Endorsements & Letters

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. I cannot 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 students’ 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 have on a person’s life.

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.

Hello, my name is Catherine. About two and a half years ago my mother died in a car accident. I was also in the car and suffered in a coma for about a month. Previous to the accident, I had never experimented with drugs.

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. I am really glad that Mrs. Preston invited me personally to your presentation. After hearing your presentation, I found that I am lucky that I stopped before something really bad happened.

I have control of my life, and you helped. Thanks.

Dear 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.

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.

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. Together we can make a difference!

Dear Lieutenant Kress, I once again would like to thank you for the FBI Adopt A School presentation you gave. 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 straight-forwardness with which you speak is appreciated by the students and certainly heard. Thank you, and I hope you are available to speak to future classes.

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.

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.

Wow is all I have to say about the assembly! It was so touching to me. There are a lot of kids at Harborcreek who have been into drugs and I’m happy that you guys came because maybe now they’ll change their acts.

Sharing their stories with kids may change the future. Nobody is perfect in this world and we shouldn’t expect anyone to be. I really think that they should do that more often all around.

Dear Lt. Kress, I want to thank you and Paul for speaking to the eighth-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.

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. 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 understanding of the importance of this work.

Hi, my name is Molly and all I can say is that your program blew me away, it left me speechless. We have always been told not to use drugs, but I think your program taught us more than any of our other ones.

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 that you go to all these schools to inform us not because you have to, but because you want to. I really admire you.