Open Door Ann Report 2016:Layout 1
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OPEN DOOR COMMUNITY HOUSE, INC. Report 2015-2016 Annual LETTER FROM OUR BOARD CHAIR – CHRIS JONES Serving as the chair of the board of directors for Open Door Community House over the last year was the most impactful year that I’ve spent serving on the board. Not only was I able to see firsthand the Report work of God in lives to empower impoverished people in our community but I was able to serve alongside a staff dedicated to seeing each person served to reach their full potential as children of God. Our vision is to eliminate poverty in our community and the staff and the board at Open Door Community House serves diligently daily to see that vision become reality. Annual In 1935, the Open Door ministries began by offering safe afterschool care for children in the community. Eighty one years later, we are still offering quality afterschool care for children in need. The Mathews Promise Academy continues to serve children and youth living in families of very low income, most earning less than $10,000 a year. We always have space for children residing in local homeless shelters, as well. Focusing on reading development and academic enrichment, the children are reading above grade level and succeeding academically. I love that we also focus on the spiritual development of our children, offering daily devotions and Bible Study. In the full-day Summer Academy Program, we offer a full week of Vacation Bible School, usually in partnership with a church willing to share of their time and resources. The Circles in Columbus initiative is a part of a national movement to end poverty. As we continue to grow and expand this movement we need volunteers to serve as Allies to build intentional relationships with persons currently living in poverty as they implement their personal plans to move beyond. The successes we are seeing in Circles are remarkable as families create a firm foundation to move beyond poverty and I have been blessed seeing the fruits of this movement. From ministries for persons experiencing homelessness to senior adults needing social connections to be less isolated and lonely, Open Door provides compassionate care for persons who need to know Christ’s love. Through ten different ministries, we open doors of faith, hope and opportunity, a commitment we have made to this community for 81 years. Although our programs and services have grown through the years, we have never lost sight of the power of relationships and the unique value of every individual. 1 For the last six years I have been blessed to serve alongside phenomenal men and women to make up the board of directors for Open Door Community House. The passion each individual board member has to see each program ministry succeed to fulfill the mission of Open Door Community House has been special to be a part of. On behalf of each of us, we are grateful for the many community partnerships that help us serve effectively. Churches, United Methodist Women, businesses, foundations, civic groups and others provide vital volunteer and financial support. We also are blessed with a tremendous staff that embraces our mission and serves each day making life better for all that come through our open door. Thank you for your support! I personally invite you to come take a tour with us and see for yourself the impact that the Open Door ministries are making as we help our neighbors create long-term solutions to poverty. You won’t be sorry that you did. 2 LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – KIM E. JENKINS “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in Report the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 Several years ago I was asked, “What is your favorite word and why?” I did not have to think for very long about the answer. Annual My favorite word is HOPE. Hope is my favorite word for many reasons. It keeps our focus on that toward which God is drawing us. It is the foundation of faith. Hope is living with a sense of expectancy and assurance that God is and forever will be. It is the peacefulness of knowing that we live in the gift of grace. This year has been a year of great hope, of expecting God to create opportunity, and of observing God’s handiwork in every person we encountered. We’ve seen dreams realized for individuals and families and for our organization. Truly, we live in the gift of grace. For 81 years, Open Door Community House has had the great privilege of walking alongside others in need of knowing hope or needing hope restored. We have seen families reunite, children achieve academic success, women move into productive work earning livable wages, and a community embrace with love those who need to believe that love still exists in this world. I am grateful for God’s grace and that you have faithfully served God and your neighbor by showing mercy, offering grace, and pursuing justice through partnership with the ministries of Open Door. Open Door is firmly committed to long-term relationships for lifelong transformation for people living in poverty. Your commitment to provide for and engage with the Open Door ministries creates opportunities for people to learn, grow, create change, and have a future story with a new outcome. By allowing us to have resources necessary to create a safe space, a place where people can take a deep breath and allow God to move into their lives, 3 thousands of people across our community are finding HOPE again. By God’s grace, HOPE is restored. In this report, you will see that many people have participated with the Open Door ministries and have created a new future story. Their hope has been restored. By God’s grace we will continue to see lives transformed in the coming year. Your continued partnership in prayer is vital. We have great things on the horizon and are grateful to friends like you who pray with us for dreams to come true. We are excited about what God is doing in our community and through the Open Door ministries. We look forward to continuing this journey with you. Thank you for sharing God’s love through your faithful support of Open Door. 4 AnnualReport MINISTRY STATISTICS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015-2016 CIRCLES IN COLUMBUS Circles in Columbus is a city-wide initiative to create thriving families and thriving communities free of poverty. Circle Leaders (or persons currently living in poverty) engage in an 18-week program of assessing their assets and resources, determining what resources they need to build, and creating a personal plan to move out of poverty. They then are matched with 2-3 Allies (volunteers from the community) who serve as their connections for resource building, motivators and friends. As a Circles Community, a “Big View” (systemic issue that often keeps people in poverty) topic is chosen to address. Total Number of Persons Served: 140 Total Unduplicated Adults Served: 69 Total Unduplicated Children Served: 71 Demographic Information: Male: 28 Female: 87 (Unknown)* 25 African American: 102 Caucasian: 8 (Unknown)* 25 Ages 1-3: 7 Ages 4-6: 10 Ages 7-10: 18 Ages 11-12: 6 Ages 13-17: 5 Ages 18-19: 0 Ages 20-24: 5 Ages 25-34: 17 Ages 35-44: 22 Ages 45-54: 13 Ages 55-59: 7 Ages 60-64: 4 Ages 65-74: 1 [Unknown]* 25 5 AnnualReport MINISTRY STATISTICS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015-2016 Income: Family income at or below poverty level: 99 Family income at 101%-200% 12 of federal poverty level: Family income at 201%-300% of federal poverty level: 4 [Unknown]* 25 *Children who attended the program only one time - statistical information not collected. Additional Statistics: • After 18 months of participating in Circles, Circle Leaders have an average of: • 7321% increase in assets • 44% decrease in debt • 203% increase in income • 82% have secured, maintained or improved their employment • 71% have newly enrolled in or maintained enrollment in school or a job training program • 100% have reported an increase in social capital • 94% have moved or maintained safe and secure housing • 82% have improved their physical and/or emotional health FANN (Friends and Neighbors Network Food Co-op): 19 families served with ½ to 1/3 of the family’s monthly food needs. FANN is offered in partnership with Feeding the Valley Food Bank. COMMUNITY MINISTRIES Chaplaincy The Chaplaincy program ministry assists any person in need with spiritual counseling, prayer, connections to substance abuse treatment programs and other community supports, and basic needs items such as food and diapers. The Chap- lain also coordinates a weekly Celebrate Recovery group, community Bible Studies and daily devotions for many Open Door program ministries. Total Unduplicated Persons Served: 709 Demographic Information: Male: 360 Female: 349 6 AnnualReport MINISTRY STATISTICS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015-2016 Demographic Information: African American: 438 Asian 2 Caucasian: 260 Hispanic/Latino: 7 Native American: 2 Ages 18-20: 3 Ages 21-30: 94 Ages 31-40: 136 Ages 41-50: 160 Ages 51-60: 221 Ages 61-70: 81 Ages 71-80: 14 Income: Family income under $10,000: 709 • 57 different people participated in Friday Bible Study throughout the year • 99 participated in Celebrate Recovery Mathews Promise Academy The Mathews Promise Academy is an afterschool program for children ages 5-17 who live in families who earn less than federal poverty guidelines.