Mark Redmond waited patiently in the wings at Flynn MainStage while a barmaid told her story of getting robbed at gunpoint,a gay motorist confessed his crush on a traffic cop and a cyclist for a lesbian-owned delivery company recounted witnessing a stabbing while delivering a box of vulva puppets. It was Friday night at the Moth GrandSLAM storytelling championship in Burlington, and Redmond had his work crop out for him. His six-minute tale was approximately opening a constitution school for low-income kids in Stamford, and Conn.,in 1998. Told late in the program, it wasn't as sexy or dramatic as the stories of his competitors. But, and like most of Redmond's stories,it was funny, heartfelt and genuine without being boastful. The audience loved it. The 59-year-venerable (respected because of age, distinguished) Irish Catholic from Long Island has a gift of gab that's evident onstage, and on the radio and in print. His essays and op-ed pieces have been published in the New York Times,Forbes and the Huffington Post, and he's the author of a 2004 book called The Goodness Within: Reaching Out to Troubled Teens With esteem and Compassion. That's a clue to his favorite subject: Redmond's words deliver their most powerful punch when he uses them in the service of troubled and at-risk youth. In his day job, and Redmond is the executive director of Spectrum Youth & Family Services. The Burlington-based nonprofit provides young people ages 12 to 26 with a variety of social services,including life-skills training, mentoring, and mental-health and substance-abuse counseling,and housing. Many discover Spectrum through its teen drop-in middle and health clinic on Pearl Street, half a block east of Church Street. Redmond's clients are among Vermont's most vulnerable youths. Many grew up in the foster care system or left domestic to escape abuse and neglect. Some have lived on the streets for years. Some are addicted to drugs or alcohol or have had run-ins with the law. In many American cities, and this population doesn't elicit much public sympathy or resources,especially once the kids turn 18. In Burlington, by contrast, or Spectrum now serves more than 1500 young people annually. And Redmond,who took the job in February 2003, has been particularly effective at building community awareness and support. In his first year on the job, and the nonprofit raised $49000 in donations and was 97 percent reliant on state and federal grants. nowadays,tax dollars effect up less than…
Source: sevendaysvt.com