Kevin, You Rock!

New England Patriot’s Community MVP Award Nomination 2009

For: Kevin Bickford

Date: March 13, 2009

Name of Non Profit served by Nominee: Sweetser

Description of Non-profit:

Sweetser provides quality treatment, support and hope to children, adults and families through a network of mental health, behavioral health and educational services.

As Maine’s most comprehensive mental health network, Sweetser promises to do whatever it takes to connect adults and children to the mental health treatment and related support that they need and deserve. Nationally recognized and accredited, Sweetser has nearly 200 years of experience caring for adults and children who are living with mental illness, behavioral disorders, or substance abuse problems.

Sweetser is a nonprofit organization serving approximately 16,000 adults and children annually throughout Maine. For more information about Sweetser, visit www.sweetser.org. For access to mental health services call the Sweetser Promise Line at 800.434.3000.

Nominated by: Linda Danielson, Volunteer Manager, Sweetser

How long have you known the nominee? 8.5 years

In what capacity do you know the nominee? Kevin has served as a mentor and volunteer at Sweetser, in several locations.

Description of Nominee’s Volunteer Work:

Capacity and length of service.

Kevin has been volunteering at Sweetser since 2001, using his passion for helping young people succeed and overcome difficult challenges. He gives without concern for himself.

The key to Kevin’s mentoring skill is his listening – he relates to kids on their level about music, friends and teen lifestyles. Whether it’s instigating a rowdy game of basketball, taking young people to lunch or a movie, reading poetry, making CDs of favorite music, or attending a church service, Kevin establishes a solid, healthy role model presence in the lives of young people that cross his path.

He has mentored more than 35 children enrolled in Sweetser programs, often helping four or five of them at the same time. His commitment, enthusiasm and compassion are exemplary.

Kevin has improved the lives of others by his unselfish gift of his time and rapt attention during his volunteer work. He makes himself available as a stable, supportive adult in the life of his mentees.

“It’s great to be able to collaborate with some of the outstanding residential staff at Sweetser,” says Kevin. “They fight to help kids get the guidance they need, and as a mentor, I am able to connect with teens on levels that work for them.”

His mentoring services have been badly needed because Sweetser’s residential adolescents in group living have experienced a severe emotional disturbance. Sweetser’s educational services meet the needs of teens who are unable to function safely in a public school setting. Having a steady, fun and dependable adult to help them understand the complex world around them has been immeasurably beneficial to them.

The impact on these students who received Kevin’s mentoring, sometimes, is not seen for years after the teens have left Sweetser services. Three recent letters from former mentees of Kevin’s makes the point beautifully. Two young adults wrote to Kevin saying that they were doing great and were employed. They wanted him to know what it meant to them to have his support. A third asked for his help, many years after mentoring ended.

Said Kevin:

“You never know what impact you might have when mentoring. There are times when you wonder, 'Am I making a difference?'

But every now and then, I get a reminder of why I do what I do. Sometimes it comes from a smile or a letter, thanking me for being there. One time, a parent of one of the students came up to me years later and hugged me. Tears of gratitude were rolling down, but not a word was spoken. That's why I do what I do.”

Being a male has accelerated the impact on these youngsters, many of whom grew up with no healthy male role models.

Another major impact of his volunteer work is the founding of a non-profit called “Give Kids a Chance,” which Kevin created on the belief that kids who are given an opportunity, can and will succeed.

In what ways has the nominee demonstrated a strong commitment to community service?

Mentoring at Sweetser is an extension of Kevin’s other work in his community. He worked as a prison ministry director for the Salvation Army in Portland, and still spends much time teaching young people who are incarcerated, or who are awaiting trial at Long Creek Youth Development Center. Some individuals there eventually transition to Sweetser services, or go from Sweetser to Long Creek, so this has been a natural fit for Kevin to mentor teens in both places.

When the program that he managed at the Salvation Army closed for lack of funding, Kevin took the financial risk and founded his own agency. He deeply believes in kids and wants to do what he can to help youngsters create promising futures. He still enjoys the twice-a-week visits to Long Creek, where he lays the groundwork, by listening and guiding troubled youth.

“Many of the teenagers I mentor at Sweetser are kids I have known for years,” says Kevin. “That can help me make connections with the ones who are the toughest to reach.”

Having mentored more than 35 youths since 2004, Kevin has watched them make great strides. Sure, some end up in legal trouble of one kind or another, but others have gone on to college or raised families of their own. They like to keep in touch with Kevin and call him often.

“It’s great when they stay in touch,” Kevin says. “Whether I’m working with them now, or have mentored them in years past. It helps them stay on the right track and out of jail.”

One young mentee is a girl from an abusive family, who was incarcerated as a youth and came to Sweetser with low self respect.

“The staff at Sweetser really worked as a team to help her,” says Kevin. “Within a few months, she was reading and writing poetry, which she never would have done in the beginning of her stay.”

As her mentor, Kevin forged a close connection to help her through times of crisis. Over the years, since then, she has stayed in touch with him. She has since married and is raising a child.

Another young man puts his relationship with Kevin this way, “Having Kevin as a mentor is awesome! He takes the time to take us out into the community. It’s fun and it makes me feel good to have someone around who cares a lot.”

What sets Kevin Bickford apart and makes him so deserving of recognition is that he is so willing to juggle his busy schedule in such a way that each child he works with knows true support and caring that only Kevin can give. He is one man who knows that he gets as much out of the relationships he creates as the young mentees.

“Any program involved in working for kids would be lucky to have him,” said Linda Danielson, Sweetser Volunteer Services Director. “We are privileged to count him among our volunteers and all the Sweetser kids he has worked with love Kevin. His efforts have truly made a difference in their lives and he is an irreplaceable, valuable member of our team. The respect that the kids have for him shows as soon as Kevin walks in the door.”

Kevin has faced many challenges in his volunteer work.

“The hours can be long,” he explained, “and not everyone understands why I mentor. The world of young people is different from ours. They don't run on a 9 to 5 schedule. Their needs are in the now. As a result, I decided to set up a new cell phone so that I could be reached at all hours. My wife encouraged me to answer the calls.

One night, a young woman had become stranded and abandoned around 2 a.m., and called for help. With my help, we located her and brought her to a safe place.

Another time, one youth that I mentor, had gone home for a weekend visit and called me at 6 a.m. All I heard on the phone were her sobs and a mother (who was high on drugs) screaming obscenities at her. I was able to get her safely back to the Sweetser program.”