2008-09 Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida Annual Report

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A Message From The President & CEO

For the tens of thousands of people Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida cares for, the biggest news about 2009 was that, unfortunately, there was little new to report. For the second year in a row, food banks across the United States, including our own Second Harvest North Florida, reported a 30 percent increase in requests for emergency food assistance. The current recession and the continuing rise in unemployment are having a profound effect on our ability to feed the growing numbers of people living at risk of hunger.

Most notable are the increased numbers of new men, women and children who never thought they would need food assistance. Increasingly, we are hearing stories from people who once donated to our food bank but now find themselves needing food from us.

Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity of which Second Harvest is a long-time member, reports the following:
• 63 percent of those responding to a public opinion poll reported that in 2009 their food didn’t last and they could not afford to buy more.
• 40 percent ate less than they felt they should.
• 36 percent cut the size of meals or skipped meals because there wasn’t enough money for food.
• 40 percent reported that they have had to choose between paying for food and utilities in the past year.

This news is more remarkable when we consider that we have delivered a record-breaking amount of food this past year – 10,337,446 pounds – which was an increase of 26 percent compared to the previous year. And still, there is more need than we can meet. For the first time in our history, we have included money in our budget to purchase food in the coming year to supplement the donated surplus food that we receive.

Economists project that unemployment lags behind the return of economic stability following a recession by one to two years. History also warns us that the aftershocks from deep recessions reverberate for years, even decades. Workers who’ve lost their jobs will see their incomes reset to a permanently lower level once they’re able to find work again. Young people who entered the workforce this year can expect to earn substantially less during their careers than those who start work during booms. As state and local governments slash spending, some children will lose educational opportunities. Others will be weakened by untreated physical and mental illnesses.

The good news in the midst of all the current doom and gloom is that our agency is positioned better than it has ever been in its 30-year history to seek and obtain funding, volunteer help and community leadership to meet the needs of the people we serve. Last year, we received $1,482,677 in contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations and fundraising events to support our mission. We are most grateful for this increase in support during a time when nearly everyone is feeling financial pressures.

Our programs continue to receive commendations for the excellent service they provide, and funding from the government for our programs remains steady.

With the addition of Jerome Crawford as vice president for operations and Thomas Mantz as executive director of our food bank, all of our programs are creatively strategizing about ways to serve more people and meet more needs.

Our volunteer leadership is strong and growing. In addition to our dedicated board of directors and enthusiastic JetSet group, we created a strategic development council of local business leaders to help us fine-tune a five- and 10-year vision for Second Harvest. The group met several times in 2009 and is now working in teams to research, analyze and propose new directions in which it can help lead Second Harvest in the future.

Our success is inextricably tied to the many partners that support us, advocate for us and work beside us. I encourage you to read about our challenges and accomplishments in this annual report and visit our Web site, www.lssjax.org, to read the names of all the individuals, companies, foundations and other organizations that have helped us this year. May 2010 be a good year for us all.

R. Wayne Rieley, President/CEO