2021 ANNUAL REPORT SMALLTHINGSPHILLY.ORG
LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The world can seem overwhelming at times, especially after all we have been through in the last two years. Problems and injustices can feel insurmountable, But one of the core beliefs we have at Small Things is that if we all do our small part, we can make a difference. Over the past year, we have seen many people taking steps to make a difference. It is with deep appreciation and gratitude for that work that I am writing to all of you. I could share some incredible numbers of what we produced this year or tell you how we have expanded with so few resources, but you can read about that in this report. Instead, I want to take this opportunity to remind us why we do all of this. People. Philadelphia is a complex city with huge divides between the rich and poor. At Small Things, we don’t just feel that these inequalities are not right, we believe that
we can do something about it. We value every person: from the individuals who receive our food, the volunteers who sacrifice their time to pack our food, all the way to our fantastic warehouse employees and staff who dedicate their time to achieving our mission: to support local community-based organizations by providing them with the resources they need to help their communities and connect with their neighbors in a tangible way. We want to make a real difference in people’s lives. This means making Small Things a great place to work, treating our partners with the highest level of dignity, and ultimately reducing food insecurity. To give people fair and equal opportunities across Philadelphia, we will continue to battle for food justice. We are thankful for everyone's support that has made the past couple of years possible - we truly could not do this without you. We invite you to join us in helping us continue to make a difference! Sincerely,
Rev. Vito Baldini Executive Director, Small Things, Inc.
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FROM EASTER OUTREACH TO SMALL THINGS
2010
EASTER Outreach
Members of Liberti East come together to deliver 100 meals to neighbors in need and start the annual tradition of Easter Outreach.
2011
Liberti Fairmount and Liberty Center City join the effort and distribute over 1,000 meals in Greater Philadelphia.
2012
Easter Outreach partners with Philabundance to source food for distribution and with Water is Basic to provide water and famine relief to families in Sudan.
2013 - 2018
Easter Outreach continues to expand with new community partners, serving more meals, and engaging more volunteers.
2019
Over 75 community partners and 2,000 volunteers help distribute 10,000 Easter dinners in Philadelphia and help to fund water provision and famine relief in South Sudan.
2021
We delivered 8.2 million pounds of food, or 133,000 meals per week, to families in need.
2022
Our goals are to continue to stabilize our staffing structure, maintain and sustain operations, diversify our program offerings, and to increase the capacity of our partner network.
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2020
At the onset of COVID-19, the organization shifts its practices. Easter Outreach partners with #forPhilly to create a volunteer platform and with Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging to protect the area's most vulnerable. By fall, we provided one million meals and made the decision to form a new nonprofit. In December, we started operating out of our own warehouse on Domino Lane.
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WHO WE ARE Small Things distributes food, hygiene, and household goods to our network of 107 local partners, who are primarily comprised of churches and food pantries in and around Philadelphia, PA. Our partners understand the needs of their communities, and we supply them with the resources necessary to meet those needs.
OUR MISSION Our mission is to support local community-based organizations by providing them with the resources necessary to support their communities and connect with their neighbors in a tangible way.
OUR VALUES Connection - We strive to build real, lasting connections by helping our partner organizations meet the needs of their communities. Dignity - We believe that every individual we support deserves to be treated with respect, empathy, and love regardless of their situation. Integrity - We believe in having integrity in all of our actions and in all of our partnerships.
We can do no great things, only small things with great love.
Impact - In everything we do, we want to ensure that our efforts have a positive impact in our community.
Mother Teresa
OUR NAME
Our name reflects the fact that change often starts with one small step; one small gathering, one small sacrifice, one small message of hope. The name recognizes that Small Things is how change happens.
2021 QUICK STATS
We distributed 8.2 million pounds of food (1.1 million rescued)
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We provided 133,000 meals to the community each week
We welcomed over 3,700 volunteers to the Small Things warehouse
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BUDGET OVERVIEW Small Things' total income in 2021 was $8,885,668, of which $7,991,311 (90%) was the value of food donations. Philabundance and the Feeding America network contributed $353,641. These funds paid for a truck, a van, several forklifts, and other warehouse equipment to expand cold storage capacity, as well as covered some program costs. Small Things received $513,765 from businesses, churches, families, and individual donors, $26,500 in grant income, and $450 in other income. Total expenses for the year were $7,370,852. The value of food distributed accounted for 93% of expenses at $6,868,074. Facilities and equipment costs totaled $66,974 and program costs totaled $65,874. Operational expenses of $369,930 included salaries, wages and benefits, insurance, and other costs. Net income (which includes the value of food inventory) for 2021 was $1,514,816. Budget vs Actual Expenses Small Things' 2021 operating budget was $525,000 with funds expected to come from the partnership between Philabundance and Small Things, general contributions from businesses, churches, families, and individual donors, and grant income. Operational expenses not including food distribution were budgeted at $465,070. The balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 shows $1,667,828 in total assets. $1,386,050 are current and include the value of food inventory of $1,123,327 (81% of current), along with cash, accounts receivable, and undeposited funds. Fixed assets of $281,777 are comprised of furniture and equipment. Current liabilities consisting of accounts payable and payroll liabilities were $10,700. The organization does not carry debt or any other long-term liabilities. As of December 31, 2021, unrestricted net assets were $142,312.* * Numbers have not been audited at the time of publication
2021 GROWTH Our team has tripled from three full-time staff members at the end of 2020 to six full-time and three part-time staff members at the end of 2021.
Our partner list grew from 45 partners at the end of 2020 to 107 by the end of 2021.
Of the 3,700+ volunteers that we welcomed in 2021, over 2,400 were unique. Volunteers served a cumulative total of over 7,500 hours.
2022 GOALS Small Things' 2022 operating budget is projected to be $655,000. We expect to distribute approximately 8 million pounds of food and to create additional programs dedicated to alleviating poverty and food insecurity. We will continue to support our partner network in order to increase network capacity. Internally, we plan to set and meet metrics regarding staffing, operational efficiency, fundraising, and program impact.
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OUR PROGRAMS
Food and Goods Distribution Our primary focus is getting food into the hands of our partners, who then distribute it to their communities. Each week, we distribute 160,000 pounds of food (or 133,000 meals) and household and hygiene goods to our partners. We also operate a number of food programs that target food for specific audiences. Culturally Appropriate Food In spring 2021, Small Things was awarded a $15,000 grant from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program to purchase culturally appropriate food. We consulted several Hispanic partners who recommend we use the funds to buy foods that are commonly served in their households. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was comfort food to many. With the grant, we provided 1,500 Hispanic families with a 10-pound pack of chicken leg quarters, 5 pounds of dried pinto beans, and 2 pounds of rice! The food was warmly welcomed – and it opened our eyes to the need for different foods for the beautiful melting pot that is Philadelphia. Homeless Kits Many of our partners go out into Philadelphia’s streets to try to serve those experiencing homelessness. Most don’t have a kitchen where they can serve hot meals, so they were looking for food to hand out. Starting in July 2021, Small Things began offering homeless kits to feed folks who are experiencing homelessness. The kits are gallon-sized plastic bags that hold small juice packs; ready-to-eat canned tuna salad, crackers, and granola bars; hand wipes; and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. At a time when community meals have become scarce, these kits are meeting a very real need on the streets.
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Kids' Programs More than one in five children in Philadelphia don’t get enough food to eat. Like their families, they are food insecure. But unlike their parents, children have growing bones and developing minds that cry out for nutritious food. In August 2021, Small Things joined the Pass the Love pilot program, USERS IN ASIA which was Michelle Obama’s healthy eating campaign. A total of 14 Small Things partners participated in the four-week program that provided 1,500 families with meal kits to make three healthy meals for a family of four. Throughout the year, we also offered “backpack meals” to partners serving children. These kidfriendly backpack meals contain four shelf-stable, easy-to-prepare, family-style meals: two with pasta, one with rice, and one with oatmeal. Rescued Food In 2021, Small Things “rescued” 1,021,417 pounds of food and household products that otherwise would have been thrown away through our retail rescue program. In addition to fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable food, these donations also included specialty goods that aren’t always available – things like soda, snacks, cleaning products, paper goods, pet supplies, and baby products. Senior Meals Our Senior Meals Program provides prepared frozen meals to seniors and builds relationships between seniors and their communities. In 2021, we distributed over 42,000 meals through our volunteer delivery drivers.
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VOLUNTEER IN THE WAREHOUSE Public Shifts We offer food box packing shifts on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings along with a variety of other volunteer opportunities such as joining the grant writing, marketing, or finance teams. Visit our website to sign up and to find additional volunteer opportunities available with our partners.
Volunteers busy packing food boxes during a Thursday night shift.
Private Shifts We also offer private, weekday shifts for groups as large as 20. Private shifts start anytime between 10AM and 12PM and run for two hours. These shifts make great team-building events for businesses, clubs, birthdays, and field trips! Contact us to set up a private shift.
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT Erik Issel In January 2021, Erik Issel took matters into his own hands. It was then— with Small Things warehouse associate Jack Kennedy—he decided to personally hand out bologna sandwiches to the homeless. At Jack’s recommendation, Erik reached out to Vito and Barb about donations from Small Things, and in less than a week he was driving away with a full car of food to hand out. Over the next few months, driven by his heart for service, Erik became a regular volunteer at Small Things. “It’s amazing to see how Small Things has grown, to see it at work,” Erik says. “Even through COVID, people kept coming and volunteering. It’s so encouraging.” For Erik, an added benefit of his time volunteering has been the relationships he’s built and the friendships he has grown. “It’s so appropriately named: small things really do turn into big things,” he says. “Small Things is a family, it’s people coming together to form a community. It’s amazing and humbling, and it’s been so exciting to watch it grow.” In 2021, Erik served more than 100 volunteer hours during more than 50 shifts with Small Things. Thank you, Erik, and to all who faithfully volunteer.
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PARTNER LISTS 2022 COMMUNITY PARTNERS We are grateful to receive the food and goods we distribute from Philabundance and the Feeding America network. Feeding America is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization with 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs. Philabundance is the Philadelphia and Delaware Valley area’s largest hunger-relief organization.
ACTIVE FOOD PARTNERS Food partners receive and distribute food from Small Things
1st Hispanic Christian Church 8th Street Community Church A Move Group/Zion Lutheran A Rose From Concrete AHARI AlphaCare Aritlife The Block Church Brewerytown Sharswood Community Civic Association By Grace Alone Care and Help Home Care/Healthcare CDA (Potter's House) Celestial Tabernacle Church of God Center for Leadership Development and Advocacy Christ Centered Church Crossroads Community Center Delco Food Project Emmanuel Epiphany Church of Wilmington Epiphany Fellowship of Gloucester City Esperanza Feed Philly Now Firm Hope Baptist Church First Baptist Church of Philadelphia Flash Love Movement Fresh Anointing
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Grace and Peace Community Philadelphia Prevention Fellowship Partnership/Bridge of Hope Ministries Grands Stepping Up Prodigy Prep Greater Impact Worship Center Renewal Church Greenhouse Project Ridley Park Heart of Worship Restoration Center Roxborough Presbyterian Church Helping Hand Sabir Inc. House of Able Sharon Baptist Church Iglesia Pentecostal Intl. Snyder Avenue Congregational Church USERS INinASIA Jesus Arca De Salvacion St Miriam Flourtown Liberti River Wards St Paul AME Lilly of the Valley Sunday Love Project Living Word Tabernacle Harvest Ministries Masjidullah The Salvation Army/Central Mercy Neighborhood Ministries The Salvation Army New Day Metro Church TruCare Mt Vernon Baptist Church True Vine Worship Center Neighbors Helping Neighbors Unincarcerated Minds New Covenant Cheltenham Urban Movement New Covenant Church of Philadelphia Urban Worship Center New Tabernacle Baptist Church Victory Church NKCDC Victory Outreach Norris Square Community Action Watershed Church Network West Kensington Ministry Northeast Treatment Center Whole 934 Ordinarie Heros Oxford Circle Christian Community Development Association
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PARTNER LISTS 2022 NETWORK PARTNERS
Network partners send volunteers and/or financially support Small Things
Aetna Amazon Arcadia University Bank of America Bethesda Project Bridge Community Church Calvary Christian Academy CareSense Chick-fil-A Citylight Church City Line Church City Reach Philly Concilio Philadelphia Drexel University Edmund Optics, Inc. Einstein Health Network Epic Church Fairmount Epic Church Manayunk Epic Church Roxborough Freire Charter High School
Green Tree Community Heart of Worship Restoration Center House of the Good Shepherd JC Linton Tree Service Jefferson Health KPMG LaSalle High School LaSalle University Liberti Church Network Liberti Mainline Liberti River Wards Mercy Neighborhood Ministries Metro East Falls Mid Atlantic Food Trade Organization MLH Explorations National Christian Foundation Neighbors Helping Neighbors New Covenant Church Philadelphia Gospel Movement Philadelphia Prevention Partnership
Pilgrim Church Portescap Renewal Presbyterian Church Resurrection Church Philadelphia Target Corporation The Philadelphia Project The Salvation Army The William Penn Charter School Trader Joes Small Fry Snyder Avenue Congregational Church Sprouts Farmers Market Victory Church Villanova University Univest Bank and Trust Urban Movement Yuong Sang Presbyterian Church
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT Oxford Circle Christian Community Development Association In May 2020, OCCCDA found itself in a similar position as many area food banks: the hunger crisis raged on despite COVID restrictions changing lives for many Americans. At that time OCCCDA Economic Development Director Magaly Hernandez was trying to accommodate about fifty recipients each week with only about fifteen bags of food. “It took one call to Barb at Small Things saying that we needed food for the community,” Magaly says. “Barb opened the doors. We get between 85 and 100 food boxes each week from Small Things and feed between 100 and 300 people.” OCCCDA uses the food it receives as a base for the bags they hand out. Bags are supplemented with culturally specific ingredients and everyday treats and hygiene products. Magaly and her growing staff, specifically Maria Andino - formerly an OCCCDA volunteer – view the partnership between OCCCDA and Small Things as more than a job; it’s a purpose. “We service all different religions, beliefs, all walks of life and lifestyles, but we are here, serving one purpose, and that is one of joy and peace,” Magaly said. “The resources we’ve been able to provide are ultimately from God. Through this partnership with Small Things, our community has become a family.” OCCCDA has seen the impact go far beyond alleviating hunger and financial burden. People have described new feelings of self-worth and relief from depression as the food multiplies throughout Philadelphia. “People feel taken care of,” Maria said. To that end, she and Magaly even personally deliver food to those who are unable to pick up their own. “We offer love, joy, possibilities, and encouragement in a place where there’s no judgment; a place to be heard, a place to be culturally respected. Our purpose is to feed you and your family. The partnership between OCCCDA and Small Things has made this possible.”
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OUR TEAM
Reverand Vito Baldini Executive Director
Noelle Allen Director of Development
John Casey Warehouse Manager
Corey Jay "CJ" Cutner Receiving & Procurement
Matthew Cyphert Warehouse Associate
Barb Delp Director of Operations
Jack Kennedy Warehouse Associate
Gavin Caffrey Perez-Canto Partner Manager
Robert Ramos Delivery Driver
OUR BOARD Reverand Vito Baldini Executive Director of Small Things
Reverand Bonnie Camarda Board Member
Pastor Michel Faulkner Board Chairman
Andrew Kim Board Treasurer
Joan Boyce Board Secretary
Pastor Mark Novales Board Member
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