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Spring 2012 Newsletter of Starr News
Citation preview
SP
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12
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NO
.2
Inside:
Foster CareMonth at Starr
Foster Care Myths
Starr Global Training Network
R E S I D E N T I A L – C O M M U N I T Y - B A S E D – P R O F E S S I O N A L T R A I N I N G S
STARR
STARR COMMONWEALTHWe Think The World of Kids
STARR
Contents
3 President’s Message
4 Foster Care Month
6 Champion Boxer Visits Starr
7 Chaplain’s Message
8 Foster Care Myths
10 Commonwealthalia
12 Foster Care:
Making a Difference
15 John Seita Scholarship
16 Starr Global Training Network
17 2012 Founder’s Day Speaker
Dick Vitale
18 Honor/Memorial Gifts
C R E A T E P O S I T I V E E N V I R O N M E N T S W H E R E C H I L D R E N F L O U R I S H
Starr News Spring, 2012 Volume 69, No. 2Starr Commonwealth is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families & Children.
Starr Commonwealth is a non-profit organization serving children and families regardless of race, religion,
color, or national origin. Founded in 1913, Starr is licensed by the states of Michigan and Ohio and serves
children and families from locations in Albion, Battle Creek, Detroit, and Clinton Township, MI.; Van Wert,
and Columbus, OH; and Lennox, S.D. The Albion campus is a Michigan Historic Site. Starr Commonwealth
receives funds from social agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals.
Kyle Caldwell, Chairman of the Board; Martin L. Mitchell, Ed. D., President and Chief Executive Officer;
Christopher L. Smith, B.B.A., C.P.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer;
Wm. Chuck Jackson, MA, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer;
Elizabeth A. Carey, MSW, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy & Administrative Services Officer;
Gary Q. Tester, MRC, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer
13725 Starr Commonwealth Rd. Albion, MI 49224-9525 800.837.5591 [email protected]
Foster Care
Month at Starr
See Page 4
Foster Care Myths
See Page 8IMPACTING
1.3 MILL ION
CHILDREN
AND
FAMIL IES
WORLDWIDE
Martin L. Mitchell, Ed.D., President/ CEO
Too often, the media attention surrounding foster care highlights the occasional
negative aspect of challenges within the system. This can discourage current foster
families as well as deter others from joining this important cause.
Foster parenting is no easy task. Children in foster care have often experienced physical
and emotional abuse and suffer from an inability to trust or love. Many foster children are
more likely to suffer from depression and other challenges that will impact their learning and
behavior. Often, when children are removed from their homes and families at young ages,
they experience elevated levels of stress and compromised immune systems. There are no
shortage of challenges in opening your heart and home to children in foster care.
However, the pivotal role foster parents play in the lives of foster youth is critical to their
long-term developmental needs. Safe, stable homes where basic needs are met are important.
So, too, are adults who understand the vital signs for positive youth development:
Belonging, Mastery, Independence and Generosity.
Through Starr Commonwealth’s foster care programs in Battle Creek and Detroit, Michigan,
and Columbus, Ohio, we have worked with hundreds of adults who understand that fostering
is more than just a bed to sleep in and food for nourishment. They recognize and work to
support vulnerable children in their care, whether it’s short-term and temporary or lengthy
and leading toward adoption. Our highly trained and qualified foster parents go above
and beyond every day, and for that, they all deserve more positive attention and gratitude
from all of us. Increasing our appreciation for foster parents is not only long overdue but
necessary to grow the number of adults and homes wanting to apply.
Please join me in thanking the licensed foster
care providers of Starr and other agencies
who are undeniably deserving of recognition,
not just this month, but every day. Send an
e-mail of appreciation to [email protected],
and we will share your comments
on our Facebook page.
3
NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH
National Foster Care Month, recognized
in May each year, brings awareness
to a large population of youth in need
of stability and support and the families
who selflessly care for them.
According to fostercaremonth.org, there are roughly 424,000 children in the foster care system in the United
States. The average age of children entering the system is between 8 and 12 years old, and most of these children
enter foster care with histories of abuse and neglect, according to the National Resource Center for
Permanency and Family Connections.
Ultimately, the objective of foster care is to reunite youth with biological families if possible. In many cases,
however, this is not an option. In fact, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System indicates that
only 51 percent of children exiting foster care in the U.S. in 2010 were reunited with their biological parents.
At Starr Commonwealth, our foster care services – offered in Battle Creek and Detroit, Michigan, as well as
Columbus, Ohio – work with biological families whenever possible with reunification as the ultimate goal. If that
is not an achievable outcome, Starr works to ensure that youth and foster families are supported throughout
the process and into other appropriate permanency-oriented living arrangements.
Starr also offers services like MyPlace, an independent living program for adolescents ages 16 and over in
Columbus that helps youth adjust to life on their own. Other transitional living programs are offered in Battle Creek
and Detroit, such as Supervised Independent Living (SIL), which assists older youth, ages 16-20, in gaining
self-sufficiency through the acquisition of day-to-day living skills.
Starr foster care currently serves 172 youth in 128 homes in Michigan and Ohio with the hope of adding
more children and loving foster families whenever possible.
Starr Detroit’s foster care program handles case management services for foster youth, in addition to tutoring,
possible transition to its SIL program and collaboration with other prevention and intervention services at
the Detroit campus.
The Starr Battle Creek foster care program serves the largest number of youth out of the three sites and includes
multiple levels of care. Like Starr Detroit, Battle Creek assists with possible transition to its SIL program
and works with other services under the Starr umbrella.
4
Treatment Foster Care at Starr Columbus provides
different levels of care as well, including Traditional,
Specialized and Exceptional. Differences include
frequency and depth of therapy and program
length, with Exceptional being the most thorough
and longest program for youth with more
extensive needs.
Services offered by Starr’s foster care programs
range from case management to in-home counsel-
ing, on-campus psychiatric care and therapy from
counselors trained in trauma-informed practices
through The National Institute for Trauma and Loss
in Children, a program of the Starr Global
Training Network.
Foster parents undoubtedly make a significant
impact in children’s lives. But there are still many
youth across the country with no support to meet
their basic needs and no guidance along the road
through adolescence and into adulthood.
At Starr, our mission is to create positive environ-
ments where children flourish. As a foster parent,
you can help us achieve that goal.
5
Starr Commonwealth was privileged to have Claressa Shields, Olympic hopeful and U.S. National
Champion boxer, visit the Albion campus March 17 to speak with our staff and youth.
She detailed her experience as a young female boxer in a male-dominated sport and the difficulties of growing
up in Flint, Michigan without her father. Her message of perseverance resonated with our youth, and she was
gracious enough to take part in a question and answer session with nearly 160 boys and girls.
The 17-year-old Shields has a 25-0
record and will be traveling to China
soon in her final preliminary action
before the first-ever women’s boxing
tournament at the Olympics.
Claressa has promised to come back
to Starr for our Founder’s Day celebra-
tion on Sunday, Oct. 7 if she wins the
Gold Medal. We wish her the best
on her continued journey.
6
Right: Olympic hopeful Claressa Shields
and a Starr student
Below: Pictured from left to right are
Trustee George Wilson, Claressa’s trainer
Jason Crutchfield, CDO Gary Tester,
Claressa Shields, CSO Elizabeth Carey
and CEO Marty Mitchell.
CHAMPIONBOXER
Watch your gift grow. Do you work for a company that offers a matching gifts program? Or, are you retired from a matching gifts company? If so, you could double – maybe even triple – your gifts to Starr Commonwealth children simply by letting us know. Just ask your employer or former employer to provide you with the paperwork you need. Fill it out and send it to Attention: Development Office,Starr Commonwealth, 13725 Starr Commonwealth Road, Albion, MI 49224-9910. Thank you for caring!
Starr provides kids with certainty in our uncertain world.
A popular commercial featured on television at the moment is one centered on financial
planning. The narrator says that, according to an ancient Mayan calendar, Earth is to be
hurled into space on December 21, 2012. If this is the case, then the world will come to an
end, and there would be no need for financial planning. However, if we are here the next
day, then of course one would need to plan for the future. It’s a clever commercial which
plays upon both uncertainty and certainty of the future. Now what do I mean by this?
There is a certainty about life which helps to ground our lives and provides some
measure of control and stability. This certainty is expressed in many ways. For example,
the sun always rises. Spring follows winter.
Work is rewarding and necessary. Love
is worth pursuing and being “caught by.”
Our lives here on Earth will come to an end
at some point in time. And the Chicago
Cubs will miss out on yet another baseball
World Series. Certainties!
However, life is filled with great uncertainty,
and no amount of planning will remove
uncertainty from our lives. Occasionally,
clouds block out the sun. Winter often lingers
on even though the calendar says it’s spring.
Many people cannot find work or go long
periods of time between work, and if they
are able to find work, often it is not fulfilling.
Love hurts, just listen to all the songs or read the many poems or stories which attest
to this. Before our lives come to an end here on Earth, they are filled with joy, disappoint-
ment, laughter, tears, enlightenment, a lack of understanding, you get the picture.
And eventually, for all of you Cubbies’ fans out there, the Chicago Cubs will be in
a World Series. Uncertainties!
From its beginning, Starr has worked hard to deal with both the certainties
and uncertainties of life through the development of outstanding programs
and opportunities for young people and their families. One such program
is foster care, which strives to provide the certainty of a loving, nurturing,
accepting and functional family for many young people who have
known nothing but the uncertainty of life.
As I write this message, we are standing in the shadow of two great religious
events which have just occurred, Passover and Easter. Both events remind
us that because God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, no matter the
certainties or uncertainties of our life, God will be in them providing us with
the love and strength to endure and thrive. This is certain.
Chaplain Ken PondsCH
APLAIN
’S M
ESS
AGE
7
In an effort to dispel the fallacies that surround the foster care program, listed below
are responses to set the record straight.
Myth #1: Foster parents are “in it for the money.”
Foster parents invite children into their homes 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. These children may present issues ranging
from insomnia to behavioral disorders to learning disabilities or have
previously abused alcohol or drugs, to name a few. The motiva-
tion for foster parents is more than any monetary assistance that
provides care and support. Knowing they have helped a child and
family in crisis is what makes fostering a rewarding experience.
Myth #2: Foster parents should treat foster kids
like they would their own in all situations.
Treating foster children as “your own” is ideal if referring
to household chores, having the expectation of being
kind, using manners, obeying rules and experiencing
extracurricular activities. The reality is that foster children
have real, serious challenges and problems which
may require some alterations to your parenting style.
A child who has been a victim of abuse and neglect
or experienced a traumatic event has much different
needs in order to heal and feel as if they are in a safe
environment than your “typical” child.
MYTHS
As a foster care provider for 27 years, Starr is acutely aware of the myriad
of myths and misconceptions surrounding the foster care system.
These misunderstandings unfortunately cast foster parents,
who open their homes and hearts to children in need, in a negative
light and mistakenly paint a picture of children who have committed
unimaginable offenses.
8
Myth #3: I’d love to be a foster parent, but seeing children leave would break my heart.
To imply that foster parents can let kids go because they don’t get attached is simply not the case. As with
any relationship, the level of the bond varies. Some foster parents enter into the field with the notion of
eventually adopting. Others simply learn to care for the child and let go when it is time. For many children
in the foster care system, family reunification is the ultimate
goal. Foster parents work closely with the case manager,
child and sometimes even the parent(s) or guardian to make
this goal a reality.
Myth #4 : The term foster child means
the same as adopted child.
These terms should not be used interchangeably.
Labels should be avoided as children from either situation
are incredibly sensitive to these terms. Children in the foster
care system are still under state care whereas children
who have been adopted are strictly cared for by the parents
without state oversight.
Myth #5: Foster parents are kept hidden
from the birth parents.
This is only true in extreme cases. For the majority of cases,
soon after a foster child is placed, they have visits with family
members who are considered safe to lessen the child’s sense
of abandonment. Throughout placement, foster parents often
assume the role of modeling healthy parenting skills or act
as a source of information for the biological parent(s).
Myth #6: I could never be a foster parent because
I’m not married and don’t make a lot of money.
I don’t even own my house.
While there are requirements to becoming a foster parent, whether you are married, single, a home
owner or renter, you are capable of becoming a foster parent as long as you have enough income to support
yourself and your family aside from the money you are paid to care for foster children.
Myth #7: My children are grown and out of the house. I’m too old to be a foster parent.
The only age requirement for becoming a foster parent is meeting the minimum age in your state.
In Michigan, the minimum age is 18, while Ohio requires foster parents to be 21. Many “empty nesters”
find foster parenting to be a rewarding experience.
Myth #8: I don’t have any children and to be a foster parent, you need to have
parenting experience.
Many foster parents are childless. However, they are responsible, caring individuals who have made
a commitment to helping children in need. Training is provided by Starr to support our foster parents.
Continued on page 11
9
The Old Testament contains references to the
duty of all to care for children in any situation. Early
Christian church records also show that widows
were paid from congregational collections to care
for orphans. It was English Poor Law that led to the
development of family foster care in the United
States. In 1562, these laws allowed the placement
of poor children until they came of age. In 1636,
less than 30 years after the founding of the
Jamestown Colony, Benjamin Eaton became this
nation’s first foster child at the age of seven.
In 1853, Charles Brace began the free foster home
movement. A minister and director of the New York
Children's Aid Society, Brace was concerned about
the large number of immigrant children sleeping
in the streets of New York. He devised a plan to
provide them homes by advertising in the south
and west for families willing to provide free homes
for these children, whether for charitable reasons
or whatever help these children could be to them.
As a result of the New York Children's Aid Society's
placements, sectarian social agencies and state
governments became involved in foster home
placements. Massachusetts, prior to 1865, began
paying board to families who took care of children
too young to be indentured. Pennsylvania passed
the first licensing law in 1885, which made it a
misdemeanor to care for two or more unrelated
children without a license. South Dakota began
providing subsidies to the Children's Home Society
after it was organized in 1893 for its public
childcare work.
During the early 1900s, social agencies began
to supervise foster parents. Records were kept,
COMMONWEALTHby Amy Reimann, Director of Archives
The history of foster care in the United States and how
Starr Commonwealth became involved.
10
children's individual needs were considered
when placements were made, and the federal
government began supporting state inspections
of family foster homes. Services were provided
to natural families to enable the child to return
home, and foster parents were now seen as
part of a professional team working to find
permanency for dependent children.
At Starr Commonwealth, many children worked
local farms near the Albion campus in the 1940s
and 1950s. Starr’s housemothers, and eventually
house parent couples, could also be compared
to foster parents, as they lived and made
their home here with the children they served.
The external Starr Foster Care movement began
in 1985. Norman Ostrum, our first Foster Care
Licensing Supervisor, and Deb Watkis, our first
Foster Care Secretary, placed the first child that
year. Deb remembers that they received training
at Eagle Village on how to create files and begin
the program. Starr now has foster homes
throughout Michigan and Ohio. Both Deb and
Norm still work for Starr, as well, although in
different capacities. Deb is our Assets Manager
in the Albion Finance Department and Norm
is Admissions
Director for
Montcalm School,
a private thera-
peutic boarding
school of Starr
Commonwealth.
Foster Care Myths continued
Myth #9 : Foster children have been abused so much that they’re beyond
repair. I wouldn’t be making much of a difference anyway.
Research completed by Starr’s own Clinical Team reinforces the fact that children
are amazingly resilient. Foster parents who provide a structured, nurturing envi-
ronment make an incredible difference in these children’s lives. Starr foster parents
have behind them a wealth of knowledge and experience through counselors who
are trained in providing trauma-informed and resilience-focused care.
Starr Commonwealth operates Foster Care programs in Battle Creek and Detroit,
Michigan, and in Columbus, Ohio, for a total of 128 foster parents who provided homes
to 409 children in need in 2011. For more information on Starr’s Foster Care program
or on becoming a foster parent, visit www.starrfostercare.org or call 800.837.5591.
11
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Fostering a child, even if it is only for a short period of time,
can change their life forever. Two of Starr Commonwealth’s foster
parents dedicated to that mission are Hollis Conway,
a foster parent with Starr Battle Creek, and Chris Battle,
a foster parent with Starr Detroit.
Hollis and her partner, Jamiee Clark, became licensed foster parents in April 2011. They were weighing the options
of bringing a child into their home and decided to go the foster parenting route.
Chris and his wife, Donna, took a very different path to foster parenthood.
“Becoming licensed foster parents was a natural evolution for our family,” Chris said. “We were unofficial foster
parents for years. We took in and assisted in the care of children of family and friends during times of difficulty
because we believe that is what a community should do.
“The decision to become licensed occurred during a Christmas season, when a fellow church member made
a presentation during a service spotlighting the need for good foster homes. She was employed with the
Department of Human Services. Seeing the faces of the children presented struck a chord in us.”
Both Chris and Hollis believe that being a foster parent allows them to have the greatest impact on a child
who desperately needs a safe and stable environment.
“We had always been drawn to the idea
of fostering, and having our own children
hasn't been a priority for us,” Hollis said.
“After considering our options in adding
children to our family, we felt that helping
children through fostering was the
most meaningful to us.”
But as with any situation where children
are brought into a new home, there have
been difficulties along the way. The hardest
part, Hollis said, is knowing that the child
is leaving the home at some point.
12
Jamiee Clark and
Hollis Conway
“We have to remind ourselves that our foster child isn't
our child forever,” Hollis said. “The frustration of not knowing
what will happen next takes a huge emotional toll on us.”
Chris believes that biological families can be difficult to
interact with when they do not realize that foster parents
are working with the child’s best interests in mind.
“Some of the most significant challenges to being a foster
parent involve convincing the children to trust you, as well as
convincing any involved birth family to understand that you are
not the enemy and only want what is best for the child,” Chris
said. “The outcome has always been best for the children
when birth families work with us rather than against us.”
The positive aspects of fostering far outweigh the negatives,
however, and both Hollis and Chris believe that their foster
children have had just as big of an impact on them as they
have had on the children.
“The biggest reward of being a foster parent is the joy we
get while watching (our foster child) grow and develop into
an amazing kid,” Hollis said. “He has touched our lives in
ways we will never forget.”
Chris also reaps the benefit of seeing his foster children
excel while in his family’s care.
“The most wonderful rewards that we have ever received as
foster parents have been being able to see the growth and
successes of those we have fostered,” Chris said. “While the
youth deserve the ultimate credit for making good choices and being able to overcome whatever challenges
they have endured, fostering makes us feel like we have played a small role in that success.”
Hollis believes that her and Jamiee’s positive life experiences, especially as children, give them the ability
to provide a loving and supportive atmosphere for foster children in their home.
“We think about the wonderful childhood we both had growing up and hope that we can offer that to the
children who enter our home,” Hollis said. “We are motivated knowing that there are so many kids who need
someone and the difference a loving home can make.”
Providing some stability in an otherwise tumultuous life can give purpose and direction to foster children
feeling overwhelmed by their circumstances. That is the ultimate goal of both Hollis and Chris.
“We continue to be foster parents for the same reasons that we began fostering,” Chris said. “We believe
that whenever our time here is done, we will have fulfilled our purpose by loving God's children and showing
them what love should look like. We always strive to make our home feel like home for them.”
13
With many youth across
the country still looking for
direction in their lives, the
guidance that foster parents
can offer is invaluable.
Honor a foster parent or child.Here’s the perfect opportunity to honor
a foster parent, child or others like alumni
and staff, and tell the world of your support
for them and Starr Commonwealth. When
you reserve a commemorative brick, bench
or picnic table, you get to choose the Starr
campus – Albion or Columbus – where you’d
like it displayed. You also get to choose
the message you’d like engraved, and
your tax-deductible charitable contribution
will help our campuses remain beautiful,
comfortable and easily accessible for all.
Take a minute now to fill out the attached
order form below and own a piece of the walk.
Please return the form below along with payment to:
Starr Commonwealth, 13725 Starr Commonwealth Rd., Albion, MI 49224
Official Order Form
Designate a Campus: __Albion Campus ___Columbus Campus
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Your Name Daytime Phone Email
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Address City State Zip
Designation: ___Memorial ___Honor ___Chapel ___Employee ___Alumni
___4"x 8" Bricks (1 to 3 lines) at $100/each = _________
___8"x 8" Bricks (1 to 6 lines) at $200/each = _________
___Bench at $2000/each = _________
(1-4 lines; 25 spaces)
___Picnic Table at $1500/each =_________
(1-4 lines; 25 spaces)
Total Donation _________
Please bill my
___VISA ___MC ___AMEX ___Check enclosed
____________________________________________ Card #
____________________________________________ Expiration Date
Here’s the text for my engraving. Up to 15 characters per line including
spaces and punctuation. Use “&” for “and” to save space.
#1 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn#2 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn#3 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn#4 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn#5 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn#6 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Mr. & Mrs. Mr. Mrs. Ms. Miss
15
JOHN SEITASCHOLARSHIPS
A scholarship created in 2008 and named after Starr Commonwealth
alumnus John Seita assists students attending Western Michigan
University who have aged out of foster care.
Seita, a WMU graduate and associate professor of social work at Michigan State University, was once
a troubled boy receiving treatment at Starr Commonwealth in Albion, Michigan. He is now an expert on
resilience, positive youth development and foster care, having authored several journals and books.
He has presented on topics related to the issues and his personal experiences as well.
The John Seita Scholarship is available to first-time freshmen or transfer students who were in foster
care or were wards of the state at the time of their high school graduation. It assists the students with
full tuition, year-round housing and a network of academic and social support.
Since its inception, the WMU Seita Scholars program has supported 209 students with a total of
$3.39 million in tuition assistance. In the fall of 2011, 17 Seita Scholars made the dean’s list. While WMU
is finding the average timeframe for these former foster youth to graduate with their bachelor’s
degree is six years, the program is changing lives.
According to WMU’s website, the first graduate of the Seita Scholars program, Michael Fombang,
who graduated in May 2010 with a bachelor’s in biomedical sciences, has hopes to attend medical school.
For more information on the Seita Scholars program, including the eligibility requirements,
visit www.wmich.edu.
STARR GLOBAL TRAINING NETWORK?
Starr Commonwealth is fortunate to have many terrific programs aimed at creating positive
environments where children flourish. Two of these, The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC)
and Reclaiming Youth International, are members of the Starr Global Training Network. These programs train
professionals in best practices when treating children who have experienced trauma and assist with
building resiliency in youth.
The Starr Global Training Network, formerly the Starr Institute for Training, has recently changed its name
to better coincide with Starr’s vision to actively engage with communities worldwide to develop the greatness
in every child. This new image better reflects the nature of Starr’s training programs, a worldwide network of
industry experts with one goal: training professionals in leading-edge techniques to care for children and
families across the globe.
Foster children in particular have often experienced a great deal of trauma throughout their lives. At Starr, we are
working to get all of our clinicians, therapists and those who work with youth trained in trauma-informed practices
through TLC. This will allow each of the direct care staff to truly understand the impact trauma has on children,
including those in foster care.
TLC also has a Foster Care Workbook, which provides
foster parents and professionals with a number of helpful
tips when caring for and working with a traumatized
foster child. Parents have access
to TLC’s Parent Trauma Resource
Center as well, a free source of
useful information relating to
children and trauma available
on the TLC website.
16
Starr Commonwealth is pleased to announce Dick Vitaleas our 2012 Founder’s Day speaker. Most know him as an energetic
college basketball commentator, but he is also heavily involved with
many charitable efforts. A decorated philanthropist, Mr. Vitale has
been awarded the Ronald McDonald House Man of the Year Award
and the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Chris Greicius Award, given for
exceptional dedication to helping grant the wishes of children with
life-threatening medical conditions. He also had an advanced training
program in pediatric cancer research at Johns Hopkins University named in his honor
in 2011. Please save the date of Sunday, October 7, 2012. Mr. Vitale’s message of positivity
and perseverance is sure to have a lasting impact on our youth, staff and community.
For more information on this Speaker/Performer, please visit www.apbspeakers.com.
17
Reclaiming Youth International uses Circle of Courage,® a model of positive youth
development built around meeting the four basic needs of all children: belonging, mastery,
independence and generosity. Through Reclaiming Youth International, childcare profes-
sionals are equipped with the tools needed to help children feel empowered and resilient.
These knowledge- and skill-
building trainings are offered
for teachers, counselors, youth
workers, juvenile justice personnel, faith-based providers,
alternative schools, residential program staff and more.
The Starr Global Training Network has already trained
childcare workers in over 50 countries. But expanding
into more communities across the world will allow Starr
Commonwealth to increase its global reach with the
objective of positively impacting the lives of children
and families everywhere. TLC and Reclaiming Youth
International are just two of the programs that will help
to achieve that ambitious goal.
For more information on TLC, please visit www.starrtraining.org/tlc. For more information on Reclaiming
Youth International, please visit www.reclaiming.com.
DICK VITALE
GIFTS
18
IN HONOR OF:
GEYWA ELLIOT
Ms. Elisa Elliot
JIM OLIVER
Mr. Robert Macadaeg
DALLAS AND LEONA SEILER
Dr. Linda M. Muul
Dr. and Mrs. Arlin E. Ness
Ms. Karen Yankie
JOHN R. SEITA
Mr. Brian F. Talty
IN MEMORY OF:
WILLIAM M. BLACK
Mr. Darrell J. Black
CONCETTA FALCONE
Mr. John Falcone
JEANNE GABLE
Dr. and Mrs. Arlin E. Ness
CATHERINE HEINLEN
Dr. George H. Lauff
MARY ANNA LAUFF
Dr. George H. Lauff
PATRICK L. MURPHY
Dr. and Mrs. Martin L. Mitchell
FLORENCE NESS
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin L. Colness
Dr. and Mrs. Martin L. Mitchell
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Zimmerman
BLAKE PATRICK RANKIN
Mr. William Hobson
Dr. Pamela A. Lemerand
Dr. and Mrs. Martin L. Mitchell
Dr. and Mrs. Arlin E. Ness
Mrs. Sylvia S. Richey
Mr. Jon Van Oss
MARILYN REED
Ms. Norma A. Pitts
RICHARD G. ROEDER
Mr. and Mrs. Richard R. Michels
Mr. and Mrs. Philip Lang
IRIS A. SHAW
Dr. and Mrs. Brian Shaw
CHRISTOPHER SOUTHWICK
Mrs. Charlotte Southwick
ELLA STOVER
Dr. and Mrs. Arlin E. Ness
Mr. and Mrs. Millard Winningham
JACK H. TOWNSEND
Ms. Leslie Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Kipp
Dr. and Mrs. Martin L. Mitchell
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Veich
ELLA WASHINGTON
Mr. and Mrs. George D. Goodman
Dr. and Mrs. Martin L. Mitchell
NANCY STARR WISE
Dr. and Mrs. Ross Vann Ness
HONOR GIFTS are thoughtful ways to
remember a special person and/or
a special occasion, such as a birth,
birthday, anniversary, graduation,
Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, while
also helping Starr children. When
sending an honor gift, please provide
the address of the honoree. We will
send an acknowledgment card to
let them know of your thoughtful-
ness, but we won’t mention the gift
amount. You may call in your honor
gift for faster acknowledgment at:
800.837.5591. Honor gifts also may
be made online at: www.starr.org.
MEMORIAL GIFTS offer an enduring
tribute to the memory of a friend or
loved one, while extending a helping
hand to the children of Starr Common-
wealth. When sending a memorial
gift, please provide the address of
a family member of the deceased to
whom we can send an acknowledg-
ment card. We will let them know
of your thoughtfulness but won’t
mention the gift amount. You may
call in your memorial gift for faster
acknowledgment at: 800.837.5591.
Memorial donations also may be
made online at: www.starr.org.
Here is a listing of Honor and Mem-
orial gifts received from 1/14/2012 –
4/19/2012. Donors are listed below the
name of the person in whose memory
or honor they contributed. Gifts not
listed here will appear in a future
issue of Starr News. If we missed your
name or an error has occurred with
your listing, please forgive us and
contact us so we may correct it
in the next issue.
Thank You!Starr Commonwealth would like
to thank you for your kindness
and generosity during our
March “Matching Gift” Appeal.
With help from supporters like you,
more than $12,900 was raised to help
Starr’s youth. We thank you for your continued
dedication to helping us achieve our mission
of creating positive environments
where children flourish.
The Starr Commonwealth Charitable Gift Annuity. The more you give, the more you get back.A gift annuity is the win-win of charitable gifts. You get the satisfaction of knowing
you’re doing something important for the present and future children of Starr
Commonwealth, and you’re guaranteed a stream of income for life!
Here’s how it works: You transfer cash, securities or other property to Starr to create
your charitable gift annuity. Starr then pays you or the person you designate a fixed
amount each year for life. You can receive a nice tax deduction for the year you
create the gift annuity, and if you had donated appreciated property, you may save
on capital gains tax. Among other benefits, part of your gift annuity is income tax
free. Plus, the rates are based on age, so no health exams. When the gift annuity
ends after your life, the remaining principal passes to Starr Commonwealth
to benefit children in need.*
For a detailed, no obligation analysis of what your gift might mean to you
and the children of Starr Commonwealth, please call the office of
Planned Giving at 800.837.5591.
Gift AnnuityRate Tables
(Single Life)
Age Rate
55 4.0
60 4.4
65 4.7
70 5.1
75 5.8
80 6.8
85 7.8
90+ 9.0
*not available in all states
®
Duplicate mailing? Call (800) 837-5591
Address service requested
Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage
PAIDPermit #975Lansing, MI
Officers
Martin L. Mitchell, Ed.D.President Chief Executive Officer
Christopher L. Smith, BBA, CPAExecutive Vice PresidentChief Financial Officer
Wm. Chuck Jackson, MAExecutive Vice PresidentChief Clinical Officer
Elizabeth A. Carey, MSWExecutive Vice PresidentChief Strategy and Administrative Services
Officer
Gary Q. Tester, MRCExecutive Vice PresidentChief Development Officer
Board of Trustees
Kyle Caldwell, ChairPresident and CEOMichigan Nonprofit AssociationLansing, MI
Michael Leach, Vice ChairChief Financial OfficerNationwide InsuranceColumbus, OH
Tom Kolassa, SecretarySenior Vice President Hub InternationalBattle Creek, MI
Honorable Eugene A. Moore, Immediate Past ChairChief Probate Judge (Retired)Oakland CountyPontiac, MI
Scott BennettVice President UBS Financial ServicesBirmingham, MI
Ralph J. BurrellPresident and CEO SymCon, Inc.Detroit, MI
Craig CarrelPresident and PartnerTeam 1 PlasticsAlbion, MI
Dr. Velma ClayDirector of Equal Employment Opportunity (Retired)Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal CenterBattle Creek, MI
Honorable John HallacyDistrict Court Judge10th District CourtBattle Creek, MI
Erick StewartPresidentStewart Industries LLCBattle Creek, MI
Gary TaylorOwnerTaylor Auto Sales Inc.Van Wert, OH
Bruce Vande VusseAttorneyFoster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C.Farmington Hills, MI
George WilsonGeneral AgentWilson Insurance ServicesGilbert Wiseman AgencyFlint, MI
Trustees Emeritus
Margaret Starr LeutheuserDaughter of Floyd StarrHaverford, PA
Michael J. GableChief Operating OfficerHoward and HowardRoyal Oak, MI
George D. GoodmanExecutive Director (Retired)Michigan Municipal LeagueAnn Arbor, MI
Dr. Russell G. MawbyChairman EmeritusW.K. Kellogg FoundationBattle Creek, MI
William K. Stoffer Chairman and CEOAlbion Machine & Tool Co.Albion, MI
Lawrence GivensBlackmond and Givens, Inc.Southfield, MI
George A. GoodmanYpsilanti, MI
H. Ronald GriffithPresident (Retired)Baker College of JacksonJackson, MI
Jack KresnakPresident and CEOMichigan’s ChildrenLansing, MI
Dr. Pamela LemerandProfessorEastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI
Albert LittleVice President and Business Development OfficerGreenleaf TrustKalamazoo, MI
William C. RandsManaging PartnerSagres Partners, L.P.Grosse Pointe, MI
Cornelia Romanowski Educator Shavertown, PA
Ahmad E. SinnoChief Information OfficerBricker & Eckler LLCColumbus, OH
Honorary Trustees
Anne Willson DupréGranddaughter of Floyd StarrToronto, Canada
Diana Starr LangleyMontecito, CA
Sylvia Starr RicheyGranddaughter of Floyd StarrSeal Beach, CA
President Emeritus
Arlin E. NessPresident EmeritusAnthem, AZ
Locations
Michigan: Albion, Battle Creek, Detroit, Clinton Township
Ohio: Van Wert, Columbus
South Dakota: Lennox
®
www.montcalmschool.orgwww.starrtraining.org
13725 Starr Commonwealth Rd.
Albion, Michigan 49224
www.starr.org