Drop-In Center

Drop-In is continuing to stay open through our to-go food program, we serve youth 14 to 25, Monday through Friday, from 12 to 1 pm and from 5 to 6 pm at our temporary location 191 Bank St. Burlington, VT.

Drop-in Staff are also continuing to work with our youth by: helping to staff our housing programs, providing virtual Drop-In hours that allow youth to access services and resources, and providing COVID-19 related emergency support to the food shelf as well as other community resources.

Because we are only providing to-go food at this time, and also in the spirit of social distancing, we are limiting our donation needs to those listed below:

• From restaurants/businesses: plastic ware, cleaning supplies, gloves, masks, etc., food items including bulk and ready to eat foods.
• From individuals who want to donate a meal: groceries and grocery gift cards or restaurant delivery are welcome, please no pre-made meals at this time.

Please call us first to let us know what you would like to donate at 802-777-3341. Thank you for donating to Spectrum Youth and Family Services!”

Contact us at (802) 864-7423 x312 or click here for other community food resources.

Supportive Housing

The Landing and Transitional Housing Programs are currently open 24 hours per day, 7 days a week so all of the youth in these programs can “shelter in place.”

We are taking several precautions to minimize the risk, such as sanitizing surfaces and washing hands several times a day, limiting access to certain areas, and screening clients and staff for illness.

Governor Scott has asked that we close the Warming Shelter at this time. If you or someone you know is in need of temporary shelter, please call us at (802) 864-7423 x325.

Riverstone Counseling

Our counselors are holding sessions with clients through the use of telemedicine. Interested in making an appointment? Call us at (802) 864-7423 x310.

Detail Works

Detail Works will be closed until further notice. We sincerely appreciate your patronage and support. To be notified when we reopen please email us athello@detailworksvt.com and we will contact you as soon as we reopen. In the meantime, you can purchase gift cards here. We are committed to paying our youth staff for the foreseeable future.

Skills Programs

Our Skills Programs are still open and our staff are meeting with their clients virtually at this time. For more information on the skills programs that we offer or to contact a specific program, click here.

Mentoring

We’ve asked all of our mentors to suspend physical contact with their mentees at this time. However, here are some tips for staying in contact in other ways in the meantime. Learn more about our Mentoring Program here.

How You Can Help

Due to COVID-19, we are in need of:

• hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes/spray, etc
• pre-packaged food donations (ex. Go-gurt, string cheese, fruit cups, chips, snacks, etc)
• gift cards to local grocery stores for youth and their families that are in need
• donations to keep our doors open and to cover additional expenses like hazard pay for staff working in our residences
• join the Spectrum Sleep Out in solidarity with all of our youth at Spectrum

Spectrum’s Sleep Out

• Spectrum’s largest fundraiser, the Spectrum Sleep Out, will now be a virtual event to be held on the same date, March 26. This event raises a critical $300,000 for our programs and services. We are asking participants to sleep out at their own locations and share their experiences with us via photo and video on social media and other platforms.
• We are asking our Student Sleep Outs to also move to a virtual format and to continue fundraising efforts if possible.
• The St. Albans Sleep Out, which was created to support the opening of a Drop-In Center or shelter in St. Albans, has been postponed from April 16 to November of this year.

The post Our Response to COVID-19 appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

“I can honestly say that I don’t know where I would be now if it weren’t for Spectrum welcoming me with open arms when no one else would.”

Spectrum youth are some of the most resilient people we’ve ever met. Whether they’re transitioning to adulthood after living in foster care, or pushing to get through school in a foreign language, or trying to overcome a childhood of trauma, they are determined to build a life for themselves.

What they need is someone to help them figure out what their goals are, to offer a friendly ear no matter what, and to let them dream big. And all of that was made possible this year because of our incredible community of donors, volunteers, and mentors. Below is an overview of what was accomplished because of your support. Thank you from all of our hearts, to yours. You can find a PDF version of the annual report here.

Basic Needs & Stable Homes

The Drop-In Center and Supported Housing programs were open for teenagers and young adults who needed a hot meal, clean clothes, a shower, or a place to sleep.

What’s new: A steady stream of federal and state funding cuts in recent years means that more and more, we rely on the generosity of people like you to keep our doors open. In 2018, 33% of the funding for our housing programs came from you, our donors. This year, that percentage rose to 48%, and in 2020, we expect it to be 59%. Thanks to you, we know we’ll be here for the next youth who needs help.

From the left: The Winter Warming Shelter. A group meeting at the Landing (short-term housing). A youth room at the Landing.

260 youth served at the Drop-In Center

33 youth served at the Winter Warming Shelter

50 youth served at the Landing (short-term transitional housing)

37 youth served through the Transitional Housing Program

Life & Survival Skills

This year, teenagers and young adults learned how to find and keep a job, get into and pay for school, budget for an apartment, and other critical life skills.

What’s new: Spectrum’s Multicultural Youth Program set up a Help Desk in the libraries of Burlington and Winooski High Schools to help multicultural youth with anything from tutoring, to driver’s ed, to preparing for life after high school. The Help Desks were staffed with assistance from our partners: the U.S. Committee on Refugees and Immigrants and Burlington’s Community Economic Development Office.

From the left: Youth staff at Detail Works, working with head detailer, Jasmine Wood. Yuol Herjok Yuol, Multicultural Youth Program outreach coordinator, speaking with senior Halima Said at Winooski High School’s Help Desk.

160 youth served through the Youth Development Program

112 youth served through Jump on Board for Success

283 youth served through the Multicultural Youth Program

14 youth served through Detail Works

Prevention & Intervention

Every day, teenagers and young adults are working through substance use and mental
health challenges with our therapists, befriending positive adult role models in our mentoring program, and practicing self-care through the health clinic housed in our building.

Spectrum mentors and mentees at ECHO Lake & Aquarium Center’s Community Science Night.

What’s new: In January 2019, the Vermont Department of Children and Families asked us to launch a new program called Compass, which works with youth who are at risk of going into foster care, becoming involved with the justice system, or otherwise facing a crisis. We offer intensive support to both the youth and the family to help them get their lives back on track.

319 youth served through Riverstone Counseling

106 youth served through Mentoring

794 youth served through the Pearl Street Youth Clinic

Thanks to all of the donors, volunteers and mentors that have supported Spectrum youth. It is because of you that they thrive. As one youth recently said,

“I’m so grateful. I’m so grateful for your donation. Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to have a good life, a better life that I want.”

The post A year of “you-are-not-alone” appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Here is a recent letter from Mark Redmond, our executive director, on his experience visiting Detail Works, our social enterprise that teaches youth the soft skills they need to be successful in the workplace.

Last summer I ran into a young woman in our counseling waiting room who works for Detail Works, our social enterprise that teaches youth the soft skills they need to be successful.

Her name was Ariel. I asked how things were going and she said enthusiastically, “I just got promoted! I’ve never been promoted in my whole life!” She was beaming.

A couple of weeks ago, I stopped by the shop to check in with the youth staff there. These are just a few of the things they told me:

“Without this program I’d be pretty broke. Because I would go to another fast food
restaurant and work there and it would suck.”

“It’s really helping me be able to manage people better. I’m learning different ways to approach people and asking them to do stuff, but in ways that help them meet their needs too.”

And when I asked why customers should bring their cars to us:

“Because we actually try. We care about the car and try to make sure it actually looks nice. I mean we take care of it and we actually make it look a billion times nicer.”

“We put our heart into it. We try our best and we all work together to push out a great product. There’s a lot of love around here.”

If you’d like to give our youth—and your car—a fresh start, you can book an appointment online here. In the meantime, Ariel said it best:

“I’m so grateful for your donation. Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to have a good life, a better life that I want.”

The post It’s All in the Details appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

“I myself feel very guilty and a failure as parent because I knew this could happen to him. I talked to him about it several times…” she wrote. “But talking and a good family weren’t enough.”

You can read Mark’s response in the Washington Post here. And let us know your thoughts.

If you know a young person 12-30 who needs help with their addiction, our counselors can help. Call (802) 864-7423 x310 or click here to make an appointment.

The post The words you never want to hear a parent say appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

From our ED, Mark . . .

I wanted you to see this video—it’s fun to watch and does a good job explaining the impact you have on our youth.

I’d love to know what you think. Let me know in the comments below.

Thank you for keeping our doors open,

Mark Redmond
Executive Director

The post The Doors You Keep Open appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

This is a letter from Mark, our Executive Director.

The snow has fallen and the darkness comes early each night. Young people who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless need us more than ever—this winter, and into the future.

The good news is, you can help! Join us in sleeping outside overnight in solidarity with our youth while raising funds to support them, and you can make sure teens and young adults have a place to go when the wind starts to bite.

The Executive Sleep Out will be Thursday, March 23rd, and the Student Sleep Out is March 23rd-26th.

Can you stand in solidarity with our youth and sleep out this year? Register now and let our youth know you’ve got their back.

With gratitude,

Mark Redmond
Executive Director

The post Can you unroll your sleeping bag? appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Thank you to all who came to our Empty Bowl Dinner on October 20th!

Our Executive Director, Mark Redmond, wanted to share this note with you about the evening:

The stories you heard that night, the quotes from our youth that you saw on the tables, they all underscore how tough the teenage and young adult years can be, especially when you start out with the deck stacked against you.

But I was so inspired to look around the room that night and see all of you showing up for our youth and letting them know you have their backs.

All told, we raised $57,000 that night thanks to YOU, $14,365 from the giving board alone, and because so much of the food and services were donated, almost all of that will go straight to helping our youth transform their lives.

From all of us, thank you for being a part of such a great night.

With gratitude,

Mark Redmond
Executive Director

P.S., you can see photos of the event on our Facebook page!

From left to right, celebrity soup servers Miss Vermont Rylee Field; TJ Donovan, Chittenden County State’s Attorney; Beth Sightler, Executive Director, Champlain Community Services; Craig Mitchell, DJ/Producer; Katharine Montstream, Artist; Rusty DeWees, Actor.

The post What a night! appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Here’s a recent letter that our Executive Director, Mark Redmond, wanted to share with you:

Last week I was honored to give the convocation speech at Champlain College.

After talking about my rather nonlinear path to becoming Executive Director at Spectrum, I told the first-year students that day, “You can make an impact on this world, on this planet, in every field of study, no matter what you do. You don’t need to wait… You can do it now. We need you. This city needs you.”

And, as I said these words, I was thinking of all of you—our donors, our many partners, community leaders, mentors, Spectrum staff, board members, former clients—all of you who have come together around the common goal of making sure young people get help when they need it most. All of you who keep our doors open.

You can watch the entire speech by clicking here.

Thank you for giving back to our youth. They need you.

With gratitude,

Mark Redmond
Executive Director

The post “We need you. This city needs you.” appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

I was so honored that the Community College of Vermont invited me to be the keynote speaker for their 2016 Commencement, which took place a few weeks ago.

Graduates came from diverse backgrounds and represented all 14 Vermont counties, 12 other states, and 18 countries worldwide.

I was so inspired by all of the students, over half of whom were the first in their family to graduate from college. Every college graduation means something to the graduates and their families, but this one was different from any I have ever attended. It really meant something.  I hope you enjoy this message I delivered to them.

Thanks for listening,

Mark Redmond
Executive Director

Photo by Josh Larkin, CCV

CCV is Vermont’s second largest college, serving over 7,000 students each semester. With 12 locations and extensive online learning options, students don’t have to travel far from their communities to access our degree and certificate programs, workforce, secondary and continuing education opportunities, and academic and veterans support services.

The post “Thank you for your grit.” appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

 Jan Demers, Director of CVOEO. Photo credit: Burlington Free Press.

Spectrum’s most recent e-newsletter is online. Read it here. Below, a letter from Executive Director Mark Redmond.

The snow is gone… but a critical need remains.

This past winter, Burlington’s first Warming Shelter opened. This meant that homeless adults, even if they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, had a place to sleep out of the cold. Every night, all 28 beds were full.

It was a true group effort. The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) took the lead, Champlain College offered space, and several paid staff and many dedicated volunteers kept the shelter open from 6 pm to 7 am.

Jan Demers, CVOEO’s director (see photo), was on hand every night to open the shelter, and every morning at 5 AM to help clean up. I volunteered, too, along with other Spectrum staff. In April, we cooked an evening meal once a week—my grandmother’s famous scalloped potatoes were a big hit.

One thing’s for sure: the Warming Shelter filled a big need for anyone who is homeless and struggling with alcohol or substance abuse—and a more affordable alternative to the previous practice of giving them rooms in hotels. And people got out of the cold, but they also connected with services—several found transitional or permanent housing, employment, or entered treatment when the shelter closed for the season.

So, let’s be frank. Now that the weather’s warm and the sun’s out, it can be easy to ignore people in our community have nowhere to go at night. But there’s no better time to make sure that the Warming Shelter continues next year. Right now, we’re on the hunt along with other nonprofit leaders to find a building for next winter.

For so many among us, the need for a warm place to sleep, shelter, a home, is constant. I’ll never forget when Adam, a Shelter guest, turned to me and said, “You know what this place is? It’s home.”

If you have any ideas to share, please feel free to reply to this post and give us your suggestions.

Thanks,

Mark Redmond

The post “You know what this place is? It’s home.” appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.