TEEG 2018 Annual Report a Grateful
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TEEG 2018 ANNUAL REPOrt A Grateful Heart DedicationWe are happy to dedicate this year’s Annual Report to two individuals who represent the foundation of the agency we are today. n Attitude In 2009, as work began on our present building, John A Rice stepped in to lend a hand. He soon became the unofficial “Clerk of the Works”, volunteering countless of Gratitude hours to make sure the work was done right and on We at TEEG are grateful. Northeast Connecticut is widely time. But John didn’t stop there. When we opened known for its generosity and willingness to take care the building, he became the unofficial “Head of of others. The Quiet Corner is a special place where the Maintenance” repairing, upgrading, and maintaining connection to and support of our institutions, agencies, the building. To this day John keeps our systems in and traditions are the threads that hold our communities tip-top shape and finds replacements when things are together. This is how TEEG has been able to continue beyond repair. His sense of humor and genuine concern serving our community for 31 years. are what encourage us to keep going. For these and so many other reasons, we were happy to dedicate the In this spirit, our 2018 Annual Report shares just TEEG building to John Rice in October 2018. a few of the countless examples of selfless giving that fill our hearts with gratitude. We Donna Grant came to TEEG in 1998 hope reading them will give you insight into as Youth Programs Manager. Never the work we do, and the many ways people one to leave an issue unresolved give to TEEG. or an individual struggling, she quickly rose through the ranks As you read through A Grateful Heart, you to take on the role of Executive will see that we serve so many people with a Director. Shaping, coaxing, wide variety of programs and services. advocating and building, Donna We hope you will join us in our work, moved the agency forward and knowing that we are grateful for each grew programs to serve area and every one residents in so many ways. She of you, each and poured her passion into each every day. project and defended those she served with vigor. Donna’s concern for youth in our area was paramount. As the TEEG building took shape she saw the need for a space where mentors could meet with their mentees to relax, talk, and problem-solve. Our therapeutic garden provides shelter from the storms of everyday life. This special space was named in honor of Donna in October 2018. Lives Touched by TEEG Programs Early Childhood & Community Education .......................... 1,490 Focus on Family Hand in Hand n Emotion Parent/Child Playgroup Diaper Assistance A School Readiness Gamblers Anonymous of Positive Motion Anger Aside As I write this message, it is a sparkling Youth Services ....................................................................... 5,739 late-summer day. The happy voices of children All-Star Adventure Program (ASAP) fill the halls here at TEEG. They are here with Back to School their families to take part in our annual “Back Campership Program & MARS Scholarship to School” program. With supplies generously Got Drama? donated by the community, volunteers help Adolescent Therapeutic Support Services children to choose items needed to Juvenile Review Board (JRB) start the school year on the right foot, Scholarship including vouchers to be used to purchase Summer Breakfast & Lunch new pairs of shoes! Gratitude abounds Community & Income Qualified Programs ......................... 29,139 Case Management and Budgeting for the supplies, for the volunteers, for Client Relief and Private Fund Fuel Assistance the donations, and for the Thompson Clothing Assistance Lions who raised money for shoes. Community Garden and Nutrition Education Feeling gratitude and expressing it allows Community Outreach us all to experience the good in our lives. Food Systems (Gleaning, Food Rescue, Hub) It is an emotion that helps propel us Holiday Giving toward improved health, coping skills in Homelessness Support the face of life's adversities, and strong, Information & Referral Consultation healthy relationships. Monthly & Emergent Food Distribution Operation Fuel My role as TEEG’s Executive Director Private Fund Energy Assistance allows me to see the benefits of feeling Salvation Army gratitude from both sides. People are as Volunteer Services & Giving Back ........................................ 2,245 grateful for the opportunity to help as they Community Service are to receive the kindness of others. Volunteering Opportunities In shaping the message and vision of this year’s report, I knew that we Senior Services ...................................................................... 8,400 would be able to include just a few tales of heroic giving. Please know Benefits Counseling that this only scratches the surface. There are so many more stories of Pomfret Senior Center Senior Recreation AND Events people giving their time, talent and treasure that we need far more space than this book allows to share them all. Please join TEEG in our Total times lives were touched the fiscal year 2017-2018 .... 47,013 campaign to spread gratitude. Visit our new website and follow us on Unduplicated Individuals ..................................................... 2,131 Facebook to be inspired by the daily acts of selflessness that fill our Unduplicated Families .......................................................... 894 hearts with love. TEEG ANNUAL REPORT 2018 • 1 ur gratitude O is deep We are grateful to the caring individuals who saw a need and came together to make TEEG happen so many years ago… We are grateful to the tireless staff who sought grant funding and skilled support to do the work that continues today… We are grateful to the many volunteer board members who structured the agency to increase its reach and expand its network of support… We are grateful to visionaries and dedicated worker bees who created the beautiful building we now occupy… And more than anything, we at TEEG are grateful for the countless daily acts of kindness that inspire us to do what we do. The TEEG Board of Directors TEEG Board members are volunteers with deep commitment and dedication to our mission. It is a true working board that meets monthly to support the agency and its staff. They work to fundraise, guide, contribute and nurture the agency they love. They sit on committees and are often here at TEEG to volunteer. They are a regular and welcome presence in our building. Their thoughtfulness and deep understanding of TEEG and those we serve is invaluable. Christopher Burke, Esq Jo-Ann Chenail* Amy Archambault Pam Olson President Treasurer Denise Baum Heather O’Rourke Rene Comtois Mercedes Robbins Dr. Mary Cheyne Linda Peiczarka Vice President Asst. Treasurer Larry Consiglio, Jr. Barbara Pickett Eric Gould Ted Reynolds Mary Anne Fontaine Kevin Shaw Sandra Gould Jayne Robbins Secretary Executive Officer Erica Groh Leslee Ruggeri Mary Ellen Jones Dolores Werge Erica Kesselman, M.D. Taff Tschamler Peter Lusa 2 • TEEG ANNUAL REPORT 2018 * We thank Jo-Ann for her service on our board and are happy to have welcomed her to our staff in September of 2018. Truckload of Gratitude A TEEG needed a truck. When our old truck, purchased for $1 from the Connecticut Food Bank, died we were missing out on opportunities to receive needed donations from local warehouses. A $5,000 match challenge was offered by bankHometown, and we got to work spreading the word. Within an hour we had our first donor, Longmeadow Automotive. The outpouring of support that followed was humbling and soon we raised twice the matched amount, allowing us to purchase the perfect vehicle to suit our needs. owerful Generosity P Running a large building, complete with heat, lights, technology, and refrigeration that includes a walk-in freezer and cooler is expensive. While we do our best to conserve, the monthly electric bill was often staggering. Enter Charlie Weedon and Sue Devokaitis. They had a vision that would make us more energy efficient AND save money. Not only did they provide us with a solar array; they did the paperwork, the design, the contracts, and the many tasks that allowed us to step into full solar power production. Because of their thoughtful and knowledgeable generosity, we can power our work at an estimated savings of $4,500 a year. TEEG ANNUAL REPORT 2018 • 3 TEEG Staff (In alphabetical order) Peg Bernat, HR/Fiscal Assistant/Benefits Counselor Jason Bleau, Community Outreach Coordinator Jill Bourbeau, Associate Case Management Coordinator Jenn Carlson, Clinical Program Coordinator Jo-Ann Chenail, Resource Developer Jenni Fountain, Fiscal Administrator Chelsea French, Community Programs, Outreach, and Development Coordinator Rachel Hilli, Front Desk Coordinator Therese Horvath, Lead Case Management Coordinator Jim Jutras, Senior Center Susan Kershaw-Sczuroski, Clinical Supervisor Nadia Krivosheev, Program Assistant Anne Miller, Executive Director Catherine Smith, Program Assistant Jennifer Strong, Community Programs Manager (17/18) Colin Whiston, Clinical Programs Manager (17/18) Jibrael Younis, Resource Developer (17/18) IAM Mentors ASAP Staff Elena Mercier Douglas Henry Therese Horvath Therese Horvath Elizabeth King Sarah LeNoir John O’Brien Autumn Lewis Jenn Plaza Julie March Loryn Walker Haylee Olson Jibrael Younis Jenn Plaza Jill Bourbeau Cameron Saracina Maryanne Coleda Colin Whiston Patty Sue Brown Elizabeth King Cameron Saracina Isabel Rodriguez-Mendez Sarah LeNoir Molly Ware Jose Michael Gonzalez Jeff Lee Molly Ware Colin Whiston Consultants Dr. Andre Bessette, Child and Adolescent Psychologist Dr. Janice M. Gruendel, Senior Fellow Institute for Child Success, Yale University 4 • TEEG ANNUAL REPORT 2018 Just like every modern organization, TEEG relies on technology to do our work. From our information database created by Phyllis Emigh of Quiet Corner Consulting, to email accounts, to our phone system, TEEG is wired. Enter Eric Gould of Savage Systems. Since 2005 Eric has provided our agency with his IT wisdom and support services.