Letter to Friends of the School

Annual Letter
to the Friends of the School

December 1, 2004

Dear Friends:

In our annual letter last year I wrote briefly about the collective efforts of our staff, volunteers and supporters as an act of faith, a community investment of time, money and belief in a cause whose long-term results we rarely see. Because of the transitory nature of their lives, the majority of the children we serve are seldom with us for more than a few months, and once they leave the school it's unlikely that we will hear from them again. We trust that the work we're doing will have a positive impact on their lives down the road, and we press forward knowing that in most cases we'll never really know. Consequently, it's both rewarding and encouraging when we do hear from or about one of our former students whose lives were moved in a positive direction as a result of their experience at our school. When we do, it almost always takes us by surprise.

The week before Thanksgiving, for example, volunteers and members of the school staff participated in a fundraising event, Kidsgiving 2004, sponsored by Entercom's Portland area radio stations. As part of the format for this 28-hour on-air auction, listeners were invited to call in and ask questions or share their thoughts. Since I was on the air at one of the stations at the time, I didn't hear the call when it came in. But one of our friends listening at home did. The caller identified herself as the mother of one of our former students who had attended the school during a particularly difficult time in their lives. In her words, the school "saved him," and he went on to graduate from high school and is currently enrolled in culinary school. She was understandably proud of him and grateful for the difference the school had made in both their lives. We later learned that throughout the "radio-thon," several former students themselves called in to different stations to share their own comments about the positive impact the school had had on them. No doubt, their brief testimonials helped fan the generosity of Entercom's listeners who made Kidsgiving 2004 one of the most successful fundraisers in the school's history. But for those of us who have worked closely with these children over the years, it's rewarding just to know that our work has made a difference in their lives.

While it isn't often that we receive this kind of reinforcement, teachers, staff and volunteers do see the positive results of our efforts on a daily basis. Often they take the form of subtle changes in behavior or marked improvement in academic performance. Frequently, they're apparent in the efforts of an entire group to accomplish a major goal, such as learning the names of all the states and their capitals, and the sense of achievement they feel when they succeed. From time to time, they come out when they write about their experiences at school. Recently, for instance, I asked the students in my class to write about what makes "a good day."

For Joselina, whose family moved 22 times in two-and-a-half months last year, a good day is when "the school bus comes for you" -- an assessment underscored by the fact that during that time she only missed two days of school. A good day for Hannah is when "you learn in school", for Anastayshia when "you do your homework" and for Alecia when "your teacher congratulates you." Raeshawn's idea of a good day is when "you get to run track and get lots of laps" and Memo writes that a good day is when "you make different friends and play different games." For Josh, a good day is simply when "you finally get a friend."

Regardless of their individual differences, most agreed with Ne'chae that it is always a good day when "your teacher is happy." On that basis, I have to admit that we have a few not-so-good days now and then. But for the most part I am happy, not only with our students' academic and social progress but with their underlying growth as human beings whose evolving hopes and aspirations may one day free them from the cycle of poverty and homelessness many of them were born into. Our older students, in particular, already have very definite ideas about what they want out of life—and what they don't want. These were reflected in a recent writing assignment in which Marna asked her class to write about their goals.

Some of her students, such as 12-year-old Patrick, have goals that are practical and immediate: "I want to neatly clean the motel so my dad won't be mad at me." A bit further out, 13-year-old Gina plans to "graduate diploma in hand and make my family proud and celebrate." Others have longer-term goals.

Once she graduates, 12-year-old Brenee plans to "work two jobs and have money to take care of myself and my family." In a similar vein, 10-year-old Jalena wants "to eat healthy foods so I can live longer and help my family and so I won't be overweight." Jonathan, who is 12, has an even more basic lifetime goal: "I don't want to go to jail before I die so I won't have anything on my criminal record."

In contrast to these more basic goals, many students wrote about complex aspirations that reveal as much about who they already are as about the people they want to be.

Brittney, 12:

I want to focus on school to get a good education and be smart and organized, and learn more about myself and others. I want to know more about myself and others so I can understand more about my thoughts and other's feelings and not judge them.

Jamie, 11:

I am going to graduate and grow up and be a good person. I will be one of the greatest artists ever and make beautiful drawings. Then I will dance like I'm on top of the world. Then when I pass away I will leave money for my family.

Elizabeth, 10:

I will do my homework to pass tests and be smart. I will go home and do my homework. I will graduate by studying. I will be smart and read. When I grow up, I want to be a teacher because teachers help me learn and I want to teach just like them. I want to live in a house with my mom, my sister and my brother and take care of them.

Rashelley, 12:

I want to learn more about nature and be a veterinarian and travel all over the world to save animals. I want to make a book about what I learned about animals and nature, plus make my family proud of my success and my life I chose.

Sharajae, 10:

I want to be a foster mom for children services because I want to help children. I want to live in a big blue house in the city with room for all my kids.

Among this group, all but one have been with us off and on for the better part of four years. During that time, they have lived in shelters, motels and temporary housing, moving often, sometimes out of Portland and occasionally out of state, only to return a short time later. Apart from instability and uncertainty, the one constant in their lives is the Community Transitional School, an oasis inhabited by others like themselves where they can acquire the education and skills to survive and learn to dream of better things. That is the real reason we are here—even if they never succeed in realizing their dreams. And chances are we'll never know.

The one thing we do know is that the more time children spend at the school the more we can help them along the path to becoming self-sufficient and productive members of whatever communities they eventually wind up in. With that in mind, we are currently making plans for a summer school session that will run from mid-June to the end of July. We estimate this will add roughly 8 percent to our already strained annual budget, but there are compelling reasons to move ahead.

Although many of our students come and go throughout the year, a growing percentage have been with us for several years. During the school year, the program gives them structure, focus and a community of friends that are otherwise missing from their lives. Unlike most children who live in neighborhoods, attend camp, play sports, or go on family vacations during the summer, they have little to look forward to over the long summer and many dread the prospect of three months with nothing to do. By offering a summer school program, we can extend the benefits—academic and social—the school provides these children for a relatively small incremental cost. That said, it will be a challenge to take on the added expense.

Throughout its 14-year history, the Community Transitional School has ended each fiscal year in the black. During the past two years, the additional cost of leasing and staffing our current building raised the bar significantly. Yet thanks to the commitment and generosity of our supporters—foundations, corporate donors, local government, and, most of all, individuals—we managed to clear it and the school has flourished. This year our costs are continuing to inch up and the addition of summer school will push our annual budget above a half-million dollars even as persistent economic uncertainty continues to put pressure on funding resources. Without a doubt, the bar is set very high. But with your help, I have no doubt we can clear it. I suppose it all comes back to faith.

Hearing testimonials from former students is encouraging and rewarding, but in the end it's no guarantee that our current students will achieve their aims and aspirations or that the school will achieve our own ambitious goals. We simply go on believing and for 14 years thousands of individuals have shared our faith and kept it alive with their generous support. As we prepare to celebrate our 15th holiday season at the school, we don't take your generosity for granted, but we do take it on faith—faith that the work we do here is worth doing and that we can count on you to help see it through.

On behalf of the children, thanks for your faith and support.

Sincerely,

Cheryl M. Bickle Principal