One night Bill Dado had a dream he was working with the homeless in Hyannis. “When I woke up I just had to go to the computer and Google shelters in Hyannis,” said Bill Dado. Dado moved to the Cape two years ago and is a retired high school guidance counselor from Sturbridge, MA. “The next thing I knew I was filling out an online application to volunteer for HAC, meeting with the volunteer coordinator and being quickly introduced to Greg Bar.”
Dado’s concept is to create a “pen pal” type relationship with NOAH clients and high school students. Students would be connected to a client and would initiate a letter exchange as simple as, “I’m thinking of you and I care.” Clients would receive a letter with just the student’s first name and vice versa. Letters would be managed through the school’s community service person.
In Dado’s previous career as a guidance counselor, he saw major benefits when “at risk” students were connected to a teacher on a one on one basis. “I thought if we applied this to the homeless, even though the gesture is small, we might really make a personal impact on so many levels,” said Dado.
Sturgis West and Cape Cod Academy have signed on to be pilots for the program.
