LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA
ANNUAL REPORT
MOTIVATED AND GUIDED BY THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST, WE SERVE AND CARE FOR PEOPLE IN NEED.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO Social ministry organizations face a special challenge during economic downturns. At the very time when individual budgets are stretched and companies are hunkering down to save money by spending less, the services we provide are most needed. As the result of business failures and lost jobs, we have seen rapidly increasing numbers of people and families in crisis. This past year, we distributed nearly double the amount of food – from 10.3 million pounds in 2009 to more than 19 million pounds this year. Our ability to meet these increased needs is directly related to the financial support we receive each year. Because government funding is often capricious and always volatile, we are especially thankful for the private support we receive from thousands of individuals, companies, foundations and community and religious organizations. Without them, we would be severely limited in our ability to help people. Paying the bills rather than showing compassion for those in need would become our focus. With deepest appreciation for our donors, we accomplished the following in 2010:
• Continued providing the area’s only mental health support group for men who are HIV-positive or living with AIDS (Florida has the third highest number of cases in the United States, and Duval County is ranked fifth in the state in the number of cases), as well as case management and housing services to 600 people who are HIV-positive or living with AIDS • Continued to help those who cannot manage their own funds ensuring that the basic living needs of at least 1,000 people in our community were met and they were able to avoid homelessness • Via The Sharing Place Thrift Store, provided $51,094 worth of household furnishings to help refugees resettle into our community
At the very time when individual budgets are stretched and companies are hunkering down to save money by spending less, the services we provide are most needed.
• Took over management of the St. Augustine food bank on Sept. 1 and increased distribution in St. Johns, Flagler and Putnam counties by 49%. • Dramatically increased the amount of fresh food we are distributing – from 232,798 pounds in 2009 to 1,531,532 in 2010
Also this past year, Feeding America, the national network of which Second Harvest is a member, reviewed our fund-raising program. We learned that our rate of growth is significantly higher than other food banks – private support has increased from $611,307 in FY06 to $1,510,563 in FY10 and giving has been particularly strong from foundation gifts and corporate giving. As recommended in the review, we have established a major gifts program and hired volunteer coordinators for both LSS and Second Harvest, a grants coordinator and a strategic giving manger to help engage the community in our work. We continue to work toward our ultimate goal of ending hunger in north Florida by 2015.
Uplifted by the hearts and hands of our many supporters, we remain committed to our mission to meet critical needs of adults, families and children we are called to serve.
• Expanded short-term training for arriving refugees to include hospitality, restaurant service, landscaping and indoor plant maintenance, which enabled us to place 30 refugees in jobs to help them become self-sufficient
R. Wayne Rieley President/CEO
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT
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MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD Serving and caring for people in need is where our mission begins and ends for Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida, its staff and Board of Directors. We take this responsibility both seriously and personally. Each year, tens of thousands of people are helped through the agency’s facilities on Philips Highway and Jessie Street, an achievement in which we take great pride. Such impact would not be possible without individuals like you – our financial supporter, volunteer, corporate partner, advocate or friend. Each of you is critical to generating positive change in north Florida for families that may have nowhere else to turn. For your contribution, we thank you. The responsibility of the Board of Directors is to evaluate each of the agency’s programs annually to ensure they are meeting the needs of those we serve. The Board must also ensure that agency resources are appropriated in a manner that will allow for the most effective utilization.
The Board remains solidly behind the plan to continue to dramatically increase the distribution of food out of Second Harvest North Florida and to provide the resources necessary to see that we end hunger in north Florida by 2015. As the calendar turns to 2011, however, we are aware that we are only halfway toward the goal of moving 40 million pounds of food throughout our service area, that there are people we serve through the Representative Payee Services program who need more care than just financial services, and that there are area residents who are HIV-positive or living with AIDS who need access to care. In addition, there are still millions of refugees worldwide who are waiting to be accepted into a host country. We are gratified by those who have made it possible for the agency to provide the services that fulfill its mission. With your continued support, we will strive to meet additional needs as we always do – by serving and caring for the people who need it most.
We are pleased to report that LSS enjoyed a strong 2010 – both financially and in the quality of services offered to those we serve. The prospects for 2011 are encouraging as opportunities to serve more people in new and expanded program areas evolve.
09-10 BOARD OFFICERS
Kem Siddons, Chairman
Ted Carter, Treasurer
Kem Siddons Board Chairman
09-10 BOARD MEMBERS
Mary Coleman
Marie Friedsam
Lawrence Huser
The Rev. Robert Kinley
Jeanne Maszy
The Rev. William Reister
Sina Rezaei
Mark Stevens
Dwane Tyson
Julie Buckingham, Vice Chair
Jack Parker, Secretary
FINANCIALS ASSETS
.8%
.2% Misc/ Rental Investment Special Events Income $98,040 $31,302 3.5% $173,692 Program Fees $395,563 1.5%
5%
Sales/Sharing Fees $562,075
Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents - restricted Accounts receivable - service fees Accounts receivable - funding sources Pledges receivable - short-term portion Inventory Prepaid expenses Total Current Assets
$
1,229,053 1,053,685 $42,610 $473,592 $41,893 $318,745 $56,608 $3,216,186 $
13% Private Contributions $1,465,425
$
Land, buildings and equipment, net Cash and cash equivalents - restricted Pledges receivable, net Investments Total Long-Term Assets
2,896,589 $216,311 $60,078 $126,343 $3,299,321 $
Total Assets
76% Federal, State & Local Grants $8,508,128
6,515,507
LIABILITIES Current Liabilities Accounts payable Accrued liabilities Capital lease Deferred revenue Deposits held for others Total Current Liabilities
$
124,896 275,878 $14,379 $106,146 $1,053,685 $1,574,984
3.8%
$
Rep Payee $419,808 Advancement $428,205
1%
<1% The Sharing Nonprofit LSS Property Place Accounting Management $92,010 $2,424 $177,208 1.5%
3.9%
6.2% AIDS Care & Education $693,362
Net Assets Unrestricted Undesignated Board designated Total unrestricted Temporarily restricted Total Net Assets
$
3,653,070 $31,183 $3,684,253 $1,256,270 $4,940,523
Total Liabilities & Net Assets
$
6,515,507
6.5% Administration $725,659
17% Refugee & Immigration Services $1,896,966
LEARN MORE ONLINE... lssjax.org View a complete list of corporate, foundation, organization and individual donors to Lutheran Social Services in 09-10 online at lssjax.org.
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT
60% Second Harvest North Florida $6,648,229
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YEAR IN REVIEW The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida announced a $250,000 grant to Feeding America. Second Harvest North Florida was one of eight affiliated food banks across Florida benefiting from the grant, receiving $27,300 for the ongoing fight against hunger.
LSS and the Women’s Center of Jacksonville teamed to host the 10th Annual International Women’s Day Celebration. This local function highlights a global effort aimed at celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women.
Second Harvest North Florida and Lutheran Social Services were beneficiaries of the 2010 Disney “Give-a-day, Get-a-day” initiative, which offered free passes to Disney World to Florida residents who engaged in helping others in their communities. More than
10,000 PEOPLE Campbell’s® Chunky™ soup and the NFL donated 13,000 cans of soup to Second Harvest North Florida as part of the third annual ’Click for Cans’ competition. Jaguars fans “clicked” the team to a 17-0 record during the regular season in the online contest – eventually falling to the Green Bay Packers in the finals of the playoffs.
A landmark study released by Second Harvest North Florida and Feeding America reports that more than 170,700 people receive emergency food each year through Second Harvest and the agencies it serves.
JANUARY
helped LSS and Second Harvest by volunteering or donating food or other important resources – totaling more than
110,000 POUNDS OF FOOD and 300 personal hygiene baskets for people in need.
FEBRUARY
The Ninth Annual Jacksonville Canstruction® competition was held March 1-15 at the Jacksonville Public Library. The event brings together professionals from the design, construction and engineering communities. Teams design and build one-of-a-kind structures
MARCH from nonperishable food items, mainly canned goods, before members of the general public vote for their favorite structure. This year’s winner for “People’s Choice” award went to HDR and their structure, “Piping Up Against Hunger.” Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. used Second Harvest North Florida as a backdrop to announce the roll-out of its food recovery program. During the announcement, the Jacksonville-based grocer and its vendor partner Acosta Sales and Marketing provided two donations totaling $25,000.
To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Second Harvest North Florida invited friends and guests to visit the food bank and learn more about the work being done to fight hunger in north Florida.
JUNE
MAY On April 5, Second Harvest North Florida and Shands Jacksonville launched an expanded Nutrition for Mothers, Nourishment for Babies healthy food program at the Shands OB-GYN clinic. The pilot program that delivered 75 10-pound bags of healthy and
APRIL fresh food to the Shands OB/GYN clinic once per week was expanded to include daily deliveries. Funding for the program was provided by the Walmart State Foundation.
On April 2, 9-year-old Cab McIvor celebrated the Easter holiday by hosting a community food drive at his home – complete with a fun and festive afternoon designed for those who bring food donations to benefit Second Harvest North Florida. The youngster has held four such events previously – one on Easter weekend and one in the fall each of the last two years. McIvor has donated nearly
10,000 POUNDS from his five food drives.
For the third consecutive year, the Jacksonville community set a new standard for generosity in the National Association of Letter Carriers “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive. More than 350,000 pounds of much-needed nonperishable food resources were collected. Chick-fil-A at Roosevelt Square and Second Harvest North Florida teamed up for the fourth straight year to feed hungry children during the summer through the Nourishing Kids Summer Meals Program – generating more funds and meals than all three previous years. Individuals and businesses contributed $15,195 to the project, which generated 3,039 meals.
Second Harvest North Florida welcomed Food Network star Paula Deen to its warehouse on Thursday, June 17 – in addition to the arrival of more than 30,000 pounds of ham, courtesy of Smithfield Foods and its “Helping Hungry Homes” initiative.
5 The 20th Annual Jacksonville FOODFIGHT presented by EverBank was held on June 10 and proved to be the biggest and best party in the history of the event – attracting more than 1,200 participants, more patrons and more dollars than ever before to the annual fundraiser for Second Harvest North Florida. The event raised more than $95,000 for Second Harvest, generating more than 570,000 meals for people in need.
Feeding America completed a fundraising review of Second Harvest North Florida and gave strong marks to its effort and organization – noting a 105 percent growth in overall giving from 2006 to 2009.
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT
YEAR IN REVIEW Second Harvest North Florida is one of 23 food banks from the Feeding America network asked to participate in its Campaign Cabinet for a $500 million national campaign to end hunger.
JULY
In July, JPMorgan Chase donated two state-of-the-art refrigerated food delivery trucks to help supply the First Coast’s hungry with fruits, vegetables and other fresh foods. Chase also generously donated funds to operate the trucks for the first year. The vehicles were unveiled at the Police Athletic League (PAL)Franklin Street Center. Chase announced its donation in Jacksonville as part of a $5 million national grant to Feeding America and its nationwide network of food banks.
AUGUST From August-October, Second Harvest North Florida provided emergency food relief into communities throughout north Florida – visiting
10 CITIES and distributing more than 25,000 pounds of food to people in need.
Second Harvest North Florida teamed with Feeding America to observe the Second Annual Hunger Action Month in September – an opportunity to place a spotlight on the issue of domestic hunger while creating opportunities for people on the First Coast to join others across the country in the ongoing battle against it.
SEPTEMBER
3,000+ PEOPLE benefited from the distribution. Second Harvest North Florida teamed with First Coast News Sept. 20-21 at the St. Johns Town Center to collect more than 27,000 pounds of food in the First Coast News Hero Central Food Drive presented by Publix.
Lutheran Social Services joined Catholic Charities’ Office of Refugee Resettlement and World Relief for the 2010 commemoration of World Refugee Day on Saturday, June 19. A naturalization ceremony was held at the Jacksonville Public Library downtown, where photography by refugee children was on display.
On Aug. 26, Lutheran Social Services held a reception at the Haskell Building in downtown Jacksonville to honor the many volunteers that provided important service and time to the mission and operation of the agency in 2010.
The St. Augustine branch of Second Harvest North Florida opened, allowing for more efficient and increased food distribution in St. Johns, Flagler and Putnam counties.
The Lutheran Social Services Annual Meeting was held on Thursday, Sept. 23, at the Haskell Building in downtown Jacksonville.
The 2010 Jaguars Family Food Drive was a rousing success, bringing in more than 56,000 pounds of much-needed perishable food to Second Harvest North Florida and raising more than $6,300 from Jaguars fans at the game day event on Monday, Oct. 18.
Second Harvest was awarded the second half of its $200,000 Neighborhood Builders Award from the Bank of America Foundation as part of its Neighborhood Excellence Initiative. LSS was one of 14 nonprofits in Florida to receive a grant from the pool of $2.8 million set aside by the bank to address critical community issues.
The 26th Annual Empty Bowls Luncheon presented by Bank of America was held at the Prime Osborn Convention Center in downtown Jacksonville on Tuesday, Nov. 16. The luncheon has come to symbolize the beginning of Thanksgiving and the holiday season in Jacksonville while placing a spotlight on the issue of hunger. Area students and senior citizen groups create original, handcrafted ceramic bowls for each guest. This year’s luncheon attracted a record 1,300 attendees and raised more than $75,000 for Second Harvest North Florida.
LSS again helped organize and participated in the 2010 First Coast AIDS Walk, an event designed to bring awareness to HIV/AIDS in Jacksonville. It was held on Dec. 1 at Avondale United Methodist Church.
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER Lutheran Social Services launched a redesigned version of its website – lssjax.org – which offers a more contemporary look for users, complete with the latest news and information, access to social media networks and detailed information about the programs and history of the agency.
Second Harvest North Florida teamed with Food Lion and Black Diamond Performance Reporting to provide some Thanksgiving joy for 1,000 low-income families on Nov. 18 at EverBank Field.
Lutheran Social Services was honored at the 2010 World AIDS Day Awards Luncheon in downtown Jacksonville. LSS was honored as the Service Provider of the Year, while ACE program staffer Barnat Bella was honored as the Case Manager of the Year.
Each year, the Lutheran Social Services ACE program hosts the Teddy Bear Touchdown Christmas Party for children who are affected by or infected with HIV/AIDS. The 2010 party was held at the LSS building and 40 children had their holiday season brightened through the event. In the spirit of the season of giving, the Jacksonville Jaguars organization, on behalf of its season ticket holders, donated $12,500 to Second Harvest North Florida, matched by a donation of $12,500 by team owners Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver, for a total cash contribution of $25,000 to provide holiday meals for less fortunate families and senior citizens. Second Harvest North Florida exceeded two million pounds of food distributed in the month of December – the first such month in agency history.
DECEMBER
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT
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REFUGEE SUMMER CAMP PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT
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Moises Ramos is not your ordinary art teacher. A recognized artist with numerous awards to his credit, Ramos brings a passion to teaching art as a form of expression and believes art is as important for students as math and science. “To be a well rounded person, you need an appreciation for art,” he said. For the past two summers, refugee children attending Summertime Express summer camp have benefited from Ramos’ passion. “I love working with the refugee children,” Ramos said.
“They have an eagerness to learn that I don’t see in most of my regular students. They really want to try new things.” A lot of the refugee children he teaches have never used a digital camera before coming to summer camp, but they are quick to explore photography as a creative medium. “It is a challenge to teach these children when we have so many different language and culture barriers,” Ramos said. “But I am able to communicate to them that we are not taking snapshots, we are composing a picture to say something.” These photos are to be honored in their own show at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, March 7 - May 9, 2011. To view the refugee children’s art, please visit our permanent gallery on display daily at the Lutheran Social Services offices on Philips Highway. LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT
REFUGEE & IMMIGRATION SERVICES Assisting refugee/entrants, parolees and asylees in adapting quickly & successfully to life in the United States Imagine for a minute that you are not an American citizen. You live in a country where you are persecuted because you are different. The difference may be your religion, your ethnicity, your political viewpoint or your race, or the fact that a member of your family has a serious medical concern. Things have deteriorated to the point where you and your family need to find refuge. Where do you go? Through a coordinated system of interviews, background checks and communication, there is a system in place for 80,000 refugees to come to the United States, and LSS’ Refugee and Immigration Services program is part of that system.
IN 2010, LSS REFUGEES CAME FROM 26 COUNTRIES Others: Central African Republic, Colombia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Tanzania, Togo, Vietnam and Venezuela
For those 80,000 who get to come to the U.S., it is like winning the lottery. But for all that excitement, there are some hard truths. Many refugees have no concept of what it is like to live in the United States. They don’t speak the language and don’t understand the culture. They have no idea about the currency, the geography or even the weather. For the people coming to Jacksonville through LSS – more than 300 in 2010 – that’s when our highly trained staff of the Refugee and Immigration Services program gets going. Under the direction of Barbara Carr, who has worked in refugee services for 30 years, the LSS staff puts together a plan. As soon as refugees step off the plane, LSS takes them to a place to live that is conveniently located near transportation and a grocery store. The second day they are in Jacksonville, refugees start orientation. Our Refugee and Immigration staff, which can speak 17 languages and use interpreters if necessary, will arrange for any benefits for which the refugee might qualify. Children get enrolled in school, health screenings are conducted, young males are enrolled in the selective service system, and an education about the neighborhood where they are living is
DIM DIM Lal Zui and his wife Parthong are grateful to be in a safe place. They fled Burma and were separated for eight years before getting the chance to come to the United States. Arriving in 2007, they first settled in Virginia Beach but moved to Jacksonville for better job opportunities. Lal Zui, a sushi chef, and Parthong, a hotel housekeeper, have two children - a 12-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy. Their daughter, Sui Tha Din, nicknamed Dim Dim, is a fifthgrade student who excels in school. Her English is excellent, she is on the A/B Honor Roll, participates in Arabic class and is on school patrol, a position of honor at her elementary school. She likes school a lot and has big plans. Next year Dim Dim will attend middle school. She wants to continue her education but is not yet sure about what type of work she wants to do. “I would like to attend college,” she says. “I’d like to have a job helping people.”
begun. Refugees sign a lease agreement with the apartment building. But now the really hard part begins. Refugees only receive up to eight months of cash assistance and Medicaid. A single person would receive just $180 a month, clearly not enough on which to live. We conduct short-term training to help refugees become hired as housekeepers and to bus tables in restaurants. This past year, we held three housekeeping classes and one table bussing class to train a total of 53 refugees. Thirty refugees have become employed as a result of these classes. LSS’ work does not stop there. We can assist refugees who have professional experience in their previous life to develop career goals and move up the career ladder. We also work with refugees who were brought to Jacksonville by other nonprofits to develop job skills. The success we have had in the past year is that 400 refugees have found jobs in the area.
Some of the support LSS provides refugees include:
Career Laddering: helps refugees who have professional experience develop a career path Refugee Youth & Family Services: provide academic support for the refugees and schools with intensive case management to youth and families Integration Assistance: cultural orientation for all Burmese refugees, intensive case management and information and referral
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE: Director: Barbara Carr Founded: 1979 09-10 Expenses: $1,896,966 10-11 Budget: $2,068,951 09-10 Refugee Resettlements: 257
Resettlement Services: finding housing, food, health care and organizing child enrollment in schools
Number of Employees: 33
Employment Services: refugees are assisted for up to 60 months to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency through short-term skill training and job placements
For more information, call 904.448.5995
09-10 Employment, Integration & Youth Clients: 968
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT
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SECOND HARVEST NORTH FLORIDA Distributing food & grocery products to hungry people and educating the public about the causes and possible solutions to problems of domestic hunger Twenty percent of North Florida’s population is food challenged. That can mean that people don’t have enough to eat or anything to eat. It may mean a child goes to school hungry or a co-worker is struggling to keep up. Second Harvest North Florida and thousands of donors have responded to this growing need with a distribution of more than 14 million meals in 2010. To do that, we received a lot of help – such as the 9-yearold boy who celebrates his life events with food drives, from companies such as Black Diamond Performance Group that donates its time and talent, and from major corporations such as JP Morgan Chase that donated two 24-foot refrigerated trucks. The stories are never ending.
Why is the work we do so important? Because hunger is a debilitating condition that renders the victim unable to handle even the most basic of tasks. Children cannot function in school, adults cannot excel in the workplace and the elderly may have to choose between necessary prescriptions and food. How do we do it? Second Harvest North Florida does not distribute food directly to individuals but works with member nonprofit agencies to ensure that those who are truly in need receive the food they need. For example, we work with organizations such as the Police Athletic League (PAL) for our children’s BackPack Program, which provides food items for children and their families to eat over the weekends when school isn’t in session. Food donations are of great help to our efforts but in reality Second Harvest can buy food from a variety of sources at a much cheaper price than at the local grocery store. Because of that, cash donations are extremely valuable to us. During our summer and fall Hunger Caravan we came face to face with the need. In addition to serving Jacksonville, Second Harvest provides food to nonprofit agencies in 18 counties in north Florida. The Caravan traveled to Lake City, Live Oak, Gainesville,
CAB Nine-year-old Cab McIvor celebrated the Easter holiday in 2010 by hosting a community food drive at his home – complete with a fun and festive afternoon designed for those who brought food donations to benefit Second Harvest North Florida. In addition to the bounce houses, egg hunts and an appearance by the Easter Bunny, the event focused on the fact that hunger is a critical issue in the Jacksonville community. For McIvor, food drives are nothing new. The youngster has held four such events previously donating nearly 10,000 pounds. “Two years ago I saw on the news that Second Harvest’s food pantry shelves were running low,” said Cab. “I thought it was kind of sad to see kids who might be starving.” A former recipient of food from local food relief organizations, Tammy McIvor, Cab’s mother, said she has tried to instill in her children the importance of helping others and giving back. “We started this concept two years ago,” said Tammy McIvor. “Trying to raise enough food is something that is constantly on his mind. His passion for hunger has really taken off.”
High Springs, Yulee, Fernandina Beach, St. Augustine, Palm Coast, and Palatka. We met a working mother in High Springs who has two teenage daughters but can’t afford food during the summer when school is out. We saw people in Palm Coast who formerly held down professional jobs before the Great Recession and were donors to Second Harvest, but are now standing in line to receive food. In Gainesville there were so many seniors who told us that they couldn’t afford to both eat and take their medicine. Under the direction of Executive Director Thomas Mantz, Second Harvest has worked hard to respond to the increased need – moving from 7.6 million pounds to 19 million pounds of food distribution in the past two years. Our goal is to reach 40 million pounds per year by 2015. Second Harvest thanks Winn-Dixie, Wal-Mart, Target, Publix, Food Lion, Sams Club, Whole Foods and Save Rite for their increased retail donations. We now pick up millions of pounds of food from these supporters.
Many businesses sent employees to volunteer, such as Target, Bono’s BBQ and Wachovia - A Wells Fargo Company. Other corporate sponsors include Bank of America, Acosta Sales & Marketing and EverBank, and Smithfield Hams, who brought along celebrity chef Paula Deen to help with the distribution. Despite all our successes in 2010 we need to do more and look forward to continued support this year in our goal to double the amount of food we distribute.
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE: Executive Director: Thomas Mantz Founded: 1979 09-10 Expenses: $6,648,229
Big events such as the National Association of Letter Carriers annual food drive netted over 350,000 pounds, a new record, and the First Coast News Be A Hero Drive was a great success as well. There were fun events like the Jacksonville FOODFIGHT presented by EverBank and arts events like the 26th Annual Empty Bowls Luncheon presented by Bank of America.
10-11 Budget: $6,447,021 Number of Employees: 27 Pounds of Food Distribution: 19,071,637 For more information, call 904.353.3663 or log on to wenourishhope.org
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT
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REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE SERVICES Ensuring that people enrolled in the program avoid homelessness by maximizing their funds to meet basic living needs Everyone knows that paying bills keeps a roof over your head and food on the table. Yet some of Jacksonville’s most vulnerable residents have difficulty doing that. There are many reasons – mental illness, physical illness, homelessness, or young children who have no grasp of financial matters, for example. Without a service like Representative Payee (Rep Payee) there would be more homeless people, abandoned children and seniors not receiving their prescription medication. It would place an additional burden on community and government services.
Established in 1995, the Rep Payee Services at LSS has nine staff members who serve 1,400 people. Those people receive money totaling $8 million, which includes Social Security benefits, disability income, pensions, Veterans Administration money and railroad retirement funds. The program works closely with area case managers and the Social Security Administration to provide much-needed services. To be enrolled in the Rep Payee program, a person is assigned through a case manager, physician or family member who determines that they need help. For example, a family member might determine that a senior member of the family does not seem to have the mental competency to manage his or her budget. This can be especially true if the family finds that prescriptions aren’t being filled or that the senior member is being deceived to spend money on unneeded or unwanted items. Another example may be a dependent child who is receiving Social Security benefits. The child will not be able to manage funds or pay bills. After the case manager, physician or family member reviews need, the family must go to the Social Security Administration. Normally this is done after a physician signs off on their incapability to manage their own funds.
Ages 0-4:
12
Male:
474
Rep Payee Participants By Gender
Rep Payee Participants
Ages 5-17:
20
By Age
Ages 18-59:
Female:
725
419 Ages 60+:
136
R
DEBBIE Imagine that you have no place to live and are taking care of a 7-year-old autistic grandchild. The house you were living in has been sold because your mother, the owner, passed away. You have lost your job, and your grandson receives just $400 a month from Social Security. Now what? But Debbie Cockrum does not give up easily. She was living at the City Rescue Mission and knew she had to move out because they don’t allow people to stay very long. She also knew that if she didn’t find a home soon, the Dept. of Children and Families would place her grandson in foster care. She didn’t want to interrupt his attendance at Pinedale Elementary School, where he is part of a special education program that helps him. “Things were looking pretty hopeless,” said Cockrum. “So I called LSS’ Rep Payee Services program and pleaded my case. They got involved and helped me find a place to live that allowed me to keep my grandson. I really appreciate them, because I don’t know what I would have done without them.”
Even though this is an extremely valuable service, LSS’ compensation for this program is just $37 per month per person served. If a person is living in an assisted living facility, he or she doesn’t pay a fee because of a contract LSS has with the Department of Children and Families that handles payment.
develop a senior asset protection plan which will put seniors on a budget, pay their expenses and give them appropriate spending money. This will help to eliminate seniors falling prey to deception as well as help those with dementia. More details about the program will be released during the year.
As recent statistics on the U.S. population show, we are getting older. We believe as the population ages, the demand for assistance for senior citizens will increase. We plan to partner with Elder Source in 2011 to
Rep Payee is under the direction of Jerome Crawford. The former director of operations at Northwest Behavioral Health Services was a board member of LSS before he joined the staff.
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE:
DID YOU KNOW? More than six million people who get monthly Social Security or Supplemental Security income (SSI) benefits, or both, need someone to help them manage their money? Many of these people receive their Social Security or SSI at the beginning of the month, but typically spend it before they meet their basic needs of shelter, food and clothing. They require
Director: Jerome Crawford Founded: 1995 09-10 Expenses: $419,808 10-11 Budget: $490,293 Number of Employees: 9 09-10 Clients: 1,014 For more information, call 904.730.8282
additional referral resources to help get them through the month.
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT
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AIDS CARE & EDUCATION PROGRAM
& Education program (ACE) serves a diverse base consisting of single women, women with children, men, racial/ethnic minorities and communities of color, and the homeless. Those served in this program are ages 17 to 78, and the majority are on disability which pays them $12,000 a year or less. Some of the people in the ACE program are working but need assistance with medical care costs due to the expensive prescription cost.
Improving the quality of life and health for those who are living with HIV and empowering them to become active in their care decisions
The ACE program services work in conjunction with federal programs such as the Ryan White Act (named after a young man who died of AIDS due to a contaminated blood transfusion). The services include Ryan White case management, Ryan White Mental Health, Project AIDS Care (Medicaid case management), housing opportunity for people with HIV and AIDS (for women and shared housing with a roommate) and a food pantry. More than 660 were served through the pantry this past year.
Thankfully, advances in medicine mean that a diagnosis of being HIV positive is no longer a guaranteed death sentence in the United States. Yet, many people do not realize the expense of prescriptions that keep the virus at bay nor the emotional and physical toll it can have on its victims. For example, medicines can cost up to $4,000 a month if an individual is without health insurance. Also the disease typically will age a patient 10 years compared to the healthy population bringing other health concerns. HIV/AIDs is a big problem in the state of Florida. We have the thirdhighest number of cases in the United States. To make matters worse, Duval County is ranked fifth in the state in the number of cases. Because many people are not being served by existing programs due to budget limitations, at the present time there are 1,800 people on the waiting list for HIV medication in Florida. LSS saw a need to help this population years ago when there were few programs of support in existence. Founded in 1992, the LSS AIDS Care
The 11 employees of ACE serve as case managers to meet the needs of those they serve. This may include medical and dental care, food stamps, emergency food and clothing, housing assistance, substance abuse treatment, mental health services, medicals, legal assistance, support groups, educational materials, job placement, GED and continued education. When a person in Duval County is diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, he or she can come to LSS and receive a Ryan White financial evaluation to determine if they can aďŹ&#x20AC;ord medical treatment. This program currently helps people making up to 400 percent of the poverty level, but that will drop next year to 300 percent because of cuts in Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Medicaid budget. Those needing help come in for case management and are reviewed. They are checked mentally, emotionally and financially to see
Ages 0-12: 35 White: 554
Ages 13-19: 126
Male:
1,456
HIV Stats
HIV Stats
Black: 1,705
By Race in Duval Co.
By Gender in Duval Co. Female:
Ages 20-29: 758
HIV Stats By Age in Duval Co.
Hispanic: 87
946 Other: 56
Ages 30-39: 696 Ages 40-49: 537 Ages 50-59: 196 Ages 60+: 54
*Source: Florida Department of Health, 11-2010
SEAN They say knowledge is power, and that’s especially the case for Sean Hammond, a Ryan White case manager at LSS’ ACE program. Before Sean began working for ACE, he received services from the program for three years. He actually was a volunteer who got to know the staff and enjoyed helping out.
W
“I was homeless for awhile after I left my ex and didn’t know what to do with my life, but I knew I had to leave Reno (Nev.),” he said. “My parents have a house here and I needed a change. My life is so much better now. It has to do with the effort I made to volunteer and meet new people. It’s been an amazing transition for me.”
F
Sean knows that he can connect with ACE’s clients because he has gone through similar circumstances. “I’ve been positive for 10 years now,” he adds. “I know that by seeing a survivor it helps people. I changed to living a healthy lifestyle, and they see it. It gives them hope. I feel like I have found my calling.”
Ages 0-12: 71 White: 2,034
17
Ages 13-19: 88
Male:
AIDS Stats
4,540
AIDS Stats
Black: 4,029
By Race in Duval Co.
By Gender in Duval Co. Female:
Ages 20-29: 1,241
AIDS Stats By Age in Duval Co.
Hispanic: 198
1,875
Ages 30-39: 2,391 Ages 40-49: 1,740 Ages 50-59: 649
Other: 154
how they are coping with their diagnosis. After the initial consultation, people in the ACE program must have contact with their case manager once a month. In addition to these programs, there is an ACE men’s support group which volunteers at the food pantry and distributes Christmas presents to people needing help. The ACE program has been part of LSS for 18 years and is currently under the direction of Heather Vaughan. A rehabilitation counselor with a master’s degree, Vaughan directs a staff that includes 11 paid workers and two volunteers. Every staff member has a bachelor’s degree, and several have years of case management in social services.
Ages 60+: 235
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE: Director: Heather Vaughan Founded: 1992 09-10 Expenses: $693,362 10-11 Budget: $782,768 Number of Employees: 11 09-10 Clients: 839 For more information, call 904.448.5995
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT
THE SHARING PLACE THRIFT STORE
the refugees who come to LSS literally have nothing more than the clothes on their back. We knew that the expense of creating even a minimally functional household could add up so we developed The Sharing Place Thrift Store to help refugee families. Many times, furniture or electrical appliances such as washers and dryers come in as donations and are immediately loaded on a truck to assist a refugee family with their new life.
Shop for great buys and help a support LSS programs at the same time
The same need holds true for those served by the ACE program. Due to high medical bills and expensive medications, often times it is difficult to afford luxuries such as furntiture, clothing and other household items. The Sharing Place helps make a selection of these items available at an affordable cost, making every dollar stretch. Such access to goods makes life easier for those who are served by the ACE program.
The Sharing Place Thrift Store is a great place for sharing in more ways than one. People can donate gently used or new items that are no longer needed. It’s a great opportunity for someone to snag a bargain and have a good time shopping in a family atmosphere. Plus, when buying from The Sharing Place you are contributing to the financial well-being of Lutheran Social Services and all of its programs.
Whether you are shopping for vintage items, a new wardrobe or want to find a home for that living room sofa before your new one is delivered, think of The Sharing Place Thrift Store. You will be helping so many people with your donation or purchase.
But there’s more to The Sharing Place than just shopping or making a financial donation. It also helps meet the needs of people served through LSS’ Refugee and Immigration Services and ACE programs.
The Sharing Place Helps LSS Refugees
When LSS began its work with Refugee and Immigration Services there was a requirement that each refugee receive a plate, cup and cutlery to start their new life in the U.S. That certainly makes sense because many of
Donations from The Sharing Place Thrift Store oftentimes never make it to the sales floor on Philips Highway, but that doesn’t mean they don’t find new homes.
TERRY Ms. Terry Brown has a lot of time on her hands these days. After years of working in the medical industry for a hospice, nursing home and hospital, she had to have her knees replaced. Going through knee replacement is tough, so Ms. Brown is on disability while she is rehabilitating. Between the extra time and the tightened budget, she decided to check out the neighborhood thrift store, The Sharing Place. “I usually come in two or three times a week,” she said. “You get a bargain, and every time I come in there I find something. Normally I look for things for my grandchildren. But I love kitchen things, too. I also shop for my daughter and trade items with my ex-supervisor, who first got me interested in thrift store shopping.” She has even donated to the store and gets a chuckle when she sees her clothes on the rack. For Terry Brown, The Sharing Place is a bargain, part of her rehabilitation and a way to help a good cause.
Instead, many of the donated household items and large furniture pieces that come to the thrift store are put into immediate use for refugee families beginning a new life with little to no personal possessions. Bedroom furniture, living room accessories and necessary kitchen supplies are important items needed to get these families on their feet – and they come at no cost to the recipients. “Most refugee families can’t afford to purchase furniture for their home when they arrive because their funds are extremely limited,” said Colette Rominger, volunteer coordinator for Lutheran Social Services who oversees the effort to get apartments set up for incoming LSS refugees. “These donations are critically important. Without them, many of these families would be forced to sleep on the floor or have nowhere to eat meals.” Refugee housing setup begins with delivery of furniture by The Sharing Place staff. Volunteers from community groups, like Shepherd of the Woods Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, complete the process with personal items including dishes, towels, toiletries and blankets – many of which also come from The Sharing Place.
allows them to get items that are needed right away. Many resettled refugees then become regular clients. “During the winter months, coats are available for three or four dollars at The Sharing Place that might cost 30 or 40 dollars in a retail store,” Rominger said. “Many of our clients take advantage of that. The Sharing Place helps them stretch every dollar and provide for the needs of their family.”
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE: Director: Jerome Crawford Founded: 2008 09-10 Expenses: $92,010 10-11 Budget: $117,769 Number of Employees: 2 Cash Value Provided to LSS Programs: $51,093
The store is also beneficial to LSS clients that arrive with lost luggage from days or weeks of travel from around the world. A store voucher
For more information, call 904.446.9560
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT
19
ON THE HORIZON
As another year dawns for Lutheran Social Services, we believe the future is as bright as ever. Growth is evident in each of our programs, and 2011 promises to be as successful as any in our agency’s history.
We remain committed to the work of meeting the growing needs of our community
Some signs of this growth:
Thirty years has brought both change and growth to Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida. What began as a small food pantry in 1979, organized through the efforts of Jacksonville’s Lutheran congregations and operated primarily by volunteers, has blossomed into a dynamic agency. LSS employs more than 80 skilled workers and serves tens of thousands of vulnerable residents in our community each year. The agency’s founders saw the same thing that we do today – too many at-risk populations going underserved. Some are hungry. Some are sick. Some are neglected. Others have come to a new land seeking a new beginning and need to be shown the American Way. The agency’s original mission statement indicated that LSS’s purpose was to fill gaps in services to underserved populations and to seek out partnerships with other agencies to help provide for these needs. Those core principles still hold true today.
• The launch of a financial services program to assist other nonprofit agencies in the community • An expanded Representative Payee Services program that will soon begin to serve private individuals – in Jacksonville and beyond • The addition of case management services for those served by our Representative Payee Services program. We estimate that 230 of the 1,014 clients currently have no one to help ensure they receive the care they need • And continued progress toward the strategic goal of Second Harvest North Florida – ending hunger in our community by 2015 These are just a few of the new initiatives being put in place in 2011 as Lutheran Social Services strives to reach out, motivated and guided by the compassion of Christ to help our neighbors in need. To learn more about LSS, and to find out more information about donating items, money and time, visit us online at lssjax.org.
SENIOR STAFF R. Wayne Rieley, President/CEO Jerome Crawford, Vice President for Operations Karen Rieley, Vice President for Advancement Thomas Mantz, Executive Director - Second Harvest North Florida Richard Mochowski, Controller Eileen Nelson, Human Resources
2009 - 10 JETSET ( Junior Executives Today Setting Examples for Tomorrow)
Matthew Parks, President Yinka Ajirotutu, President-Elect Katrese A. Berry Samantha Carlyon Barrett Cook Roger K. Gannam Phil Gordon Liz Hartman Bill Laird Patty Miller Tracy Sadeghian Kimberly M. Sole Caroline SudhoďŹ&#x20AC; Mike Wachholz Mark W. Yates
CREDITS Publisher: Editors:
Karen Rieley, Vice President for Advancement Tom Strother, Director of Communications Amy Rankin, Cause to Communicate Layout: Janelle Jordan, Cause to Communicate Photography: Chris Viola Visuals, Feeding America, Jessica Harrison, Dan Van Slyke, Chelsea Photographic, LSS staďŹ&#x20AC;
Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida, Inc. 4615 Philips Highway, Jacksonville, FL 32207 904.448.5995 lssjax.org
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