May was another typically busy month, with the added activity of the ending of the school year. And a successful year it was for most of our residents! Now for a short break, followed by summer school. It’s this constant attention to academics that allows our boys to catch up on their school standings. More often than not, boys coming to us have been experiencing serious difficulties in their school settings, and all the extra attention and accountability we can provide helps put them back on track. It’s not unusual for a guy to recover enough to be back on track toward graduation with his class.

One of the high points of the month was a party/luncheon for Josh W, celebrating his graduation and release from the Northwoods Alliance Program. Held on May 9 at the Pizza Hut, the event was well attended by staff of Northwoods as well as Marathon Youth Services. Josh had already been successfully reunited with his family, successfully completing programming at Reynolds Group Home two months ago.

Josh and his family were highly motivated to work toward reconciliation. Everyone found the entire family a complete joy to work with. The whole staff of Marathon Youth Services want to congratulate Josh and his family, and wish them well in the future. (We’ll always be here for you Josh..)

As part of our ongoing philosophy of Community Service, the residents spent the entire day on May 11 sorting food at the Post Office for the Salvation Army Food Drive. Another very necessary and appreciated service. Thanks Guys!

The staff of the Marathon County Shelter Home invited the boys and staff to accompany them on a trip to Columbia Correctional Institute on May 17. This opportunity was greatly appreciated, as it gave us the chance to expose the guys to the possible consequences for some bad choices in life. While this is a repeat for the staff, our current group of boys have never "enjoyed" this trip before. It’s always an eye-opener! Our sincere thanks go to the Shelter Home Staff.

In addition to all these other responsibilities, the residents still find time to continue their regular Saturday gig at either Mount View Manor or Kennedy Park to assist the elders with activities. Also, Chris H is busily preparing a small garden space for planting. I hope to be able to report on his gardening prowess with a picture and article (by Chris?) in a future newsletter.

Wow! It’s been a busy month. And now on to June…….

Thoughts from Executive Director Doug Adams, MS.

It is about Community!

Marathon Youth Services, Inc. began, and remains today a grassroots service agency, that is designed to provide quality services to youth and families particularly from and in our own community. We have always tried to provide what the youth and families need to best recover and build strong families.

MYS has also been very actively involved in several local wraparound type programs in our area. Children Come First was a program developed in our community to coordinate service providers and families to address and assist severe challenges the families and their children were dealing with. In 1997 a large federal grant opportunity was awarded to a six county region in northern Wisconsin. This project was titled 'The Northwoods Alliance for Children', and brought 5 million dollars into this region to teach, promote, train, and establish the wraparound process into our area. This project initially focused on children with severe emotion needs. The project was established, coordinated, presented to the communities, and families were served.

Now into its 5^th year the Northwoods project is facing the challenge of it's own existence, with the grant money soon to end. What did we accomplish with these projects? If you speak to the families that were served by these projects, they would enthusiastically tell you that their families were saved, their children were "given back", that people cared and believed in them as individuals and families, and they actually felt like a respectable part of a community, instead of a failed family ostracized by the very community that they live in. Others, such as current project director John Kolhoven Ph.D, might tell you that it is the best darn program that nobody has heard of.

If these projects were designed to promote and teach a community based, family centered, strength focused idea, have they succeeded? Does our community know about these programs and these concepts, and more important, do they embrace it?

Although the wraparound process is based on how human beings have taken care of each other for eons, the process represents a radical shift in how communities organize to take care of their own. The following system level issues must be dealt with in a positive manner to ensure four major aspects of the process:
1. That the core values of the process are defined.
2. That all systems are involved with the local process.
3. That wraparound is a true process and not a program.
4. That the state and federal issues are effectively dealt with.

In developing goals, the team of people, family, and professionals, must always define a goal relative to: Life would be better for this family if…Options for goals always come from the strengths and culture of the family and community.

Marathon Youth Services, Inc has a long-standing commitment to serving our community and it's families and youth. We strive to be part of the "team" that ensures success, and try to offer as many "tools" that could be utilized by the team for challenging situations. We have continually worked with children and youth that would have otherwise been placed out of the community, possibly into institutions, hospitals, or even corrections. We work with families in a straightforward, strength based, goal oriented, family centered fashion, using education, therapy, support, good nature, and guidance. We are learning to do better strength-based assessments, family education, continually developing resources to tie our youth and families further into their own community, and applying client and family centered therapies to promote and strengthen the families team towards success.

Wraparound is a process, not an agency, and MYS would like to be promoted as a team player, with a strong desire for success.

Doug Adams, MS

This month I thought I’d share one of my favorite "quick and easy" recipes. I remember eating this often as a kid, probably because it was easy and inexpensive! My Corned Beef and Cabbage is not to be confused with the famous Irish delight, but is more a thick soup or stew. Easy to make, and always good with fresh bread!

6-8 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion diced
1 medium head of green cabbage, chopped
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 28 oz. can of water
1 12 oz. can of corned beef, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Great when served with fresh bread, and as a leftover. Enjoy!

The Racing Season is back with a vengeance, and it’s already been a very busy month and a full schedule! Doug and the crew have been racing once or twice a week, weather permitting, and making great showings at three different tracks in the Cenex Mini Stock Division.

As usual, State Park Speedway of Wausau continues to be the "home track" of the MYS Racing Team. However, they compete quite regularly at Golden Sands Speedway in Plover, as well as Marshfield Super Speedway. The Team is developing a reputation at all three tracks for great sportsmanship and competitive performance. Results from outings in May attest to that.

Doug started the race season by placing third in the 15 Lap Feature at Golden Sands on May 3. Two weeks later, on May 17, Detective Bill Kolb won his 10 Lap Heat! Doug wrapped up the month at Plover on May 31 by placing First! in the 15 Lap Feature.

On May 27 the Father/Son combination was back in competition also. Doug and son Deven entered shining performances at Marshfield Super Speedway, with Doug taking second in the Feature, and Deven coming in eighth. On that same night Doug also took second in the Dash, and Deven placed second in his Heat with Dad coming in fifth.

The weather played a big part in limiting the start of the season at State Park Speedway. However, father and son were again represented in the winning column with a third (Doug) and fourth (Deven) in the Cenex Mini Feature on May 30! The week before, May 23, Doug took first in the Dash and fourth in the Feature.



At the rate the Team has started this year, we can look for more pictures from the Winner’s Circle! Good Luck guys..

As mentioned last month in this column, MYS continues to reassess programming, always trying to stay abreast of the needs of the area, and which programs the community is able/willing to support. Based on recent referral rates to Wings Group Home, we have determined that program not to be needed by the community at this time. At least for the time being, we are no longer accepting referrals for placement at Wings, but are referring all placement inquiries to Reynolds Group Home in Wausau.

Should demand for placements increase in the future, we will once again consider accepting placements at Wings. We have been fortunate in retaining some of our excellent staff for other program initiatives, and would be ready to resume operations at Wings should circumstances change. After a successful run of 11 years at Wings, closing the doors even temporarily is unpleasant. We want to sincerely thank everyone who has supported that program during its tenure, and look forward to continuing to serve the community in our other programs.

In this "transitional phase" Marathon Youth Services is continuing to examine new program options to allow us to pursue our mission. Don’t be surprised to see some innovative ideas introduced in the months to come. In the meantime, we will continue to provide our customary high level of service and performance at Reynolds Group Home and it’s affiliated programs.