2014 Annual Report WELCOME FROM THE CEO & BOARD PRESIDENT 2014 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Erin Vance Skinner, President Chris Strohmenger, Vice President Marianne Hillegass, Treasurer LELIA DUNCAN, CEO ERIN VANCE SKINNER, BOARD PRESIDENT Diana Davis, Secretary Community Connections is about reconnecting families and individuals back to the community. Everyone deserves a home, a job, a means to support their families and themselves. Everyone deserves not to be hungry, to be able to know where their next meal comes from. Every child deserves enriching day care and afterschool programs. Everyone deserves access to healthcare. This is the United States, the best country in the world. Our citizens deserve the best we can afford them. Community Connections mission is, “Healing Homelessness and Fighting Poverty One Life at a Time.” We do this through our housing programs, our family and youth services, our food pantries, our Work Force Development initiatives and our Wellness Center. We work with motivated families and individuals who want to work, find work and work to attain and support a quality of life that is good. Thank you to all of our supporters who help us in this critical mission. 1 MEMBERS Keith Bell Michael Lenahen Michelle Bowen Jerry Mallot Larry Cobb Patrick McCabe David Cowfer James Modaff Franklin Danley Luke Posson Wendy Delp Kenny Stevenson Richard Gropper Kerri Stewart John Guns Semone Walker Keyanna Henry Mark Whyte 3% 1% 4% 4% 1% 27% Federal 23% 2 54% 32% 8% 6% Fundraising & Development Administrative Children Services Public Support and Revenue ($5,279,561) Family Services Foundations, Corporate & Private Donations Program Fees Rental Income United Way Other State 37% City 2014 FISCAL YEAR FINANCIAL UPDATE Use of Funds ($5,345,824) PROGRAMS & SERVICES HEALING HOMELESSNESS AND FIGHTING POVERTY At Community Connections of Jacksonville our mission is to heal homelessness and fight poverty one life at a time. We take a holistic approach, working to address the many challenges our clients face to overcome homelessness, through a number of vital services. Our key programs, Housing, Youth Services and Literacy and Workforce Readiness are directed towards helping families become educated and independent, and removed from the cycle of poverty. What makes Community Connections unique is that we are a working program and our participants are held to employment requirements so that they can ultimately achieve sustainability. Housing Rapid Rehousing & Preventative Services We work to re-house homeless and at-risk families as quickly as possible, to prevent the trauma of evictions and family displacement. Emergency assistance and social services can stabilize families and help them find and keep permanent housing. 3 Permanent Housing Community Connections provides permanent housing in Duval, Nassau and Clay Counties for families who need exceptional assistance. Clients who access permanent housing are chronically homeless and are veterans, disabled, or have other special needs. Literacy & Workforce Readiness Transitional Housing The Davis Center’s transitional housing provides homeless women and children with up to 18 months of shelter and services. This “window of opportunity” is a gift of opportunity and time, allowing working mothers to gain the education and skills needed to regain self-sufficiency. Community Connections launched its Workforce Development office in October 2014. Our Director of Employment Resources quickly began working with homeless and hard-to-place clients from all agency programs. Services provided include training in personal strength assessments, resumé writing, interviewing skills, and professional dress. Relationships with some of Jacksonville’s leading corporate citizens have already helped dozens of clients reconnect with the workforce. The Davis Center’s adult education also includes classes and training to help our clients lay the foundation 4 for a sustainable lifestyle. Ongoing classes include basic literacy, financial education, credit repair and computer courses. PROGRAMS & SERVICES HEALING HOMELESSNESS AND FIGHTING POVERTY Each site provides excellent academic support, enrichment activities, tutoring programs and leadership opportunities. Summer Camp milestones will be missed, that health and nutrition needs are met, and that all children will enter school “ready to learn.” Children ranging from age 5 to age 15 participate in the Community Connections Summer Camp program. Activities include team sports, games, academic enrichment, and field trips. Our Summer Camp program ensures the youth we serve have a safe and positive place to go and two meals each day while not in school. After School Programs Healthy Families Jacksonville Free after school programs are available at six locations including three community sites, Normandy Center, Sable Palms Center and Davis Center, and three TEAM UP sites at Hyde Grove, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Oak Hill Elementary. We provide a free, voluntary family support program designed to assist pregnant women and parents with newborns to become the best parents they can be. Youth & Family Services Head Start Davis Child Development Center The Davis Child Development Center serves children ages six weeks to five years old. In August 2014, we became a Head Start and Early Head Start provider through a partnership with Lutheran Services Florida. This year, the program served 118 vulnerable children from homeless and low-income families. A safe, stimulating and warm environment helps ensure that no important 5 WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED OUR NUMBERS TELL A STORY 654 246 Housed 654 homeless women, children & families Mentored 246 children in the Davis Center’s Four-Star Child Development Center, ensuring appropriate care and development for homeless and at-risk infants and children 2,000 Rescued 2,000 families from the brink of homlessness with emergency services 741 1,055 Empowered 741 adults to better their lives with life skills and literacy training Provided a creative learning environment for more than 1,055 at-risk children in our afterschool programs and summer camps 238,446 Filled hungry stomachs with 238,446 congregate meals 783 1,625 Mentored more than 783 families through our Healthy Families Jacksonville program 1,625 volunteers contributed 8,084 hours to Community Connections 6 VOLUNTEERISM THE GIFT OF TIME AND TALENT Community Connections is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support from our community volunteers. Volunteers help us with everything from running food and clothing drives to assisting with administrative duties and event support. In the past year, more than 1,600 volunteers contributed over 8,000 hours to our mission. Without this support, Community Connections of Jacksonville would not be where it is today. Volunteer Opportunities Adopt-A-Room Cooking for a Cause On-going opportunity to decorate a room in the Davis Transitional Housing Center for an incoming family. On-going opportunity to prepare dinner for the families in the Davis Transitional Housing Center. Bow Wow You’re Wow Reading Program Read with our VPK students and a certified therapy dog. Please contact us if you would like to become a Community Connections Volunteer at 904-350-9949. 7 ANNUAL EVENTS RAISING FUNDS TO RAISE SPIRITS Community Connections is proud to host three fundraising events each year. These events provide great opportunities to raise awareness for our mission and connect with our community partners to build support for our programs. Mardi Gras This festive event is a fun way to support Community Connections. With live music, authentic Cajun food, oysters and more, Mardi Gras is a beautiful evening under the oaks for a great cause. Burgers 4 Babies Celebrity Chefs gather to flip Burgers for Babies! This fun barbecue event takes place on site at the Davis Center and directly benefits our programs for children. Community Connections provides a positive learning experience and a safe nurturing environment for the homeless and low income children we serve at the Head Start Davis Child Development Center. Tribute Each year, we gather to celebrate and recognize a community leader with the Florence N. Davis Award for Community Achievement, and we highlight the impact Community Connections has made in the lives of the women, children and families served. In 2014, we were pleased to celebrate Daniel and Rebekah Davis for their commitment and service to the Jacksonville community. 8 CORPORATE GIVING CONSIDER AN ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP Heal Homelessness. Fight Poverty. Become a partner. At Community Connections of Jacksonville, we understand the importance of maximizing not only the gifts we receive through the generosity of our community but also the opportunities to recognize and appreciate them. Your partnership allows Community Connections to help motivated families escape the destructive cycle of poverty and homelessness. Put your dollars to work at one time and let us lift up your brand all year long. 9 Darnell Smith LEVELS OF GIVING Florida Blue Your generosity and commitment in supporting at any of these giving levels will have a significant impact on the lives of the women, children and families we serve. Your support can do so much, from sponsoring a child in our Summer Camp to enhancing and implementing new programs like our Workforce Development Office. Empowerment Partner $25,000 Independence Partner $15,000 Dignity Partner $10,000 Aspiration Partner $5,000 Hope Partner $2,500 Together, we make a difference one life at a time. 10 Florida Blue values its long partnership with Community Connections and believes in their mission. The opportunity to make an annual gift for their programs allows us to plan appropriately and encourage our employees to participate in their wonderful events and volunteer projects throughout the year. It’s more efficient and effective to plan a one-time gift with Community Connections, rather than contributing individual amounts each time they have a need. Their team can then spend more time helping families and children overcome poverty and lead healthy, confident lives. CHANGE THE FUTURE SUPPORT COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS OF JACKSONVILLE Give. HELP US... Volunteer. Provide relief, refuge and sanctuary to a motivated family in our community. Change an outcome. Remove infants and children from some of the most stressful situations imaginable. Change the future. Keep young people off the streets, out of harms way and in school. Educate and empower. Together, we can heal homelessness and fight poverty one life at a time. 904-350-9949 communityconnectionsjax.org twitter.com/CCJ_Giveback facebook.com/communityconnectionsjax linkedin.com/company/community-connections-of-jacksonville
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