CALVERT CRUSADE FOR CHILDREN, INC.
ANNUAL REPORT
July1, 2009 – June 30, 2010
Who Are We?:
The Calvert Crusade for Children (CCC) , Inc. received its incorporation documents January 2, 1998. The League of Women Voters(LWV) of Calvert County can be considered the parent of the CCC. In 1996 the LWV did a study on the Needs of Children and Calvert County. Its Report was provided to the Board of County Commissioners, with the statement that the league would attempt to found an organization that would find a way to respond to the needs identified. The CCC is the result of the LWV’s study and action.
Since its founding, the CCC has focused on research, planning, collaborating, informing Calvert citizens of child and youth needs, providing seminars on specific issues, advocating at the state and county level on issues of child well-being, reaching out to the wider community to encourage residents to become more involved both individually and through existing groups in supporting youth, and by learning how every adult can contribute positively in ways both small and large to Calvert County becoming a place where children thrive.
Philosophy:
Contemporary society presents risks for children and youth. All children can reach their highest potential when growing up in a caring community. It is so important to involve young people, families and community members in developing and implementing programs and activities that will provide positive youth outcomes.
History:
At the same time that the CCC was established early in 1998, a new national organization, America’s Promise Alliance, was being formed in Philadelphia with all five presidents or their spouses in attendance and then General Colin Powell as its chairman.
The Calvert Board of County Commissioners responded to the state level initiative in support of America’s Promise by naming 30 representatives to attend a statewide kick-off conference at the Baltimore Convention Center and appointed the CCC as liaison coordinator for America’s Promise. Throughout CCC’s twelve year history, it has been an all volunteer organization with a working board except for a thirteen month period with a part- time Director, an eight month period with a part-time Coordinator and until early June, 2010, an on-going nineteen month period with an office manager. The Board presently supports advertising for another high quality office manager as the best way to provide staffing and use our funding resources to support the working Board.
Mission:
To improve the lives of Calvert County children in order to reach their highest potential.
Goal:
In order to fulfill the mission, the CCC works as a community-building, catalyst, advocacy and networking organization to gather all citizens, organizations, businesses and agencies into a collaborative whole that works efficiently and effectively to provide the services, supports, recreation, arts, civic activities, including child and youth participation, and responsibility by all residents.
The CCC offers training and workshops in positive youth development through its Asset Development SEARCH Institute certified prevention model. It offers certain pilot gap programs to address unmet needs with the goal of transferring successful programs to non-profit organizations or faith communities.
A 2-3/4 year focus on working towards applying to be named an America’s Promise “100 Best Community for Young People” has been completed as of May 30, 2010, This demanding initiative resulted in a variety of additional educational presentations, two countywide annual Citizen Summits, monthly CAST meetings by those who attended the Summits, and new collaborations with child focused agencies and non-profits to gather new data and achieve common goals.
Why is the Calvert Crusade for Children Needed?
While Calvert County is blessed with good schools, dedicated child and family agencies and organizations, caring faith communities, beautiful countryside and an increasingly affluent population, there are still segments of the community where children and youth are at risk and families, independent of income level, are unable or unwilling to provide a positive growing-up experience for their children.
In addition, because of its exurban and rural lifestyle, lack of community and recreational facilities, pockets of poverty where program and recreational costs to families are prohibitive, and lack of needed transportation, each lead to an insufficient availability of child and youth out-of-school activities, and lack of access to such activities even when they are available.
With the change in economic status of Calvert County from a very low income household county to one of the highest household incomes in Maryland, formerly available federal and state grants for child and youth support and health are no longer available. Yet the same and even greater numbers of children and youth who need these support services are still in the county, though without such funds being available. Where should those funds now come from to support those still necessary services? Should poor children pay the price for living in a now much richer county by having fewer services available? How are those additional taxes now being acquired by Calvert County being used? This issue needs more focused attention countywide in the coming year, with the support and advocacy of Calvert Crusade for Children.
Because the CCC receives almost no local, state or federal funds it has a very real and necessary role to become an advocate for the needs of children and youth. This ability to advocate is a rather unique condition for a non-profit in the county, and attention should be paid by CCC to adequately conduct such advocacy when needed.
ACHIEVEMENTS: 7.1.2009 – 6.30.2010:
Asset Development Workshops: The CCC continued the outreach, planning and delivery of Asset Development workshops in Calvert County. These workshops include both Awareness and Trainings (see attachment A for detailed information). These workshops are grant funded by the United Way and their required reporting and outcomes have been provided.
Youth Empowerment Forums: Two Forums were provided during the year with some collaboration with Tri-county Youth Services Bureau(TCYSB), as a United Way grant funded project. Youth have a choice of attending such informational/discussion groups as Careers; Financial Savvy; Substance Abuse; Guy Conversations; Gal Conversations during the Forum. Community citizens and youth service professionals provide their skills as leaders of these workshops as a gift to the youth of Calvert County.
America’s Promise ‘100 Best Communities for Young People’ Initiative (100BCYP):
This has been year 3 for the 100BCYP initiative. The Overall Process Planners (OPPs) team has continued meeting at least every six weeks during this year, planning for an increasingly overall method to collect, store and disseminate county child, youth and family data. The Interagency Council (IAC) has continued to receive updates on this process, and a presentation was made to the Board of County Commissioners in February, 2010. The America's Promise Five Promises to youth was changed last year by the Calvert Crusade for Children's Board to become Calvert's Seven Promises to Youth with the addition of Family Financial Stability and Developmental Assets for All.
The two new interrelated projects begun last year because of the 100BCYP initiative, the Annual Citizen Summits and the follow-up monthly Citizens Action Summit Teams (CAST) to bring youth and adults together to plan for action on the issues highlighted at the Summits, have continued. After months of no information from the America's Promise Alliance regarding the status of the 100BCYP initiative an update was provided with the date of receipt of the application three weeks in the future and for America's Promise receipt of the completed application by June 1, 2010. The OPPs (see below) went to work.
Overall Process Planners (OPPs) Group: After meeting consistently during the year, when the application and time requirements became known, a small action group consisting of Marie Andrews, Hugo Blasdel, Judy Devey and Guffrie Smith became a
working group to address the data and issues required, and with the excellent collaboration of Board members, county agencies and non-profits, assembled the information according to AP100BCYP email-application standards. With the non availability because of family needs of the long chosen final application writer, a long time CCC member, Barbara Pratt, agreed to provide the final writing of the application to give it a cohesiveness and an overall professional quality. The application is available at www.calvertkids.org
Citizen Summit II (C.S.II) and Citizen Action Summit Team (CAST):
The C.S.II event continued the C.S.I focus on youth and adult citizens sharing information and naming on issues, needs and solutions that would improve the lives of children, youth and families in Calvert County. Discussion issues included: Need for increased mentoring; High school students as Peer Mediators; Addressing Bullying; Ideas for a Neighborhood Cares youth and adult action group; How can students become connected to labor intensive action service opportunities or for presentation /discussion type of service opportunities? Again there was collaboration from Interagency Council members and faith communities.
There will be a third annual Citizen Summit III on October 26, 2010, that will include collaborating with Calvert County Public Schools social studies classes and youth to hold an election year Candidates Forum to discuss children, youth and family issues.
Neighborhood Cares: This idea formulated last year has received additional action by CCC members and the Board of Directors who have approved a Neighborhood Cares three year pilot project at the White Sands community. Meetings have been held with the president of the White Sands Civic Association and community office manager. A summer program using a CCC supervised senior college intern is being planned, with one expectation that a Girls Club will be formed and then be continued on past the summer by neighborhood residents. There is a strong effort to be seen as a companion group to the Neighborhood Watch programs already established by the Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse (CAASA). The focus is to provide activities, sports, learning opportunities and leadership skills for children and youth within a neighborhood to counteract the transportation difficulties youth experience getting to other places, as well forming a more caring community for growing children in their home neighborhoods.
Annual Meeting: The 12th Anniversary Annual Meeting was held in May, 2010 at Tom Wisner Hall, Kings Landing Park. New officers and board members were elected and appointed. A unique program was provided to attendees, who included CCC members, awardees and family members and friends of the 4th Annual Champions for Children recipients, a 2nd annual Volunteer of the Year Award for outstanding service to CCC, and an acknowledgement of 7 Youth Writers from CCPS and Primetime Children's Center who responded to the CCC request included in the AP100BCYP application for 4 written testimonies by youth regarding growing up in Calvert County. A panel of five high school youth with board member, George Carter moderator, discussed issues of importance to Calvert youth and to those attending.
Champions for Children: This event was held for the fourth year during the CCC’s Annual Meeting. Individuals and non-profit organizations throughout the community were asked to provide names of those who had given exceptional support to children and youth. Four awards were provided in the areas of Strong Families, Educational Opportunities, Healthy Children and Youth.
Calvert Citizens for an Aquatic Recreational Community Center (CCARCC) – a CCC community wide educational and advocacy initiative:
Construction was completed in spring, 2010 and the pool opened June 8th, 2010 after a two decade advocacy - with a 12 year advocacy by the CCC - for an indoor pool in the central area of the county. It is a 50 meter pool with therapy and children's fun pool and hot tub, gym equipment, one party room and one community meeting room. It is not the pool recommended by the CCC after quite exhaustive research. Its ability to operate without county funding support will be monitored. It is very nice to have a home pool for CCPS competition swimmers and for all youth, we hope, to learn to swim in this county surrounded by water. There is county land beside this aquatic center that has been set aside for a centrally located recreational center that is needed by all county resident. The central area has no indoor community center despite the many youth residing there due to the increased low and moderate income housing built in the area in the past two decades.
Call Center 2-1-1: The state legislature has now provided Maryland with 2.1.1. community based referral information services. Calvert County is included in the Prince George's call center area. The United Way is now requesting all service providers to complete their service information forms which the CCC is doing. This is a 24/7 system not only for crisis services. It will allow anyone with a home Verizon phone to receive answers to their questions about local services at any time.
Interagency Council (IAC): The CCC president has become a member of the Steering Committee for the IAC. The work of the IAC during the past three years has been very supportive of CCC's work towards the AP100BCYP application. This collaborative allows about seventy youth serving organizations to communicate face-to-face and by email regarding issues common to most member agencies. A member of the CCC Board attends the monthly meetings and the president attends the monthly Steering Committee meetings.
National Night Out: This annual event on the evening of the first Tuesday in August, provides CCC with an opportunity to participate in neighborhoods. CCC sets up booths in neighborhoods where there is a Neighborhood Watch group. CCC provides educational Asset Development handouts and conducts a survey of those present that differs each year while providing useful data.
Calvert County Mentor Partnership: This collaboration of approximately thirteen youth service providing organizations meets monthly and plans two specific annual activities. In January, for national mentor month, there is a breakfast with a program that showcases 'mentoring' and where providers set up booths focused on mentor and mentee needs and educational materials. In April there is an increasingly large Job Shadow Day organized with CCPS and local business and agencies that this year allowed 60 eighth graders whom principals have determined would especially benefit from this project, to participate. There is still a need for many more mentors in order to support the many youth who need a caring adult friend.
Communications, Media, Public Relations:
The CCC website, www.calvertkids.org, continues to be upgraded, though not yet completed. There is now a second website established, www.calvertsurvey.info, that provides statistical data on issues of importance to county youth, with comparisons to the State of Maryland, to St.Mary's and Charles counties as similar neighboring counties and to Montgomery and Howard counties as comparable because of high household income. This information may be useful for county residents, businesses, agencies and non-profits re child, youth and family issues.
Improving CCC outreach to the community is a topic of ongoing discussion. The idea of providing an eNewsletter to all individuals and organizations with whom we are now connected continues to receive serious consideration.
Areas of Strategic Focus in 2009-2010:
· Expanding Asset Development even more across the county into all segments of the community
· Partnering more deeply and more widely with county organizations, faith communities, service and veteran clubs and neighborhoods
· Continuing the Neighborhood Cares initiative
· Completing the AP100BCYP initiative.
Financial Issues:
· During a May 2010 Board discussion on fundraising issues support for a strong focus on increasing membership and special contributions by local county individuals and businesses was voiced.
· As a United Way partner agency CCC receives grant funding for our local programs that amounts to approximately one third of CCC's total budget.
· Because of the county’s new status as a high household income county, possibilities for state, national and philanthropic grants are severely limited.
Additional grant emphasis will focus on possible small local grants from service clubs and local corporate funders.
· The CCC held one annual fundraiser in the 2009-2010 year.
The Board authorized a change of venue and emphasis. The 2009-2010 fund raiser was a Time Travel Adventure Fair in the King Memorial Park and old Prince Frederick area, with an emphasis on history for adults and children, and youth volunteering and participation for middle and high school aged students. The CCC was able to collaborate with the Calvert County Historical Society and with Comcast's annual community volunteer events and received Comcast funds for our volunteers. This event raised needed funds for the CCC budget.
Membership:
Membership is open to all who choose to join. Any individual, family, student, organization, or business who pays a membership fee (or is granted a waiver) is eligible for membership. United Way campaign contributors receive the same benefits as members.
Membership fees are:
Individual: $30 Student: $15 Organization: $50 - $1000
Family: $45 Business: $50 - $1000
Staff:
The CCC has employed a part-time Office Manager since November 2008 with much success. This level of support appears to be what is most needed for the support required by CCC as a working Board. With the resignation of the office manager in early June, 2010, the CCC is now searching for another well-qualified half-time office manager.
Board of Directors:
The Board of Directors establishes CCC policies and procedures, programs and initiatives in accordance with its mission, is responsible for an annual budget and financial issues, for legal and non-profit accountability and provides oversight in accordance with its Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws. Members serve without compensation. The Board has an Executive committee comprised of the Officers of the Corporation that also acts as an Administrative Team. The Board has always met monthly through June, 2010. However, at the May, 2010 board meeting a motion was made and approved to move to a one year pilot to have board meetings every other month, with Team meetings to be held in the intervening months. Task Teams include: Program, Resource Development, and Advocacy , Education and Outreach. Meetings are open and all members are encouraged to attend.
The 2009-2010 officers and members of the Board of Directors are:
Marie Andrews: President Rosemary Keffler: Director
Guffrie Smith: 1st vice President Donna Millar: Director
Hugo Blasdel: 2nd Vice President Lorraine Joyner: Director
Marianne Roberts: Secretary George Carter: Director
Matthew Jones: Treasurer
Curt Moore and Linda Lee Morgan resigned during the year due to health issues. Thanks are due to the persistence, effectiveness, and exceptional support provided by committed and skilful board members.
Conclusion:
The CCC is a community building organization supporting children and youth. It has a unique place in the Calvert community. Its funding sources are almost all outside county government. This enables the CCC to speak and to advocate for issues that few other organizations have the ability to do. As it focuses on the well-being of children, youth and families, it speaks for a critical segment of the community that has a very small voice of its own in contrast to other local age and issue groups. Its networking and resource building are usually done quietly and in the background. Its pilot programs open doors for more traditional non-profits. As the year ends a greater emphasis on advocacy and new deeper attention to Calvert's Promise seven Promises to its youth through an overall search for a possible countywide framework (via SEARCH Institute's research work on this topic) for meeting those Promises will become a focus for CCC/OPPs in collaboration with all service providers.
Our children are our future
We are the future of our children
Submitted by:
Marie L. Andrews, President. 2009-2010
