Neighborhood House
1020 S. Matthew St Peoria, IL 61605 www.nhpeoria.org March 2021
Quarterly Newsletter March for Meals March is National Meals on Wheels Month and our goal is to educate others about the food insecurity issues that plague those 60 and over in our community. Food insecurity hit record numbers during the pandemic as we prepared, packaged, and delivered 1,000 meals a day to seniors in Peoria and Tazewell Counties.
Our demand has increased 50% since March 2020 due to COVID. We were able to meet the demand until October 2020, when COVID relief funding ran out and it became necessary to implement a waiting list. As we move into 2021, food insecurity continues to be at record high levels both nationally and locally. However, this year’s funding is based off of pre-COVID levels while the current need continues to exceed those levels. Our waiting list has grown to over 300 potential clients. Without relief, we will need to further reduce our meal deliveries. We are passionate about the well-being of homebound senior citizens and with your support we will continue to ensure they retain the comfort that comes with that familiar knock at the door. Thank you for partnering with us!
To support our Meals on Wheels program visit www.nhpeoria.org
Inside this issue Changes Bring New Opportunities to Grow............ 2 RAGBRAI 2021 ........................ 3 Strengthening Community & Impacting Lives for 125 Years . 3 Youth Services After School Program ................................. 4 Sunday Meals & Pantry........... 4 Critters Meals on Wheels........ 5 Adult Education & FEE ............ 5 New Ways To Support Neighborhood House.............. 6
Our Mission: To provide a safe environment, resources, and education to empower our community to reach their fullest potential through all life-stages.
Changes Bring New Opportunities To Grow 2020 changed the world! Here at Neighborhood House we did not find ourselves exempt from that change. The changes we all faced pushed us to think outside the box, rise up to support each other and push through hurdles we had never before seen. Now 2021 is bringing even bigger changes right here inside our organization. We have always encouraged our staff to volunteer and be actively involved in the community. For 8 years, we were lucky enough to have Becky Rossman, a CEO that truly embodies philanthropy and strives to help others in any way she can. As the community need soared in 2020, so did her desire to help support our community. That drive led her to accept a position as CEO of PCAV, Peoria Community Against Violence, as “I have seen first-hand how the violence in our community affects our staff and our clients.” While we are sad to see her go, we look forward to her continued volunteer work here as a tutor, as she remains committed to the mission of Neighborhood House. Becky’s passion for serving others has helped increase Neighborhood House’s presence on the south side by increasing programs dedicated to helping the 61605 zip code, the second poorest in the state. We have seen our volunteer program increase by 300%, as well as increased our meal delivery capacity by 50% during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are excited to see the continued impact she will make in our community as we carry on the spirit of giving she helped cultivate here at Neighborhood House. In the interim Becky is leaving Neighborhood House in the experienced and capable hands of Bryna Ryan and Kari Clark, who are both eager to continue meeting the growing needs of the community.
“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” - Gail Sheehy
Bryna Ryan, Chief Operating Officer, will be stepping up as Interim CEO. Bryna graduated from the University of Illinois Springfield with her Master’s Degree in Human Services, with a concentration in Social Service Administration in May 2020. She has worked in the nonprofit sector since 2015. Bryna started at Neighborhood House in 2017, as the Community Outreach Director. She grew At-Risk Meals from just one site at Neighborhood House to four additional sites throughout the community. She also implemented a more person-centered approach to our Food Pantry, which included collaborating with other agencies to come on-site to provide resources and information. Before becoming COO, Bryna also assisted with Fund Development and Special Events and was instrumental in adopting RAGBRAI as Neighborhood House’s newest fundraising event. Kari Clark, HR Director, will be the Interim Chief Operating Officer. Prior to moving into HR 3 years ago, she worked in our child care center for 11 years, 8 of those years as the Child Care Director. Kari obtained her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Administration from National Louis University in 2017. As the Child Care Director, Kari managed upwards of 30 staff spread across three sites, including our on-site facility that was licensed to care for more than 100 children ages 6 weeks to 12 years. Since moving into HR, Kari has placed a strong focus on increasing compliance, hiring mission-driven employees, and improving work culture. There is no doubt Neighborhood House is facing changes alongside the world. However, we will continue our 125 year tradition of adaptability and continue to meet the needs of the community.
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Save the Date for 2021 Event Fundraisers Our Neighborhood House team is excited to participate in the 48th Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) again this year, to help ensure those in need aren't going hungry. To pedal along with our team or sponsor a rider, contact Brent Oest at brento@nhpeoria.org.
RAGBRAI July 25-31, 2021 Registration Deadline: April 15th: week riders June 1st: daily riders
“Anybody can make history. Only a great man can write it.” - Oscar Wilde
Strengthening Community & Impacting Lives for 125 Years As we head into our 125th year of serving the Peoria area, we take time to reflect back on the progressive thinking of our founders. They established programs, services and taught trade skills to meet the needs of the immigrant community at the turn of the century. As the community needs changed, they set the tone and tradition of adaptive services to continue to provide what was needed most. •
Opened manual training shop in 1903 - architecture classes for men & nursing for women
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Provided free medical & dental clinic
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Opened first special education classrooms for children with disabilities
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Services for the blind - Later becoming the Blind Center •
Day services for adults with disabilities Later becoming EPIC
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Supportive services for Veterans
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Stay Out Front (Headstart) started in 1965
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Women’s auxiliary was formed in 1975 to help with Meals with Love (Meals on Wheels)
Even though our programs have changed over time, our overall mission has not: To provide a safe environment, resources, and education to empower our community to reach their fullest potential through all life stages. We are proud to continue the tradition of adaptive services to best fulfill the needs of our community. To support one of our life-changing services, visit www.nhpeoria.org
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Youth Services After School Program We are excited to announce our youth education program started in-person services on Monday, March 22nd. Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming our youth back to Neighborhood House. www.nhpeoria.org
While it was our pleasure to temporarily shift our education program to at-home meal delivery in response to COVID, we are glad restrictions have been lifted that will allow us to host education services in-person once again. As a result, we shifted our youth meal delivery services back to youth education within our building. In-person youth education services will once again take place daily at Neighborhood House, 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Children that attend our in-person education services will be provided with an afternoon snack and evening meal. If you have any questions or are interested in supporting this program, please contact Trevor Neff at trevorn@nhpeoria.org.
When the school day stops, that shouldn’t mean meals stop too. Feeding children and families after school & work, on the weekends, and over summer vacation helps build & maintain a strong community.
Sunday Meals and Pantry Programs Food insecurity has grown rapidly during the pandemic. While we were temporarily able to grow our food pantry program by 850% to meet the growing need, we were unable to maintain this level of growth and have returned our pantry program to it’s pre-COVID operating schedule. We are passionate about ensuring no one is going hungry and are happy to keep our food pantry open twice monthly.
Food Pantry Open 2nd & 4th Thursday of the month at 10:00 a.m.
We also have a need for volunteers to help prepare and serve Sunday meals. If you are interested in helping us fill this need, contact Trevor Neff at 309-674-1131 ext.243 or trevorn@nhpeoria.org. We are all in this together and are proud to be a part of such a giving community.
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Critters Meals on Wheels The emotional and mental health of our Meals on Wheels clients is equally as important as their physical health. Seniors who are able to keep their pets have a reduction in loneliness, anxiety and depression. We are proud to help make this possible for our seniors by providing pet food through our Critter Meals on Wheels program. For more information on our Critters Meals on Wheels program or to donate, please contact Trevor Neff 309-674-1131 ext. 243 trevorn@nhpeoria.org
“Giving is not just about making a donation, it’s about making a difference.” - Kathy Calvin
Adult Education & Financial Empowerment and Employment Services Neighborhood House is here to help uplift our community through all life stages. Many of our adult learners face multiple barriers due to lack of education, experience and sometimes criminal histories.
We are so proud of all our adult learners and strive to empower them to reach their fullest potential. Thank you to our tutors, volunteers and supporters who give their time to help provide our participants tools for success. Current program volunteer needs: - Tutors - Teaching lunch and learn sessions - One on one job coaching/mentoring Visit www.nhpeoria.org to learn more or contact Ericka Ivory at 309-674-1131 ext 227 or erickai@nhpeoria.org.
Without the charitable gifts from local individuals & organizations, the work we do & the impact we have would not be quite as magnanimous. Thank you to all of our donors & sponsors!
Senior Citizen’s Meals 1 Month ................. $110 6 Months ............... $650 1 Year ..................... $1,300 Senior Citizen’s Pet 1 Month ................. $42 6 Months ............... $250 1 Year ..................... $500 Monthly Lunch & Learn Sessions ................ $100 1 Adult Learner’s GED Classes ............ $120 Financial Empowerment & Job Coaching .......... $1,525 1 Food Pantry Box .. $100
For more information on sponsorships and customizing options, contact Brent Oest at 309-674-1131 ext. 244 brento@nhpeoria.org
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Neighborhood House 1020 S. Matthew St Peoria, IL 61605 www.nhpeoria.org
New Ways to Support Neighborhood House Even though the possibility of in-person events is uncertain due to COVID, our team is working on new ways to fundraise for our vital community programs. One of those new ways is by partnering with Kroger. Did you know you can help support Neighborhood House by shopping at Kroger? Kroger’s Community Rewards program supports local organizations by linking to your Kroger Savings Card. Any transactions moving forward using your Savings Card will be applied to the program, at no added cost to you. Kroger donates annually to participating organizations based on your percentage of spending. It’s that easy! You help earn money for Neighborhood House simply by continuing to shop at Kroger.
Visit www.kroger.com/i/community/community-rewards to link your digital account and Kroger Savings Card to Neighborhood House. Thank you to all of our supporters!