Mitzvah Circle Foundation Annual Report 2014

Mitzvah Circle Foundation Annual Report 2014 -Often in giving, the life most changed is your own. From the director Imagine scraping by alone, on s...
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Mitzvah Circle Foundation Annual Report 2014

-Often in giving, the life most changed is your own.

From the director Imagine scraping by alone, on social security, only to have the care of your five grandchildren suddenly laid upon you by the instability of their mother’s mental illness. Picture yourself as a cancer patient who cannot leave your home because treatments have left you in need of incontinence products you cannot afford. Envision the desperation of waiting to be approved for government assistance, or the humiliation of being turned away by service organizations that don’t address your need. Now imagine the relief you feel upon discovering that Mitzvah Circle Foundation can help. One in five people in every community is struggling to meet needs that most of us would consider basic…food, clothing, and adequate shelter. Chances are that within ten minutes of your home, there are children without school supplies—who have never owned a book. In your own neighborhood, someone is dealing with a crisis—fire, illness, or shocking loss. We want to give them the essentials they need to move forward. That’s why Mitzvah Circle Foundation operates in the space before traditional organizations give help, when people in desperate situations need assistance without bureaucracy. We support individuals, families, schools and partner organizations, both locally and nationally. When I started Mitzvah Circle Foundation, I began without seed money or funding, with only my vision and commitment to serving the most vulnerable. In short, I began by doing the work. But I couldn’t do it alone. Over the past five years, I have seen that vision grow exponentially, as hundreds of dedicated volunteers, donors, and partner organizations have joined Mitzvah Circle Foundation’s critical work. Together, we walk with people from darkness to light. We want you to join us! You can help us create a better world for all people.

Sincerely,

Fran P. Held Fran P. Held Founder and Director

Giving is how we serve those whose names we do not know.

Mitzvah Circle Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which provides material support to individuals and families dealing with crisis, poverty, homelessness and serious illness. Through careful assessment and building personal relationships, we promptly determine needs and deliver individualized assistance. We serve people who are unable to obtain immediate or sufficient help from government agencies and traditional service organizations. Mitzvah Circle Foundation is not faith-based; we treat everyone with kindness and compassion, restoring hope and honoring dignity.

How We Help Mitzvah Circle Foundation collects and organizes items donated by individuals and businesses and distributes them quickly, without bureaucracy, to people in need. Much of our support goes to people and organizations in Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia counties, but we also ship necessities to individuals and organizations in 35 states. Mitzvah Circle Foundation has established a highly effective network of businesses, community-based organizations, social workers, teachers and other professionals dedicated to uplifting families in times of crisis. In addition to our own volunteers, 69 groups, such as employees of United Healthcare and Ameriprise Financial, supported our programs by donating and collecting food, toiletries, household goods, shoes and clothing last year. To strengthen our work and the communities we touch, we strive to continually engage new organizations.

Our Key Projects We created a Diaper Bank because the average baby living in poverty has just one diaper change per day. We go beyond diapers, providing baby gear, toys, and other infant essentials to families in need. Our Homeless Outreach Program gives the gifts of hope and dignity to hundreds of people each year by regularly providing quality shoes, clothing and other essentials to 12 area shelters. Our Adopt-a-Class program provides school supplies, enrichment materials and other essentials to children living in poverty. By collaborating with school staff, we reach some of the poorest families, so the students lacking the most have a chance at success. Food Project volunteers deliver donated food from grocery stores and bakeries to shelters, community centers and food banks. Food4Hope is an innovative food program component, in which volunteer groups collect and assemble food into personalized, uplifting bags for those who struggle with hunger. Care Project supports medically fragile and vulnerable individuals and families through personalized assessment, bridging gaps until other services are obtained, and providing ongoing assistance via donated items. Our Classroom4Good provides space for community groups to engage in meaningful service projects across program areas.

2014 Accomplishments We are dedicated to improving the lives of those in need AND uplifting those who give, creating a circle of kindness, hope and generosity. In 2014, we: 

Expanded our Diaper Bank to distribute 14 times more diapers than 2013 (from 17,000 diapers to more than 238,000)



Nurtured partnerships with 69 referring organizations



Held our first Volunteer Appreciation event



Hosted Family Fun Day to engage the community at Montgomery County Sports Performance Center



Grew our human capital—adding two part-time staff members, and two board members



Were listed in Good People Guide 2014



Held three signature fundraising events—Barnaby’s in Havertown, BAPS Charities Walkathon and Fine Crafts & Art Show at Gwynedd Reserve



Celebrated our 5-Year Anniversary with a donor engagement event and fundraiser



Had our Executive Director recognized nationally, with Office Depot Foundation’s Listen, Learn, Care Award

We believe that poverty is a lack of money, not a lack of humanity.

Impact Heather, a recipient, wrote, ‘We found Mitzvah Circle Foundation when we were experiencing a really hard time in our lives...They have always been there for us, supported us and never judged us. It's funny because it seems like on my worst days I would come home to a box from them, always with a hand written note that made me feel empowered and cared about, filled with diapers and other things that we really needed that day. I am a full-time college student. I have four children, stepchildren and my husband is disabled... it's been a long road. Knowing that there is an agency filled with people that have nothing but love in their hearts that are just a phone call away has meant the world to me.’ Jessica, an intern, shared, ‘Before Mitzvah, I had a vision of what working in the human service field might look like but I never imagined I would be so excited about the services I was able to provide for people in need... I received one-on-one attention that I don’t know that I could have gotten in an establishment that was not as driven by passion for human life.’ A social worker at Early Intervention of Philadelphia told us, ‘My families tell me they have never felt so cared about, treated so well, as they do when they speak to the people at Mitzvah Circle. These are people who only know getting help means long lines, bureaucracy, and unkind, undignified treatment. You’ve changed that for them.’

Our volunteers At Mitzvah Circle Foundation, we embrace the ideals that every person matters, small things can make huge differences, compassion and kindness are free to share, and that there are times in each of our lives when we can give, and other times when we each need help. Our dedicated volunteers include physicians, nurses, physical therapists, teachers, social workers, guidance counselors, IT professionals and others who share our passion for supporting vulnerable populations. These highly skilled individuals manage our website, support our technology needs, consult with our recipients, provide administrative support, coordinate special events, sort donations, pack boxes in our warehouse, pick up donated items and make deliveries.

2014 Donor Organizations Abington Friends Camp

Gwynedd Reserve Social Action Committee

Or Shalom

Abington Friends School

Iceland Transport, Inc.

PA Ventilator Assisted Children's Home Program

Abrams Hebrew Academy

Impact Thrift Stores, Inc.

Penn Suburban Chamber of Commerce

Ameriprise Financial

Independence Capital Partners

Power & Grace Gymnastics and Dance

Arcadia University Hillel

Gratz High School

Prudential Annuities Group

Artex Knitting Mills

Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

Quadrangle

Baker Interdistrict Elementary

Jewish Learning Venture

Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel

BAPS Charities

J Kid Philly

St. Helena Church

Berk Wiper International, LLC

Jubelirer Strategies

St. Paul's Lutheran Church

Beth David Reform Congregation

Keystone Motors - Doylestown

Target

Born to Run

Laurel House

Temple Sinai

Brownie Troop 7767

LeBus Bakery

TEVA Customer Analytics & Marketing

CMI

Leverington Presbyterian Church

The Fashion Studio

Congregation Or Hadash

Liberty Lutheran

Women's League of Tiferet Bet Israel

Coventry First LLC

Main Line Reform Sisterhood

Tito's Vodka

Cultural Care Au Pair

Manhattan Bagel

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

De Lage Landen Financial

Merck

Urban Hound

Feed the Children

Moms Club of Schwenksville

United Church of Christ

First Quality Products/First Medical

Moms Club of North Wales

United Healthcare

Forman Mills

Montco Sports Performance Center

Weis Market

Get it Stoned, LLC

North Penn High School

Worcester Brownies

Giant Food Market

NYE Group

Worcester Elementary Home & School

Golden Slipper

Office Depot Foundation

Zenkraft, LLC

2014 Recipient Organizations Bancroft Elementary School

Gifts of Love

Parkside Association of Philadelphia

Birthright of Pottstown, Inc.

Good Samaritan Men's Shelter

Patrician Society of Norristown

Book Em

Good Samaritan Women's Shelter

Paul Fly Elementary

Boy Scout Troop 622: St. Titus Church

GW Carver Elementary School

Phoenixville Area Community Services

Brady Elementary School

Hancock Elementary School

Project Home, 1515 Fairmount Avenue

Buchanan City Dept. of Social Services

Impact Thrift Stores, Inc.

Prudential Annuities Group

Bucks County Housing Group - Milford Square

Interfaith Hospitality Network

Pulaski Elementary

Bucks County Housing Group-Bensalem

Interfaith Housing Alliance Ambler

Reading Area Community College

Bucks County Housing Group-Doylestown

JCC Klein Branch

Richard Wright School

Bucks County Housing Group-Morrisville

Jefferson Place

Richmond Avenue School

Building 53

John Barry Promise Academy School

Salvation Army Shelter

Catholic Social Services

Kids and Family

Samaritan Village

Central Montgomery MH/MR Center

LaSalle Neighborhood Nursing Center

Seeds of Hope

Cole Manor School

Laurel House

Shepherd's Shelf Of Christ Lutheran Church

Community Connections-Pottstown

Lutheran Children and Family Service

Single Parent Fellowship

Connecting Point Outreach

Manna on Main Street

St. Agnes Outreach Services

DelVal Community Health Fairmont Primary

Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard, Inc.

St. Malachy's R.C. Church

Discovery Elementary School

Mitchell Elementary School

Temple Health/Ctr for Population Health

Dulce Elementary School

NHS

Welcome Church

Eastern University Academy

NHS - TFC/FCP

Wild West Delivery

Eliza Shirley House Salvation Army

Nurse Family Partnership

Youth Emergency Services

Fredrick Douglass Stubbs School

PA Ventilator Assisted Children's Home Prog.

2014 Grant Sources These organizations provided direct grant funding in 2014:

J&G Schwartz Family Foundation

Strategic Goals Moving forward, our most critical priorities are to: Reinforce infrastructure to sustain expansion. As we celebrate five years of meeting the needs of people in crisis, we must expand physically and administratively to accommodate a rapidly growing pool of recipient and partner organizations. Toward that end, we will identify new revenue streams to secure larger operating space, and underwrite increased professional staff hours. Our growing staff will ensure reliable customer service, seamless communication and consistent volunteer opportunities. We will continue to focus on data management to ease inventory control, contact tracking, and mass communications. Finally, we will increase marketing efforts, to raise awareness and engage recipients and supporters via traditional media, interactive social media and search engine optimization. Build stronger relationships. We do more than provide individualized assistance to people in crisis. We continuously assess needs to identify viable long-term solutions. We will broaden relationships with recipients to provide more direct education, referrals, and non-material support. We will deepen ties with partner organizations, to identify populations in need, and maximize resource sharing. While cultivating new volunteer and donor streams, we will increase communication and ongoing engagement, to convert special event participants to long-term supporters. Nurture future leadership. To meet growing recipient needs, and promote long-term sustainability, we must provide a pathway for committed stakeholders to assume leadership roles to amplify limited staff resources. This includes identifying lead volunteers to assist with evening and weekend programs, and maximizing pro bono opportunities among volunteers with specialized professional skills. We will also develop an on-going teen initiative, to foster loyalty among our most energetic and enthusiastic young volunteers, while continuing outreach to colleges and universities to consolidate recent growth in our internship program.

Board of Directors Fran P. Held is the Founder and Director of Mitzvah Circle Foundation. Rabbi David Ackerman is the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania.

Silas P. Norman, M.D. is a Clinical Associate Professor, Internal Medicine in the Division of Nephrology, Section Of Transplantation at the University of Michigan. Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria is Rabbi at B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike, Ohio. Cynthia Weiss Stein, Esq. is an attorney practicing Family Law in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Wendy Urban is a professor of Information Systems and Technology at Temple University.

Michael Drobny is a senior Associate in the Accounting Advisory Services group within the Transactions and Restructuring practice at KPMG, LLP. ‘I have strived to create a culture of warmth, passion for service and commitment to excellence.’

Massimo A.V. Magliari is a certified financial planner and co-founder of Kelman and Magliari Advisory Group,