CITY HELPINGS
2012
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SUMMER NEWSLETTER
A Message from George: Strategic Plan Our Plan for the Future 2012-2015 Since Bread’s founding in 1974, we’ve approached our work with purpose. We recognized unmet needs in the community, brought people and resources together that could meet those needs, and delivered this service in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. This dedication has served us well, allowing Bread for the City to deepen its impact in the community to help ever more people in ever more ways. We now must do even more. Bread for the City’s Board of Directors unanimously passed a new organizational strategic plan; a plan that took a year to complete and involved volunteers, staff, clients, Board Members, and community partners. This strategic plan is our road map over the next 3.5 years as we work to strengthen our foundation and expand our service capacity.
The strategic priorities of Bread’s 20122015 strategic plan are: 1. Increase the impact, effectiveness, and sustainability of our programs and services. 2. Institutionalize and strengthen regular, meaningful opportunities for client engagement. 3. Structure advocacy to be coordinated, collaborative, and accountable to the community. 4. Expand Bread for the City’s overall service capacity and service area.
5. Establish Bread for the City as a pre- eminent anti-poverty organization in Washington, DC.
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What We’ve Accomplished: Opened a dental clinic Expanded our job development services Launched new food systems organizing initiative Voted 5 medical patients onto the Board of Directors
READ THE fuLL STRATEGIC PLAN: Download Plan: www.breadforthecity.org/ strategicplan Request Plan By Mail: info@breadforthecity.org or 202.386.7613
Questions or Comments
CEO George Jones (right) with four of Bread for the City’s new client Board members From left: Rodney Williams, Diane Covington, Semret Yacob, D. Mary Timeyan.
Email George: GJones@BreadfortheCity.org Call George: 202.386.7602
Bread for the City is a community-based nonprofit organization that provides free, comprehensive services to low-income residents of Washington, DC in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. Bread for the City is a 501(c)3 organization and contributions are tax-deductible. Federal ID #26-3407327
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plan from page 1
We want to help bridge this service gap by bringing on two full-time mental health therapists over the next two years Becoming a Federally Qualified to work within our social services departHealth Center ment to provide talk therapy and referrals As a major component of this plan, for supportive services. Bread for the City’s Board of Directors We are also looking to hire two social voted unanimously for our medical clinic workers, to be housed within our medical to apply to become a Federally Qualified clinic, who will provide short-term behavHealth Center, or FQHC. FQHCs are com- ioral support to patients (usually at the munity-based primary care clinics that are time of their appointment) and who will open to all patients, regardless of insur- then help patients link to social services ance status or ability to pay, that come for ongoing help as appropriate. Having with a much higher reimbursement rate social workers embedded in a medithan what we currently receive through cal setting is a model that has worked local Medicaid, Medicare and Alliance well for other community clinics, as it impayments; thereby enabling us to better proves access to supportive services for sustain the organization as a whole. patients and helps provide comprehenThis decision was not an easy one to sive solutions to the myriad challenges make. FQHC status entails a significantly they face. Aspects of the 2012-2015 strategic plan include:
higher level of reporting, a sliding fee scale for patients with incomes above 130% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), and a Board of Directors that includes at least 51% patients. Ultimately, however, these are challenges that I believe Bread for the City has the skills and creativity to not only meet, but to turn into new opportunities for our entire agency. For instance, a patient-led Board is consistent with our principles of client engagement and accountability. And with such leadership, we believe that we will implement a sliding fee scale model in a way that engages our patients in the process of structuring, collecting, and subsidizing the modest fees that would be paid by the few patients (about 10%) who have incomes above the FPL.
Behavioral Health Programming The majority of Bread for the City’s clients cope with some level of mental health issues ranging from severe mental illness to situational depression and anxiety. Those experiencing less severe mental illness have the greatest difficulty finding help, as affordable and accessible talk therapy is limited in DC.
We are still in the very early planning stages, but we have started to evaluate what a larger Southeast presence would look like, and what our neighbors in Wards 7 and 8 require of us so that we may help them meet their needs with dignity and respect. Our goal is to have a plan in place by June 30, 2015.
And More... Becoming a FQHC, expanding our behavioral health programming, loosening eligibility in our food program, and expanding our Southeast Center is just the tip of what we have in store for the coming years. Some additional highlights include:
Finally, we are also looking to bring on a part-time psychiatrist in our medical clinic to provide medication assistance to patients and case management clients. We have found that, with our population, limiting the number of visits that patients have to make to outside doctors or service organizations reaps the best outcome for their health and well-being.
• Improving the racial/ethnic, economic, and linguistic diversity of staff
Food Program Expansion
• Increasing the number of clients participating in our Pre-Employment Program by 50%
Bread for the City is already DC’s largest food pantry, providing a three day supply of groceries to families with children, the elderly and the disabled. Sadly, we have seen a 16% increase in monthly visits. And to make matters worse, we know that there are people who want to receive food from our pantries, but do not qualify. Our goal is to expand our food program this year by opening our eligibility to include single, able-bodied adults; a population of men and women frequently left out of assistance programs. We estimate that this change will increase our food pantry traffic by 8,000 visits per year.
A Bigger Southeast Center When we opened our Southeast Center nearly ten years ago, we never guessed that we would outgrow the new space so
Invest in our future by making a financial pledge at:
donate.breadforthecity.org/strategicplan
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quickly. But the need for our services in DC’s most impoverished region outpaced even our own expectations.
• Transitioning our vision clinic from a volunteer model to a staff-led practice • Becoming the medical home for 3,000 additional patients • Developing a community organizing initiative in our legal clinic
• Developing an Advisory Board of Directors to work in partnership with our patient-led Board of Directors All of this costs money. From Fiscal Year 2012 through FY15, we estimate that we will need about $16.4 million to accomplish our goals. (This includes $10 million to expand, equip and staff a bigger Southeast Center.) Strategic planning costs are built into our annual operating budget, and we will continue our committed fundraising efforts to meet these budget requirements. We also envision launching another capital campaign to raise the funds necessary for the Southeast Center expansion once all plans and fee structures are finalized. This new strategic plan is a really big step for Bread for the City, and it will take all our efforts to get it done -- and more than that, done well! Bread for the City needs your help: it is no exaggeration to say that our future depends on it.
Introducing Our New Dental Clinic Bread for the City’s dental clinic is now open for business... years ahead of schedule! When we were planning the expansion of our Northwest Center medical clinic, we asked our patients “what health services do you wish we offered?” An all-too-common refrain was dental care. We listened. Due to the costs involved, we originally didn’t think we would be able to add dental services until 3 - 5 years after the opening of our expanded clinic. However, the generosity of our donors once again came through -- helping us raise the startup funds necessary to get the project going years ahead of schedule. It couldn’t come at a moment too soon. Six in ten low-income adults lack dental coverage, making them much more likely
THANK YOU! CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Mary A. Christie Clark Charitable Foundation Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Kaiser Permanente William J. & Maryann M. Christie Family Fund McKeen Fund Cigna Foundation Nestlé USA American Association of Medical Colleges
to postpone or forego routine dental care. The resultant poor oral health can lead to tooth decay/loss, lingering pain, inflammation and abscess, which in turn can affect one’s overall health. Just as important is the impact poor oral health has on self-esteem, which can affect employment and overall quality of life. Even those low-income individuals with dental coverage often encounter problems accessing care due to a number of factors, including: limited coverage, high out-of-pocket costs, lack of providers, transportation barriers, lack of childcare, lack of work hour flexibility, and cultural barriers. Some individuals simply do not know where they can go to receive care.
DR. SMYLES
For us, adding dental care to our medical clinic simply made sense. We are a medical home and believe in caring for the individual as a whole. Plus, when we came across Dr. Smyles, our new dentist, it felt like destiny. That’s not his real name, by the way. But we refer to Dr. Steven Myles as Dr. Smyles because that’s who he is and what he does. And the patients just love him for it!
“I received my training in general dentistry from Howard University and have now been in the DC area for over 10 years. When not at work, I’m home with my wife and four -- yes, four -- kids. I’m excited to start helping, one mouth at a time!
“This is a model of holistic care at its best,” says medical clinic director Dr. Randi Abramson. “Medical and dental, vision and soon, mental health -- to us it’s all just health care.”
I’ve heard people say that they’ve waited for years and years [for this clinic]... Its time has come. Thank you for the support that makes it possible.”
In our our first three months of operation, we have treated 217 unique patients through 424 total patient visits. Annually, we expect to serve 660 patients through nearly 1,900 visits. We provide everything from routine examinations and cleanings to extractions and denture fittings. I don’t think it’s possible for us to be any more excited about the dental clinic. Board Member and patient Michael Blue summed it up best at the ribbon cutting in February: “It’s hard out there. It’s tough. It can be difficult to simply survive, but Bread for the City opens doors for you to get the help you need. Today they opened another one: the dental clinic. And do we got plans for many more doors after this.”
MEET
In the first three months alone we’ve provided: 137 Comprehensive examinations 89 Teeth cleanings 108 Fillings 8 Root canals 59 Extractions 18 Denture fittings 86 Other services
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CITY ORCHARD: READY, SET, GROW!!! This spring, Bread for the City staff and clients worked alongside 115 energetic volunteers on a sunny April weekend and planted an orchard. You read it right. Bread for the City now has an orchard! City Orchard is located in nearby Beltsville, MD on 2.75 acres of farm property that is generously being lent to us by the University of the District of Columbia’s College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (UDC CAUSES).
"There is definitely a movement toward urban agriculture and sustainability... Food prices aren't going down, nutrition is an issue, so if we're going to commit to providing healthy options, we need to get creative." -- Jeffrey Wankel, City Orchard project manager
increasing cost. You see, fresh fruit is too expensive for us to purchase on our own, and our gleaning efforts reap mostly vegetables. When we are lucky enough to get fruit on our shelves, it disappears lightning fast. Enter City Orchard! With this project we will be able to give fresh fruit to 16,000 low-income DC residents per year, free of charge. Talk about value! And we’re excited to implement other uses of City Orchard, as well. This site will serve as an outlet for Bread for the City and other partners to teach school groups and community members about
“I grew up on a farm in the Tidewater area of Virginia. I know how amazing fresh-fromthe-ground produce tastes compared to store bought, or worse, processed produce. I want to share my experience with others. I want to open up new eyes in my community to how great healthy eating can be!” Donald Glover, Client Advisory Board member
urban agriculture, nutrition, and the benefits of growing produce--and since it’s only 15 miles outside of DC, it’s far more accessible than many other local farms.
We believe that this makes Bread for the City the first food pantry program in the nation to grow its own produce on this size a scale. We now have more than 1,500 growing trees and bushes in the ground -- plants that will mature in two short years and yield upwards of 40,000 lbs. of fruit annually. Apples, Asian pears, persimmons, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries will all soon be harvested by volunteers and distributed to DC’s poorest residents through our two food pantry locations. This project was conceived out of necessity, as we had to figure out a way to promote healthy eating without prohibitively
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“City Orchard is a natural extension of our efforts to connect our clients with fresh food -- as we’ve moved from primarily stocking canned produce to collecting fresh produce through Glean for the City, and then to growing our own on our rooftop gardens. The size and scale of City Orchard is the natural next step, even though it is a big leap for us. But it feels right, it gives us a whole new connection to nature, and the fruit we will be growing couldn’t be any fresher!” -- Paul R. Taskier, Board President
This project is truly a community effort. Bread for the City co-conceived of the idea with Casey Trees, who also lent their technical expertise. UDC provided the land. A USDA grant covered the start-up funding. And volunteers, including groups from the Washington Hebrew Congregation, ICF International, Gilt City, Sutherland, Kilpatrick Townsend, WilmerHale, and Dickstein Shapiro, helped us get the trees and plants into the soil. We are also working with a local farmer, Nazirahk Amen of Purple Mountain Organics, to help tend the trees and make sure that they grow big and strong. City Orchard is our latest Grow for the City project — joining our rooftop gardens, Glean for the City project, and free farmers markets in an effort to better connect the city’s poor with fresh food. We can’t wait to share the first harvest. http://www.breadforthecity.org/get-involved/orchard/
WHO WE HELP: A Client Story “I never thought I would be in need,” says Enoch. “I was always able to find work, pay my bills. I helped raise four children. I had a house, a car. I had pride.” But as is often the case, life can change in a flash. “While doing maintenance work during the ice storm of 1993, I slipped and badly hurt my back. The pain cost me my job, and new work was hard to come by because of my injury. No job meant no income and soon enough, no home.”
Thankfully, we could help. We assigned Enoch a social worker to offer guidance. Our legal clinic helped him secure Social Security Disability Income. We enrolled him in our food program. We also connected him with a therapist. But he still had no place to call home.
Enoch with his social worker, Stacey Johnson.
“I initially came to Bread for the City’s medical clinic for help managing my back pain, but the stress of being homeless and the constant worry -- it was too much.” Thus, a proud 49-year-old man found himself weeping in the arms of his doctor. Homelessness takes a serious emotional toll.
Early last year, we encouraged Enoch to enroll in our Housing Access Program – which helps DC residents navigate the complicated affordable housing system so that they can more quickly find a home. He did, and was soon on the wait list for dozens of buildings. Then, in February, a unit opened up with his name at the top of the list. His application was approved. After years of waiting, he moved in on April 1st. We even connected him with resources for donated furniture and housewares. It is a new beginning.
GIVING WHILE YOU WORK It may be hot and sticky out right now, but before we know it fall will be upon us, and you may have the opportunity to renew (or begin!) your commitment to Bread for the City and many other wonderful nonprofit organizations through workplace giving. What’s workplace giving, you ask? It is an easy and convenient way to donate to one or more charitable organizations throughout the year via automatic payroll deduction. In the DC area, there are three common forms of workplace giving: Combined federal Campaign
United Way
DC One Fund
This is the workplace giving campaign for federal employees, and almost every office manages its own campaign. This year’s CFC campaign kicks off on September 1st. For information on how to connect with your office’s CFC campaign, please visit www.opm.gov/cfc. Bread for the City’s CFC designation number is 61733.
Many private sector employers manage workplace giving campaigns through the United Way -- from law firms to banks to department stores. Numerous public schools are involved as well. For details, visit www.unitedwaynca.org.
DC government employees who want to participate in workplace giving can turn to this campaign, which begins on October 1st. For more information, please visit www.dconefund.org. Bread for the City’s DC One Fund designation number is 8219.
Does your employer not run a workplace giving campaign? Don’t fret... be a pioneer! The websites above all provide information on how you can help get one started at your office. Bread for the City’s United Way designation number is 8219.
Poverty doesn’t begin and end during the holidays alone. Many struggle throughout the year. The true beauty of workplace giving, beyond its ease of use, is that it really helps organizations like ours maintain services no matter the season. Join us by designating Bread for the City as one of your beneficiaries this year!
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bREAd IS oN THE WEb
Stay abreast of our updates by following us: www.twitter.com/breadforthecity
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THANk YoU Judy o’Brien and lewis Wiener for legal advice
Scott mitchell for volunteer legal assistance
mid-atlantic Inspections and alan Beal for pro bono inspections of client housing
Dariana arias and Joe Shapiro for staffing our health information resource room
Hogan lovells llP for research assistance
marie Hoffman for moving our medical clinic closer to being paperless
operation HoPE for financial literacy services in our Pre-Employment Program marshawny moore from Dickstein Shapiro llP for pro bono IT services and laptop refurbishments Heather Campbell for free farmers market and garden volunteering yvonne Bowlding for volunteer support of our Housing Access Program David Bentley taylor, Deroy Calland, Jr. and Ida Smith for peer mentoring in our Pre-Employment Program Jessica Del vecchio, Steve golenberg and Dave ruff for awesome photography Baked by yael for delicious cake pops
Debbie Duarte, Jennifer Woo, Debbie Sheetz and all the staff at yoga activist for making our free yoga classes possible
NW CENTER: 1525 7th street, nw washington, dC 20001 202.265.2400
Scott Binder for managing our fund for client emergency needs martin Sisken and Hannah grizzard at the Disability Determination Division for friendly assistance with social security disability cases Fernanda ruiz at mary’s Center for her quick responsiveness when we refer pregnant clients to their home visiting program Charise van liew of fuseDC for her website assistance
Jim Frank for support in our development office
mr. Jean for being an awesome volunteer at our SE Center
maggie mcgrath and groff Creative for brilliant graphic design services
Canary girardeau for guidance around food system organizing
WISHLIST Books in Spanish or any other foreign language Can Openers for our clients Children’s books, especially books in Spanish Cleaning supplies/ Laundry detergent Diapers (infant and adult) Digital Cameras Feminine hygiene products Forks (for our cooking classes) Gift cards (to book, drug, and grocery stores) Plus-sized clothes for men and women Pots and pans (stainless steel) Potting Soil, planting pots Reusable Grocery Bags Rotary Literature Rack (desktop sized) SmarTrip Cards Toilet Paper and other household items USB Memory Sticks of any size
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We now have a Wish List registered on amazon.com! Now you can make an online purchase that will directly help our community.
Go directly to it here: www.amzn.to/bfCWish
SE CENTER: 1640 good hope road, se washington, dC 20020 202.561.8587