Dear Family Values for Life supporters,
Thank you so much for your continued commitment to building STRONG, HEALTHY families on St. Paul’s East Side! Our incredible success this year started with your investment in us last year and the year before that. We want to thank the St. Paul Foundation who invested in FVFL in 2014 by awarding us a Management Improvement Grant. This grant funded two consultants, Paul Murphy and Ada Pat Sampson, who worked tirelessly with our staff and board to positively position FVFL for the next level in organizational development and attainment in funding and programming.
An essential component to the progression of FVFL is funding, our objective is to connect our community with viable resources. We were awarded a $25,000 grant from the St. Paul Foundation to hire a Community Outreach Advocate. This person will play a vital role in helping us reach more families.
Additionally, through the commitment of the St. Paul Foundation and the St. Paul Public Schools a grant writer was referred to FVFL who, almost instantaneously, was able to put together proposals for the Mardag Foundation and the F.R. Bigelow Foundation. We are currently waiting on response from these funders but are overjoyed at the interests and excitement that many of our partners are expressing about our mission and programs.
Another triumph this year has been the proliferation of our Jump Start To The New You program. These workshops have served over three hundred women!
Another highlight is that we moved into a new office at First Covenant Church! This office houses five workstations and beautiful wood cabinets (donated by Kids In Need) which is a far cry from the previous one that had the capacity for two. The abundant generosity of First Covenant Church continues to support and sustain us!
Although there were thorns along the way, 2015 is truly turning out to be a rose in full bloom! We have endured working in a small office, managing limited staff, and using every penny as frugally as possible. Recounting our exhausting work over the last year, I am reminded of the passage in scripture, “Do not despise these small beginnings.” I look at our early stages and feel blessed as I think about where God has brought us from. We are following our mission and building capacities for families to network and leverage resources. We are giving hope and opportunity to St. Paul’s East Side.
FVFL would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our staff, volunteers and interns for their unwavering service. It is that dedication and hard work that helps us build strong healthy families to better our community.
With deep gratitude and excitement for the upcoming year,
Alfreda Flowers
Executive Director
P.S. Don’t forget to join us for our Harvest Festival on October 2, 2015! Sponsorships are booking now and early bird registration is available. Join us to celebrate the milestones of 2015 and the STRONG, HEALTHY FAMILIES that are being built in our East Side Community.
