OPEN HOUSE

We would like to invite all our friends to join us for an

Open House on December 19^th at Wings Group Home, and

December 20^th at Reynolds Group Home and the New Girls Treatment

Foster Care Home.

The Open Houses will be from 10:30 to 3:00 both days, with

FOOD SERVED from 11:00 until 2:00.

It’s with a great deal of pride that the staff of Marathon Youth Services invites all our friends to come and tour our facilities. Staff will be available at all three homes to show you around, and discuss our growing programs. If you are unable to make the Open House dates, we would be happy to have you contact us for a visit at another time.

Read on about the many activities and programs of MYS, and please feel free to direct any inquiries to Doug at 715-842-3240, or email us at admin@marathonyouthservices.org.

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CONTENT

Current Group Home Census
November Group Home Activities
Monthly Bio: Carol Gruening

Girl’s House Update
Doug Adams: Gentleman’s Award!
CD available

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As successful discharges and transitions to home continue, we continue to have vacancies at both group homes and can consider placements on relatively short notice. As of this writing, we have two vacancies at Reynolds Group Home and three at Wings Group Home. We are in a position to provide long-term placement, or short-term evaluation. Feel free to contact Doug Adams at 715-842-3240 to arrange a pre-placement interview, or to simply consult with Doug and other treatment staff about your treatment needs. Email inquiries are also accepted and can be directed to admin@marathonyouthservices.org.

During the coming weeks, Group Home Managers Sue Midlikowski and Stephanie Schuster, as well as Youth Worker Rick Ferree, will be contacting and making visits to county agencies in Central Wisconsin to present our programs and answer any questions. If you would like them to make a stop at your agency, please contact Sue at 715-842-1154, or email Sue at smidlikowski@marathonyouthservices.org.
The full impact of another school year is keeping everyone busy, staff and residents alike. It’s always amazing how quickly the time goes by. We’ve managed to survive another siege by the lady beetles and winter and snow are upon us again. The boys at Reynolds have continued their volunteer activities on Saturdays at either Mount View Care Center or Kennedy Park Rehabilitation Center. On November 17 the Wings residents helped out the YMCA by working on various projects at Camp Sturtevant.

This past month we’ve begun bringing the residents of both houses together to do some of our groups. Staff members Sarah Wasson, Rick Ferree, and Maria Chang have teamed up in this effort. This looks like a promising approach, and will likely be continued.

Residents of both houses also come together to attend educational sessions regarding drugs and alcohol presented by Sue Nowak of Premier Recovery Services (North Central Health Care Facilities). Our staff has been very complementary of Sue’s approach to presenting material through different mediums that targets teenagers. Marathon Youth Services is very grateful to have Sue available for this important service!

On November 20 a representative of the US Army made a presentation to the residents of both group homes. We usually have some residents who are interested in a possible future in the military, and this exposure is one more way to encourage the boys to think about their future goals.

This month closed out with the residents of both group homes traveling to Columbia Correctional Institution at Portage for a tour on November 29. This proved to be a sobering experience for some of the boys, and one we hope they will benefit from. This trip has also become a repeat activity, as we find it conveys a strong message about the choice of pursuing a life of delinquent behavior.

As we begin December, we’re all looking forward to the Holiday Season. Decoration for Christmas will soon begin, and no doubt there will be more snow related activities to report on next month.
Carol Gruening, the subject of This Month’s Bio, joined the Marathon Youth Services team in November of 1998 as the third shift staff at Reynolds Group Home. However, she brings so much more than just “holding down the fort” overnight. While the boys sleep, Carol is busy baking cookies, cake, preparing the next days meals, painting, wallpapering, as well as numerous office/clerical duties. She truly is a “jack of all trades”! Carol has also been known to help out at Wings Group Home, bringing them the same cheer demeanor and homemaking skills.

While all these things are very important and appreciated, Carol’s greatest contribution is her smiling face and positive attitude as she greets our boys every morning for a new day. She’s helped many a young man to face the uncertainty of another day, encouraging them to think of every day as a new opportunity. Her wonderful breakfasts help too…..

Carol brings to MYS a very impressive and diverse background of experiences. While raising a family of two sons and a daughter, Carol was an entrepreneur, owning and operating both a motel and a supper club. She also used her entrepreneurial expertise in helping her daughter in her business endeavors, working with her for 7 years.

Besides the experience of raising her own children, Carol honed her natural gift with young people as a counselor at Lincoln Hills School. She also operated a girl’s adolescent group home for the Department of Corrections in the shadow of Lincoln Hills for 13 years. The staff and residents at MYS are now the beneficiaries of all that experience.

In addition to a very busy personal and professional life, Carol has always shown an active interest in the community around her. She has been deeply involved in the Boy Scouts of America, Red Cross, YMCA and Salvation Army. Both the Salvation Army and the Woodson YMCA have honored her with Volunteer Of The Year awards! Carol has taught Martial Arts at the YMCA in Wausau, Merrill and Tomahawk, initiated the Senior Citizens Day at the YMCA, as well as serving on the Board of Directors at the Y. She has also taught First Aid for the Red Cross.

Carol also served as an advisor to the Samoset Council of The Boy Scouts for the Search and Rescue Explorer Post of the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department. During that time she became the first adult female to complete the 48-hour Survival Training in Nine Mile Swamp Wildlife and Recreation Area, yet another example of the kind of ambitious and courageous person Carol is.

While with Marathon Youth Services, Carol has also distinguished herself with her “interior decorator” skills. She has shown that she is the consummate homemaker; painting, wallpapering, and decorating all three facilities. Carol’s latest project has been the Girl’s Treatment Home at 617 Hamilton Street, another display of her customary enthusiasm and good taste. We hope you’ll come by during our Open House to see this latest of her contributions.

We are all very happy and grateful to have Carol as part of our staff. Everyone looks forward to the treats that come out of “Carol’s Kitchen” during the night, and of course, her smiling face and positive attitude early every morning. Thank you Carol………we all love and appreciate you.
The Girl’s Treatment Foster Home at 617 Hamilton Street is nearly ready to open its doors for business. Some final touches have to be made to the kitchen and bathroom, but should be done in time for the Open House on December 20. Everyone at MYS is looking forward to welcoming girls to the mix of clients. Several current staff have indicated a desire to work with the girls, which will give us the benefit of experienced personnel in some key roles. We hope you’ll come by and have a look during the Open House.
Back in May I recall a conversation with Doug about his goals for the 2001 racing season. Above all, he hoped for the coveted Gentleman’s Award, an award presented at the fall banquet of State Park Speedway. This award is presented to the driver who best exemplifies good sportsmanship and class throughout the season, win or lose.

”This award goes to an individual who is liked by everyone. Not just his fellow drivers but, the fans and the officials. This years recipient definitely deserves this award. A large part of his participation as a driver was to help interest and inspire youth in our community, particularly the boys in the tow group homes of Marathon Youth Services, as well as his own children and friends.
He has been racing for three years in the Mini-Stock Division. This years recipient is none other than Doug Adams. Doug had a great year winning numerous races. Congratulations Doug on your Gentleman’s Award”

At the Annual Banquet of State Park Speedway, held at the Wausau Labor Temple, Doug was honored with the 2001 Gentleman’s Award. Another goal achieved! In addition, Doug was also presented a plaque recognizing him as “Most Improved Driver – 2001”. As if that weren’t enough, he was also crowned as Division Champion!

Congratulations Doug………..from all your fans and employees at MYS. Especially for the Gentleman’s Award!
Marathon Youth Services now has an Informational CD available. If you are interested in learning more about our services and facilities, please request a CD by contacting Doug at 715-842-3240, or email at dadams@marathonyouthservices.org. We also have staff available to come to your agency to discuss our programs, or consult on services and placement.

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Property of Marathon Youth Services, Inc. 2001
Produced by Jim Prozinski
jimpro@bigfoot.com