Lunch with Jack, a 10-year Resident

He stands at about 5’6”, a slight build with scruffy facial hair and glasses. An inquisitive glance and an easy smirk draws you to him. My first encounter with Jack came nearly two years ago as I walked the campus with my predecessor John Hitchcock. Without prompting, Jack approach hypothesizing that I might be the new “John Hitchcock.”

And since then, I have discovered that Jack hates vegetables, loves computer games, is a whiz at exotic Japanese card games and enjoys geometry. He has lived at Hillsides for ten years, most recently at one of our off-campus group homes and after diligent effort will graduate from our highschool program on Friday and make a much anticipated return to live with his mother.

Over an Italian lunch at a near by eatery, he shared with me his plans for school, a part-time job, a love interest and the hope of reconnecting with family members. “What do you like most about Hillsides?” I asked, cueing Jack to tell me about his favorite outings, adventures and misadventures alike, friendship that have been created and good people who have supported him during his tenure.

As we ended the luncheon, while Jack suggested to me he approach the manager of the restaurant for a job, I let him know that all of us at Hillsides were very proud of him and reminded him that he could count on us even after he left. He looked over at me with an expression that confirmed for me that he already knew that.

There are not many Jacks left at Hillsides. More and more, the agency is not a place where kids grow up, but rather a resource to address their needs while planning to get them back as soon as possible to their communities and families, and that is a good thing. But Hillsides has also been a great place for kids like Jack who may need a relatively supportive long-termenvironment to help achieve a level of confidence and self-esteem that will serve as the foundation for their success.

I let him know that all of us at Hillsides were very proud of him and reminded him that he could count on us even after he left.

As much as Jack and his family are grateful for all they have received during these very formative years, we, too, are grateful for the privilege to have cared for him during this time as if indeed he was our own.

Join me in congratulating Jack as he dons his cap and gown, receives his well-earned diploma and sets out on many adventures (and misadventures for sure). To him and all those we serve, whether for ten days or ten years, we pledge to do everything possible to restore well-being and hope.

Reflections on Dr. King’s legacy

Days before he was assassinated  Dr. Martin Luther King had gathered with his advisors to consider launching a new campaign for the adoption of a living wage in the United States. Decades later we continue to struggle with this issue and poverty maintains a strong hold on an unacceptable number of our fellow citizens. One out of every five children live in poverty and I dare say that for the vast majority of the children, youth and families we serve poverty is the most significant factor that continues to place them at risk even after considerable improvement in treatment.

Whether we see this issue related to a living wage, job readiness or employment opportunities, poverty makes safety harder to provide, improvement and well being challenging to achieve and permanency considerably more difficult. I raise this as we celebrated Dr. King’s birthday because it reminds us that the core issue  that undermines the well being of those we serve is poverty. The Great War on Poverty waged along with the Civil Rights movement may have achieved much but for many we serve today those achievements have long been mitigated by a persistent erosion of the basic tools that serve to reduce the impact of poverty.

Take for instance that sixty percent of public school fourth, eighth and twelfth graders are below grade level in both reading and math. Education traditionally has been a pathway that leads one generation to another one of greater prosperity. Perhaps with these kinds of statistics education as a way out of poverty is yet another American myth. As much as improvement of our education system is often a rallying cry in our public discourse, it is one of the first things to be sacrificed when balancing public sector budgets; so much for providing those that need it the most a vehicle that mitigates the effects of poverty and offers an opportunity for a better life.

As part of our Dr. King celebrations here at Hillsides we will be delighted this week by a performance of African dance and drumming. The performance is rooted in the history of a people who in the face of oppression and injustice lifted their spirits never-the-less in dance and song.  This was done not as a way to be distracted but rather to be inspired in movement and music to look beyond the struggle to the freedom of spirit that knows no bounds and is not dependent on anyone or any institution to provide.

My hope is that Dr. Kings legacy is not limited to any one of his considerable achievements but rather that no matter our creed or color we become a people ever resourceful to combat the injustices of our day in spite of the failures of some long revered solutions.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”--Martin Luther King Jr.

Lunchtime Concerts in the Library

As I approached our library at noon I was drawn into the building by the sound of a classical cello piece echoing in the foyer. I walked into the library and found David Lockington, a guest conductor and accomplished cellist with the Pasadena Symphony, performing for an uncharacteristically silent and awed assembly of our students. My vantage point in the room allowed me to see not only the performance, but also the expressions on the students’ faces as they followed his gestures and felt the music resonate within them. For kids more familiar with rap, their ability to never-the-less appreciate and be moved by a classical cello performance was edifying.

Like many of you, I have fond memories of strolling around a great city at mid-day, delighted by an impromptu concert. This performance was especially gratifying because it not only delighted our residents, but it was offered by an artist who himself is the father of four adopted children.  David: someone who knows so well the challenges that our residents experience; someone who knows the power of music not only to transport the spirit, but also to transform the heart. What a powerful gift David offered us with this wonderful performance!

At one point he addressed the kids and asked them to feel the power of the music to touch them. With these comments he reinforced for the assembly something they may have already known--that music can be therapeutic and healing. I am convinced for all of us there that the opportunity to break from our routines and delight in such a great performance was indeed therapeutic.

Once again, I share this with you not only to thank David and others who have brought us these extraordinary mid-day concerts, but to remind all of us that there is so much that can be done even in the midst of fiscal constraints and public policy challenges to make a difference in the lives of the children and families we serve. Let us resolve not to be overwhelmed by the challenges, but rather resourceful in achieving our mission.

How else will we be able to continue our efforts if not because of the generous support that we receive from so many volunteers that share their time, talent and resources to help us?

To one and all, thank you. What a great way to start the New Year!

Wish List for 2012

 The start of 2012 feels more like ground hog day than the beginning of a great new year. As 2011 came to an end, word came from Sacramento that a short fall in state revenues will require $1 billion in budget cuts in 2012! And where will these cuts come from? Schools, libraries, prisons and services for the disabled, leaving me to think that the Mayan prediction of the world ending in 2012 just might be true!

All joking aside, this news is a sad start to the year for our great state and as Gov. Brown has said the solution lies not just with cuts, but indeed raising the much-needed revenues that would allow us as a community to fulfill our many responsibilities to the State’s most vulnerable.

Some would argue at this time of political impasse at both the national and sate level that there is little that can be done. I argue that it is precisely at this moment that our voices must be raised loud to be heard over all the political vitriol to advocate for the children, youth and families we serve.

So I offer the following wish list as a point of reference for all that we hope to accomplish this year in spite of considerable odds.

1. Keep all we serve safe and healthy, free of harm and hopeful for a better life
2. Provide our dedicated staff with a supportive work environment, honoring their commitment and dedication
3. Continue to cultivate our network of dedicated volunteers
4. Secure adequate public funding for all our services, but especially the education programs
5. Encourage a commitment on the part of our public policy and elected officials to address the needs of children, youth and families we serve
6. Develop a clear and compelling plan to bring Hillsides into a new century of service as we anticipate our centennial anniversary in 2013
7. Strengthen Hillsides’ recognition in our community and in this field
8. Develop a Master Plan for the revitalization of the campus
9. Introduce new donors to the Hillsides mission and successfully raise $2.5 million in private funds
10. Identify opportunities to further fulfill our historic mission

 The one thing we can not afford is to lose our resolve to make 2012 better than 2011 for all those we serve. Join me in making our many wishes for 2012 come true.