Lt Joe Kress has received countless letters and endorsements for his program. A brief sample follows:
Dear Lieutenant Kress:
I wanted to take the time to write you today and express my thanks to both you and Paul for speaking at Girard High School on Wednesday, April 20, 2005. I can not tell you how impressed I was with both of your speeches that day. The feedback I have personally gathered from the faculty and students alike has been overwhelmingly positive.
The session I sat in on with approximately 120 students and staff was almost spellbinding. I could have heard a pin drop during the entire 90 minute presentation. As I looked around, I watched our student's reactions, and they were hanging on every word. They were attentive, shocked, appalled and saddened by the things they were hearing about the effects that alcohol and drugs has on a person's life. This is what they need to hear from someone other that "school personnel". Some of the students are engaged in these same activities and I think your speech hit a little close to home for them - GOOD.
I feel talks such as these have a more direct impact on young adults than anything we, as educators, can present to them from any book or research data. When they see and hear another young person tell their horror story of involvement with drugs & alcohol, it has a much greater impact on them.
I have already raved about your program to the superintendent and principals from other schools. You are providing an invaluable service to school districts, communities and young people in general. Keep up the fantastic work and thank you so much for coming to the Girard High School. I would love to have you back at the beginning of the school year to speak to the entire student body.
Gregg McClelland, Principal Girard High School
Hello, my name is Catherine, I am 15 and in the ninth grade. About two and a half years ago my mother died in a car accident outside of Cambridge Springs. I was also in the car and suffered in a coma for about 1 month and then at Shriner's for about 2 more.
Previous to the accident, I had never "experimented" with drugs. A lot of my friends had, but I never considered my self as a "drug-user/party girl" and I had a good life to look forward to because my mother had left me a lot to have a great future.
One night, I was waiting to go to a dance with a group of friends and my exboyfriend suggested that we get high. I had never tried it before and I was scared. I tried it, and nothing bad happened. Ever since that incident I have become that "druguser/party girl" that I always wanted to be.
About a year ago a senior at our school showed an interest in me. Unfortunately, he had a girlfriend, but that didn't seem to bother me. This guy had a good reputation; he got good grades, athletics, and just a plain good guy.
Later did I find that those good traits were just a cover up for the real him. After his girlfriend found out that her "perfect boyfriend" was cheating on her with a freshman, it was said to be my entire fault.
Now, I'm not that "drug-user/party girl" that I tried so hard to be. To most girls, I'm just a slut, and to guys, they just pretend to like me to luckily get some.
Ever since I started using drugs, I have missed out on a lot of the "best years of my life" because I simply can't remember. My grades in school went down, I lost a lot of positive people in my life, I stopped going to church, and I lost all trust from my dad.
I have been off drugs for a while now, I have made new, good friends, my grades are going back up, and I finally have control of my life since my mother died. I guess using drugs was a way for me to not grieve. Since I have quit all drugs, I have been more depressed but I think that the reason why I'm haven't been happy is because, I'm not high. I actually deal with my problems in better ways now.
I'm really glad that Mrs. Preston invited me personally to your presentation. It meant a lot to me because now I know, that someone really does care and someone does notice me. After hearing your presentation, I found that I am lucky that I stopped before something really bad happened. I am trying to keep myself busy, I joined track and field, I go to youth group, and I hang out with better people. I have control of my life, and you helped.
Thanks.
Sincerely, Catherine, Student
D
ear Lt. Kress,
I cannot thank you enough for bringing the presentation to Harbor Creek Junior and Senior High Schools. The administration, staff and students are still talking about the presentation. I get asked each day how Paul is doing and how you are doing.
The response of the program has been honestly overwhelming it truly made a difference. Since the initial day when you first presented, I have had a number of students speak to me about their present addictions, requesting help. Additionally students have stepped forward to assist a friend or classmate that has an alcohol and/or drug problem. We now have a total of ten students receiving drug treatment services, due to your program.
We can both agree that hearing stories from you and I don't have the impact as it does when someone like Paul shares his history and problems with others, his age and approach were equally impressive.
I have sat through hours of presentations, training seminars etc; they can be very boring and repetitive. Your program is much different; it is factual proof about the use of drugs and alcohol, incarceration and street experiences.
The program also gave me an opportunity to gain credible information about the sources of where the students of Harbor Creek are purchasing narcotics. I passed that information on to your Vice Unit, and speak weekly with a Trooper from the Pennsylvania State Police Vice Unit.
The Harbor Creek School District as a whole continues to talk about Lt. Joe Kress and Paul Martinson. I have had staff approach me and request to arrange dates for you to return next year, they also want you to present to the elementary school students, since statistically students often enter seventh or eight grade with some type of addiction. Unfortunately kids are beginning to use drugs and alcohol earlier in life.
As a school resource officer only positives came from the program. We continue to make progress in getting those in need help, and work in unity with agencies to take the adult dealers off the streets, so they are unable to sell to our children.
On a personal note, I want to extend my heart-felt appreciation to you, for bringing the program to Harbor Creek. The impact of the program cannot be truly measured in dollars or cents. The impact on saving lives and getting students in need help is immeasurable.
I hope the program can and will continue others need to experience the power of a professional program, which is beneficial to our youth. The youth of today are the future of tomorrow. We can't turn our backs on them or give up on them.
Together we can make a difference!!!
Thanks Again!
Deputy Jon M. Habursky
Erie County Sheriffs Office - Harbor Creek School District School Resource Officer
Dear Lieutenant Kress,
I once again would like to thank you for the FBI Adopt A School presentation you gave on December 8, 2004. Now, four days after, students are still talking about it. I would go on record saying that your presentation is one of the strongest and most lasting speeches our students will see in their high school career. The impact you and your team provided is immeasurable. However, if just one student changes his or her decision making process, then it was a total success. I am inclined to believe, Joe, that certainly more than one kid "heard" our message.
The FBI Adopt A School program has now been in existence for four years. In that time many different speakers have presented to our students and done so in a sincere manner. Your presentation, however, is different in that the real life experiences each one of you present are so captivating and meaningful. I truly feel our students are benefiting from you and Agent Farrabaugh's commitment to our children.
With regard to any potential changes in your presentation, I would make none. The straight-forwardness with which you speak is appreciated by the students and certainly "heard". If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at (814) 665-8297. Thank you, and I hope you are available to speak to future classes.
Daniel L. Daum, Principal Corry Area High School
Dear Lt. Kress:
I cannot thank you enough for bringing all of the members of your team to our school. Together you deliver a powerful message! The effects are still being felt, as students keep asking to talk to someone about their problem addictions.
Many times after an assembly, students will stop me to voice their opinions about how "dumb that was", "what a waste of time", "I would rather have stayed in class." No such sentiments were expressed after this assembly. Instead, students willingly wrote letters to express their positive feelings and talk about the impact the program had on them. That type of approval rating, especially from Jr. High School students, is no small feat.
All too often, students hear about what "can happen" to someone who gets mixed up in drugs. Your program showed them what "does happen". If a picture is worth a thousand words, having someone who is close to the students' age, and is living the consequences of being involved in drugs, is immeasurable.
I hope that you are able to take your message to many more students. I wish you and Paul the best in your endeavor to continue this valuable work.
Sincerely,
Linda D. Allen, Principal Harbor Creek School District
Wow is all I have to say about the asembly! It was so touching to me since my ex boyfriend dealt with almost the same thing. He is in lock up right now and might be getting out in april or may! He did some drugs but wasnt a abuser. And I felt like i was close to Paul as if to have met him before. .. He was very touching a truthful. He didnt sugar coat anything! And that was smart. There are ALOT of kids at Harborcreek who have been into drugs and im happy that you guys came because maybe now they'll change their acts .... hopefully.
I really think that they should do that more often all around. Sharing their stories with kids may change the future. I have been against drugs for a very long time! All my brothers friends do it but THANK GOD that my brother is not interested in thta stuff. I know how it is to lose someone important and I would hope that no one would want that against someone. The story about the mother who sold her daughter was very smart to show. Kids should know its not just them that do drugs but grown ups do to.
Nobodys perfect in this world! And we shouldn't expect anyone to be. We all know someone who has been introduced to drugs and just to tell them that you care for them and that you wouldnt want them to do anything to hurt themselves ... can save their life. 1m really glad that they came to the school. I started tearing up during it and by the end i was balling my eyes out. It WAS AWSOME!! Let me just say that! it really was!!!
By:
Teressa Wilczynski, Student
Harborcreek High 7th grade
Dear Lt. Kress,
I want to thank you and Paul for speaking to the eighth grade class on March 23, 2005. I realize that in the past you have only presented to high school audiences. However, when I talked to the faculty and administration from the high school, I realized that your presentation was powerful. My hope in having you speak with the eighth grade was that you would be able to reach our North East children before they begin to use drugs and be in social circles when drugs are prevalent. I, however, realize now that I would need to invite the sixth grade class. When you asked how many of the students knew someone who used or sold drugs and every hand was raised I was shell-shocked!
The education I received from the students that day was disturbing. However, it pales in comparison to an incident that occurred this year. Two teachers found a letter from twelve-year-old girls in which one wrote that she was excited about her friend's mom getting a "QP". I didn't know what this term "QP" meant so I started to ask some questions to the police. I later learned that a "QP" is a quarter pound of marijuana. Thus, the mother was the dealer for the two twelve-year-old girls. When I brought this to the attention of the authorities there was little that they could do. I share this story with you because it demonstrates that I have parents using and dealing drugs to children in the district. We need people like yourself to share an anti-drug message early enough to create for them firm moral character to avoid drug use even if they have family members that are using.
When you shared how your brother was murdered by drug dealers in New Orleans you could hear a pin drop in the room because you put a face on a victim of drug abuse. The ten years of photos of the woman who used crystal meth showed a visual of how drug use makes a person lose their sense of humanity and look more like an animal. You provided for my students real life stories! However, bringing a prisoner in leg irons and an orange jump suit made an impact on even the faculty. Paul shared that drugs destroyed his life by turning him into a gun-carrying dealer. My students were moved by his story and wrote you letters to share how his presentation made them feel. Paul put a human face on the dealer, which made me realize that this was once someone's little boy who needed this presentation when he was twelve.
Joe we will never be able to measure exactly what your presentation has done in numbers of students who do not use or have stopped using, but I know that your work has changed my understating of the importance of this work. I am more committed to taking this issue seriously and want to work with you to try and address drug abuse to our young children
Sincerely
Jennifer Ritter. Ph.D, Assistant Principal North East School District
Hi, my name is Molly and all I can say is that your program blew me away, it left me speechless and all I could say was wow! We have always been told not to use drugs and what they can do to you and why you shouldn't use them but I think your program taught us more than any of our other ones. I can't even explain in words how much I loved your performance. I just thought it would be another program to tell us not to use drugs, but no, it was more than that. It had stories of things that actually happened to people who had used them and I thought that it was very unique for you to do that! I think it is great for people like you and Deputy Habursky to put your lives at stake to save strangers, especially if you have kids!
I think it is great that you go to all these schools to inform us not because you have to, but because you want to! I really admire you, Deputy Habursky, and Paul! I am glad that you brought him and I am glad that he has realized what he has done wrong and not blamed anyone else but himself. I really hope that he gets his life together!
You told us that things aren't the same as they were when you were young.
Sometimes in the morning I wake up and I am just scared to live and when I go to bed at night I wonder if I am going to wake up! But you're right things really have changed since you were young! I just wanted to say thank you and I am so glad you came to our school because I didn't know half of the things you told us! And I am glad you were creative and didn't tell us the things that we hear all the time. Thank You!
God bless you and others
Sincerely,
Molly Peterson, Student