Stakeholder’S reportAnnual Report to the Citizens of Osceola County - Issue 14

Our Mission – To bring people and resourcestogether to achieve the community’s vision.

Score one for the home team!McClaren Circle area residents became life long fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when the City of Kissimmee was awarded a NFL Grassroots grant to transform Chamber’s Park grounds with a new flag football and practice field. Community Vision teamed up with the City of Kissimmee Parks and Recreation department and the Bucs to make this dream a reality for area kids.

“This project would not have happened without Community Vision”, said Mayor Swan as he addressed the crowd prior to the field’s ribbon cutting on June 15th. Grand opening festivities included a visit from famed Buc center Jeff Faine, Bucs Cheerleaders and mascot Captain Fear. The 400+ children in attendance donned red & black football-shaped beads, enjoyed hot dogs and had a chance to win a much coveted autographed football as well as other Bucs memorabilia. To memorialize the partnership, a signed ball has a place of honor in the Chamber’s Park community house. Relatives of the park’s namesake Cornelius Chambers including his mother, sisters and brother were on hand to celebrate the momentous occasion. The addition of the field complements a major investment by the city in improving outdoor and indoor gathering places for the low-income neighborhood.

COMMUNITY VISION SALUTES ITS NEW AND LONG-TIME ANNUAL

INVESTORS:

Bank of America

CenterState Bank Central FL

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center

Goodwin Realty & Associates, Inc.

Micro Key Software

Progress Energy

Walt Disney World

Key Investors in a Better Tomorrow!

Sustainability is paramount for a grassroots organization to survive and fulfill its mission. Community Vision put out a special call for support to commemorate an impressive

decade of service. The following generous corporate citizens stepped up to the challenge in a major way as a “10 for 10” investor in a better tomorrow:

Community Vision is proud to have been selected by the Community Foundation of Central Florida as one of the first organizations to be invited to participate in their new nonprofit database linking philanthropists to organizations. We invite you and your friends to visit http://cfcf.guidestar.org/ to see the work we’re doing and consider a gift in support of our efforts. You’ll be asked to establish a login, and then you’ll be able to see our portrait by entering our organization’s name in the Find Nonprofits Search Field. To search

the knowledge base or share it with others, visit www.mycfcf.org.

Community Vision has joined with Community Foundation of Central Florida to help donors, and philanthropists validate the organizations they support. You can visit and see everything from our management, governance, and programs to an in-depth look at our finances that is searchable and validated. Community Vision believes this new site will allow for more exposure to the community, new sources of funding and improved performance.

INVESTOR SPOTLIGHT Kissimmee Utility Authority

When Community Vision was created in 1996, paramount to its success was the investment of

trust and resources of the business community. With a “leap of faith”, Kissimmee Utility Authority agreed to become an annual investor of the organization – a role they have served since our inception 15 years ago. KUA wholeheartedly embraces our philosophy of collaboration and financially supports:➢ Four leadership development programs providing community education and skills development to all segments of our population➢ A Neighborhood Block Party Express that brings neighborhoods together ➢ Discover Osceola - a free, biennial event that showcases county amenities, programs and services to Osceola newcomers and residentsAdditionally, Kissimmee Utility Authority staff plays integral roles in the planning and implementation of Community Vision initiatives. However, Kissimmee Utility Authority’s generosity is felt far beyond the support of our organization. From festivals that celebrate our community’s diversity, business programs that spur our economic growth, or a corporate match for an energy fund that provides assistance to customers experiencing financial difficulties, KUA’s support has been paramount to the many successful initiatives our community has enjoyed. KUA is the epitome of a good corporate partner striving to not only meet and exceed the needs of its customers, but the community as a whole.

A Message from Donna Sines, Executive DirectorIt is All about Return on Investment These Days A new decade offers an opportunity to reflect on years past, course correct if necessary, and look ahead with hope and resiliency. The past few years have been more than challenging; Osceola County being especially hard hit with entire neighborhoods in foreclosure and hunger becoming a major issue. One in seven Americans went to bed hungry yesterday and that number is predictably higher in our community. However, we have found that even in the most difficult of times, we can come together as a community as no other can. People from outside Osceola County are in awe of how a community with such few resources can come to the table, under Community Vision’s umbrella, in a spirit of shared responsibility and resource allocation. And so at the dawn of a new decade, as a nation, and community we have no choice but to dust ourselves off, and plan strategically for a brighter tomorrow. The alternative is to be stymied, pessimistic and fearful of what may lie ahead. Osceola County’s organization charged with being the keeper of the flame and promoting opportunities to achieve a preferred future is having none of that. Community Vision’s staff, volunteers and supporters embrace the future with new found optimism because we are still here! We look forward to working with you to continue to bring people and resources together to achieve the community’s vision!

TRUST BACKED BY TRANSpARENCY

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OSCEOLA TEEN SUMMITCommunity Vision, Osceola School District Safe and Drug Free Schools and the Osceola Safe Schools / Healthy Students Initiative hosted the 2009 Osceola Teen Summit on Thursday, May 7 at the Osceola Heritage Park Exhibition Hall. Over two hundred students (Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors) representing ten Osceola County High Schools came together for this day long event with the goal of “empowering students to make a positive difference in their school”. Guest speaker Jodee Blanco, author of “Please Stop Laughing At Me”, spoke of her struggles dealing with bullying throughout her school years. Then the students participated in four different breakout sessions (Volunteerism, Drug Awareness, Relationship Building

and Alcohol Awareness). After lunch, they came back together with their classmates and developed strategies to make a difference in their own schools. At the end of the day, motivational speaker Patrick Grady spoke with the students about following their dreams, looking for the good in people, and

encouraging the students to make a difference. Community Vision will be teaming up with Safe & Drug Free Schools and the Osceola Safe Schools / Healthy Students Initiative to once again host the Osceola Teen Summit on

Thursday, April 22 at Osceola Heritage Park. This year’s summit will be in conjunction with the Osceola Youth & Family Summit in order to bring students and adults together to work our issues concerning youth.

OSCEOLA YOUTh TOUR Community Vision and the Children’s Cabinet of Osceola hosted the 3rd Annual Osceola Youth Tour on Friday, November 6, 2009. The Tour, “Building Osceola’s Youth – It is easier and cheaper to build strong children than to repair broken adults”, took community leaders, elected officials and concerned citizens on a tour of various youth programs in Osceola County. The tour started with a visit to Osceola Regional Medical Center’s Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit and then lunch with presentations from Healthy Start Osceola, Osceola 4H and the Guardian Ad Litem Program. From there, they traveled to H.O.M.E., UCP School, Neptune Middle School’s “Too Good for Drugs” class and the 21st Century After-School Program ending at the Council on Aging to learn about their CHAMP program. Judge Margaret Waller facilitated the day’s activities.

Osceola Summit on Youth & Families

ThE ChILDREN’S CABINET Of OSCEOLA COUNTY The Children’s Cabinet of Osceola County, originally the Osceola Youth Action Committee, was formed to effectively utilize existing resources to develop and integrate services that address the physical, social, emotional, vocational, transitional and educational needs of all children and families in Osceola County. Now with over 50 active members representing various youth programs and agencies and an additional 140 members on an information distribution list, the Cabinet has become the voice for children in Osceola County.

On May 1, 2009 at Osceola Heritage Park, the Children’s Cabinet of Osceola County, Community Vision and Safe Schools/Healthy Students

Initiative hosted the 2nd Osceola Summit on Youth & Families.

Over 130 policy-makers, program administrators, elected officials and citizens came together to develop strategies that address

the needs of children and families. Focus areas included youth health, early childhood

learning, after school programs and homelessness. The two

major themes that emerged from the summit were establishing a stable source of funding for

youth programs and developing legislative strategies for State

funding. The 2010 Osceola Summit on Youth & Families is

scheduled for April 22nd.

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Leadership LegendsThe Leadership Legends program continues to grow and create a golden population of newly skilled leaders in the community. With a curriculum modeled after the highly successful Leadership Osceola program, Legends provides active seniors the opportunity to explore a myriad of community topics such as education, government services, economic development, and criminal justice over a 12 week course. Program days also include community leadership training and capacity building.

Leadership Osceola is an unsurpassed leadership development program that began in 1989. Each year, approximately 30 individuals representing the diverse business, government,

non-profit, and community sectors enroll in the program. Over the course of 12 weeks, class participants learn about community topics including environment, social services, community planning, arts, and culture. Through hands-on activities, the class experiences real life community challenges and is offered capacity building and skill based learning opportunities. Upon graduation, each member has gained the foundation, knowledge, and experience to facilitate positive change in our community.

leaderShip oSceolato prepare, inspire and support leadership for the improved future of our community!

To date, over 575 leaders have graduated from our 20 Leadership Osceola classes.

The Leadership Legends Alumni Association, now 85+ members strong, is utilizing its experience, history, and wisdom to help us move forward in achieving the community’s vision for a preferred future!

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Since 2008, Community Vision in partnership with the Safe Schools / Healthy Students Initiative and the Osceola School District has provided the Osceola Youth Leadership at Liberty High School. This program gives between ten and twenty young people who were at risk of dropping out of school a forum to meet face to face with community leaders and learn about leadership, communication and life skills as well as careers and opportunities for involvement. The Osceola Youth Leadership program participants spend twelve consecutive weeks exploring

community issues, building relationships, and learning how to be a leader. It provides the participants with an intensive curriculum of community information, leadership training, and hands-on experiences designed to promote understanding of and commitment to personal growth. In the Spring of 2008, fourteen students graduated from the program with improved grades, improved behavior and a new attitude about life. Community Vision graduated twelve students from the Fall 2009 class.

OsceOLa YOuth Leadership

Since 1996, the Osceola Teen Leadership program has provided a forum for incoming High School Juniors and Seniors to meet face to face with community leaders to learn about opportunities for involvement in the political and growth process of Osceola County. The program is a partnership with Valencia Community College, the Osceola County District Schools and Community Vision.

OsceOLa teen Leadership

Teen Leadership provides 25 – 30 teens from all Osceola County High Schools a rare hands-on summer school education that allows them to earn college credit. Ninety percent of the graduates go on to Osceola Teen Alliance which promotes leadership and service to our community.

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Safe Schools / healthy Students InitiativeIn 2007, the Osceola School District was awarded a grant of $8 million dollars over four years from the U.S. Department of Education for the Safe Schools / Healthy Students Initiative. It is a unique program designed to prevent violence and substance abuse among our community’s youth. The guiding principals are to reduce

violence, improve safety and improve academic achievement. As part of the grant, Community Vision was contracted to develop a Community Awareness Campaign, conduct Youth and Parent Focus Groups, initiate Conscious Discipline training, coordinate a Youth and Family Summit, and develop an “at-risk” youth leadership program (Osceola Youth Leadership). In 2009 as part of the Community Awareness Campaign, Community Vision hosted the 1st Annual Video Contest for Middle and High School Students with an anti-bullying message.

Community Vision continued addressing the needs of the uninsured through strategic planning efforts of the Health Leadership Council. Co-chaired by Commissioner John Quinones, this council is comprised of business leaders, public health providers, local hospital leadership and other health stakeholders to look at community indicators around health and strategically develop programs that address those core issues. The leadership council worked with the Osceola County Health Department on the Community Based Health Scorecard, a comprehensive pilot project that provided a series of online workshops with the consulting team to develop a “Strategy Map” for community health issues. Additionally, the Osceola Health Department was the only organization in the nation to be selected to go beyond the initial strategy mapping and receive more intensive training. The results of this project will be utilized in setting priorities and action plans for the Health Leadership Council. CV Executive Director Donna Sines and Health Department Director Belinda Johnson-Cornett will be presenting initial results at a national healthcare conference in Spring 2010.

Community Vision, City of Kissimmee, KaBOOM! and the Orlando Magic are joining forces for a playground build adjacent to the Oak Street Community Center. KaBOOM! works with funding partners, in this case the Orlando Magic, in a quest to create a playground within walking distance of every child in America. During the past 14 years they have built over 1700 playgrounds with communities like ours all around the country! After a competitive grant process, we were thrilled to be selected as a playground site and grateful to the Orlando Magic for utilizing their financial and volunteer commitment to help erect a playground in one day; March 10th. We would not have been selected to receive the playground without support and buy in on our end. Community Vision is charged with recruiting 75 eager volunteers to join with 200 Magic volunteers in making this dream a reality for thousands of children. This state of the art playground, designed by the children and the community, will last for generations to come.

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For more information visit www.communityvision.org/excel.htm

With the tightening of available resources, the need for higher levels of accountability has become a recurring theme among federal, state, and private funders. Funding sources want

to know that potential recipients not only have the capacity to meet their objectives, but also, exactly how applicants plan to measure program effectiveness. With this in mind, the overall mission of Excel Evaluation and Consulting is to provide simple, low cost evaluation services with a devoted focus on partnership. In concurrence with the Community Vision mission, Excel Evaluation and Consulting has a vested interest in the overall success of programs that service residences in Osceola County. Excel Evaluation Services provides clients with comprehensive report production, data analysis, site visits, instrument design, and training on evaluation data collection methods. All services are tailored to meet the specific needs of clients, and aid in communicating the overall success of program services to funding sources and stakeholders. Community Vision continues to help bridge a needed gap in local third-party evaluation services.

hFuW community impact grant Funds self-sufficiency

Community Vision, in partnership with the Osceola Council on Aging and UF/Osceola County Extension Services, will embark upon

a comprehensive self-sufficiency program entitled “Osceola Financial Pathways”. With funding from Heart of Florida United Way, the three agencies will provide comprehensive financial literacy education, individualized budget counseling, and additional self-sufficiency programs. Community Vision will oversee the Self-Sufficiency Task Force, a collaborative comprised of community leaders, financial industry experts and social service agencies. The overreaching goal of the Self-Sufficiency Task Force is to provide the necessary groundwork, outreach and support of the Financial Pathways initiative. Proposed activities include: 3 Coordination (agenda development, notification, execution) of monthly meetings3 Continued identification and engagement of new community partners3 Regular communication with Financial Pathways staff3 Research of community indicators and trends3 Research of self-sufficiency best practices 3 Development of community outreach activities and methods of delivery

In December, Community Vision received over $21,000 from an AT&T grant to purchase laptop computers for students who complete the requirements

for graduation from the Osceola Youth Leadership program.

ThIRD pARTY EVALUATIONS COMpLETED IN 2009:Carol M. White Physical Education Program GrantHelping Others Make the Effort (HOME) Food Stamp Outreach Program (FSOP)Department of Education 21st Century Afterschool ProgramOsceola County Recycling Survey

Grants Awarded

In October 2009, Community Vision celebrated the organization’s 15th anniversary. In a decade and a half, Community Vision has brought millions of outside dollars in to address Osceola County issues. It is fitting that the community convener now has a centrally located, permanent home. After years on relying on the generosity of benefactors such as Tupperware Brands Corporation, Osceola Regional Medical Center and even Executive Director Donna Sines’ living room, community leaders and residents joined Community Vision board members and staff for a ribbon cutting at their new office located on the Generation Point campus. The campus is also shared by the Osceola Council on Aging and the Children’s Advocacy Center. Community Vision’s permanent address is now: 704 Generation Point, Suite 101, Kissimmee, FL 34744

CV MoVe & Ribbon Cutting

Pictured R to L: Judy Spencer, Representative Mike Horner, Donna Sines and Susan Crutchfield

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Board of DirectorsGreat leadership has steered the Community Vision ship through rough and smooth waters over the past 15 years. 1995/96 Ed Smallwood, Retired1997 Atlee Mercer, Osceola County Property Appraiser1998 Mary Cooper, Goodwin Realty & Associates, Inc.1999 Ken Bradley, Florida Hospital2000 Mary Beth Salisbury, Osceola Co. Extension Office2001 Beverly Hougland, Osceola Council on Aging2002 Mel Bettcher, Hyatt Resorts2003 Ken Shipley, EMBARQ2004 David Banks, Florida Hospital2005 Mark Shamley, ACCP2006 Silvia Zapico, Valencia Community College2007 Maria Grulich, Osceola Co. Economic Development2008 Linda Goodwin-Nichols, Goodwin Realty & Assoc. Inc.2009 Charlie Rogers, CenterState Bank of Central Florida

Chris Gent of KUA took the wheel at the beginning of the new year as 2010 Community Vision chairperson.

ChairpersonsVicky Arenas, CMP-LES

Rebecca Brewer, Administrator – St. Cloud Regional Medical Center

Dottie Catena-Mileto, MBA, BS, RN – Florida Hospital - Celebration Health

Jeff Chase, Executive Director – CFVRMA

Mark Durbin, City Manager – City of Kissimmee

Pete Edwards, Chairman – Education Foundation

Nancy Ellis, Pd.D., Director – Center for Community Partnerships - Univ. of Central Florida

Jane Forsythe, Chief of Nursing Operations – Osceola Regional Medical Center

Mike Freilinger, County Manager – Osceola County

Bob Frick, Minister – First Baptist Church of Kissimmee

Chris Gent, Vice President – KUA

Linda Goodwin-Nichols, President – Goodwin Realty & Associates, Inc.

Dr. Michael Grego, Superintendent – Osceola County District Schools

Sheriff Robert Hansell – Osceola County Sheriff’s Office

Donna Hart, Mayor – City of St. Cloud

Mike Horner, President – Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce

Beverly Hougland, Executive Director – Osceola Council on Aging

Carlos Irizarry, Commissioner – City of Kissimmee

Belinda Johnson-Cornett, Administrator – Osceola County Health Department

Robert Kelley, General Manager – Walt Disney World Company David Lane, President/CEO – St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce

Hector Lizasuain, Project Manager – Osceola Co. West 192 BeautifiVacation

Yolanda Londono, VP, Global Social Responsibility – Tupperware Brands Corporation

Madelyn Long, Membership/Sales Manager – St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce

Brian Marger, COO – Osceola Regional Medical Center

Atlee Mercer – Visions by Atlee

Murray Overstreet, Retired Attorney

Dr. Melissa Pedone, Dean, Math, Science & Psychology – Valencia Community College

Scott Polodna, Circuit Court Judge – Ninth Judicial Circuit, State of Florida

Charlie Rogers, VP Business Development – CenterState Bank Central Florida

Mary Beth Salisbury, UF Extension Director – Osceola County Extension Office

Jim Shanks, CEO – Park Place Behavioral Healthcare

Tom Tompkins, Builder

George Weber, Director of Communications – Good Samaritan Society

Jay Wheeler, Board Member – Osceola County Schools

Jim Yawn, Senior Project Manager – Disney Resort Real Estate Development

ELECTED OffICIALS’ SUMMIT

Community Vision held its eleventh annual Vision Summit for elected officials. This daylong event for local decision-makers and key staff members from Osceola County, City of Kissimmee, City of St. Cloud, and Osceola County District Schools was held May 8th at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort and Convention Center. The summit, professionally facilitated by Pat Heiny and Mary Jo Clark of Contemporary Consulting, focused on improving working relationships between all elected bodies with an intensive teambuilding exercise. The summit was made possible with the visionary support from Walt Disney World Company, Tupperware Brands Corporation and Florida Hospital.

704 Generation Point, Suite 101Kissimmee, FL 34744

Phone: 407-933-0870 • Fax: 407-933-0942www.communityvision.org

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