JCTOD Outrech, Inc d/b/a

Community Development Special Needs Housing Nutrition Recreation Mentoring & Advocacy

Annual Report 2011

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A letter from our founder

Dear Honored Member of the JPC Family;

We at Johnson Park Center would like to

thank you for your commitment to seeing positive

change in our community. We are continually

humbled by just how much hard work and generosity

comes from the members of our family and our

community, and our appreciation is difficult to put in

sufficient words.

In 2011, we continued to make positive

change and turn people and a neighborhood that

were once community liabilities into community

assets.

Along the way, we encountered several challenges, especially those posed by an

economic recession. However, we also continued to experience the things that inspire us

to move on with our mission.

The following is an annual report describing some of the very positive changes that

have come to Johnson Park. While these memories are certain to outlast these

challenging times, so too will our commitment to make more memories and change more

lives.

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Community Development

JPC continued to change not

just lives, but the look and

outlook of the community.

Leading the way in 2011 was

beginning the erection of the

Johnson Park Apartments V

buildings, the area’s first LEED

Certified residential buildings.

The project was completed in

March 2012.

The JPA V buildings include

solar panels, geothermal heating

and the type of 21st Century

innovation the Cornhill community had yet to see prior to this project.

Longtime JPC supporter, Mr. Robert L. Esche, a local Mohawk Valley Resident who is an

International Professional Ice Hockey Goaltender enlisted the help of businesses and the community in

order to build a new home for JPC Founder Rev. Dr. Maria A. Scates, D.D. and Chief Operations

Officer Rev. Ursula Meier. Rev. Dr. Scates and Rev. Meier both have taken vows of poverty and had

lived in the 3rfd Floor of JPC’s Headquarters Building at 26 Johnson for 16 years before the home was

built and unveiled on July 28.

Overview

To To date, JPC has received over $9 million

for capital projects to create a total of 33 safe

& supportive low-income permanent housing

programs for homeless/ chronic homeless

mothers, children and single women without

children who are chronically homeless. JPC

provides emergency housing services for

traditional and non-traditional families and

women. Its strategy for community

development includes recreation, socialization,

for children and families and single females, a

food pantry, a community garden & a

nutritious meal feeding program as well as

mentoring/advocacy and life coaching.

JPA V

A New Home

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Nutrition

JPC iscommitted to nurturing

our residents and the community

at-large with healthy food

choices and an effort

to fight hunger.

Food Pantry

Johnson Park Center’s “Food Pantry” served

2364 families in 2011. The Food Pantry is a

place where JPC residents and residents of our

homeless shelter can go to get canned goods

and other items when they do not have the

resources or money to eat otherwise.

Youth Center Dinners

Volunteers from JPC served meals to the children of the community each night its Youth Center was

open. The center averages 96 youth-per-night. Utica Schools continue to tell JPC that one of the major

challenges to educating its youth is simply getting the children well fed so they have the energy and

brainpower to be successful in schools. By serving a nutritious dinner, JPC is supplementing the

district’s breakfast and lunch programs to give them three timely and healthy meals each school day.

Community Garden The Johnson Park Center Community gardened is maintained and utilized by JPC youth, residents and

community volunteers. Besides providing free and healthy

vegetables it also helps stock the Food Pantry and provides

residents and community members with the skill to produce low-

cost food on their own.

Special Events

JPC hosted several special events that served in its mission to

provide nutrition to the community. JPC’s “Say ‘No’ to Drugs

Party”, “ and its “Back to School Party” were outdoor community

events at which food was provided to all who attended. In

addition, JPC hosted Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years

parties that brought the families of its residents together for

bountiful dinner spreads. At the Christmas Celebration, residents

were each given bags full of food donated by Hamilton College to

bring home with them.

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Recreation Youth Voice at Six Flags Over the summer, Johnson Park Center was

able to send children that participate in its

Youth Voice Initiative to Six Flags at

Darien Lake. The Youth Voice initiative is

an award-winning program that purpose is

train, equip and prepare youth between ages

9 to 14 years of age to speak up, be leaders

and a positive role model. The Youth Voice

encourages peers & all community

residents to live a drug-free, crime-free and

violence free lifestyle. The youth promotes love, peace & unity in Cornhill & the City of Utica.

Youth Olympics JPC’s Youth Olympics drew hundreds of young people and their families into Johnson Park to take part

in sporting events hosted by Johnson Park in the name of supporting a healthy lifestyle. The events were

supplemented by healthy meals, life-skills education and information concerning services classes

especially in the area of substance abuse, mental, physical, dental health & medical services, job

opportunities/training & guest speakers. JPC staff, program participants & volunteers – serves all in an

effort to teach our children & community residents we can have fun while learning, exercise and living a

healthy lifestyle.

SUNYIT 5k Run/Walk For the second straight year, SUNYIT hosted a 5k Run/Walk around its campus to benefit JPC. This

year drew nearly 40 participants as well as several JPC residents, youth and volunteers. SUNYIT’s

Sociology and Psychology Club hosted the event and was able to draw a large amount of volunteer

support and donations from local

businesses, including Friendly’s which

hosted a Family and Fun Night to benefit

JPC.

General Recreation

Johnson Park Center hosted several other

general recreational activities and events for

its residents including: a speech by Newark

Mayor Corey Booker, attendance of local

sporting events, access of children to the

Youth Center and more.

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Mentoring / Advocacy Johnson Park Center believes that self-

empowerment is learning to do things for

yourself. Therefore, JPC residents not

only benefit from a staff that advocates

for them, but they participate in the

process of advocating for the causes and

concerns that affect their lives. In

addition, JPC provides a diverse array of

role models for youth and residents who

mentor them in achieving their goals.

Albany Lobby Day JPC participated in “Albany Lobby Day”, in which JPC residents went with staff in order to meet with

state officials, tell stories and advocate for issues that are important to JPC and themselves. The day-

long trip featured stops at local state representatives’ offices as well as state-wide offices that have a

large impact on JPC, such as the NYS Homeless Housing and Assistance Program.

Local Meetings / Events JPC staff and residents also attended local meetings and participated on several local community panels

and boards to weigh-in on issues that impact not only JPC, but the community and the center. Some of

the meetings included a City of Utica meeting regarding the allocation of Community Block

Development Grant funds. JPC staff also attends neighborhood watch meetings, sit on a community

education committee hosted by the school district and participate in homeless housing statistic reporting.

In 2011, U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi toured the

facility, mayor-elect Robert Palmieri met with

JPC’s founder and staff and several elected

officials attended a wide variety of events at JPC.

Positive Role Models JPC is also determined to provide mentoring and

positive role models for its youth and residents.

JPC has an active relationship with local colleges

and SUNYIT and Hamilton College students are

frequent guests as volunteers and homework

tutors at JPC’s Youth Center. In addition, JPC

invited several guest speakers, sponsored a trip to

see Newark Mayor Cory Booker and is constantly

working to have a well-trained staff that is

available at all hours.

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Special Needs Housing

JOHNSON PARK APARTMENTS (JPA)

Every morning, most JPA residents/clients

wake up to a rapping noise on their door. It’s

the sound of JPC staffer and she’s letting them

know it’s time to wake up and move toward

positive change.

JPA has a total of 33 safe living units for

women that were once homeless or chronically

homeless. The homes are divided into single

women program and mothers with children

program and they offer a luxury that many of

these women hadn’t had just a short time ago: a

safe place to live.

“There’s one thing that can’t be seen, but can

be felt as soon as you talk to our women:

pride,” JPC Public Relations Coordinator

Marques Phillips. “They’re just proud of

themselves for having come far enough to be in a stable home. It’s routine for most people, but some of

these women never thought they’d be in a ‘normal’ living situation ever again.”

JPC has secured more than $9 million over the years to rebuild a once rotting city core, and in doing so,

they’ve also rebuilt the hopes of a community and of women that often found no good reason to hope in

the past.

The women living in JPA live in mostly new or newly refurbished apartments and have available to

them a number of resources aimed at helping them overcome the barriers that made them homeless in to

begin with. JPA is for women 18 years older with or without children. At JPA, a woman can focus on

successfully completing her

treatment program in a

supportive, structured &

safe environment. JPA is

designed for women to

establish & achieve life

goals, build hope and

develop confidence to get

GED, go to college or

participate in job

training/career development

to become self- sufficient.

Mothers will focus on

unification with children

and to be a better parent.