DEAR SUPPORTER, In 2015, the Little Helping Hands leadership team kicked off a strategic planning effort that clarified our organization’s vision going forward.
Generations of children who develop into community-minded leaders and citizens. Our primary focus is to provide Austin’s children, from tots to teens, with meaningful service experiences and leadership opportunities so they are poised to take action in their communities, wherever they land. Our growth plans and program investments will be made with the intention of creating a service pathway for youth to develop into knowledgeable, compassionate, and capable contributors in their communities. FAMILY VOLUNTEERING Family volunteer activities are at the core of our program. In 2015, we brought 2,817 families out into the community to engage in volunteerism together. Our volunteer families served 77 Central Texas nonprofit organizations with 11,265 volunteer hours. Little Helping Hands activities allowed 4,980 children to experience the value of giving back, representing 18% growth over 2014.
YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS In the summer of 2015, we piloted a teen leadership program to train youth ages 13-17 to lead our family volunteer activities. Eight teens were coached in public speaking, learned about nonprofit fundraising, and were provided with opportunities to practice their newfound management and leadership skills as Activity Leads. Our first group of teen leaders truly embodied our hopes for the youth who grow up with Little Helping Hands. They were eager to learn and to lead and they have made us proud with their contributions to the Austin community. As such, we made plans for more educational and leadership programs for older youth so we can ensure that children who start with our core volunteer program in early childhood can continue as they age on a path toward lifelong volunteerism and philanthropy. Thank you for helping us develop a service pathway for Austin’s youth and inspiring community engagement for generations to come.
Kind regards,
Marissa Vogel Founder and Executive Director
2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FINANCIALS
Individuals
Corporate/Business
Foundation Grants
Family Sponsorships
Programs
Fundraising
Administrative
OUR SERVICE PATHWAY & COMMUNITY IMPACT Age 3-7
HELPING CHILDREN & FAMILIES Through 27 partner agencies, 589 families committed 2,756 hours to helping children and families in a variety of ways, including sorting/ packaging diapers, packing hygiene kits, helping with donation drives, and working carnivals/events. FOOD ON THE TABLE 1,763 children and their caregivers helped feed Austin’s community members at pantries, food banks, and shelters, contributing over 4,000 hours to fighting hunger. ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS 1,078 children & their families contributed 2,438 volunteer hours cleaning up litter, planting, mulching, spreading seeds, cleaning graffiti, and marking storm drains. ANIMAL WELFARE ADVOCATES 253 families dedicated 855 volunteer hours helping with pet adoption efforts, training therapy dogs, sorting and packaging pet food/supplies, and making pet toys, blankets, and warmers. SENIOR SUPPORT 850 hours of smiles and experiences were shared with seniors at 9 different facilities throughout Austin by 492 children.
Age 8-12
SERVICE THROUGHOUT CHILDHOOD Participation in our programs by children ages 8 and up increased by 39% in 2015 over the previous year. We coordinated and led 851 volunteer activities in 2015, growing our activity calendar by approximately 25%. Much of this growth included activities for older youth and teens. EMPOWERING YOUTH Plans and investments were made for the development of a new educational service program for 3rd - 5th grade students to dive deeper into learning about social needs in our community. The program will be piloted in the fall of 2016.
Age 13-17
TEEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 8 teens participated in our pilot Teen Leadership Program, contributed 457 hours of service over the summer, and trained to become Little Helping Hands Activity Leads. TEENS AS LEADS Teens led 25 Little Helping Hands activities over the summer and continue to lead activities during the school year. LIFELONG SKILLS Every teen who completed the leadership program expressed improved confidence in leading groups, public speaking, and fundraising.
"I learned to speak in front of people I don't know, talk to staff at the different organizations we serve, and have the courage to take the lead when I need to. These skills make me feel more confident and independent, and I feel more ready to take on the world." SARAH RUTHVEN,
2015 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS Adelphi Acre Gardens
City of Austin
Pease Park Conservancy
American Heart Association
Colin’s Hope
Ronald McDonald House
Refugee Services of Texas
Coats for Kids
Allen Park
Dell Children’s Hospital
Animal Trustees of Austin
Easter Seals of Central Texas
Any Baby Can
El Buen Samaritano
ARIA Memory Care
Shoal Creek Conservancy
Goodwill Central Texas
Austin Creative Reuse
St. Edwards Park
H.A.N.D.
Austin Diaper Bank
STARRY
Homeless Task Force
Austin Disaster Relief Network
Hope Totes
Stonebridge Skilled Nursing Health Center
Manchaca Community Garden
Sustainable Food Center
Meals on Wheels & More
Texas Mamma Jamma Ride
Mobile Loaves & Fishes
The Thinkery
Neill-Cochran House Museum
TreeFolks
Operation School Bell
Westminster Manor
Hope Food Pantry
Austin Dog Alliance
AGE of Central Texas
Austin Parks Foundation Austin Pets Alive!
Austin Sunshine Camps AVANCE
Barton Hills Assisted Living Beckett Meadows Bookspring
Brookdale Westlake Hills Bull Creek Conservancy Capital Area Food Bank Caritas of Austin
Saint Louise House Sammy’s House
Front Steps
Austin Animal Center
Safeplace
Salvation Army
Foundation Communities
Arthritis Foundation
Run Free Texas
Keep Austin Beautiful
Strong Start
Mayfield Park
Texas Advocacy Project
Micah 6 Pantry
The Comfort Crew
Mt. Bonnell Park
The Trail Foundation
Operation Blue Santa
UT Concho Community Garden
Partnerships for Children
Zilker Botanical Garden
Pavilion at Great Hills
CASA of Travis County
WHO WE SERVE
ABOUT US
Where our volunteer families come from
Little Helping Hands provides meaningful service experiences for Austin children and their families, engaging children in volunteerism and empowering them to make a difference in their communities. Through age-appropriate, hands-on volunteer activities as well as educational and leadership programs, children learn how to take action in their community and they accomplish needed work for our partner agencies. Since its inception in 2009, Little Helping Hands has organized 3,151 volunteer activities that engaged 19,980 children and their families, logging 46,269 total volunteer hours serving 77 Austin-area non-profit organizations and groups.
lit t lehelpinghand s .o rg
8711 Burnet Rd., Suite B-33 | Austin, TX 78757
JAN – DEC 2015
info@littlehelpinghands.org