RIC ESTRADA
PRESIDENT’S LETTER “GROWTH IS THE BIGGEST PIECE OF OUR STORY LAST YEAR.”
Donors and Friends, This past fiscal year was marked by significant growth, both planned and unexpected, that led Metropolitan Family Services to substantially expand its footprint as a leader in human services in the Chicago area. We are fortunate to be in a position to sustain growth in the current economic climate, in an industry increasingly shaped by pared public sector budgets and a shift to fee-for-service payment structures. This year, the human services sector saw a rash of consolidations and closings. Perhaps the most notable of these locally was the shuttering of the historic, 122-year-old Jane Addams Hull House. In a high profile move that saw one renowned Chicago institution coming to the aid of another, Metropolitan answered the call for help. We integrated a considerable amount of Hull House programming into our service framework, including the Center for Working Families, Family Works economic stability programs, and the Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Program. For services that did not fit Metropolitan’s agency platform, we recommended their transfer to other respected organizations. From the beginning conversation with Hull House leadership, the goal was to ensure the majority of services remained intact for clients and former staff. We are proud of the role we played in this momentous undertaking and commend staff, volunteers and supporters for accomplishing a successful transition and accommodating this unexpected growth opportunity. In another substantial development, Metropolitan was awarded competitive grants to provide Head Start and Early Head Start programming for 629 children in DuPage County. Key findings from our research showed a burgeoning need for Head Start services as the number of young children living in poverty has more than doubled in the last decade. We are providing a combination of center-, school-, and home-based services in an innovative approach that will transform Head Start services in the sprawling 336-square-mile county. But we are not new to Head Start. The strategic addition of Head Start programming in DuPage joins our three Head Start programs in Chicago to further strengthen and expand our core capabilities in early childhood education. The impact of launching DuPage Head Start services, assuming Hull House programming, and partnering in Woodlawn’s New Choice Neighborhood Initiative led to a swift 30 percent growth in both revenue and expenses.
“WE ADDED 10,000 NEW CLIENTS . . .” In the process we added 10,000 new clients to our roster, hired nearly 100 new employees, and significantly expanded our services in Chicago and the suburbs – collectively the biggest piece of our story last year. As we look ahead to next year, there will be targeted areas of growth. However, our main focus will be to develop our internal infrastructure, making essential investments in our people and systems that are most critical to executing our strategies. We will grow opportunistically, as dictated by our Strategic Plan we updated this year. We also will aggressively pursue new private philanthropic resources to offset continued pressure on public funding streams. We thank our generous supporters, devoted staff, caring volunteers and active, distinguished boards for their inspiring commitment to the 53,000 deserving families we serve each year. It is through your belief in our mission that Metropolitan Family Services can continue its 155-year tradition of giving hope and opportunity to Chicago’s low-income families. We know families are the heart of strong communities. We thank you for standing with us as we deliver programs and services that invest in the Education, Economic Stability, Emotional Wellness and Empowerment of families as they strive to reach their full potential. Sincerely,
Ric Estrada | President & CEO
Martha Melman | Board Chair
METROPOLITAN FAMILY SERVICES GIVES HOPE AND OPPORTUNITY TO FAMILIES. WE ARE HUMAN SERVICE LEADERS, DEDICATED TO STRENGTHENING LOW-INCOME, CHICAGO-AREA FAMILIES. FAMILIES ARE THE HEART OF STRONG COMMUNITIES, AND WE INVEST IN SERVICES TO HELP THEM REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. RICARDO ESTRADA President and Chief Executive Officer COLLEEN M. JONES Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer DENIS HURLEY Chief Financial Officer DENNIS CONROY Senior Vice President, External Affairs KARINA AYALA-BERMEJO Vice President, Human Resources and General Counsel THOMAS REMAKEL Vice President, Information Management Services