Dear Service Guild Members,

First and foremost, congratulations on serving Southern Nevada youth for 50 years! It is tough to quantify impact on a child's life, so we rely on the custodians of the successes to share with us the triumphs your generosity has helped realize. Your generous monetary support of programs could not occur without your involvement. Your generous donation of countless volunteer hours to raise funding to support programs. Your attendance at events shows support for our children. Your willingness to take on this challenge and your generous spirit highlights your love of children. Mostly, I want to thank you for your bravery. The bravery to stand up and say that children matter, not only good children, or foster children or compliant children, but all children matter and deserve love and supports, even from strangers.

Malala Yousafzai wrote that "To every child- I dream of a world where you can laugh, dance, sing, learn, live in peace and be happy", Our reality in juvenile justice is that Malala's dream is exactly that, a dream. Most of our young people are in crisis daily, struggling to make sense of their chaotic lives, constantly stressed and bound to make bad decisions. Your efforts make it possible to show children a normalized life, show them that not all families fight, or leave their children. Sometimes complete strangers will love them with their whole heart and never let go. Your effort to keep children healthy and safe should be applauded. I am thankful for your work, love and patience and appreciative that you let us be a part. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and congratulations on your 50 years of service to this community and impacting the lives of so many of our children.

Respectfully submitted,

John M. Martin, Director