Fall 2015 Newsletter - Mini O`Beirne Crisis Nursery

MOCN
MINI O’BEIRNE
CRISIS NURSERY
Fall 2015 Newsletter
Visit the Children’s Holiday Store
and shop for a great cause!
Our 26th Annual Children’s Holiday Store will serve families from
November 28th through December 23rd. At the store, children shop
with the help of a volunteer while parents wait in the lobby. Gifts
range from $1 to $10, so children have a variety from which to
choose. Once they have found the “perfect” gift, children bag and
tag each gift with their volunteer before leaving the store.
The Children’s Holiday Store continues to be the Nursery’s biggest fundraiser, and its success is due
to the generous support that we receive from the community. It takes more than 700 volunteers each
season to help our little shoppers. Please help us with this wonderful event by becoming a sponsor of
the Holiday Store.
Thanks to the following
businesses for their major
support of the Holiday Store:
WANT TO SHOP?
The Holiday Store is open
November 28th through December 23rd
Location: 3013 Lindbergh Blvd., Suite B
Monday-Friday, 4PM-8PM
Saturdays, 10AM-5:30PM
Sundays, Noon-5PM
Call 525-6800 to schedule special
shopping hours for groups.
Hillier’s Moving and Storage
Rudin Printing
Blue Cross Blue Shield
WANT TO
VOLUNTEER
AT THE
HOLIDAY STORE?
Call the Nursery at
525-6800, or email at
karen@miniobeirne.org.
1011 North Seventh Street, Springfield, IL 62702 l 217-525-6800 l www.miniobeirne.org
Board
of
Directors
Audrey Dunn
President
Tammy Dawson
Past President
Becky Leepper
Vice President
Suzanne Hogge
Treasurer
Ellen Bruce
Secretary
Brian Alexander
Peggy Chiles
Corky Davis-Corr
Susan Finigan
Pamela Hart
Michelle Kimbro
Regina Kovach
Molly Leach
Greg Lubrant
Sharon Rudin
Debbie Shelton
Sandy Wilmot
Regena Wilson
Nancy Zimmers
Nursery News
By Karen Cox, LCSW, Executive Director
Dear Friends,
This year, the Nursery celebrated our 26th year of service to Springfield and the
surrounding communities. In fiscal year 2015, we served 318 families in the Nursery
totaling 2,095 admissions and 11,200 hours of care for children. The families that the
Nursery serves continue to struggle in many facets of their lives and turn to MOCN for
services, support, direction and assistance. Ninety-six percent of the families we served
live at or below the poverty level. Our state’s child poverty rate remains far higher than it
was before the Great Recession.
Despite the continued need for services that reduce poverty and create opportunities for
families, the state is rapidly dismantling critical state services. As the crisis deepens,
dozens of services for low-income families are simply being halted — ranging from
services for children with autism and teen pregnancy prevention to afterschool programs
and college tuition assistance. One of those services severely restricted is access to child
care assistance, which helps low-income working parents maintain stable employment.
A single parent with one child making as little as $665 per month is now ineligible for
assistance. That’s 73 percent below the old income limit. This means that a parent with
one child who works full time at the state minimum wage would earn two times
“too much” to be eligible for child care assistance. These families are now seeking more
help from MOCN because they are in danger of losing their employment, which can
lead to a downward spiral in the areas of housing, food insecurity, etc.
The impact of all of these changes in services has deeply impacted the families MOCN
serves and has, in turn, impacted us. We now see more families using the Nursery due to
job-related crisis, parental stress, and the need for public/support services. Our nursery
staff and volunteers continually work to care for children, while our Family Support
Program staff has seen a vast increase in new families requesting assistance. We are hoping
that these cuts will be restored, but it may be quite some time before this occurs. We can’t
thank our community supporters enough for their volunteer work, in-kind donations and
monetary support. Your help ensures that we are able to provide a safe haven for families
in crisis and are able to support them while they learn to take control of their new reality.
I am very proud to be a part of such a wonderful agency providing an invaluable service in
our community. Again, many thanks to all of you who help us in some way to continue our
mission of caring for at-risk children. Together we all make a difference in young
children’s lives.
With Sincere Gratitude,
Staff Spotlight
Courtney Foster
Courtney has been working at the Nursery as a full-time Child
Care Worker since April 2012. Courtney is also a member of
the National Guard and a college student. She plans to earn
her degree in Elementary Education so that she can teach Kindergarten. Her love
and care for the children as well as her organizational skills make her a great asset
to the Nursery!
THANKS to the many
businesses and groups
who sponsored
our Golf Outing
The annual Golf Outing was held on
May 21, 2015 at Piper Glen Golf
Course and was a great success!
There were 82 golfers who
participated in the event, which
raised funds for the Nursery and
Family Support programs. Many
businesses and individuals helped
the event through their generous
donations of golf prizes. Thanks to
the following hole sponsors for
helping to make the event such a
success:
Bekah Houston Skincare
Jim & Kathy Beedie
Gina Kovach & Dave Steward
Volunteer of the Year
The annual Volunteer Appreciation Party
was held on September 23rd . The Liz
Magee Volunteer of the Year Award was
presented to Jane Carlson, who has been
volunteering at the Nursery since August
2009. This year’s theme was “Thanks S’more”
and a fall themed party and wiener roast was
held. Thanks to all of our wonderful
volunteers and to the Springfield Elk’s Lodge
158 for donating their facility for our event. In
Fiscal Year 2015, volunteers provided 2,195 hours
of assistance on behalf of the Nursery. Our
volunteers assist with programming (child care),
special events (Bingo), fundraisers, and care and
maintenance of the
building and grounds.
If you are interested in
volunteering, please
contact our Volunteer
Coordinator, Angela Manney, at 217-525-6800.
Sue & Steve Preckwinkle
Liz Magee
Corky Davis-Corr & Tom Corr
Brandt Consolidated
Rutledge Youth Foundation
Merlin Roth
Landmark Chrysler Jeep Fiat
Springfield Electric
Scott & Scott Law Offices
Warren-Boynton State Bank
Illinois National Bank
Heartland Credit Union
Insurance Center- Nicole Broch
Green Toyota
Daton Kaisner - State Farm
Zara’s Collision Center
VISIT THE NURSERY ON
FACEBOOK AND MYSPACE!
In addition to the Web site,
www.miniobeirne.org, you can
“friend” us on
Facebook, and visit
MOCN
Fundraising Events
This year we have had two new fundraising
events - a Paint Nite and MOCN Music
Festival. Both events were well attended and
were a great way to introduce the Nursery to
prospective supporters. Fundraising events such
as SOHO, Fat Ass 5K, Paint Nite and MOCN Music
Fest help the Nursery to raise needed funds for
the operating expenses of the Nursery. Thank
you to all who were able to attend the events!
Nursery staff and volunteers care for an increasing number of children each year.
The Children
We Help
July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015
Admissions: 2,095
Number of boys: 175
Number of girls: 160
Age birth to 23 months: 129
Age two to three: 103
Age four to six: 103
Total Number of Hours of
Crisis Care Provided: 11,200
Parent Education Classes: 55
Parent Support Groups: 20
Home Visits: 468
Community & Agency Referrals: 544
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 372
Springfield, IL
MOCN
1011 N. Seventh Street
Springfield, IL 62702
(217) 525-6800
MINI O’BEIRNE
CRISIS NURSERY
FORWARDING SERVICE REQUESTED
R
Upcoming Events
Shop ‘N Save,
Lowe’s and
Walmart gift cards
Generic Diapers
size 4, 5, 6
Baby Wipes
Baby Formula all types
Holiday Store
November 28th - December 23rd
3013 Lindberg Blvd, Suite B
Bingo
Every 2nd, 3rd and 5th Friday
of the month at Caritas Hall
on 9th and Converse, Springfield.
Play begins around 6:00 p.m.
Trivia Night
February 20, 2016