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Holiday Programs Help Hundreds |
In December, 198 families (429 Individuals) served by HowardCenter received gifts through the Holiday Giving Project. In addition, 103 sponsors contributed a total of $9,093, and nearly $2,000 in food, gift, and gas cards. Nearly $700 was raised during the three-day Gift Wrap event at Barnes & Noble. Thank you to our sponsors and volunteers who contributed to our Holiday Programs. |
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Did You Know |
Last year, 677 HowardCenter staff worked the second, third, or weekend shifts. |
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Saving Lives While People Sleep |
Imagine this: It's 3:00 A.M. on a snowy winter night. A crisis clinician is driving to a town four miles away, in response to a child who is suicidal. While driving, the clinician worries about what they will find when they get there.
Robin Pesci, Director of First Call, HowardCenter's crisis program for children and families, says part of the stress of being a crisis clinican is that you never know what to expect.
First Call operates 24-hours a day, but it is often the nighttime hours that are the most stressful. From midnight to 8:00 A.M., the program has one person on staff to answer the phone and travel to homes or other sites in response to crisis calls.
The nature of the work requires that clinicians be able to quickly assess a situation over the phone and make decisions that will effect someone's life. It is this part of the job that can be very stressful says Robin. She adds, "That's what we do. We save people's lives while other people are sleeping." She says most people don't even know that there are clinicians out there answering phone calls or drinving to homes in the middle of the night. She adds, "But if their child had a crisis, we would be there for them."
HowardCenter operates several crisis phones to provide support to our clients, their familes, and their friends any time of the day or night: For Families and Children: 488-7777 For Adults: 488-6400 Substance Abuse 488-6425 (Burlington) 488-6265 (St. Albans) |
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Issue #7 January 2012
Serving the Community Around the Clock | | |
This month, we would like to celebrate the HowardCenter staff who work second, third, and weekend shifts in programs that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their dedication and commitment are valued by clients, co-workers, and their communies. |
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Working Off-Hours Works for Some | | |
 Matt Kloss works nights, weekends, and some days at two HowardCenter residential homes. Matt is a Residential Instructor at Hawk Lane and the Farmhouse, two homes for men with intellectual disabilities.
A musician with a degree in performance and composition, Matt moved to Vermont last year from New Jersey, where he was working in the music industry. One day a man with a disability came into the store where Matt was working to ask about private voice lessons. The store owner was able to accommodate his request, with Matt providing the lessons. He soon discovered that although his student was unable to read, he knew the lyrics to all of James Brown's songs. Matt used the lyric sheets for those songs to teach his student to read. Soon, Matt was taking courses which would provide him with the skills to work with special populations. It was because of this experience, in part, that set Matt on the road to Vermont and his position at HowardCenter.
Although working evening and weekend shifts makes it hard to pursue a social life, Matt says this position is a good fit for him. He notes that it is helpful for someone in his position to be a bit selfless and to be able to think on their feet. He says, "It's not like working 9-5, then turning off the phone and going home. It's about the team as a whole. We're a close knit group. If one of us can't make it in for a shift, someone else will cover. It's about doing the work as it needs to get done."
Visit our website, www.howardcenter.org for information about jobs for all shifts. |
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Register Now for HowardCenter's Curling Challenge | | |
Get ready now for the 2012 HowardCenter Curling Challenge fundraiser--the only Curling Fundraiser in Vermont. Grab three friends, practice some deep-knee bends, and register for the Curling Challenge. On Saturday, March 31, there will be 48 teams who take to the ice to raise funds for HowardCenter to help children, adults, and families who face challenges. You could be on one of those teams.
 | Above: Instrumart's team, Ice Try, the 2011 Curling Challenge winners.
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Last year, the Curling Challenge raised $48,000 which was used for programs that rely on community support. As a result:
- 70 children and youth with stresses in their lives were matched with caring and fun mentors.
- 441 people received substance abuse treatment, with many staying abstinent.
- Adults with an intellectual disability, including autism, received support so they could establish themselves in apartments, many living independently for the first time in their lives.
 Registration information will soon be available through our website at www.howardcenter.org.
- Sign up early to get the best time slots, from 7:30 A.M. to 4:15 P.M.
- Registration is limited to 48, four-person teams.
- Play-offs begin at 6:00 P.M. with a bagpiper leading the semi-finalist teams on to the ice.
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Who Ya Gonna Call? | |
It's 6:00 A.M. Saturday, and the toilet at one of HowardCenter's residential homes doesn't flush. Who do you call? Facilities. With four crisis programs that operate 24-hours a day and 28 residential programs, there's bound to be a toilet malfunction during off-hours.
Derek Kirby, Maintenance Manager, and his Facilities staff are on call 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 A.M. weekdays, and 4:00 P.M. Friday to 8:00 A.M. Monday on weekends. Kirby says that during those hours, they usually get 15-20 calls per month, the most common call being about a restroom malfunction. |
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