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School Administrators are invited to order our Funding Toolkit, a guide for fundraising opportunities and sample letters to donors to support Safe School Ambassadors program. To request your copy, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

A Success Story from a Donor

CEO and founder of Abacus Wealth Partners in Sebastopol, CA, Spencer Sherman believes in reinvesting wealth into worthy causes. Since 2005, Spencer has been sponsoring the Safe School Ambassadors (SSA) program in numerous schools across the country, one being his alma mater, Bayside High School in New York. After one year, students and staff were so impressed with the program’s impact on their school’s climate that they proceeded to raise funds themselves to continue the SSA program.

In December 2010, Community Matters interviewed Spencer to hear more about his commitment to our work.

• How long have you been a donor? “5 or 6 years”
• Why do you support Community Matters? “What could be more important than training young people to become leaders and role models for others. To create a goal of peace for young people instead of aggression. To create a template for all of us to become safe ambassadors for the world.”
• How does your participation with Community Matters benefit you and your personal/career goals? “I care about my children living in a world where school violence and exclusion is a thing of the past. A safe world benefits me, my family, all of us. As a business owner, I want more people graduating who have been well educated and become leaders. People become better educated when the school environment is safe. Solid education and leadership skills make great employees. Plus all children deserve to live and study peacefully.”
• Would you recommend other companies/friends to support Community Matters? Why? “Yes. Changing young people into activists and leaders, helping them to be responsible citizens will change our world for the better.”

A Success Story from a Safe School Ambassador

In September 2010, Community Matters (CM) had a unique opportunity to interview a former Safe School Ambassador, Maria, now a 24-year-old mother of two young boys.

• CM: What was it like to be a Safe School Ambassador (SSA) in the beginning? 
Maria: “Well, I wasn’t in SSA for that long because I transferred to a new school, but I remember feeling anxious and weird in a room full of other kids who I did not like at the time. I remember it was tense; we got in a fight inside the meeting room before the trainer even came in. We really hated each other; the school was having a big gang problem so they decided it would be a good idea for some of those gang members to join. I can honestly say it was the right move. We didn’t have to love each other, but at least we would have to learn to be civil and respect each other.”


 




• CM: How did your friends respond to you being a Safe School Ambassador?

Maria: “The response from my friends was mixed. They were very resistant at first and then eventually some started to warm up when they saw that if we could do it so could they.”

• CM: Did Safe School Ambassadors (SSA) change the school norms or culture?

Maria: “I remember this one incident where a kid who was in a special needs class was getting rolled down a ramp in a garbage can and no one was doing anything to stop it, most were laughing and pointing. Well, I couldn’t take it; it was not right and thanks to some of the things I learned, I decided to intervene. The weirdest part of it was that the only other person around willing to help me was another girl who was in an opposite gang; the only thing we had in common was that we were in SSA together. We never said a word to each other while we helped the kid; we just knew what to do. Even after it was all done and everyone had walked to class, we just gave each other a look, a head nod and walked off. I had been wrapped up in all this senseless gang stuff that I forgot how we were all human and that we all had feelings and emotions. We could be kind if we wanted to no matter who we were or where we came from. After that day, I slowly started noticing how I was affecting people in a negative way at times and began to stop myself from saying mean things and making negative actions. After a while it became routine and I saw that being in gangs was not what I wanted in life. Some friends would make fun of me for my new behavior, but I didn’t care. I finally realized that I wasn’t a mean or bad person. I decided to change my life for the better – for my school, my family and myself.”

• CM: Would you recommend other schools implement the SSA program?

Maria: “I definitely would recommend the SSA program to schools. It really helped me out a lot. I am positive it would help so many other kids that are or were in my shoes.”

• CM: Any other comments about Community Matters and the SSA program?

Maria: “I have nothing but gratitude for Community Matters and the SSA program. If it wasn’t for SSA and the trainer who implanted that little seed of kindness in my heart, I really don’t think I would be where I am today. All it takes is a couple kind words to change someone’s life and future actions. And for Community Matters, I would like to thank all the great staff for all that they have taught me. They are truly a caring and loving team and put 100% into what the organization stands for.”