VictoryAnnRepo u r d e d i c a t i o n
Victory Programs dedicates this Annual Report with admiration and gratitude to Ted Cantone and John deMiranda, our founders. Thirty years ago, their vision and dedication created our first program, Victory House, the seed which grew into Victory Programs.
We also dedicate this report to Lee M. Kennedy and Lee Michael Kennedy, of Lee Kennedy Company, and George E. Olson and David R. Rodgers and their partners at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP, whose extraordinary efforts stewarded the transformation and rebirth of Victory House thirty years later.
Looking back, looking forward; you inspire us with your vision of what could be, and your belief that all obstacles could be overcome.
o u r m i s s i o n
Victory Programs promotes the successful reintegration of individuals into their communities through the achievement of long-term sobriety, rebuilding of family systems, and stabilizing factors such as housing, holistic healthcare, employment, and community affiliations.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Thirty years ago, the story of Victory Programs began. Victory Programs started as a sanctuary for anyone seeking help and recovery. Our first counselor Joe Snow said, “we take everyone,” and it was true. From the day our first program, Victory House, opened in June 1975, our agency made it an explicit mandate to ensure entry to care had no obstacles. If someone was a Vietnam veteran living with the ravages of post-traumatic stress from combat, it didn’t matter. Later, we welcomed homeless women desperate to find their children safe shelter away from violence and abuse, and people newly diagnosed with a potentially debilitating disease, such as Hepatitis C and HIV. Today, it doesn’t matter if a new resident needs to be on methadone while in residential care, or if they are diagnosed with a mental illness that requires medication, have sustained a head injury related to their addiction, or simply feel they don’t fit in anywhere else because of their transgender identity.
Today, this simple approach has helped more than 46,000 individuals and families, who were traumatized and homeless, alcoholic and addicted, find the “spirit within and belief in themselves.” They learn to recognize that recovery and hope are not only possible for them, but are their right.
We crown this thirty-year journey with an astounding wreath of achievements. This year, Victory Programs finalized a merger with ReVision House of Dorchester, protecting the future of one of Boston’s most needed family shelters. ReVision House expands Victory Programs’ capacity by serving a further 22 homeless families in shelter, with a childcare center and entrepreneurial urban farm program. In addition, we continued to create new treatment options for those addicted to methamphetamines, commonly known as “crystal meth.” Our outreach to those on crystal meth, and our new treatment initiatives, were highlighted by Channel 5’s Chronicle team in a powerful segment on the debilitating effects of this lethal drug, whose use is escalating in Massachusetts. Finally, we complete a perfect thirty-year circle with the total gut renovation of Victory House, our flagship program: now a dazzling, state-of-the art treatment facility.
Because the seed of our agency’s unique identity was planted at this first program, we dedicate this annual report to the inspiration of our original co-founders Ted Cantone and John deMiranda. We also dedicate this report to Lee Kennedy Company and to Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP, who thirty years later stepped in at our time of great need, and offered their support, professional services, and pro-bono assistance to ensure the renovation of that same building came to completion.
The story of Victory Programs continues because of a host of individuals like Ted and John, and organizations like Lee Kennedy and Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge. These are people who believe that we must all keep striving to find ways to overcome impossible obstacles and continue our work, because together our work saves lives.
Jonathan D. Scott Bradford Swing President and Executive Director Chairman of the Board
L E T T E R F R O M Jonathan D. Scott and Bradford Swing
“…through the spirit within and belief in ourselves, we can overcome any obstacles…” Rosa Parks, (1913-2005)
Victory House was the first of Victory Programs’ residential alcohol and addiction treatment programs, and the prototype for all that followed. Victory House provides up to eight months of progressive treatment for men recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, particularly those with psychological and medical problems including HIV/AIDS. In 2005, the original Victory House re-opened after a multi-year, $2 million renovation, giving the birthplace of Victory Programs a renewed lease on life, and providing a state-of-the-art facility to match our excellent standards of care.
In response to growing waiting lists for residential alcohol and addiction treatment for men, we opened New Victories in 1993. New Victories is built on the successful model of Victory House. Both programs develop individualized treatment plans for each client, encouraging a holistic approach to recovery that involves family and friends, as clients work towards successful reintegration in their communities.
Although Victory Programs began as a men’s program, today 60% of clients are women. Shepherd House, founded in 1975, was one of the original recovery homes for women in Boston. Having merged with Victory Programs in 1995, Shepherd House continues to welcome women in need of a spectrum of services that includes addiction treatment, life skills development, and homelessness prevention.
When Women’s Hope was founded in the 1980s, it represented a significant milestone in the women’s treatment movement, because it addressed the particular needs of women in recovery. Today Women’s Hope is unique in Massachusetts, providing up to 90 days of intensive residential alcohol and drug treatment for homeless women, whose treatment is often complicated by pregnancy and/or another medical condition such as HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis C.
The Living and Recovering Community (LARC) began in 1997, and treats women and men with histories of chronic addiction relapse, who are also diagnosed with HIV/AIDS – precisely those who find it hardest to access treatment anywhere else. LARC’s unique treatment concept provides up to 90 days of substance abuse relapse treatment and stabilization, coupled with intensive case management, that assists clients in accessing benefits and finding housing.
H O P E A N D R E C O V E RY Residential Alcoholism and Addiction Treatment Programs 3•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Victory Programs’ supportive housing programs in Boston neighborhoods are a safe harbor for homeless clients who are awaiting placement in permanent housing. Bobbie White House was the first residence in Massachusetts conceived specifically for people in recovery who were also living with HIV/AIDS and its effects. Today the Bobbie White House continues to welcome residents in addiction recovery and living with HIV.
Victory Transitional House for men and the Women's Hope Transitional House were both created for residents in recovery living with HIV, and the Yetman Transitional House is designed for homeless women recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction. In these three residences, clients strengthen their sobriety, and fortify their bodies, minds, and spirits. Fundamental to our mission is to empower all our clients to reconnect and rebuild family ties. Victory Programs’ Cedar Family House and Portis Family House provide the rare opportunity for families, once torn apart by addiction and domestic violence, to re-establish a healthy family life. Basic needs are taken care of, giving parents time and space to focus on family-building skills and educational needs, together with their children.
With the merger in 2005, ReVision House, a shelter for pregnant and parenting homeless women (with their children) also joined with Victory Programs. ReVision House’s program offers young women the opportunity to learn life and job skills, and incorporates a childcare center and a unique Urban Farm.
Victory Programs’ wellness, prevention, and education programs provide innovative and progressive treatment options for our clients and alumni, as well as their families and residents of other treatment programs in Greater Boston.
In 1989, Victory Programs’ Center for Health and Wellness began providing holistic health care, education, and support for homeless addicts in recovery and living with HIV/AIDS. Funded through the Department of Public Health AIDS Bureau, its focus is on HIV testing and counseling. In addition to this, holistic therapies are available, giving clients the opportunity to experience various relaxation techniques, and learn about stress reduction, positive affirmations, nutrition, exercise, and healthy lifestyle choices. We believe that by empowering our clients to actively participate in their healthcare and recovery process, they gain the skills to navigate their own paths to recovery.
Victory Programs’ Homelessness Prevention Initiative responds to the immediate and basic need of our clients and alumni for housing. By providing education and technical guidance with rental assistance and housing applications, along with credit and money management counseling, Victory Programs empowers clients to develop the skills they need to find and maintain safe housing. In addition, with the help of the Gillette Company, Victory Programs makes a limited number of cash grants available to sober, working clients, for use towards security deposits, which shut the door on housing for so many in Boston’s super-heated rental market.
In the thirty years since we opened our first door, Victory Programs has grown from a small recovery home for men to a provider of a spectrum of services for vulnerable men, women, and children. Many who come here arrive in despair. They leave with hope, dignity, and pride. Victory Programs offers people a chance to stabilize health, reconnect with work and community, and reunify their families. Our clients grow to experience life-changing accomplishments as sober, healthy, and active participants in our community.
S U P P O R T I V E H O U S I N G P R O G R A M S for Homeless Adults and Families 5
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION statement of financial position total all funds June 30, 2005
assets current assets: cash and cash equivalents $ 741,871 investments 102,622 accounts receivable 1,001,667 unconditional promises to give, net 10,890 net prepaid expenses and 52,461
other current assets
liabilities and net assets current liabilities: accounts payable $ 59,245 accrued expenses 468,497 deferred revenue 17,315 security deposits 3,324 notes payable – current 20,522 total current liabilities $ 565,579
long-term debt total long-term debt notes payable 1,586,690
total liabilities $ 2,155,593
total net assets 3,130,030
total liabilities and net assets $ 5,285,623
FINANCIAL SUMMARY CONTINUED statement of activities total all funds June 30, 2005
Unrestricted Temporarily Total Restricted
support and revenue program service fees 4,396,765 4,396,765 contributions & special events 824,354 25,890 850,244 grants 224,398 224,398 contributed goods and services 170,220 170,220 federated fundraising 72,566 72,566 interest 14,780 14,780 other 24,441 24,441 total revenue and support 5,727,524 25,890 5,753,414
expenses residential treatment services 2,727,416 2,727,416 health, education, prevention 287,099 287,099 supportive housing 1,225,439 1,225,439 general and administrative 1,007,221 1,007,221 fundraising 210,511 210,511
total expenses 5,457,686 5,457,686
net assets, beginning 2,834,302 2,834,302
net assets, end of year 3,104,140 25,890 3,130,030
Victory Programs provided approximately $174,947 of free client care for the year ending June 30, 2005.
Space limitations preclude a full audit presentation for 2005. The full audit statements for the current year and prior years are available upon request.
S t o r i e s o f R e n e w a l from Our Clients 9
Victory Programs serves more than 800 people each year. Each person has their own victories, and we celebrate them all. Here we share two powerful stories of people who have made positive changes in their lives and learned to believe in themselves. Tom found renewal at Victory House, and rebuilt his life, while Rosetta learned to nurture herself, her child, and others in need at ReVision House.
Tom’s life was troubled and nearly destroyed by drugs and alcohol.
He began drinking with his friends when he was only 12 years old. He found it so comforting that he drank regularly. Tom says, “it made me feel like everything was going to be alright. Drinking removed my feelings of loneliness, fear, and shame.” When Tom was 14 his father died from alcoholism. Tom was devastated. He expressed his grief with delinquency. He was skipping school, stealing cars, and getting into trouble at home. He joined the Marines at age 17 and found the only stability he had ever had in life. But his fears were great, especially of possible deployment to Vietnam. His drinking and drugging were now a daily occurrence.
When he was discharged from the military Tom began robbing drug stores to maintain his habit. His first prison sentence was in 1974, and he served ten of the next twelve years in prison. Tom still didn’t believe that he had a problem with drugs or alcohol. He thought he was meant to suffer. He felt, “that was the hand I was dealt.”
It was not until Tom came to Victory House in 1991 that he began taking responsibility for himself. He describes his time there as, “the most humbling experience I ever had. The AIDS epidemic was in full force and many guys in the house were finding out they were HIV positive or had varying stages of AIDS. I feared my own status but was encouraged to get stable and sober before I got tested. I built a solid foundation at Victory House and developed very close friendships. It is now 15 years later and I remain clean and sober. My life is completely different. I am happily remarried and have two beautiful daughters. I own my own home. I am gainfully employed at the same job for 14 years. But most of all I have a new outlook and an opportunity to live life as it is meant to be. I truly am blessed and will always be grateful to Victory Programs and Victory House, where the staff cared for me, loved me, and believed in me until I could believe in myself. And today I do.”
Rosetta does not have a history of substance abuse or alcoholism, but she has had her own struggles with homelessness and poverty.
When she was 17 years old she was living with her family. When her brothers got into trouble with the police, the whole family was evicted, including Rosetta and her infant daughter. To support herself and her baby, Rosetta worked two jobs, but $6 per hour with no benefits could not pay the bills. “I was so sad, I cried all the time but I didn’t want anyone to know how ashamed I was,” she says. “It seemed like no matter how much I was earning it was not enough to cover expenses.” As time went by, she grew isolated and more depressed. Rosetta and her baby lived in a succession of friends’ houses and cars, but she knew this was not the right way to bring up a child. “I wanted more for my daughter,” she says, but no matter what she did, she could not make ends meet.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
$100,000 and above
Larson Family Foundation
Samuels Family Fund
The Boston Foundation
The Cathedral Fund
Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable
$10,000 - $49,999
Crown Clothing Corporation
Heifer International
Department of Neighborhood Development
Anne and Martin Peretz
Iris Cannata
Gill Foundation - Democracy Project
Kathleen and David Hinkelman
Richard Silverman
TJX Foundation
Dean Winegardner
Boston Gay Rights Fund
Fenway Community Health Center
William M. Gehan
Rebecca Henderson
Jonathan D. Scott and Michael McGuill
Self Esteem Boston
Thomas Dwyer
in memory of Paige Farley Hackel
Judith and John Felton
Joelyn and Hugo Fiorato
Four Seasons Hotel Boston
Timothy J. Hamill
Harvard Graduate Council
Kevin L. Hepner
Lawrence School
Gabriel P. McGoldrick
NorthEast Energy Control
Michael Sanford
$500 - $999
Stephen M. Bryan
Jill Colon
Allyson and Ed DeNoble
Betsy and Bob DeVecchi
Mary and Michael Fox
Cynthia Graham
Trudy Green
Independence Air
Howard Kaufman
KNF&T
Alexa Lewis
Sarah and Jim Mellen
Elizabeth and Jack Meyer
Raytheon Company
Suzanne Renna
Paul Ross
Deborah Ruhe
Patricia and Ed Andlauer
Boston Consulting Group
Marc Davino
Kathryn Goodman
Alan D. Husak
Zita C. Jackson
Colleen Kelly
Kiehl’s
Michael Kineavy
Laura and Tom LeTourneau
Sheraton Boston Hotel & Towers
Lucy D. Steere
Elizabeth S. Swing
Tea Party Concerts
Toni & Guy USA
Robert Amelio
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts,
Disease Management Team
Boltz Real Estate
Janice Bradley
Erez Bredmehl
Kate Brewer
Paul Brown
Jan Chiasson
Eugenie Coakley
Cunney & Jospe
Radley Daly
Janet Dillon
Gail Hobin
Bert Holman
Khalsa Design Inc.
Nancy and Jim Lilly
Rikki Mutchler
Edith B. Phelps
Chloe Scott
Peter Scott
AIDS Housing Corporation
Beacon Health Strategies
Boston Department of Neighborhood Development: Housing Opportunities for People with
AIDS (HOPWA), McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, US Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD)
Boston Medical Center – HealthNet Plan
City of Boston Public Health Commission: Ryan White CARE Act Title I
Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation – CEDAC
Community Medical Alliance
Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership
Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development
Massachusetts Department of Public Health: AIDS Bureau and Bureau of Substance
Abuse Services
MassDevelopment
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission—Statewide Head Injury Program (SHIP)
Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership
Saint Francis House – Moving Ahead Program (MAP)
This list represents donations received by Victory Programs from July 1, 2004 through
June 30, 2005. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of this list. We apologize
for any errors and ask that you call our development office at (617) 541-0222 with
any corrections.
Victory Programs would like to thank the following people, who have interned in our programs between July 2004 and June 2005, and who give so freely of their time and energy to help our clients.
Raelyn Adel Michelle C. Alvino Lucas Banks Kathryn Barwikowski Michael Boyle Hannah Connor Khalilah Daley Jessie Davis Caitlin Devins Monica Donahue Tim Douglas Susan Fanning Alberto Flores Tammy Freitas da Rocha Mari Gabbert Tania Gelormini Vladimir Guelev Megan Hart Rebecca Henderson Andrea Hernandez Charles Jackson Natasha Johnson Nara Margolia Sara Nemitz Alexandra O’Donohue Crystal Parker Lori Pattison Kimberly Potter Kimberly Propert Matthew Prouty Christian Robinson Jose Ruiz John Schmitz Monica Shields Annie Slote Allison Soriano Elizabeth Spurrell Abbey Tennis Lauren Tormey
Elizabeth Treadaway Julia Wald
Margaret and Mark Case
Kathleen and Armand Halter
Noreen and Nicholas Kepple
Christine and David Kloser
Cheryl Lightfritz
colleague, and former board member
Carolyn Murray.
Below is a list of family and friends who made
donations in her name. Carolyn’s beautiful
light shines on Victory Programs.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
One of Victory Programs’ strategic goals is to increase the number of families we are able to serve. We chose this goal because more and more families are coming to us for help, and because we believe that families function best when they can stay together, working as a unit to overcome their problems. In 2005, we have made significant steps to meet this challenge.
REVISION HOUSE AND REVISION URBAN FARM merge with Victory Programs
The Shelter ReVision House is a shelter for pregnant and parenting women in the Franklin Field neighborhood of Dorchester. Since 1990, the ReVision Family House has served more than 700 young families, providing a safe environment at any one time for twenty-two young mothers and their children. To alleviate chronic homelessness, we believe that a holistic approach must be taken with each family that walks through the ReVision House door. In addition to providing a stable and structured living environment to homeless families, counselors and staff offer emotional support, life skills training, assistance in accessing or completing formal education or vocational training, and permanent housing placement assistance.
The Urban Farm In its early days, the staff of ReVision House was concerned with the nutritional well-being of the families living at the shelter. To provide a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, the staff of ReVision House began to develop a small garden so that shelter residents could grow their own food. That garden has expanded to encompass an acre of land that produces fresh, organic produce for the families living at ReVision House. ReVision House also sells produce to the neighborhood at large, and honey and pesto in local stores. As part of our commitment to helping our clients and residents learn new skills and to care for their health, we plan in coming years to expand the ReVision Urban Farm as a social purpose enterprise with a triple bottom line: to provide training and education for residents and clients; to be financially self sufficient; and to be environmentally sustainable.
LONG ISLAND SHELTER FOR FAMILIES
Five years ago, Victory Programs established a program that allows homeless parents in recovery to live with their children while they work together towards independent living. Parents arrive at Portis Family House overcome and overwhelmed, scared and unsure, and dreading the changes they so badly want to make. In most cases, they have lost their homes, their jobs, and important family connections; they lack health coverage; and they make less than $10,000 per year. It takes courage and strength to transform their lives, but they do it.
There are more and more families in our communities, who desperately want the kind of help this program can offer. Victory Programs has secured 10,000 square feet of space on the ground floor of a facility on Long Island in a property owned by the City of Boston, which they are willing to lease to us. Currently, the space is unused and unusable. Once renovated it will be transformed into a beautiful, state-of-the-art transitional home for fifteen families, suitable for young children and for teenagers, where parents and children can work together to overcome their challenges. There are many families who desperately need the individualized treatment and care that is the hallmark of Victory Programs.
We are partnering with Jung Brannen Associates, our architects, who are generously offering their services pro bono, and several key funders led by the Larson Family Foundation, with major support from AIDS Action Committee, the Samuels Family Fund, and the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Fund. Thanks to their leadership, we have already secured more than half of the $1.2 million needed for this vital project. But to get to the finish line, we need your help. In the coming year we will be calling on all of you, our loyal friends, to ask for your support, as well as reaching out to new friends who share our vision. Please consider joining with us in this major endeavor, and asking your friends to join us too. Together, we can give families the space and time to heal, rebuild, and transform their lives.
FAMILIES IN CRISIS: A Call to Action 15••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers Jonathan D. Scott, President Bradford Swing, Chair Kevin Lee Hepner, Vice Chair Zita Jackson, Clerk James Young, Treasurer
Members Dennis J. Balog Douglas M. Brooks, LICSW Paul J. Carey Amandio V. Correia Nancy Donohue Elizabeth Dugan Judith Felton Cynthia R. Freedman Alan Gentle Luanda P. Grazette, MD Prentiss Higgins Andrea Laing Dr. Jean McGuire Noel Richardson Paul A. Ross, EdD Deborah Ruhe Dan Schutt Henri Soucy Rhonda Waters Kristin Winkel
ADMINISTRATION Jonathan D. Scott, President & Executive Director Jim Pettinelli, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Sidney Burton, Jr., MIS Director Debbie Cifuni, Receptionist Marie Clairville, Accounts Payable Coordinator Donna M. Clark, Director of Development Vinicius Coutinho, Facilities Department Aisha Davis-Debose, Human Resources Assistant Laura Derman LICSW, Director of Program Services Cecile Durham, Director of Human Resources Lorraine Franciose, Director of Program Services Sergio Gonsalves, Facilities Manager
Katherine Hinchcliffe, Executive Assistant Jonna C. Hopwood LICSW, Director of Treatment
and Clinical Operations Janice Jeanetti-Sprague, Accounting Clerk Christopher Lawrence, Director of Finance Laura J. LeTourneau, Director of Community Relations Kenneth Lima, Director of Planning & Evaluation Vernette Roach, Development Assistant Dana Shuttleworth, Director of Maintenance Russell Waters, MIS Assistant Lauri Webster, New Urban Farm Manager
BOBBIE WHITE HOUSE Freeda Rawson, Program Director Arthur Jones Gwendolyn Randall Brenda Strouble-Tavares
CENTER FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS Robert Pomales, Program Director John Allen Long Gia Banh Corey Hemingway D. Corwyn Jackson Lisa Manganello
LARC Jose Mandes, Program Director Kathleen Crehan LICSW, Clinical Director Carmen Bonet Fernando Guimaraes Katherine Micket Deborah Ortiz Rosaura Rosario Mathew Talbot Rodolfo Torres Donna Vitale
NEW VICTORIES Crystal Parker, Program Director Joanne Kenny, Clinical Director Kirsten Herstad Kevin Rogers
Luis Gomez Kingsley Madu Miseal Maldonado
PORTIS FAMILY HOUSE Francia Cordia Barbara Zoe Dodd Allister Greenidge Brenda Rooks Siti Salim Maria Terrones Dianne Walker LaWanda Woumnm
REVISION HOUSE AND DAYCARE Tammy Simmons, Program Director Sandra Clermy Michelle Gore Kathie Griffith Velma Jemmott Flora Luis Claudette McCall Mattie McWillie Comfort Okoli Odeilmaris Rivera Della Smith Martha White Sherae Winston
REVISION URBAN FARM Sarah Schwartz Sax, Urban Farm Manager Rosetta Haynesworth
SHEPHERD HOUSE AND YETMAN HOUSE
Susan Dodge, Program Director Tamica Davis Sheila Doh Jay Matthews Anne Pinkham John Settles Michael Tate Yolanda Thomas
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING Freeda Rawson, Program Director Caryn Kaufman, Assistant Director Luz Feliciano Lucretia Godfrey Rommel Griffith Forrest McBrayer Nancy Tierney
VICTORY HOUSE Crystal Parker, Program Director Joanne Kenny, Clinical Director Wilbur Brittle, Jr. Eileen Maguire Willie Roberts Joseph Rudalf
WOMEN’S HOPE Susan Dodge, Program Director Annette Bonds Bonnie Boverman Tamica Davis Kerri Dowd Janet Eliasson Sarah England-Church Henri McGill Vernon Perry Anne Pinkham Retha Watson Salina Williams
(This list reflects employees who work more than 20 hours per week, as of date of printing.)
This report is underwritten with private donations and in-kind contributions. Special thanks to the following who provided service at a reduced cost:
D E S I G N: CBDESIGN www.cbdesign.com
PRINTING: GraphicSmith 617.262.1959
thank you••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••