By ARIANA WILSON
Contributing Writer
On Apr. 26, the Saint Anne Institute will host its annual, invite only, fundraiser called “Wine, Dine and Stein” at The Desmond Hotel. Last year the fundraiser consisted of a formal dinner and auction resulting in the winner of the raffle being flown to Los Angeles to meet the most famous chefs worldwide. The focus has changed this year, centering more on the wine and food, with a silent auction resulting in great prizes. The goal of the dinner is simple: raise money for the Institute, allowing them to pay for schooling, food, and other necessities for the girls to thrive at Saint Anne’s.
Saint Anne’s Institute, located off West Lawrence Street, is a non-for-profit organization seeking to strengthen troubled girls between the ages of 12 and 18 on an emotional and educational basis. Most of the girls enrolled have been court ordered or requested by their school districts, based on behavior issues or problems with families, to attend the Institute.
Like other organizations, Saint Anne faces problems in the failing economy. Even though they would like to keep girls until they feel they are ready to be back with their families, and placed back in their respective public schools, there are unfortunate time limits bestowed upon the girls, making it difficult to keep each student for more than 18 months. Pat Leonard, head of volunteer services at Saint Anne, relayed that for this reason it is important to know that not everything can be cured, but to be able to educate the girls enough so they don’t face the situations that landed them in the institution in the first place.
Keeping the girls at Saint Anne for as long as necessary isn’t the only financial consideration though. Each student must be fed, dressed, educated, and have readily available medical care- all costly expenditures. The institution also likes to make the girls comfortable, adding toys and games to the list of supplies the school needs to add to the budget.
In order to pay for school materials and other necessities the school holds two major fundraisers each year. One event is the dinner-auction, mentioned above, and the other is a golf tournament held in the fall. This past September the tournament raised over $38,000, helping aid many of the students and families affiliated with the Saint Anne Institute.
The Institute offers two different programs for its students. One is a day service for those living in the Capitol Region, allowing them to live at home while also receiving the schooling and therapy desired for their personal needs. The other is the residential program for girls who live outside the Capitol Region or are in deeper need of attention. Three fourths of the students are residential.
According to Leonard, it is peer relationships with college students that help facilitate the girls. Many students seek attention through negative behavior, misbehaving and causing problems including not trying in school and purposely receiving bad grades. Leonard sees through the walls the girls build up for themselves, knowing that the grades on the paper don’t reflect the IQ of the individual.
“The girls lack social skills and develop a protective demeanor”, Leonard said, which is why the relationships with college age students have such an impact on their lives.
Many of the girls come from situations where the adults in their lives have betrayed them, instilling a feeling of mistrust from older individuals. Students from The University of Albany, Sage College, Siena College, and The College of Saint Rose offer information and inspiration concerning the education for of the troubled teens.
Though many colleges participate, they aren’t the only individuals in the Albany area to volunteer their time at Saint Anne’s. Church groups, corporations, and even banks send volunteers on a regular basis. These volunteers do many different activities with the girls ranging from instructing sports, playing games, or even participating in arts and crafts. The real focus is giving the girls the attention that they have lacked in their previous years of life.
Volunteer work isn’t a one-way street for the employees and students at Saint Anne’s. Students can be found at local food pantries and soup kitchens, while members of the staff run 5Ks for a multitude of charities. Participating in giving back to the community creates a positive influence on the girls teaching them to give and not only receive, as well as enlightening them to the fact that there are other people in the world with struggles of their own.
Though sometimes there are complaints, members of the community are thankful for the Saint Anne’s Institute for the messages they try to send to the community and the girls.
Local resident, Rebecca Deer, expressed her gratitude: “A lot of people wouldn’t criticize. The girls have a lot of counseling and support groups,” but even while some people acknowledge the great things the institute does, there are some who are not so understanding and voice their concerns about the girls with ‘behavior issues’ living so close to their own home.
According to Leonard, last summer a local woman complained about the girls laughing too loud while playing in the pool on campus, distracting her from her daily routine; other than that, there are very few complaints from residents who live near the building.
“People are happy and appreciative of the program”, said Mary Beth Musco, Assistant Executive Director of the Child Care Department at Saint Anne. “We have good neighborhood relations.”
