November 30, 2007
Dear Friends of Wediko,
Once again, Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year! I hope that this letter finds you and your loved ones healthy and happy. This is the time of year that many of us take stock and remember who and what is really important in our lives.
Each year, we call upon the Friends of Wediko to support our primary mission: our work with children and families struggling with emotional, behavioral, and learning issues. We need your help to continue to improve our services and reach more children and families in need.
The second key goal for Wediko is to attract bright and talented young staff to our field. For many undergraduates, Wediko remains the quintessential learning and training experience.
Wediko is the place to learn while you help others learn; to grow as you help others grow.
Often, the new developments at Wediko epitomize this commitment to improving our services as we learn more about ourselves:
¨ CASASTART (Boston): CASASTART is a national model for helping the most at-risk children and families in collaboration with public schools, police and other local agencies,
¨ Positive Behavior Support (Boston): Amplifies Wediko models of collaboration already in place through Side By Side and our work at the McKinley Schools. The goal of PBS is whole school change through teaching prosocial behaviors and capturing success,
¨ Renovation of Dining Hall (NH Campus): Ames Hall is being renovated and a second dining hall is being added to expand year- round capacity as well as create new space for training seminars and professional workshops,
¨ Athletic fields (NH Campus): The baseball field is being expanded and two tennis courts will be available for use in time for the 2008 NH Summer Program,
¨ NIMH Research Grant (NH Summer): With Audrey Zakriski (Connecticut College) and Jack Wright (Brown University), Wediko is taking a long (3 years), hard look at behavior-in-context to better understand the impact of the NH Summer Program.
These projects start with sweat equity, but donations are essential for survival.
Give whatever you can afford, but please dig deep and make a gift.
If you are interested in learning about opportunities for giving beyond Appeal 2007, please call Judi King, Pat Ryan, or myself at (617) 292-9200. Most importantly, thank you for your past contributions to Wediko.
With gratitude and best wishes,
Harry W. Parad, Ph.D.
Executive Director
