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December, 2006 ' TIS THE SEASON
Our clients here enjoy the generosity and fellowship of our many volunteers and benefactors with our Adopt-A-Vet gift giving tradition, holiday meals and entertainment. Many have been generous to our clients and the programs that support them but may not have put a face to the names on our solicitation letters, phone call or grant and foundation proposals.
Here then are some of the people responsible for fundraising at NESHV:
 Karl See, Director of Annual Giving and Mike Grace, Development Associate assist Jim.
 Milt Coon. Supervises our Donation Call Center telephone bank. He and his callers may be familiar voices to some of you.
 Karen Friedland , Grants and Contracts Manager, is responsible for coordinating our grant and foundation proposal activity and is assisted by many of our senior staff in the preparation of these proposals.
 We hope that you will continue to be generous and think of us when you make your annual charitable gifts. Please see our website www.nechv.org for various ways to make your contribution. We strive to perform in such a way as to maintain your confidence and trust. Thanks, as always, to our Board for their support, the Gold Star Mothers, staff, volunteers and our generous benefactors. And, to our respected clients, Keep up the good work that you are doing and take advantage of what is offered here including the training programs. Stay strong and persevere ! The Shelter has produced an informational / promotional video which can be accessed here.
November, 2006
This month brings Thanksgiving, Veterans Day and brisk weather. We all have reason to reflect on what we might be thankful for in our own lives. We might consider: · The establishment of our country and the freedoms and opportunity offered · Our ability to make personal choices in a free society · The many Veterans who have served our country in times of war and times of peace · The inner strength we call on to make sometimes difficult personal decisions that allow us to move forward in positive ways in our lives · The circle of friends, family and associates who provide us support and motivation · And, of course, the dedication of our many volunteers, supporters and generous benefactors The Board and staff of the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans hope that we contribute to an atmosphere and to programs that foster reasons to be thankful. Focus on Excellence In an effort to put a more personal face on what we do here, I would like to introduce my staff to you through these monthly letters and highlight how they contribute to our continuing quest for excellence in service delivery and positive outcomes for our clients. The coordination of effort between our Client Services Department and our Veterans’ Training School (VTS) is one example of a robust program that assists clients in transitioning back to jobs and housing, independent of the Shelter.
Dr.
Upper graduated from Yale University with a BA in English. He went on to study
at the University of Cincinnati and received a MA in Clinical Psychology and later
earned his PhD at Case Western Reserve University.
 My thanks, as always, to our Board for their support, the Gold Star Mothers, staff, volunteers and our generous benefactors. We now have many who have been generous, regular donors, which gives us renewed confidence in our efforts. Please see our website for various ways to make a contribution. We will always strive to perform in such a way as to maintain your confidence and trust. And, to our respected clients, Keep up the good work that you are doing and take advantage of what is offered here including the training programs. Stay strong and persevere! The Shelter has produced an informational / promotional video which can be accessed from the homepage on our website. I hope that you enjoy it.
From the CEO
October, 2006
FALL BACK The term "Fall Back" only applies to setting back the clocks this season and not to our approach to achieving our program goals and assisting our clients in achieving theirs. This season of Football, Halloween and other seasonal festivals brings crisper air, which seems to not only add more spirited movement in horses but also urges the rest of us on. Our Leave No One Behind annual fund raising dinner is shaping up nicely and we are looking forward to this November 8th event. The New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans has been selected by the Freedoms Foundation to be a recipient of its national George Washington Honor Medal. The Distinguished Award recipients are chosen by an independent National Awards Jury comprised of state Supreme Court justices and executive officers of national patriotic, educational and service organizations and from recommendations from the local chapters. The George Washington Award is presented for outstanding achievement over a period of years, reflecting the high ideals of human dignity and fundamental principles of a free society. It is considered the Foundation's highest award. Attention continues to be focused on corrective action necessary to protect our physical plant. We are fortunate to have outside funding that allows for the acquisition of state-of-the-art surveillance cameras, which will assist us in monitoring areas inside and outside of the building.
The Veterans' Training School has a new Registrar who will take clients that have been identified by their caseworkers as candidates for schooling and working with them to ensure proper course selection and later retention tracking. David "Deke" Kennison is a retired Navy Lieutenant Commander and holds an MA in Education & Human Development from George Washington University. Deke will report to Debby Wiesen, Dean of the Veterans' Training School. Thanks, as always, to our Board for their support, the Gold Star Mothers, staff, volunteers and our generous benefactors. Please see our website for various ways to make your contribution. Many have been generous regular donors, which gives us renewed confidence in our efforts and in our donor base. We strive to perform in such a way as to maintain your confidence and trust. And, to our respected clients, Keep up the good work that you are doing and take advantage of what is offered here including the training programs. Stay strong and persevere ! The Shelter has produced an informational / promotional video which can be accessed here. I hope that you enjoy it.
You can view Larry's flight on an F-17. Press the
September, 2006 FALL APPROACHES As we move on to Labor Day and into the Fall season, the pace quickens with pre holiday activities of all sorts and new goals to be met. That is not to say that the summer has not been very active, however. It is fitting to pause for a moment to reflect on the 5th anniversary of 9-11 and the aftermath of that tragic event. We are a resilient nation and here at NESHV both clients and staff demonstrate their own resiliency and dedication to our corporate and personal missions. Our Fundraising efforts continue at an energetic clip and our annual "Leave No One Behind" dinner preparation is no exception. Former Ambassador to Iraq, L. Paul Bremer III, is the keynote speaker. Details of the dinner and sponsorship information may be found on this web page along with photos of last year's dinner. Emphasis on Client Services and Employment and Training continues. Keeping our clients healthy both physically and mentally is what we are about. Access to training, jobs, and outside housing completes our Mission of returning veterans to independent living. To that end, our partnership with UMass Boston Upward Bound and Bunker Hill Community College is becoming more robust as we work with our collaborators to improve and expand our joint offerings. Housing opportunities are always a challenge in this geographic area and in this economy. We are fortunate to have relationships with Caritas Communities in Bedford, which plans to have 60 units of Single Room Occupancy apartments for men and women ready in October of 2007. Oxford House in Chelsea will have a smaller number of units available as well. Our in-house Facilities Department has plans to upgrade the Women's Dorm facility and an upgrade of our main elevators. There are also plans to add more surveillance equipment to protect our clients, staff and property.
Thanks, as always, to our Board for their support, the Gold Star Mothers, staff, volunteers and our generous benefactors. Please see our website for various ways to make your contribution. Many have been generous regular donors, which gives us renewed confidence in our efforts and in our donor base. We strive to perform in such a way as to maintain your confidence and trust. And, to our respected clients, Keep up the good work that you are doing and take advantage of what is offered here including the training programs. Stay strong and persevere ! The Shelter has produced an informational / promotional video which can be accessed at the top of this letter. I hope that you enjoy it.
August, 2006 DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
Client Programs
The challenge is to also provide programs that motivate our clients to stay true to their personal commitments and to take full advantage of what the Shelter offers for personal advancement.
To accomplish this, early caseworker intervention in the exit plan for clients is key to successful transition to living beyond NESHV. Such planning includes:
Collaboration with outside service providers is designed to enhance job and independent housing prospects for our Veterans. The VA, local employers, UMassBoston Upward Bound, Bunker Hill Community College, the New England College of Finance and Tufts University all add to our in-house education and training offerings. Relationships with Caritas Communities, Oxford House in Chelsea and the Veteran Hospice Homestead provide additional housing potential. It is our aim to not only provide interesting courses in self-improvement but also to provide practical vocational and job training that prepares our Veterans for immediate jobs. Positions as security guards, bus drivers and in the culinary arts are available through our in-house programs. Placement in other professional and para-professional jobs is achievable through our joint collaboration with Bunker Hill Community College and the national Helmets to Hardhats program. We are proud to be able to offer these major opportunities beyond the necessary traditional Homeless Shelter services. Thanks, as always, to our Board for their support, the Gold Star Mothers, the Honor Guard, staff, volunteers and our generous benefactors. Please see our website for various ways to make your contribution. Many have been generous regular donors, which gives us renewed confidence in our efforts and in our donor base. We strive to perform in such a way as to maintain your confidence and trust. And, to our respected clients, Keep up the good work that you are doing and take advantage of what is offered here including the training programs. Stay strong and persevere ! The Shelter has produced an informational / promotional video which can be accessed at the top of this letter. I hope that you enjoy it.
July, 2006 NEW FISCAL YEAR We finished the 2006 Fiscal Year in very good shape! We achieved positive Cash, positive Net Income and strong Development activity. Improvements were made in all areas of Shelter activities and responsibilities. My thanks to all for their hard work and dedication to our Goals and Mission. The 2007 Fiscal Year offers new challenges and opportunities for continued expectations. Because we are basically a Transitional facility, caseworker intervention continues to be key to client wellbeing and personal growth. A natural extension of this clinical stabilization and individual release plan is education and training. One key to successful transition into independent living, in our opinion, is a job. Our Veterans' Training School provides this opportunity. Partnerships with area educational institutions and employers add a dynamic element to the potential for real jobs. Continued emphasis on fund raising is an ongoing and necessary activity for us. Two thirds of our annual budget is dependant on grants and cash gifts. A new promotional video has been developed and will soon be available for viewing on our website. I hope that you will view this ten-minute "The Freedom Trail for Homeless Veterans" piece that tells our story. We are encouraged by the solid achievements of the recent years and we go forward into this year with renewed optimism and high energy. Thanks, as always, to our Board for their support, the Gold Star Mothers, the Honor Guard, staff, volunteers and our generous benefactors. Please see our website for various ways to make your contribution. Many have been generous regular donors, which gives us renewed confidence in our efforts and in our donor base. We strive to perform in such a way as to maintain your confidence and trust. And, to our respected clients, Keep up the good work that you are doing and take advantage of what is offered here including the training programs. Stay strong and persevere !
June, 2006 FISCAL YEAR HOME STRETCH June 30 marks the conclusion of our fiscal year and we hope to have positive things to report next month when the dust settles. June also brings me to my one-year anniversary here. A year of great satisfaction for me personally. The year's activities have been interesting, challenging and rewarding. The Board and staff have been enormously supportive and they have made the journey pleasurable and very much potentially less difficult. For this I am grateful. My monthly messages over the months on this site attest to some of the high points of the year thus far. In June we will launch a promotional and informational video spotlighting the Shelter mission and daily activities, which we hope that you will find interesting. Thanks, as always, to our Board for their support, the Gold Star Mothers, the Honor Guard, staff, volunteers and our generous benefactors. Please see our website for various ways to make your contribution. Many have been generous regular donors, which gives us renewed confidence in our efforts and in our donor base. We strive to perform in such a way as to maintain your confidence and trust. And, to our respected clients, Keep up the good work that you are doing and take advantage of what is offered here including the training programs. Stay strong and persevere !
May, 2006 MAY FLOWERS We are closing in on our fiscal year end in June and could use your cash donations. Our bills are all paid on a current basis and we anticipate a positive fund balance for the year but, energy costs are much higher than predicted. While we have had April showers we have also had some positive results from our reinvigorated Grant application process. An anonymous funder has awarded us a major grant for upgrading our Information Technology systems. Other grants have been applied for which, if awarded, will allow for further improvements to our building infrastructure as well as to our Veterans' Training Program initiatives and various clinical services provided to our clients. This month, the Veterans' Training School (VTS) launched two newly designed 8-week programs. The Commercial Drivers License Program, certified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, prepares students for a Class B License and, the Fundamentals of Culinary Arts course includes classroom training and experience in a commercial food services setting. Currently, we are collaborating with Bunker Hill Community College to offer residents of NESHV academic assessments and potential placements in both college credit and licensure classes. On the issue of our Veterans' Training School, we are encouraged by our recent collaboration with the national Helmets to Hardhats program which provides construction jobs to clean and sober Veterans who meet the criteria of the program. This, together with other collaborations reported to you in my earlier "From the CEO" monthly letters, adds to our ability to provide opportunity for our clients to move on to independent living from our transitional facility here at Court Street. We continue to seek additional partners in our desire to provide an array of educational and job opportunities to our Veterans. A buffet luncheon event recognized the accomplishments of 40 Veterans in the Transitional Housing Program each of whom transitioned from temporary shelter to permanent housing. This is testimony to the success of our Mission. Underscoring the importance of these accomplishments were congratulations offered by Thomas Kelley, Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services and by Dan Daly, Board Chair at NESHV. The Client Services Department consistently supports our clients in their journey towards independence by the provision of professional services in the areas of mental and physical health, and by working with the Facilities and Operations Department to ensure a drug and alcohol free environment that is also a physically safe home. Thanks, as always, to our Board for their support, the Gold Star Mothers, the Honor Guard, staff, volunteers and our generous benefactors. Please see our website for various ways to make your contribution. Many have been generous regular donors, which gives us renewed confidence in our efforts and in our donor base. We strive to perform in such a way as to maintain your confidence and trust. And, to our respected clients, Keep up the good work that you are doing and take advantage of what is offered here including the training programs. Stay strong and persevere !
April, 2006 VINATIERI MAY BE GONE BUT ……………….. The New England Patriots may have lost their vaunted field goal kicker but, the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans (NESHV) can still put them through the uprights. During March we collectively had some significant accomplishments:
April brings the opportunity for building on these events as we move smartly down the homestretch to the end of our fiscal year in June. Our ongoing priority is to maintain the Shelter as a drug and alcohol free environment in support of our clients and their clinical therapy programs. As always, we appreciate the efforts of our Board, the Gold Star Mothers, the Honor Guard, staff, volunteers and our generous benefactors.
March, 2006 A MONTH OF NEW BEGINNINGS March brings Spring Training, Lent, a hint of Spring and other opportunities to reflect on the potential for renewed vision and energy for all that we do. At the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans we look towards a reinvigorated training series, which includes job training for specific employment opportunities for our clients. Working with Bunker Hill Community College and through our Post-Incarcerated Veterans Program as well as with local employers, we continue to strive for employment realization. The objective is to provide another avenue that leads to independent living and self-respect. The program seeks to not only train for positions but also to add a "work/study" approach that links clients to employers in a way that encourages post - training sustainable employment. The old adage, In Like a Lion Out Like a Lamb was meant to describe March weather patterns but the Lion aspect could also suggest that we will continue to move ahead at "high port" towards our objectives. Another recent positive turn of events is the formal assignment of our Section 8 lease to Caritas Communities, which paves the way for the construction of SROs on the VA site in Bedford. This will provide a substance free independent living opportunity for our clients. Veterans who were discharged under Honorable conditions and who meet the VA definition of "Veteran" will be able to apply for housing in the Spring of 2007 when the facility is expected to open. We continue to put emphasis on keeping 17 Court Street Shelter a safe, drug and alcohol free environment for our clients As always, the efforts of staff, volunteers and benefactors are greatly appreciated and valued. And, to our respected clients, "Keep up the good work that you are doing, stay strong and persevere!" Your comments are welcome, E-mail larry.fitzmaurice@nechv.org.
February, 2006 SHORT MONTH … LONG ROAD We enter the second month of 2006 with a fully staffed Development office with the addition of Karl See, Director of Annual Giving, and a new Controller, Richard Farese. Recognizing the vital importance of our active volunteer program, along with our partnerships with local community groups, I am pleased to announce the opening of the new Community Affairs Office, which will be managed by Stephen Cunniff. 2006 will be an opportunity to continue our momentum towards achieving some challenging goals with confidence and with the knowledge that hard work remains. Training programs for clients will be an ongoing focus in order to provide a means for preparation for employment and independent living in the greater community beyond the Shelter. This requires aggressive grant submission activity in order to provide funding for these necessary programs. The Shelter's Veterans Training School celebrates its first anniversary on February 14th. As part of our on-going efforts in the areas of pre-employment training and workforce development, the Veterans Training School will offer two new courses - Security Officer Training and Commercial Drivers License Preparation - to Shelter clients beginning soon. The Security Officer Training Course (SOTC) is a newly designed 6-week intensive course which provides practical instruction in situations encountered by today's security professionals. The course has four hours of morning classroom instruction Monday - Friday and four hours of on-the-job training/ apprenticeships with local security firms. The course ultimately leads to an International Federation of Protection Officers (IFPO) certification. The SOTC course will start February 20 th. The 8-week Commercial Driving License Course (CDL), which prepares students to pass the examination for a Massachusetts Class "B" CDL license, features an on-line component to support instructor-led training, as well as practical driving experience with local transportation firms. We plan to start the CDL program in March. It is anticipated that both courses will qualify students for immediate employment with our workforce development partners. We are carefully monitoring the budget process at the State House as well as a bill before Senate Ways and Means aimed at redirecting some unspent "Katrina" money to homeless needs. Best wishes to all for a Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year ! Your comments are welcome, E-mail larry.fitzmaurice@nechv.org.
January, 2006 ANOTHER NEW YEAR! Let us hope that this will be the year of the "VET "……………. The holiday season at the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans was festive with decorations, great meals put out by Ed Turk and staff, and entertainment by volunteer groups. The Adopt-A-Vet program assured that each client received gifts from their wish list donated by sponsors. Stephen Cunniff did his usual great job coordinating many of these efforts and the various volunteer services. The entire staff is to be congratulated for their extra dedication during the season!
What then for 2006? We will take measures to maintain our transitional home as a drug free, alcohol free and weapons free place. An ongoing challenge is raising funds. Approximately one third of our revenues come from grants, which are subject to ever changing priorities by Grantors. This puts additional pressure on fund raising efforts to corporations and individual donors in order for us to maintain fiscal stability. We are grateful to our federal, state and local agencies for their direct funding and professional volunteer support. Likewise, we are grateful for the generous gifts from foundations, corporations and individuals who provide both dollars and time in support of our Mission. Ongoing financial support from our faithful donors and from new donors is essential to meeting our challenges. Please refer to our website at www.nechv.org for details on how to contribute to the Shelter. You may also call Jim Kraus, Vice President of Development at (617) 371-1777 or by e-mail at james.kraus@nechv.org. Best wishes to all for a Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year ! Your comments are welcome, E-mail larry.fitzmaurice@nechv.org.
2009
Archived Letters from the CEO
 2008
Archived Letters from the CEO2007
Archived Letters from the CEO2006 Archived Letters from the CEO  2005
Archived Letters from the CEO
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Caseworkers review each client’s situation and refer those veterans ready for training to the Registrar of VTS, who then tailors a program of courses appropriate for them.
Dennis Upper, PhD is the Vice President who heads our Client Services Department. He is assisted by our caseworkers. 
Our elevator restoration project will begin soon along with the Womens' Dorm upgrade furthering our desire to provide the best facility that we can afford to our clients.
below to start/stop the slideshow, or on the picture you would like to view.