ANNUAL REPORT2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9
A MESSAGE FROM CORINNE LEBARON, CEO
We’ve thought a lot about this question over the past 45 years. We’ve always known it means more than blood; more than the same last name. It means someone who has your back, someone who wants the best for you. It means someone to lean on when everything falls apart, and
someone to celebrate with when there’s good news to share.
This was the year that Foster and Adoptive Family Services transformed into embrella – Embracing & Empowering Families. The transformation was not taken lightly.
We asked our staff, volunteers, and stakeholders what words came to mind when they thought about our agency. The words “embracing” and “empowering” came up time and time again. With your support, we embrace families of all colors, configurations, and persuasions, and we
empower them to move forward in their lives with strength and self-sufficiency, whether they’re parents fostering their fourth (or fourteenth) child, grandparents raising their children’s children as their own, or youth entering college or the workforce for the very first time.
This was the year our adorable otters took the stage and stole our heart, inviting everyone to “join the raft”. Otters, known for adopting abandoned and orphaned pups and raising them as their own, were the perfect choice to represent our community, which we’re so grateful
you’re a part of.
Here’s to the next 45 years of embracing and empowering families! Thanks for making it all possible.
WHAT DOES FAMILY
MEAN TO YOU?
WHAT DOES FAMILY
MEAN TO YOU?
NEEDS MET, LIVES TOUCHED.
70Fostering Wishes
48Dreamers and Believers awards
189Pathways to Academic and Career Exploration to
103Colleges that we work with
1,627Educational support requests made for NJFC
28In-person outreach workshops
1,030Youth attendance at outreach workshops
33Students received grants through our Gap Housing
Private Scholarship
$35,800 awarded from 8 scholarship and grant opportunities to 28 winners
Presentations
22to stakeholders, community
partners, and education institutions / 6 presentations
were on the NJFC Scholars program
2,275adults in attendance
at presentations
Support Services
76 outreach opportunities attended by Support Services staff to share information on embrella services and programs
5,000+ attendees connected with peers for support at 47 recreational events
400+children living in foster homes received backpacks and school supplies
Community Education
2,720unduplicated licensed kinship and resource parents accessed embrella training in various modalities such as webinar and live workshops and home correspondence courses
411New Jersey Foster Care (NJFC) Scholars
Success (PACES) adolescents served
OUR FINANCIALS2018 2019
BOARD OF DIRECTORSMANAGEMENT TEAMCorinne LeBaron, Chief Executive OfficerTara Rizzolo, Director of Support Services
Corissa Kazar, Director of Community EducationLynn Patmalnee, Director of Communication and Development
Marjorie Blicharz, Director of Scholarship ProgramsMarci Falk, Director of Finance
Megan Carugno, Community Education ManagerLenore Bonilla, Support Services Manager
Ebony Lenard, Scholarship Programs ManagerLloyd Nelson, Digital Media Manager
Mary Grace Dondiego, ChairJenene Thomas, Vice Chair
Ed Ciak, TreasurerSue Dondiego, Secretary
George Blue, MemberDena Billups, Member
Shantell Cherry, MemberMarysue Dondiego, Member
Mary Hallahan, MemberMaria Longo, Member
Lisa Macaluso, MemberTheodora McCormick, Member
Kim McNear, MemberSanjay Mittal, Member
Colleen Otremsky, MemberMillie Smith, Member
David Umbria, Member
Total$3,922,423
54,000130,297144,002
14,9215,668
4,271,311
-4,271,311
3,969,44296,50636,785
4,102,733
168,578
763,636
$932,214
Temporarily Restricted
-54,000
93,217---
147,217
(90,284)56,933
----
56,933
243,717
$300,650
Revenue Government grants Other grants Contributions and other income In-kind donations Fundraising income Interest and dividend income
Net assets released from restriction Total revenue and support
Expenses Program services Management and general Fundraising expenses Total expenses
Changes in net assets
Net assets, beginning of year
Net assets, end of year
Unrestricted$3,922,423
-37,080
144,00214,9215,668
4,124,094
90,2844,214,378
3,969,44296,50636,785
4,102,733
111,645
519,919
$631,564
Total$3,882,297
56,000327,207
420,3396,136
6,0094,697,988
-4,697,988
4,433,171103,397
65,6104,602,178
95,810
932,214
$1,028,024
Temporarily Restricted
-56,00095,922
---
151,922
(136,872)15,050
----
15,050
300,650
$315,700
Revenue Government grants Other grants Contributions and other income In-kind donations Fundraising income Interest and dividend income
Net assets released from restriction Total revenue and support
Expenses Program services Management and general Fundraising expenses Total expenses
Changes in net assets
Net assets, beginning of year
Net assets, end of year
Unrestricted$3,882,297
-231,285
420,3396,136
6,0094,546,066
136,8724,682,938
4,433,171103,397
65,6104,602,178
80,760
631,564
$712,324
Nearly 3,000 foster and kinship parents in New Jersey learned how to be better, more nurturing parents to their children through embrella’s trainings. embrella developed and presented specific educational courses for youth at our annual Passport to Education Conferences.
In 2018-2019 the NJFC Student Portal went live, giving our students 24/7 access to all things NJFC Scholars (applications, forms, resources, tips and trainings). It also provided another way for them to connect with staff, and with each other! 2018-19 was also the end of the 15th NJFC Anniversary! This was a year-long event to celebrate 15 years of serving over 2,300 students. The 15th Anniversary Celebration gave us an opportunity to connect with current students during three Regional Events, a chance to create a now annual Passport to Education event, an education and employment focused conference for adolescents, providers, New Jersey’s Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P) and other supportive adults, our carnival themed 15th Celebration itself where former NJFC Scholars participated on a panel for incoming students and for best practices for providers, and lastly, our NJFC Gives Back day where the Scholarship Department donated their time to giving back to the community at a local food bank. For PACES, our program reached full capacity during the 18-29 academic year which means 125 adolescents across our 6 counties were being served in the areas of education and employment readiness. Soft-skill building development activities, group engagement and coordination of services were completed to give these adolescents a focused support to help them on their next steps after high school.
Support Services staff attended 76 outreach opportunities to share information on embrella programs and services. This includes 47 recreational events where over 5,000 attendees had the opportunity to connect with their peers for support. As a result of these outreach efforts, 244 resource parents contacted Family Advocates for individualized emotional support and advocacy services. Backpacks and school supplies were distributed to over 400 children in care, helping to prepare and motivate them for their upcoming academic year.
Support
Scholarship
Training
THANK YOU
Al Lehrhoff Sales Inc.Allegra Marketing Barley Custom Homes, LLCBarrett Industries Corp.Becker GuerryBorgenicht Foundation, Inc.Brearly Bears That CareDreams R Us FoundationDr. Lisa Stettner-GlennonEpstein Becker GreenFlames of GivingFree and Accepted Masons Jerusalem Lodge #26Girl Scout Troop #80128Good Deeds By the Heart By WomenGood Shepherd Lutheran ChurchJenene Thomas CommunicationsJohnson & JohnsonJunior League Montclair-NewarkKing George Chiropractic CenterLiquid ChurchLong Valley Presbyterian ChurchMartin MabeMary Grace DondiegoMenasha Corporation FoundationMerckMr. & Mrs. John NowakMr. Michael FrederickMr. Sandeep MarwahaMr. Sanjay Marwaha
Mr. Tony SanchezMr. Jonathan NegroonMrs. Janet FarrandMrs. Sue DondiegoMs. Carrie Eglinton MannerMs. Fran BorgenichtMs. Kathryn KirschMs. Jodi LozauskasMs. Nicole AndersonMunich ReNew Jersey State PBANew Meadowlands Stadium Company, LLCOperation Kids National Police Defence Foundation, Inc.Parke BankPaula BeerPF ConceptsPhotoSafeRe/Max Infinity / The Gonnelli GroupRevenue Guard Ruth Ann and Jon GribbinSheriffs Dept.Signature Title AgencySouth Brunswick Police Dept.St. Jude ChurchThe Gramon Family of SchoolsTicket To Dream FoundationTrinity Sports and EntertainmentTruist Comprehensive DistributionWeichert Realtors
THANK YOUembrella, through the generosity and good-will of our donors, remained committed to granting wishes and fulfilling dreams of foster, adoptive and kinship children throughout New Jersey. Whether it was helping send a future ballerina to the Joffrey Ballet School or making sure a little boy had the chance to join his family on vacation to Walt Disney World, we were there to lend a helping paw.