INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Just what exactly do Impact 100 grant recipients do with the $100,000 transformational grants they receive? Last year, Suzanne Bertman and Susan Hopkins came up with a way to answer that question – Impact Day.
Impact 100 hosted its second annual Impact Day last Wednesday, with the two 2010 and three 2011 grant recipients, opening their doors for members and prospective members to see how their combined $1,000 donations have helped to better the community.
The two 2009 grant recipients, CASTLE and the Treasure Coast Food Bank Backpack Program, did not participate in Impact Day this year.
Childcare Resources and Harvest Food and Outreach,2010 recipients, were featured in last year’s Impact Day.
Childcare Resources received a grant for its Education Center Infant Suite, providing infant and toddler care for children of working families.
The money enabled Harvest Food and Outreach to enhance its Hunger Relief & Cost Share Food Programs, and expand its facility to create space for its emergency food program, Compassion Crisis Center; and food subsidy program.
For this piece Vero Beach 32963 staff focused on 2011 recipients, the Learning Alliance, Treasure Coast Community Health and Hibiscus Children’s Center.
Impact Day began with an early morning visit to Vero Beach Elementary School, one of several schools now utilizing the literacy program called “Fundations.”
The Learning Alliance grant provided the necessary classroom components, teacher training and coaching for teachers to develop technical skills required by the program.
Principal Bonnie Swanson thanked Impact 100 for its continuing efforts to help children, noting that despite Vero Beach’s wealth, more than 75 percent of the children at Vero Beach Elementary live in poverty or worse; 70 have been identified as homeless children.
“Your investment is making a huge change in the lives of children and in the lives of the teachers,” said Barbara Hammond, Learning Alliance executive director. “We’re trying to solve the training and development gap. There’s something very unique going on here in Vero Beach.”
The multi-sensory program engages children daily for 30 minutes, utilizing a repetitive “seeing it, saying it, doing it” formula. Small groups visited with kindergarten and first grade classes, watching eager little ones completely absorbed in their lessons.
Educators have seen a distinct improvement in reading, writing and spelling skills since the program’s inception three months ago, and the hope is to receive funding to continue it into second grade as well.
“That’s where we can see a breakdown,” said Assistant Principal Carol David.
“What you saw was direct and explicit instruction,” said Hammond. “Seven out of 10 third graders are failing to read proficiently. As a country, we can’t let this continue to happen. Literacy is the gateway to all learning.”
At the Treasure Coast Community Health (TCCH) Oslo Road clinic, Dr. Heidi Turk gave tours of the state-of-the-art facility, which provides affordable quality health and dental care to any Indian River County resident who needs it.
The Impact 100 grant funded new digital imaging equipment in the TCCH Fellsmere clinic and an electronic dental records system in both Fellsmere and Oslo, which allows them to interact and view digital records at either facility.
“All these new efficiencies allow us to see more people,” said Turk. “It certainly helps with the quality of care too. It’s amazing what technology is doing for us. And we’ve got a great staff.”
As with its medical care, dental charges are based on a sliding fee scale, and patients can establish at TCCH for routine care, including periodontics, oral surgery, prosthodontics and pediatric care.
There are a combined total of 11 dentists, six hygienists and 11 dental assistants on staff, working full and part-time.
While tours at the Hibiscus Children’s Village focused on the Impact 100 funded Career Pathways to Independence program, visitors also viewed its Pre-K Day Care center for children aged 1 to 4 which is primarily funded by the Early Learning Coalition.
“We want to start early on so these kids don’t end up at Hibiscus Children’s Center,” said Gary Pettit, the center’s COO. The center helps abused, abandoned and neglected children.
The Career Pathways program provides transitional training to teens ages 15 to 17, preparing them with the necessary skills to find careers and independence after they turn 18 and age out of the system.
With help from the business community the program offers preparatory training with resume writing, mock interviews and potential career paths, and helps them find internships and job placement.
Program coordinator Lisa Deleon came on board in September and was happy to report that of the 50 participants who entered the program, only four, who arrived at the village over the holiday, have not yet been placed.
“We’re trying to give them independent living skills to take with them so they can become successful members of society,” said Trudy Sack, Ph.D.
“Thank you for giving us a chance,” wrote one participant in a printed letter.
“It shows kids like us that there are people that still care and will lend a helping hand to a child in need.”
“This program is one of the best things to have happened to the village,” said Tom Maher, Hibiscus CEO. “Lisa Deleon has just done a spectacular job implementing the program developed by Dr. Sack. I can’t tell you how thankful we are to Impact 100; I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
At a reception at Quail Valley River Club later in the day, representatives presented displays with information so that those unable to go on the tours could learn of the various accomplishments. Members of the Education Foundation of Indian River County, Ocean Research and Conservation Association (ORCA) and the Senior Resource Center, 2011 finalists who each received $16,000 grants, were also represented at the reception.
“We’re doing really well on the membership side; we have 78 new members,” said Sue Tompkins, Impact 100 president, noting that there were 348 members last year. “You always have some that don’t renew but it’s looking very strong.
“The thing that’s really neat about this event is that it’s showcasing the recipients. This is how we show where their money has gone,” said Tompkins.
New Impact 100 member Linda Lemmon had thrown herself into the process, volunteering as an Impact Day host at Childcare Resources.
“I think it’s just a great thing for women to get philanthropically involved.”
“I’ve driven by Hibiscus Children’s Center a million times but never really knew what was behind it,” said Naomi Kennedy, who spent the day visiting all five grant recipients. “I was very impressed. The biggest surprise was Harvest Food; how much it has evolved. I saw it once last year when it was under construction.”
Gladys LaForge agreed.
“I was very surprised about all the services offered; the extent of the services offered,” she said. “I was also amazed at the enthusiasm and passion shown by the people who work at these organizations. It’s so easy to become jaded working in that type of environment, but these people are great.”
Tompkins spoke briefly to the gathered crowd, thanking sponsors, participants and contributors and added, “It all goes to the core of what we’re talking about; collectively we can have such a greater difference.”