Re: 2013 Sycamore Film Festival Sponsorship Request

Summary Spring 2013 Grants

DeKalb County Community Gardens

Name of Organization: Contact Person/Title: Dan Kenney Address: P.O. Box 348 City/State/Zip: DeKalb IL 60115 Phone Number: 815.793.0950 Fax Number: Email: [email protected] Website: www.dekalbgardens.org Anticipated Project Dates: Spring 2013 and forward Total project cost: $30,000 plus Amount Requested form DLRFF: $10,000 Specific Purpose of Funds Requested: DeKalb County Community Gardens Growing Community, One Garden at a Time Roberts Foundation Grant Application Project Description DeKalb County Community Gardens Food Security Project General Description of the Project DeKalb County Community Gardens (DCCG) will establish over the coming growing season community gardens in at least 30 locations throughout DeKalb County. Each location will have a minimum of 4 raised 5 ft. by 10 ft. garden beds. The produce from these gardens will be made available to the neighbors and volunteers who raised the food and all other food will be donated to county food pantries and other food providers. Last year DCCG donated over 1.5 tons of food to area pantries and community meal locations. Some of the sites where we will be building gardens at all of the elementary schools in Sycamore, last year we built gardens at all of the elementary schools in DeKalb. We will also be building gardens at Civic Apartments in Sycamore and Golden Years Plaza in DeKalb, DeKalb County Housing authority locations in DeKalb, Hinckley and Shabbona, building over 20 gardens at the Kishwaukee Health Systems Family Health Center on Plank Road and Route 23 North of Sycamore, will be growing food on 4 acres provided by Ideal Industries, four acres by way of letter of agreement with the Town of Cortland, also other locations in partnership with business, municipalities, and organizations. The gardens will include expanded gardens at the Kishwaukee Family YMCA, and in partnership with DeKalb County’s office of Community Services and the DeKalb County Health Department WIC program. The gardens will be located in municipal vacant lots, donated lands, county owned land, DeKalb Housing authority sites, schools, businesses, food pantries, and the sites of other organizations. It is truly a project that allows many people to share in the preparing, planting, stewardship, and harvesting of gardens that represent the true meaning of community spirit. We are also working on an agreement with the Genoa Park District and the City of Genoa to have a large community garden in downtown Genoa on a vacant lot owned by the city. This will make our DCCG project reach from the southern part of the county all the way to the northern border. The funds will be used for building the infrastructure for the gardens, a temporary irrigation system, hoop greenhoses to extend the growing season, and other infrastructure type of materials that will ensure the sustainability and success of the project. Evidence of need for your project: Evidence of Need According to statistics from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap 2012, 13.4% of DeKalb County residents are considered to be food insecure. At the same time 19.7% of the children in DeKalb County are considered to be food insecure. This means that nearly 1 in 5 of the children in our county don’t always know when to expect their next meal. Also 37.1% of our school aged children qualify for free and reduced lunches during the school year; during the summer many of these children do not have easy access to wholesome food. DCCG’s efforts to build productive organic community gardens throughout the county will allow more children access to healthy food. DCCG will also help these children and their families learn the skills and have the land and tools to raise their own food. Also our experience last year has proven to us that if given the opportunity citizens who need to use the food pantries would prefer and their health would benefit with increased ready access to fresh healthy food. Also if provided the option individuals would prefer to grow their own food if they had access to land in order to do so. Another factor that of the children who qualify for free and reduced lunch during the school year are more likely to go hungry during the summer when they do not have access to the public school lunch program. DCCG hopes to close this gap for children of our county. When we have such productive soil, and we have so many citizens who want to give back to their community in this way, there is no reason for a child to go hungry in DeKalb County during the growing season. DCCG has also worked in partnership with the DeKalb County Community Foundation, and Live Healthy DeKalb County to establish a Local Sustainable Food Security Council in the County. The council was formed as a result of a Local Food Security Summit, held March 1st at DCCF. The summit brought together over 60 individuals representing many different entities involved with providing food in our county. DCCG feels strongly in building partnership to better meet the needs of our citizens who are struggling to meet their food needs. Organizations represented on the council include, several County school districts, DCCF, Live Healthy DeKalb County, DeKalb County Health, Community Services, and WIC programs, all of the County food pantries, Northern Illinois Food bank, Hope Haven, Voluntary Action Center, and others. Plan for future funding of project: Plans for Future Funding of the Project DCCG has given much thought to the future funding of this program. DCCG is committed to making the organization self-sustaining in the long run. We have started to generate revenue streams for our work. We put together a DCCG Cookbook which we make available for donations. We also have t-shirts available for donations. We are currently exploring the possibility of making sponsorship available to local companies and businesses. We are also exploring other fund raising avenues. DCCG is also exploring the feasibility of putting in backyard gardens for a donation, for each garden we receive a donation of determined amount in exchange for DCCG putting in a garden, then some of the funds could also be used for installing a gardens in a neighborhood or for a family that could not afford to put in their own garden. DCCG is also exploring the possibility of providing a food scrapping service; such a service would generate income for the project while also providing compost for DCCG to make its own soil for future garden sites and to maintain the existing sites. DCCG has always had education as part of our mission from the beginning. We want to provide opportunities and the means for people to grow their own food and to have a chance to feed their own families. DCCG strongly believes that community gardens and individual family gardens can be empowering. Gardens can play a role in lifting families from poverty through empowerment, and job training skills. We are working with one of our 40 sponsors and partners, the U of I Extension master Gardeners Program, to offer workshops on gardening, preparing, and preserving. DCCG also receives funds from rental of garden spots to Cortland residents. The Town of Cortland had DCCG put in 10 raised beds at the Cortland Lions Park which are made available to residents for $25 a year. We are also planning to have rental plots of 20' by 30' for $35 available at the North Ave. Farm location in Cortland as well. We also plan to work with the Genoa Park District to rent out spots in Genoa as well. The funds from the rentals can then be channeled into the revenue stream to help maintain the garden sites. Also as stated in our strategic plan we hope to establish a Sustainable Agriculture Learning Center. This would be a 10 to 25 acre site that would provide hands-on-training for students who would like to learn about sustainable agriculture methods. It would also provide a field trip destination for surrounding school children to visit and learn from the activities on the sustainable farm. The income from the fees for these activities would also generate income for the various on-going projects of DCCG. This part of our plan is dependent upon finding farm property that would make this possible. DCCG also has in its long range plan to sell some of the produce to local restaurants and eventually schools to add to the revenue stream. DCCG is in talks now with Farm to Schools at the state level about a going together with Live Healthy DeKalb County, Farm to Schools, DeKalb County Health Department, and others for a large USDA grant to move this part of the project forward. Other grant or funding sources: DeKalb County Community Foundation Applied for $11,704 Live Healthy DeKalb County $5,000 Received DeKalb Area Garden Club $1,000 applied DeKalb Township Youth Grant $500 Received DCCG has also established a fund raising committee to plan events to increase funds for the organization. Cash on hand from previous donations and grants from local banks $1,904.08 Targeted demographic group served by the project: Citizens of DeKalb County who experience food insecurity. If collaborative, details of collaboration: DeKalb County Community Gardens works in partnership with over 40 other County organizations, businesses, school districts, and municipalities. What follows is a partial listing of our sponsors and partners. Kishwaukee Family YMCA, Kishwaukee Hospital, Kishwaukee College, U of I Extension, DeKalb KEYS, DeKalb Youth Service Bureau, DeKalb County Community Foundation, several churches, food pantries in DeKalb County, Northern Illinois Food Bank, Genoa, Sycamore, and DeKalb Park Districts, DeKalb and Sycamore school districts, locally owned banks such as NB & T, Resource Bank, DeKalb County Corn and Soybean Growers Association, and many others. Activities planned to meet objectives: DCCG plans to involve as many residents of DeKalb County as possible. We have signed up to have over 100 volunteers from NIU on the NIU Cares Day. We also expect to have as many as 200 volunteers to work in the various gardens on the YMCA Cares Day in May. We also are involving the Youth Service Bureau with the project at the Mayor’s Community Garden in DeKalb, behind City Hall. The youth will also be assisting with the gardens at the Senior Citizens Day Care facility on South 4th Street. DCCG will be working with volunteers at various church gardens that have their own food pantries. In addition to these volunteers DCCG will also be working with other NIU students who want to put in hours of community work. DCCG also is partners with the DeKalb County Court Services as a community service site. This will help Court Services find placement for individuals needing to complete community service hours and it will also provide DCCG with labor for maintaining the gardens. Again DCCG receives requests of interest in volunteering nearly every day. We have over 225 on our email list, and the number is increasing. We hold bi-weekly meetings which routinely draws 30 to 40 people. As stated above the many partnerships DCCG has and continues to establish will continue to help DCCG reach its objectives. DeKalb County Community Gardens with other partners is planning two "Local Flavors" dinners in DeKalb this year and more next year. The dinners will be prepared by local chefs, they will be held in local restaurants and the menu will include only food raised within 50 miles or less of DeKalb County. This will be a joint project with the Illinois Stewardship Alliance and local produce farmers. These community dinners will increase awareness among citizens of the County about what local sustainable agriculture is about and how we can all work together to create a sustainable local food system. General description of the project: DeKalb County Community Gardens (DCCG) will establish over the coming growing season community gardens in at least 30 locations throughout DeKalb County. Each location will have a minimum of 4 raised 5 ft. by 10 ft. garden beds. The produce from these gardens will be made available to the neighbors and volunteers who raised the food and all other food will be donated to county food pantries and other food providers. Last year DCCG donated over 1.5 tons of food to area pantries and community meal locations. Some of the sites where we will be building gardens at all of the elementary schools in Sycamore, last year we built gardens at all of the elementary schools in DeKalb. We will also be building gardens at Civic Apartments in Sycamore and Golden Years Plaza in DeKalb, DeKalb County Housing authority locations in DeKalb, Hinckley and Shabbona, building over 20 gardens at the Kishwaukee Health Systems Family Health Center on Plank Road and Route 23 North of Sycamore, will be growing food on 4 acres provided by Ideal Industries, four acres by way of letter of agreement with the Town of Cortland, also other locations in partnership with business, municipalities, and organizations. The gardens will include expanded gardens at the Kishwaukee Family YMCA, and in partnership with DeKalb County’s office of Community Services and the DeKalb County Health Department WIC program. The gardens will be located in municipal vacant lots, donated lands, county owned land, DeKalb Housing authority sites, schools, businesses, food pantries, and the sites of other organizations. DCCG will also oversee the stewardship of these sites with the many volunteers we coordinate, and the harvesting and distribution of the fresh produce. Expected benefits and outcomes of the project: Expected Benefits of the Project DCCG expects this project will literally touch the lives of hundreds in the county. This is truly a county wide community project that can bring many levels of benefits to many residents. The project will bring people together to work toward a common goal of closing the food gap. The project will expose hundreds of students to the learning, creativity, and fun that only a garden can provide. This project will provide meaningful activities for at-risk students, while at the same time teaching them responsibility skills. The gardens will provide healthy food to hundreds throughout the county who might not otherwise be able to have fresh produce. In time the gardens will provide job training skills for those who are unemployed, under-employed, or homeless. Qualifications of key personnel involved: DCCG has an executive director who has been involved with community advocacy for over 15 years; also the director has had experience with farming, gardening, and organizing. The Executive Director will be retiring from teaching in June and plans to make this project his central focus. The associate director is also a life long gardener and is enrolled in the U of I Master Gardener program. DCCG also has one lead grower who has over 4 years experience of working on organic vegetable farms. The partnership between DeKalb County Community Gardens and the U of I Extension Master Gardener’s Program is strong; many of the volunteers are taking or have taken the Master Gardener class, and are very qualified to move this project forward. DCCG also has a working relationship with the DeKalb Area Garden Club, and the District 428 Future Farmers of America. We also have a strong working relationship with the DeKalb Area Garden Club. How will you measure the results: DCCG will conduct surveys for those who use the food pantries as well as the food providers to complete at the end of the regular growing season to learn how many benefited, what was successful and what can be improved for next year. Approximate number of DeKalb county residents served by this project: Hundreds, both as those who benefit from the food, but also those who volunteer their time and talent; all of this in addition to all of the children who will benefit from the neighborhood and school gardens.

Name of Organization: DeKalb Public Library Contact Person/Title: Dee Coover/ Director Address: 309 Oak Street City/State/Zip: DeKalb Il 60115 Phone Number: 815 756 9568 Fax Number: 815 756 7837 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dkpl.org Anticipated Project Dates: After raising all of the funds, the State of Illinois requires that the project commence in 180 days. We are currently working with the City of DeKalb and local banks to secure all required funding. Total project cost: $24,000,000 - to be funded with an $8.5 grant from the Illinois State Library-$1.0 million from DKPL reserves-$7.5 million Amount Requested form DLRFF: ? Specific Purpose of Funds Requested: The DeKalb Public Library will use all of the funds to construct a 47,000 sq ft addition to the current Art Deco building and to remediate the current 1930 structure. The concept has been approved by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Evidence of need for your project: The 1930 building is not adequate to meet the technology needs of the citizens, the HVAC system is from 1960, local history cannot be archived because there is no room, the programming abilities are limited by space, and the public has asked for more public meeting rooms in all of the public input sessions that have been held. For every book that is purchased, one from the shelves must be sacrificed. Most importantly, the building is not handicapped accessible. Plan for future funding of project: This is a onetime capital project. Other grant or funding sources: One third of the funds will come from the Illinois State Library construction grant, one third will come from the bonding authority of the City of DeKalb to be paid back by an 8 cent increase in the library tax levy (the bonding part is in process), and one third from private philanthropy. Targeted demographic group served by the project: 45,000 citizens of DeKalb plus other users throughout the County. If collaborative, details of collaboration: Illinois State Library, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, City of DeKalb, Nagle Hartray Architects Activities planned to meet objectives: Fundraising activities in the community, meetings with potential lead donors for funding. Public input sessions to discuss the current partial schematics. General description of the project: A 47,000 sq ft addition to the current library, remediation of the current library HVAC and roof, restoration of the 1930 Art Deco building which is on the National Register of Historic Buildings. Expected benefits and outcomes of the project: Handicapped accessibility, 21st century technology, public meeting space, programming space, increased space for the collection-- both digital and physical, increased size for archiving DeKalb local history. Qualifications of key personnel involved: Nagle Hartray Architects,www.naglehartray.com Fred Schlipf, building consultant http://www.fredschlipf.com/ Al Genis (Board member, building committee member, Department of Electrical Engineering, Northern Illinois University Roland Schreiber, building committee member, retired architect for NIU; Dee Coover, MSLS Director DeKalb Public Library; Clark Neher, Ph.D. President Board of Trustees How will you measure the results: We anticipate increased usage, increased card holders, closer partnership with District #428, closer partnership with NIU's Founders Library, and increased number of handicapped citizens using the facility. Approximate number of DeKalb county residents served by this project: 45,000 in the City of DeKalb plus the entire county can use the library as reciprocal borrowers.

Name of Organization: Hinckley Historical Society Contact Person/Title: Dolores Bastian - Museum curator Address: 145 E. Lincoln Ave City/State/Zip: Hinckley, IL 60520 Phone Number: no phone - this is Dolores' phone 815-286-7270 Fax Number: ------Email: [email protected] Website: HHS web site is Anticipated Project Dates: Predominantly the school year to begin this spring and will continue indefinitely. Total project cost: $1200 -- We have volunteers to do a lot of the work so costs are way less than if ordered from catalogues. Amount Requested form DLRFF: $1000 Specific Purpose of Funds Requested: Purpose: To educate the young and the old about the history of our village and the area around. This includes geological, time before settlers, and more currently - how we came to be. To grow involvement with school children and students as well as adults. To further involvement with the schools of the area. To increase the relationship with our village library. Evidence of need for your project: We are a young historical society formed in 2007 with a now three year old museum in a downtown building. When youngsters visit they are very interested when they can see scenes from the past. People are impressed with the quality of our displays and the amount we already have. To continue the momentum we have our work needs to be the best and extra funding will help do that. Plan for future funding of project: Our Hinckley Historical Society gains most of its funds from a sit down dinner/auction held in late April, from books, calendars, cards etc. available at the museum. Membership dues, Donations and other small projects. We plan on increasing activity in these and other areas. Other grant or funding sources: We have asked and been awarded 2 grants from the DeKalb County Community Foundation in spring 2010 and fall 2011 and currently have a grant request in for them for this spring. We are asking them for UV filters to protect from sources of UV rays through our windows and overhead lighting. For archival storage boxes and air quality monitoring equipment. Targeted demographic group served by the project: Village of Hinckley, Squaw Grove and Pierce Townships, Hinckley-Big Rock School District and ancestors, relatives living in other states and countries. If collaborative, details of collaboration: We have begun working with the Business Association - Summer Picnic in Park and the Library Vintage ball games in July. Plans to work together with the Park District are in process. Activities planned to meet objectives: At the park have had kids wash socks on scrub board, another time use rug beaters on rugs. Have had guessing questions for seniors regarding photo scenes from past. Been in the Home Coming parade. We will use the button machine there when we get it to increase awareness of the Museum and it offerings for research etc. General description of the project: With the button machine we will offer children the option of coloring a mastodon or drawing one then making a button for them to wear. Teachers will be informed of historical stories to tell the children about Indians and early settlers. The children will learn about Indian, foods, clothing and wigwams. The lighted dioramas are two ft high by 3 ft. wide with researched details. Our limited space will use rotating display cases to advantage. Expected benefits and outcomes of the project: A well informed public regarding Hinckley's past. Appreciation for forefathers efforts. Qualifications of key personnel involved: Wood workers constructing displays. Artists and professional photographers, desk top publisher, geologist, electrician and others donating time. We have no paid personnel; all work at the museum is donated. Love of local history How will you measure the results: By the response of the public with increased participation in our events and use of our facilities. Approximate number of DeKalb county residents served by this project: 3000 - 3500

Name of Organization: Hope Haven of DeKalb County, Inc. Contact Person/Title: Lesly D. Wicks/Executive Director Address: 1145 Rushmoore Drive City/State/Zip: DeKalb/Illinois/60115 Phone Number: (815) 758-3166 Fax Number: (815) 787-7026 Email: [email protected] Website: www.hopehavendekalb.com Anticipated Project Dates: In 2009 the federal government enacted the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act followed by a comprehensive Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. A key component of this plan is to convert traditional homeless shelters from an "emergency or transitional" service model to a "rapid re-housing" service model. From January 2013 to June 2013, Hope Haven will implement the principles behind Rapid Re-housing and establish specific outcome measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the paradigm change. Total project cost: The cost of the project includes the Life Skills Training Center staff, the Shelter Plus Care case manager and the Rapid Re-housing case manager. The total cost is approximately $150,000 for the January to June project dates. Amount Requested form DLRFF: Hope Haven respectfully request funds from the Doug and Lynn Roberts Family Foundation in the amount of $10,000. Specific Purpose of Funds Requested: Specifically the funds will be used to fund our new Rapid Re- housing case manager position. Evidence of need for your project: Last year Hope Haven provided over 40,000 nights of shelter to more than 300 unduplicated homeless individuals. On average homeless families with children are in shelter for 14 months and individuals 75 days. The goal of the Rapid Re-housing model is to reduce the amount of time the homeless spend in shelter to 30 days or less. Plan for future funding of project: The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, a federal grant, is committed to funding Rapid Re-housing and the DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board will continue to fund the Life Skills Training Center, which could be a key factor in the success of our Rapid Re-housing Program. Other grant or funding sources: Other grant funds for January to June 2013 include: The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity-$38,753 The DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board-$87,666 Targeted demographic group served by the project: The concept of Rapid Re-housing is to transition homeless individuals and families out of emergency and transitional shelter as quickly as possible. Therefore, in initiating the new program, we are targeting residents who are assessed with "low housing barriers" (i.e. employed, no criminal history, no addictions, no previous evictions). As the program develops and expands, we will include the "hard to house" populations who encounter "high housing barriers" in the community. If collaborative, details of collaboration: We work closely with the Housing Authority of DeKalb County to access affordable housing for our residents. Specifically, they currently provide 5 subsidized housing vouchers for homeless clients with disabilities. We are working closely with the Housing Authority to secure additional vouchers targeted for homeless families since the lack of affordable housing is a major contributor to long shelter stays. Activities planned to meet objectives: 1. Create policies and procedures for Rapid Re-housing 2. Create intake and assessment forms 3. Establish outcome measures 4. Screen and target clients for Rapid Re-housing 5. Provide Rapid Re-housing services 6. Program evaluation General description of the project: The concept of Rapid Re-housing is to transition homeless individuals and families to permanent housing as quickly as possible. The model focuses on providing services in the context of a home or through site based programs rather than the confines of a shelter. After assessing the housing barriers of each client, we will provide financial assistance (deposits, first months rent) to clients who can maintain permanent housing in the community with adequate support. We will provide targeted clients with home based services and access to supportive services through our Life Skills Training Center. The Life Skills Training Center is a day program offering life skills, benefit assistance, education, job readiness, meals and mental health care to the homeless, formerly homeless and those "at risk" of homelessness. Expected benefits and outcomes of the project: Benefits of the project include: 1. reducing the days spent in shelter 2. Increasing the number of clients that transition and maintain permanent housing 3. reducing the recidivism of homelessness Qualifications of key personnel involved: The Rapid Re-housing and Shelter Plus Care case managers both have bachelor’s degrees and have worked at Hope Haven for more than 8 years. The staff in the Life Skills Training Center includes a licensed psychiatrist, a registered nurse and two staff members with over 32 years collectively providing Day Programming for people with disabilities. How will you measure the results: The Rapid Re-housing program will be measured by the following outcome measures: 1. % of clients receiving eligible mainstream resources 2. # days client's were in shelter 4. % of clients who moved to permanent housing 5. recidivism rate of clients 6 months and one year post shelter Approximate number of DeKalb county residents served by this project: We project that we will target 25 homeless individuals to participate in the Rapid Re-housing program between January and June 2013.

Name of Organization: Northern Illinois Food Bank Contact Person/Title: Julia Friberg, Community Engagement Ambassador Address: 273 Dearborn Court City/State/Zip: Geneva, IL 60134 Phone Number: 815-639-1257 ext. 14 Fax Number: 630-443-6916 Email: [email protected] Website: www.solvehungertoday.org Anticipated Project Dates: July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 Total project cost: $73,792 Amount Requested form DLRFF: $5,000 Specific Purpose of Funds Requested: Northern Illinois Food Bank is requesting funding to support Barb Food Mart, a new school-based food pantry planned to open at Huntley Middle School in DeKalb, Illinois in June 2013. Evidence of need for your project: In the city of DeKalb, nearly 12,500 people or 28.6% of their 43,702 residents live below the poverty level. Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap indicates that 4,560 children are considered food insecure and 48% of those children are likely not eligible for federal nutrition assistance because their family’s income is too high. The city of DeKalb is the most populated city in the county, with 43,702 residents and demonstrates the highest need. The programs in DeKalb are disparate from the school-year to the summer. During the school-year, 3,146 children in DeKalb Consolidated Unit School District 428 schools have access to free or reduced priced meals. However, these meal programs are not available when school is not in session, on the weekend and during breaks, resulting in a heightened risk of food-insecurity for low- income children in DeKalb. Plan for future funding of project: The food bank has some funding designated for our Child Nutrition Program that we can use to support the implementation of the school pantry and is soliciting current and new donors for additional support. These include the DeKalb County Community Foundation, Castle Bank, DeKalb Township, 3M and Ideal Industries. Kishwaukee Hospital is also a potential donor. The DeKalb Classroom Teachers Association, in conjunction with the Federation of DeKalb Office Support Professionals, DeKalb Federation of Support Staff and DeKalb Federation of School Assistants, is managing the establishment of this school-based pantry, and is applying for 501c3 status under the new name Barbs 4 Kids. This new community organization is also soliciting donations locally. Other grant or funding sources: Northern Illinois Food Bank has a grant pending with Feeding America, funded by ConAgra for specific support of this project. We solicit funds for our Child Nutrition Program year-round. Targeted demographic group served by the project: Barb Food Mart will focus on serving low-income children in District 248 schools who are at risk of hunger or inadequate nutrition. We target children in families experiencing food insecurity to ensure that their nutritional needs are being met so that their development is not negatively affected by hunger. If collaborative, details of collaboration: There are many individuals and groups that are already involved with the implementation of the proposed school-based pantry. Schools in District 428 have a strong network of teachers and administration invested in health, nutrition and wellness. The food bank has sponsored Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the district for 3 years and has distributed weekly BackPacks full of nutritious food for 5 years. The food bank’s BackPack Coordinator has been a member of the Consolidated Unit School District 428 Wellness Team since spring 2012 and of the Healthy Food and Beverage Vendor Coalition founded by Kishwaukee Hospital since fall 2012. DeKalb is a dedicated community that is prepared to pull resources in order to meet the need of their food insecure children. The new food pantry coordinator, a retired teacher, worked at a middle school in DeKalb and has been a member of DeKalb Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) for 27 years. The assistant coordinator is a current middle school teacher who has been working in the district for the past 23 years. In the last year, a branch of DCTA was formed “ DCTA Cares” a specialized group with a focus on the wellness of students. This group has been recruited as volunteers for pantry operations. We will also partner with the University of Illinois, with which the food bank has had a long- standing relationship, to offer nutrition education. The food bank also has a partnership with Northern Illinois University, located in DeKalb, which has developed over the past two years and has been used primarily for research and nutrition education purposes. Activities planned to meet objectives: Renovation of the designated space at Huntley Middle School is planned to start in May. We hope to open the food pantry in June to start providing food for families during the summer months. General description of the project: The DeKalb Classroom Teachers’ Association and Northern Illinois Food Bank are developing a school- based pantry, Barb Food Mart, to serve any child and their family that attends a school within DeKalb CUSD 428. Huntley Middle School in DeKalb, which has been selected as the site of the school pantry, is located in a neighborhood where the closest grocery store is 1.8 miles away and closest food pantry is 1.5 miles away. A school-based pantry in this area that would be open year round would increase access to food including fresh produce, dairy, and meat for children and their families. Barb Food Mart will allow low-income children and their families to choose nutritious foods, providing a more sustainable source of food, and creating an opportunity for families to select options that will help their children grow into healthy, active adults. The pantry will be open once a week on Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:30 pm. Clients will be able to browse the pantry selection and make their own choices about what food to take home, much like a traditional grocery store, reducing the stigma of poverty. There will be opportunities for nutrition education classes offered by University of Illinois Extension or the food bank in partnership with Northern Illinois University. The school-based pantry will also feature a “kids ‘corner” where children have access to hygiene products, school supplies, and birthday bags. The school-based pantry will be available to any student who attends a school within the district. The district’s robo-call system will be used to announce the opening and hours of operation of the pantry. During the school year, fliers will be sent home with each student indicating the days and times of operation. Barb Food Mart will receive bi- monthly deliveries from the food bank in order to serve families once a week. Farmers and DeKalb County Community Gardens will coordinate deliveries of fresh produce to the pantry on a weekly basis. The pantry may also be able to be matched with a retail store in order to pick up items on a weekly basis. Student volunteer groups, community service groups, and school union workers have been recruited as volunteers for stocking and deliveries. During the school year, each school in the district will take turns “adopting” the pantry for a month, for which they’ll be responsible for doing a special project such as a food drive, fund drive, volunteer time, etc. Expected benefits and outcomes of the project: Barb Food Mart will allow low-income children and their families to choose nutritious foods, providing a more sustainable source of food, and creating an opportunity for families to select options that will help their children grow into healthy, active adults. We anticipate distributing a total of 3,000 pounds of food each week, the equivalent of 2,500 meals, or 2-3 days of meals for a family of four. Qualifications of key personnel involved: Anna Nelson, a Child Hunger Corps Member, will be the food bank staff liaison for the school-based pantry. She has been working with community members in DeKalb since January to coordinate this school-based pantry effort. Anna has been the point of contact for all communication and interactions with Sheryl Nakonechny, the school-based pantry coordinator, as she begins implementation. Through the summer, Anna will be on site each week during the pantries distribution hours. She will continue to be available as a resource for the pantry volunteers and school staff. Sheryl Nakonechny is the designated school pantry coordinator, responsible for the on-site facilitation of the school pantry program. Sheryl is a retired DeKalb middle school teacher who has been a member of the DeKalb County Teachers Association (DCTA) for 27 years. She has been leading DCTA on establishing a school based pantry in the DeKalb school district. Becky Mascal is the co-coordinator with Sheryl Nakonechny for the school pantry program. She has taught middle school classes for the DeKalb school district for 23 years. Kelly Brasseur, Vice President of Nutrition and Network Programs, oversees all Child Nutrition and Food Distribution Programs. She has over 20 years of experience in the field of Nutrition and has a Master’s of Science Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Northern Illinois University. Kelly is a registered dietitian and a Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist. How will you measure the results: The pantry coordinator will track the amount of food distributed each week and report to the Food Bank. Families will be required to sign in also recording the number of people in their family. The numbers served will be reported to the food bank monthly. The school-based pantry will regularly monitor the number of people it serves and inventory the products it distributes to determine the nutritional content of more popular items. The program’s overall impact on health will also be monitored through a partnership between the pantry, Northern Illinois University and the DeKalb school district’s Community Wellness Team. Approximate number of DeKalb county residents served by this project: We are estimating that the pantry will serve approximately 75 families each week with an average of two children per household, therefore 150 children have the potential to be served each week.

Name of Organization: Shabbona-Lee-Rollo Historical Museum Contact Person/Title: Carol Bend, Research Specialist Address: 119 West Comanche St. City/State/Zip: Shabbona, IL 60550 Phone Number: 815-824-2597 Fax Number: Email: [email protected] Website: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilslrhm Anticipated Project Dates: July - November 2013 Total project cost: $12,312 Amount Requested form DLRFF: $11,500 Specific Purpose of Funds Requested: The purpose is to purchase a twelve foot e-table (a long table with wiring to accommodate multiple computers), chairs and a coin-operated copy machine. These would function as the volunteers' work space, visiting researchers work area, board meetings and future classes to educate students on the various tools used to research family history. Evidence of need for your project: The volunteers are currently working in conditions that were designed 21 years ago when the museum opened. We do not have a large enough table to accommodate more than two visitors if they bring their laptops, or teach a class of more than four. The research room works with a printer, which is slow and limited in functions. A new copy machine would have a coin operated function to eliminate the handling of money. Plan for future funding of project: We are asking our supporters to help fund the furnishings for our new room addition. That, plus our traditional pancake suppers, quilt raffle and future house walk will help pay for furnishings. Other grant or funding sources: The museum has been fortunate to receive a state supported capital improvements grant through the Illinois Jobs Now Program for $125,000 to add additional room unto the building. We also began a capital building program in 2012 and the community has supported us. The amount requested from the Foundation is for the furniture and copier to go into this new addition. Targeted demographic group served by the project: All members of the community and outlying area interested in the heritage of the Shabbona, Lee, and Rollo area. If collaborative, details of collaboration:

Activities planned to meet objectives: Bids have been received for the furniture and copier. General description of the project: As part of our new room addition project, the e-table, chairs and copy machine will be the focal point and work center of our research department. Expected benefits and outcomes of the project: The plan is to educate people of all ages on the importance of family research and local history. Our organization will become more visible which will generate more income from additional memberships, the sale of books and novelties and proceeds from research requests. Qualifications of key personnel involved: Each research specialist has over twenty-five years of experience in the family research field. How will you measure the results: We will expand our services to offer computer and genealogy classes to the community and continue to include the local children from the schools into our curriculum. The results will be measured by the increased number of visitors at the museum and on the website, which should lead to additional revenue. Approximate number of DeKalb county residents served by this project: Approximately 1000 people are served by this project.

Re: 2013 Sycamore Film Festival Sponsorship Request Tom, Thank you so much for your past support of the Sycamore Film Festival. As you know we are a non-profit event in partnership with The Joiner History Room whose proceeds are donated for scholarships at Sycamore and DeKalb High Schools to students who intend to pursue education and careers in the Arts. Our goal is to educate, enlighten and illuminate our DeKalb County students, citizens and guests to our area on various significant topics through film screenings, panel discussions, and featured art events. We are very excited about the theme of the 2013 Sycamore Film Festival which is Films on Disabilities. Our intention is to highlight the broad range of disabilities from the hearing impaired to loss of limb to mental illness to learning disabilities. We hope to work with veterans groups such as the Wounded Warrior Project and the Yellow Ribbon Project to focus on veterans’ disabilities. We also hope to bring in representatives of the Bully Project as many learning disabled children tend to be victims of bullying.

We hope to show the Opportunity House documentary to the students at both high schools during our student filmmaker programs to enlighten the student body and faculty to the history and accomplishments that Opportunity House has achieved in our County. We also plan to premiere the OH documentary as a kick-off to our 2013 Film Festival.

We plan to invite filmmakers who have made significant contributions through their film mediums to educating and entertaining the public on disabilities of all types. We also intend to invite, as our featured artist this year, Loretta Goebel, a Sycamore resident who has written a book entitled “A Life in Parts”. Her book is a mesmerizing, inspirational story of her incredible struggle to overcome the loss of her legs and arm after contracting a staff infection in her thumb.

We have had tremendous feedback from our teachers, students, community organizations, citizens, and guests from outside of the state about the Sycamore Film Festival. You can read a few of the testimonials from visiting filmmakers on our website www.sycamorefilmfestival.com. We feel that our film festival makes a substantial and valuable contribution to the community in the area of Arts and Education. We also feel we bring in considerable tourism dollars and new visitors to our shops, restaurants, bars, hotels and museums.

Our costs to put on the Film Festival in 2012 were approximately $32,500. I have cut certain areas out of our budget for this year, including concert, catering, promotional materials, and other costs to reduce our budget to $24,000. I may be able to reduce this amount further by reducing our housing costs, travel costs, and trying to reduce our print production costs – all of which were considerable (near or over $5,000 each). However, based on what we hope to achieve this year with our Films on Disabilities theme and our efforts to reach out to bigger names I have hammered out a budget of $24,000 which reflects the following areas of cost:

Web Design Updates and Maintenance Housing Catering Filmmaker Travel expenses (airfare, car service, etc.) Marketing Print production Student filmmaker cash awards Film Rights Projectors/DVD players Filmmaker gift bags and ceremony awards

This budget does not include payment to the Executive Director, Operations Directors or Social Media Manager as they have always waived fees for operating and producing the Festival (approximately a 50K+ savings). All other assistance is given by volunteers supervised by the Directors. The costs included in this budget are generated by and paid to local DeKalb County vendors.

I do not have any other committed sources of funding at this time for the 2013 Sycamore Film Festival. I hope to find new sources of funding that have not been approached in the past. However, there are a few individuals and organizations that I have met with or intend to meet with that may become sources of funding: NB&T (no commitment but they did indicate a possible small contribution) KJ Chapter of the PEO Organization (no commitment but possible source) Ideal Industries (I intend to submit a grant request) Kish Hospital, Resource Bank, Castle Bank, Nancy Proesel (no commitments but intend to meet with these organizations/individuals).

This year’s festival is very meaningful to us as we are all passionate about focusing on how we can educate and illuminate the public about people with disabilities and their stigmas, myths, realities, and positive impacts and contributions to our communities and nation. Ironically, this may be the most challenging year for me to raise funds to manifest this wonderful Festival. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Any ideas for sources of funding would also be tremendously appreciated. Thank you so much Tom for your time and consideration.

Re: Proposal for Opportunity House documentary

Hi Tom, Thank you so much for considering the possibility of sponsoring a documentary on Opportunity House in Sycamore. I assembled an outstanding film crew from this area and met with them this past Monday to discuss interest, availability and what everyone’s needs would be to make this happen. I asked everyone to submit a reasonable budget to me and I have been crunching numbers and going over dates for shooting and editing that would work with everyone’s schedule. We propose the following:

1. We would like to produce a 7 – 10 minute short documentary on the Opportunity House which would cover its 50 year history as told by its two Executive Directors, a few of OH’s current and past residents, employees, families, and Board members. 2. We would like to spend 4 weeks doing research and pre-interviews which would start immediately. 3. We would like to shoot the film over 4 days in May with one possible extra shoot day to cover the Opportunity House Special Olympics – unless current footage is available. 4. We would edit the film in May/June with a completion date set in July. 5. We would compose original music to underscore the film. 6. We would like to interview approximately 10 – 12 people for the film and we would like input from the Board and Executive Director as to the most appropriate individuals to represent OH in the documentary. 7. We would like to collect as many archival photos and film footage of OH and its residents and families as are available. 8. We would like to premiere the Opportunity House documentary at the Sycamore Film Festival in October of 2013 as part of the Festival’s Films on Disabilities Theme. 9. We would like to donate the film to Opportunity House for its use once we have premiered it at the Festival. 10. We are interested in holding the premiere at the DCCF Depot building to kick off the Sycamore Film Festival and we would offer several screenings over the course of an evening to allow hundreds of people to view the documentary on its premiere night. 11. We would like to offer to donate ½ of the premiere’s proceeds to Opportunity House. The other half of the evening’s proceeds would go to our Student Scholarships at DeKalb and Sycamore HS, which the Sycamore Film Festival endeavors to donate to each year.

12. The budget needs for the film include, but are not limited to, the following fees and rentals: a. Sound Kit b. Lighting Kit c. 2 Cameras and Camera Support gear d. Two camera men/Grips/Gaffers e. Director of Photography fees f. Sound crew g. Editing fees (4 weeks) h. Research (4 weeks) i. Composer’s Fees j. Directing/Writing Fees (12 weeks) k. Transcription Supervisor (4 weeks) l. Administrative fees m. Photo collection n. Scheduling o. Waivers/Collection p. Legal assistance q. Kraft Services r. DVD/Art Production s. Monitors/Audio t. Print Production

13. The proposed budget is $28,500. This amount is over $30,000 less than the final cost for the DeKalb documentary but we believe we can accomplish our goals for the OH documentary with this budget. This also includes the cover design art for the DVD case as well as the first two hundred DVDs to make available for sale or use. This amount does not include rent for a shoot space but we hope that we can find a shoot location that will allow us to use their space rent free. My crew generously reduced their fees considerably so I could arrive at this total. I also reduced my fees by more than half to make this as reasonable as possible. We are all feeling very passionate about making this project a reality.

I do not have any other committed sources of funding at this time for this project. I have missed the grant deadline for the DCCF grant awards although I believe we would have met the criteria for funding according to Anita Zurbrugg. I would be happy to speak to the OH Board President or any other members who may be interested in sponsoring this project. Please let me know if you need any further information from me. I would be happy to meet with you, Tom, or anyone else that you feel would be beneficial. Thank you so much for your consideration. Best, Shela Lahey Doug and Lynn Roberts Family Foundation Grant Application

Name of Organization: Sycamore School District #427

Contact Person/Title: Diane Tyrrell, Vision Teacher & Kathy Countryman, Superintendent Address: 245 W. Exchange Street City/State/Zip: Sycamore, Illinois 60178 Phone Number: 815/970-0379 Diane Tyrrell; 815/899-8112 Kathy Countryman Fax Number: 815/899-8119 Email: [email protected] and [email protected] Website: www.syc427.org Project Description Anticipated project dates: July 8-12, 2013 Total project cost: $ 5,690.00 Amount requested from DLRFF: $ 5,690.00 Specific purpose of funds requested: Funds being requested will be designated for a nutrition and cooking program designed specifically for students who are blind and visually impaired who attend several of the local school districts. The will experience will be hosted by Sycamore School District 427. Evidence of need for your project: District 427 believes that a curriculum providing opportunities for individualized education is beneficial. That said, students who are blind and visually impaired have unique educational needs that often requires specialized programming to meet their learning needs. Collectively, there are several high school students who attend Sycamore H.S. and neighboring districts that are blind and/or visually impaired who would benefit from the aforementioned programming. This type of programming is essential for students who are blind and visually impaired so that they, like their sighted peers, are prepared for independent living as an adult. As blindness/visual impairment is a low-incidence disability, there are no specialized family consumer education course offerings available that adequately meet the needs of visually impaired learners. Plant for future funding of the project: This is a pilot project at present. Is successful, grant funding will be sought through community grant funding opportunities to expand the project for future year. Other grant or funding sources: None at present. Targeted demographic group served by the project: The targeted demographic group who will be served by the project will include blind and visually impaired high school students attending public schools in DeKalb County. If collaborative, details of collaboration: District 427 will partner with Hy-vee and the Low Vision Chef to deliver educational programming related to nutrition and cooking for independence to visually impaired high school students within the community. Activities planned to meet objectives: The workshop will include daily lessons from the Hy-vee Nutritionist and The Low Vision Chef. This will be done through hands on learning with non-visually impaired peers and facilitation by a certified teacher for the visually impaired and orientation and mobility instructor. Students will utilize adapted cooking equipment and be taught techniques to be safe and also to have fun in the kitchen. Students will also use I-pod touch applications as a tool for planning, shopping and purchasing items needed for recipes to be made and consumed during the workshop. General description of the project: The proposed project is multi-dimensional with a primary focus for teaching independent living skills to students who are blind and visually impaired. The specific living skills addressed by this project will be specific to nutrition and cooking. Instruction will be delivered by experts in the field of nutrition and cooking, in collaboration with, teachers certified to teach and train students who are blind and visually impaired. Students will learn and practice authentically how to plan, obtain and prepare nutritionally balanced food items on their own. Strategies for success will range from the use of low tech adapted kitchenware to the use of higher tech applications to include a variety I-pod applications. Students will also have the opportunity foster social relationships and to work with sighted peer mentors. Expected benefits and outcomes of the project: First and foremost, the outcomes/benefits expected include education and independence related to daily living skills and nutrition for the learners. Subsequent benefits/outcomes will include: the opportunity to socialize and learn with their peers in a safe learning environment; real world authentic applications to their learning; and experience with assistive technology into their activities of daily living. Qualifications of key personnel involved: Certified Nutritionist Chef Certified Teacher for the Visually Impaired Certified Orientation & Mobility Instructor Certified Sign Language Interpreter How will you measure the results: Results will be measured through observation, informal checklists, anecdotal records and participant feedback. More specifically, with the use of the Texas School for the Blind's Independent Living Curriculum, students will be assessed before and after the program. Additionally, feedback will be solicited from instructional staff, students, parents and mentors as to the major benefits of the program. Approximate number of DeKalb County residents served by this project: With students, mentors and instructors approximately 25 Name of Organization: Kishwaukee Family YMCA Contact Person/Title: Debbie Madeley Address: 2500 W. Bethany Rd. City/State/Zip: Sycamore, IL 60178 Phone Number: 815-756-9577 Fax Number: 815-758-4549 Email: [email protected] Website: www.kishymca.org Anticipated Project Dates: June - August 2013 and continuing each summer thereafter Total project cost: $10,000 Amount Requested form DLRFF: $5,000 Specific Purpose of Funds Requested: Funds will help the YMCA expand our summer literacy program into our entire summer day camp. Summer camp program serves 200 youth daily, and is being implemented through partnership with NIU Department of Education. This grant will help with purchasing start up inventory and equipment including books, e-books, literacy games and reading “toys” for younger kids, book shelves, rolling book totes, and possibly furniture and area rug for a reading area in a public spot at the YMCA to encourage reading by all YMCA participants. Evidence of need for your project: Research shows that children who do not engage in educational activities, summer camps or trips over the summer months will start the school year behind their peers who do have those opportunities. This is known as summer learning loss. By the end of middle school, low-income children without access to summer activities can start high school close to 3 years behind their middle-income peers. This past summer the Kishwaukee Family YMCA offered a pilot reading program in partnership with School District 428 for our 2nd and 3rd grade campers. The results were very positive, with 92% of the youth showing an increase in reading fluency. This summer we will expand the literacy efforts to include ALL youth participating in summer day camp (preschool â€“ 8th grade) with the help of NIU interns and YMCA staff. Our 2nd and 3rd grade campers will continue to have reading lessons as they did last summer with the School District 428 teacher. The lessons will focus on reading fluency. We will be partnering with the NIU Department of Education who will be providing the full camp curriculum for this endeavor. With 50% of the children in our summer camp program receiving financial assistance, we see how important continued learning and experiences are over the summer â€“ especially for children who would not otherwise have access to summer camp and educational experiences. Additionally, the literacy program will directly address two key Developmental Assets: Reading for Pleasure and Adult Role Models. Summer camp counselors and NIU interns will be reading alongside the kids and role modeling positive reading behaviors. Plan for future funding of project: The Kishwaukee Family YMCA Summer Camp program has been in existence for nearly 50 years. Our camp incorporates a variety of activities “tracks” into each week’s curriculum. Our literacy “track” will be a component of our regular camp activities and curriculum. Our partnership with NIU will provide the following: “ NIU Dept. of Education Interns - Training for YMCA staff to lead the program “ The curriculum Measurement of progress and success The program will remain sustainable as YMCA staff will be trained to lead the literacy activities throughout the Y and the use of the NIU Education interns will help enhance the learning experience and success participants have. The curriculum and measurement tools will be viable for several years. Other grant or funding sources: The YMCA has received funding in the amounts of $3,000 from the Cy Miller Foundation and also $500 from the Monsanto Foundation for this initiative. Targeted demographic group served by the project: Youth ages 6-14 enrolled in YMCA summer day camp. 50% of youth enrolled in summer camp in 2012 received financial assistance to attend. We anticipate a similar percentage of youth receiving financial assistance for 2013. If collaborative, details of collaboration: The YMCA partnership with DeKalb School District #428 enabled the Y to launch the program in 2012. This partnership included the implementation of the curriculum and also enabling the YMCA to hire a District 428 teacher to lead the program. This summer we have secured the lead teacher again from DeKalb School District 428 to lead our program. In 2013, we will be partnering with the NIU College of Education and their Literacy Dept. to expand the program to all campers this summer. Activities planned to meet objectives: Our vision is a camp wide reading program, creating reading-friendly environments throughout the day and throughout the YMCA to encourage youth of all ages to read. Tactics used are games, theater, read aloud etc. General description of the project: This is a collaboration project with NIU to have a camp wide reading program. We plan to saturate our camp space with reading materials that campers can access anytime throughout the day in order to provide the opportunity for campers to choose to read. Strategically having professional role models (camp counselors) reading aloud to campers in order to model positive reading behaviors, will develop assets. The curriculum will further make reading a social interaction so that campers will want to share with others what they have read and engage with one another. Further, as described above, four days a week, campers will work with a certified reading teacher from School District 428 to increase their reading fluency. Expected benefits and outcomes of the project: Outcome 1) Children will read more and identify themselves as readers. Outcome 2) Summer learning loss will decrease for campers participating in the camp wide program. Outcome 3) Reading fluency will increase in the 2-3 grade campers. Qualifications of key personnel involved: The 2-3 grade program will be led by Jamie Hartwig, Certified teacher with School District 428. The curriculum and intern support portion from NIU will be led by NIU consultants. Dr. Jennifer Berne, Chair, NIU Department of Literacy Education has a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. Lucy Killian, Reading Specialist, NIU Department of Literacy Education has a Masters degree in Education from NIU. Lesley Feyerherm, our Youth Development Director will be directly involved in the oversight of the program. Lesley has a degree in Psychology from University of Illinois. YMCA day camp staff - Camp Counselors are chosen for their leadership skills, safety consciousness, and responsibility, experience working with children, education and caring attitude toward children. All staff members are First Aid, CPR, and AED certified as well as background checked. Day Camp Staff receive training in safety, procedures, activities, lesson planning, character and asset development and much more prior to the camp program. Camp Staff continuously strives to provide a wonderful experience for each and every camper. Also of note, many of our camp counselors are education majors and even certified teachers here for summer work. How will you measure the results: We will use a Pre and post reading fluency test for 2nd and 3rd grade participants. These tests will be provided by School District 428. We will regularly conduct observational assessments looking at the number of campers who pick up a book and read at the beginning of camp vs. the end. We will also observe the overall time spent reading throughout each week and over the course of the summer. We will conduct a Pre and post camp survey to measure the number of campers who self-identify themselves as readers. Approximate number of DeKalb county residents served by this project: 200 youth each week through summer camp. The public reading area will potentially impact close to 4,600 youth who participate at the Y each year.

Name of Organization: DeKalb County Youth Service Bureau Contact Person/Title: Jason Nicol, Executive Director Address: 330 Grove Street City/State/Zip: DeKalb, IL 60115 Phone Number: 815-748-2010 Fax Number: 815-748-2019 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dcysb.com Anticipated Project Dates: July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 (fiscal year) Total project cost: $36,000 Amount Requested form DLRFF: $15,000 Specific Purpose of Funds Requested: Funds will be used for salary support for school-based counseling as part of the Youth and Family Counseling (YFC) program. YFC provides individual and family therapy to adolescents and their families and is the largest and fastest growing program at the Youth Service Bureau (YSB). YFC is projected to serve between 500-600 individuals this year, which is an increase of nearly 350% in the past 4 years. Because we specifically serve school aged children, therapy hours after school are limited for many youth, and our facility. The school based program was piloted this school year in response to demand for services and requests for additional services and resources from many local schools. Evidence of need for your project: In piloting this program, YSB’s role has been to service clients identified by the schools as being 1) in need of services and 2) unlikely to follow through with services outside of school due to a variety of life circumstances. Within this role, YSB has provided ongoing counseling and a variety of groups to an additional 90 kids. The following is a list of current evidence of need: -School site-based therapist was requested from KEC and SHS due to the desire to provide prevention and early intervention services for at-risk youth. Half way through the school year, we were able to begin the program at DHS to support at- risk youth as well. -Due to significant growth in agency referrals for counseling and limited space and evening hours to provide those services, creating a site based position provides a valuable resource and solution. -Surveys were distributed to SHS students, faculty, and parents- all demonstrated support of offering more services in the school. Plan for future funding of project: KEC and Sycamore Teen Reach have committed $7,000 each for the next school year. YSB will be able to utilize a portion of grant funding from the Mental Health Board (grant pending) to support this form of mental health services. During this pilot year the site-based program proved successful and as a result, both KEC and SHS Teen Reach have renewed their support. Additionally, the DeKalb County Mental Health Board supported this program with a mid-year grant of $7500 during FY 13 and indicated they would like to provide additional support in FY 15. Other grant or funding sources: KEC- $7,000 (committed) SHS Teen Reach- $7,000 (committed) 708 Board- $7,500 (grant pending) DLRFF- $15,000 (this grant request) Total: $36,000 Targeted demographic group served by the project: Youth ages 8-18 who have been clients identified by the schools as being 1) in need of services and 2) unlikely to follow through with services outside of school due to a variety of life circumstances. If collaborative, details of collaboration: YSB has partnered with schools for years to provide individual and group services as much as possible given funding declines for both schools and NPO’s. YSB has an ongoing collaborative relationship with KEC and over the past year has partnered with the Ben Gordon Center and Family Service Agency in the YESS Program at SHS (Youth Experiencing Success in Schools). The goals of this program revolve around The Federation for Community Schools including a focus on emotional and mental health. Activities planned to meet objectives: YSB, in partnership with local schools, has deployed master’s level therapists for a set number of hours each week to assist youth identified as at risk by the school. As a part of these services, the therapist provides the following: clinical assessment, symptom inventory, mental health screening, ongoing weekly individual and/or group therapy, recommendations and referrals, family resource development. General description of the project: This project is designed to address the increased demand for services for youth that have limited access to services by offering those services at a time and location that better meets there scheduling difficulties. This project is also designed to assist schools in their goals of improving overall school performance, especially for youth identified as ”at risk” do to socio-emotional issues. Expected benefits and outcomes of the project: YFC outcomes to be measured are listed below. A driving force for this project is to provide prevention/ early intervention services to youth who may be unable or unwilling to seek services outside of the school. 1. Reduction in emotional, behavioral, and/or mental health symptoms. 2. Develop supportive relationship with counselor. 3. Improved relationships with family and/or school personnel. 4. Better preparedness for life’s challenges. 5. School improvement. Qualifications of key personnel involved: Direct service will be provided by master’s level therapist(s). Supervision and case consultation will be provided by Ahna Young, MS, LMFT, YSB Clinical Director. How will you measure the results: YSB utilizes the following methods to measure outcomes, recidivism rates, and demographic information: 1. Program Survey/Comments 2. School reports 3. Pretest and Posttest 4. Mental Health Screenings (chIPS, and MDIC) 5. YASI-Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument 6. Children’s Global Assessment Scale Approximate number of DeKalb county residents served by this project: 100-150 anticipated