2021 HAPCAP Annual Report

2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Kelly Hatas Executive Director

Hocking Athens Perry Community Action mobilizes resources to empower individuals and communities through advocacy and quality services that promote self-sufficiency and improved quality of life.

Mary Anne Kieliszewski, Director of Finance and Administration Eva Bloom, Director of Development Carolyn Conley, Director of Transportation Glen Crippen, Director of Housing & Community Development Chris DeLamatre, Director of Child Development Rose Frech, Director of the Southeast Ohio Foodbank Jessica Stroh, Director of Community Services Jacien Squires, IT Director

TRANSPORTATION

215,991 passenger trips

1.7 million miles driven

61,413 hours driven

HAPCAP's Transportation division is dedicated to providing safe, reliable, and affordable transportation to all community members, advocating for services for those in need, and coordinating transportation efforts in our communities and beyond. These advocacy and strategy components would not be possible without the work of our Mobility Management Coordinators.

HAPCAP's Mobility Management Coordinators serve Athens and Hocking Counties. Perry County also has a Mobility Management Coordinator who works out of the Perry County Department of Job and Family Services. County coordinators are tasked with advocating for transportation in local and regional planning, increasing awareness of transportation and mobility needs throughout the region, and building awareness of existing services.

They gain a unique perspective by working with a variety of stakeholders including riders, transportation providers, area businesses, government agencies, and other stakeholders. “We approach transportation with the rider’s needs in mind,” says current Athens County Mobility Management Coordinator, Bryan Hinkle. Having broad input is essential to their work. “One conversation can lead to finding another piece to the puzzle,” says current Hocking County Mobility Management Coordinator, Christa Myers. Although the coordinators work for HAPCAP, which operates its own transportation services, they act as a neutral party within the counties they serve.

Using the data gathered through surveys and community meetings, coordinators create a coordinated transportation plan to address gaps in service and unmet needs. The most recent Hocking County Coordinated Transportation Plan identified the need for service across the county. This prompted a review of Logan Public Transit’s service area and led to an expansion to serve all parts of the county.

The Mobility Management program also considers environmental sustainability through a multi-modal approach that includes ridesharing, walking, biking, and sidewalks. Sustainability plays an important role in the coordinated transportation plan that has been put into action. According to Hinkle, there are now easier ways to bike to the bus stops and 25+ electric vehicle charging stations in Athens County.

“Transportation touches every piece of our life,” says Hinkle. Having a transportation advocate is a vital resource for an individual’s ability to connect with their community.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT 485 Head Start students

10,000+ books distributed

943 health & wellness screenings

The strongest connections form over time. That’s what happened for Sabrina and Betty, two Head Start moms who enrolled their sons at the Laurelville Head Start Center in 2012. Although the two were complete strangers at the start of the school year, they would find opportunities to bond through volunteer activities and parent meetings. As their sons grew up, graduated from Head Start, then enrolled in elementary school, Sabrina and Betty stayed in touch. They would meet occasionally or run into each other around town and stop for a quick catch-up session.

Nearly a decade later, Head Start brought these two moms back to the classroom again. In 2021, Sabrina shared a Facebook post about immediate openings for three to five-year-olds at the Laurelville Head Start center. Sabrina’s daughter, Marley, attended the center, and Sabrina had become an indispensable volunteer: tackling day-to-day tasks like cleaning, preparing meals, and washing dishes, also hard-to-find-time-for projects like book inventories. Just minutes after Sabrina shared that post, Julie Jones, Center Coordinator, got a call from Betty to enroll her youngest son, Hunter. Knowing that Sabrina was back at the center eased her anxieties about sending her “baby” to school for the first time. By the end of the week, Sabrina, Marley, Betty, and Hunter stood together on the porch, waiting for the doors to open.

“Connections are an integral part to what we do at Head Start,” says Jones, “especially the personal connections that are formed between the families.”

The older boys still attend school with one another. The families spent time together during the annual Spring Event, laughing and playing. Thanks to the connections fostered by Head Start, these mothers and children have built lasting relationships that they can take with them long after their time with the program has ended.

FOOD & NUTRITION

179,192 served

59,271 meals served

41,067 people|average 4.4 visits

to Meals on Wheels seniors

2,510 volunteer hours This initative launched in 2021 to address the social determinates of health which are the conditions in the enviornment that affect a range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes. Activites include: • Referrals, case management & benefits assistance for 240 individuals • Hosted women’s health awareness event for 170 attendees in partnership with Caresource and OhioHealth • Healthy eating kits in collaboration with Live Healthy Appalachia

In Southeast Ohio, one in six individuals, including one in four children, struggle with hunger. The Southeast Ohio Foodbank connects families to fresh produce, protein, and shelf-stable food. The foodbank itself is located in Hocking County yet serves families across 10 counties, including Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Morgan, Perry, Vinton, and Washington. How is this possible? Partnerships with our thriving network of member food pantries, also called agencies, are an essential factor.

Agencies order food and other supplies, such as personal care and hygiene products, from the foodbank, then distribute them directly to those in need within their local community. Additionally, agencies receive support in the form of training, compliance oversight, and connections to other resources from our two Agency Relations Specialists. The Agency Relations team focuses on building relationships with each of our member agencies and forming new partnerships.

"There is not a single time where I have called or stopped by where they have not taken the time to talk to me," says Tim Peterson, Director and President of the St. Vincent de Paul Society's food pantry. "Phenomenal.… That is the best word to describe my experience with the foodbank."

Peterson has a personal goal to build connections with the community members visiting the pantry.

"You never know who is going to walk through that door," says Peterson. "It's all for the people.

You've got to love the people, and you really have to care about the people." For Peterson, the next goal is finding a way to help the homeless population currently camped by the Hocking River. "There are a lot of hungry people in Hocking County that don't come to our door, and I'd love to figure out a way to reach out to them."

The St. Vincent de Paul Society's food pantry is only one of our 70 member agencies, ranging from very small to quite large and complex. Most are entirely volunteer-operated. We are constantly seeking partnerships with new organizations to reach those not currently 'coming to our door.' The Southeast Ohio Foodbank will continue looking for unique ways to connect families in need with a basic human necessity: nutritious food.

HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

$5.4 million administered for county governments’ affordable housing and infrastructure projects

102 homes received bedbug heat treatment

Discovering a pest infestation is terrible news. These unwanted house guests have an enormous impact on day-to-day life and family budgets due to the expense of extermination treatments. To assist low-income, elderly, and disabled residents, HAPCAP’s Housing and Community Development Division launched the Pest Control Program in 2021.

“We provide low-income families with a very expensive service for free,” says Tyler Dennis, Pest Control Program Supervisor. Currently, the team focuses on bedbug extermination because of the severe disruption infestations cause in daily life. Treatment typically costs between $1,000 to $2,5000, depending on the severity and size of the home. That cost is out of reach for many families we serve. The bedbug program is unique in that there are truly no other options if families cannot afford to pay for extermination on their own. But this program can restore families’ quality of life.

Dennis has witnessed firsthand how a bedbug infestation halts the client’s ability to connect with anyone and anything outside their doors.

For example, some individuals experienced difficulties accessing the healthcare they need. After securing treatment from HAPCAP, one client could finally have a much-needed surgery. Another client whose spouse was in the nursing home had been blocked from visiting their loved one. After receiving treatment, they could reconnect with their partner. Treatment allows families to return to work, school, and everyday life.

In 2021 HAPCAP treated 102 families in Hocking, Athens, and Perry Counties. An infestation can happen to anyone, and the bedbug program will continue reconnecting friends, families, and communities in Southeast Ohio.

COMMUNITY SERVICES

2,717 rent, mortgage, or utility payments through COVID relief funding

$4.1 million disbursed in COVID relief for housing needs

Households Served by Energy Assistance Programs 985 Summer Crisis

3,366 percentage of income payment plan

2,036 Winter Crisis

4,075 HEAP one-time assistance

In charting a path toward independence, teens and young adults navigate complex issues. Young people dealing with the impacts of poverty face additional challenges like lack of access to transportation, lack of financial resources for post-secondary education, and, in some cases, homelessness. Having the help of a robust support system can help them reach their full potential. That's the goal of the Comprehensive Case Management and Employment Program (CCMEP). The program connects individuals from 14 to 24 years of age with opportunities to build job and life skills.

HAPCAP contracts with the Department of Job and Family Services in Hocking, Athens, and Perry counties to administer CCMEP using a coordinated, multi-faceted, and person-focused approach. The connection between case managers and participants is the core of all that we do. On that foundation, connections with other organizations, local businesses, and opportunities can grow. The program engages participants throughout the year and offers special work opportunities during the summer months.

In 2021, HAPCAP hired 102 participants in the Summer Youth Employment Program, an essential aspect of CCMEP that provides meaningful work experience to prepare participants to achieve their goals. The program embraced the new landscape for work by offering a hybrid arrangement with some participants onsite, some both in-person and remote, and others working fully remote. In addition to the opportunity to earn income, the program offered social preparedness activities and developed computer and communications skills needed in the increasingly digitally-connected world.

A total of 50 local organizations and employers hosted participants. "It has been exciting to see a young person come in that is willing to work hard and wants to learn new information and skills," says Liz Schein, owner of Schein Bright Academy, a worksite in Thornville. Sites ranged from childcare to HVAC, food manufacturing, and natural resources. Participants are encouraged to explore their interests, like one individual who worked with Habitat for Humanity to experience all stages of the home construction process.

After the seven-week summer session, many participants continue with CCMEP's year-round program.

There they can continue to form connections that will help them find their way through the complicated issues the transition to adulthood brings.

FINANCIALS Funding by Activity Housing & Community Development Child Development Food & Nutrition Management & General

Expenses

Revenue Expense Net

Personnel $1,894,536 $1,853,674 $40,862 $5,380,580 $5,448,436 $(67,856)

Program Support

$12,499,577 $4,970,061

Contractual Services

$9,318,488

Program Contributions $4,332,409.00

$9,551,989 $8,841,546 $710,443

In-kind Expenses

$54,177

Rental Income

$4,252,137

Contributions

Space & Utilities

$714,944

Depreciation

$713,526 $446,090

Investment Income Other Income

$3,066,959 $3,500,404 $(433,445) Consumable Supplies

Community Service Programs $8,321,771 $8,043,692 $278,079 Fundraising

$8,711,219 $8,692,378 $18,841 $425,760 $199,294 $226,466

Total

$37,352,814 $36,579,424 $773,390

Transit

Revenue

Ending Net Assets as of 12/31/2021: $14,630,214.00 *Unaudited financial statements

Travel Equipment

$1,218,714

Other Costs

$1,124,635

Indirect Total Expenses

$1,267,115 $36,579,424

Federal & State Funding

Jaclyn Dalton Jeff Dickerson Norman Gary George Goddard Jim Hart Derek Householder

$245,618.94 $962,761.26 $2,635,235.19

$694,069.00 In-Kind contributions $54,176.57.57 $37,352,814.00 Total Revenue

HAPCAP BOARD OF DIRECTORS Charlie Adkins Keith Andrews, President Kimberly Barnhart Nathan Blatchley Ben Carpenter Chris Chmiel, Treasurer

$28,428,544.00

Kelley McGhee, VP Mary Nally Lucy Schwallie C. Nicholas Tepe Gary Waugh Hannah John-Conry

OUR SUPPORTERS Thank you to each of the 1,169 individuals and organizations who made financial contributions to our work. Together we put opportunity in action.

Visit hapcap.org/thankyou to meet our supporters and learn how to join the fight.

In Memory

Pat Smith, Bus Driver 24 Years of Service New Lexington Head Start

Laura Van Bibber, Teacher 22 Years of Service Logan Head Start

The Spirit of Light mural is a reflection of community, opportunity, and connection

info@hapcap.org

Jim Cotter, Artist The Spirit of Light

“Nothing is really impossible if you put your mind to it and have the spark to do something about it.”