ON THE RIGHT PATH
BY PETER J. WRIGHT, Drop-In Center Case Manager with assistance from Wilton Johnson, Drop-In Center member.

“Once I got hooked up with Pathfinders I wa s on the right path .” –Anthony Banks

”Struggle and Emerge” is a quote that Anthony Banks lives by.

For Anthony Banks, “Helping young people in need take charge of their lives, connect to others, and contribute to the community” is much greater than a mission statement; it is his life story. Anthony is one of the many success stories we at Pathfinders have the privilege to witness. This August Anthony will be studying computer science and playing football at UW-Platteville. Although his future is bright, his reality hasn’t always been pleasant.

I have experienced a number of challenges in my life – I would say more so than someone should,” begins a personal statement Anthony wrote at the age of 16. Born in Jackson, Mississippi with an early childhood spent in Houston, Anthony’s family moved to Milwaukee when he was nine. Within a short time his family became homeless and his life was tumultuous. “I was in the seventh grade and failing badly. Out of desperation I was placed in an alternative program at my school. I was accumulating curfew tickets like trading cards, and was running the streets.” It was within this context when Anthony first encountered Pathfinders as a resident in our Youth Shelter.

Anthony stayed at Pathfinders Youth Shelter several times over the next couple of years. During periods when he wasn’t a shelter resident he continued to stay connected to Pathfinders through our counseling services and evening youth groups. Recognizing that Anthony had begun to take charge of his life and observing him connect with other youth, staff member Joseph Stanley encouraged him to seek outlets to contribute to the local community. By age 14 Anthony was volunteering at a local food co-op. At age 15 Anthony joined Pathfinders’ volunteer team as a Peer Volunteer and shortly became a staff member as a Peer Advocate. Anthony spent numerous hours working in the Youth Shelter and was an integral member of the Drop-In Center staff from its early beginnings in early 2010.

Anthony has been a part of the Pathfinders family for nearly a decade now. “I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in if it wasn’t for Pathfinders,” were Anthony’s words on a recent visit to the Drop-In Center as he turned in his final time card as Peer Advocate. As he begins a new chapter of his life the entire Pathfinders family sends him off with warm wishes and fond memories. During that last visit Anthony promised, “When I’m back in the city I’m gonna have to stop by Pathfinders and drop by the Drop-In Center.” When that day comes we’ll be here with doors open and arms outstretched. Best wishes Anthony and we’ll see you when our paths meet again.

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Our North Star
Perhaps you remember Anthony. He has a smile you never forget. This young man spoke at one of our recent Spring Benefits and his story was featured in Pathfinders newsletter, Safety, Hope, and Healing, a few years ago. He is a former resident at our youth shelter and has been on our staff as a “peer youth advocate” for some time. Two weeks ago, Anthony stopped by my office with Sherri Daniels, our prevention education coordinator. His smile was brighter than usual that day. He stood particularly straight. He is on his way to UW Platteville in a few weeks. A full scholarship. We are all smiling with Anthony.

Anthony’s story is what keeps us going here at Pathfinders. Helping young people who face very serious life challenges move into a future filled with hope and promise. That is our North Star.

Our Current Challenge
Keeping that North Star in view is challenging these days. You hear the news. The economic crisis deepens. The stock market drops. Unemployment stubbornly remains high. Our government leaders struggle to find common ground on which to build solutions.

The difficult economy is reflected in two ways in our work here at Pathfinders. First, demand at our runaway and homeless youth services (emergency shelter, outreach drop in center, supported housing, and street outreach services) is dramatically exceeding prior years’ experiences. Pathfinders is on pace to, once again, surpass last year’s record benchmarks in terms of number of youth served. The nation’s economic crisis has devastated many families and some of our homeless youth services are experiencing over a 50% increase in demand.

Second, the nation’s and state’s financial crisis has seriously impacted Pathfinders. Public sector funding has decreased and more cuts are anticipated. Additionally, philanthropic support – especially from foundations and corporations – has dropped precipitously. While Pathfinders individual donor support actually increased to record highs in 2010 (Thank You!), our overall philanthropic funding has suffered.

In 2011, Pathfinders board of directors adopted a balanced budget which included philanthropic revenue goals actually below our 2010 experience. Unfortunately, based on the experience of the first half of this year, we now project achieving about 75% of that goal. This, coupled with significant decreases in government funding, threatens the very financial footing of our organization.

In terms of addressing our projected shortfall, we have enacted expense reductions in many areas. This year Pathfinders has been operating with general administration expenses representing only 6% of our total costs, far below the average not-for-profit organization.

Thank You for Your Help
In sum, when the nation’s economy catches a cold, low-income families - and those who serve them - get pneumonia. Our partnership with you, our supporters, is the cornerstone in our work to provide safety, hope, and healing to young people confronted by the harsh realities of homelessness and abuse. These are young people who often fall between the cracks. They are not served by government funded systems of care like child welfare and juvenile justice. These children, without family supports, depend on us.

On their behalf, thank you for your steadfast support in the past and for thoughtfully considering our need at this critical time. With your help, we can keep our eye on the North Star, smile with Anthony, and make sure that there are many more stories like his to celebrate.

With Appreciation,

Dan Magnuson - President/CEO