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Inside:

Foster CareMonth at Starr

Foster Care Myths

Starr Global Training Network

R E S I D E N T I A L – C O M M U N I T Y - B A S E D – P R O F E S S I O N A L T R A I N I N G S

STARR

STARR COMMONWEALTHWe Think The World of Kids

STARR

Contents

3 President’s Message

4 Foster Care Month

6 Champion Boxer Visits Starr

7 Chaplain’s Message

8 Foster Care Myths

10 Commonwealthalia

12 Foster Care:

Making a Difference

15 John Seita Scholarship

16 Starr Global Training Network

17 2012 Founder’s Day Speaker

Dick Vitale

18 Honor/Memorial Gifts

C R E A T E P O S I T I V E E N V I R O N M E N T S W H E R E C H I L D R E N F L O U R I S H

Starr News Spring, 2012 Volume 69, No. 2Starr 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;

Christopher L. Smith, B.B.A., C.P.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer;

Wm. Chuck Jackson, MA, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer;

Elizabeth A. Carey, MSW, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy & Administrative Services Officer;

Gary Q. Tester, MRC, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer

13725 Starr Commonwealth Rd. Albion, MI 49224-9525 800.837.5591 info@starr.org

Foster Care

Month at Starr

See Page 4

Foster Care Myths

See Page 8IMPACTING

1.3 MILL ION

CHILDREN

AND

FAMIL IES

WORLDWIDE

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

Too often, the media attention surrounding foster care highlights the occasional

negative aspect of challenges within the system. This can discourage current foster

families as well as deter others from joining this important cause.

Foster parenting is no easy task. Children in foster care have often experienced physical

and emotional abuse and suffer from an inability to trust or love. Many foster children are

more likely to suffer from depression and other challenges that will impact their learning and

behavior. Often, when children are removed from their homes and families at young ages,

they experience elevated levels of stress and compromised immune systems. There are no

shortage of challenges in opening your heart and home to children in foster care.

However, the pivotal role foster parents play in the lives of foster youth is critical to their

long-term developmental needs. Safe, stable homes where basic needs are met are important.

So, too, are adults who understand the vital signs for positive youth development:

Belonging, Mastery, Independence and Generosity.

Through Starr Commonwealth’s foster care programs in Battle Creek and Detroit, Michigan,

and Columbus, Ohio, we have worked with hundreds of adults who understand that fostering

is more than just a bed to sleep in and food for nourishment. They recognize and work to

support vulnerable children in their care, whether it’s short-term and temporary or lengthy

and leading toward adoption. Our highly trained and qualified foster parents go above

and beyond every day, and for that, they all deserve more positive attention and gratitude

from all of us. Increasing our appreciation for foster parents is not only long overdue but

necessary to grow the number of adults and homes wanting to apply.

Please join me in thanking the licensed foster

care providers of Starr and other agencies

who are undeniably deserving of recognition,

not just this month, but every day. Send an

e-mail of appreciation to info@starr.org,

and we will share your comments

on our Facebook page.

3

NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH

National Foster Care Month, recognized

in May each year, brings awareness

to a large population of youth in need

of stability and support and the families

who selflessly care for them.

According to fostercaremonth.org, there are roughly 424,000 children in the foster care system in the United

States. The average age of children entering the system is between 8 and 12 years old, and most of these children

enter foster care with histories of abuse and neglect, according to the National Resource Center for

Permanency and Family Connections.

Ultimately, the objective of foster care is to reunite youth with biological families if possible. In many cases,

however, this is not an option. In fact, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System indicates that

only 51 percent of children exiting foster care in the U.S. in 2010 were reunited with their biological parents.

At Starr Commonwealth, our foster care services – offered in Battle Creek and Detroit, Michigan, as well as

Columbus, Ohio – work with biological families whenever possible with reunification as the ultimate goal. If that

is not an achievable outcome, Starr works to ensure that youth and foster families are supported throughout

the process and into other appropriate permanency-oriented living arrangements.

Starr also offers services like MyPlace, an independent living program for adolescents ages 16 and over in

Columbus that helps youth adjust to life on their own. Other transitional living programs are offered in Battle Creek

and Detroit, such as Supervised Independent Living (SIL), which assists older youth, ages 16-20, in gaining

self-sufficiency through the acquisition of day-to-day living skills.

Starr foster care currently serves 172 youth in 128 homes in Michigan and Ohio with the hope of adding

more children and loving foster families whenever possible.

Starr Detroit’s foster care program handles case management services for foster youth, in addition to tutoring,

possible transition to its SIL program and collaboration with other prevention and intervention services at

the Detroit campus.

The Starr Battle Creek foster care program serves the largest number of youth out of the three sites and includes

multiple levels of care. Like Starr Detroit, Battle Creek assists with possible transition to its SIL program

and works with other services under the Starr umbrella.

4

Treatment Foster Care at Starr Columbus provides

different levels of care as well, including Traditional,

Specialized and Exceptional. Differences include

frequency and depth of therapy and program

length, with Exceptional being the most thorough

and longest program for youth with more

extensive needs.

Services offered by Starr’s foster care programs

range from case management to in-home counsel-

ing, on-campus psychiatric care and therapy from

counselors trained in trauma-informed practices

through The National Institute for Trauma and Loss

in Children, a program of the Starr Global

Training Network.

Foster parents undoubtedly make a significant

impact in children’s lives. But there are still many

youth across the country with no support to meet

their basic needs and no guidance along the road

through adolescence and into adulthood.

At Starr, our mission is to create positive environ-

ments where children flourish. As a foster parent,

you can help us achieve that goal.

5

Starr Commonwealth was privileged to have Claressa Shields, Olympic hopeful and U.S. National

Champion boxer, visit the Albion campus March 17 to speak with our staff and youth.

She detailed her experience as a young female boxer in a male-dominated sport and the difficulties of growing

up in Flint, Michigan without her father. Her message of perseverance resonated with our youth, and she was

gracious enough to take part in a question and answer session with nearly 160 boys and girls.

The 17-year-old Shields has a 25-0

record and will be traveling to China

soon in her final preliminary action

before the first-ever women’s boxing

tournament at the Olympics.

Claressa has promised to come back

to Starr for our Founder’s Day celebra-

tion on Sunday, Oct. 7 if she wins the

Gold Medal. We wish her the best

on her continued journey.

6

Right: Olympic hopeful Claressa Shields

and a Starr student

Below: Pictured from left to right are

Trustee George Wilson, Claressa’s trainer

Jason Crutchfield, CDO Gary Tester,

Claressa Shields, CSO Elizabeth Carey

and CEO Marty Mitchell.

CHAMPIONBOXER

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!

Starr provides kids with certainty in our uncertain world.

A popular commercial featured on television at the moment is one centered on financial

planning. The narrator says that, according to an ancient Mayan calendar, Earth is to be

hurled into space on December 21, 2012. If this is the case, then the world will come to an

end, and there would be no need for financial planning. However, if we are here the next

day, then of course one would need to plan for the future. It’s a clever commercial which

plays upon both uncertainty and certainty of the future. Now what do I mean by this?

There is a certainty about life which helps to ground our lives and provides some

measure of control and stability. This certainty is expressed in many ways. For example,

the sun always rises. Spring follows winter.

Work is rewarding and necessary. Love

is worth pursuing and being “caught by.”

Our lives here on Earth will come to an end

at some point in time. And the Chicago

Cubs will miss out on yet another baseball

World Series. Certainties!

However, life is filled with great uncertainty,

and no amount of planning will remove

uncertainty from our lives. Occasionally,

clouds block out the sun. Winter often lingers

on even though the calendar says it’s spring.

Many people cannot find work or go long

periods of time between work, and if they

are able to find work, often it is not fulfilling.

Love hurts, just listen to all the songs or read the many poems or stories which attest

to this. Before our lives come to an end here on Earth, they are filled with joy, disappoint-

ment, laughter, tears, enlightenment, a lack of understanding, you get the picture.

And eventually, for all of you Cubbies’ fans out there, the Chicago Cubs will be in

a World Series. Uncertainties!

From its beginning, Starr has worked hard to deal with both the certainties

and uncertainties of life through the development of outstanding programs

and opportunities for young people and their families. One such program

is foster care, which strives to provide the certainty of a loving, nurturing,

accepting and functional family for many young people who have

known nothing but the uncertainty of life.

As I write this message, we are standing in the shadow of two great religious

events which have just occurred, Passover and Easter. Both events remind

us that because God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, no matter the

certainties or uncertainties of our life, God will be in them providing us with

the love and strength to endure and thrive. This is certain.

Chaplain Ken PondsCH

APLAIN

’S M

ESS

AGE

7

In an effort to dispel the fallacies that surround the foster care program, listed below

are responses to set the record straight.

Myth #1: Foster parents are “in it for the money.”

Foster parents invite children into their homes 24 hours a day,

seven days a week. These children may present issues ranging

from insomnia to behavioral disorders to learning disabilities or have

previously abused alcohol or drugs, to name a few. The motiva-

tion for foster parents is more than any monetary assistance that

provides care and support. Knowing they have helped a child and

family in crisis is what makes fostering a rewarding experience.

Myth #2: Foster parents should treat foster kids

like they would their own in all situations.

Treating foster children as “your own” is ideal if referring

to household chores, having the expectation of being

kind, using manners, obeying rules and experiencing

extracurricular activities. The reality is that foster children

have real, serious challenges and problems which

may require some alterations to your parenting style.

A child who has been a victim of abuse and neglect

or experienced a traumatic event has much different

needs in order to heal and feel as if they are in a safe

environment than your “typical” child.

MYTHS

As a foster care provider for 27 years, Starr is acutely aware of the myriad

of myths and misconceptions surrounding the foster care system.

These misunderstandings unfortunately cast foster parents,

who open their homes and hearts to children in need, in a negative

light and mistakenly paint a picture of children who have committed

unimaginable offenses.

8

Myth #3: I’d love to be a foster parent, but seeing children leave would break my heart.

To imply that foster parents can let kids go because they don’t get attached is simply not the case. As with

any relationship, the level of the bond varies. Some foster parents enter into the field with the notion of

eventually adopting. Others simply learn to care for the child and let go when it is time. For many children

in the foster care system, family reunification is the ultimate

goal. Foster parents work closely with the case manager,

child and sometimes even the parent(s) or guardian to make

this goal a reality.

Myth #4 : The term foster child means

the same as adopted child.

These terms should not be used interchangeably.

Labels should be avoided as children from either situation

are incredibly sensitive to these terms. Children in the foster

care system are still under state care whereas children

who have been adopted are strictly cared for by the parents

without state oversight.

Myth #5: Foster parents are kept hidden

from the birth parents.

This is only true in extreme cases. For the majority of cases,

soon after a foster child is placed, they have visits with family

members who are considered safe to lessen the child’s sense

of abandonment. Throughout placement, foster parents often

assume the role of modeling healthy parenting skills or act

as a source of information for the biological parent(s).

Myth #6: I could never be a foster parent because

I’m not married and don’t make a lot of money.

I don’t even own my house.

While there are requirements to becoming a foster parent, whether you are married, single, a home

owner or renter, you are capable of becoming a foster parent as long as you have enough income to support

yourself and your family aside from the money you are paid to care for foster children.

Myth #7: My children are grown and out of the house. I’m too old to be a foster parent.

The only age requirement for becoming a foster parent is meeting the minimum age in your state.

In Michigan, the minimum age is 18, while Ohio requires foster parents to be 21. Many “empty nesters”

find foster parenting to be a rewarding experience.

Myth #8: I don’t have any children and to be a foster parent, you need to have

parenting experience.

Many foster parents are childless. However, they are responsible, caring individuals who have made

a commitment to helping children in need. Training is provided by Starr to support our foster parents.

Continued on page 11

9

The Old Testament contains references to the

duty of all to care for children in any situation. Early

Christian church records also show that widows

were paid from congregational collections to care

for orphans. It was English Poor Law that led to the

development of family foster care in the United

States. In 1562, these laws allowed the placement

of poor children until they came of age. In 1636,

less than 30 years after the founding of the

Jamestown Colony, Benjamin Eaton became this

nation’s first foster child at the age of seven.

In 1853, Charles Brace began the free foster home

movement. A minister and director of the New York

Children's Aid Society, Brace was concerned about

the large number of immigrant children sleeping

in the streets of New York. He devised a plan to

provide them homes by advertising in the south

and west for families willing to provide free homes

for these children, whether for charitable reasons

or whatever help these children could be to them.

As a result of the New York Children's Aid Society's

placements, sectarian social agencies and state

governments became involved in foster home

placements. Massachusetts, prior to 1865, began

paying board to families who took care of children

too young to be indentured. Pennsylvania passed

the first licensing law in 1885, which made it a

misdemeanor to care for two or more unrelated

children without a license. South Dakota began

providing subsidies to the Children's Home Society

after it was organized in 1893 for its public

childcare work.

During the early 1900s, social agencies began

to supervise foster parents. Records were kept,

COMMONWEALTHby Amy Reimann, Director of Archives

The history of foster care in the United States and how

Starr Commonwealth became involved.

10

children's individual needs were considered

when placements were made, and the federal

government began supporting state inspections

of family foster homes. Services were provided

to natural families to enable the child to return

home, and foster parents were now seen as

part of a professional team working to find

permanency for dependent children.

At Starr Commonwealth, many children worked

local farms near the Albion campus in the 1940s

and 1950s. Starr’s housemothers, and eventually

house parent couples, could also be compared

to foster parents, as they lived and made

their home here with the children they served.

The external Starr Foster Care movement began

in 1985. Norman Ostrum, our first Foster Care

Licensing Supervisor, and Deb Watkis, our first

Foster Care Secretary, placed the first child that

year. Deb remembers that they received training

at Eagle Village on how to create files and begin

the program. Starr now has foster homes

throughout Michigan and Ohio. Both Deb and

Norm still work for Starr, as well, although in

different capacities. Deb is our Assets Manager

in the Albion Finance Department and Norm

is Admissions

Director for

Montcalm School,

a private thera-

peutic boarding

school of Starr

Commonwealth.

Foster Care Myths continued

Myth #9 : Foster children have been abused so much that they’re beyond

repair. I wouldn’t be making much of a difference anyway.

Research completed by Starr’s own Clinical Team reinforces the fact that children

are amazingly resilient. Foster parents who provide a structured, nurturing envi-

ronment make an incredible difference in these children’s lives. Starr foster parents

have behind them a wealth of knowledge and experience through counselors who

are trained in providing trauma-informed and resilience-focused care.

Starr Commonwealth operates Foster Care programs in Battle Creek and Detroit,

Michigan, and in Columbus, Ohio, for a total of 128 foster parents who provided homes

to 409 children in need in 2011. For more information on Starr’s Foster Care program

or on becoming a foster parent, visit www.starrfostercare.org or call 800.837.5591.

11

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Fostering a child, even if it is only for a short period of time,

can change their life forever. Two of Starr Commonwealth’s foster

parents dedicated to that mission are Hollis Conway,

a foster parent with Starr Battle Creek, and Chris Battle,

a foster parent with Starr Detroit.

Hollis and her partner, Jamiee Clark, became licensed foster parents in April 2011. They were weighing the options

of bringing a child into their home and decided to go the foster parenting route.

Chris and his wife, Donna, took a very different path to foster parenthood.

“Becoming licensed foster parents was a natural evolution for our family,” Chris said. “We were unofficial foster

parents for years. We took in and assisted in the care of children of family and friends during times of difficulty

because we believe that is what a community should do.

“The decision to become licensed occurred during a Christmas season, when a fellow church member made

a presentation during a service spotlighting the need for good foster homes. She was employed with the

Department of Human Services. Seeing the faces of the children presented struck a chord in us.”

Both Chris and Hollis believe that being a foster parent allows them to have the greatest impact on a child

who desperately needs a safe and stable environment.

“We had always been drawn to the idea

of fostering, and having our own children

hasn't been a priority for us,” Hollis said.

“After considering our options in adding

children to our family, we felt that helping

children through fostering was the

most meaningful to us.”

But as with any situation where children

are brought into a new home, there have

been difficulties along the way. The hardest

part, Hollis said, is knowing that the child

is leaving the home at some point.

12

Jamiee Clark and

Hollis Conway

“We have to remind ourselves that our foster child isn't

our child forever,” Hollis said. “The frustration of not knowing

what will happen next takes a huge emotional toll on us.”

Chris believes that biological families can be difficult to

interact with when they do not realize that foster parents

are working with the child’s best interests in mind.

“Some of the most significant challenges to being a foster

parent involve convincing the children to trust you, as well as

convincing any involved birth family to understand that you are

not the enemy and only want what is best for the child,” Chris

said. “The outcome has always been best for the children

when birth families work with us rather than against us.”

The positive aspects of fostering far outweigh the negatives,

however, and both Hollis and Chris believe that their foster

children have had just as big of an impact on them as they

have had on the children.

“The biggest reward of being a foster parent is the joy we

get while watching (our foster child) grow and develop into

an amazing kid,” Hollis said. “He has touched our lives in

ways we will never forget.”

Chris also reaps the benefit of seeing his foster children

excel while in his family’s care.

“The most wonderful rewards that we have ever received as

foster parents have been being able to see the growth and

successes of those we have fostered,” Chris said. “While the

youth deserve the ultimate credit for making good choices and being able to overcome whatever challenges

they have endured, fostering makes us feel like we have played a small role in that success.”

Hollis believes that her and Jamiee’s positive life experiences, especially as children, give them the ability

to provide a loving and supportive atmosphere for foster children in their home.

“We think about the wonderful childhood we both had growing up and hope that we can offer that to the

children who enter our home,” Hollis said. “We are motivated knowing that there are so many kids who need

someone and the difference a loving home can make.”

Providing some stability in an otherwise tumultuous life can give purpose and direction to foster children

feeling overwhelmed by their circumstances. That is the ultimate goal of both Hollis and Chris.

“We continue to be foster parents for the same reasons that we began fostering,” Chris said. “We believe

that whenever our time here is done, we will have fulfilled our purpose by loving God's children and showing

them what love should look like. We always strive to make our home feel like home for them.”

13

With many youth across

the country still looking for

direction in their lives, the

guidance that foster parents

can offer is invaluable.

Honor a foster parent or child.Here’s the perfect opportunity to honor

a foster parent, child or others like alumni

and 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: __Albion Campus ___Columbus Campus

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Your Name Daytime Phone Email

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Address City State Zip

Designation: ___Memorial ___Honor ___Chapel ___Employee ___Alumni

___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 _________

Please bill my

___VISA ___MC ___AMEX ___Check enclosed

____________________________________________ Card #

____________________________________________ Expiration Date

Here’s the text for my engraving. Up to 15 characters per line including

spaces and punctuation. Use “&” for “and” to save space.

#1 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn#2 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn#3 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn#4 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn#5 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn#6 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Mr. & Mrs. Mr. Mrs. Ms. Miss

15

JOHN SEITASCHOLARSHIPS

A scholarship created in 2008 and named after Starr Commonwealth

alumnus John Seita assists students attending Western Michigan

University who have aged out of foster care.

Seita, a WMU graduate and associate professor of social work at Michigan State University, was once

a troubled boy receiving treatment at Starr Commonwealth in Albion, Michigan. He is now an expert on

resilience, positive youth development and foster care, having authored several journals and books.

He has presented on topics related to the issues and his personal experiences as well.

The John Seita Scholarship is available to first-time freshmen or transfer students who were in foster

care or were wards of the state at the time of their high school graduation. It assists the students with

full tuition, year-round housing and a network of academic and social support.

Since its inception, the WMU Seita Scholars program has supported 209 students with a total of

$3.39 million in tuition assistance. In the fall of 2011, 17 Seita Scholars made the dean’s list. While WMU

is finding the average timeframe for these former foster youth to graduate with their bachelor’s

degree is six years, the program is changing lives.

According to WMU’s website, the first graduate of the Seita Scholars program, Michael Fombang,

who graduated in May 2010 with a bachelor’s in biomedical sciences, has hopes to attend medical school.

For more information on the Seita Scholars program, including the eligibility requirements,

visit www.wmich.edu.

STARR GLOBAL TRAINING NETWORK?

Starr Commonwealth is fortunate to have many terrific programs aimed at creating positive

environments where children flourish. Two of these, The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC)

and Reclaiming Youth International, are members of the Starr Global Training Network. These programs train

professionals in best practices when treating children who have experienced trauma and assist with

building resiliency in youth.

The Starr Global Training Network, formerly the Starr Institute for Training, has recently changed its name

to better coincide with Starr’s vision to actively engage with communities worldwide to develop the greatness

in every child. This new image better reflects the nature of Starr’s training programs, a worldwide network of

industry experts with one goal: training professionals in leading-edge techniques to care for children and

families across the globe.

Foster children in particular have often experienced a great deal of trauma throughout their lives. At Starr, we are

working to get all of our clinicians, therapists and those who work with youth trained in trauma-informed practices

through TLC. This will allow each of the direct care staff to truly understand the impact trauma has on children,

including those in foster care.

TLC also has a Foster Care Workbook, which provides

foster parents and professionals with a number of helpful

tips when caring for and working with a traumatized

foster child. Parents have access

to TLC’s Parent Trauma Resource

Center as well, a free source of

useful information relating to

children and trauma available

on the TLC website.

16

Starr Commonwealth is pleased to announce Dick Vitaleas our 2012 Founder’s Day speaker. Most know him as an energetic

college basketball commentator, but he is also heavily involved with

many charitable efforts. A decorated philanthropist, Mr. Vitale has

been awarded the Ronald McDonald House Man of the Year Award

and the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Chris Greicius Award, given for

exceptional dedication to helping grant the wishes of children with

life-threatening medical conditions. He also had an advanced training

program in pediatric cancer research at Johns Hopkins University named in his honor

in 2011. Please save the date of Sunday, October 7, 2012. Mr. Vitale’s message of positivity

and perseverance is sure to have a lasting impact on our youth, staff and community.

For more information on this Speaker/Performer, please visit www.apbspeakers.com.

17

Reclaiming Youth International uses Circle of Courage,® a model of positive youth

development built around meeting the four basic needs of all children: belonging, mastery,

independence and generosity. Through Reclaiming Youth International, childcare profes-

sionals are equipped with the tools needed to help children feel empowered and resilient.

These knowledge- and skill-

building trainings are offered

for teachers, counselors, youth

workers, juvenile justice personnel, faith-based providers,

alternative schools, residential program staff and more.

The Starr Global Training Network has already trained

childcare workers in over 50 countries. But expanding

into more communities across the world will allow Starr

Commonwealth to increase its global reach with the

objective of positively impacting the lives of children

and families everywhere. TLC and Reclaiming Youth

International are just two of the programs that will help

to achieve that ambitious goal.

For more information on TLC, please visit www.starrtraining.org/tlc. For more information on Reclaiming

Youth International, please visit www.reclaiming.com.

DICK VITALE

GIFTS

18

IN HONOR OF:

GEYWA ELLIOT

Ms. Elisa Elliot

JIM OLIVER

Mr. Robert Macadaeg

DALLAS AND LEONA SEILER

Dr. Linda M. Muul

Dr. and Mrs. Arlin E. Ness

Ms. Karen Yankie

JOHN R. SEITA

Mr. Brian F. Talty

IN MEMORY OF:

WILLIAM M. BLACK

Mr. Darrell J. Black

CONCETTA FALCONE

Mr. John Falcone

JEANNE GABLE

Dr. and Mrs. Arlin E. Ness

CATHERINE HEINLEN

Dr. George H. Lauff

MARY ANNA LAUFF

Dr. George H. Lauff

PATRICK L. MURPHY

Dr. and Mrs. Martin L. Mitchell

FLORENCE NESS

Mr. and Mrs. Marvin L. Colness

Dr. and Mrs. Martin L. Mitchell

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Zimmerman

BLAKE PATRICK RANKIN

Mr. William Hobson

Dr. Pamela A. Lemerand

Dr. and Mrs. Martin L. Mitchell

Dr. and Mrs. Arlin E. Ness

Mrs. Sylvia S. Richey

Mr. Jon Van Oss

MARILYN REED

Ms. Norma A. Pitts

RICHARD G. ROEDER

Mr. and Mrs. Richard R. Michels

Mr. and Mrs. Philip Lang

IRIS A. SHAW

Dr. and Mrs. Brian Shaw

CHRISTOPHER SOUTHWICK

Mrs. Charlotte Southwick

ELLA STOVER

Dr. and Mrs. Arlin E. Ness

Mr. and Mrs. Millard Winningham

JACK H. TOWNSEND

Ms. Leslie Brown

Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Kipp

Dr. and Mrs. Martin L. Mitchell

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Veich

ELLA WASHINGTON

Mr. and Mrs. George D. Goodman

Dr. and Mrs. Martin L. Mitchell

NANCY STARR WISE

Dr. and Mrs. Ross Vann Ness

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 acknowledgment card to

let them know of your thoughtful-

ness, but we won’t mention the gift

amount. You may call in your honor

gift for faster acknowledgment 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 Common-

wealth. When sending a memorial

gift, please provide the address of

a family member of the deceased to

whom we can send an acknowledg-

ment 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

acknowledgment at: 800.837.5591.

Memorial donations also may be

made online at: www.starr.org.

Here is a listing of Honor and Mem-

orial gifts received from 1/14/2012 –

4/19/2012. 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.

Thank You!Starr Commonwealth would like

to thank you for your kindness

and generosity during our

March “Matching Gift” Appeal.

With help from supporters like you,

more than $12,900 was raised to help

Starr’s youth. We thank you for your continued

dedication to helping us achieve our mission

of creating positive environments

where children flourish.

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!

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.*

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.

Gift AnnuityRate Tables

(Single Life)

Age Rate

55 4.0

60 4.4

65 4.7

70 5.1

75 5.8

80 6.8

85 7.8

90+ 9.0

*not available in all states

®

Duplicate mailing? Call (800) 837-5591

Address service requested

Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit #975Lansing, MI

Officers

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

Christopher L. Smith, BBA, CPAExecutive Vice PresidentChief Financial Officer

Wm. Chuck Jackson, MAExecutive Vice PresidentChief Clinical Officer

Elizabeth A. Carey, MSWExecutive Vice PresidentChief Strategy and Administrative Services

Officer

Gary Q. Tester, MRCExecutive Vice PresidentChief Development Officer

Board of Trustees

Kyle Caldwell, ChairPresident and CEOMichigan Nonprofit AssociationLansing, MI

Michael Leach, Vice ChairChief Financial OfficerNationwide InsuranceColumbus, OH

Tom Kolassa, SecretarySenior Vice President Hub InternationalBattle Creek, MI

Honorable Eugene A. Moore, Immediate Past ChairChief Probate Judge (Retired)Oakland CountyPontiac, MI

Scott BennettVice President UBS Financial ServicesBirmingham, MI

Ralph J. BurrellPresident and CEO SymCon, Inc.Detroit, MI

Craig CarrelPresident and PartnerTeam 1 PlasticsAlbion, MI

Dr. Velma ClayDirector of Equal Employment Opportunity (Retired)Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal CenterBattle Creek, MI

Honorable John HallacyDistrict Court Judge10th District CourtBattle Creek, MI

Erick StewartPresidentStewart Industries LLCBattle Creek, MI

Gary TaylorOwnerTaylor Auto Sales Inc.Van Wert, OH

Bruce Vande VusseAttorneyFoster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C.Farmington Hills, MI

George WilsonGeneral AgentWilson Insurance ServicesGilbert Wiseman AgencyFlint, MI

Trustees Emeritus

Margaret Starr LeutheuserDaughter of Floyd StarrHaverford, PA

Michael J. GableChief Operating OfficerHoward and HowardRoyal Oak, MI

George D. GoodmanExecutive Director (Retired)Michigan Municipal LeagueAnn Arbor, MI

Dr. Russell G. MawbyChairman EmeritusW.K. Kellogg FoundationBattle Creek, MI

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

Lawrence GivensBlackmond and Givens, Inc.Southfield, MI

George A. GoodmanYpsilanti, MI

H. Ronald GriffithPresident (Retired)Baker College of JacksonJackson, MI

Jack KresnakPresident and CEOMichigan’s ChildrenLansing, MI

Dr. Pamela LemerandProfessorEastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI

Albert LittleVice President and Business Development OfficerGreenleaf TrustKalamazoo, MI

William C. RandsManaging PartnerSagres Partners, L.P.Grosse Pointe, MI

Cornelia Romanowski Educator Shavertown, PA

Ahmad E. SinnoChief Information OfficerBricker & Eckler LLCColumbus, OH

Honorary Trustees

Anne Willson DupréGranddaughter of Floyd StarrToronto, Canada

Diana Starr LangleyMontecito, CA

Sylvia Starr RicheyGranddaughter of Floyd StarrSeal Beach, CA

President Emeritus

Arlin E. NessPresident EmeritusAnthem, AZ

Locations

Michigan: Albion, Battle Creek, Detroit, Clinton Township

Ohio: Van Wert, Columbus

South Dakota: Lennox

®

www.montcalmschool.orgwww.starrtraining.org

13725 Starr Commonwealth Rd.

Albion, Michigan 49224

www.starr.org