The flower that grows in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all Annual Report

Transcription

1 The flower that grows in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all Annual Report

2 Olivia Annual Message s House Mission and Vision Mission Statement Olivia s House is an organization of caregiving professionals and volunteers committed to supporting grieving children. Its purpose is to facilitate healing through grief and loss education. Vision Statement As the premier freestanding, independent grief and loss center, we are dedicated to having the capability to support the growing needs of the community. In doing so, Olivia s House will become the primary resource for local and national grief and loss education. Our vision will be accomplished by providing no-cost services such as: Educational and social support programs for grieving pre-school, elementary, middle and high school-aged children and young adults and their families. Individual and family grief counseling referrals to specialized professionals. A public lending library containing thousands of resources on child, teen, and adult grief. In 2014, we experienced a surge in suicide deaths, traumas and tragedy in York county and Olivia s House was there to support everyone who walked through the door with services that met their needs. Whether they were referred to a trauma specialist, play therapist, art therapist or equine team, the children were served. Whether they attended our eight-week peer support group, Hearts Can Heal, our four-week preschool program, Little Ones, or our young-adult peer support program, In-Between, they all came together and shared their pain. Whether they signed out one of our 1,800 lending library resources or attended a baseball game and picnic in our WINGS social program, they were met with hugs and support. We are proud of this level of commitment to the families we serve that began so many years ago with the simple philosophy that everyone deserves support but not everyone needs the same kind of support! We were happy to be able to serve two distinct communities in With our new Hanover center functioning at full capacity, we welcomed groups and families to introduce our mission on a regular basis. We were able to hire another employee, a Program Director, to assist in serving families and directing programs. It was helpful as we expanded the work of establishing our referral network for trauma in the Hanover community. We were voted The Best in the World by Yahoo News to round out our year! With this honor, a production team from New York City visited Olivia s House and created a video that introduced our mission to the world! We had incredible support and were contacted by people around the globe to say, Congratulations on the honor of being selected as The Best in the World. K. C. Delp Executive Director

3 The Gardener Written by Anna Bowers, adapted from Dr. Alan Wolfelt A gardener tending his budding garden saw, once upon a cool, crisp spring morning, Amidst the untended edges, wild and raw, the tender stalk of an unknown seedling. The gardener knew not what this new plant would bring, after examining the fragile leaves, But he decided to care for the forlorn little sprout and set about tending its needs. He removed the large rocks from its stalk, sprinkled it with his tin watering can, And dedicated part of each day s tending, with a watchful eye on the seedling s stand. The seedling s place wasn t always forgiving, choked with weeds and poor soil, But the gardener believed in the sprout s mettle, to adapt and survive through its hard toil. Day by day, the stalk grew stronger, under the gardener s patient vigil, Still slim, but strong as it stretched up, topped with a tight bud in the middle. Until at last on a warm summer afternoon, the indigo bud unfurled into a beautiful blossom, Revealing pale blue petals, golden stamens, a columbine! Single, perfect, and solemn. The gardener smiled, his work was done. no need for constant care to nourish, He ll keep his eye on it, not abandon, for he knew the flower would continue to flourish. Until now, left untended, but never truly alone, the columbine still stands proud and tall, For the flower that grows in adversity, is the most rare and beautiful of all. Founder s Message As the Founder of Olivia s House, I am proud to be able to share our success through the pages of this annual report. More importantly, I am honored to look back on the thirteen years since I approached the community to build Olivia s House and see the growth we have experienced and the potential we have to continue to grow! We are strong because of the commitment of the York and Hanover communities to care for the grieving children and their families. The many seeds that are planted at Olivia s House blossom into beautiful flowers! We are often absent when the tiny flower unfurls and opens to the sun, but our confidence that it will unfurl is ever present. Our mission takes pride in having served hundreds of children and their families in We are the grief gardeners. We till the soil in our intake sessions, we plant carefully, giving nutrition to the little seedling through the education in our programs and our library resources. We water the flowers ever so gently with the many rituals we share at our grief center. And finally, we display the beauty of those flowers as the children enjoy our social program, WINGS, having fun together at many community events. In 2014, many children blossomed into beautiful flowers while in the care of the grief gardeners at Olivia s House. We held year round programming, complete with our new program director, Gerry Gaugler. We offered Hearts Can Heal, Little Ones and even offered an In-Between group for young adults! We have much to be proud of and feel blessed to continue the work of grief gardening in York, as well as in our new center in Hanover. Leslie Delp, MA Founder and Bereavement Specialist

4 Financial Picture Our total income for the fiscal year 2014 was $439, as compared to our total expenditures of $430, This activity left us with a net gain of $8, The York County community continues to value the mission of Olivia s House by providing funds to meet our annual operating budget. It is because of them that we are able to continue serving grieving families with quality no-cost services. Total Total Source Souce of of Funds Funds 41% 47% Olivia's House Fundraising Community Partner Events Sponsorships and DonaAons 12% Olivia s House Fundraising... $205, Community Partner Events... $54, Sponsorships and Donations... $179, Total Total Use of of Funds Funds 24% Program Services Administra7ve and Support Services 14% 62% Fundraising Ac7vi7es and Expenses Program Services... $265, Administrative and Support Services... $61, Fundraising Activities and Expenses... $103, As an independent grief center, we rely on the generosity of our community to help sustain our mission. Our growth is dependent on continued support. We must be a visible and vocal presence in the community, to maintain its awareness of its critical role in our success. We must be diligent in our response to their support, never failing to thank them for the incredible gift that is Olivia s House. In 2014, the communities of York and Hanover continued to be the anchor for our growth, enabling our mission to expand our staff. Total Revenue... $439, Total Expenses... $430,602.52

5 OLIVIA S HOUSE STAFF a grief and loss center for children Olivia s House - York 830 South George Street York, PA (717) Olivia s House - Hanover 101 Baltimore Street Hanover, PA (717) Leslie Delp, M.A. Founder and Bereavement Specialist Michelle Fox Program Coordinator BOARD OF DIRECTORS Executive Board Joe Hammann - President Susan Heinle - Vice President Michael Sharp - Treasurer Devon Ellis - Secretary K.C. Delp Executive Director Gerald Gaugler, M.S. Program Director Board Members Whitney Bellomo David Cutright Alyssa Shorb Chad Zahm Follow us Olivia s House: A Grief and Loss Center for Children is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, contributions to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent by law. The official registration and financial information of Olivia s House: A Grief and Loss Center for Children may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free within Pennsylvania, Registration does not imply endorsement.