2018-2019 Annual Report
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A FOUNDATION OF SERVICE, A FUTURE OF SERVICE MERCER STREET FRIENDS 2018-2019 ANNUAL REPORT 151 MERCER STREET TRENTON, NJ 08611 TEL (609) 396-1506 mercerstreetfriends.org MERCER STREET FRIENDS 2018-2019 ANNUAL REPORT A MESSAGE FROM BOARD CHAIR, JOE HULIHAN AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARMSTEAD G. JOHNSON Each day, Mercer Street Friends offers families support and guidance away from a life of poverty, into a life of self-sufficiency. It has been over 60 years since committed Quakers opened the doors of 151 Mercer Street to Trenton and the Greater Mercer County community. Thousands upon thousands of lives have been impacted by the commitment of our founders to nourish minds and bodies and empower families and communities. Those first 60 years provided a roadmap for Mercer Street Friends to fulfill its mission and it is because of our ardent philanthropic community that we continue to navigate challenges leading towards a promising future for our children and families. Food security, social and emotional care, removing educational barriers, and addressing trauma are at the heart of the work of Mercer Street Friends. This work was made possible by more than 2,350 individuals and families, foundations, and corporations. Each and every gift made to Mercer Street Friends goes towards changing the trajectory of a child’s life in school, a mother’s steps in parenting, or a young man’s opportunity to gain employment. We thank you for your confidence in Mercer Street Friends. Thank you for the time you’ve invested in our mission, for the millions of pounds of food you sorted, for the sponsorships at our Gala of Life in October, for the gifts to our Thanksgiving, December, and Spring appeals. Thank you for what you’ve given to Trenton and to Mercer County. Thank you for standing with Mercer Street Friends for the past 62 years. Here’s to the many years of service ahead. Joe Hulihan Armstead G. Johnson Board Chair Executive Director BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS TRUSTEES LEADERSHIP STAFF Joseph Hulihan Laura Bond Executive Director: Chair Michael D. Bradshaw Armstead G. Johnson, MPA James G. Allen Michael L. Carter Vice Chair Deputy Executive Director: David W. Fraser Jaap J. Ketting Anniesha D. Walker, Treasurer Glenda Gracia-Rivera Ph.D., LCSW Ken Blackwell Robert Holt Secretary Wendy B. Kane Lori A. Martin Stefanie J. Morgan Daniel Wetherill 1 A FOUNDATION OF SERVICE, A FUTURE OF SERVICE 2 MERCER STREET FRIENDS 2018-2019 ANNUAL REPORT RESULTS OF YOUR PHILANTHROPY THE IMPACT CENTERS OF MERCER STREET FRIENDS For over six decades, Mercer Street Friends has addressed “Partners work to achieve results where: Children are the cyclical issue of hunger and poverty in Mercer County. ready to enter school; students attend school consistently; Adopting a Community Schools philosophy has allowed students are actively involved in learning and their the organization to link its multi-faceted services to impact community; families are increasingly involved with their individuals, children and families in need. Community children’s education; schools are engaged with families and Schools, Early Childhood Education, Parent and Family communities; students succeed academically; students are Empowerment, Workforce Development and a Food Bank. healthy—physically, socially, and emotionally; students live and learn in a safe, supportive, and stable environment, Mercer Street Friends, through its mission to Nourish Bodies and communities are desirable places to live.” (Source: and Minds, Empowering Families and Communities, Communityschools.org) reaches over 60,000 individuals and families throughout COMMUNITY SCHOOLS BY THE NUMBERS: Mercer County. ▶ FOOD BANK CENTER FOR NUTRITIONAL 30 mentors trained. HEALTH & WELLNESS ▶ 42 students matched with a mentor. ▶ Mercer Street Friends Food Bank Center for Nutritional 917 hours of mentorship provided to students. ▶ Health & Wellness leads the community response to Chronic Absenteeism decreased by 18% at Luis hunger in Mercer County. As part of Feeding America and Munoz-Rivera Community Middle School from Community FoodBank of New Jersey distribution network, 2017-2019. Mercer Street Friends Food Bank is the primary source of PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS: government and privately donated food targeted for hunger ▶ Princeton Area Community Foundation relief programs throughout the county. ▶ Trenton Board of Education FOOD BANK CENTER FOR NUTRITIONAL ▶ Princeton Blairstown HEALTH AND WELLNESS BY THE NUMBERS: ▶ McCarter Theatre ▶ 4,000,000 lbs. of food distributed. ▶ STEAM Works Princeton ▶ 165,000 meals provided for the year. ▶ Mad Science ▶ 131 agencies served in Mercer County. ▶ The College of New Jersey ▶ A total of 10,800 meals provided this summer to 240 ▶ NJ Office of Faith Based Initiatives kids at five sites. ▶ U.S. Department of Education ▶ 1,300 kids a month from 31 schools are provided ▶ Knuckle Game Boxing Gym weekend meals. ▶ Driven by Design ▶ 520 seniors receive bags of non perishable food each ▶ Trenton Youth Wrestling month at 13 sites. ▶ Isles COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ▶ Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Mercer County Mercer Street Friends is the leader in the Community EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM Schools movement in Trenton, NJ, and one of the most well-known in the state. In collaboration with Trenton Mercer Street Friends Early Childhood Education Program provides a high-quality early childhood education at little or Board of Education, Mercer Street Friends has partnered no cost to children ages 3 to 5 who reside in Trenton. A with Luis Munoz-Rivera Community Middle School and staff of certified teachers provide young children with a Benjamin C. Gregory Community Elementary School. safe, caring, and nurturing environment paired with an The Community School model combines best educational innovative curriculum. practices with expanded learning opportunities for Our preschool emphasizes cognitive, social, and emotional students and families (after school, weekends, and summer growth in young children. In addition to building essential programming). Community Schools provide health, mental academic skills in reading and math, our curriculum health and social services to promote the well-being of emphasizes the development of the “soft skills” that are students and families and to ensure that children are crucial to achieving success in school and life, including physically, emotionally and socially prepared to learn. It is curiosity, persistence, self-control, conscientiousness, and both a place and a set of partnerships between schools and self-confidence. other community resources with an integrated focus on EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION academics, health and social services, youth and community PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS: development and community engagement that leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier ▶ 83 children ages 3 to 5 enrolled during the 2018-2019 communities. academic school year. 3 A FOUNDATION OF SERVICE, A FUTURE OF SERVICE ▶ 52 successfully prepared to enter Kindergarten for the PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT 19/20 school year. BY THE NUMBERS: ▶ Pre-school children experienced hands-on learning ▶ 1,050 linkages to community services resulting from with trips to: engaging families in a conversation, upon intake or a. Terhune Farm for Pumpkin and Apple Picking afterwards, about their needs/challenges, were made b. MCCC Kelsey Theatre for services related to assessed needs/risks include the following: c. Shafers School of Gymnastics • Depression • GED Services • Daycare d. Jer Z Jump Services • Domestic • Housing e. Locust Hall Farm for Strawberry Picking Violence • Employment • Health PARENT & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM • Dept. of Insurance • Home Social Visitation Mercer Street Friends Parent & Family Engagement • Baby Supplies Services Services Impact Center offers programs that bring together & Furniture • Prenatal Care • Children’s community, public, private, and, most importantly, families • Family Clothes to comprehensively address the physical, financial, social/ • Nutritional Planning emotional, and developmental needs of families who have info • Mental experienced trauma. Health The goal of our program is to increase parenting skills, ▶ 102 pregnant women and moms were screened for improve family stability, learn skills that improve personal Intimate Partner Violence and offered Domestic and family resilience, and our culturally sensitive/trauma Violence referrals, when appropriate. informed activities focus on engaging and retaining parents ▶ Zero Infant Mortalities among the 104 pregnant in domains of service designed to address the needs and women enrolled in our parent support services. challenges that our families have identified in partnership ▶ Zero Maternal Mortalities among these 104 women with specially trained program staff. ▶ 29 pregnant women and Moms consistently attended the Perinatal Mood Disorders workshops (called Motherhood and More) CENTER FOR CAREER AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Mercer Street Friends’ Center for Career and Workforce Development works with adult residents of New Jersey, ages 16 and older, who are looking for career guidance and to renew math, reading and writing skills to prepare for entrance exams for career training and continued education. One on one and small group counseling and instruction were provided to 110 clients. MERCER STREET FRIENDS 2018-2019 REVENUE & CONTRIBUTIONS O./rental: $498,00 9 I & O C Government TOTAL: Rvenue: $1,20,495 2 $,18,121 0 $5,289,2 Foundations: $404,54 8 4 MERCER STREET FRIENDS 2018-2019 ANNUAL REPORT 5