What is the purpose of an annual meeting? In my opinion, it is a summation of the past year and anticipation of a new year of an organization. Last week we held the United Way & Volunteer Service of Great Yankton Annual Meeting. For the past few years we have had the pleasure of holding the meeting at Mount Marty College and asking half of the affiliated agencies to give a brief report.   

 

Ten of the agencies that receive funding from the United Way shared their past year’s accomplishments. Big Friend Little Friend Director Tina Young related that there are 78 Little Friends with 33 of them seeking a Big Friend. With just four hours of mentoring a month they are positively impacted with the way that they feel about themselves and in the choices that they make. Boys & Girls Club AssociateExecutiveDirectorPaula Tacke shared that the membership totals 233 youth grades 5-12 with 40% of them from single-parent households. Just For Kids listed 309 children enrolled in their program in 2009 with increased structure in the before and after school program. 

 

Family Visitation Center Director Amanda Healy reinforced the importance of safe and conflict free exchange of children between estranged parents and the extent of their outreach that includes families from fourteen counties and four states. Every client that receives assistance has financial needs. Women’s/Children’s Center Director Desiree Slaba shared that one in four women are in abusive situations and that children raised in violence are three times more likely to carry abusive behavior into their adulthood and sons are ten times more likely to follow this pattern. They received 264 crises calls in 2009 and had 1071 shelter nights – double the number of the past year. 

 

The Center Director Tammy Matuska related the greatest growth of their membership is from the “younger” generation that has increased the need for diversity in activities. Meals On Wheels deliveries have decreased from 100 to 74 deliveries due to clients moving to nursing homes or death. It is also apparent that more of the noon meal participants are affected by decreasing income. RSVP Director Deb Overseth tallied 210 volunteers in 2009 that contributed 37,073 hours working in 50 different programs. Over 8,000 hours were fulfilled in food programs, 980 hours as school tutors and 800 hours as court monitors. 

 

Red Cross Director Melisa Smith shared that five disaster families/22 individuals were assisted in 2009, over 1,000 learned to swim and over 350 were instructed in CPR and Life Saving. The Yankton office also received over $8,000 for Haiti relief. Family Education & Counseling CenterDirector Rod Veldhuizen expressed appreciation for the opportunity to serve more people while training and equipping professionals in the mental health field. Special programs that addressed timely needs were the support groups for the unemployed and for youth grief.

 

Yankton Transit board member Tammy Matuska shared that the program now requires two full time dispatchers working to schedule as many as 385 riders in one day. The buses carry youth to school then provide rides for work, shopping, The Center, medical appointments, plus much more – all within the city limits. Literacy Councilboard member Loretta Sorensen reported that 24 tutors have been trained and 15 individuals are currently being tutored. Volunteers have distributed books and read stories throughout the year. She also shared how one of the clients was able to advance her career due to her improvement in speaking and reading English,

 

Listening to the reports reinforces the importance of the work of these programs for the betterment of our community. It is also through the dedication of caring individuals who serve on governing boards that keep organizations focused on their mission to address the various needs and to prepare for future issues. Chuck Aman, Michael Healy, Dr. Malcolm Jameson and Terry Stull have devoted countless hours attending board meetings, serving on committees, supporting the annual campaigns and most importantly sharing their passions and visions for the past six years. Their service to the United Way & Volunteer Services is GREATLY appreciated. Thank you, Gentlemen!