Dear Friend,

In August, 1996 we began the No Man's Land project on Dorchester Heights, reclaiming an ancient Celtic tradition of building piles of stones and stone circles as memorial markers of special occasions. South Boston was in the midst of a very dark and tragic period with a string of local teen suicides. No Man's Land brought residents together to mourn the deaths of their young friends. No Man's Land continues to honor the young lives lost and works closely with several community programs to help prevent any further tragedies. We provide much needed guidance to scores of young people. With the inception of No Man's Land, The Youth Program was born and has since become an integral part of our mission. This program meets the creative needs of young people.

We teach a variety of skills, encourage good work habits and most importantly, provide a listening ear. Each year the the Youth Program offers summer jobs and after-school programs to dozens of young people. We teach them work ethics, walk them through any personal challenges they may have and give them an opportunity to discover their individual talents. With your help our program has grown into a year-round youth employment program. We now employ 20 young people after school and offer full time employment for eight weeks each summer.

In October of 2002 our young people were honored at the Boston Peace Party sponsored by Harvard Youth Violence Prevention Center's Community Response Team at the Division of Public Health Practice. The Boston Peace Party was the first of its kind to recognize the value and contributions of those who do not hold formal "violence prevention" positions but whose efforts are critical in the creation of healthy communities for America's youth. Last Summer they were recognized and awarded a Faces of the Greenspace award by the Boston Greenspace Alliance for their work in transforming No Man's Land into a beautiful urban park and outdoor classroom. The New England Fund for the Arts has funded the building of a poetry path for this summer. We will also be working with the Urban Ecology Institute on a water collection system.

We are asking you to partner with us to sponsor a job for one of our young people. All it takes to employ one local youth for the year is $4500. As a "Friend of No Man's Land" your donation is tax deductible. Your donation will go directly toward a year-long job for one South Boston youth and you will receive a bio of the youth you are sponsoring.

Yours,
Michael Dowling