Inspire
Volunteers of America of Kentucky, Inc.
Winter 2014/Spring 2015
Inside: Serving veteran families Hope for the Holidays Healthy moms and babies Real People. Real Challenges. Real Solutions.
www.voaky.org
From combat engineer to college student
Help make Layla’s first holiday season a happy one. Layla’s dad, a combat veteran of the war in Afghanistan, is able to provide a stable home for his family, thanks to help from Volunteers of America. And your support creates a happy holiday for children like Layla.
you can help: 1. Make a contribution online at our secure website, www.voaky.org, or in the enclosed envelope. 2. Visit any Heine Brothers’ Coffee location in the Louisville area and donate new winter accessories such as gloves, hats, and scarves for all ages. Visit www.heinebroscoffee.com for locations. 3. Donate new items including toys, games, pajamas for all ages and sizes, and gift cards to budget-friendly stores. In Kentucky and Southern Indiana, contact Donna Trabue at DonnaT@voaky.org or (502) 636-4641. In Tennessee, contact Randy Brothers at RBrothers@voatn.org or (615) 885-2552 ext. 125.
When U.S. Army veteran Michael Newcombe began dating his future wife, Kelli, they never could have imagined that their future together would entail homelessness. During his five years in the Army, the combat engineer had survived many challenges, such as constructing roads and buildings in combat conditions and providing security detail in the dangerous Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan. But like countless veterans, Michael found the readjustment to civilian life challenging. Although he was working various jobs and receiving some aid, he still faced financial and psychological difficulties. He was sleeping on friends’ couches and struggling to find meaningful long-term employment. He was referred to Volunteers of America’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program serving the Fort Knox, Kentucky area. With the help of the program, Michael and Kelli moved into a rented home and received donations of furniture, food, and other necessities — all right before the birth of their baby girl, Layla. Both are now taking courses at nearby Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. “Slowly, things are starting to work out,” he says. The Newcombes have set a goal to purchase their own house, and Kelli says support from the SSVF program is a “jumping off point.”
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Special thanks to:
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They are excited about Layla’s first holiday season and the joy that it will bring the family. When he thinks about where he was less than a year ago, Michael says, “If it hadn’t been for (Volunteers of America), I’d probably still be surfing a couch somewhere.” Vol un t e e r s of A me r ic a of K e n t uck y, Inc .
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David and Vicki Flanery train and travel with their dogs for agility competitions. As cute as the dogs are, “these competitions are not beauty pageants,” David explains. Janie Burks (center) was honored in October with the Center for Nonprofit Excellence Pyramid Award of Excellence in the Art of Leadership. She was joined at the event by her sister, Laura Padgett; husband, Dick Burks; and mother, Frances Wilson.
A message from the Board Chair Left to right: Janie Burks, Jennifer Hancock, and Lisa DeJaco.
This is a different kind of message we’re sharing with you in this issue of Inspire, one that is rather bittersweet for me. In just a few short months, Janie Burks will step down from her post as President and CEO of Volunteers of America of Kentucky after nine years. It’s hard for many of us to imagine Volunteers of America without Janie, considering that she has dedicated more than 25 years of her life to this organization. In the late 1980s, Janie joined Volunteers of America of Kentucky’s Board of Directors, serving nine years, including three years as board chair. Her service deepened when she was elected to the Volunteers of America National Board, then joined the National Office staff as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Organizational Services. In 2006, she returned to the Kentucky affiliate as President and CEO. Throughout her tenure, Janie has made a measurable impact, ranging from improving the financial position of the organization, to installing organizational systems for efficiency, to engaging a diverse group of board members, donors, and volunteers.
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When Janie announced to our Board of Directors that she would retire in early 2015, we worked together to develop a succession plan that ensured a seamless transition. Through a comprehensive selection process led by the board, Jennifer Hancock was selected to succeed Janie and was named President Elect earlier this year. I am confident our success will grow under Jennifer’s leadership, as my board colleagues and I have been impressed with her focus on building a positive and affirming culture and her commitment to excellence in all that we do. I feel privileged and fortunate to have served during this significant transition. Having witnessed Janie’s dedication to this organization, I know she’ll continue to be part of the Volunteers of America family. I invite you to join me in celebrating her contributions to Volunteers of America that have set the organization on a thriving, exciting course for the future.
Lisa DeJaco, Partner Wyatt Tarrant & Combs LLP
President Elect Jennifer Hancock was selected as one of Business First of Louisville’s 40 Under 40 for 2014 among more than 500 nominees from the Louisville-area community for her professional accomplishments and community service efforts. In addition, the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center — where Jennifer began her career while attending the University of Kentucky — named her one of its 40 Faces of Impact to honor those who have demonstrated unparalleled commitment to eradicate sexual violence in Central Kentucky.
Supporting a legacy In his retirement, J. David Flanery — a member of our President’s Advisory Council and Positive Change Society — spends a lot of time traveling with his wife, Vicki, and competing with their Westies in dog agility competitions across the country. But Volunteers of America has remained a priority for him. David became a board member while working as Chief Financial Officer at Papa John’s International. “They were extremely supportive of me getting involved,” he says. He remembers being part of a group from Papa John’s that helped build a playground for children living with their mothers at our women’s addiction recovery program. “It was about 100 degrees that day, and we were finishing up as some of the kids were coming home from school and day care,” he says. “To see their faces light up when they saw that playground made it all totally worth it.” When David and Vicki heard about the opportunity to make a legacy gift in Janie Burks’ honor to support our Freedom House addiction recovery program for pregnant and parenting women (read more on pages 6 and 7), they “couldn’t pass that up,” he says. “The changes that Janie has brought to the organization — the level of strategy, building the team, the succession plan — it’s just a highly professional organization. We were very pleased to do it.” Vol un t e e r s of A me r ic a of K e n t uck y, Inc . 5 Vol un t e e r s of A me r ic a of K e n t uck y, Inc .
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Help Freedom House grow Volunteers of America of Kentucky offers life-changing – and lifesaving – services to women who are pregnant and substancedependent in our community. We know our approach to treating the disease of addiction in young mothers works. We see it in the faces of the 88 healthy babies that have been born to mothers we’ve served at Freedom House, which recently received national media attention in USA Today. The financial and social implications for our community are significant. For every drug-free baby born to a mother receiving our services, Volunteers of America saves the community an estimated $250,000 by preventing numerous developmental and health complications related to their mothers’ substance abuse. And having a clean and healthy start to life makes all the difference in a child’s ability to live the life we dream of for all our children. Faced with an ever-growing waiting list of women who are pregnant and desperate to enter treatment in time to deliver a healthy baby, we have embarked on an urgent campaign to expand our program. While the operating support is secured for this expansion, the building that will house 12 pregnant women is in need of renovating. We must raise $400,000 in order to open our doors in January 2015 and begin admitting women in time for a healthy delivery. The stakes have never been so high, and addressing this critical issue has never been more important. Without these additional beds, pregnant women who are substance-dependent will be forced to find alternative ways to attempt sobriety without the support of a structured, long-term residential program with comprehensive service offerings. The alternatives are simply not acceptable; not for young women in our community and not for their children. Commitments of $50,000 each from members of Volunteers of America’s Board of Directors, Brown-Forman, and the Gheens Foundation — combined with other pledges of support — have brought us halfway toward our goal. A grant for operating expenses totaling $1.4 million over the next three years has been secured from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These funds will enable us to hire additional professional staff, double the number of clients treated each year, and create an after-care program providing graduates with an ongoing support system for long-term success. An evaluation component of the grant will also create an exciting opportunity for ongoing collaboration with the University of Louisville.
In response to the growing demand for our services, we are seeking support to double the capacity of Freedom House. A capital renovation project estimated at $400,000 is underway and will create an additional 12 beds for pregnant women who need treatment in time for a healthy delivery.
You can help: • Support the project by making a gift at www.voaky.org. • Take a tour of Freedom House. Contact Robyn Przybylek at (502) 636-4660 or RobynP@voaky.org for upcoming dates. • Talk to colleagues and friends about Freedom House. Encourage them to join you for a tour and learn more about the program.
I entered the field of social work more than 15 years ago because I wanted to address social injustices and serve my community. My belief that silence is a form of consent has mobilized me to take action many times when I felt it important to speak up on behalf of those who did not have a voice or one that others could not hear. Today, I am asking you to join me and other supporters in speaking on behalf of women in our community who need access to treatment so they can bring a healthy baby into the world and enter recovery from this disease of addiction that is plaguing our community. With gratitude,
Jennifer Hancock, LCSW President Elect, Volunteers of America of Kentucky 6
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Vol un t e e r s of A me r ic a of K e n t uck y, Inc .
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Rickey Green, graduate of our men’s addiction recovery program, shared his inspiring story with guests. His wife, Alycia and sons, Kaden, 4, and Kendall, 1 (on the cover), were there to support him. Today, he is the manager of a Ken Towery Auto Care store in Louisville. He told attendees: “The compassion and accountability Volunteers of America provided me every single day helped me to become a new Rickey Green.”
Scan the QR code below to watch Rickey’s remarks on YouTube.
Guests answer the call, “If not you, then who?”at Power of 1 Breakfast Our Power of 1 Breakfast on Sept. 30 in Louisville drew nearly 1,000 community supporters and raised more than $400,000 to support our addiction recovery and family housing services. We are grateful to all who came together to create positive change in our community and ensure our programs remain available for those we serve. Clockwise from top right: The Voices of Praise Choir and instrumentalists from Greater New Beginnings Church performed for guests. Left to right: Superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools Dr. Donna Hargens, Board Chair and Partner at Wyatt Tarrant & Combs LLP Lisa DeJaco, and Volunteers of America of Kentucky President Elect Jennifer Hancock. Left to right: CITY Propteries Group Managing Director Bill Weyland, who rallied financial support among attendees; Caudill Seed Company co-owner Dan Caudill; and District 19 Metro Councilman Jerry Miller. Left to right: Social entrepreneur Surekha Kulkarni, attorney Gretchen Hunt, and Volunteers of America of Kentucky President and CEO Janie Burks. Program graduate and former Marine Derrick Dennis shared his personal story of overcoming homelessness.
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Vol un t e e r s of A me r ic a of K e n t uck y, Inc .
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Golf event supports Developmental Disability Services in Middle Tennessee Our annual Celebrity Luncheon, Dinner of Champions, and Golf Tournament held in Middle Tennessee earlier this year were a huge success, raising $100,000 to support people like Crystal (top right photo, with our Administrative Director Sherall Curtis), a recipient of our Developmental Disability Services in Middle Tennessee. Thanks to our generous sponsors, including Nissan North America (represented by Vicki Smith, Senior Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility, top left photo, second from right), Piedmont Natural Gas, Del Mar Medical and Manor Health Supply, Burns Insurance Group, Cooper Steel, Sheraton Music City Hotel, Hermitage Golf Course, and everyone who participated.
Mayor’s Week of Valor honors veterans Volunteers of America of Kentucky and the Veterans Community Alliance of Louisville joined Louisville Metro Mayor Greg Fischer and numerous community partners in launching the inaugural Mayor’s Week of Valor, held November 10-15, 2014. Coinciding with Veterans Day, the week-long series of events honored and celebrated the contributions of active-duty military, veterans and their families. In addition to the annual Veterans Day Parade, activities included the Veteran of the Year Awards, a workshop on veteran service provision at the University of Louisville, a veteran health fair at Spalding University, and Week of Valor Run/Walk with Our Heroes 5K. Learn more about the coordinated efforts underway to support Louisville’s veterans and their families at www.vcalouisville.org.
The Golf Tournament provides friendly competition for former University of Tennessee and University of Alabama football greats.
Board of Directors President and CEO, Jane W. Burks Chair, Lisa DeJaco, Wyatt Tarrant & Combs, LLC Vice Chair, Carl Williams, PSST, LLC Treasurer, Karen Dunaway, CPA, PLLC Secretary, Sharon Johnson, LG&E and KU Tyson Adams, Stites & Harbison, PLLC Sandra Chambers, Jefferson Community and Technical College Judge McKay Chauvin, Jefferson County KY Circuit Court Chris Conliffe, Conliffe & Hickey Insurance Al Cornish, Norton Healthcare Patricia Cummings, Consultant David Fennell, Retired, PNC Bank Barbara Ford, Barbara J. Ford, LLC Keeta Fox, Papa John’s International, Inc. Dustin Howard, Kightlinger & Gray, LLP Jeremy LaMontagne, Humana Inc. Steve Magre, Magre Outsource Melanie McCoy, PNC Wealth Management George McMinn, Messer Construction Ken Middleton, Middleton Consulting, LLC Mark Mitchen, UPS Dave Neumann, Consultant Dickie Oliver, Yum! Brands Judie Parks, Berkshire Hathaway Parks & Weisberg Paula Purifoy, Metropolitan Sewer District Cindy Read, KentuckianaWorks L. Srinivasan, General Electric Chris Ward, Deming, Malone, Livesay & Ostroff Ken Wilson, Brown-Forman Wines USA
President’s Advisory Council Pamela E. Barry, PNC Wealth Management J. David Flanery, Retired, Papa John’s International, Inc. Daniel Hall, University of Louisville Richard Hallman, UPS Airlines Donald Kelly, Wyatt Tarrant & Combs, LLC Jack D. Sweeney, PNC Bank Senior Staff Jane W. Burks, President and CEO Jennifer Hancock, President Elect Bay Baltes, Senior Vice President of Human Resources Rita Finnie, Vice President of Southern Developmental Disabilities Services Tiffany Cole Hall, Vice President of Northern Developmental Disabilities Services Tom George, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Kuehl, Senior Director of Operations Support and Oversight Jennifer McMinn, Vice President of Clinical and Regional Services Editorial/creative Jennifer Recktenwald, Senior Director of Communications Claire Sheehan, Creative Services Manager Catherine Gordon, External Relations Intern Shacoya Kidwell, External Relations Intern Volunteers of America serving Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Southern Indiana, and Southern Ohio is a fully accredited not-for-profit business and meets or exceeds all 20 of the Better Business Bureau’s Standards for Charity Accountability.
Board Counsel Michael Lannon, Attorney at Law and CPA, Weber & Rose, PSC
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Vol un t e e r s of A me r ic a of K e n t uck y, Inc .
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570 South 4th Street, Suite 100 Louisville, KY 40202-2504
www.voaky.org
An old vehicle can open up a whole new world for someone in need. Your donation of a used vehicle allows you to particpate in serving some of your community’s most vulnerable people. Donating with Volunteers of America is • 100% tax-deductible • Fast, easy, and convenient • Free – we’ll tow the vehicle at no charge
Call 1-800-407-2600 or visit www.voaky.org to start the process.
Nonprofit Org. US Postage
Paid
Permit 961 Louisville, KY
Donate your vehicle now:
1-800-407-2600