Transitions 1

...is happiness doubled by wonder

Transitions Annual Report 201020102010

2 Transitions

Transitions

Board of Directors

Amy Galloway, Chair Community Volunteer

Becky Ward, Vice Chair Community Volunteer

Corena Stretch, Treasurer STCU

Anne Finer, Secretary John L. Scott Realty

Carol Allen WSU College of Nursing

Kristin Ankerbrand McKesson Corporation

Joyce Blazek Community Volunteer

Liz Cole, SP St. Joseph Family Center

Celeste Crine, OSF St. Joseph Family Center

Sheila Geraghty Salvation Army of Spokane

Robyn Lewis STCU

James Morrison, CPA Garco Construction

Patty Nickle Community Volunteer

Brenda Tudor United Methodist Church

Marianne Wilkinson, SNJM

St. Aloysius Parish

Linda Williams AmericanWest Bank

From Executive Director, Dia Maurer,

Just before Christmas, my husband suffered an accident that spiraled into

a full-blown health crisis. As the challenges grew in size and intensity, we

confronted each from our storehouse of resources: solid health insurance, access

to quality healthcare including specialists and our support system of family and

friends. Although we both missed a lot of work, we maintained our jobs—good

fulfilling jobs that provide much more than wages and benefits. Despite my

husband’s health crisis and because of it, we ended the year feeling so very

grateful for our bounty and for our faith.

Reflecting on the year at Transitions, I can’t help but feel the same

way—so very grateful. While the year had its share of unexpected trials and

challenges, it also confirmed the breadth and depth of our precious support

system—our community of donors. You. It was your support that enabled

Transitions to house the homeless, safeguard and nurture their children, teach

employment skills to the jobless and provide community to the lonely and

isolated. Your support enables us to keep going.

This Annual Report is for you. It’s a record of Transitions’ 2010

accomplishments. We think of them as your accomplishments. You’ll find 2010

financial data and statistics for each of our programs on page 3, a peek into the

stories of some of the women we served last year beginning on page 4, and

recognition for you and all of our generous donors beginning on page 8. As the

needs in our community continue to grow, Transitions will continue meeting

them because of your support. We thank you and bless you for sharing your

bounty with us.

Gratefully,

Board of Members

Erica Jordan, OP, Chair Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters

Esther Anderson, OSF Sisters of St. Francis

of Philadelphia

Karin Dufault, SP Sisters of Providence

Shirley Roberg, SNJM Sisters of the Holy Names

of Jesus and Mary

Management Team

Dia Maurer Executive Director

of Mission and Services

Diane Critchlow Miryam’s House Director

Sister Sheila Fitzgerald New Leaf Bakery Director

Liz Hogan Development Director

Pat Nolan Finance Director

Edie Rice-Sauer Women’s Hearth Director

Kristin Talbott Transitional Living Center

and EduCare Director

Transitions 3

2010 by the Numbers Transitions 1

14%

15%22%

32% 15% 2%

Expenses $2,047,991Women's Hearth

& New Leaf Bakery Café$648,621

Administration$305,225

Fundraising$38,550

EduCare$298,971

Miryam's House$309,423

TransitionalLiving Center$447,201

21%10%

42%

2%

12%

13%

Income $2,048,355

Public Grants$849,614

SponsorshipEndowments

& Savings$209,423

Program Fees, $46,871

In Kind Donations$253,973

Private Grants$256,390

Donations, Fundraising& Misc. Income

$432,084

In 2010, more than 83 cents of every dollar received was spent on services that directly benefited women and children.

Transitions Program

Served in 2010

Impacts, Outcomes, and Highlights

Transitional Living Center provides housing with

onsite case management services for up to 2 years

for 16 homeless women with children age 12 and

younger in one, two or three bedroom apartments

located on a park like 4-acre campus.

31 Families

with children

7 Mothers gained employment

9 Mothers started Community College

8 Mothers successfully closed their CPS cases

7 Families graduated after an average of 7 months

EduCare provides nurturing licensed daycare

designed for children living at TLC to help them

stabilize and recover from the chaos and trauma of

homelessness.

47 Children

47 Children received more than 15,600 hours

of specialized childcare while

31 Mothers learned how to be better parents

through classes in the Parent Lab

TLC Offsite Transitional Housing provides

supportive housing and rental assistance for

homeless women with children.

6 Families

with 13 Children

3 Mothers gained employment

1 Mother started Community College

Miryam’s House provides transitional housing for

up to 10 homeless women in a group-home setting

with 24/7 support services. An efficiency apartment

on the premises is reserved for a pregnant or post-

partum woman.

19 Women

30 active alumnae

10 Women graduated after an average stay of 11

months and moved on to permanent housing

2 reunited with older children

8 gained employment

Women’s Hearth is a day center that provides a

safe space in downtown Spokane where homeless

and low-income women can find community,

classes, art, music, support groups, referrals, plus

access to telephone, computer, internet, hygiene

supplies and showers.

1350 Women

(unduplicated) half of

whom are homeless

made 22,248 separate

visits

743 Women found community and opportunities for

growth in the 70+ classes, groups, and activities

offered monthly, including art, music,

photography,12-step support, paralegal services and

the Responsible Renter Program.

53 Women transitioned out of homelessness

67 Volunteers donated more than 7300 hours

Women’s Hearth Offsite Transitional Housing

provides 3 apartments with supportive services and

case-management for homeless women without

children.

15 Women

15 Women moved on to permanent housing

New Leaf Bakery Café provides job training in food

services and employment readiness skills to help

low-income women overcome their barriers to

employment. New Leaf is a Social Enterprise

operating a Catering business and small Café kiosk

at Catholic Charities building on 5th & Division

19 Women

received 7004 hours

of training

17 Women completed training

7 Women obtained employment

10 Women continue to seek jobs or began school

Fulfilled 200 catering orders

Served 3000 orders at Café kiosk

6 3

4 Transitions

New Leaf Bakery Café: Michelle

Michelle B may have discovered her true calling

while at the New Leaf Bakery job training program.

Although she came to the New Leaf to learn food industry

skills, she finished with new confidence in her talent for

sales and marketing. Like others in their mid-twenties,

Michelle is eager to begin her future. Unlike others,

Michelle’s path has been hampered with obstacles—some

easier to overcome than others.

In her earliest years, Michelle experienced

instability and abuse. She had an undiagnosed condition

known as Fetal Alcohol Effects or FAE. Considered a

“milder” form of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, FAE can be

extremely debilitating since it is often mistaken for a

behavior problem or missed entirely. Those who struggle

with it are often labeled with a “bad attitude” or thought to

be incapable of learning. Luckily, Michelle’s foster

parents, who eventually adopted her, recognized that she

was struggling with a disability and not just stubbornness.

Michelle’s father recalled that even early on, “she had such

excellent drive and skills but there was this barrier to

achievement because of her FAE.”

With the love and support of her parents, Michelle

was able to graduate from a mainstream high school.

Independent and resourceful, she found a job in the kitchen

of an assisted living facility. But instead of letting her grow

and learn new skills, the job never developed into anything

more than dishwashing. Determined to find something

more fulfilling for her daughter, Michelle’s mom heard

about the New Leaf from the Division of Vocational

Rehabilitation. “It sounded perfect,” Michelle said,

“exactly what I wanted to do.”

What Michelle found at New Leaf was the type of

individualized hands-on training she needed. She mastered

the skills and gained a new support group among the other

women in the program. About Chef-Instructor, Vira

Melendez-Redmon, Michelle says, “She supports you

100%. She’s your number one fan and she gave me more

confidence.” Among Michelle’s favorite moments with

the program was her chance to hand out samples of New

Leaf cookies at Main Market downtown. Those who were

there said she was a natural at engaging customers. “It was

really fun,” she says, “my little marketing moment.”

Michelle is now applying for work at local

bakeries, cooking at home and working the cash register at

her church bookshop. “The program was everything I

needed and wanted it to be…It was a great experience and

I can’t wait to take what I’ve learned to a job,” she said.

turns a meal into a feast

New Leaf Bakery Café Transition’s newest program is a social enterprise

that blends education, skill building, work experience and support services to

help low-income women overcome barriers to employment. The curriculum

covers basics from knife use to food presentation and nutrition plus resume

writing, job search and interview skills. Each woman in the program builds

her resume with work in the New Leaf catering operation and experience in

the New Leaf Bakery Café kiosk in the Catholic Charities’ lobby..

Transitions 5

and chaos into order

Transitional Living Center (TLC)

& EduCare: Maya, Toby and Kellie

Eight months pregnant, Maya came to TLC

late in 2009 with her three year old son, Toby.

Homeless and penniless, Maya had just left an

abusive relationship—the most recent in a string of

abusive relationships. She had regained custody of

Toby for the third time. Once reunited, she was

determined to raise him and the child she was

carrying without the conflict and chaos she had

endured growing up and without the violence and

abuse she had experienced in most of her adult

relationships.

After her beautiful daughter, Kellie was

born, Maya began to tackle her personal goals,

which were to provide a healthy home for her

children and to find a job that could support her

and her little family. Maya thrived at TLC but

Toby struggled. Not only did he have to learn how

to cope with a new baby sister, he had to learn how

to cope with his mother. Since Toby had been in

and out of foster care since birth, all those

separations had taught him not to trust adults—

especially his mom. He protected himself by acting

out—yelling, swearing, even hitting, which kept

everyone at a safe distance. On Toby’s first day at

EduCare, he swore at the teachers, yelled, and tried

to push other children. He disrupted games and

songs and refused to eat or lie down at nap time.

The TLC/EduCare team, including the

Family Support Advocate, teachers, volunteers and

relief staff utilized a totally coordinated approach

with Toby and his mom providing support to help

them really bond for the first time. Slowly Toby’s

behaviors began to improve as he came to believe

that not only his mom but all the new adults in his

life were safe and that they truly valued and cared

for him. He developed the ability to trust and

stopped fearing that his mom would leave him

again. Finally, Toby got to be a child! No more

cursing, yelling or hitting. He began to play

games, sing, share toys and fall asleep with the

other children.

After 10 months at TLC/EduCare, Maya,

Toby and Kellie moved away to their own

apartment. Maya has a job that supports them and

Toby attends a

new preschool.

Last time they

visited TLC, Toby

reported that he

missed his old

friends at

EduCare but had

made good new

friends at his new

school. What a

difference a year

of nurturing and

support had made

in his life!

Transitional Living Center (TLC) is a supportive transitional

housing program for homeless women with children age 12 and

younger. Located on a beautiful four acre campus, TLC has

sixteen one, two and three bedroom apartments where families can

stabilize and develop new skills for up to two years. EduCare is a

licensed daycare program located on the TLC campus that

provides children living at TLC with specialized support to help

them recover from the chaos and trauma of homelessness.

6 Transitions

Miryam’s House: Brittiny

Brittiny’s early life was filled with chaos and pain. Her

dad was abusive; and her mom was so withdrawn she was unable

to meet her children’s needs. When Brittiny was 9, her dad was

murdered. Six months later her mom was diagnosed with cancer.

By junior high, Brittiny had begun using drugs and alcohol. The

boyfriend she chose was cruel and violent. In her senior year,

Brittiny dropped out of school to care for her mom but her drug

and alcohol use accelerated.

When her mom died, Brittiny married her abusive

boyfriend and they moved into her stepdad’s barn. When a close

friend died, Brittiny snapped, blacked out and robbed her step-

father. She and her husband split up, and Brittiny hid from the

police in a friend’s trailer for almost a year. She was deeply

depressed and self destructive, adding dangerous comfort mea-

sures for her aching heart—an eating disorder that involved

binging and purging and a self-mutilation habit that involved

cutting herself.

Brittiny’s life continued to be defined by drugs and pain

until she landed at UGM Crisis Shelter. Feeling totally hopeless,

she wrote a farewell letter to her sister. She was ready to end her

life when she got word that

Miryam's House had room for

her.

Brittiny was amazed by

the warmth, comfort, and

tranquility at Miryam’s. Just

receiving a friendly greeting

when she woke up in the

morning was a shock.

Six months later,

Brittiny is hard at work on her

recovery. She has learned that she has a right not to be abused

and continues to process her multiple losses and past trauma.

Brittiny is also working on her GED and plans to go to college.

She has grown into a role of responsibility at Miryam’s while she

continues to explore her own talents. Brittiny loves to write and

has begun working on her life story and writing poetry.

turns a stranger into a friend

The Women’s Hearth is a day center that provides a safe

environment where all women are welcomed to engage in

community. More than 70 different classes, groups and

activities are offered each month including arts, crafts, music,

spirituality, life-skills, and 12-step recovery support. Women

may link to other local services through referrals and have

access to phone, computer, internet, snacks, hygiene supplies

and showers. A recuperation room on the premises provides

cots and a quiet space where homeless women who are ill or

just out of the hospital may rest during the day.

Miryam’s House is a residential program where 10 women

live in community for up to a year as they heal from abuse,

addiction, mental illness and the isolation and chaos of

homelessness. 24/7 support helps the women address the issues

that led to their homelessness and develop goal for the future.

The Women’s Hearth: Carmen

Carmen never planned on being homeless in Spokane.

She never planned on being homeless at all. She was always a

hard worker—often 95 hrs or more each week—in her job as a

home health care worker in Tacoma. That was while she

attended graduate school and

worked at an internship. Overloaded

and overwhelmed, Carmen broke

down and was admitted to an

inpatient facility. When she left

inpatient care, she became homeless.

Her only relative was a daughter in

Spokane. Hoping to move closer to

her, Carmen sought the help of an

outreach team from Spokane Mental

Health, which in turn contacted the

Women’s Hearth. Through that

collaboration, Carmen was able to

travel to Spokane and enter the

Women’s Hearth offsite transitional apartment program—another

local collaboration between SNAP and Transitions.

Carmen’s path to the Hearth’s transitional housing

program is not typical. Hearth staff usually know women much

better and longer before recommending an apartment, but they

are always flexible. They know that every woman’s story is

unique and deserves a unique response. Carmen moved in with

dishes, blankets and a futon but more importantly with the care

and support of the Hearth community. Given that support, she

regained her old resiliency and began to build on her existing

skills. She is now self-sufficient and living in her own apartment.

With a healthy balance restored to her life, she completed course-

work at Seattle University for her Master’s and passed the

comprehensive exams. With a freshly minted Master’s Degree in

Counseling, Carmen volunteers twice weekly at the Hearth. She

considers her friends there part of her extended family. And the

Hearth community is blessed to have her.

a house into a home

Transitions 7

Share Your Circle

Contact us about speaking to your church, service or community group.

Gather a group of friends or co-workers to tour our facilities.

Grab your golf buddies and sign up to play in our annual Golf Scramble on Friday, June 17.

Be a People Who Care Table Captain for our annual breakfast or lunch on Tuesday, October 11.

Share Your Workplace

If your company supports the United Way, you can designate your United Way payroll deduction for Transitions. Same is true for WA State Combined Fund Drive and the Combined Federal Campaign.

Let us know if your company provides matching gifts.

Organize a drive at work. Nonperishable food, paper, cleaning, laundry, hygiene, and craft supplies are always welcome. To see a current Wish List, visit our website: www.help4women.org.

If your company offers grants or other support to community agencies, please let us know.

Share Your Bounty

Make a financial contribution. No matter the size, you can be sure it will make a difference.

Use the enclosed envelope or donate securely on our website, www.help4women.org.

Become a SAINT by pledging to support Transitions with regular donations (monthly or quarterly) over the course of one or more years.

Share Your Time and Talent

Volunteer at one of our programs or events.

Share a special talent, skill, or enjoy good conversation with our women.

Shovel snow in the winter; rake leaves in the fall, help with spring cleaning

projects, help the harvest all summer in our Growing Hope Community

Garden.

Share Your Legacy

Make an extra donation to our endowment fund and help us plan for the

future.

Name Transitions in your estate plan and continue to support women and

children long into the future with your will, trust, charitable gift annuity or

other estate plan structure.

and unlocks the fullness of life.