Transitions 1
...is happiness doubled by wonder
Transitions Annual Report 201020102010
2 Transitions
Transitions
Board of Directors
Amy Galloway, Chair Community Volunteer
Becky Ward, Vice Chair Community Volunteer
Corena Stretch, Treasurer STCU
Anne Finer, Secretary John L. Scott Realty
Carol Allen WSU College of Nursing
Kristin Ankerbrand McKesson Corporation
Joyce Blazek Community Volunteer
Liz Cole, SP St. Joseph Family Center
Celeste Crine, OSF St. Joseph Family Center
Sheila Geraghty Salvation Army of Spokane
Robyn Lewis STCU
James Morrison, CPA Garco Construction
Patty Nickle Community Volunteer
Brenda Tudor United Methodist Church
Marianne Wilkinson, SNJM
St. Aloysius Parish
Linda Williams AmericanWest Bank
From Executive Director, Dia Maurer,
Just before Christmas, my husband suffered an accident that spiraled into
a full-blown health crisis. As the challenges grew in size and intensity, we
confronted each from our storehouse of resources: solid health insurance, access
to quality healthcare including specialists and our support system of family and
friends. Although we both missed a lot of work, we maintained our jobs—good
fulfilling jobs that provide much more than wages and benefits. Despite my
husband’s health crisis and because of it, we ended the year feeling so very
grateful for our bounty and for our faith.
Reflecting on the year at Transitions, I can’t help but feel the same
way—so very grateful. While the year had its share of unexpected trials and
challenges, it also confirmed the breadth and depth of our precious support
system—our community of donors. You. It was your support that enabled
Transitions to house the homeless, safeguard and nurture their children, teach
employment skills to the jobless and provide community to the lonely and
isolated. Your support enables us to keep going.
This Annual Report is for you. It’s a record of Transitions’ 2010
accomplishments. We think of them as your accomplishments. You’ll find 2010
financial data and statistics for each of our programs on page 3, a peek into the
stories of some of the women we served last year beginning on page 4, and
recognition for you and all of our generous donors beginning on page 8. As the
needs in our community continue to grow, Transitions will continue meeting
them because of your support. We thank you and bless you for sharing your
bounty with us.
Gratefully,
Board of Members
Erica Jordan, OP, Chair Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters
Esther Anderson, OSF Sisters of St. Francis
of Philadelphia
Karin Dufault, SP Sisters of Providence
Shirley Roberg, SNJM Sisters of the Holy Names
of Jesus and Mary
Management Team
Dia Maurer Executive Director
of Mission and Services
Diane Critchlow Miryam’s House Director
Sister Sheila Fitzgerald New Leaf Bakery Director
Liz Hogan Development Director
Pat Nolan Finance Director
Edie Rice-Sauer Women’s Hearth Director
Kristin Talbott Transitional Living Center
and EduCare Director
Transitions 3
2010 by the Numbers Transitions 1
14%
15%22%
32% 15% 2%
Expenses $2,047,991Women's Hearth
& New Leaf Bakery Café$648,621
Administration$305,225
Fundraising$38,550
EduCare$298,971
Miryam's House$309,423
TransitionalLiving Center$447,201
21%10%
42%
2%
12%
13%
Income $2,048,355
Public Grants$849,614
SponsorshipEndowments
& Savings$209,423
Program Fees, $46,871
In Kind Donations$253,973
Private Grants$256,390
Donations, Fundraising& Misc. Income
$432,084
In 2010, more than 83 cents of every dollar received was spent on services that directly benefited women and children.
Transitions Program
Served in 2010
Impacts, Outcomes, and Highlights
Transitional Living Center provides housing with
onsite case management services for up to 2 years
for 16 homeless women with children age 12 and
younger in one, two or three bedroom apartments
located on a park like 4-acre campus.
31 Families
with children
7 Mothers gained employment
9 Mothers started Community College
8 Mothers successfully closed their CPS cases
7 Families graduated after an average of 7 months
EduCare provides nurturing licensed daycare
designed for children living at TLC to help them
stabilize and recover from the chaos and trauma of
homelessness.
47 Children
47 Children received more than 15,600 hours
of specialized childcare while
31 Mothers learned how to be better parents
through classes in the Parent Lab
TLC Offsite Transitional Housing provides
supportive housing and rental assistance for
homeless women with children.
6 Families
with 13 Children
3 Mothers gained employment
1 Mother started Community College
Miryam’s House provides transitional housing for
up to 10 homeless women in a group-home setting
with 24/7 support services. An efficiency apartment
on the premises is reserved for a pregnant or post-
partum woman.
19 Women
30 active alumnae
10 Women graduated after an average stay of 11
months and moved on to permanent housing
2 reunited with older children
8 gained employment
Women’s Hearth is a day center that provides a
safe space in downtown Spokane where homeless
and low-income women can find community,
classes, art, music, support groups, referrals, plus
access to telephone, computer, internet, hygiene
supplies and showers.
1350 Women
(unduplicated) half of
whom are homeless
made 22,248 separate
visits
743 Women found community and opportunities for
growth in the 70+ classes, groups, and activities
offered monthly, including art, music,
photography,12-step support, paralegal services and
the Responsible Renter Program.
53 Women transitioned out of homelessness
67 Volunteers donated more than 7300 hours
Women’s Hearth Offsite Transitional Housing
provides 3 apartments with supportive services and
case-management for homeless women without
children.
15 Women
15 Women moved on to permanent housing
New Leaf Bakery Café provides job training in food
services and employment readiness skills to help
low-income women overcome their barriers to
employment. New Leaf is a Social Enterprise
operating a Catering business and small Café kiosk
at Catholic Charities building on 5th & Division
19 Women
received 7004 hours
of training
17 Women completed training
7 Women obtained employment
10 Women continue to seek jobs or began school
Fulfilled 200 catering orders
Served 3000 orders at Café kiosk
6 3
4 Transitions
New Leaf Bakery Café: Michelle
Michelle B may have discovered her true calling
while at the New Leaf Bakery job training program.
Although she came to the New Leaf to learn food industry
skills, she finished with new confidence in her talent for
sales and marketing. Like others in their mid-twenties,
Michelle is eager to begin her future. Unlike others,
Michelle’s path has been hampered with obstacles—some
easier to overcome than others.
In her earliest years, Michelle experienced
instability and abuse. She had an undiagnosed condition
known as Fetal Alcohol Effects or FAE. Considered a
“milder” form of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, FAE can be
extremely debilitating since it is often mistaken for a
behavior problem or missed entirely. Those who struggle
with it are often labeled with a “bad attitude” or thought to
be incapable of learning. Luckily, Michelle’s foster
parents, who eventually adopted her, recognized that she
was struggling with a disability and not just stubbornness.
Michelle’s father recalled that even early on, “she had such
excellent drive and skills but there was this barrier to
achievement because of her FAE.”
With the love and support of her parents, Michelle
was able to graduate from a mainstream high school.
Independent and resourceful, she found a job in the kitchen
of an assisted living facility. But instead of letting her grow
and learn new skills, the job never developed into anything
more than dishwashing. Determined to find something
more fulfilling for her daughter, Michelle’s mom heard
about the New Leaf from the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation. “It sounded perfect,” Michelle said,
“exactly what I wanted to do.”
What Michelle found at New Leaf was the type of
individualized hands-on training she needed. She mastered
the skills and gained a new support group among the other
women in the program. About Chef-Instructor, Vira
Melendez-Redmon, Michelle says, “She supports you
100%. She’s your number one fan and she gave me more
confidence.” Among Michelle’s favorite moments with
the program was her chance to hand out samples of New
Leaf cookies at Main Market downtown. Those who were
there said she was a natural at engaging customers. “It was
really fun,” she says, “my little marketing moment.”
Michelle is now applying for work at local
bakeries, cooking at home and working the cash register at
her church bookshop. “The program was everything I
needed and wanted it to be…It was a great experience and
I can’t wait to take what I’ve learned to a job,” she said.
turns a meal into a feast
New Leaf Bakery Café Transition’s newest program is a social enterprise
that blends education, skill building, work experience and support services to
help low-income women overcome barriers to employment. The curriculum
covers basics from knife use to food presentation and nutrition plus resume
writing, job search and interview skills. Each woman in the program builds
her resume with work in the New Leaf catering operation and experience in
the New Leaf Bakery Café kiosk in the Catholic Charities’ lobby..
Transitions 5
and chaos into order
Transitional Living Center (TLC)
& EduCare: Maya, Toby and Kellie
Eight months pregnant, Maya came to TLC
late in 2009 with her three year old son, Toby.
Homeless and penniless, Maya had just left an
abusive relationship—the most recent in a string of
abusive relationships. She had regained custody of
Toby for the third time. Once reunited, she was
determined to raise him and the child she was
carrying without the conflict and chaos she had
endured growing up and without the violence and
abuse she had experienced in most of her adult
relationships.
After her beautiful daughter, Kellie was
born, Maya began to tackle her personal goals,
which were to provide a healthy home for her
children and to find a job that could support her
and her little family. Maya thrived at TLC but
Toby struggled. Not only did he have to learn how
to cope with a new baby sister, he had to learn how
to cope with his mother. Since Toby had been in
and out of foster care since birth, all those
separations had taught him not to trust adults—
especially his mom. He protected himself by acting
out—yelling, swearing, even hitting, which kept
everyone at a safe distance. On Toby’s first day at
EduCare, he swore at the teachers, yelled, and tried
to push other children. He disrupted games and
songs and refused to eat or lie down at nap time.
The TLC/EduCare team, including the
Family Support Advocate, teachers, volunteers and
relief staff utilized a totally coordinated approach
with Toby and his mom providing support to help
them really bond for the first time. Slowly Toby’s
behaviors began to improve as he came to believe
that not only his mom but all the new adults in his
life were safe and that they truly valued and cared
for him. He developed the ability to trust and
stopped fearing that his mom would leave him
again. Finally, Toby got to be a child! No more
cursing, yelling or hitting. He began to play
games, sing, share toys and fall asleep with the
other children.
After 10 months at TLC/EduCare, Maya,
Toby and Kellie moved away to their own
apartment. Maya has a job that supports them and
Toby attends a
new preschool.
Last time they
visited TLC, Toby
reported that he
missed his old
friends at
EduCare but had
made good new
friends at his new
school. What a
difference a year
of nurturing and
support had made
in his life!
Transitional Living Center (TLC) is a supportive transitional
housing program for homeless women with children age 12 and
younger. Located on a beautiful four acre campus, TLC has
sixteen one, two and three bedroom apartments where families can
stabilize and develop new skills for up to two years. EduCare is a
licensed daycare program located on the TLC campus that
provides children living at TLC with specialized support to help
them recover from the chaos and trauma of homelessness.
6 Transitions
Miryam’s House: Brittiny
Brittiny’s early life was filled with chaos and pain. Her
dad was abusive; and her mom was so withdrawn she was unable
to meet her children’s needs. When Brittiny was 9, her dad was
murdered. Six months later her mom was diagnosed with cancer.
By junior high, Brittiny had begun using drugs and alcohol. The
boyfriend she chose was cruel and violent. In her senior year,
Brittiny dropped out of school to care for her mom but her drug
and alcohol use accelerated.
When her mom died, Brittiny married her abusive
boyfriend and they moved into her stepdad’s barn. When a close
friend died, Brittiny snapped, blacked out and robbed her step-
father. She and her husband split up, and Brittiny hid from the
police in a friend’s trailer for almost a year. She was deeply
depressed and self destructive, adding dangerous comfort mea-
sures for her aching heart—an eating disorder that involved
binging and purging and a self-mutilation habit that involved
cutting herself.
Brittiny’s life continued to be defined by drugs and pain
until she landed at UGM Crisis Shelter. Feeling totally hopeless,
she wrote a farewell letter to her sister. She was ready to end her
life when she got word that
Miryam's House had room for
her.
Brittiny was amazed by
the warmth, comfort, and
tranquility at Miryam’s. Just
receiving a friendly greeting
when she woke up in the
morning was a shock.
Six months later,
Brittiny is hard at work on her
recovery. She has learned that she has a right not to be abused
and continues to process her multiple losses and past trauma.
Brittiny is also working on her GED and plans to go to college.
She has grown into a role of responsibility at Miryam’s while she
continues to explore her own talents. Brittiny loves to write and
has begun working on her life story and writing poetry.
turns a stranger into a friend
The Women’s Hearth is a day center that provides a safe
environment where all women are welcomed to engage in
community. More than 70 different classes, groups and
activities are offered each month including arts, crafts, music,
spirituality, life-skills, and 12-step recovery support. Women
may link to other local services through referrals and have
access to phone, computer, internet, snacks, hygiene supplies
and showers. A recuperation room on the premises provides
cots and a quiet space where homeless women who are ill or
just out of the hospital may rest during the day.
Miryam’s House is a residential program where 10 women
live in community for up to a year as they heal from abuse,
addiction, mental illness and the isolation and chaos of
homelessness. 24/7 support helps the women address the issues
that led to their homelessness and develop goal for the future.
The Women’s Hearth: Carmen
Carmen never planned on being homeless in Spokane.
She never planned on being homeless at all. She was always a
hard worker—often 95 hrs or more each week—in her job as a
home health care worker in Tacoma. That was while she
attended graduate school and
worked at an internship. Overloaded
and overwhelmed, Carmen broke
down and was admitted to an
inpatient facility. When she left
inpatient care, she became homeless.
Her only relative was a daughter in
Spokane. Hoping to move closer to
her, Carmen sought the help of an
outreach team from Spokane Mental
Health, which in turn contacted the
Women’s Hearth. Through that
collaboration, Carmen was able to
travel to Spokane and enter the
Women’s Hearth offsite transitional apartment program—another
local collaboration between SNAP and Transitions.
Carmen’s path to the Hearth’s transitional housing
program is not typical. Hearth staff usually know women much
better and longer before recommending an apartment, but they
are always flexible. They know that every woman’s story is
unique and deserves a unique response. Carmen moved in with
dishes, blankets and a futon but more importantly with the care
and support of the Hearth community. Given that support, she
regained her old resiliency and began to build on her existing
skills. She is now self-sufficient and living in her own apartment.
With a healthy balance restored to her life, she completed course-
work at Seattle University for her Master’s and passed the
comprehensive exams. With a freshly minted Master’s Degree in
Counseling, Carmen volunteers twice weekly at the Hearth. She
considers her friends there part of her extended family. And the
Hearth community is blessed to have her.
a house into a home
Transitions 7
Share Your Circle
Contact us about speaking to your church, service or community group.
Gather a group of friends or co-workers to tour our facilities.
Grab your golf buddies and sign up to play in our annual Golf Scramble on Friday, June 17.
Be a People Who Care Table Captain for our annual breakfast or lunch on Tuesday, October 11.
Share Your Workplace
If your company supports the United Way, you can designate your United Way payroll deduction for Transitions. Same is true for WA State Combined Fund Drive and the Combined Federal Campaign.
Let us know if your company provides matching gifts.
Organize a drive at work. Nonperishable food, paper, cleaning, laundry, hygiene, and craft supplies are always welcome. To see a current Wish List, visit our website: www.help4women.org.
If your company offers grants or other support to community agencies, please let us know.
Share Your Bounty
Make a financial contribution. No matter the size, you can be sure it will make a difference.
Use the enclosed envelope or donate securely on our website, www.help4women.org.
Become a SAINT by pledging to support Transitions with regular donations (monthly or quarterly) over the course of one or more years.
Share Your Time and Talent
Volunteer at one of our programs or events.
Share a special talent, skill, or enjoy good conversation with our women.
Shovel snow in the winter; rake leaves in the fall, help with spring cleaning
projects, help the harvest all summer in our Growing Hope Community
Garden.
Share Your Legacy
Make an extra donation to our endowment fund and help us plan for the
future.
Name Transitions in your estate plan and continue to support women and
children long into the future with your will, trust, charitable gift annuity or
other estate plan structure.
and unlocks the fullness of life.