STRIVE Newsletter www.pslstrive.org VOLUME 10 ISSUE 3 MARCH 2010

STRIVE Program Director Peter Brown Mission Statement honored by the American Red Cross of Southern Maine To assist teens and young adults with The American Red Cross Real Heroes Awards recognize individuals for great bravery, dedication, and service to the Southern Maine community. STRIVE is intellectual and pleased to announce that Program Director Peter Brown will receive the emotional disabilities 2010 Real Heroes Educational Award at the Real Heroes Awards Banquet held at the in utilizing resources Holiday Inn By The Bay in Portland, Maine on Wednesday, April 7 th . within their community so they can Thank you Pete for all your hard work and dedication to STRIVE!! participate as viable members of the community. STRIVE Night at the Red Claws!!

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Maine INSIDE Maine Red Claws vs. Albuquerque Red Claws and show your support for THIS ISSUE: Thunderbirds STRIVE. Invite friends, family, and Donor List 2 Wednesday, March 17, 2010 co-workers to witness the best basketball 7:30 pm outside of the NBA. $13 tickets are available Dance Marathon 2 with $3 from each ticket sale Portland Expo Volunteer benefiting STRIVE! Opportunities

New BookWorks! 3 Fundraising Program To order tickets:

Class Series 3 1.Visit: www.ticketreturn.com and click “Need Tickets” Update 2.Select Maine Red Claws under professional sports th Aktion Club 4 3.Select March 17 for the game date Update 4.Enter STRIVE for the promotional code (in all CAPS) Or Contact Ray Mathew at [email protected] Member Spotlight 5 or (207)-210-6655

Birthday List 5 *Corner Court seats available at special STRIVE price of $13 with $3 going directly back to STRIVE! March 6 Calendar

Pictures 7 For more information, call (207)210-6655 or visit www.maineredclaws.com P A G E 2 STRIVE NEWS

STRIVE ROCKS DANCE MARATHON IS JUST DAYS AWAY! STRIVE Rocks Dance Marathon March 6 th at 8pm—March 7 th at 10am

Well folks, we are just a week away from Portland’s Only 14 Hour Dance Marathon! This year looks to be the best yet!

• Live music by East Wave Radio, The Sea Captains and El Grande • DJ Celebration will be playing all night long • The Crew at Maine Dance Studio will be teaching hip-hop!

We will have lots of other activities going on as well:

• Henna Art • Dance Dance Revolution • Massages • Foose Ball & Air Hockey • T-Shirt Decoration • Moon Bounce • Rock Band • National Guard’s GIANT Obstacle Course

Not only can you have tons of fun, you also get a free t-shirt & tons of free food! Prizes will be awarded to our top fundraisers: $500 College Scholarship from the Portland Kiwanis Club, an iPod, Red Sox Tickets, Foot Spa & an Autographed Maine Red Claws Basketball!

We can’t wait to see you there! It is not too late to register. Check out our website www.striverocks.org for more information!

If you would like to volunteer at the STRIVE Rocks! Dance Marathon, please contact Kristina Smalley at (207)774-6278 or [email protected] for volunteer opportunities.

STRIVE WISH LIST Thank you to those who donated to General Office Sports Equipment STRIVE in February! Supplies Volunteers to work Craft Supplies shifts at Bookworks! Monheghan Woodworks, Inc. Guy and Shirley LaBranche Nappi Distributors Norman and Marion Brown Foam Paint Brushes Frozen Pizzas Camden National Bank Robert Junkins Lisa Bowie Stephen and Paula Kloth xBox 360 and/or Wii Children’s rug video games Katherine Collins United Ways of New England Storage Shed Carlos and Julie Montgomery Glenn and Doris Meehan Archie and Lois Dennison Lisa and Leon Gorman Charles and Elinor Miller Lyndel Wishcamper Starting March 5 ththth , the TWEENS Program will We really appreciate your generous support! run from 3:303:30----5:30pm!5:30pm! VOLUME 10 ISSUE 3 P A G E 3 STRIVE NEWS

STRIVE U NEWS Sign Up for Independent Living Skills Class!! The STRIVE U campus was busy in February with Independent Living Skills (March 10-April 28) student interviews and overnight visits. The Wednesday evenings 6:00-8:00pm Admissions Committee will send out decision letters for the Class of 2012 on April 1, 2010. Budgeting, meal planning, cooking, cleaning, job searching, and more! A lot goes into independent living, The date has been set for the STRIVE U and this class will give students many of the tools to ease Experience. The STRIVE U Experience is a week- the transition! The Independent Living Skills class will run th th end long, overnight chance for you to experience on Wednesday evenings from March 10 -April 28 . STRIVE U firsthand. Participants will learn about each of STRIVE U's four components: Post Secondary Education, Community Living, Competitive Employment, and Transition.

For more information or to sign up for class, please contact: STRIVE U Experience will run st rd Kim Miller at (207)774-6278 or [email protected] October 1 - October 3 , 2010.

Applications will be available in May. We have spots for 20 students. Follow us on Facebook: Acceptance is first come, first serve. http://www.facebook.com/pages/STRIVE/129076679535? ref=sgm for updates and the latest news. For more information, please contact: Erin Berg at (207)774-6278 or [email protected] Please also visit our cause page: http://apps.facebook.com/ causes/333940

BookWorks! Book Sale: 3/20 Join Facebook & pass the word onto other friends of STRIVE! Introducing New BookWorks! Fundraising Program Saturday, March 20 th 10am-2pm BookWorks! is pleased to announce a new fundraising partnership program. Starting in March 2010, each All Items are 20% off!! month BookWorks! will partner with a community group for a day of fundraising. At the end of the day, the group will take home 25% of total book sales.

Please join us at BookWorks! for a giant book sale th This new partnership allows BookWorks! to help on Saturday, March 20 from 10am-2pm. community groups raise needed funds and informs new community members about STRIVE programs. All proceeds from the book sale goes directly back to STRIVE programs!

BookWorks! is located at 47 Atlantic Place, right down the street from the STRIVE center and near the Maine Mall in South Portland. For more information on the new partnership program, please contact Kim Kelley at (207)774-6278 For more information, contact Kim Kelley at or [email protected] (207)774-6278 or [email protected] P A G E 4 Volunteer News

St. Patrick’s Day History and Traditional Recipe: By Kevin Mooney

Early Celebrations In the United States The Irish Society of Boston organized the first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the colonies on March 17, 1737. The first celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day in New York City was held at the Crown and Thistle Tavern in 1766; the parades were held as political and social statements because the Irish immigrants were being treated unfairly, and New York’s first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade was held on March 17, 1762 by Irish sol- diers in the British Army. In 1780, General George Washington, who commanded soldiers of Irish descent in the Continental Army, allowed his troops a holiday on March 17 “as an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence”. This event became known as the Saint Patrick’s Day Encampment of 1780.

Customs Today Saint Patrick’s Day today is widely celebrated by Irish and non-Irish alike. Many people, regardless of ethnic background, wear green clothing and items. Traditionally, those caught not wearing green are pinched, usually affectionately. Seattle and other cities paint the traffic stripe of their parade routes green. Chicago dyes its river green and has done so since 1961, when sewer workers used green dye to check for sewer discharges and got the idea to turn the river green for Saint Patrick’s Day. Indianapolis also dyes its main canal green. Savannah dyes its downtown city fountains green.

Irish Stew Recipe

450g lean mutton pieces Place the mutton and thyme in a pot and add cold water to 450g onions cover. Bring to a boil slowly and simmer for 1 hour. Add 450g potatoes peeled and roughly chopped onions and potatoes, salt, and Salt and pepper to taste pepper. Season to taste. Continue cooking until vegetables Pinch of thyme are tender. Adjust seasoning.

Kevin Mooney is a STRIVE member who volunteers at BookWorks! on Thursday afternoons.

Do you have a love of books and a free hour to Aktion Club Update donate to STRIVE each week?? Great job to the Aktion Club for BookWorks! is still in need of dedicated volunteers to fill raising $21 during their open shifts. Shifts can be one time or ongoing. Volunteers Chocolate Lollipop Sale at the learn how to sort and alphabetize donations, effectively use a STRIVE Valentine’s Dance!! cash register, learn typical opening and closing procedures for a small business, and gain valuable customer service skills. Aktion Club will be making Spring Time Cheer Cards for the residents of Shifts available include: the Birchwood’s in March. In April, the club will Mondays: 4:00-5:00 participate in an Earth Day Clean-Up in Millcreek Park. Tuesdays: 10:00-12:00, 3:00-6:00

Wednesdays: 11:00-1:00, 5:00-6:00 Thursdays: 5:00-6:00 John Paul Brower, Fridays: 12:00-3:00, 4:00-5:00 Nate Cline, Sherry Reynolds and J.J. Sarapas make chocolate lollipops Please contact Kim Kelley at (207)774-6278 or [email protected] for more information about If you would like to join this volunteer club, please contact how you can help out! Kristina Smalley at (207)774-6278. Aktion Club meets every other Wednesday from 3:30-4:00pm. VOLUME 10 ISSUE 3 Members’ Page P A G E 5

Member Spotlight: EMMA CAMPBELL

Favorite STRIVE Moment : Hanging out with After School students on Wednesdays Favorite Food: Spaghetti & Meatballs Which actress would star in your life story? Amanda Cosgrove Do you have any pets? cat named Darth Do you have siblings? Sam, 18 & Adam, 12 Favorite Color: Pink If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Niagara Falls Emma playing Wii Sports during STRIVE night Favorite Singer: Amanda Cosgrove Favorite Song: Sunshine, Stay My Baby, & About You Now (all sung by Amanda Cosgrove from ICarly) Favorite Movies: Coraline & Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs If you could have one holiday everyday, what would it be? Christmas or Valentine’s Day! What is your secret talent? Emma takes ballet every Saturday!

Emma Campbell attends the After School Program Monday through Thursday and volunteers at BookWorks!

MARCH BIRTHDAYS

Michael Kendrick March 1 Jessica Cossaboom March 15 Michael Fournier March 1 Amanda Groder March 17 Arielle Richardson March 1 April Tedesco March 17 Chris Tibbetts March 2 Hillary Lawerence March 19 Kasia Kilmek-Cornett March 2 Natasha Cole March 20 Christine Hofferberth March 2 Bennet Agnew March 21 Creed Ray March 3 Rebecca Lee March 22 Michael Laughlin March 3 Melissa Mann March 22 Brain Harbaugh March 6 Brandon Cronk March 23 Sherm Perry March 6 Sarah Zwicker March 24 Lyndsey St. Peter March 6 Casey Ward March 25 Scott Allie March 7 Kathleen Shevenell March 30 Scott Thompson March 7 Lorje Salamonski March 31 Jacob Jackson March 9 HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM STRIVE! P A G E 6 Members’ Page

COMING UP NEXT MONTH: MARCH EVENTS Germ Busters (April 5 th -June 7 th ) Monday evenings 5:30-7:00 pm Nutrition Class From personal hygiene to dish washing and laundry, this Monday nights from 5:30-7:00 pm class will teach students the basics of cleaning and why (3/1 & 3/8) it’s so important for everyday life! Contact Kim Miller at TWEENS Program (207)774-6278 or [email protected] for more Every Friday Afternoon from 3:30-5:30pm information or to sign up! (3/5, 3/12, 3/19 & 3/26) Bring a Friend for FREE Day: March 12 th Are you staying at home for April Vacation and worried about being bored?? Come to Camp STRIVE, make new STRIVE Night Social friends, hang out in the community & have a blast! Every Friday Evening from 6:00-9:00pm Camp will run from April 19 th -April 23 rd ! (3/5, 3/12, 3/19 & 3/26) Contact Kim Kelley at (207)774-6278 or [email protected] for more information! STRIVE Rocks! Dance Marathon USM Sullivan Gym March 6 th (8:00pm)- March 7 th (10:00am)

St. Patrick’s Day Crossword Puzzle Independent Living Skills Wednesday nights from 6:00-8:00pm (3/10, 3/17 & 3/24)

Aktion Club Meeting Every other Wednesday from 3:30-4:00pm (3/10 & 3/24)

Member Advisory Board Every other Friday from 5:00-5:30pm (3/12 &3/26)

STRIVE night at the Maine Red Claws Portland Expo, March 17 th at 7:30pm

Sports Theme Night Friday, March 19 th from 6:00-9:00pm

Please join us for: Across 2. A short magical guy. Also associated with Lucky Charms SPORTS THEME Night 4. A sort of clover that is associated with the holiday March 19 th 5. The country associated with the holiday 6:00pm-9:00pm 6. The color associated with the holiday Down 1. Some communities have one of these on the streets for St. Pat- Show your team pride! rick’s Day Play games and win prizes! 3. Some families eat this on St Patrick's Day Plus...tons of special treats 6. At the end of the rainbow, you can find a pot of _____ VOLUME 10 ISSUE 3 P A G E 7 STRIVE PICTURES

Nate DiBiase went bowling one afternoon with CAMP STRIVE!

The TWEENS Program enjoyed Emma Campbell pinned an arrow on the a karate demonstration from heart while playing games at the After Fournier’s Karate Center School Program’s Valentine’s Day Party

The After School Program Ryan Merrill worked on science Tim Dwyer and Carmen LaPointe take a break melted old crayons to create from dancing at the STRIVE Valentine’s Dance. new heart shaped crayons! experiments at CAMP STRIVE

William Webber and Eric Johnson spent time exploring L.L. Bean during CAMP STRIVE.

Do you have pictures that you would like to share DJ Charette and Chandler Hawkes hang out at the with us? If so please send them to [email protected] After School Program.