2021 ANNUAL REPORT
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Contents
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Locations and Programs
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Greeting from NEKCA's Executive Director
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Story: From Surviving to Thieving
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2021 Highlights
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2021 Data Snapshot
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St. Johnsbury Marketplace
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Financials
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Board Members
12 Thank you to our Supporters 2
“Real hero’s don’t wear capes. Real hero’s don’t get all sorts of cool names like Batman or Superman. My hero’s have names like my YDP and TLP Coordinators who stepped into my life when I was at rock bottom. They got me back on my feet. It wasn’t always easy, but everyone needs a little rescuing every now and then." -NEKCA Youth Program Participant
Why You Matter..... Everyone needs support at some point in their lives. For some it is a helping hand, a smile that brightens a dark day, or a special person who believed you could. At NEKCA, our team values the unique gifts of every person in the Northeast Kingdom, and honors the potential that our communities hold to support prosperity and wellbeing. Your support helps us to keep that spark alive, bring people together, and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive 3
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Locations and Programs Lincoln Center Parent-Child Center 115 Lincoln St St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
Newport Parent-Child Center 371 Main St. Newport, VT 05855
NEKCA Head Start Center Office/ Outreach/ Administrative Offices 70 Main St Newport, VT 05855
Community and Social Justice 71 Seymour Lane Newport, VT 05855
Canaan Outreach Services 253 Gale St Canaan, VT 05903
Island Pond Outreach Services 62 Cross St Island Pond, VT 05846
Head Start and Early Head Start Preschools Lyndonville St. Johnsbury Gilman Hardwick Albay N. Troy Barton Newport Island Phone 5
Dear community partners and friends, The summer season brings a fresh energy, a bustling of activity, and a revived sense of community to the Northeast Kingdom. It inspires new ideas and energy while offering an opportunity to reflect over the past year. As the weather warms up and we start another summer, we look back to celebrate the growth of the past year, the new beginnings that it brought, and the lessons learned. The main theme of 20212022 has been community building, developing inclusive environments, and creating opportunities for wider community participation to inform the direction of our work. During the spring/summer of 2021, the agency launched an extensive community needs assessment. The assessment allowed voice to a wider audience of NEK residents and was analyzed to identify the most pressing needs of our communities. The findings and full report have been made available to the public on our website at www.nekcavt.org and will help to guide our work over the next three years. Based on the responses from these surveys, NEKCA has also identified new values to guide the culture and work of the agency. These values are Compassion, Fluidity, Human Centered, Relationships, and Growth. We believe these new values are more reflective of the culture that we have been working to build within our agency and in the communities that we serve. NEKCA is celebrating a year of much growth and continues its work to empower all generations in the Northeast Kingdom to grow, prosper, and thrive. I am excited to share with you the most recent innovations that have been unfolding at NEKCA. Together we continue to address the roots causes of poverty while alleviating it’s impact on the communities where we live, work, and play. Yours Truly, Jenna O’Farrell Executive Director
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From Surviving to Thriving.... As a young adult, Tonya* reached out to NEKCA for assistance to locate secure housing. After meeting with a youth program staff, a meaningful bond was soon formed. Tonya had fled an extremely abusive home situation and needed support. Through working with her NEKCA youth program counselor, Tonya entered the agency's youth housing program and was connected with counseling services. While in the program she completed her high school education, earned her diploma, received her driver's license, and started a job in the local community. There important accomplishments helped to stabilize Tonya and prepare her for her transition to adulthood. Through a permanent housing placement assistance program and the wages from her secure employment, she was able to move into a permanent apartment of her own.
"NEKCA has been very helpful when I needed resources and support the most. Their staff were always there for advice. They really want to help you be the best that you can be."
*Name has been changed to protect youth program participant identity*
-Youth Program participant
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2021 Highlights Equity and Inclusion: To help guide our journey for increased inclusion, the agency has partnered with Jermaine Moore of the Mars Hill Group which is a highly reputed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consulting firm based in Maine. As a trainer and coach, Jermaine has worked with NEKCA to provide regular staff training, facilitated discussion groups, and review of the agency’s operations to work towards a more informed, accessible organization which promotes social justice and inclusive opportunities for all in the NEK region. Data Collection and Program Evaluation: The agency has also implemented the use of a new and improved database which will help to evaluate the impact of our work and share this impact with the community. Investing in the effective use of data and evaluation processes will help to enrich discussions of how our work can better support a healthy more vibrant community for all. The HUB: has partnered with Umbrella to launch the community HUB, a multiagency effort to create a place of community where people can come together to share ideas, support, and express their creativity. The HUB established its new location on Railroad St and has been a popular destination for diverse activities from cooking classes, gardening lessons, yoga, and even snake visits! The HUB also provides a convenient location where social service partners can bring resources and educational information our to the community in an accessible place. Children Integrated Services (CIS): NEKCA welcomed the CIS program. CIS services pair well with the family supports provided through NEKCA’s Parent-Child Centers and Head Start The program provides increase supports for children, parents and expectant parents of young children including medical resources, and early intervention services, for children, and their families, who are experiencing a disability or developmental delay.
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2021 Snapshot 4,303 Individuals Served in 1765 households 1,501 were under the age of 18 319 were between the ages of 18-24
Over 805 individuals received workplace development services including jobs training, placement assistance, and/or skill building
412 children attended Early Head Start and Head Start Preschool Programs
1,020 individuals were sheltered, housed or received housing supports
Over 101 people received financial literacy education and small business support
1,232 parents or expecting parents received parenting supports
Over 801 individuals received health care referrals, education, and advocacy support
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St. Johnsbury's Market Place In response to community feedback and research into best practices to address food security, NEKCA's staff have transformed St. Johnsbury food pantry into a modern marketplace where families participate in learning opportunities and have a thriving place for social engagement. The center models a real world grocery store where families can practice food choice and learn culinary skills. It even includes a coffee/conversation corner and a chic boutique where families can pick out clothes for every member of the household.
During the 2021-22 year, 310 community members visited the Market Place and increased their nutrition skills including cooking, shopping, and growing food 10
FINANCE Sources of Funding
Federal Grants: 70.0 %
State and municipalities: 17.0 %
$6,057,830
$1,474,759
$279,737 In-Kind Donations: 2.0 % $199,488 $17,715 Program Income: 0.0 % $205,291 Contributions: 2.0 % Other revenue: 6.0 % $549,084
Schools and Foundations: 3.0 %
$4,218,133
Annual Expenses by Program Outreach: 27%
$2,363,562
Child and family development: 52%
$4,522,744
$774,145
Parent-Child Centers: 9%
$96,603
Micro-Business Development: 2% Youth Services: 4%
$249,598
Community and Social Justice: 6%
$464,247
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2021 Board Members Caledonia County Brian Keith Deborah Lee Jordan Corrow Katie Martin Kelli Kazmarski Linda Gochie Martha Hill Nancy Fried
Essex County William Hawkins Maurice Jacobs
Orleans County Adam Messier Angela Rutherford
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Thank you to our Sponsors and Supporters. You are the heroes who make our work possible!
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Interested in joining our team? Check out our latest employment opportunities at: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/All/882bb041-fe45-4280a9e6-30cba3c4ac72/North-East-Kingdom-Community-Action 14