News

Message from the Director

Executive Director Report

Annual Meeting 3/18/10

This has been quite a year for growth within our organization. Our programs continue to support local families with basic needs. Gaps in services within our community are being identified and creative ideas are flowing to see where we can meet those needs. Services particularly to domestic violence victims need to be expanded, with housing needs being the most glaring need. Other community needs identified are, networking of church charity providers and expansion of the 4People network being more user friendly.

Domestic Violence Services:

The idea of opening a Pasco based shelter became a very real option for JRM as grant funds potentially become available and an actual home is being offered as a resource to make this a reality in our community. Services to victims whose offender is not an intimate partner are almost non-existent. Shelter services do not exist for these victims and yet the definition of domestic violence is much broader than the services that are offered.

The final decision as to whether or not we take ownership of the house being offered has not yet been determined. We have learned that JRM would be exempt from property taxes on the property with appropriate applications made. I have been working with the grants coordinator from City of Pasco to prepare the grant application for updates on the house and a small payment to the current owner. She (Angie Pitman) feels our grant application will be a winner for this years grant funds if we choose to move forward with the project.

Programming the house could take on a variety of models. One option I encourage us to look at, is the idea of “transitional housing” where residents would “rent” rooms for a small amount each month that would be appropriate for welfare recipients and would support the utilities and added insurance rates for the house. This model is used currently in Oxford Houses. We would still need to staff the house with a Director with a compensation package including their housing.

4People.Org:

JRM has taken the lead in providing an internet based case management system. The previous providers have retired but have maintained the contract with Vision Link, 4People’s vendor. JRM simply ensures the monthly payments are made to Vision Link and manages training for church users as well as recruits new users from local churches. This has fit well with our new effort to network church charity providers with meetings designed to communicate with one another. These meetings are called “Faith Community Networks”.

Faith Community Networks:

In partnership with John Schultz, Bethel Community Church, Faith Community Networks provides a venue for church charity providers to come together and dialogue together about methods, best practices and tools to use in how we do benevolence in our local area. This also gives us an open door to solicit new church partners and offer trainings in 4People.Org. We plan to meet monthly and host it at different churches with a rotating ‘guest speaker’ from established programs who can offer ideas on what has worked well for them. John Schultz and I both have the desire to help churches learn why and how to do biblical benevolence out of their own churches and create a ‘share the load’ paradigm among our area churches.

Community Partnerships:

We continue to sit on several community committees. We enjoy a working relationship with Department of children and family services and work to support foster children and their needs. I sit on the Human Services Coalition, DOVIA (Directors of Volunteers in Agencies sponsored by the Volunteer Center), and Community Partnerships. We are looking at participating with other committees that would expand our reach and influence at more of a county level.

Program Assistant:

Three Rivers Community Foundation approached us with a donor who wanted to offer us some funding to help develop our expanded services to domestic violence victims. With these funds, we are able to hire a program assistant that enables me to leave the office and develop further funding sources and church partnerships that would support expansion of such services.

Marie Dierks, a dedicated volunteer during the holidays was offered the job and accepted the position beginning March 1. We are thrilled to have Marie on board and appreciate her enthusiasm and compassion as she works alongside me and with clients.

Church Partnerships:

We continue to nurture relationships with Central Untied Protestant Church, Richland Baptist Church, The Garden Christian Assembly and Richland Church of the Nazarene. New partnerships have developed with Columbia Community Church, United Methodist in Benton City, First Baptist in Richland and Richland Alliance Church. Preliminary relationships are being developed with Faith Assembly, First Methodist in Pasco, Bethel Community church in Richland, and The Living Room in Kennewick. Many of these churches use the 4People.Org network and are sending us a minimum payment to support a shared cost for the network. A few churches are sending extra to support overhead costs of JRM. CUP Church continues to send designated funds for our helps program.

Fundraising:

During March and April of each year, we participate in the Feinstein Challenge. Mr. Feinstein of Rhode Island challenges food programs across the country to collect funds, food and pledges and then divides a million dollars of his money proportionately to those who send him a report of goods and dollars collected.

We continue to collect old cell phones. We receive funds for the phones and also are able to request 9-1-1 phones for DV victims at no cost. We provide these phones both directly to victims and to Pasco Police Dept. DVRU.

Meyers Auto Tech Oil Change Fundraiser was a great success! They graciously included a portion of their last year’s profits in their gift to us. Over $6,000.00 was given! Thank you Jessica and Scott Meyers for your servants heart that supports ministry to people in need in Tri-Cities!

Donated Car- A sports car that was donated was sold on ebay motors this spring and was sold for $5000.00. Over $4000.00 was retained from the sale after storage costs and ebay fees were taken out.

This year we are hoping to conduct some fundraiser activities with good volunteer support such as Rockin’ Robin Café at Cool Desert Nights and possibly other park based community events. I am also contacting used car lots to get in on the fundraiser of moving cars to off-site location sales. I have received several antique and collector items I will try to sell on ebay as fundraisers once I find a skilled volunteer who is experienced in doing this.

In-Kind Support:

Donations from Rd. 68 WalMart are being picked up twice weekly. Items include clothing, housewares, toys and gift items. Thank you to Kim Keltch who made this connection for us! We receive enough items to share with other organizations and agencies helping local families. What a blessing!

Special thanks to Value Guard Mini Storage who provide a garage sized unit for us to store and distribute household items in! This resource has made possible the receiving and distribution of hundreds of household/furniture items over the past year. I would encourage you all to patronize them if you need storage space!

Marilyn Taylor from Columbia Community Church has graciously volunteered to provide technical support with our 4People.Org system. She helps troubleshoot and run reports for the system. She has also helped with the research in determining what system was the best option for Tri-City Churches. Thank you, Marilyn!

Richland Church of the Nazarene continues to provide office and storage/distribution space for us at no charge. Over 800 square feet of space is donated for our ministry to work! That equates to $ each year we save and can put toward more services to clients! Thank you, Richland Nazarene for your support!

Second Harvest NW is our resource for the majority of our food pantry items. This year they are providing food items at no charge! What a blessing this is for hungry families!

Looking Ahead:

2010 holds much promise as we continue to cultivate relationships with new church partners. I am aiming at increasing our regularly supporting church partners to 12 this year and developing new church supporters who help us with supply drives and event support as needed.

Board development will be a priority as we expand our available positions as well as hold some training opportunities for our Board to develop their skills and abilities to guide our organization.

Definite expansion of our services to domestic violence victims will be made throughout this year. Support to non-traditional victims must become a part of what we do to fill an unmet need in our local area. Creative ways to support these victims will be explored and implemented as we develop our resources and skills in this area of need.

Thanks for supplying Christmas 2008  for so many this year! 
Over 200 gifts were distributed along with Christmas dinner for each family!

Employees of Franklin County Public Works
Employees of Umatilla Chemical Depot
Richland Church of the Nazarene
Central United Protestant
Desert Rats

Jericho Road Ministry - 2500 Jericho Road
Richland, WA 99352
Phone: 509.627.0750
Office Hours
Tuesday-Friday - 10:00-3:00