We often get
asked: What is the money spent for? It is spent to bring hard-won smiles on
the boys' faces -
To fund the vocational programming: for woodshop projects outside of school
time, culinary training, and groundskeeping and landscaping programs. These
programs and the materials and staff time are not covered by the State's daily
rate, but they are critical for our boys to learn skills and have experiences
that they can translate into jobs in the community. We need to raise funds
to keep this program going.
To do the extra programs afterschool, the woodshop projects, the special trips
to Red Sox and Yankees games, to the Bronx Zoo, Ground Zero, Sturbridge Village,
the beach, and the Mystic Aquarium which require admission fees, extra gas
and staff overtime that is hard to draw from the budget. These trips offer
the boys experiences that they remember for a lifetime!
Often the boys move from Mount Saint John to group homes or transitional living
programs. When they go, we provide them with household basics, like a bedspread
and sheet set, towels, suitcases, toiletries, CD players, school supplies
and backpacks. Our benefactors help us pay for these supplies.
The High Hopes Therapeutic Riding program, Camp Hazen and area sailing programs
provide the boys with opportunities for experiential learning that are strong
and good complementsto the STEP UP! program. We need to raise funds to pay
for these extras.
To provide
for the spiritual development of the young men in our care. The State does
not fund for many of the faith-based services, speakers and trips.
Each summer, several of the boys participate in the Wilderness Camp, sponsored
by the Department of Children and Families. They need boots and camping equipment,
and disposable cameras to capture the memories.
We also need
extra funds for sports equipment and basketball uniforms. Our basketball team
has won the league championship 5 out of the last 6 seasons. The boys love
the game and learn about team and cooperation and sportsmanship. We have been
invited to play against other schools outside of the residential league. Having
good uniforms is a key part of feeling like a quality team! But they wear
out quickly, and we want to keep them fresh.
The boys love
to have motivational speakers and group programs that help them learn team
building skills and see the best in themselves. While these community leaders
often give us "special rates" for their time, we need to raise funds
to support this important part of the program.
And, we can't forget the staff, who make significantly less than the State
workers doing comparable jobs, who give hope and healing to the boys each
and everyday. To keep our staff well trained and focused on the ever-changing
needs of the boys and their families, we need to raise funding to pay for
professional conferences and on-site training programs.
We reach out to you – our community of benefactors – to help us
give our boys and their families the gifts of hope and healing, everyday!
