1 | P a g e

Annual Report 2015

2 | P a g e

Mission Statement

Conley Outreach Community Services is a 501 c (3) not-for-profit organization

devoted to “Caring for the Heart of Community”. Our mission is to provide and

coordinate community mental health and human service programs in rural

Western Kane County by understanding community needs, creating systems of

support, and collaborating with other community and faith-based partners.

We are humbly committed to:

Caring for our communities and its residents Loving our neighbors unconditionally

sharing life's burdens prayerfully and

Trusting God's direction patiently.

We strive to work collaboratively with a diverse cross-section of community

minded individuals and organizations to develop programs and services that

meet the emerging needs of this rapidly growing area.

We seek to be:

a catalyst for community development

a hub for human services, and a place for nurturing the lives of individuals, families and neighborhoods

We hope, through the Habitat for Community at the Conley Farm to preserve

the rural traditions of Western Kane County and integrate traditional farming

practices into holistic mental health services.

3 | P a g e

A Message from the Executive Director Dear Friends of Conley Outreach,

This year we said good-bye to the Conley Farm. The

Farm has been a place of peace, joy and hope for many over

the years. We will be forever grateful to the Conley Family

for allowing us to use this beautiful location at no cost for 15

years for our programming. From weddings to grief camp,

memorial walks and work days, this community benefited

greatly from Bruce’s vision for a place of celebration and

healing.

Almost immediately upon announcing the sale of the

farm, I was contacted by Ted McCanon of with an offer we

couldn’t refuse—free use of his farm! We are excited to be

partnering with Farm Friends, NFP at the McCannon Farm

in Big Rock, where this year we held our Good Grief Day

Camp, Bruce Conley Memorial Walk and other grief events.

A bonus--the Children’s Prayer Garden, including all of the

memorial stepping stones, the Fairy Garden and many of the

flowers from the Conley Farm, has lovingly been moved and

re-established at the new site by the Konen sisters. Bruce’s

vision lives on!

Sincerely,

Carol Werdin Alfrey Carol Werdin Alfrey, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Farm Friends, NFP

Farm Friends is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a place people with learning, communication, behavioral, social, or emotional challenges to come together with their families, friends and the community to experience learning in a unique rural setting.

They offer Animal Encounters, Gardening and other hands-on workshops as well as Family Fun Days, educational seminars and retreats.

4 | P a g e

Board of Directors and Staff

Board of Directors

Allen Miller President

Lynn Meredith Vice President

Cheryl Hackbarth Secretary/Treasurer

Marjorie Anderson Member

Claudia Tremaine Member

Sarah Conley Member

William King, Jr. Member

Eric Ryan Member

Staff

Carol Werdin Alfrey, Ph.D. Executive Director

Colleen Kindelin, B.S. Intern

Wendy Peck, M.S., LCSW On-Site Bereavement Coordinator

Lora Windsor, LCSW Bereavement Support Group Facilitator

Kim Wendling, B.S. Financial Agent

2015 Angel Awards The lifeblood of Conley Outreach is its volunteers. Most of our community based

programs and all of the work at the Conley Farm is done by our team of

dedicated volunteers. From staffing the Salvation Army kettles, to sorting,

cleaning and arranging donated clothes and serving the Food Pantry monthly

meals, it is our volunteers who make these services happen. The West Towns

office relies on volunteers to fix computers, prepare mailings and staff the West

Towns booth at area festivals. This year we recognize Dan Alfrey as our Angel

Award recipient, for the many years of overall service. Our Angel Award for

Business recognizes Farm Friends, Inc. for sharing their beautiful farm with us

so we could continue our Good Grief Day Camp, Memorial Walk and other grief

programs. Thank you so very much for your service!

5 | P a g e

Programs & Services

Grief Support Friendship Night - support group for adults grieving any type of death loss

Mourning After - support group for younger widows/widowers or those who have

lost a life partner

Grieving Parent Support - group for any parent who has

lost a child, no matter how long ago the loss occurred or

the age of the child at the time of death

Good Time Out/Grief Time Out (GTO) - special monthly

grief events for children, teens and families

Good Grief Day Camp - weeklong camp for children ages

6-12 who have lost a parent of a sibling

On Site Crisis Assistance – help for schools, businesses and other groups experiencing

a traumatic loss

Community Services Kaneland Coalition for Healthy Youth-- a local coalition of

churches, non-profits and schools working to promote awareness

of the dangers of alcohol and drug use.

The Community Care Team – a network of adult natural helpers

who receive specialized training in how to effectively listen,

respond, and refer friends and neighbors for help and assist area

residents through a variety of volunteer opportunities.

Emergency Assistance Programs – limited, short-term financial assistance to local

individuals through the Good Samaritan Fund, Holiday Spirit and Salvation Army

Extension Services. Help also available through the Good Samaritan Clothing

Closet and Monthly Meals program.

The Family Nurturing Program - information and support to parents of preschool

special needs children through a series of Parent Coffee Talks and Family Fun

Nights and the Summer Connections Program

West Towns Human Services Referral and Advocacy – free, confidential resource and referral service links area

residents to over 80 health and human agencies in Kane, Kendall & DeKalb counties

Two Local Offices – space available for area mental health providers to see clients

close to home in Elburn and Sugar Grove

West Towns Community Resource Team – group of 20 local agencies that meet

monthly to discuss service needs in rural western Kane County.

6 | P a g e

Demographics

Clients by Program Type

Grief

West Towns

CCT

FNP

Financial Support

Kaneland Coalition

Financial Support

Monetary Support

Holiday Spirit

Meals

Clothes Closet

0 500 1000

West Towns

CCT

FNP

Grief

Hours/Contacts

Clients Served

In FY2015 Conley Outreach touched over 2,925 lives in our community.

530 families were linked to over 85 health & human service providers through the West Towns Network. Over 770 requests for help were answered.

Over 250 people received financial assistance from one or more of our benevolence funds; 118 children received toys through Holiday Spirit

600 hot meals were provided by partner churches; 517 people received clothes from the Good Samaritan Closet

217 volunteers provided over 830 hours of community service through the Community Care Team

164 Early Childhood students and their families received 306 hours of support and training through the Family Nurturing Program

Over 470 people received grief support through one of Conley Outreach’s programs; 570 hours of direct support were provided.

60 Kaneland High School students received information about the dangers of substance abuse through the Kaneland Coalition for Health Youth.

7 | P a g e

2015 Highlights

Paver Project The Paver Project at Serenity Falls has officially begun! Our

first three memorial pavers were laid late in the summer of 2014. Pavers now line the base of the falls. Paver sales benefit

the Conley Outreach grief programs.

Record Salvation Army Donation Conley Outreach Community Services serves as the Salvation Army extension site for the

Kaneland and Big Rock area. Each fall we receive between $2000 and $3000 from the Metropolitan Division to help area needy families. This money is used to pay for rent, heat, food, clothing or other necessities. The Christmas kettles enable Conley Outreach to raise

additional money to replenish this fund. All the money collected in our area kettles stay in the Kaneland-Big Rock area to help local families. In 2014 a record $8200 was donated

through our kettles and checks mailed to us for that purpose.

Hope Takes Action Conley Outreach along with area churches and other non-profits initiated a pilot program, called Hope takes Action. Together we believe people can

improve their lives and financial position with education and support from others. This past year Hope takes Action help four low income families

move from dependency toward self-sufficiency through education, assessment and a mentoring experience.

Friend of Education Award Executive Director Carol Alfrey was recognized by the Kaneland Educational Association

in May with their Friend of Education Award. For the past 15 years Conley Outreach has worked closely with Kaneland teachers, parents, students and staff in initiatives such as

Holiday Spirit, the Family Nurturing Program, FAST, The Kaneland Coalition for Healthy Youth as well as providing family support through the Salvation Army and Good Samaritan Funds, the Clothes Closet, the West Towns Network and Good Grief Day Camp.

Kaneland Coalition for Healthy Youth This past year, Conley Outreach together with Breaking Free, Village Bible Church, the Kindness Campaign and Kaneland High School created the Kaneland Coalition for Healthy

Youth. The purpose of this coalition is to reduce and prevent substance abuse in our area youth. To that end, we have produced and distributed “Talk, They Hear You” literature through area pizza parlors and libraries; staffed an informational pre-prom table during

lunch and purchased literature racks (and substance abuse brochures) at the high school.

8 | P a g e

Financial

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION JUNE 30, 2014 AND 2015

ASSETS

2015 2014 CURRENT ASSETS

Cash $47,564 $ 42,695

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 47.564 42,695

FIXED ASSETS Equipment 7,785 5,637 Less – Accumulated Depreciation 5,930 4,510

TOTAL FIXED ASSETS 1,855 1,127 TOTAL ASSETS $ 49,419 $ 43,822

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts Payable $ 686 $ 671 Accrued Liabilities 3,216 3,127 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 3,902 3,798 TOTAL LIABILITITES 3,902 3,798 NET ASSETS

Unrestricted 28,056 34,206 Temporarily Restricted 17,461 5,818 TOTAL NET ASSETS 45,517 40,024 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $ 49,419 $ 43,822 (Conley Outreach’s Financial Records audited by Knutte & Associates, P.C. in 2014 and 2015)

9 | P a g e

Financial

Total Income--$133,608

Grants & Contracts--59%

Contributions--20%

In Kind Donations--20%

Interest--<1%

Other--<1%

Total Expenses--$128,115

Program--86%

Administration--10%

Fundraising-4%

Program Expenses--$109,846West Towns-65%

Good Samaritan--14%

Good Grief--9%

Holiday Spirit--3%

Family Nurturing--6%

CCT--3%

Transportation<1%

10 | P a g e

Funders and Donors

Granting Agencies

INC Board, NFP United Way of Central Kane County ATT (United Way)

Founders ($1,000+)

Anonymous

Ben & CJ Conley Rich’s Auto Service

Benefactors ($500-$999)

Al & Marjorie Anderson Edwards Engineering Sugar Grove Corn Boil

Donors ($250-$499) Big Rock Township Blackberry Masonic Lodge Joseph & Ginny Kuzniar Elburn Fire Department

Contributors ($100-$249)

AFM Electrical Daniel & Nancy Aho Diane Hall Akins Alice’s Place Jim Berringer Kit Compton Elburn Legion Auxillary Elburn Radiator John & Christine Hochsprung

Holiday in the Grove Bob Jass Chevrolet Kaneland Publications Kuipers’ Family Farm Judith LeBlanc

Ron Limbrick Ron & Bridget Link Laura & Eric Marler Mirage Flooring Jerry & Polly Murphy James & Dorothy Ogle Nancy Olsen Dave & Jeri Ott Paisano’s Pizza & Grill Jennifer Pfingsten RDR Enterprises Tom & Janet Runty Erin Shore Wasco Dairy Queen Pat White Construction

Partners (up to $100)

Barbara Argenendt Michael & Karen Blackwood

Bojowala Family Melissa & Troy Booher Dave & Rita Campbell Jeffrey & Sandy & Carr Michael & Renee Dee Gayle Deja-Schultz Ryan Douglas John & Janet Doherty Elburn American Legion Elburn Market Glen & Julie-Ann Fuchs Mark & Karen Galloway Charles & Melissa Gooch Jeff Gould Guddendorff Family Ken & Mary Gustafson Denise Habbe

Diane Hance Catherine & Marlon Hertzog

Helen Jorgensen Kaneland Blackberry Creek Kaneland John Shields Kaneland John Stewart Kaneville Classics 4-H Kaneville Tree Farms Jeannette Klotz Marcia Konen Blen & Perry Lakin Laverty Family Vasilios & Andrea Liakas Carol Lyons Sally McClellan Carol Molitor Stanley & Tammy Moneta Todd & Linda Naab Karla Nash Parkhouse Family Leon Phelps Sharon Potter Michael & Jennifer Pyle David & Debora Rea Wayne & Phyllis Rossbacher

Denise Strickland Bryan & Colby Suits James & Marilyn Swift Rose Turrubiartes Donald & Jennifer Vestal Vandervoorn Family Volkening Family Sandy & Emil Weiss David & Lynette Werdin Brian & Kathy Wetters Catherine Whiteside

11 | P a g e

Donations In Memory Of Bruce Conley William Woll Creed Ryan Wetters

In-Kind Donations

Elburn Lions Club Farm Friends, Inc. Terry Grumeretz Barb Hollmier Tigger Kainz Marcia Konen William King Jr., Attorney Kuipers’ Family Farm Ted McCannon Bonnie Phillips Paisano’s Pizza & Grill Pamela Schneider Sue Schultz Sugar Grove Fire Auxiliary Sugar Grove Township Al Withey

Partner Churches

Elburn Congregational Family Life Church Grace United Methodist Kaneville United Methodist Lord of Life St. Gall St. Katharine Drexel Valley Brook Church Village Bible Church

Monthly Meals Volunteers

2014 Kuipers’ Nonprofit Tree Display

Moving the Prayer Garden Angel