Annual Impact Report 2020-2021
LETTER FROM BOARD PRESIDENT
Dear Friends, First and foremost, I would like to say a thank you to all of Laurel House’s friends and supporters over the years. Every single person or organization who donates time or money to Laurel House has a huge impact on the mission and the ability of Laurel House to provide much needed services to our community. No matter the size of the donation or amount of time given, it is critical to our success. After hearing just one person’s story, it becomes apparent how significant the impact of Laurel House can be in a client’s life. Because of our supporters, staff, and volunteers, we are truly changing lives. Laurel House is in its 41st year of operation in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Thank you to the founding mothers of Laurel House who started this mission back in 1980 when I was in 4th grade and some of today’s staff were not yet born. This past year has been unique as we continue to create ways in a pandemic environment to help people who need our services, such as our recently deployed Textline. It is important that we remain accessible as domestic violence has been on the rise since the start of the pandemic. Over this past year, our staff, whose positions allow for it, have shifted to a hybrid work schedule in response to the ongoing pandemic. We have been able to use a hotel model for shelter needs as we move closer to the completion of our new Safe Haven Center that will have additional shelter space and outreach offices. Our housing program continues to provide services whether through our Transitional Housing Program
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or our recently developed Rapid Re-Housing Program. The DART program saw an increase in calls from police departments throughout the county and remains staffed 24/7. Counseling has transitioned primarily to telehealth. This has allowed us to reach more people and we suspect this medium will continue as we hopefully transition back to some in person counseling in the year ahead. Community Education has also transitioned to include some virtual settings as we continue to work with school districts, colleges, universities, and youth groups. We look forward to participating in in-person events again as conditions permit. The need for our services has increased in most of our programs this past year. The most significant of those is the 45% increase in hotline calls received and a 37% increase in legal services. While these statistics are heartbreaking, it speaks to the passion and dedication of everyone involved with the mission. We are excited about the next chapter of Laurel House with our new Safe Haven Center set to open in the coming months. We are grateful for the continued support of our donors and volunteers. Without you, it would be impossible to support the number of individuals and families that have been helped in Montgomery County. Respectfully,
Laurel House Board President FY 21-22
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SERVICES Shelter and Housing Fleeing an abusive partner can be one of the most dangerous times for a victim of domestic abuse. Many victims lack the financial resources or support systems to survive without their abuser. Recognizing this impediment, Laurel House offers housing programs: • Emergency Shelter
• Transitional Housing
• Rapid Re-Housing
Hotline and Textline Domestic abuse can occur anywhere, to anyone, at any time. To ensure that victims have access to vital information and can speak with a trained professional, Laurel House offers the following resources: • Hotline that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week • Textline pilot program was officially launched on April 1, 2021 and is available Monday – Friday from 5 pm to 10 pm
Supportive Services Laurel House offers an array of services designed to meet the needs of domestic violence survivors, and to support those in the community who have been impacted by domestic violence by providing: • Individual Counseling • Support Groups • Domestic Abuse Response Team • Medical Advocacy • Legal Services • Children’s Program
Community Education Educating the public is one of the most effective tools for reducing domestic violence. Laurel House staff members offer: • Trainings
• Education and Awareness
• Primary Prevention
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T H E C A M PA I G N F O R L A U R E L H O U S E
Several years ago, Laurel House purchased a building to relocate its current shelter, as well as offer expanded supportive services. One of this past year’s highlights was the start of construction on this building that will be known as the Safe Haven Center. Construction began in November 2020, with a virtual groundbreaking in February 2021. We are excited for the completion of this project which is anticipated to be in early 2022.
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FY 20-21 SERVICE STATISTICS
564
Trained advocates answered
2,248 hotline calls
individuals in crisis were referred to the Domestic Abuse Response Team by law enforcement and medical professionals
807
Individual and group counseling was provided to 265 survivors of domestic abuse
individuals received education and training on domestic abuse
Provided 3,811 bed nights of
Legal assistance program provided 310 survivors with a wide range of legal services to help them and their children build a safer life
safe shelter to 191 adults and their children
3,350
Provided over $69,000 worth of gift cards to 223 individual and/or families for groceries and other basic needs
students were educated about healthy relationships and safe dating
Provided Thanksgiving dinner
Holiday gifts were provided to 164 families
for 42 families living in the
through our Adopt-A-Family program
community
7 Transitional Housing families and 13 Rapid Re-Housing families 6
“Thank you so much for the Target gift cards! I was able to get my boys all the toys they wanted for Christmas! We are so grateful for all your help with the holidays. It has made such a difference for our family. We went though so much recently and this put a smile
YOUR IMPACT
on my face and I know how excite my sons will be to see their gifts. Thank you again!”
“I came to Laurel House broken, afraid, alone, and without hope. Years of abuse will do that to anyone...Even a 6’2”, 215lb man like me... When I explained my circumstances through tears and painful flashbacks, the loving and caring people of this incredible organization accepted what happened without judgment and gave me a safe space to not feel so alone. They gave me the tools to help manage my fear and fix the broken parts within myself. And...after struggling with these issues and the fallout of my abusive marriage, I finally have the strength to live everyday with mindful intention and a realistic hope for my future. I would not be where I am today without the help from Laurel House and the amazing people that work there. If you find yourself in quiet desperation without knowing where to turn, please...reach out to Laurel House and they
will
do
everything
they
can
to
help
you.”
Sincerely, a survivor turned thriver!
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“Laurel House was an amazing resource for my daughter who was in an abusive relationship when she was in 8th and 9th grade. I showed up at Laurel House and ran into a counselor who was so kind and helped me immediately. We ended up in counseling both my daughter and I. I just want your organization to know how strong my daughter became because of that experience and how much she realizes to this day how much she learned going to Laurel House. She talks to this day how much Laurel House helped her. She has boundaries and is so strong now and aware of healthy and unhealthy relationships.”
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Rapid Re-Housing (RRH): This program is relatively new to Laurel House, although we did have a similar program several years ago. The Rapid Re-Housing program provides up to one year of rental assistance, and case management support for people experiencing homelessness because of domestic abuse. The case management support, along with assistance locating housing is provided by a Laurel House advocate who is assisted by her supervisor as needed. This program is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and administered by the Montgomery County Department of Housing. Highlights of this program over the past year include: • Samantha* was able to obtain custody of her niece because she secured stable housing through the Rapid Re-Housing program • Because of the assistance with move-in costs through the Rapid Re-Housing program, Tammy* was able to pay to renew her real estate license and was hired by a local real estate company • Through the Rapid Re-Housing program, funding was provided to help DaNisha* register for and start phlebotomy classes. *Names have been changed to protect confidentiality of clients. Staffing Highlight Laurel House’s commitment over the years has not only been to those we serve, but also to our staff. It is because of our staff that we are able to provide high quality services. In response to the complexities brought about by the pandemic, as well as the growth of our agency, for the first time in the agency’s history, we hired a Director of Human Resources.
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FISCAL 2021 REPORT
OPERATING INCOME Government $1,724,958 36.30% Special Events $89,165 1.88% Foundations $223,000 4.69% Thrift Shops $390,668 8.22% Program Svs. & Investments $230,519 4.85% Donations $1,445,742 30.42% United Way $11,421 0.24% In Kind & Other $637,128 13.41% Total $4,752,601 100.00%
OPERATING EXPENSES Programs $2,934,443 80.18% Administrative $434,828 11.88% Special Events $11,186 0.31% Fundraising $279,161 7.63% Total $3,659,618 100.00% 9
In Kind & Other 13% United Way 0%
Donations 31%
Goverment 36%
OPERATING INCOME FY 20-21 Special Events 2% Foundations 5%
Program Svs. & Investments 5%
Thrift Shops 8%
Fundraising 8%
Special Events 0%
Administrative 12%
OPERATING EXPENSES FY 20-21
Programs 80%
Income and expenses specific to COVID-19 were approximately $90,000 and $65,000, respectively, and are expected to be one-time items.
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FY 20-21 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Penny Satell Berman Lynn Doerr Dana E. Greenspan, Esq. Mary Griffith-Alfarano Angela Ko Kathryn Koller Dr. Colleen Lelli Richelle Payne Melissa Pilong Duncan Reed Diana Scott Patricia Younce, Esq.
Co-President: Colleen Coonelly, Esq. Karianne Tomosky, CPA Co-Vice President: Jacqueline Allen Brian Taylor Treasurer: Jason VanBuskirk, CPA Secretary: Robert Rau
KEY STAFF Executive Director: Beth Sturman Senior Director: Tina Quinci
Director of Counseling: Minna Davis
Director of Community Outreach: Stacy Dougherty
Director of Shelter and Housing: Britni Harris
THRIFT SHOPS Laurel’s Loft 1801 N. Broad Street Lansdale, PA 19446 215.368.6037
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Marian’s Attic 139 E. DeKalb Street King of Prussia, PA 19406 610.337.3068
P.O. Box 764 • Norristown, PA 19404 Office: 610-277-1860 • 24 Hour Hotline: 1-800-642-3150 www.laurel-house.org
The mission of Laurel House is to: Advocate for and empower those impacted by domestic violence by providing crisis intervention, safe haven, supportive programs, and resources Advance social change through preventative education, community training, and collaboration to foster a coordinated response to domestic abuse
Laurel House is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, charitable organization as defined under the Internal Revenue Service code section 501c(3). Tax exemption entity ID 23-2172743. Please consult with your professional tax advisor as to what deduction may be available to you. The official registration and financial information of Laurel House may be obtained from the PA Department of State by calling toll-free within Pennsylvania 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.