can make a gift that pays steady income?

Charitable Gift Annuities offer a “win-win” for donors and Volunteers of America-Minnesota.

They offer great returns, plus your income taxes may be reduced and your spendable income may go up.

Please contact Laura Wagner, Volunteers of America–Minnesota, at 952-945-4061 or lwagner@voamn.org Consult your tax advisor regarding these types of gifts and estate planning.

Volunteers of America–Minnesota www.voamn.org

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