2010 Annual Report

Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc. ANNUAL REPORT

People

2010

Helping People

Celebrating 45 Years of Service

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MISSION & BELIEFS

Our Mission is to provide opportunities to improve the quality of life for people and communities.

We Believe . . . ~ All people have value and potential; ~ In treating all people with dignity and respect; ~ Diversity enriches the quality of life; ~ All people have the right to be informed of choices, opportunities, and responsibilities; ~ Effective communication and teamwork are essential for success; ~ Partnerships are essential in delivering quality services; and, ~ There are opportunities in change.

LETTER FROM BOARD CHAIR ~ PAUL ERDAL As I reflect upon 2010 at Tri-Valley my mind displays highs/ lows and a continuation of positive energy, motion and direction.

Several of our Head Start programs had federal reviews this past year. The Office of Head Start reviewed the Migrant Head Start and Early Head Start programs (Oct 2010) and the Region V Early Head Start had a review (March 2011). Both reviews were extremely positive. With the depth and intensity of these reviews it is amazing that Tri-Valley is so able to receive verification of nearly 1,800 individual program accountability variables during these monitoring efforts. I am proud to say that TriValley is one of the superior organizations across the country offering these programs. Much of the success of these programs is due to the diligence and skills of our Head Start Director, Laurie Coleman, her management and leadership team, and local Center Directors. Most importantly, it is because of the passion, care and professionalism of the entire Head Start program staff, daily working with our children and families, who make the programs successful.

Another high was the creation of a Development Committee in 2009 for the purpose of assessing the value of, need for and means to the enhancement of our unrestricted financial position. Members of the Development Committee have worked hard to come up with strategies for financial longevity for Tri-Valley Opportunity Council. And, in 2010, I am excited to see tangible progress towards having a system that will give staff and the public community opportunity to financially support our mission efforts in our communities.

The Weatherization Program has been under close scrutiny since the autumn of 2009. Unfortunately, continued reviews by state and federal officials have yielded little positive progress. Corrective actions were made by Tri-Valley staff. Federal funding for the program was discontinued. Still, through this entire seventeen month process, Tri-Valley staff has been honest and candid while providing full disclosure and communication to the Board of Directors, the Office of Energy Security, and to the public. Weatherization remains a great unmet need in our service area and Tri-Valley will continue to seek ways to assist people and families find the means to reduce their energy consumption and costs going forward Tri-Valley Opportunity Council continues to grow and thrive in anxious times. Despite our best intentions errors have been made with negative consequences. Still, the Board of Directors, management and staff will press forward looking to diligently provide quality programming and services that will help improve the quality of life for people and our communities. We will competitively continue to seek opportunities for grant funding in a challenging economic climate. Despite the bumps in the road you can expect the same tenacity from Tri-Valley to provide quality and compassionate services.

As with any organization or business, adaptability in the face of change is an essential part of survival. We at Tri-Valley must review, assess, evaluate and evolve to be more efficient and effective in a changing environment. Tough decisions have been made as we cut programs that are not cost effective. We know these decisions impact people’s lives and take these decisions seriously. At the same time, we know that frugal fiscal stewardship and effective management is imperative in an everchanging world.

I want to thank the members of the Board of Directors for all their volunteer time and energy. Also, I want to thank the thousand of clients who work with us each year. To the hundreds of staff who go above and beyond the call of duty – thank you so very much. And, to the communities we serve and the funding sources we work with - thank you for being a part of our mission to help improve the quality of life for people and our communities.

Paul J. Erdal

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers

Chairman Paul Erdal Norman County

Vice Chair Leroy Vonasek Marshall County

Treasurer William Montague Polk County

Secretary Linda Neuerburg Polk County

Members

Jan Anderson Marshall County

Don Diedrich Polk County

Arthur Drenckhahn Marshall County

Kent Eken Norman County

John Gerszewski Polk County

Linda Grinde Polk County

Marvin Gunderson Norman County

Lee Ann Hall Norman County

Jamie Hennen Norman County

Dave Jameson Marshall County

Dr. Jodi Boerger-Wilder Polk County

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LETTER FROM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ~ DENNY DEMERS In many ways Tri-Valley could label 2010 the year of “Good, Bad, and Ugly.” It started out with notification that we had received two substantial grant applications for Early Head Start both in our Migrant and Seasonal Head Start program as well as our Region V Head Start program.

The Head Start program did a magnificent job of developing the grants and when notified by the federal government were able to get services up and running within weeks. Many other grantees in the nation took the better part of a year to get operational. So for Tri-Valley, this was Good.

Still, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds that we received from the Minnesota Department of Commerce were frozen in 2010 pending a review of our documentation and expedition of the program services. This review continues and there is little to report other than the funding source has not made a determination about the status of this endeavor. In an effort to see services continue, Tri-Valley approached the Minnesota Department of Commerce in April and asked to have the funding earmarked for Tri-Valley shifted to the West Central Community Action Agency (headquartered in Elbow Lake, MN) in order for them to continue providing services to the clients in our service area. After three months of working with the funding source we were able to get the funds transferred to West Central and they have been working since then to provide weatherizing services in our area. However, the final determination of the review has yet to be made and Tri-Valley remains in limbo as to the ultimate disposition of our Weatherization Program. For Tri-Valley this has been very Bad. Finally, the election of November 2010 changed the political landscape in Minnesota and throughout the country.

In Minnesota we elected a Democrat for Governor (Mark Dayton) while passing the control of the House and the Senate to Republicans for the first time in about forty years. And, the nation swept Republicans into the House of Representatives in a major Congressional turn-over. Still, the Senate was able to retain a majority of Democrats their majority shrunk to a bare minimum. The net result of these elections has put the state and the nation into deeper gridlock. Minnesota is working to erase a $5 billion deficit and is not poised to resolve the structural financial imbalance this session. The legislature is bent on cutting budgets and the Governor is proposing income tax increases for the top 5% of earners. In Washington, DC there has been six Continuing Resolutions of the 2011 budget and there continues to be political posturing at every step of the process. Thus, those who need our services and those who provide those services remain rudderless in a sea of uncertainty. Anxieties are up and direction is lacking. The future is fuzzy for everyone involved. And, in this environment Tri-Valley sees the present situation as Ugly.

Consequently, the question is asked, “What does Tri-Valley do going forward in a time of Good, Bad and Ugly?” For me, in times of uncertainty and when there is no compass to guide us, we must return to our Beliefs and our Mission. We must remember why we exist, who we serve and how do we responsibly provide services in a fiscally responsible manner. It is clear that we cannot count on resource growth to move us forward. Instead, we must find ways to efficiently and effectively deliver high quality services with fewer resources. This is a reality we cannot deny and must embrace. In the months to come we will be striving to find administrative and operational efficiencies that will allow us to meet the needs of those we serve, eliminate those services we can no longer fully underwrite and seek to retain our assets in the face of uncertainty. We can do this. We can do this well. And, we can succeed in living our Beliefs and meeting our Mission.

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PROGRAMS & SERVICES Community Services Programs 

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Community Assistance Programs ‐ Helps quali ied low to moderate income families with rent as‐ sistance, security deposits, foreclosure prevention, mortgage and budget counseling, home buyer training, housing counseling, and inancial assistance for utilities, food and clothing. Energy assis‐ tance, crisis and furnace repairs are also available to quali ied households.

Child Care Resource & Referral ‐ Assists the early childhood community in expanding and improv‐ ing the quality and availability of child care. Parents looking for child care can receive a list of li‐ censed providers tailored to meet their speci ic criteria.

Family Partner Project ‐ Provides a Family Mentor to parents and caregivers of children, ages 0‐21 with social, emotional and behavioral concerns as part of the Our Children Succeed Initiative.

Heartland Express (Public Transportation) ‐ Provides public transportation in handicapped ac‐ cessible buses. Curb to curb service is available.

Rural Transportation Collaborative ‐ Coordinates volunteer drivers to transport individuals for medical appointments, education or work activities, child visitations, or other personal matters.

Housing Programs MN Urban and Rural Homesteading Program (MURL) ‐ Allows low‐income, at‐risk families to purchase a home with no down payment and no interest. Monthly pay‐ ments are based on affordability and are adjusted as in‐ come increases.  Weatherization ‐ Provides assistance to eligible house‐ holds who are least able to afford high utility costs. En‐ ergy audits are completed to determine what can be done to the home to reduce heating and cooling costs and conserve energy. 

Senior Programs Foster Grandparent Program ‐ Recruits individuals, age 55 and over to work in schools, child care centers, Head Start centers, group homes and other non‐pro it facilities to support children with special needs.  Senior Companion Program ‐ Recruits individuals, age 55 and over, to help others live independently by assisting with grocery shopping and other daily tasks.  Valley Housekeeping Program ‐ Offers light house‐ keeping and laundry services, as well as shopping and other errands, for elderly individuals, age 60 and over, and for in‐ dividuals with disabilities. 

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PROGRAMS & SERVICES Head Start, Child & Family Programs Head Start ‐ Provides comprehensive, family‐oriented child development services designed to meet the diverse needs of low‐income children and their families. Services provided include early child‐ hood education, medical and dental examinations, immunizations, vision and hearing screenings, speech and developmental screenings, disabilities services, referrals and parent education. ‐ Region V (Full Year) Head Start ‐ Provides services to children ages 3 to compulsory school age in West Polk, West Marshall and Norman Counties. ‐ Region V Early Head Start ‐ Provides services to pregnant women, infants and toddlers in West Polk, West Marshall, Norman and Steel Counties. ‐ Region XII Migrant and Seasonal Head Start ‐ Provides services to children ages 6 weeks to compulsory school age throughout the states of Minnesota and northern North Dakota. ‐ Migrant and Seasonal Early Head Start ‐ Provides services to pregnant women, infants and toddlers in the communities of Elysian, Glencoe and Monticello in Minnesota.  Title 1 Health Services ‐ Provided over 800 physicals and dental exams to Title 1 children and pro‐ vided nutritious meals for breakfast and lunch.  Title 1 Identi ication & Recruitment ‐ ____________________________________________ 

Minnesota Head Start Heroes The Minnesota Head Start Association recently awarded individuals in the Head Start community who were able to transform their lives. These individuals overcame tremendous challenges and achieved personal and family success. Tri‐Valley is honored to have two individuals chosen for these awards.

In the category of “Head Start parents who have become early childhood professionals”, Mary Johnson was honored. Mary says, “...Head Start and the Tri‐Valley Opportunity Council helped me achieve milestones that I could not fathom doing on my own. They showed me that I have potential and capabilities beyond my own expectations. I would have never traveled down this road without the moral and inancial support that I re‐ ceived from the Head Start family. I am proud to say that I believe in the Head Start Pro‐ gram with all my heart, and I am honored to be able to help other Head Start families achieve their dreams.”

In the category of “Head Start graduate who has achieved exceptional personal success”, Cindy Boudreaux was honored. She says, “...I believe in Head Start’s mission and purpose. Head Start gave my mother the skills and respect to empower her children to succeed in life. I am honored to be part of the Head Start family and give back to the com‐ munity.”

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25 YEAR SERVICE AWARDS

Orpha Hedrich Orpha has been with the Valley Housekeeping Program since June 25, 1980. She has provided many hours of quality housekeeping services to individuals in Norman County in Northwest Minnesota. Without the in 窶辛ome services provided by Orpha through the Valley Housekeeping Program, many individuals would not be able to remain independent in their own homes. Tri窶新alley Opportunity Council is fortunate to have such a dedicated employee as Orpha.

JoAnne Halliday JoAnne has been a homemaker with the Valley Housekeeping Program since November 3, 1983. JoAnne has been like family to the many clients she has provided homemaking service to over the years. JoAnne shows much patience, kindness and compassion to the individuals that she provides service for. JoAnne is always willing to help out when a need arises. Tri窶新alley Opportunity Council and the Valley Housekeeping Program are fortunate to have JoAnne Halliday providing services to clients in Crookston. We are truly thankful to her for her many years of employment.

Judy Mostrom Judy passed away in 2010. She provided homemaking services to individuals in and around the Thief River Falls area since April 1, 1985. These services enabled clients to stay in their home for a longer period of time, preventing premature nursing home placement. Tri窶新alley Opportunity Council is fortunate to have worked with Judy and will forever remember her dedication to those we serve.

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2010 ~ A YEAR IN REVIEW Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc. strives to meet six national goals. Here’s a look at our accomplishments in 2010...

Goal 1: Low-income people become more self-sufficient. 

Helped 100 individuals who were unemployed obtain a job.

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Helped 61 individuals obtain an increase in employment income and/or benefits.

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In order to acquire or maintain employment: -

Assisted1,066 families obtain care for their children;

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Assisted 388 individuals in obtaining access to reliable transportation.

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Helped 104 individuals obtain health care services for themselves or a family member.

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Helped 179 individuals and/or families obtain safe and affordable housing.

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Assisted 73 individuals and/or families obtain food assistance.

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Assisted 56 families to receive individualized services for children with disabilities.

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Helped 711 families enroll in MinnesotaCare or other health insurance program.

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Helped 325 households participate in a tax preparation program with 164 households qualifying for the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit.

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Assisted 42 households acquiring good or restored credit.

Goal 2: The Conditions in Which Low-Income People Live are Improved. 

Created or saved 27 jobs from reduction or elimination.

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Preserved or improved 66 safe and affordable housing units through Weatherization or rehabilitation.

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Created or maintained 412 safe and affordable child care or child development placement opportunities for low-income families.

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Preserved accessible new or increased educational and training placement opportunities for low-income persons.

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Mobilized 1,744 community members to participate in community revitali-

Goal 3: Low-Income People Own a Stake in Their Community. 

Provided opportunities for low-income individuals to volunteer 71,000 hours in agency and community activities.

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Assisted 40 low-income individuals to participate in formal community organizations, government, boards or councils that provide input to decision-making and policy-setting.

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Conducted Homebuyers Workshops in which 38 individuals successfully participated.

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Helped increase the knowledge of 337 individuals about Minnesota Voter Registration and participation.

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2010 ~ A YEAR IN REVIEW CONTINUED Goal 4: Partnerships Among Supporters and Providers of Services to Low-Income People are 

Established or maintained relationships with the following partners: -

30 Nonprofits

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44 Faith-Based Groups

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49 Local Government Entities

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2 State Governments

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8 Federal Government Agencies

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1,822 For-Profit Businesses or Corporations

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7 Consortiums or Collaborations

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6 Housing Consortiums or Collaborations

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90 School Districts

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7 Institutions of Post Secondary Education

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2 Financial/Banking Institutions

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8 Health Service Institutions

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12 State-Wide Associations

Goal 5: Increase Our Agency Capacity to Achieve Results. 

Provided 5,857 hours of training to 901 staff.

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Provided 90 hours of training to 15 Board Members.

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2010 ~ A YEAR IN REVIEW CONTINUED Goal 6: Low-Income People, Especially Vulnerable Populations, Achieve Their Potential by Strengthening Family and Other Support Systems.

FOR SENIORS: 

Provided programs and activities to 778 seniors to maintain their independent living.

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Provided programs and activities to 1,493 individuals with disabilities to maintain their independent living.

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Provided emergency payments to vendors for fuel and energy bills for 35 seniors.

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Provided emergency rent or mortgage assistance to 237 seniors.

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Provided emergency home repair to 163 senior households.

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Provided referrals for emergency food assistance to 229 seniors.

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Provided referrals for temporary shelter to 23 seniors.

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Provided referrals for emergency medical care to 73 seniors.

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Provided referrals for protection from violence to 71 seniors.

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Provided referrals for legal assistance to 53 seniors.

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Assisted 42 seniors in averting foreclosure and maintaining their home.

FOR INFANTS AND CHILDREN: 

Assisted 1,250 infants & children obtain age appropriate immunizations, medical and dental care.

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Improved the health and physical development of 1,252 infants and children as a result of providing adequate nutrition.

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Provided preschool activities to develop school readiness to 595 children.

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Ensured that 293 children from low-income families are ready for school having developed pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills as measured by assessment.

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Ensured that 1,066 parents and other adults learned and exhibited improved parenting skills.

FOR THOSE UNABLE TO WORK: 

Helped 330 obtained care for their child or other dependent.

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Helped 1,349 obtain access to reliable transportation.

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Assisted 1,154 obtain health care services for themselves or family member.

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Assisted 57 obtain safe and affordable housing.

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Helped 1,796 obtain food assistance.

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Helped 1,013 obtain non-emergency LIHEAP energy assistance.

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Assisted 64 obtain non-emergency WX energy assistance.

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Assisted 133 obtain other non-emergency energy assistance.

FOR LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND/OR FAMILIES: 

Provided 75,359 rides.

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Provided 12,708 information and referral calls.

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Provided 40 units of clothing.

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Provided 10 food boxes.

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UNAUDITED STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENSES, AND CHANGES IN NET ASSETS Year ending December 31, 2010 REVENUES Grant Revenue Program Contributions Interest Income

$15,008,808 $2,609,724 $6,101

In-Kind Contributions

$943,760

Other Income

$354,900

TOTAL REVENUE

$18,923,293

EXPENSES Child Education

$12,085,171

Family and Community Services

$889,865

Energy Assistance and Weatherization

$562,451

Senior Services

$1,358,139

Transportation

$1,747,962

Housing and Housing Rehabilitation

$281,378

Homeless/Shelter Programs

$224,735

Food Programs

$581,104

Corporate Activities

$179,619

TOTAL PROGRAM ACTIVITIES Management and General Expenses Fundraising TOTAL EXPENSES CHANGES IN NET ASSETS Net Assets December 31, 2010

$17,910,424 $866,936 $38,590 $18,815,950 $107,343 $6,365,491

Organization

Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc. 102 N. Broadway PO Box 607 Crookston, MN 56716 Phone: 218-281-5832 Toll Free: 1-800-584-7020 Website: www.tvoc.org “An Equal Opportunity Employer”

Service Area

Note: Tri-Valley has services in 84 counties in Minnesota and North Dakota.