Reconciling Former Prisoners with Society, and Society with Former Prisoners for 29 Years! Spring 2020 Newsletter World Champion Coach & Author to Speak HOUSE HAPPENINGS - by Eric Maguire 30th Annual The Rutland Dismas House is privileged and honored to announce Celebration & that our guest speaker for the Annual Celebration and Dinner Auction on Dinner Auction Sunday, May 31st, 2020 is Coach Paul Theme: Squashing Fear Assaiante. Paul Assaiante is currently the Men’s Sunday, May 31st Squash and Tennis coach at Trinity Doors Open at 3pm College in Hartford, Connecticut; Coach Paul Assaiante Rutland Holiday Inn US Squash Head National Coach; Buy Tickets online at: professional speaker and author. Two- Department of Correction’s Hartford http://dismasofvt.org time Olympic Coach-of-the-Year, Correctional Center, as his son was being World Championship Coach and the transported from another corrections OR Call: “winningest coach in college sports facility to Hartford for release. I was 802-775-5539 history,” Paul Assaiante has motivated tasked with transporting his son to a OR Email: top athletes from around the world. His rehabilitation program. As we waited [email protected] core belief is the need to embrace our for Coach’s son to arrive, Coach shared fears in order to remove the obstacles to with me the struggles he was having our success. He captures this concept in in helping his son overcome his heroin WISH LIST his book, Run to the Roar: Coaching to addiction and his determination to not * Good Quality Bread Knife Overcome Fear, a visionary reflection on give up. Throughout the years since then * Good Quality Carving Knife we have kept in contact. We are thrilled to leadership and mentoring from one of * Four Slice Toaster have the opportunity to hear from Coach America’s most successful coaches. * Vacuum Cleaners (We have only I met Coach Paul Assaiante back Paul Assaiante and his son Matthew on one for a three floor house) in 2011 in Hartford Connecticut. The Sunday May 31st at the Holiday Inn, v encounter took place at the Connecticut Rutland. Cooking for Reconciliation - Nate Merrill and the Dorset School Every year it is very difficult to pick He teaches cooking, social studies and just one Loving Spoonful Award history. He lives with his wife, Sarah, recipient; we have so many dedicated who is also a teacher. cooks that go beyond the call to not just It all started when Nate went to the feed, but engage, our residents. One of Tarrant organization, an organization the staff ’s favorite nights is when Nate which mentors teachers, and connected Merrill and his students cook dinner to Dismas House through the website. for the House. We love to spend time Nate called up to inquire, and shortly with Nate and the Dorset School 6-8th after began to cook once a month with graders. The kids liven up the kitchen, the children. Even though Nate and the with squeals of joy as they run around to kids have only been with us a short time, help Nate, their teacher, cook. Nate is a their impact is deeply felt. Dorset School kids cooking monthly full-time teacher at the Dorset School. (continued on page 3 meal at Dismas. www.dismasofvt.org Rutland Dismas House 1 Letter from the Director – Eric Maguire, House Director Let me first start us as I write. Each resident by expressing my walking in begins their gratitude to the transition off the E.A.S.Y Rutland Dismas (Excuses, Assumptions, House Council, Self-Serving, Yonder) all the volunteers road and begins their and donors, Rita journey on the H.A.R.D McCaffery and the (Honesty, Accountability, House Director Rutland community Responsibility, Eric Maguire as a whole, for the Discernment) road. Not generosity exhibited all of those who came to to the residents of Rutland Dismas House Dismas have successfully during this past holiday season. All returned to the community, Full Table for the Family, Dismas Thanksgiving the residents were grateful for the gifts yet all who entered were the Rotary unload Christmas trees, received, the kindness shown, and the provided the opportunity to learn new volunteering at the local recovery center, meals provided. We started the holiday ways to encounter their challenges, leading Alcoholics Anonymous and season off with a Thanksgiving meal grow in the understanding and value of Narcotics Anonymous meetings, or just to remember. Rutland Dismas House community, receive advocacy and support helping our neighbors. Assistant Director Maggie Ganguly, with their Risk Reduction Plans, Relapse We are working hard on our 30th along with her family, cooked the meal Prevention Plans, Treatment Plans as well Annual Celebration and Dinner Auction and shared the meal with the residents. as with their personal goals. Whether a to be held on Sunday, May 31st. Join Several of the residents had their children, resident was here for two weeks or moved us this year as we welcome Coach Paul mothers and significant others present. on into an independent living situation, Assaiante and his son Matthew. Share During December two celebration they got healthier. Each one participated their journey, and support the Rutland dinners took place; the first was with to the best of their abilities. Their Dismas House residents on their journey. RDH residents, staff and Council and the successes are attributed to a willingness to Once again thank you all for your other was the Christmas Eve celebration get healthier physically and socially, and continued support. I personally consider led by Assistant Director Geraldine the ability to utilize the resources available it an honor and privilege to serve the Burke, who put it all together. to them within our community. I’m residents of Dismas, and all those, in From my arrival on July 1st, 2019, proud of each and every one. all capacities, who give of themselves to Rutland Dismas House has had the Residents also gave back to the Rutland Dismas House and the Rutland pleasure to work with twenty-three community as volunteers, whether it v Community. residents, nine of whom are residing with was for Habitat for Humanity, helping A Resident’s Story Robert has used the resources he has to leverage the best Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you possible position for himself in take it. – Irving Berlin the community. He works at a For Robert French, affectionately called French-y, Dismas local restaurant full-time and is house is home. Robert has found many things at Dismas, from working towards going back to stability to friendship. “I used to never care about people, I had school at Community College acquaintances who used me, and now I have real friends. I always of Vermont. “I used to always have someone to talk to whether it is staff or other residents. set myself up for failure. Now There is a lot of good advice and listening—they all help me get every time I hit a roadblock, there and encourage me”. someone is there to push me. I “The hardest part of being at Dismas was the Dinners. When don’t accept failure as an option I was younger, we would sit in front of the TV to eat. We did anymore”. We are so proud of the not share gratitude. I guess before I never had anything to be hard work Robert has done. He grateful for. Now I say what I am grateful for every day, and is kind, helpful, and really cares gratitude stays in the forefront. I used to live in misery; now I am about doing the next right thing. Robert French grateful every day for this place. I was living and sleeping on a “Today I care. I know that it is v park bench on West Street. I didn’t care if I froze to death, I just my sobriety, I have to go and get it”. wanted to drink”. 2 Rutland Dismas House www.dismasofvt.org Annual Celebration Honorees MacLachlan Family special bonds. Responsibility for the preparation of the meal is shared by to Receive Father the whole family and the results are Jack Hickey Award amazing. If you haven’t tried Maeve’s bread or Cormac’s cookies you are It has been more than ten years since missing out. The kids have made such Rutland Dismas House has recognized an impact upon residents, that some a whole family with the Father Jack residents have enjoyed attending Hickey Award, but this year it was an performances at the school when the easy decision to choose the MacLachlan teenagers have been in plays. Family – Laura and Jeremy, Rocco 18, Maeve, Laura, Cormac, Rocco and The monthly meal was just the Cormac 16, and Maeve 14–to receive Jeremy MacLachlan beginning of Jeremy and Laura’s the award this year. Dismas House. It was fortuitous, contribution to Dismas. The cooking Eight years ago the MacLachlans since we are always searching for new evening for the MacLachlans is the moved from Massachusetts, where they cooks and the family was willing to same night as the monthly Rutland had been connected with a Dismas immediately take a monthly cooking Council meeting, and so they rubbed Farm. They enjoyed the relationships evening. That started the good work by shoulders often with council members. that they built with the residents there, this family. After a year or two of cooking at so when they came to the Rutland The warm and friendly atmosphere at Dismas, Jeremy applied to be part of community Laura called to see how the dinner table on the evenings when the Rutland Dismas Council, serving they could be involved with Rutland the MacLachlans cook has created (continued on page 7) Loving Spoonful Award Nate (continued from page 1) and his classroom.