LSS 2011 Annual Report

Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida 2011 Annual Report

In business, when demand for a product is up,

the price rises accordingly. That, in turn,

stimulates business growth and means good

news for employees and investors. In the

nonprofit world, when demand rises, it typically

means that the economy is not doing well; bad

news for people who find their lives in crisis and

are needing assistance. Simply put, times get

tougher and resources are stretched to their

limits – a scenario that requires a creative

approach to doing business.

That is where Lutheran Social Services of

Northeast Florida has found itself over the last

few years. Since the recession began in 2008,

our agency’s demand for services has skyrocketed

– specifically at our food bank, Second Harvest

North Florida. For example, many people who used

to give to Second Harvest now find themselves

looking for assistance. While demand for services

has increased, the sources of revenue to help

people – corporate, government, foundations and

individual donations – have been constrained by

the economy. It’s a perfect storm for many

nonprofits, some of which have gone out of

business because of the stress.

Our model is working at LSS. Donations are up – both monetary gifts throughout all

of our programs and donations of food specifically at Second Harvest. We take that

as affirmation of the work we are performing and its importance in our community.

People see Lutheran Social Services as an honorable recipient of their charitable

dollars – our mandate to continue doing more to help those in need.

While LSS is strong and growing, please remember that we are a business. Like any

business, we have to pay for office space, use of computers, marketing our services

and employee wages and benefits. Without donations to keep the lights on and our

refrigerated trucks on the road, resources required to achieve our mission of serving

people in need run dry.

Though the economy has put a tremendous strain on our enterprise, LSS has found

ways to turn hopelessness into hope. But we need your help to continue this work.

This annual report tells several stories about how we have helped clients find hope

and what you can do to help us in this work. It is the story of volunteers, clients and

even nonprofit employees. All of them receive some measure of hope, whether they

are helping others or being helped.

We could not do this work without the support of our board members, volunteers

and donors. Our hope for the upcoming year is that we can continue meeting the

“demand” we see in the nonprofit marketplace and create hope for those we serve.

Board of Directors

Jack Parker Board Chairman

Wayne RieleyPresident/CEO

Officers

Jack Parker, Chairman

Dwane Tyson, Vice Chair

Sina Rezaei, Treasurer

Jeanne Maszy, Secretary

Members

Brooks Andrews

Ted Carter, Past Treasurer

Mary Coleman

Marie Friedsam

Chris Haley

The Rev. Robert Kinley

Bill Laird

Roslyn Phillips

The Rev. William Reister

Matt Parks

Kem Siddons, Past Chairman

Mark Stevens

Rusty White{

February March April

Local business leaders

were invited to explore

the issue of childhood

hunger and its impact on

academic success at the

River Club in downtown

Jacksonville at an event

organized by Second Harvest North Florida. Featured

speakers were Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of

Feeding America, and Dr. John Cook, professor of

pediatrics from Boston University and the author of Child

Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact on our Nation.

Members of the LSS staff participated in the construction

of a home for a Clay County family as part of ABC’s

“Extreme Home Makeover” television show.

International Women’s Day

celebrated its 100th

anniversary with a gathering

on bridges around the world.

Jacksonville women met on

the Acosta Bridge downtown.

Second Harvest North Florida and

Publix Supermarkets, Inc.,

announced the roll-out of a store

donation program that will generate

thousands of pounds of important

food resources annually.

LSS held its inaugural Market Day at the Philips Highway office, a

craft show and rummage sale that raised funds for the ACE program

and refugee youth. Between this event and another held on Nov. 5,

more than $1,000 was raised.

Florida’s Dixie Egg

Company donated 32,400

eggs to Second Harvest

North Florida to help

families in need, just in

time for the Easter holiday.

LSS received $15,000 ‘Economic Bridge

Grant’ from Thrivent Financial for

Lutherans Foundation to aid efforts to

support basic needs in the community.

The Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints (LDS), in

partnership with Second Harvest

North Florida, the Northeast

Florida Red Cross and The Blood

Alliance, hosted its Third Annual

Day of Service.

Second Harvest hosted a Wine

In A Warehouse event for the

Jacksonville Council of Supply Chain

Management Professionals, sharing

the organizational vision with key

leaders in the logistics industry.

2011 Annual Report: H o p e l e s s n e s s t o H o p e 3

JulyMay June

The 10th Annual Canstruction

event was held at the

Jacksonville Landing, resulting

in 2,892 pounds of donated food by the design,

construction and engineering communities –

helping the event reach a 10-year total of more

than 100,000 pounds donated to Second Harvest.

The 21st Annual Jacksonville

FOODFIGHT, presented by EverBank,

raised a record of nearly $100,000 for

Second Harvest North Florida while

attracting more than 1,200 attendees.

The Refugee & Immigration

Services Youth and Family

Services Program held its 11th

Annual Summertime Express

camp for refugee youth with

two-week sessions in June and

July, serving 87 children from

nine countries.

Second

Harvest

North Florida received 13,000

cans of Campbell’s Chunky Soup

to celebrate the team’s second-

place finish in the 2010 Chunky

Soup Click for Cans competition.

World Refugee Day

Wells Fargo announced a donation of

$20,000 to Second Harvest North

Florida and three other Florida food

banks as part of the company’s brand rollout

celebration in downtown Jacksonville.

Stamp Out Hunger, the nation’s largest annual

food drive sponsored by The National Association

of Letter Carriers, resulted in more than 250,000

pounds of donated food, the equivalent of more

than 200,000 meals for people in need.

Chick-fil-A at Roosevelt Square and Second

Harvest teamed up for the fifth straight year to

feed hungry children during the summer through the Nourishing Kids

Summer Meals Program. More than 1,000 meals for children were

generated through in-store donations.

August September October

The Feds Feed Families

national food drive generated

more than 90,000 pounds of

food donated by the military

personnel, families and

commissary vendors at NAS

Jacksonville.

Bank of America sponsored

a back-to-school mobile

distribution in St. Johns

County, providing important

food resources for low-

income children at South

Woods Elementary School.

Map The Meal Gap study was released

by Feeding America, which indicates

more than 342,000 individuals are food

insecure in the 17-county area served by

Second Harvest North Florida, including

117,000 children.

The Refugee & Immigration Youth and

Family Services Program unveiled its 2011

art gallery featuring art and photography

created and captured by youth participating

in the Summertime Express youth camp.

LSS held its annual volunteer appreciation

event at the Haskell Building.

Second Harvest held the annual

Member Agency Conference at

Household of Faith Church.

Feeding America promoted the

Third Annual Hunger Action Month.Second Harvest executive director

Bruce Ganger was named as head of

the Jacksonville Food Policy Council,

which brings together stakeholders

from diverse food-related sectors to

examine how the food system is

operating and to develop

recommendations on how to improve

it for the benefit of our community.

The LSS Refugee Youth &

Family Services Program

partnered with the UNF

Freshman Honors

Program to help create acculturation

and mentoring opportunities for

refugee youth in fall 2011 – including

soccer competitions and lessons,

holiday parties and other activities

held throughout the fall.

Jacksonville

businessman Bruce

Ganger was named

executive director

at Second Harvest

North Florida.

Third Annual First Coast AIDS Walk

was held at Riverside Baptist Church.

The Second

Harvest North

Florida Kids Cafe

Program operated 42 sites

during the 2011-12 school year

as part of the Afterschool Snack

Program, a subcomponent of the

Child Care Food Program

provided through the Florida

Department of Health.


Second Harvest provided emergency

water relief to Mondex community in

Flagler County – delivering more than

420,000 pounds of potable water.

November December

Jaguars Family Food Drive, sponsored by

Winn-Dixie, netted 74,877 pounds in food

donations and $2,500 in monetary donation

over six weeks.

A Red Tie Affair raised $800 in support of

the LSS ACE Program.

27th Annual Empty Bowls

Luncheon set record marks

for attendance with 1,400

and funds raised with more

than $81,000.

Lift Up America and

the Jacksonville

Jaguars teamed up

with Tyson Foods, Inc. to distribute

30,000 pounds of protein to more

than 30 Second Harvest agencies.

2,500 Thanksgiving meals – complete with frozen turkeys and all the fixins’ – were

distributed in less than three hours at a special mobile pantry event at EverBank

Field. The event was sponsored by Black Diamond Performance Reporting.

The LSS AIDS Care & Education

Program (ACE) was honored as

Provider of the Year in north Florida,

as voted on by clients, at the annual

World AIDS Day Luncheon.

LSS sponsored the 2011

Teddy Bear Touchdown

event benefiting 50

children affected or

infected by HIV/AIDS.

The fourth Hero Central

Food Drive, presented by

First Coast News and

Publix, generated nearly

37,000 meals for people

in need on the First Coast.

Community Safety Net Fund at The

Community Foundation awarded

Second Harvest with $110,400 for

purchase of mobile pantry truck.

Jacksonville Jaguars teamed with Second Harvest for

third consecutive year to distribute Christmas joy to local

families in need – delivering 1,000 holiday meal boxes.

Lillian and Jorge Gutierrez left their home and careers in Cuba in

2011 so that their son, Adrian, would have a better life. Now an active

five-year-old with dark brown eyes and hair, Adrian suffers from

autism. His health concerns and the fact that Cuba has only one

school that works with autistic children, made the decision to leave

easy for the Gutierrez family. Their journey, however, has been

difficult and trying.

They came in March through a government program that allows

Cuban citizens to join family in the United States.

“At the Miami Airport, we were assigned a refugee agency to work

with us,” said Lillian. “That agency said that they were too busy to

help us because they were working with so many Haitian refugees.”

So the Gutierrez family journeyed to Jacksonville and lived with family

members for several months. When Lillian tried to better her English

speaking skills with a class at Florida State College at Jacksonville,

she learned that there was another organization, Lutheran Social

Services, that could help. She took a bus and walked two miles with

little Adrian to reach the LSS doors on Philips Highway.

“Galina (an LSS case manager) and the LSS people were the first

people I met in Jacksonville who were warm and friendly,” she

explained. “They helped Jorge get permission to work, helped find

him a job, arranged for Social Security and Medicaid help for Adrian.

“I work at Pollo Tropical now,” said Jorge, “and Adrian goes to school

and is in a special class. Life is hard here. We miss our house in

Cuba, but I know if I have any problem that I can call Galina and

she will help.”

Refugee & Immigration

Services

Help Create Hope Donate Funds and/or Goods...

LSS works with refugee families from around the globe. They all need

a place to live, home furnishings, clothes and a job. Donations to The

Sharing Place Thrift Store help with the home furnishings and clothes.

Cash donations to the Refugee & Immigration Services program will

help the program stock its shelves with a variety of emergency items

that the refugees need when they get to northeast Florida.

“ G a l i n a a t L S S w a s a b l e t o g e t u sp e r m i s s i o n o f e m p l o y m e n t d o c u m e n t sa n d L o u i s h e l p e d m y h u s b a n d f i n dw o r k . ” - L i l l i a n G u t i e r r e z

BHUTAN

49

BURMA

664 CUBA

117

IRAQ

69

IRAN

9

BURUNDI

8

HAITI

13SUDAN

1DEM REPOF THECONGO

17

AFGHANISTAN

10

ETHIOPIA

5

ARGENTINA

1

COLOMBIA

2

ZIMBABWE

3

NIGERIA

1LIBERIA

2

ERITREA

44

In 2011, the support LSS provides for refugee

children increased dramatically after LSS was

awarded a student impact grant from the

Department of Children and Families, allowing

the LSS staff to provide more in-class tutoring.

The process of resettling a refugee – or refugee families –

is one that LSS and its Refugee & Immigration Services

program have managed thousands of times since 1980,

when the program first opened its doors. The goal is and

always has been to create self-sufficiency and an easy

transition into a new life and culture.

LSS will initially take the refugees to a place to live that is

conveniently located near public transportation and a grocery

store. The second day they are in the United States, refugees

begin orientation. With a staff that can speak 17 languages

along with available interpreters, LSS will arrange for the

refugee to receive eligible benefits. That may include enrolling

children in school, health screenings, young males enrolled in

selective service and permission to work forms.

Because refugees receive only up to eight months of cash

assistance and Medicaid, they must plan to find a job as

soon as possible, especially since cash assistance may be

as little as $180 a month for a single person. LSS conducts

short-term training in a variety of job skills areas including

hotel housekeeping and restaurant services.

Some of the support offered includes resettlement services,

employment services, career laddering, refugee youth and

family services and integration assistance. Employment

services include up to 60 months of assistance to help

refugees achieve economic self-sufficiency. Career

laddering helps refugees with professional experience

develop a career path. There is also academic support

for children and cultural orientation.

Several of the refugees who have come to the United States

and received assistance from LSS now work with the

organization helping others get acclimated.


Refugee & Immigration Services Program

A refugee is someone who has

been forced to flee his or her

country because of persecution,

war, or violence. A refugee has a

well-founded fear of persecution

for reasons of race, religion,

nationality, political opinion or

membership in a particular

social group. Refugees cannot

return home or are afraid to do

so. War and ethnic, tribal and

religious violence are leading

causes of refugees fleeing

their countries.

Director: Barbara Carr

Founded: 1980

10-11 Expenses: $1,976,195

11-12 Budget: $1.915,447

10-11 Refugee

Resettlements: 183

Number of Employees: 32

10-11 Employment,

Integration & Youth Clients: 832

For more information,

call 904.448.5995 or

log on to lssjax.org

In 2011, LSS RefugeesCame From 17 Countries

Tom Culverwell, the director of the food pantry at Trinity Lutheran

Church, likes to describe what he calls the “miracles on Park Street.”

Those miracles helped the pantry distribute more than 218,000

pounds of food to 33,330 people in 2011. It’s a far cry from the year

2006 when Tom started the church’s outreach program. Back then

the pantry was only open a couple of days a week and distributed

just 14,970 pounds of food.

“Like the Bible said, we all have different talents, and mine is

administration,” said Tom, a former Navy administrator. “I take care

of scheduling volunteers, raising funds, the City of Jacksonville grant

reporting and a small grant from ELCA’s Domestic Hunger program.”

There are 27 volunteers that now staff the food pantry, which is open

six days a week and Wednesday nights. Tom knew that 15 percent of

his clients were working poor, so he established the night and

Saturday hours to help them.

He reports he couldn’t do it without the help of Second Harvest North

Florida. Volunteers receive training on how to gather food at the food

bank, and the church also participates in the bulk purchase program.

In addition, Second Harvest loaned a commercial refrigerator and

freezer to Trinity Lutheran to handle the fresh and frozen foods.

The volunteers fill the bag first with basic items such as crackers,

soups, macaroni, canned fruits and vegetables, and then add extra

items that may be available in the pantry.

“I always tell my volunteers not to judge,” he added. “You never know

what kind of difficulties a person is going through.

Second HarvestNorth Florida

Help Create Hope Monetary Donations...

To create more miracles, Second Harvest needs cash donations. For

every $1 donated, seven meals can be created for people in need.

All the food pantries have seen a tremendous demand for food over

the past several years as the economy has struggled. To learn more

about how you can help create hope for others through your donation

of time, funds or voice, visit us online at WeNourishHope.org

“ T h e m e m b e r s o f T r i n i t yL u t h e r a n a r e v e r y s u p p o r t i v ea n d w e a l s o g e t d o n a t i o n s f r o mR i v e r s i d e P r e s b y t e r i a n . J u s t t h eo t h e r d a y I h e a r d o f a y o u t hg r o u p t h a t i s r a i s i n g ‘ d i m e s f o r d i n n e r s ’ . ” - To m C u l v e r w e l l

Food is the first need for each of us – and yet

so many in north Florida are going without

regular meals each day.

The mission of Second Harvest North Florida is to end

hunger across the 17 counties it serves and reach the

more than 342,000 individuals who wake up each

morning feeling the effects of food insecurity. More

than 117,000 of those are children.

Second Harvest distributed more than 20 million pounds

of food this past year – the equivalent of nearly 17 million

meals. Yet it was only enough to meet half of the need in

north Florida. Despite tripling the amount of food circulated

through the community over the past three years, there are

still working people, children and homebound elderly who

are hungry as you read this. Our goal is to distribute 40

million pounds per year by 2015, but it will not be easy.

Second Harvest has an established network of 450 agencies

including churches, neighborhood food pantries and civic

groups that directly serve those who are hungry on a daily

basis. It is the partnership with us that enables them to

maximize their resources to serve those in need. Organizations

like the Salvation Army in downtown Jacksonville get more for

their money when they shop with us. In an economy like ours,

every dollar saved counts. Because those partners are not just

serving food, they’re delivering hope.

Second Harvest thanks Winn-Dixie, Wal-Mart, Target, Publix,

Food Lion, Sam’s Club, Whole Foods and Save Rite for the

millions of pounds these retailers donate each year. Just as

important is the more than 2 million pounds of produce local

farmers have donated to us.

It seems simple – we get food, we sort food, we distribute

food. But to do more of it we need to increase our capacity

with more trucks, a bigger warehouse, more direct mobile

distributions in needy neighborhoods, and assist our

agencies with their capacity as well. We can improve the

standard of living in north Florida one family at a time. We

are excited about where we are headed, and we look

forward to having your help.


Second HarvestNorth Florida

Did You Know? Last year more

than 3,700 volunteers donated

24,398 hours of their time at

the food bank. Without those

extra arms and legs, we could

not serve the hungry. During the

same time frame, we raised$1.65 million in private

contributions from generous

individuals, companies and

foundations.

Director: Bruce Ganger

Founded: 1979

10-11 Expenses: $$6,315,614

11-12 Budget: $4,087,264


Pounds of Food

Distributed in 2011: 20,044,625


call 904.353.3663 or

log on to wenourishhope.org

F e e d i n g K i d s$1 provides lunch

for one child for

one week

F e e d i n g F a m i l i e s$1 provides dinner for

a mother, father and

five kids

F e e d i n g S e n i o r s$1 provides breakfast

for one senior for one

week

F e e d i n g H o m e l e s s$1 provides dinner for

one homeless person

for one week

No one stretches a dollar like us. For every dollar donated, we are able to generate seven meals, much more than if youpurchased at a store. To see more on the impact your donation makes, visit wenourishhope.org/onedollar

That is what Richard “Dab” Garner says about his volunteerism and

advocacy for people with HIV/AIDS. The former national AARP AIDS

spokesperson and founder of Dab the AIDS Bear Project has worked

tirelessly on the HIV/AIDS health issue.

He moved to Jacksonville in 2003 and met with the ACE staff at

Lutheran Social Services. “I was tremendously impressed with the

high quality of service and compassion that they had for their client

base,” he explained.

They, in turn, were impressed with Dab. Dab started the AIDS Bear

program by giving Teddy bears to friends who were hospitalized and

lonely. When his goddaughter, Candace, who was born with AIDS,

pronounced “dad” as “Dab” when talking to Richard, a new name

was born.

Today over 20 cities in the United States and 12 foreign countries

participate with a Dab the AIDS Bear program. During the holiday

season, organizations conduct Teddy Bear Touchdown parties for

children with the disease. This past year, LSS’ ACE program hosted

50 children at their party.

Dab’s lifework has been for the cause. He speaks at conferences,

health fairs and advocates for funding for people with HIV. He pointed

out that the federal Ryan White Act has a program called ADAP which

provides HIV medications for those who can’t afford them; however,

Florida has 1,600 on their waiting list for help.

“I don’t view myself as a hero,” he said. “Having seen so many

friends die from AIDS, there is no way I couldn’t do what I do.”

AIDS Care & Education

Help Create Hope Donate, Volunteer & Advocate...

Dab knows that monetary donations are necessary for successful

outreach like LSS’ ACE program as well as his Dab the AIDS Bear Project.

But he also reminds those without extra income that volunteers are

necessary for every program to function. Finally, he asked for advocacy

to let elected officials know that there is a funding problem regarding the

ADAP program.

“ I m a d e a p r o m i s et o C a n d a c e t h a t Iw o u l d m a k e o t h e rk i d s l i k e h e r f e e ls p e c i a l . ” - D a b G a r n e r

Unfortunately, the HIV and AIDS populations in

northeast Florida continue to grow. And with

that expansion there is a waiting list where

1,800 people need help with affordable HIV

medications.

Medicines can cost up to $4,000 a month if an individual is

without health insurance. The disease and its treatments

often cause other side effects that need care. But help is

provided through the LSS AIDS Care and Education program

(ACE). Since 1992, ACE has been serving this very diverse

population which includes single women, men, communities

of color, the homeless, and racial/ethnic minorities.

The ACE program works in conjunction with federal programs

such as the Ryan White Act (named after a young man who

contracted and died of AIDS from a contaminated blood

transfusion). The services include Ryan White case

management, Ryan White Mental Health, Project AIDS

Care (Medicaid case management), housing opportunity

for people with HIV and AIDS, and a food pantry.

The ACE program at LSS has 15 employees who help manage

the case load. This may involve securing medical and dental

care, food stamps, emergency food and clothing, housing

assistance, substance abuse treatment, mental health

services, legal assistance, support groups, educational

materials, job placement, GED and continued education.

When a Duval County resident is diagnosed with HIV/AIDS,

he or she can come to LSS and receive a Ryan White financial

evaluation to determine if they can afford medical care. The

majority of the people who are served by the LSS program are

on disability, which only pays them $12,000 a year or less. As a

result, they need assistance with medical care costs. Even those

who are working often cannot afford the expense of medicines.

In 2011, the ACE Program received a Public Service Grant

from the City of Jacksonville for the first time – $25,890 to

educate and counsel newly diagnosed Duval County residents.

In May, LSS case managers attended medical case

management training, sat for a certification examination

and passed. As a result, the program is now authorized to

pursue medical case management dollars.


AIDS Care & Education

HIV is the human

immunodeficiency virus. It is the

virus that can lead to acquired

immune deficiency syndrome,

or AIDS. CDC estimates that

more than 1.5 million people in

the United States are currently

living with HIV or AIDS. HIV

damages a person’s body by

destroying specific blood cells,

called CD4+ T cells, which are

crucial to helping the body fight

diseases. Learn more at

www.cdc.gov

Director: Heather Vaughan

Founded: 1992

10-11 Expenses: $678,674

11-12 Budget: $826,885


10-11 Clients: 998


call 904.448.5995 or


6,573 {people in Duval County have AIDS71% are male, 29% female165 are under the age of 19

2,495 people in Duval County have HIV

61% are male, 39% female166 are under the age of 19

Data source: Area 4 Surveillance Report, November, 2011

{

Joe Parrish was in the tire business all his life. Whether it was retail,

commercial or wholesale, he knew tires. The Arkansas native has

lived in the Jacksonville area for more 30 years. He’s retired now, and

much of his family has passed on. But there is another family that is

looking out for him – the people at the Lutheran Social Services

Representative Payee program.

“I’ve been associated with Rep Payee for eight years,” he explained.

“Since 2003 they have always been there for me. Any problem or

anything that I ask of them, they have come through for me.”

And that is why Joe calls Rep Payee indispensible. They have

taken a load off his mind about knowing that bills will get paid.

“I like that when I have a check from Lutheran Social Services, I know

that it is in good-standing,” he added. “I know that my bills will be

paid in a timely manner. I can’t imagine life without them.”

The local Social Security office assigned Joe to LSS’s Rep Payee

program because of a personal situation at the time. Though it was

originally the choice of Social Security, he couldn’t be happier to have

found the program, especially LSS employees Melody and Bobbie.

“They worked with me when I had an emergency and needed to see a

dentist,” said Joe. “The dentist office called Rep Payee and Bobbie

sent them a promise to pay them. That was a huge thing for me

personally. Because of that I was able to be seen by the dentist.”

RepresentativePayee Services

Help Create Hope Monetary Donations...

Though clients of Rep Payee contribute a small fee for the services,

Lutheran Social Services needs additional donations for infrastructure

that allows staff to do their job. The program helps those receiving

government funds such as Social Security or Aid to Families

Dependent Children (AFDC) manage and pay their bills. Other benefits

handled by the program include Veterans Administration, railroad

retirement pensions, private pensions and widow annuities.

“ I w o u l d t e l l a n y o n e t h a t t h e y a r ew o n d e r f u l a n d c r e d i b l e - I d o n ’ t h a v ea w o r r y . T h e y h a v e h e l p e d m e w h e nt h e r e w a s a c r i t i c a l n e e d . ” - J o e P a r r i s h


RepresentativePayee Services

A representative payee is an

individual or organization

appointed to receive retirement

or other benefits for someone

who cannot manage or direct

someone else to manage his

or her money. The main

responsibilities of a payee are

to use the benefits to pay for

the current and foreseeable

needs of the beneficiary and

properly save any benefits not

needed to meet current needs.

A payee must also keep records

of expenses. The law requires

most minor children and all

legally incompetent adults to

have payees.

Director: Jerome Crawford

Founded: 1995

10-11 Expenses: $370,397

11-12 Budget: $490,293


10-11 Clients: 878


call 904.448.5995 or


1% 2%

81%

15%

464male clients

414female clients

Compensation for the LSS

Rep Payee program is just$37 per month per person

served. If a person is living

in an assisted living facility,

he or she doesn’t pay a fee

because of a contract LSS

has with the Department

of Children and Families

that handles payment.

Ages 0 - 4 12 clients



Ages 60+ 136 clients

Effectively and consistently paying bills is

imperative to provide for life’s basic needs –

beginning with shelter, food and clothing.

Yet some of Jacksonville’s most vulnerable

residents have difficulty doing that each month.

There are many reasons – mental illness, physical illness,

homelessness, young children who have no grasp of financial

matters, or seniors who no longer feel comfortable managing

the often complicated financial processes in today’s world.

The Representative Payee (Rep Payee) Program in its most

basic function helps prevent homelessness, children from

being abandoned and seniors from going without their

prescription medications. Such scenarios would place an

additional burden on community and government services,

as well as families of the individuals who are impacted.

Established in 1995, Rep Payee Services at LSS has eight

staff members who served nearly 900 people in 2011. Those

people receive money totaling $8 million, which includes

Social Security benefits, disability income, pensions, Veterans

Administration money and railroad retirement funds.

The program works closely with area case managers and the

Social Security Administration to provide much-needed services.

LSS has two types of clients participating in its Rep Payee

program – those who are assigned through a case manager,

physician or family member, who determines that they need

help, and seniors who opt in to the program to help manage

their financial affairs.

The majority of LSS Rep Payee clients are assigned. In such

cases, a family member might determine that a senior

member of the family does not seem to have the mental

competency to manage his or her budget. This can be

especially true if the family finds that prescriptions aren’t

being filled or that the senior member is being coerced to

spend money on unneeded or unwanted items. Another

example may be a dependent child who is receiving Social

Security benefits. The child will not be able to manage

funds or pay bills.

After the case manager, physician or family member reviews

need, the family must go to the Social Security Administration.

Normally this is done after a physician signs off on their

incapability to manage their own funds.

For LSS’ other clients, we partner with Elder Source to provide

a senior asset protection plan which puts seniors on a budget,

pays their expenses and gives them appropriate spending

money. The program launched in 2011.

Imagine going shopping on a regular basis, making many purchases,

but not keeping the items for yourself or giving them to friends or

family. The purchases, instead, are used as donations for families

and children in need. That’s what Fatima Sandage does weekly. And

she wants others to join her in the shopping.

The former LSS employee lives in the neighborhood where The

Sharing Place is located. She is a regular buyer there for others.

“I remember when LSS was downtown,” she explained. “I worked

there 25 years ago and handled translations of refugees from African

countries. I was born in Africa so I can speak many of the languages.”

Her work with LSS and her passion for helping others is what led her

to shop at The Sharing Place.

“This is the best place to reach a lot of people in need,” she adds. “I

get items cheap and especially look for things like schoolbags for

children and dictionaries for the refugees.”

Fatima loves the people who work at The Sharing Place. They know

that she donates her purchases to other nonprofits including the

Kennedy Community Center and a senior citizens center.

Her shopping favorites are actually whatever the nonprofits she

supports needs. She encourages everyone to donate to The

Sharing Place and help complete the circle by buying items for

other nonprofits.

The SharingPlace

Help Create Hope Donate, Volunteer & Shop...

The Sharing Place is in need of donated items ranging from furniture to

clothes to books to household items. The items are often used to help

refugees coming to Jacksonville since they leave their homeland with

little more than the clothes they are wearing. Money generated from

the sale of items also helps LSS’ programs. So donate, volunteer and

shop. You will be seeing Fatima Sandage there regularly!

“ T h e S h a r i n g P l a c e i s t h e b e s t p l a c e t or e a c h a l o t o f p e o p l e i n n e e d . I c a n g e tt h i n g s f o r p e o p l e i n n e e d a n d o n l y p a y$ 1 o r $ 2 a n i t e m . ” - F a t i m a S a n d a g e* Fatima is not pictured.

The Sharing Place is a bargain hunter’s dream.

There are unique items displayed throughout

the store and prices that can fit just about

any budget.

The store, which is open Monday through Saturday, is a

place where people can donate gently used or new clothes,

furniture, or housewares. But The Sharing Place is more than

a store for those looking to snag a bargain. For the refugees

and immigrants who work with LSS Refugee & Immigration

Services program, it can be a lifeline.

The refugees who come to the United States usually arrive

with just the clothes on their back. As they try to make their

way in a new environment, they often work for minimum

wages. They need to establish the basic necessities of life in

order to function. Over the last two years, The Sharing Place

has contributed the equivalent of $72,608 to the RIS program

as part of the resettlement process – saving those served by

the program significant costs as they begin their new lives.

Barbara Carr, the head of the LSS Refugee & Immigration

Services program, remembers when there was a requirement

that each refugee receive a plate, cup and cutlery to start

their new life in the United States. The Sharing Place helps

mitigates the expenses for LSS by providing donated goods

to their refugee clients. Refugee housing setup begins with

a delivery of furniture by The Sharing Place staff and then

volunteers helped complete the process either through

Sharing Place personal items such as dishes, towels,

toiletries and blankets or through donations.

ACE program clients have similar needs. Since many of them

receive Medicaid and/or disability benefits and so many of

their medications are extremely expensive, The Sharing

Place can provide a lifeline for their needs.

Additional dollars made through the sale of items also help

fund all the LSS programs. In 2011, The Sharing Place

enjoyed its most profitable year to date – showing nearly

$62,000 in revenue, a 14 percent increase from 2010.

In addition, The Sharing Place featured a pair of outdoor fair

events in 2011 – holding Market Day in April and November.

The two events, which feature booths, arts & crafts and

children’s entertainment, resulted in more than $800 raised

for LSS. Future events are planned.


The SharingPlace

To make a donation to The

Sharing Place, call Linda Hale

at 904.448.5995. The store is

open Monday through Saturday

from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more

information about The Sharing

Place or specific items that are

needed, call 904.446.9560.

Director: Jerome Crawford

Founded: 2008

10-11 Expenses: $67,722

11-12 Budget: $117,769


Cash Value Provided to

LSS Programs: $20,711.85


call 904.448.5995 or


Source: AARP Jan/Feb 2012

Adults Shop ata Resale Store 1 in6

The Sharing Place Revenue

FY 09/10 $53,832.73

FY 10/11 $61,482.42

A s s e t sCurrent Assets

Cash and cash equivalents $1,237,913

Cash – restricted $1,281,491

Accounts receivable – service $84,421

Accounts receivable – funding $433,951

Pledges receivable $38,143

Inventory $952,001

Prepaid expenses $88,052

Total Current Assets $4,115,972

Land, buildings and equipment, net $2,634,822

Cash and cash equivalents – restricted $261,573

Pledges receivable, net $34,978

Investment in externally managed trust $125,562

Total Assets $7,172,907

Liabilities and Net AssetsCurrent Liabilities

Accounts payable $156,506

Accrued liabilities $483,079

Deferred revenue $108,440

Deposits held for others $1,281,491

Total Current Liabilities $2,029,516

Net Assets

Unrestricted:

Undesignated $4,331,547

Board designated $31,391

Total unrestricted $4,362,938

Temporarily restricted $780,453

Total Net Assets $5,143,391

Total Liabilities & Net Assets $7,172,907

View a complete list of corporate, foundation, organization and individualdonors to Lutheran Social Services in 2010-2011 online at lssjax.org

Federal, State & Local Grants$6,885,11668%

Private Contributions$1,566,02915%

Program Fees$422,3964%

Special Events$170,9452%

Misc./Investment$127,3442%

Rental Income$26,947<1%

United Way$82,2721%

Sales/Sharing Fees$858,0928%

Non-Profit Accounting$13,906<1%

The Sharing Place$67,7221%

Resource Development$411,7834% LSS Property Management

$222,3102%

Second Harvest North Florida$6,315,164*58%

AIDS Care & Education$678,6746%

Refugee & Immigration$1,976,19518%

Representative Payee $370,3973%

Administration$741,1027%

* This chart does not include

$18,874,859, which represents the

value of in-kind contributions from food

donations and other non-monetary

donations to LSS and its programs.

* This chart does not include

$18,760,111, which represents the

value of in-kind donations from food

donations by retailers, individual

donors, farmers and other sources.

Senior StaffR. Wayne Rieley, President/CEO

Jerome Crawford, Vice President for Operations

Karen Rieley, Vice President for Advancement

Bruce Ganger, Executive Director – Second Harvest North Florida

Richard Mochowski, Controller

Eileen Nelson, Human Resources

CreditsPublisher: Karen Rieley, Vice President for Advancement

Editors: Tom Strother, Director of Communication;

Amy Rankin, Cause to Communicate

Layout: Janelle Jordan, Cause to Communicate

Photography: Chris Viola, Feeding America, Dan Van Slyke,

Chelsea Photographic, LSS staff

4615 Philips Highway, Jacksonville, FL 32207 | 904.448.5995

lssjax.org

Documents

LSS 2011 Annual Report