Adjusting to Change: Exploring New

Opportunities for Tough Times

2009 Annual Report

OUR MISSION

SHORE UP! Inc., a private, non-profit Community Action Partnership on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, is dedicated to building communities, changing lives,

and empowering individuals and families to maintain long-term independence and achieve

economic self-sufficiency, through a comprehensive system of services and resources.

OUR VISION

SHORE UP! Inc. envisions a community where

individuals and families have the opportunities and resources to live

with dignity, achieve their fullest potential, maintain long-term

independence, and become economically self-sufficient.

SHORE UP! Inc. Board of Directors

2009

Chairperson: Dr. H. DeWayne Whittington

Vice Chairperson: Mr. Elroy Brittingham

Secretary: Ms. Norma Lee Barkley

Treasurer: Mr. Clifton Beach

Elected Public Officials

Norma Lee Barkley Elroy Brittingham Dale Smack Helena Terrell James Purnell Mike McCready Garry Mumford Dr. H. DeWayne Whittington

Consumer Representatives

Varena Spence Karen Webster Maria Melenicano Riba Ndirangu Virginia Pailen Craig Wilson

Representatives of the Private Sector

Clifton Beach Michael Hoy Kimberly Dumpson Rose Donoway Rev. Harvey Davis Rev. Glenn Jones

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From left to right. Rear: Mr. Freddy Mitchell, Executive Director; Rev. Harvey Davis; Mr. Mike McCready; Mr. Craig Wilson; Mr. Elroy Brittingham; Dr. H . DeWayne Whittington, Chair. Front : Ms. Maria Melenciano; Ms. Karen Webster, Ms. Rose Donoway; Ms. Virginia Pailen.

This year, SHORE UP! Inc. adopted the theme “Adjusting to Change: Exploring New Opportunities for Tough Times.” With the nation’s poor economy—now called by some the “Great Recession”—high unemployment rates have made times very tough for economically disadvantaged individuals and families. SHORE UP! has embraced this challenge by exploring new opportunities and resources to reach out to our customers and help them achieve self-sufficiency. Our Agency once again rose to greater heights and reshaped, realigned, and refocused its efforts, as economic conditions continued to fluctuate. According to Norman Vincent Peale, “Tough times don’t last; tough people do.” You may ask how one becomes a “tough” person. Peale described tough-minded people as “optimistic thinkers,” people who choose to think solution-oriented thoughts. These individuals search for solutions and answers, and they trust that planning effectively will assist them in providing the answers and solutions. SHORE UP! will continue to meet these challenges in order to accommodate the vast needs of our communities and maintain quality services to our customers. We have expanded our services as a result of grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), also known as “stimulus funding.” The Agency was able to expand the weatherization program significantly, as well as add job-training programs and programs to aid in preventing homelessness. These programs are directly in line with two of our Agency priorities—increasing employment opportunities and making affordable housing available. In addition, the stimulus funding enabled the Agency to create employment and training opportunities for at least 15 additional staff members in positions such as Weatherization Installers, Caseworkers, Fiscal Assistant, and Instructors, including a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) Instructor. The Agency also initiated and implemented Employment Training and Technical Assistance Programs for approximately 100 individuals. Training was provided in the areas of Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with Passenger Safety endorsement, building maintenance and carpentry, food services, and Health Assistance Training (CNA/GNA). These training programs will place approximately 100 individuals in jobs that will result in long-term employment. SHORE UP! Inc. was founded with the vision of changing the lives of individuals, improving communities, creating opportunities, and providing valuable resources for those who are less fortunate. Poverty stains our nation and our conscience. As you know—stains were meant to be dissolved. They were meant to be washed away. Our charge, therefore, is to empower and inspire people and strengthen communities. With your help and with your hope, our Agency will continue helping people to help themselves to achieve long-term self-sufficiency.

Dr. H. DeWayne Whittington Chairman of the Board

Freddy L. Mitchell Executive Director

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

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Agency Priorities

1. Employment 2. Education 3. Housing 4. Family Support Services 5. Health Care, Nutrition, and Disabilities 6. Agency Capacity and Accountability

Head Start ProjectHead Start ProjectHead Start Project Preschoolers prepare for

kindergarten. Job Start ProjectJob Start ProjectJob Start Project

Teens earn a General Equivalency Diploma (GED).

Health Assistant Training ProjectHealth Assistant Training ProjectHealth Assistant Training Project Men and women train for careers in

health care.

Home Energy AssistanceHome Energy AssistanceHome Energy Assistance Individuals and households receive assistance with home heating bills.

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Weatherization Assistance ProgramWeatherization Assistance ProgramWeatherization Assistance Program Households have their homes made more

energy efficient.

Wicomico Family Support CenterWicomico Family Support CenterWicomico Family Support Center Young mothers encourage their

children to read.

Adult Day Care CenterAdult Day Care CenterAdult Day Care Center Seniors socialize and

participate in meaningful activities.

Board of Directors’ MeetingsBoard of Directors’ MeetingsBoard of Directors’ Meetings The progress of programs is evaluated

regularly.

Residential ServicesResidential ServicesResidential Services Homebound individuals receive

assistance with taking medication.

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EMPLOYMENT

V. M. was in one of SHORE UP! Inc.’s Health Assistant Training programs training to be a Certified Nursing Assistant. Before and during his training V. M. had been experiencing financial difficulties. He was in the program to earn employment skills and try and progress towards self-sufficiency, but in order to finish his training he needed assistance. SHORE UP! was able to get V. M. a temporary job in one of our Adult Day Service Centers, where V. M. got to practice his medical skills by serving aging clients who needed assistance eating and with other daily activities. Through this job V. M. was able to bring in much needed income while also finishing his training.

Employment Programs in Action:

Goal: To provide programs that will enhance employability skills, job mobility, and increase employment opportunities that will allow

individuals and families to earn a decent wage and provide a reasonable standard of living for themselves and their families.

SHORE UP! Inc.’s employment programs currently include: • Training for specific vocations, such as:

o Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA); o Geriatric Nursing Assistant (GNA); o Driver with a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), with Passenger Safety endorsement; o Weatherization installer; o Building maintenance/carpentry worker; and o Janitor.

• Job readiness (writing resumes, locating employment, interviewing, on-the-job etiquette, career planning, etc.); and • Follow-up services to ensure job retention.

► 76 economically disadvantaged seniors served as Foster Grandparents, earning a tax-

free stipend while assisting children in school.

► 94 Persons completed the seven-week Health Assistant Training (HAT), preparing them to take the State of MD Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Geriatric Nursing Assistant (GNA) Certification Exam.

► 226 persons who were unemployed were able to obtain a job.

► 104 persons obtained an increase in employment income. ► 42 persons completed training in food services. ► 66 persons gained job-readiness skills.

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SHORE UP! Inc.’s education programs are designed for various populations: • Teenagers and adults, so that they can earn a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or increase their Adult Basic Education (ABE) level • Children ages 3-5, to prepare them for kindergarten (Head Start) • Infants and toddlers ages 6 weeks to 3 years, to foster their development

EDUCATION

Goal: To promote developmentally appropriate quality education, training, and skills that will

be necessary to achieve lifelong learning in order to compete in an increasingly global marketplace.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN ACTION: The Job Start Program assists disadvantaged youth ages 15-19, who have not completed high school, to earn their GED and learn employment skills. G. M. enrolled in Job Start when he was in the eleventh grade, with the goals of finishing his GED and becoming gainfully employed. Staff noted that G. M. was a hard worker, dedicated to his goals, and that he stayed focus on why he was in Job Start. He was very respectful toward the staff. Less than two months later he sat for the GED exam and passed with above-average scores. G. M. had been working at two jobs while in the Job Start Program, but was laid off because of economic conditions. He was able to enroll in a SHORE UP! job-training program; his GED helped him do this. He is now employed with the Agency’s Weatherization Assistance Program.

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► 632 children participated in preschool activities and developed school-readiness skills.

► 597 children participated in pre-school activities

and were developmentally ready to enter kindergarten.

► 10 individuals completed GED/ABE training and

received certificates or diplomas. Students work at their own pace and receive assistance from a teacher.

► 1,145 children and their families were served by one of the 16 SHORE UP! Head Start Centers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

HOUSING

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Goal: To increase the availability of affordable, safe, sanitary, and decent housing in order to improve the living conditions in

the community and enhance the quality of life for individuals and families.

SHORE UP! Inc.’s housing programs include: • Housing counseling to help individuals:

o find affordable housing; o become homeowners; and o avoid foreclosure.

• Apartments for economically disadvantaged families and seniors;

• Home weatherization; and • Energy assistance (home

heating).

► 8,155 households received energy assistance . ► 18 individuals received foreclosure counseling. ► 97 individuals received housing counseling. ► 30 economically disadvantaged seniors were provided with affordable and safe housing in Loretta Village. ►32 economically disadvantaged families were provided with affordable and safe housing in Loretta Village. ► 48 homes were weatherized.

FAMILY SUPPORT

SERVICES

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Goal: To strengthen family

support systems and make available positive interventions in order that

families achieve long-term economic self-sufficiency.

SHORE UP! has a wide variety of family support programs. These include:

• Instruction in prenatal care and infant care • Parenting classes • Instruction in child development • Family literacy • Parent support groups • Free tax preparation • Emergency services--for food, clothing, medications, housing, fuel, eviction prevention • Homelessness prevention

► 1,623 individuals had their tax returns prepared free of charge.

► 592 families received food assistance. ► 84 individuals received emergency

clothing. ► 34,037 households in Wicomico and

Somerset counties received 885,763 lbs. of food.

HEALTH CARE, NUTRITION, and

DISABILITIES

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Goal: To provide accessible, affordable, quality health care services, promote

nutritional awareness, and create opportunities that will help children and families maintain optimal well-being and a healthy lifestyle.

Agency programs and services in the area of health care, nutrition and disabilities help meet a wide array of our customers’ needs. These programs and services include:

• Adult day care, for the elderly and persons with disabilities; • Senior centers, providing social, recreational, and educational activities; • In-home care for elderly and/or disabled persons, including light chores, medication administration, and cooking; • Meal delivery for homebound individuals (Meals on Wheels); • Nutritious meals and snacks for Head Start and Early Head Start children; and • Proactive recruitment of children with disabilities for the Head Start and Early

Head Start programs.

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► 398 seniors maintained an independent living situation. ► 1,048 infants and children received adequate nutrition.

► 1,048 infants and children obtained age-appropriate immunizations, medical and dental care. ► 308 disabled persons maintained an independent

living situation.

► 249 meals were prepared and delivered to seniors through the Meals on Wheels program. .

AGENCY CAPACITY and ACCOUNTABILITY

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Goal: To increase and maintain the agency’s capacity to plan, develop, implement, and

evaluate quality programs that will increase customer services and produce long-term results.

► 34,921 hours were donated by SHORE UP! customers and volunteers.

► Staff and Board members worked to

produce a three-year Strategic Plan. ► SHORE UP! partnered with over 300

organizations. ► The agency served approximately

8,900 households in these nine counties:

Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Sussex, Talbot, Wicomico,

and Worcester.

A wide variety of activities and programs assist the Agency in carrying out this goal, such as: • Strategic planning; • Assessment of community needs; • Regular review of goals and outcomes; • Use of Results-Oriented Management

Accountability (ROMA) resource; • Customer participation in agency activities, such

as on policy councils, advisory councils, and the Board of Directors; and

• Partnerships with other organizations in order to serve customers and carry out our mission.

Financial Statement

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FINANCIAL REPORT Statement of Activities

July 1, 2008—June 30, 2009

REVENUE

Federal $9,143,226.00

State 3,786,064.00

County 13,800.00

Child/Adult Food Reimbursement 1,229,598.00

In-Kind 2,272,915.00

Other 999,985.00

TOTAL REVENUE $17,445,588.00

EXPENSES

Children and Family Services $8,021,301.00

Health Care and Senior Citizen Services 2,466,637.00

Housing and Community Development 4,447,355.00

Training and Employment Services 2,008,314.00

Management and General 501,981.00

TOTAL EXPENSES $17,445,588.00

11.51% 2.88%

25.49%

14.14%

45.98%

Children and Family

Health Care, SeniorCitizens  Services

Housing and CommunityDevelopment

Training and EmploymentServices

Management and General

5.73%

7.05%

0.08%

52.41%21.70%

13.03%

Federal

State

County

Child/Adult FoodReimbursement

In‐Kind

Other

REVENUE EXPENSES

SHORE UP! Inc. (Self-Help on Rural Economics & Urban Problems)

520 Snow Hill Rd. Salisbury, MD 21804

410-749-1142 Fax 410-742-9191 TDD 410-860-8800 www.shoreup.org

“Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better

place to live.”

Printed Courtesy of Delmarva Power, a PHI Company