Save the Dates

February 3
Alex + Ani in-store fundraiser for Community Friends Mentoring.

February 7

Social Thinking Expert
Michelle Garcia Winner

March 15, Curling for Kids
nmitchell@howardcenter.org

Shumlin Focuses on Opiate Addiction

When Governor Shumlin focused on opiate addiction in his recent State of the State address, he said, "We must address it as a public health crisis, providing treatment and support . . . . The time has come for us to stop quietly averting our eyes from the growing heroin addiction in our front yards, while we fear and fight treatment in our back yards."

For 12 years, our Chittenden Clinic has provided best-practice addiction treatment. We are proud to work with our community partners to continue to provide treatment options, and we will continue to take a lead in making our communities healthier and stronger.

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January is National Mentoring Month

This month, we applaud our 31-year-old Community Friends Mentoring program and our partner program SB Mentoring.

SB Mentoring celebrated its 48 volunteers on Saturday, January 11, with a dinner at the Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School in South Burlington. Mentors were recognized for their contributions, and Mark Redmond, mentor and director of Spectrum said praised mentors for their contributions, saying that one of the most important gifts a mentor can offer is giving youth the confidence to pursue their dreams and face their challenges.

Community Friends Mentoring (CFM) will hold an in-store fundraiser on February 3 at Alex + Ani on College Street in Burlington. A percent of sales will be donated to CFM, the only county-wide mentoring program.

One CFM mentor pair talks about the impact of mentors in this video.

Charles: Why everyone needs a mentor

Ready to Curl?

Be a Rock Star and sign up for our Curling for Kids fundraiser.

On Saturday, March 15, 32 teams will take to the ice at Cairns Arena to support the thousands of children we serve.

Teams will compete for the winning trophy, and prizes will be awarded for the top individual and team fundraisers. The event is produced with support from the Green Mountain Curling Club with assistance from the Rutland Rocks Curling Club.

Check www.howardcenter.org next week for registration details and to set up your fundraising page. (You don't need a team to set up a fundraising page.) The non-refundable registration fee is $125 per person, with four people per team. So gather your teammates and get ready for Curling for Kids.

At right: Last year's curling champions, team Choose Blue from BlueCross BlueShield Vermont. Do you have what it takes to win the trophy?

Remembering Senator Sally Fox
As the state mourns Senator Sally Fox, we acknowledge her contributions as a HowardCenter board member and as a passionate voice for those with developmental, mental health and substance abuse struggles. We are grateful for her many contributions to our community.