GREG’S FINAL COMMUNICATION UPDATE FOR 2011

Hey amazing YMAP family.

What a year; we’re almost done and hasn’t the year simply flown by!

OK, yes this is my final communication for the year, but only because I have built up an excess of leave over the past six years and I really need to take a big break. Just so you all know, I WILL BE BACK IN 2012, so stop asking. I will be on leave as of November 16 and will return the second week in January. In my absence the redoubtable Karina Murphy will be in charge. She can be contacted at the office, or on 0409 702565, or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Anyhow, so much to tell you, but I’ll try and cut to the chase and keep it as short and sweet as possible. Just please take the time to read, PLEEEEEASE! Actually, to save you the effort of reading the entire newsletter I will break it into sub-headings and you can just look at the stuff important to you (although you may miss some gold).

YOUTH MENTORING WEEK

And what a week it was! The VYMA (Victorian Youth Mentoring Alliance) just celebrated its fifth annual Youth Mentoring Week. Programs from across the State paused and celebrated youth mentoring and all its success, potential and opportunity.

In Melbourne on Monday 24 October, the Minister for Youth Affairs, Ryan Smith, joined more than 100 young people, mentors and supporters to present the Mentor of the Year Award and they launched some fantastic digital stories and celebrate the impact of youth mentoring.

Truth be told, you are all Mentors of the Year to myself and YMAP. Without you all we simply could not sustain the growth of our program, so on behalf of the VYMA I say thankyou to celebrate

TO YOU FOLKS

OK, here’s the deal. I love you folks, I really do. The YMAP program stakeholders  - the LLEN, the schools, Karina and I and especially the young people – think your efforts are remarkable. We are all so grateful and your efforts are so valued by us all. You continue to amaze us!

I know it often sounds like a broken record, but another remarkable year was only possible thanks to the contributions of our wonderful mentors. To all of you and your friends and loved ones, please accept my most sincere best wishes for the festive season ahead and my hope is that the New Year brings you lots of love, wealth, health and happiness. Or whatever it is you want from life. You deserve it.

You guys and gals rock (and roll) and we love you for what you helped us do in 2011. We simply could not have been as productive and successful this year had it not been for your contribution. The success of the program – which is now the largest of its type in the nation – is solely due to you and your support again is vital to our sustainability.

Of course, we will be contacting you all in the New Year to discuss your ability or otherwise to help us out again, but in the meantime please consider the following:

-          THANK YOU for what you’ve done previously…you have made a difference;

-          WE NEED YOU again in 2012, in any capacity you can possibly assist and all help is gratefully appreciated (ie. mention us to friends or work colleagues, give us some recruiting suggestions or even tell us where you might think it best we put up some YMAP posters) ; and

-          ENJOY YOUR LIFE and even if you cannot be involved again, you are now part of the YMAP family.

I really wish I could contact you all individually to say thankyou and let you know what wonderful qualities you have bought to the YMAP program, but that becomes a little impractical with around 150 of your marvellous people on our database. Just know I see the greatness in you and am constantly inspired by your tireless and sometimes thankless efforts.

THE HAPPY BITS

Just a couple of bits and pieces to relate, as it’s often the small stuff that warms our hearts and makes the journey worthwhile.

Rishta, one of our wonderful mentors who worked at Footscray City this year, rang me the other day to express how overjoyed she was at running into the student she worked with at that school. Rishta said she was thrilled when the student ambushed her - without as much as a hello - with a hug and the news that he had gained the pre-apprenticeship he had wanted so desperately. This is what he and Rishta had worked on together, so she becomes one of the lucky ones to see the end product of her efforts. I wish you should all be so lucky.

Kevin, who has tirelessly travelled from Vermont (seriously, I have no idea where that is, but I know it’s a long way) to attend three programs this year, was lucky enough to have dropped one of his students off at home after a program outing and was able to meet the student’s parents. He was invited inside for a ‘cuppa’ and was excited to learn that the young fellow’s parents not only knew of him and the program, but that the young man had been glowing about his experiences and Kevin had become a bit of a cult figure in the young man’s life. I understand Kevin has been invited for another ‘cuppa’. Fabulous stuff!

As for me, I was at EKC Niddrie to meet with some staff members last week and happened to catch up with two young ladies from our semester one program in the corridor. We laughed and mucked around and they expressed how much they missed their respective mentors from earlier in the year. We were then joined by two of the young people who have been involved in semester two. As you know, all these year 10 students will be off at senior campus next year and it wasn’t until they all asked me if I was running mentoring at senior campus for them next year that it occurred to me how much they had enjoyed the YMAP experience. They were genuinely disappointed when I said that we didn’t run the program at senior campus and it nearly ended in tears when we the kids and I admitted how much we would miss each other,

And I will miss them, as I am sure you will also. Having to say goodbye to these young people – often never to see them again – is one of the most difficult elements of this job. But, as I said, I say goodbye knowing we’ve made a difference. And you have made a difference, you astounding mentors.

THE SAD BITS

I’ve expressed this many times to many of you, but despite the best of intentions – just as it happens every year – I am also having to say goodbye to any number of fabulous volunteers as the year ends. A very sincere thankyou to all who may not be involved again and please appreciate that I will personally miss many of you a great deal, such has been the fun we’ve had.

I will always appreciate your contribution to building and strengthening the YMAP program and your desire to achieve better outcomes for young people. For those of you leaving, please take care and continue to do great things. It has been a pleasure knowing you. I have met some extraordinary people over the journey and again in 2011 I have had the privilege of working alongside some marvellous and memorable characters.

Again, experience has taught me that I may never see any number of you again, so let me go on record as saying how much I appreciate your involvement and how much your input and passion and commitment has helped shape outcomes and strengthened the program. You work for positive change in young lives and, as a by-product, you have helped change mine as well. Being around you all strengthens my resolve and I thank you for the positivity.

If I don’t see you again, please don’t be a stranger. From time to time I’d love for you to let me know how you are doing and what you are doing and don’t forget that if there is ever any way I can help you along the journey please do not hesitate to contact me.

IT’S NOT JUST ME

Speaking of extraordinary people, it is also worth noting the wonderful contributions of my office support network. I get the back slaps, but if it were not for the marvellous efforts and supportive teamwork of the M&MV LLEN staffers YMAP could not exist. It is the most positive, supportive and good humoured work environment I have ever experienced, and I am grateful for that.

To Marnie, thanks for always making sure that you cover my shortcomings with your strengths.

To Libby, thanks for always getting it done.

To Wendy, best temporary boss ever and thanks for the encouragement.

To Nick, the webmaster.

To Nat, for showing me how to put together an amazing new program and for trying so hard to keep YMAP afloat in the near future,

To M& MV LLEN EO, Sue Fowler, who supports what we do with a passion and is the reason we get done what we get done. And thanks for your trust.

And to the delightful Karina, suffice to say I simple could not do it without you. You are a delight and a treasure.

Lots of (appropriate) kisses and cuddles for all of you. I love my job and I appreciate the supportive environment you all help create.

PROGRAM INFO

For those still involved, please note that our last three programs for the year will end as follows:

-          EKC (East Keilor) will finish on Tuesday, November 8;

-          EKC (Niddrie) will finish with a MORNING SESSION on Wednesday, November 9; and

-          Braybrook (Year 11) will finish on Monday, November 14.

FESTIVE SEASON FUNCTION/GET TOGETHER

I was little disappointed we did not get the numbers to hold our mid-year mentor’s get together but I fully expect that you will not disappoint us at the annual end-of-year party. DO NOT DISAPPOINT ME AGAIN! Seriously, I know where you live.

It’s a great opportunity to get together to celebrate the year completed, share some stories, see old friends or make new ones and just enjoy being part of the YMAP community. And who the heck doesn’t like a party, for goodness sakes? And it is one of the rare ways we can give something back to you and say thankyou for your efforts and acknowledge you all in person.

As I will likely be away (boo !) Karina will be organizing this year’s event. I have no dates or times as yet, but it will likely be early in December. Stay tuned to your emails for details.

Footnote – It may be for the best if I am not there for once, thus ensuring it does not end in tears. I am not good at goodbyes at the best of times and, as I may not see some of you again, this would be my ideal opportunity to tear up.

THE LAST WORD

As I explained, I will not be about the place to collate all the (hopefully positive) data from the 2011 YMAP year, but please be assured that Karina will be crunching the numbers in December and I am sure she will let you all know in due course the early results of such. Again, it is one of the tiny little ways we can help you understand the wonderful, positive things you do for the young people in our YMAP programs.

However, one of the best measures of your success in achieving positive outcomes is in the interest of our partner schools and it is wonderful to note that we have already had firm commitments to YMAP in 2012 from Strathmore Secondary College, Footscray City, Essendon Keilor College (both Niddrie and East Keilor Campuses), Braybrook Secondary (two programs), Spiritwest Services and Gilmour Girls College. As well, we are likely to return to Kensington Community School and Buckley Park Secondary in the New Year.

I suspect it’s going to be a huge 12 months!

And to the 2011 mentors who’ve already committed to the cause when the forces of good band together to commence 2012, thanks from the bottom of my heart. As you all know, I am an expert in anxiety, so to know that you’re already on board is tremendous news and may be enough to stop me worrying throughout the holidays.

THAT IS ALL

So that, dear friends and beautiful people, is that for 2011.

I will look forward to returning and hopefully contacting you or seeing you all in 2012.

What a wonderful journey we had together and I pretty much didn’t do a thing…it was you folks!

YOU PEOPLE AMAZE AND ASTOUND ME.

Stay awesome and enjoy the festive season. Peace, love, havoc and happiness to you all!

.

Greg Blake (Youth Worker)

Co-ordinator

Youth Mentoring Assisted Pathways Program (YMAP)

Maribyrnong Moonee Valley LLEN

40 Bellair Street , Kensington

P.O. Box 78 Flemington 3031

03 93767251

Mobile – 0422 763 522

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