Winter 2012 Starr News

W I N T E R

STARR

2012 I V O L U M E 69 N O

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STARR COMMONWEALTH

RESIDENTIAL

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COMMUNITY-BASED

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We Think The World of Kids

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PROFESSIONAL

TRAININGS

Inside:

Black History Month at Starr A Look Back at Inspiring Visitors TLC and Diverse Children

STARR Inspiring visitors See Page 12

I MPACTI NG

1.3 MI LL I O N CHI LDREN A ND FA MI L I ES WO RL DWI DE

CREATE

POSITIVE

ENVIRONMENTS

WHERE

CHILDREN

FLOURISH

Contents Black History Month at Starr See Page 4

Starr News Winter, 2012 Volume 69, No. 1 Starr Commonwealth is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families & Children.

Starr Commonwealth is a non-profit organization serving children and families regardless of race, religion, color, or national origin. Founded in 1913, Starr is licensed by the states of Michigan and Ohio and serves children and families from locations in Albion, Battle Creek, Detroit, and Clinton Township, MI.; Van Wert, and Columbus, OH; and Lennox, S.D. The Albion campus is a Michigan Historic Site. Starr Commonwealth receives funds from social agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals.

Kyle Caldwell, Chairman of the Board; Martin L. Mitchell, Ed. D., President and Chief Executive Officer; Wm. Chuck Jackson, MA, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer; Christopher L. Smith, B.B.A., C.P.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; Gary Q. Tester, MRC, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer; Elizabeth A. Carey, MSW, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy & Administrative Services Officer.

13725 Starr Commonwealth Rd. Albion, MI 49224-9525 517.629.5591 info@starr.org

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President’s Message

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Black History Month

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Alumni Spotlight

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Chaplain’s Message

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TLC Focus on Diverse Children

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Goodness Made Visible

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Commonwealthalia

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Inspiring Visitors

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Our First African American Student

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What is Glasswing?

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Thank You

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Honor/Memorial Gifts

Starting this year and with this issue, we are beginning to theme each quarterly edition of Starr News in a way that coincides with major observances, celebrations or current events. We are looking forward to developing content around one central theme and illustrating to you , our readers and supporters, what that theme means to our organization.

In recognition of Black History Month, we have dedicated this newsletter to the occasion.

Understand, that for our organization we have many special events planned to observe Black History Month with our staff and youth, but the appreciation for diversity does not end with the month of February. We take great strides as an organization to be as diverse as the children and families we serve, and we expect that all our people will represent the core values we seek to live by: honesty, compassion, respect, responsibility and fairness. Not just this month, but every day.

You will also notice that this first issue of the New Year has been redesigned.

We have been doing much work internally and externally to enhance our image and bring a consistent look to the Starr Commonwealth brand. What that means for you is simplicity and consistency in the materials you receive from us. When you get something from Starr, you will know it’s from us based on the highquality, professional look and the blue hue that is very much Starr’s signature color.

Coming this year are three additional issues of Starr News that will focus on foster care, back to school and the traditional post-Founder’s Day wrap up. This is going to be an exciting year as we prepare to kickoff the 100th anniversary celebration in October, so stay tuned for information regarding those festivities.

As always, the organization wishes to acknowledge you for your continued support and friendship.

As we strive to be “Great by Choice,” we recognize we couldn’t do it without you.

Martin L. Mitchell, Ed.D., President/ CEO

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH

The annual observation of Black History Month is about celebrating the immeasurable impact African Americans have had on all aspects of society.

At Starr Commonwealth, our staff works to show the importance of recognizing events like Black History Month, while fostering programs deep-seated in cultural and racial awareness throughout the year.

Today, Starr serves a large population of African Americans, among many other ethnicities. In fact, 62 percent of children in Starr’s programs are African American. But in many cases, minorities living in underprivileged areas do not have access to organizations like Starr and are at a higher risk to enter the criminal justice system.

According to a report by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private charity for children and families, while African American children make up just 15 percent of the entire youth population in the U.S., 58 percent of youth admitted to state prisons are African American. Minority children are also arrested at twice the rate of white youth.

Reasons for this disparity between population size and involvement in the criminal justice system include the social and economic situations in which many minority youth live, as well as the housing, educational and employment segregation that still exists today.

Within the foundation’s report, it also indicates that minorities who have access to education, life skills training and early intervention programs are statistically just as likely as white individuals to refrain from committing crimes and find gainful employment.

One of Starr Commonwealth’s goals is to be a leader in the destruction of racial obstacles that prevent African Americans and other minorities from achieving their dreams. Cultural competency is embedded in Starr’s treatment philosophy, and a loving and accepting environment is the goal of each program.

But youth are not the only beneficiaries of Starr’s dedication to promoting equality. With programs like Glasswing through the Starr Institute for Training, which features a two-day racial healing seminar, Starr employees learn the value of seeing others as members of the human family rather than the societal, cultural and racial divisions man has created.

“Through my experiences in racial healing, I have come to realize that abuses of power, dehumanization and acts of superiority are among the greatest threats we face as a society,” said Martin L. Mitchell, President & CEO of Starr Commonwealth. “The insidiously devastating disease of racism separates and isolates us as human beings, and the only cure is to heal as one family. Having experienced the power of the healing process, and having accepted the reality of the oneness of the human family, I have great hope for the future despite the many dehumanizing events etched into my consciousness every day.

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Other organizations have realized the value of Glasswing as well by participating in the program, keeping Starr on the cutting edge in the battle to break down racial barriers and divides.

With increasingly challenging situations facing children and families worldwide, the need for Starr’s services is greater than ever before. More children are coming from difficult family circumstances as a result of socioeconomic instability. At Starr, we see something good in every child. With that approach, it is apparent that with access to a quality education, a stable environment and positive relationships, children of all backgrounds can flourish.

ONE OF OUR GOALS IS TO BE A LEADER IN THE DESTRUCTION OF RACIAL OBSTACLES THAT PREVENT...

THE HUMAN FAMILY FROM ACHIEVING ITS DREAMS.

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ALUMNI

Alumnus Stan Allen with Marty Mitchell

From setting records as a star high school and college athlete to being stationed in Alaska, Japan and the Philippines as a member of the U.S. Navy, Starr Commonwealth alumnus Stan Allen has become quite the success while experiencing a myriad of events.

Allen, a Detroit native, has also lived in California, where he spent a number of years as District Manager for Wal-Mart and Payless Shoe Stores. He is currently a Technical Project Manager for Wells Fargo & Co. and resides in Clive, Iowa with his wife, Patricia.

He is also a Licensed Massage Therapist and the founder and owner of Transition Bodyworks. Allen holds certifications in numerous healing arts and is a Reiki Master, a prominent position as a practitioner of the Japanese art of healing.

But if there is one thing Allen credits with pointing his life in the right direction, it was the time he spent at Starr.

If there is one thing Allen credits with pointing his life in the right direction, it was the time he spent at Starr.

“I couldn’t have done any of the things that I’ve done in my life without the guidance of those at Starr Commonwealth,” Allen said. “It took me a while initially to allow the ideas to sink in. When I first got there, you couldn’t tell me anything because I didn’t want to listen.”

Allen, who was at Starr from 1970-74, said the staff was patient and although his behavior was questionable at times, he was surprised at how dedicated and caring those at Starr were.

“I was a knucklehead when I got there,” Allen said. “But in spite of my initial attitude, the staff was willing to try and make an effort with me. For that, I am so grateful.”

Because Allen says his time at Starr changed his life, he is a regular donor, something he feels necessary to give others a chance to better themselves as he did. continued on page 9

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The Potter’s Hand As I prepare the Worship Service for this Sunday, I am listening to a song that I have come to love over the years, “The Potter’s Hand,” composed by Darlene Zschech.

In the book of the prophet Jeremiah, God instructs Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house.

There, Jeremiah observes the potter molding and shaping clay pots. Whenever the clay would not take the shape the potter wanted, he would simply change his mind, start over and form the clay into another shape.

In Zschech’s song, she is asking the Lord to mold, shape, fill and use her as He would. She is placing her life into God’s hands. For so many who call upon the Name of the Lord, regardless of their religious affiliation, this is a common prayer – to have the faith to place ourselves in God’s hands to be molded, shaped, filled and then used by Him to make a difference in the world. Speaking for myself, I struggle with this, as I believe many people do. It not only takes faith, but trust in God and the willingness to allow Him to mold, shape and fill us, so that we can be used by Him.

CHAPLAIN’S MESSAGE

God’s message to the people through Jeremiah was that He has a vision in His mind as to how people should live their lives, not only as individuals but also as a nation.

People struggle with God’s vision, often rebelling against it. So, He reminds them that just as the potter has power over the clay to reshape and mold it, God has the power over people to do the same. He could simply destroy the people and start over if He chose to, but this is not His desire. God’s desire is to shape and mold them into the people He envisions them to be.

Chaplain Ken Ponds

During Black History Month we focus on women and men who have been able to do this. They were not perfect people, but they were willing people who placed their lives in God’s hands allowing God to mold, shape, fill and use them to make a difference in the world – Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Bayard Rustin, Dick Gregory, A. Philip Randolph, Fred Shuttlesworth, Ida B. Wells, Roy Wilkins, Malcolm X., Andrew Young, Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson, Bill Cosby, Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Louis Armstrong, Benjamin O. Davis, Julian Bond, Stokely Carmichael and Rosa Parks to name a few. The list is long and glorious of those who are known. But we also acknowledge those who allowed God to use them whose names, except to their families and friends, we may never know. Their message is quite simple: when you allow God to mold, shape, fill and use you then nothing is impossible.

This is a message that so many of our youth need to hear. Not just our youth of diverse racial backgrounds, but all of the youth served by Starr, and youth throughout our nation and world.

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FOCUS ON CLINICAL NEEDS

Caelan Kuban, Director of The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children

Not only do minorities have different cultural expectations, but they also have different clinical needs. As the minority population of the country increases and as Starr Commonwealth seeks to provide more clinical expertise to professionals internationally, it is important that we recognize and prepare ourselves for the clinical needs of a broad range of youth.

It is important to understand that what we call “race” is actually a social construct and not biologically determined. The categories of different races were indeed created by humans centuries ago to explain their world and have persisted over time in people’s minds. Nevertheless, race remains a cultural reality, and clinicians need to be cognizant of the strengths and needs associated with a client’s culture and heritage and to individualize treatment accordingly. It is imperative that clinicians working with youth not only acknowledge the clinical needs of diverse children, but also expand their clinical expertise to meet those needs.

Though the clinical needs of all children should be individualized, there are some cultural considerations that should be taken into account when planning interventions for the treatment of children of various ethnicities. Ethnicity influences beliefs about mental health issues and overall clinical experience.

For example, coping mechanisms, symptomatology, help-seeking behaviors and response to treatment are often distinctively different for minorities. Perceptions about healthy behavior, unhealthy behavior, what is normal and what is not normal should be explored, and therapeutic adjustments to interventions should be made with each child in treatment.

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TLC’s introductory course The Unique Needs of Children of Color touches on the broader needs of black and Latino children in the United States, though many of the principles may be applied to children of other ethnic backgrounds.

For more information about TLC and its online courses, including The Unique Needs of Children of Color, please visit www.starrtraining.org/tlc.

When compared to the mainstream population, minorities have various cultural expectations and clinical needs that require individualized interventions.

Alumni Spotlight continued

“There needs to be more places like Starr,” Allen said. “I realize not every less-fortunate kid has an opportunity to go to a place like this, but those lucky enough should take advantage of that wonderful chance to change their lives. It’s just very important to me to help with that cause.”

In 2008, Allen was honored by Starr with the Distinguished Alumni Award for his contributions, both as a donor and as an ambassador for the organization. The award is given to alumni who embody Starr’s principles and core values.

“When I got that news, I had mixed feelings,” Allen said. “I’m just an average guy. I didn’t really think I deserved the recognition. I hadn’t been to Starr in a while, but when I came back, it was like I had déjà vu and remembered all of the great people there. It was such a proud moment in my life.”

Allen believes his time at Starr has allowed him to flourish. But his definition of success, he says, might be different from others.

“I feel like I’ve become a success because I’ve turned my life around,” Allen said. “I don’t have a ton of money, so maybe not successful in that sense, but I am a contributing member of society and have a great family.

I look back on where I was as a kid, and being where I am now is definitely a successful place in my mind.”

For kids entering Starr’s programs for the first time, his message is simple: “I would tell them not to look at Starr as a restrictive place or like you did something wrong,” Allen said.

“It’s the furthest thing from that. I would tell them that they have an opportunity to change themselves and use that time to find out who they are and what they want out of life. I’ve taken advantage of that opportunity, and I think it’s very important to help others do the same.”

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GOODNESS MADE VISIBLE

Starr Columbus held its annual Goodness Made Visible fundraising luncheon in November at the Confluence Park Restaurant.

Featured from left to right are foster parents, the Scotts; Development Board member, Linda Flickinger; Executive Director of Starr Columbus, Okpara Rice; a MyPlace youth, and President & CEO, Marty Mitchell.

To demonstrate our global impact, President and CEO Martin L. Mitchell spoke about the professional trainings taking place worldwide and the children and families who are benefiting as a result of the Starr Institute for Training.

To demonstrate our local impact in the Columbus area, Executive Director of Starr Columbus, Okpara Rice, spoke about the work being done in community-based, early intervention and prevention, residential and mental health programs to help local at-risk youth and vulnerable families. The event also featured a variety of speakers from the Starr organization, including foster parent Terri Scott, a MyPlace Independent Living youth, and dedicated instructor Tony Brown.

As a result of the hard work of the Starr Columbus Development Board and staff, the luncheon raised about $27,000 that will directly benefit local youth and programs.

Starr Columbus would like to recognize the following organizations for their sponsorship of the luncheon: Gold sponsors Nationwide and Schottenstien, Zox and Dunn (now Ice Miller); Silver sponsors Bricker and Eckler and Time Warner Cable: and Bronze sponsor Accenture.

Without the tremendous support of volunteers from our Development Board and these sponsors, we would not be able to showcase the remarkable impact this organization is having locally.

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COMMONWEALTH

by Amy Reimann, Director of Archives

Floyd Starr with Dr. George Washington Carver

From November 1-6, 1939, Starr Commonwealth enjoyed an extended visit from Dr. George Washington Carver and his assistant Dr. Austin W. Curtis of the Agricultural Research and Experiment Station at the Tuskegee Institute.

Dr. Carver had been invited to visit the campus and give a public lecture while traveling to the Detroit area to be awarded the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal. While on campus, Dr. Carver stayed in the newly rebuilt Emily Jewell Clark building in one of the first floor apartments, which are now used for staff offices and storage.

Dr. Carver stayed in this apartment due to his limited mobility and inability to navigate the stairs of Gladsome Cottage. Uncle Floyd also wanted Dr. Carver away from the main flow of traffic to campus, which was regularly directed to Gladsome Cottage.

During Dr. Carver’s stay, he took his noon and supper meals in the cottages with the boys.

The informal talks he gave at these meals were recorded and typed for the boys to read at a later date. Topics ranged from parables of the Bible to his agricultural research developments. Carver gave a public speech in the Webster Auditorium, which was attended by about 500 citizens from the surrounding community.

Starr staff had requested Dr. Carver donate one of his paintings for the Starr collection, but in lieu of donating a completed painting previously done, Carver sketched a pastel of Montcalm Lake on the condition that the boys make a frame for it. This pastel and frame now hangs in Starr’s Brueckner Museum. Remarkably, most of Carver’s paintings were displayed in a museum dedicated to his art, which burned to the ground shortly after it opened. The Brueckner painting is one of a few which was not in the museum at the time of the fire.

Upon return to Alabama, Carver and Uncle Floyd continued to correspond until Carver’s death in 1943. It had been his desire to return for another visit to the Commonwealth but his health never allowed it.

If you have a story to share with the Starr Archives, please contact Amy Reimann at 517.629.5591 or reimanna@starr.org.

Left: Dr. George Washington Carver with Floyd Starr at a Wilcox Cottage demonstration

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INSPIRING VISITORS

Throughout the years, Starr Commonwealth has been incredibly fortunate to host many famous guests on our campuses who have helped celebrate some remarkable occasions. Each brought with them unique points of view and inspiring messages while some had backgrounds of inequality, hostile environments and adversity.

Most importantly, each brought stories of strength and resilience.

In 1970, less than a decade after Starr’s first African American student joined the Albion campus, Starr hosted track and field athlete, Jesse Owens as the Founder’s Day speaker. Owens served as a positive influence to youth in treatment, having participated in the 1936 Summer Olympic Games returning to the States with four gold medals.

Two decades after hosting Owens, Starr brought in author Alex Haley as the 1990 Founder’s Day speaker. Haley brought with him a story of perseverance.

Enrolled in Alcorn State University at the young age of 15, Haley withdrew from college two years later and began his 20-year enlistment with the Coast Guard. After retirement, Haley pursued his writing career, which included interviewing figures such as Miles Davis, Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali and Sammy Davis, Jr., among many others. Haley published The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Roots: The Saga of an American Family, for which he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1977.

Founder’s Day in 1998 brought to Starr a three-time heavyweight boxing champion and humanitarian, the one and only Muhammad Ali. A gold medal winner like Owens, Ali won the Light Heavyweight in the 1960 Summer Olympic Games. Throughout his highly successful boxing career, Ali faced much controversy due to his alignment with the Nation of Islam, this at a time when mainstream America viewed the group with suspicion.

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Maya Angelou, a famous author and poet who has been called, “America’s most visible black female autobiographer,” visited both Starr’s Albion and Van Wert campuses. On October 5, 2003, Angelou served as the Founder’s Day speaker at Starr’s 90th Anniversary celebration. In the fall of 2005, Angelou joined guests, students and staff on Starr’s Van Wert campus for the first anniversary celebration of the opening of the Montcalm School for Girls therapeutic boarding school on the Van Wert campus. The program has since moved to the Albion campus where all Montcalm School programs are operated.

More recently, Starr has been fortunate to host these speakers: Victoria Rowell, actress, dancer and author served as guest speaker in 2009.

Rowell’s childhood was one that many Starr students and clients could relate to as she grew up as a foster child. Rowell founded the “Rowell Foster Children Positive Plan,” which provides emotional support and financial aid to foster children. Rowell wrote, The Women Who Raised Me, a memoir on her life as a foster child.

This past year brought Wes Moore, author, businessman and U.S. Army veteran to Starr’s Founder’s Day celebration. Moore’s speech revolved around his first book, The Other Wes Moore, which chronicles the parallels of his life and that of another Wes Moore. He said the book and his life are about showing the importance of decisions and the influence others have on those decisions. Moore stated, “Society is full of ‘others,’ but you believe at Starr there is no such thing as a throw away. We are products of our expectations, not our environment.”

These are just a segment of the group of influential visitors that Starr has had the pleasure of hosting. We look forward to our 100th anniversary starting this October and continuing throughout 2013 in anticipation of many more opportunities to celebrate the students and alumni of Starr Commonwealth.

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A great birthday gift.

Here’s the perfect opportunity to honor a student, alumni, foster child, foster parent or Starr staff and tell the world of your support for them and Starr Commonwealth. When you reserve a commemorative brick, bench or picnic table, you get to choose the Starr campus – Albion or Columbus – where you’d like it displayed. You also get to choose the message you’d like engraved, and your tax-deductible charitable contribution will help our campuses remain beautiful, comfortable and easily accessible for all.

Take a minute now to fill out the attached order form below and own a piece of the walk.

Please return the form below along with payment to: Starr Commonwealth, 13725 Starr Commonwealth Rd., Albion, MI 49224

Official Order Form Designate a Campus:

Mr. & Mrs.

__Albion Campus

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Ms.

___Columbus Campus

Miss

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Your Name Daytime Phone e-mail _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address City State Zip Designation:

___Memoria

___Honor

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___4"x 8" Bricks (1 to 3 lines) at $100/each = _________ ___8"x 8" Bricks (1 to 6 lines) at $200/each = _________ ___Bench at $2000/each = _________ (1-4 lines; 25 spaces) ___Picnic Table at $1500/each =_________ (1-4 lines; 25 spaces) Total Donation

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Here’s the text for my engraving. Up to 15 characters per line including spaces and punctuation. Use “&” for “and” to save space.

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, racial tension was at a climax. African Americans across the U.S. were experiencing the backlash from a country not yet ready to change its cultural ideals.

For Dennis Murray, the first African American student at Starr Commonwealth in 1963, it was a particularly difficult time.

Dennis Murray is pictured here on the cover of the No Such Thing book and is above Floyd Starr’s right shoulder

“I grew up in Detroit and came to Starr Commonwealth in 1963 at age 13,” said Murray, now 62.

“Right off the bat, the other kids picked on me for being different. It was really tough.”

Murray attended Starr Commonwealth from 1963-65. Eventually, his growth – in stature as well as emotionally – lessened the other boys’ cruelty as he got older.

“As I became one of the bigger, older kids, I got picked on less and less,” Murray said. “I tried not to let it get to me, and I had to grow up faster than most because of my experience, as well as the demands that the instructors and house parents had.”

Murray said the structure was exactly what he needed. From doing chores and going to school, he did not have time to engage in negative behaviors.

“At the time, you look at it as someone being really hard on you,” Murray said. “But it was such a wonderful thing to have experienced. I remember a lot of people who had positive impacts on my life.”

After leaving Starr, Murray attended Detroit Pershing High School, where he played football and basketball. His 1967 basketball team won the state championship and is still recognized as one of the best teams in the history of high school basketball in Michigan.

Upon finishing junior college in Iowa, Murray elected to attend Illinois State University to play basketball for his high school coach, Will Robinson, who was the first African American Division-I basketball coach.

Murray’s goal was to play professional basketball, but following a stint where he played in Belgium, Murray decided he would return to school to get his degree.

“I wanted to eventually play in the ABA or NBA,” Murray said. “But because that wasn’t an option and I was only a few credits short at Illinois State, I got my degree in business and accounting.”

Continued on page 17

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GLASSWING?

The Glasswing butterfly is a rare and delicate insect of South America with transparent wings. Rainforest ecologists use the presence of this tropical gem as an indication of high habitat quality.

At Starr Commonwealth, we use the term Glasswing to define the lens through which we see each other clearly, without color barriers or the distortion of prejudice. Glasswing is a program of the Starr Institute for Training, in which we help participants transform the way they see the world and themselves.

Glasswing is a movement that connects and uplifts all of us, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or spiritual tradition. During the past 10 years, thousands of people from organizations, businesses, universities and communities have participated in the two-day racial healing seminar. During the process, their hearts and minds are transformed as well as their thoughts about racism and what it means to be members of the human family.

Many participants have described the experience as life altering: “WOW. This was awesome. I can’t explain the difference in my life in just two days. I needed this.”

“The experience left me drained, yet exhilarated. I left feeling that all hope is not lost. There is a purpose for our lives and it goes much deeper than our jobs, our possessions, even our families.”

The racial healing initiative at Starr began in 1996, when a small group of administrators attended a presentation by Nathan Rutstein, author of several books on racism. Starr leadership immediately decided to commit resources to the task of weaving concepts and practices of racial healing into the organizational culture, even adopting the Oneness of Humankind concept as a core belief. Since then, all Starr employees are required to attend two-day sessions.

Starr also trains facilitators to conduct racial healing seminars in their own organizations and communities across the country and played a major role in establishing the National Resource Center for Racial Healing.

If you are interested in learning more about the Glasswing experience, including how you can become a facilitator, please visit www.starrtraining.org/glasswing.

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First African American continued

Murray moved to California in 1976, where he still resides.

“In hindsight, it’s easy to say what a great experience Starr Commonwealth was,” Murray said. “If you would have asked me about my time there in 1965, I would have said a lot of negative things. As a kid, you don’t see the positive aspects of a lot of things.”

As the landscape at Starr Commonwealth has changed from one African American to children of many ethnicities and backgrounds, cultural awareness has become increasingly important. Events like Black History Month help to teach of the significant cultural and social impacts of minorities. To Murray, Black History Month represents an opportunity to recognize the positive steps that African Americans have taken.

“I think Black History Month is a great opportunity to reflect but also to let people know that you can flourish despite negative circumstances surrounding your life,” Murray said. “We can put the successes in the light and really show people that no matter what you’re going through, you can be successful.”

Although it was a struggle at times, Murray’s experience at Starr Commonwealth opened the doors to many opportunities that have allowed him to accomplish his goals. Murray’s evolution throughout his life helps to prove the core belief of Starr Commonwealth Founder Floyd Starr: there’s no such thing as a bad child.

“I’ve had a great life,” Murray said. “I was blessed to have been a part of Starr Commonwealth, and it presented so many great opportunities for me. I always used to tell my mother that I hated every minute of my time there, but it truly was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Season of Healing Hearts We thank you for your generous spirit during Starr’s “Season of Healing Hearts” campaign.

With your help, more than $57,000 was raised during the holiday fundraising. Your gifts will allow us to continue helping change children’s hearts and lives in our community-based programs, specialized residential services and our trainings for professionals who work with youth.

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GIFTS HONOR GIFTS are thoughtful ways to remember a special person and/or a special occasion, such as a birth, birthday, anniversary, graduation, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, while also helping Starr children. When sending an honor gift, please provide the address of the honoree. We will send an acknowledgement card to let them know of your thoughtfulness, but we won’t mention the gift amount. You may call in your honor gift for faster acknowledgement at: 800.837.5591. Honor gifts also may be made online at: www.starr.org.

MEMORIAL GIFTS offer an enduring tribute to the memory of a friend or loved one, while extending a helping hand to the children of Starr Commonwealth. When sending a memorial gift, please provide the address of a family member of the deceased to whom we can send an acknowledgement card. We will let them know of your thoughtfulness but won’t mention the gift amount. You may call in your memorial gift for faster acknowledgement at: 800.837.5591.

Memorial donations also may be made online at: www.starr.org.

Here is a listing of Honor and Memorial gifts received from 11/7/2011 to 1/13/2012. Donors are listed below the name of the person in whose memory or honor they contributed. Gifts not listed here will appear in a future issue of Starr News. If we missed your name or an error has occurred with your listing, please forgive us and contact us so we may correct it in the next issue.

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IN HONOR OF: SUSAN L. BEAZLEY Mrs. Sylvia S. Richey ROBERTA B. CHANEY Ms. Joan C. Mackley ROBERT M. FAILING Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Raber MR. AND MRS. M. S. GRANT Mr. Gordon P. Grant MR. AND MRS. MILES JONES Mrs. Evelyn Jones ROBERT B. JONES Mr. and Mrs. Ron Perreman MR. AND MRS. RONALD JONES Mrs. Evelyn Jones AMANDA ENGLE Mr. Brian Engle SHERI CHANEY JONES Ms. Christy Farnbauch Ms. Joan C. Makley CAELAN K. KUBAN Mrs. Bridget Keenan McElroy JACK LITZENBERG Mr. and Mrs. George Wilson RUSSELL MAWBY Mr. and Mrs. John Kresnak MARCELLA MOOTZ Miss Sara Lou Teets Miss Anna Lee Teets HOWARD AND EVELYN NIENABER Mr. Leonard Nienaber ARLIN E. NESS Mr. and Mrs. George D. Goodman JOAN STAUDT PRACY Dr. and Mrs. Robert M. Failing SYLVIA S. RICHEY Ms. Susan L. Beazley DR. LINDA GIBSON-RODGERS Ms. Sally Buxton LANCE SATTERTHWAITE Dr. Valerie Perdue Mr. Caleb Donovick MONTCALM SCHOOL STAFF Dr. Joel Weinthal

IN MEMORY OF: MIRIAM A. ABBOTT Ms. Linda S. Balthaser ANNIE C. Brady Ms. Pregetha Brady

ROSALIND BRISCO Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Mason MRS. OLIVIA CLEMONS Mrs. Joy Ferguson EDWARD S. COE Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Pettengill Mr. Edward S. Coe, Sr. HELEN CONROY Dr. John M. Conroy JEAN M. CROWE Mr. Gregg B. Swindlehurst ARLENE A. EDWARDS Mr. and Mrs. Paul Edwards Mr. Thomas J. Edwards LLOYD S. EDWARDS Mr. and Mrs. Paul Edwards Mr. Thomas J. Edwards PHYLLIS EDWARDS Mr. and Mrs. Paul Edwards VIRGINIA EDWARDS Mr. and Mrs. Paul Edwards Mr. Thomas J. Edwards HAROLD HANSELMAN Mr. Ben C. Morris MARGARET HEIRMAN Mr. and Mrs. Paul Edwards HARRY HELWIG Mr. and Mrs. Paul Edwards EDWARD G. HOWE Mr. and Mrs. Brian V. Howe HAROLD AND MARY HURDLEY Mr. and Mrs. John J. Dick ELLEN MULRY KEENAN Mr. and Mrs. Mark Kuban CHARLES W. AND ALMA M. LAFLEUR Mr. and Mrs. Dennis J. LaFleur JOHN TERRENCE LEACH Mrs. Lucille Leach RICHARD LECURU Mrs. Martha Lecuru JESSIE LONGHURST Mrs. Evelyn Gay R. BRADNER MEAD Ms. Pam Davis SHIRLEY MEADE Dr. and Mrs. Martin L. Mitchell GLADYS AND GEORGE MESLER Dr. Linda M. Muul GEORGIA MESSERLEY Mr. and Mrs. Paul Edwards Mr. Thomas J. Edwards SYLVIA MORSE Mr. and Mrs. Bruce W. Morse

The Starr Commonwealth Charitable Gift Annuity.

The more you give, the more you get back.

A gift annuity is the win-win of charitable gifts. You get the satisfaction of knowing you’re doing something important for the present and future children of Starr Commonwealth, and you’re guaranteed a stream of income for life!

Gift Annuity Rate Tables (Single Life)

Here’s how it works: You transfer cash, securities or other property to Starr to create your charitable gift annuity. Starr then pays you or the person you designate a fixed amount each year for life. You can receive a nice tax deduction for the year you create the gift annuity, and if you had donated appreciated property, you may save on capital gains tax.

Among other benefits, part of your gift annuity is income tax free. Plus, the rates are based on age, so no health exams. When the gift annuity ends after your life, the remaining principal passes to Starr Commonwealth to benefit children in need.*

Age 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90+

For a detailed, no obligation analysis of what your gift might mean to you and the children of Starr Commonwealth, please call the office of Planned Giving at 800.837.5591.

Rate 4.0 4.4 4.7 5.1 5.8 6.8 7.8 9.0

*not available in all states

Watch your gift grow.

Do you work for a company that offers a matching gifts program?

Or, are you retired from a matching gifts company? If so, you could double – maybe even triple – your gifts to Starr Commonwealth children simply by letting us know. Just ask your employer or former employer to provide you with the paperwork you need. Fill it out and send it to Attention: Development Office, Starr Commonwealth, 13725 Starr Commonwealth Road, Albion, MI 49224-9910.

Thank you for caring!

CARRIE RICE Mr. and Mrs. Okpara Rice GERALD "JERRY" ROBINSON Mr. and Mrs. Bill Davis SAM AND RUTH SCHMITTLE Mr. and Mrs. James L. Cameron MARY SLAUGHTER Dr. and Mrs. Arlin E. Ness CHRISTOPHER SOUTHWICK, JR. Mr. and Mrs. David Shirey

"UNCLE" FLOYD STARR Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Beard STARR COMMONWEALTH AUXILIARY Mr. and Mrs. Bernard P. Lucas ELTA HELEN ARBER STARR Mr. Michael R. Weaver JAMES TAFT Mrs. Rose Hathaway THOMAS TOUPALIK Mr. and Mrs. Melvin l. Boltz

BYRON J. WIGMAN Mr. and Mrs. Brian V. Howe LAURA WILLIS Ms. Karen M. Fasheum ANDREW ZANETTI Mr. Frankie A. Zanetti Names appearing in blue denote gifts designated for Starr Columbus’ Hannah Neil Center.

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Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Permit #975 Lansing, MI

13725 Starr Commonwealth Road Albion, Michigan 49224 www.starr.org

Duplicate mailing?

Call (800) 837-5591 Address service requested

Officers

Board of Trustees

Martin L. Mitchell, Ed.D. President Chief Executive Officer

Kyle Caldwell, Chair President and CEO Michigan Nonprofit Association Lansing, MI

Wm. Chuck Jackson, MA Executive Vice President Chief Clinical Officer Christopher L. Smith, BBA, CPA Executive Vice President Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth A. Carey, MSW Executive Vice President Chief Strategy and Administrative Services Officer Gary Q. Tester, MRC Executive Vice President Chief Development Officer

www.starrtraining.org

www.montcalmschool.org

Lawrence Givens Blackmond and Givens, Inc. Southfield, MI

Erick Stewart President Stewart Industries LLC Battle Creek, MI

George A. Goodman Ypsilanti, MI

Michael Leach, Vice Chair Chief Financial Officer Nationwide Insurance Columbus, OH

H. Ronald Griffith President (Retired) Baker College of Jackson Jackson, MI

Tom Kolassa, Secretary Senior Vice President Hub International Battle Creek, MI

Jack Kresnak President and CEO Michigan’s Children Lansing, MI

Honorable Eugene A. Moore, Immediate Past Chair Chief Probate Judge (Retired) Oakland County Pontiac, MI

Dr. Pamela Lemerand Professor Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI

Gary Taylor Owner Taylor Auto Sales Inc. Van Wert, OH Bruce Vande Vusse Attorney Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C. Farmington Hills, MI George Wilson General Agent Wilson Insurance Services Gilbert Wiseman Agency Flint, MI

Trustees Emeritus

Scott Bennett Vice President UBS Financial Services Birmingham, MI Ralph J. Burrell President and CEO SymCon, Inc. Detroit, MI

William C. Rands Managing Partner Sagres Partners, L.P. Grosse Pointe, MI

Michael J. Gable Chief Operating Officer Howard and Howard Royal Oak, MI

Craig Carrel President and Partner Team 1 Plastics Albion, MI

Jon A. Rhoades Vice President (Retired) Central Mutual Insurance Van Wert, OH

George D. Goodman Executive Director (Retired) Michigan Municipal League Ann Arbor, MI

Dr. Velma Clay Director of Equal Employment Opportunity (Retired) Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center Battle Creek, MI

Cornelia Romanowski Educator Shavertown, PA

Dr. Russell G. Mawby Chairman Emeritus W.K. Kellogg Foundation Battle Creek, MI

Honorable John Hallacy District Court Judge 10th District Court Battle Creek, MI

Anne Willson DuprĂŠ Granddaughter of Floyd Starr Toronto, Canada Diana Starr Langley Montecito, CA Sylvia Starr Richey Granddaughter of Floyd Starr Seal Beach, CA

President Emeritus Arlin E. Ness President Emeritus Anthem, AZ

Locations

Albert Little Vice President and Business Development Officer Greenleaf Trust Kalamazoo, MI

Ahmad E. Sinno Chief Information Officer Bricker & Eckler LLC Columbus, OH

Honorary Trustees

Margaret Starr Leutheuser Daughter of Floyd Starr Haverford, PA

William K. Stoffer Chairman and CEO Albion Machine & Tool Co. Albion, MI

Michigan: Albion, Battle Creek, Detroit, Clinton Township Ohio: Van Wert, Columbus South Dakota: Lennox