The DREAM Program, a Vermont youth mentoring organization - NEWS & PUBLICATIONS

DREAM featured in the Marshfield Mariner

2009-12-22T15:06:00.002-05:00

DREAM's Resource Development Director, Josh Warren, was recently featured in the The Marshfield Mariner, a local paper in Massachusetts.

Read the full article: http://www.wickedlocal.com/marshfield/news/x933814967/Warren-helps-start-DREAM-s-Massachusetts-office

DREAM featured in the Bennington Banner!

2009-07-29T14:09:00.003-04:00

Today, July 29, 2009, The DREAM Bennington Program is featured in the Bennington Banner.

Take a look here or read below:

DREAM-land Mentoring a hit with students, Willowbrook youngsters
NEAL P. GOSWAMI
Posted: 07/28/2009 10:54:43 PM EDT

BENNINGTON -- A new mentoring program at Bennington College is offering some local children plenty of new experiences this summer.

The DREAM Program, a non-profit mentoring program that pairs college students and children living in subsidized housing developments in Vermont, was founded in 1999. But it's only been a part of Bennington College since September, when the school became the ninth Vermont college to join.

So far, the program has been a hit among the children from Willowbrook Apartment complex and the college students who serve as mentors. The program combines best practices from mentoring and community development programs to create a unique experience for the children as well as the mentors.

Faith Griffiths, a Bennington College student from Rhinebeck, N.Y., who is serving as a mentor, said the college students help the children with whatever they need. "We kind of plan as we go. We have activities and we have projects," she said. "We act as their mentors for anything they need."

Griffiths said she has a background in cooking and baking, so many of the activities for local children center around those activities. She secured a grant from the DREAM program for ingredients. Now, the children meet with their mentors on the college campus every Friday for a dinner and movie night, with the food prepared by the children. The children have enjoyed making homemade pizza and lasagna, Griffiths said.

Partnerships within the community have helped make the program a local success, Griffiths said. The Blooming Chefs program, an ecoliteracy program for children, teens, their families and the community involving environmental stewardship through gardening and culinary arts, and Nova Mae's Cafe, have helped expand the program, according to Griffiths.

Dana Wolfson, another mentor and part of Blooming Chefs, said kids in the DREAM program have been able to harvest from the group's gardens to include in their cooking and baking. "We've been using the ingredients and teaching the kids about local gardening," she said.

The program allows for each site to plan its own activities. Wolfson said the Bennington College program is fairly unique. "It's very much about how we see this working," she said. "What we do with the kids is very different than what (the University of Vermont) does."

On Tuesday, Griffiths, Wolfson and several of the children in the DREAM program sold zucchini brownies at Nova Mae's Cafe on Main Street to raise money for trips and activities. Nova Mae's Cafe owner Kim Post said the children have brought a lot of exciting and vitality to the cafe.

Nine-year-old Madison said she has enjoyed traveling and baking, which the program has allowed her to do. She said she will be soon be able to attend summer camp for the first time because of the DREAM program.

Griffiths said the program runs a five-day camp for children who are part of the program. "They get to have -- in five days -- a very complete camp experience and meet the other kids in the other programs," she said.

The college students work as a team to provide mentoring activities to children in both individual and group settings. Griffiths said she and other local mentors are also working with parents to foster better communication about the program and include them in some activities.

The program also aims to create long-term relationships between children and mentors. Griffiths said children will be matched with the same mentor for the time the students are enrolled at Bennington College. When students graduate, a new student will take over as the child's mentor.

"This is something that's not going away," Griffiths said. "It's a college-aged mentor that stays with kids as they grow up."

Strong bonds have already developed between children and their mentors. "Someday I want to be like my friend Faith," said 10-year-old Cheyenne, as she hugged her mentor.

Contact Neal P. Goswami at ngoswami@benningtonbanner.com

Champlain Graduation

2009-07-06T16:08:00.002-04:00

Evan, Al, Katie, Matt and Shannon congratulations and DREAM Big!

On Saturday, May 9th, four Birchwood DREAMers gathered at Memorial Auditorium in Burlington, VT to congratulate their Champlain College mentors as they accepted their diplomas, shifted their tassels, and officially became college graduates. Some DREAMers gave their mentors pink frosted whoopie pies and chains made of dandelion stems as gifts, and others simply hugged their mentors and wished them the best!

Although graduation marked the end of their undergraduate experience and their time as DREAM mentors, no good-byes were exchanged. Plans among these pairs have already been made to hang out over the summer months and into the fall. All of the graduating mentors have planned to stay in contact with their mentees either by phone, e-mail, or in person! One graduate has even begun to plan an evening out on the town with his mentee, and three generations of that child’s mentors!

Congratulations Macon & Emily!!

2009-06-06T18:01:00.003-04:00

Macon Phillips and Emily Price were married on May 30th. Both DREAM supporters, Macon was one of our founding staff members, bringing together our first ideas for Camp and High Adventure programming. His big dreaming has helped us develop an exciting and successful adventure component at DREAM. Macon & Emily moved to Washington DC a few years ago where they have given up their floors to host two DREAM trips. Emily helps finance affordable housing development and Macon is the head of the Obama Administration's New Media office.

Wedding goers traveled in DREAM Bus style from downtown Burlington to the ceremony at Shelburne Farms. Macon & Emily listed DREAM on their registry, generating over ten donations to support Camp.

Congratulations Macon & Emily!

Bennington and Willowbrook DREAM present: The Viking Cabaret Dinner

2009-06-03T13:50:00.004-04:00

By Faith Griffiths, Bennington DREAMer

On Sunday, May 17th, Bennington College was host to an event unlike any the school had ever seen before. Thirteen college mentors from the Bennington DREAM Program, along with eleven mentees from the Willowbrook Housing Community planned, organized, and presented The Viking Cabaret Dinner. For two fun filled hours, DREAMers fed and entertained their guests with eleven original acts from mentors and mentees. These acts included poetry readings, photography, visual artwork, lacrosse tricks, skits, and tap dances. Guests included family and friends from Willowbrook, as well as Bennington students and members of the Bennington community at large. Mentors and their ready-to-help friends, spent the better half of the day setting up tables in the Greenwall Auditorium, decorating the space with balloons and clotheslines full of their mentees artwork, and cooking up burgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, carrot ginger soup, greens, watermelon, cantaloupe, homemade lemonade, and of course, The Willowbrook DREAM Program’s favorite snack, midnight cowboy cookies.

The Cabaret Dinner was a huge success for several reasons: 1) With tickets and donations, mentors and mentees raised over $700, which will goes back to their program so they can do more activities, trips, and events with the children in the program. 2) The Cabaret Dinner was the first time many of the mentees had the chance to perform and present creative works that they did themselves and could be proud of. The initial goal of the event was for mentors to share their own skills and knowledge from their various areas of study, and to teach the kids that art and creativity come in many forms, be it dance, poetry, music, a skit, visual art, or photography. The mentors all got a bit teary when one of their mentees, Paul, happily said afterwards, “I never knew before this that I was an artist!” and lastly, 3) DREAMers were able to encourage the children’s parents and other members of the Willowbrook community to come and support their kids, as well as build connections between members of our college and the Bennington community.

The Viking Cabaret was made possible by donations from wonderfully generous local businesses, a grant awarded from the DREAM Alumni Org, and countless hours of hard work from mentors and mentees. Congratulations to the Bennington DREAM Program for such a great night!

DREAM now has a Twitter!

2009-06-03T11:47:00.004-04:00

Yes, that's right, DREAM is now tweeting! DREAM is going to try to send out updates every 24 hours on upcoming events, DREAM news, and any important announcements for the DREAM community. Please, if you have a twitter, (or if you don't, make one!) follow us so we can follow you! And start tweeting!

http://twitter.com/DREAMprogram

New DREAM Vegetable Oil Powered Car!

2009-05-28T17:04:00.002-04:00

The DREAM Program now has a veggie fleet! The DREAM Bus has already transported children and mentors on hundreds of vegetable oil gallons, all sourced from local restaurants, including Dino's in Burlington.

This year, we received funding from the Jane B. Cook 1983 Charitable Trust to purchase a converted 2003 Volkswagen Jetta station wagon, adding to our vegetable oil fleet. This new ride will be used by staff to better support our programs. In just two months, we’ve already traveled over 3500 miles on 100 gallons of oil. At this rate, we’ll be saving about $5000 a year in transportation costs and using a local, carbon neutral fuel that decreases our impact on the environment! We’re proud of this work and excited to share it with you. Let us know if you have any questions!

Also, we are looking for sponsors to keep the fleet in in working order and available. If you know of a business or individual who would like to sponsor this initiative, let us know!

The State of DREAM Address

2009-04-07T15:01:00.000-04:00

The State of DREAM from DREAM Program on Vimeo.

DREAM's Executive Director, Mike Loner, delivers a speech about where DREAM has been and where it is going in the future. Following his speech is a short news report from Vermont's local news program, Vermont Confidential! Don't miss it!

DREAM featured in The Addison Independent

2009-01-22T12:06:00.002-05:00

The DREAM Middlebury program was featured in the local Middlebury paper on January 1st, 2009. Take a look!

DREAM Featured in the BURLINGTON FREE PRESS

2008-12-17T13:29:00.004-05:00

Free Press Reporter Joel Banner Bird interviews mentee Jeannette Ndihokubwayo

the article below was featured in the Burlington Free Press on Saturday, December 13th 2008.

College Students Team with Young Neighbors

By Joel Banner Baird

A sign announced "FUN" as the destination of the blue bus that pulled into Franklin Square in Burlington on Friday evening.

In much larger letters, painted on the sides, "DREAM" describes the direction of its travel -- and the tour's sponsor: Winooski-based Directing through Recreation, Education, Adventure and Mentoring Inc.

Steaming hot pans of pasta lay waiting in the Hunt Middle School cafeteria for at least two school kids and their mentors from St. Michael's College.

Waiting for the food line to thin, St. Michael's senior Kylie Edwards, 21, clowned around with Jeannette Ndihokubwayo, 9.

Edwards has been a part of the volunteer program for almost four years. During that time, she said, Jeannette has grown from a shy newcomer to Vermont (she was born in Tanzania) into an irrepressible extrovert.

"We pretty much just have fun," Jeannette said. "We cook. We play. We hang out."

"We're pretty tight," Edwards said.

Cailie Burns, 23, a St. Michael's graduate and former mentor, now coordinates the nonprofit's 12 community development programs in Vermont.

She said college volunteers not only pay weekly visits to their adopted housing developments, but also run adventure camps, extended summer sessions and academic seminars.

The organization specializes in face-to-face encounters, she said: DREAM partners with parents, foundations, municipal housing authorities and schools.

Although its mission -- to open marginalized neighborhoods to new possibilities -- sounds serious, giddiness rules the roost, Burns said.

Program Director Chad Butt, 24, a 2004 graduate of Dartmouth College (where DREAM began in 1999), agreed.

"Part of the appeal is getting out of the college bubble," he said. "Mentors get to hang out with little kids and be big kids."

Mentors and Kids from the Forest Park Program in the Rutland County United Way Video

2008-12-01T17:07:00.004-05:00

DREAM recently became a member agency of the Chittenden and Rutland County United Ways and a number of mentors were featured in their 2008 Campaign Video! Take a look!

http://www.uwrutlandcounty.org/video.html

DREAM Newsletter Winter 2008

2008-11-24T15:14:00.011-05:00

Hot off the press!

Our Newsletter "Keep DREAMing" has been released for your reading pleasure and update to all things DREAM.

Get it here: Keep DREAMing!
Requires a PDF reader such as Adobe. Don't have Adobe PDF Reader? Get that here.

Features:

High Adventure 2008
D-unit goes to Maine
DREAM Enviro. Productions
Camp 2008
Our New Office
New Staff
DREAM Kids Take On College
Ben & Jerry's Award for Partnership with DREAM
DREAM Hiring
and more!

Comcast Provides Generous Grant to Dartmouth DREAM Communities! Brian Bensch!

2008-08-15T13:52:00.001-04:00

As a DREAM mentor for the last three years, I quickly noticed how polar differences between the Dartmouth Bubble of Hanover, NH and life in low-income housing in White River Junction. During my first year in DREAM, a student-led nonprofit mentoring organization ago that matches college students with children in disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout Vermont, I often wondered and was frustrated about why it was so difficult to simply communicate with the families. The answer was simple. Dartmouth students are online and by their cell phones 24-7. Parents & children in our communities are not, and some don’t even have active land lines. I later discovered that this fundamental lack of connectivity limits families’ opportunities for success in many other aspects of life, beyond being able to communicate with DREAM mentors. From job-searching online, to taking online classes and being able to trouble-shoot general problems such as simple car-repairs or finding local childcare, internet access offers endless possibilities in today’s world.

Recognizing this lack of connectivity was one of the inspirations for the year-long fellowship I am now working on full-time for the summer. The fellowship’s goal is to sustainably improve DREAM’s impact in the community in a few ways – by improving the involvement and communication between parents in the community, by improving parents’ access to social services Upper Valley, and by improving the leadership structure of DREAM so as to help mentors work with the children and their parents, thereby advancing DREAM’s mission of building stronger communities.

This summer, with my initial funding from the generous Class of ’82 Dartmouth Alumni, I was able to purchase four refurbished computer systems from WinCycle, and have installed them in the community center buildings in each complex. However, I soon discovered that providing internet service to these computers was going to be well beyond my budget for project materials. And so I started calling every service provider out there to see what I could find. That’s when Comcast came to the rescue, awarding DREAM a $1000 grant to be used toward technology expenses in the communities over the next year. This grant will go along way towards ensuring that the work I’ve begun this summer can be sustained over the next many years of DREAM’s existence. And for that I am incredibly thankful.

Brian Bensch
DREAM Mentor & Community Liaison

DREAM Partner, Ben & Jerry's Recognized by Corporation for National and Community Service

2008-08-11T12:46:00.002-04:00

The Corporation for National and Community Service honored Ben & Jerry’s with a Spirit of Service Corporate Award, which recognizes exceptional participants in each of its programs and outstanding corporate and foundation partners. Ben & Jerry’s is being honored for its three year partnership with the DREAM program. Among other achievements, Ben & Jerry volunteers helped build a ropes course, construct a canoe rack and prepared an organic garden for participants of Camp DREAM.

When DREAM became an AmeriCorps program in 2007, thereby doubling its staff, the organization faced a lack of sufficient office space. Ben & Jerry’s provided the needed space. The entire company welcomed the staff to the building, offered organizational advice, and donated printing to DREAM’s annual appeal. The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation provided a $5,000 grant last year and included DREAM in the annual alternative holiday gift fair. As part of AmeriCorps Week, the Corporation for National and Community Service honored a handful of outstanding AmeriCorps members, alums, and corporate sponsors with Spirit of Service Awards in recognition of their contributions to national service.

The 2007 Annual Report

2008-04-24T21:48:00.006-04:00

Looking for fun? Check out our Annual Report to see the amazing adventures our mentors and kids take on.

2007 Annual Report

Report Reactions:

Hey guys, read through this over the weekend—its fantastic! You are all doing such a
great job.
-Scott Mishara

I just read the whole thing. Amazing. I am so happy for you that the program is thriving the way it is. Well done!
-Lt. Jennifer Morrison, Burlington Police

Very impressive report. WOW!
-Cpt. Mike Wineberg, Essex Rescue

I noticed at the end it talks about expanding outside of Vermont, should we start talking to our friends in other states about possibly heading up a program?
-Josh Nagle, Champlain Mentor

Wow. Amazing. Absolutely beautiful! Congratulations.
-Jon Harris

Franklin Square in Boston

Franklin Square DREAM Offsets Their Driving Carbon

2008-04-24T21:41:00.001-04:00

Franklin Square DREAM is going GREEN!

-notes from Franklin Square's Meeting

Last night at our meeting, a mentor proposed purchasing carbon offsets to cover all of our CO2 impact from our weekly driving activities. With overwhelming support from all of those at the meeting, we decided to purchase those offsets, for $20, which will make St. Michael's DREAM carbon neutral for the 2007-2008 year!

Here are some figures of our van driving impact:

We drive (3) large vans with a poor fuel efficiency of approximately 15 mpg, 6 miles each way from Franklin Sq to SMC (6 miles x 4 trips each week x 3 vans = 72 driving miles each week! Multiply that by 30 weeks in the school year, and we get 2.160 miles of driving just from Franklin Square and back!! Divide this by our 15 mpg (2,160 miles/15mpg = 144 gallons of fuel!!) Each consumed gallon of fuel emits approximately 20 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere. Multiply this by our consumption (144 gallons x 20 lbs of CO2), and our program alone emits 2,880 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere every year! This figure does NOT take into account our extra trips or any one-on-one mentoring excursions.

Purchasing our carbon offset will ensure that reforestation projects or other CO2 sequestering projects will be undertaken to offset our CO2 emissions. For more information on the CO2 offsets we will be purchasing, please go here: http://www.carbonfund.org

Please note that our driving causes a lot more damage than just CO2 emissions - carbon monoxide, particulate matter, formaldehyde, and other noxious chemicals are also emitted while burning our fuel and using our vans.

Thanks again to all the DREAMers that supported this initiative!!

This is the first DREAM Program to take on this initiative. They will also be handing out compact florescent bulbs to their families after the semester finale Pasta Dinner.

DREAM and Spectrum go to Washington D.C.

2008-04-14T15:58:00.009-04:00

This past February, youth from The Dream Program and Spectrum Youth Services made the trip from Burlington Vermont to Washington DC on Dream’s big blue bus that runs on waste vegetable oil. They rolled into the city for the national low-income housing coalition conference and a week of volunteer service work throughout the capital city. The Dream Program, An Americorps state program, is a Vermont mentoring organization that pairs college students with children from affordable housing communities. Spectrum provides shelter, education and career counseling for homeless, foster and at-risk youth in Burlington.

Together the two programs increased their member’s experiences of being effective youth citizens, broadening their social network and were given opportunities to use their voices publicly. Eleven members of the group attended the Low Income Housing Coalition Conference where they observed low income housing advocates from around the country, while the other thirteen volunteered at the DC central kitchen, a soup kitchen that provides 4,500 meals to DC’s impoverished. During the week, the group came together to meet with Vermont Senator, Patrick Leahy, at his bi-monthly Vermonter Tuesday. The group also made sure not to miss such historical landmarks as The Washington Monument, The Holocaust Museum and The Lincoln Memorial.

A trip of this scale and collaboration is a first for the Dream Program and we are anticipating similar adventures to become annual. As the whirlwind of the first Dream service trip comes to an end, our gusto has not! Dream and Spectrum are looking forward to the future as service and advocacy continue to be at the forefront of their social missions. To learn more information about dream and spectrum visit:

www.dreamprogram.org
www.spectrum.org

Champlain Mentor Jeremy Ellis Recieves 2008 Madeleine M. Kunin Public Service Award

2008-02-28T16:17:00.005-05:00

Jeremy Ellis, senior at Champlain College and mentor with The Birchwood Community has been selected as one of this year's recipients of the Vermont Campus Compact Madeline M. Kunin Public Service Award. Vermont Campus Compact stated that "This award distinguishes one remarkable student from a VCC member institution for their outstanding public service and leadership, demonstrated through a spectrum of efforts. Through their sustained involvement, the recipient establishes a linkage of their service to a larger social context and a commitment to community impact. The recipient of this award models deeply ingrained civic responsibility and leadership, evidenced by initiative, innovative approaches to community issues, and effective community building."

Ellis' accomplishments will be honored with statewide recognition at the Vermont Campus Compact's Gala: A Celebration of Service, Service-Learning and Civic Engagement to be held at the Dudley H. Davis Center at the University of Vermont on Tuesday, March 18 from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. The audience at the Gala will be comprised of legislators, college presidents, businesses, faculty, staff, students and community members.

Congratulations, Jeremy, on your excellent work! DREAM is so proud!

Fire at Armory Square

2008-02-04T13:44:00.000-05:00

On December 30th, 2007 a fire broke out at the Amory Square apartments, often referred to as “The Block” which comprise of 72 apartments on Union Street in Windsor, Vermont. While luckily no serious injuries were reported, the fire caused the displacement of seven different families from the apartment complex. Numerous organizations (Salvation Army, Red Cross, RACLT, Trinity Church, Windsor Connection Resource Center) are assisting in housing, clothing, bedding, etc.

If you would like to help or make a donation, please contact RACLT, The NeighborWorks Home Ownership Center of Southeastern, VT at (802) 885-3220.

Jeremy Ellis named a finalist for statewide student citizen award

2007-12-11T13:49:00.000-05:00

"Champlain College student Jeremy Ellis of Old Mystic, Conn., was nominated as one of 10 finalists for The Vermont Teddy Bear Company's 7th Annual Vermont Student Citizen Award.

Ellis was recognized for his volunteer work with the DREAM Mentoring Program. He is one of the founding mentors in the Champlain College – Birchwood neighborhood DREAM program. Through this program, he and other Champlain students made a weekly, multi-year commitment to mentor young adults in Milton, Vermont.

Through DREAM, which stands for Directing through Recreation, Education, Adventure, and Mentoring, the students are working together with children to help them recognize their options, make informed decisions and achieve their dreams. In addition to weekly gatherings, Champlain DREAMers have taken their mentees skiing and snowboarding, on trips to Boston and New York, and on winter and summer camp getaways.

“DREAM has become a part of my life,” said Ellis. “It feeds my energy and inspiration.”

In addition to working with DREAM, Ellis has helped build a culture of service at Champlain College. He founded a student program called Food Fight, which brings students together with Sodexho food service staff to prepare soup for 100+ homeless neighbors each week. Additionally, he was among students who organized Champlain's first Alternative Spring Break trip to the 9th Ward of New Orleans, where they helped with cleaning and rebuilding.

Created by The Vermont Teddy Bear Company in cooperation with Vermont Campus Compact, Vermont Higher Education Council, and Vermont Life Magazine, the Vermont Student Citizen Award recognizes the outstanding community service contributions many Vermont college students make in the community.

The award carries a reward of $1,000 to the student, a corporate gift of $1,000 to the non-profit organization where the student serves, and $1,000 to the institution the student attends. Students also receive a complimentary Vermont Teddy Bear Graduation Bear.

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company is deeply rooted to the State of Vermont and takes pride in its mission to help people make meaningful connections with one another. By recognizing service learning as an important component of a young person's education, the company hopes to reinforce caring and service to others, key elements of both a good corporate citizen and a Vermont citizen.

Ellis is a graduate of Fishers Island School and he is a Multimedia and Graphic Design major at Champlain College. He is the son of Carl and Jessica Ellis."

-12/7/07 Champlain College Website

Champlain College DREAM mentor earns mentoring honor

2007-09-26T13:18:00.000-04:00

Gary Tilden, on the right, was nominated by The DREAM Program’s Chris Brown (on the left) for his commitment to the youth mentoring program while studying at Champlain College. Photo by DREAMer Riva Y. Dumont.

BURLINGTON, Vt.--Champlain College Software Engineering student Gary Tilden of Marshfield, Mass., was nominated for a United Way Hometown Hero Award in September. Tilden and other nominees were celebrated by hundreds of people who attended a United Way awards breakfast on September 11 in Burlington, Vermont.

While studying at Champlain, Tilden has mentored a child from the Birchwood neighborhood in Milton, Vt., as part of The DREAM Program. Champlain College students have teamed up with youngsters from this area for one-on-one mentoring and group activities. Mentors like Tilden open these youngsters’ eyes to the world beyond—and show them that their lives are full of potential.

“Gary has been an integral part of this student-led group, wearing many hats. He has been an extremely loyal mentor to his mentee and always acts as a positive role model,” said Chris Brown, programs director of The DREAM Program. “He has helped plan group activities, larger group trips, and he is very active with the camp we run for the children in the program. Gary has been a consistent and positive presence in the program.”

Run for Alumni Council

2007-07-23T15:48:00.003-04:00

Want to do something AMAZING?

Run for the Alumni Organization Council.

Click here to learn more about these open positions:

-President
-VP
-Secretary
-Treasurer

Jesse Foote (Dartmouth '01), Steve Antaya (Champlain '06),
Chris Brown (UVM '06) competing in the Metcalfathonalon,
Alumni Reunion 2007.

Flexing Our Might!

2007-06-25T18:36:00.000-04:00

DREAM Teams Up With The Service Politics Institute

DREAMers at Birchwood came out to help raise a neighbor's roof as part of a Service Politics project to highlight veterans' needs.

Local and state politicians pitched in for the work and discussed vet issues with other volunteers. DREAMers took a break to pose with Vermont Congressman Peter Welch.

Learn more about Service Politics.

Story from WCAX: http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?s=6636376

Roofing Project Benefits Veteran Milton, Vermont - June 9, 2007

Dave Schagnon gave 7 1/2 years of his life to his country serving two tours in the Navy during the Vietnam War. On Saturday his community had a chance to give something back to him -- a new roof.

"I've been trying to get a new roof on it but it costs a lot of money, money I didn't have," Schagnon said.

The Service Politics Institute is a non-profit organization that brings volunteers, policy makers and non-profit leaders together to work on different community projects. "We're going to be giving him a pitched roof, we're also going to be giving him a garden, his wife has always wanted a garden and paint the exterior of his house," said SPI executive director, Sarah Suscinski.

For this project, Service Politics partnered with Chapter 829 of the Vietnam Veterans of America to not only help a veteran but also to find out what the state can be doing to help better serve veterans' needs. "The cost of the war has to include the cost of caring for the warriors. This is a local example of what we can do to help people on a human level with our own efforts," said Congressman Peter Welch, who pitched in on the project.

Ten year-old Michael Bourne was one of the volunteers from the Dream Program lending a helping hand in the garden. "We'll be putting lettuce, tomatoes, herbs. I want to make his life awesome," Bourne said.

And so does Schagnon's friend Marcus Murphy. Murphy says in life there are two kinds of people. "Those who need a little help and those can help a little, and it could change overnight, which one you are," Murphy said.

"It's just so fantastic. I've never seen anything like it." Schagnon said. He says he'll never lose another night of sleep knowing he has a stable roof over his head.

Jessica Abo - WCAX News

DREAM Films

2007-06-20T18:02:00.000-04:00

This year we're bringing on the action. It seems that all kinds of DREAM films are popping up. Look for a new section of the website soon to host these awesome snippets.

For now, check out these links:

DREAM Big: our bus film on MSN at High Resolution...click on the Green Theatre link and find the DREAM Big film on the second page of entries. You can also catch a lesser res version here.

What Is DREAM?: a UVM student project for media class.

Green Acres / Highgate Adventure: Norwich mentors took their kids to Burlington for their Spring culminating experience.

Camp/VYCC Award: DREAM Alum Macon Phillips accepts award.

Camp DREAM & VYCC Win Award

2007-06-20T17:27:00.000-04:00

The Recreational Trails Program awarded Camp DREAM & The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps for their collaboration on Camp trails.

DREAM alum Macon Phillips received the award in Washington DC.

See it on youtube.

Read the article.

VYCC is back in action this week at Camp, working on trails and building the foundation of a BBQ/Oven that will be the centerpiece of DREAM's local foods program. Thanks to VYCC for all their excellent work!