Annual Report 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS OUR MISSION 2 WHO WE ARE 3 PROGRAM AND SERVICES 4 MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 6 INTRODUCING OUR DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 7 GCCARD ADVISORY COUNCIL 8 MESSAGE FROM BOARD CHAIRPERSON 9 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS 10 HELPING REAL PEOPLE 13 FINANCIAL REPORT 18 A SPECIAL THANK YOU 19 PARTNERS IN PROGRESS 20 An Open Door. A Helping Hand. OUR MISSION GCCARD’s purpose is to break the cycle of poverty by mobilizing and utilizing resources, public and private, in the Genesee County area. We strive to ensure all residents have access to safe, affordable housing, food and medical care. We are dedicated to eliminating poverty through developing employment opportunities and bettering the conditions under which all Genesee County residents live, learn and work. We also administer every program with the maximum feasible participation of residents served. 2 | P a g e An Open Door. A Helping Hand. WHO WE ARE enesee County Community Action Resource G Department (GCCARD) is one of the oldest and largest human service agencies in the county. With an annual operating budget of more than $18 million, GCCARD’s mission is to “help break the cycle of poverty.” GCCARD helps low-income individuals and families achieve higher levels of economic self-sufficiency and stability. We are committed to alleviating the causes and circumstances of poverty. Through the provision of client-centered services, staff members assist clients in realizing their fullest potential. GCCARD is the federally designated anti-poverty organization for Genesee County. We are a member of the national Community Action Partnership, which serves more than 1,000 Community Action Agencies across the United States, and the Michigan Community Action Agency. Association, the state association of 29 Community Action Agencies that provide programs and services to help low-income individuals and families achieve greater economic self-sufficiency and stability. 3 | P a g e An Open Door. A Helping Hand. Community Action Agencies such as GCCARD originated in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty” in the 1960s. The goal: to reduce poverty and increase self-sufficiency and economic stability among the thousands of GCCARD PROGRAM SERVICES clients we serve each year. Commodities Food Early Head Start/Head Start GCCARD also plays an important role in the Emergency Home Repair economic development of the entire Emergency Services community, providing affordable housing, Housing Weatherization Michigan Enrolls/Maximus education and collaborating with other Snap Ed: Not Just Cheese agencies for even greater impact and Senior Nutrition Congregate Meals Senior Nutrition Home Delivered Meals effectiveness. We use a mixture of funding Shelter Plus Care Rental Subsidy sources, from federal, state and local Meet Up/Eat Up Summer Meals for Youth government to private foundations and Summer Youth Employment private businesses and organizations, to Teen Jury best serve our clients and the community in Temporary Food Assistance Walk for Warmth the most effective way possible. 4 | P a g e An Open Door. A Helping Hand. GCCARD’S UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES Commodities Food Door-to-Door – GCCARD offers door-to-door service delivery of food commodities. Early Head Start – GCCARD is the sole provider of Early Head Start services in Genesee County, offering child development and care for children from birth through age 3 and their families. Teen Jury - First-time juvenile offenders face a jury of their peers and learn to accept responsibility for their behavior, become accountable to the community and increase their respect and understanding of the judicial process. Snap Ed: Not Just Cheese –The program supports outreach activities to increase participation by eligible residents in the Commodities Food supplemental Program. Emergency Home Repair - Provides emergency home repairs and rehabilitation, bringing homes of low-income residents up to city code. Emergency Services - The Neighborhood Service Center provides a number of emergency services to low-income residents, including rent and utility payments as well as support for food, clothing and their basic needs. Michigan Enrolls/Maximus – Helping enroll adults and children in Medicaid, connecting people with the Affordable Care Act and obtain medical coverage. 5 | P a g e An Open Door. A Helping Hand. MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR hile the need for GCCARD services continues W to grow, so does our commitment to providing an open door, a helping hand. Be it through Head Start programming for young children or meal delivery and home improvement for seniors, GCCARD is striving to better the conditions under which people live, learn and work. In this report, you will see just a few stories from clients in crisis who overcame these obstacles with help from GCCARD. Staff members are fully committed to the MANAGEMENT TEAM Community Action Promise: “Community Matthew Purcell Action changes people’s lives, embodies the Director of Document Control spirit of hope, improves communities and makes America a better place to live. We care Stephanie L. Howard about the entire community, and are dedicated Deputy Executive Director to helping people help themselves and each Veonca Johnson other.” Director of Neighborhood Service Center Sincerely, Laura Rahmaad Director of Senior Nutrition Program Steve M. Walker Executive Director Dan Newcombe Assistant Director Housing/ Weatherization Program 6 | P a g e An Open Door. A Helping Hand. Introducing Stephanie L. Howard, Deputy Executive Director We would like to introduce to you the newly appointed Deputy Executive Director at GCCARD, Mrs. Stephanie Howard. Mrs. Howard brings with her more than seventeen years experience as a Genesee County administrator and human resources professional. She has worked as the Director of Equity and Diversity for Genesee County Government, Coordinator for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist and Human Resource Professional. As a strong advocate for those who are poor and disadvantaged, Mrs. Howard works diligently to confront poverty. She believes that by providing a “helping hand and open door” for those in need, GCCARD can assist individuals in escaping poverty and improving their lives. As a proud product of Flint Community Schools, Mrs. Howard began her education at Brownell Elementary School, going on to Holmes Junior High, and graduating from Northwestern High School. Later she earned a Bachelor’s degree from Detroit College of Business (Davenport University). Her background and wealth of experience will be instrumental as she works with the GCCARD team to improve the lives of Flint and Genesee County residents. 7 | P a g e An Open Door. A Helping Hand. GCCARD ADVISORY COUNCIL Each of Michigan’s 29 Community Action Agencies is governed by a three-part Board of Directors comprised of representatives from local government, local business and local customers. This unique structure ensures that agency programs focus on the areas of greatest need and impact in the community. Program Participant Representatives Elected Representatives Kathryn Blake Jim Ananich(Patrich Gerace) Emma Booker Brenda Clack Gina Brown-Howell Sheldon Neeley Doris Clayton Bryant Nolden Johnnie Etherly Gary Peters (Montell Menifee) William Harper Cynthia Howell Business Representatives Bernice McEwen Leander Croom Juanita Robinson Ella Green-Moton Irene Smith Sharon Saddler Augustine Welch Raynetta Speed Robert Williams 8 | P a g e An Open Door. A Helping Hand. MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIRPERSON enesee County’s government is dedicated to G preserving and enhancing our quality of life and making our community a desirable place to live and work. GCCARD plays a vital role in that mission by mobilizing and utilizing public and private resources to meet the needs of our most vulnerable populations: children, seniors, the homeless and the unemployed. As we empower low-income people, we strengthen our entire community and 2015 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS create a brighter future for Genesee County. District 1: Bryant W. Nolden District 2: Brenda Clack Sincerely, District 3: Jamie W. Curtis Jamie W. Curtis County Commissioner District 4: John Northrup District 5: Mark Young District 6: Tony Brown District 7: Mike Lynch District 8: Ted Henry District 9: Pegge Adams 9 | P a g e An Open Door. A Helping Hand. BY THE NUMBERS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS GCCARD helped more than 43,000 Genesee County residents with food, housing, medical care and employment last year. GCCARD programs serve people of all ages, from young children in Head Start programming and job training for teens to weatherizing homes for seniors. On the next pages we feature just some of the ways GCCARD lent a helping hand last year. SENIOR NUTRITION/CONGREGATE 482,856 76,053 Meals delivered to senior Meals served at 20 citizens at their home congregate meal sites 35,731 3,026 Volunteer hours worked Volunteer hours worked in at Congregate Meal GCCARD kitchens locations MICHIGAN ENROLLS HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION 1,713 565 $281,680 Children and Individuals and Provided for homeless adults enrolled families who prevention services, in Medicaid received emergency assistance, including utility cut-offs allowing them to stay in their and rent deposits home 10 | P a g e An Open Door. A Helping Hand. HEAD START 625 371 Low-income 3-and 4-year-old Pregnant mothers and babies up to children who received age 3 who received comprehensive comprehensive preschool education,