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How
Our Program Began
Helping
Hands Outreach to Elders was established as a Living At Home/Block
Nurse Program in June of 2001. The following year we developed by-laws
and completed our Articles of Incorporation and were chartered in June
of 2002. Work was completed on our application for tax exempt status
and we received our IRS 501(c)(3) Letter of Determination in January of
2003.
Our program has grown rapidly! During the first year our part-time
director operated in office space donated by a church. We established a
tipline elders could call for help and promoted the program through
church bulletins and casual chili suppers. By December of our first
year we had 69 volunteers and were helping a few people a week. We also
received a promise of significant financial support from five area
churches. Board members began speaking to groups and brochures were
printed. In the 2002-2003 year we were able to hire a service
coordinator to develop our volunteer base and coordinate the service
activity. Our level of service activity grew exponentially as did our
local support. One significant project was to form visiting teams who
actually visited over 200 elders/couples in our service area to learn
of any needs and tell them about our services. This led to many more
visits.
During that second year we worked on identifying potential funders and
building our case statement and strategy for inviting partners to join
us. By the end of the second year we were averaging over 360 hours of
service every month. Staff participated in many professional training
events. We began to review our assets and build on them. We moved to
office space on Main Street in Holdingford in February 2003 which
afforded us much greater visibility and space.
Our program became more active in community affairs and activities.
That was the year we initiated the first ever City
Father/Mother
recognition. We also developed volunteer appreciation and ongoing
support. Over the next two years our program made significant progress
accomplishing the following:
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Regularly published a newsletter
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Placed bi-weekly advertising in several area newspapers
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Completed long-range strategic planning
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Established diversified funding streams
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Built resources and support for Memory Loss and Mental Health needs
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Provided regular information and presentations on health-related issues
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Became a founding member and lead agency of the Central Minnesota CARE
(Collaborating Area Resources for Elders) Partnership
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Were approved as a Home and Community-based Provider of Alternative
Care/Elderly Waiver (AC/EW) services for Stearns County
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Received an Area Agency On Aging contract to provide services under the
Older Americans Act
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Established a contract with Unity Family Home Care in Little Falls
providing all our elders with a 44% reduced rate for home healthcare
and a generous sliding fee scale.
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Were publicly recognized as meeting all standards of the Charities
Review Council and approved to display their seal of approval.
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Today
in a given month we serve about 50 elders and their caregivers with
over 450 hours of service. Each year our records show that we are
serving not only more people, but are also providing more services to
the same people.
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©
2006-2008 by Holdingford Helping Hands
Outreach to Elders. All
rights reserved.
