Good Neighbors Annual Report 2016

Good Neighbors 2016 1 Good Neighbors Annual Report 2016 Message from our Board Chair Mary Ann Higgins Good Neighbors http://www.goodneighborsri.org

2 The mission of Good Neighbors continues to be to provide nourishing meals, distribute clothing and hygiene products and to offer a comfortable setting where companionship can be fostered. Good Neighbors seeks to encourage a spirit of charity and good will in a safe and welcoming environment. Good Neighbors has occupied it's present location for two and a half years now and we feel as though we have been there forever. The community has welcomed us with open arms and continues to be a source of support for the work of Good Neighbors. Our client base has nearly doubled in the past year and yet, through the continued generosity of our donors and benefactors, we have been able to keep up with the growing demands. A day does not pass when Good Neighbors does not see a thoughtful neighbor drop by with a donation of nonperishable food or gently used clothing. Both of these are so important to the continued success of the efforts of Good Neighbors. As the reach of Good Neighbors continues to expand and it s services grow to meet the needs of the population so does the cost involved with the work. Fund raising and grant seeking are ongoing challenges to the goals of Good Neighbors. Without an unexpected grant this year, our ability to provide for Holiday wishes would not have taken place as usual. The Board is constantly seeking out new sources of monies and ideas for supplementing our income from within the community with events like pasta dinners, rummage sales and our annual auction and dinner gala. Admittedly, events like these provide merely a drop in the bucket, but allow the larger community to experience what it is that Good Neighbors does and become aware of the greater needs. The goal of Good Neighbors is to continue to be able to serve and grow as our clients needs dictate. Our army of volunteers and the individual talents and gifts that they bring with them is vital to our ability to function each day. In addition to cooks and clothing experts, food pantry volunteers and dishwashers, we now have a registered nurse in the dining room each week to help clients sort through medical questions and arrange for needed services. With the new year will certainly come new challenges for Good Neighbors and for the people we serve. It is our hope and desire that we will be able to meet these and accomplish the mission that Good Neighbors was founded on some 27 years ago: to provide meals, clothing and support to those that find themselves without what is necessary to live each day. Mary Ann Higgins President, Good Neighbors Mission

3 Good Neighbors is a non-profit service organization which includes a soup kitchen, day shelter, food pantry and resource center, and has been serving the underserved of the East Bay and greater Providence and Newport areas for 26 years. Founded in 1990 as a small soup kitchen serving lunch five days a week, we have since expanded to include daily breakfast and lunch for up to 85 clients per day. We later added a food pantry serving the Bristol, Warren and Barrington communities, distributing groceries to over 300 families. Our most recent additions include a clothing distribution service, laundry facilities, and a resource center for our clients to assist them in employment, social services, and housing searches. Our mission statement describes our facility as a comfortable setting where companionship can be fostered, and this is truly our goal in serving our clients to create a safe and welcoming place where their needs are met in an holistic manner, where both families and the homeless may find a friendly refuge and the assistance they need to better their lives in both great and small ways. Our Programs In addition to providing our clients with hot meals and groceries in our Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry, Good Neighbors supplies families in need with clothing, hygiene products, and small household goods upon request. Through a generous grant provided by the Chobani Shepherd s Gift Foundation, our organization was able to purchase a washer and dryer to allow our clients to do their laundry free of charge. We provide weekly blood pressure screenings We collaborate with a number of agencies to provide housing services, alcohol and drug counseling, and SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program). Special Programs Blood Pressure Screenings In April of this year, a registered nurse started volunteering once a week to provide weekly blood pressure screenings. Although we knew the importance of having this program available, we had no idea how popular this program would become. Through word of mouth, she was able to serve sixty-one clients. Although that number is impressive in and of its self, what is important is how many of the sixtyone continued to have weekly screenings. After going over the numbers at the end of the year, we realized that twenty-four clients had continued to come on a weekly basis. However we quickly realized that although twenty-four of our clients did not have primary care physicians to make follow up appointments to get their blood pressure in healthy range. The highlight of the program was the fact that we were able to refer and make appointments for twenty-three of those clients to a primary care physician. I am proud to say that we are going to continue this important program into 2017. Holiday Store Each holiday season, families sign up to shop from a variety of donated toys, games, clothing and other items for their children using a points system based on the number of children in the family.

4 These items are provided to them for free, and this system allows for a more personalized experience, helping our clients to feel they have played a role in their families Christmas. Food 4 Kids Food 4 Kids supplies children who receive school lunches with a backpack of kid-friendly foods once per week during the summer months, in order to provide adequate nutrition when school lunches are not available. This program is available to eligible participants of our food pantry, and provides extra help to local families in need. Our Increase in Demand As demand for our services increases, our core programs have continued to evolve to meet the changing needs of our guests. Because we only have one paid staff member we rely on the help of our volunteer staff and our strong partnerships to provide our clients the resources they need. We have increased our volunteer basis to include a large number of collaborations. Below is just a few of the groups we have teamed up with over the last year to ensure our clients provided the care they need. Living Innovations provides support for individuals with long-term illnesses or developmental disabilities and children with health and behavioral needs. Anchor Recovery provides substance abuse assistance Snap Outreach Project is the government s food assistance program House of Hope helps with housing applications Rhode Island 2-1-1 is a free, confidential service that provides information and referrals. They help by connecting you with agencies and trained specialists who offer support and answers at every level. Our Volunteer Licensed Nurse provides weekly blood pressure screenings and helps with referrals and doctors appointments Blue Cross provided the volunteers and clients with free flu shots Alliance Wireless helps clients sign up for government provided cell phones Gateway Health Care focuses on client meetings and healthcare checkups. We are also on the steering committee for "Enhanced Care Team Project". The RI Transition Academy at Roger Williams University helps individuals with disabilities. We provide a place for their students to volunteer. East Bay Community Action Youth Center provides a place for the students to receive job training in house at Good Neighbors. For more information, and to see of our programs in action, please visit our website at www.goodneighborsri.org.

5 Clients Served Good Neighbors saw a steadily increasing demand for services in both our soup kitchen and food pantry between 2015 and 2016, as seen in the charts provided below. 30000 Total Meals Served in Meal Site 20000 10000 0 Number of Meals Served 2015 2016 In 2016, Good Neighbors distributed 1,498 bags of groceries in our food pantry, and served 21,534 meals in our soup kitchen. Because of increased word of mouth among our homeless population and the surrounding community, our numbers have steadily increased over the past year. As an example, in December of 2015 our meal site served 1,887 meals in comparison to December 2016 we served 2,358; On average the meal site saw an increase of 372 meals per month in 2016. The majority of the clients we serve remain the most vulnerable in our community: children, seniors, the working poor, single parent households, and the homeless population. 62% of the population served in our pantry are children under 18 years old, and 95% of our clients fall within or below the USDA guidelines to receive federal assistance. 2000 1500 1000 500 Food Pantry Bags 0 Number of Meals Served 2015 2016

6 The Continued Need For Services According to the 2016 Status Report on Hunger in Rhode Island, the level of hunger and food insecurity in Rhode Island remains at a critical point; 198,000 Rhode Islanders are living in households with incomes below 130% of the federal poverty level ($26,208 annually for a family of three). Among the major findings of this report were the following: 235,000 Rhode Islanders, more than 1/5 of Rhode Island s population, live in a distressed community. Over 20% of the population lives in communities experiencing extreme economic hardship. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a critical resource for low-income families, but benefit levels are inadequate to feed a family throughout a month. The Status Report found that for everyone in Rhode Island with the income level below 130% of the federal poverty level to receive three meals per day, 217 meals are needed. Sources of meals for low-income households: 44% of meals for low-income households in Rhode Island are sourced using SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) 21% of meal are purchased using their own earnings. 15% of meals are missed, which equates to 33.2 million per year, demonstrating the magnitude of the problem 9% are sourced through school meals. 2% are sourced through WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) Vulnerable Populations at High Risk Food insecurity is particularly harmful to the health of young children and senior adults who require adequate nutrition every day. Among households receiving food assistance in Rhode Island, 22% reported having a family member in poor health. According to the US Census Bureau, 41,000 Rhode Island Children live in poverty. Children s HealthWatch found that children living in food insecure families were significantly more likely to be hospitalized than those in food secure homes. Similar studies of food insecurity among seniors link illness and poor health to insufficient food. Resources and Financial Management Good Neighbors relies on grants and donations from organizations and individuals in order to fund our programs and services. Additionally, we host an annual fundraising event and conduct a letter-writing campaign to solicit additional donations.

7 Where Does Good Neighbors Funding Come From? 60% 2% 29% 9% Donalons Fundraisers Grants Other Good Neighbors seeks to ensure that all donations are used to achieve our mission in the most effective way possible. All Good Neighbors programs and services are coordinated by one full-time executive director. The executive director is responsible for the complete operation of the soup kitchen and food pantry, including community outreach, volunteer training, and strategic planning. The director is also in charge of maintaining client and volunteer databases, providing support for fundraising. Program expenses are tightly controlled thanks to the generosity of our community in providing in-kind donations of clothing, food, toys and household items. Food served at the soup kitchen and distributed through the food pantry is purchased from the Rhode Island Community Food Bank at a discounted rate, maximizing the impact of each dollar donated and further limiting program expenses. In 2016, Good Neighbors spent $10,475 to purchase food for the meal site, and $1,978 for the pantry; our low food costs allowed us to serve 21,534 meals averaging 49 cents per meal. Due to the generosity of the community through donations of food, whether during food drives or as walk-ins throughout the year, we spend less than $1 on each bag of food distributed in our food pantry. These bags are also supplemented by donations of meat and produce by local farms and grocery stores, further reducing our food costs. By keeping our food budget low, we are able to apply more of our budget to special programs throughout the year such as our Holiday Store and Food 4 Kids programs, as well as purchasing equipment to assist our diners.

8 Good Neighbors Financial Position 12/31/2016 12/31/2015 Cash and equivalents (available for use) $ 119,729 $ 80,621 Cash and equivalents (reserved) $ 60,000 $ 60,000 Prepaid Expenses $ 2,500 $ 2,785 Fixed Assets (signs, appliances, equipment) $ 7,024 $ 7,024 Total Assets $ 189,253 $ 150,430 Total Liabilities $ 7,852 $ 23,194 Net Assets $ 181,301 $ 127,235 The Good Neighbors board of directors and staff recognize the importance of maintaining sufficient assets to be able to continue to serve our clients. Certain Good Neighbors assets have been designated as reserved by the board of directors. Reserved assets are funds set aside to ensure that the soup kitchen and food pantry can continue to function in the event of economic downturn, unforeseen expenses or catastrophic events. Our Organization Needs Your Help As we look to the future and the exciting prospects available to our organization as a result of our expansion, the staff, volunteers and clients of Good Neighbors ask that you consider making a contribution in whatever way possible; we believe that in order to serve the community we have established ourselves in in accordance with best practices, we must look to individuals in our community for their input, connections and expertise. Volunteers and donations of food, clothing and hygiene products are always welcome. Your Donation is More Important Than Ever Before To make a financial contribution, please visit our website at www.goodneighborsri.org and click the Donate button to donate through PayPal; all major credit cards may be used and a PayPal account is not necessary. Donations by mail may be made to: Good Neighbors, 55 Turner Ave., Riverside RI 02915