The Community Partnership has much to be thankful for in this new year. 2017 is the year we celebrate our 20th anniversary! We continue to offer important programs that make a difference in the lives of children and families in our area, and our Partnership Resale Shop continues to be both a place to find great bargains and a resource for those in urgent need.
In 2016, we saw many good things happen as a result of our work. This past summer, we once again hosted Camp Capable, a weeklong adaptable and inclusive camp experience for children with disabilities. For the 15th time, our Linking Hearts Adoption Fair took place in September at Lions Club Park in Rolla. Our Young Parents Program changed its name to PLUS 1, but the support and encouragement remained the same! We offered numerous parenting and life skills classes, utilized a wonderful group of mentors, did many home visits, and celebrated educational milestones. Our Early Care and Education/Educare Program reached out to child care providers in the area, helping to enhance the quality of their care with site visits, resources, training, and support. Youth aging out of foster care were helped by our Independent Living Program with life skills, resources, foster care support, and scholarships. The Capable Kids and Families® Program announced plans to expand into Springfield, joining the Rolla, St. Louis, and Jefferson City sites! We had thousands of hours of support from incredible volunteers in 2016. We celebrated three very worthy Volunteers of the Year in April, hosted a fun pie-throwing event as part of Give Ozarks in May, and welcomed Ernie Kost and Amy Hermann as new board members. In July we participated in PCB’s Take A Stand project. Our annual fundraising luncheon in October was a wonderful success, and we ended the year encouraged by a community that values the work we do.
We could not accomplish what we do without the support of our donors. One particular group of donors, our Community Builders, commit to donating $1,000 per year for a period of five years. The two photos I’m sharing with you are just a few of these generous and caring supporters. I’d personally like to thank all of our Community Builders for their help and encouragement in 2016. Community Builders include Dilek Acar, Jamie Archer, Kenny and Lisa Barnes, Jim and Annie Bass, Charles and Mary Boone, Darryl and Robin Brinkmann, Mike and Mary Brooks, Richard and Theresa Brow, John and Brenda Brown, Karrie Cunningham, Arlan DeKock and Linda Carr, Jeff and Lisa Cawlfield, John and Pam Denbo, Floyd and Caroleen Ferrell, Forum Dental—Henry and Laura Antolak, Keith and Marilyn Frederick, Jerry and Pam Gahr, Jim and Mary Graham, Wesley and Tonya Harden, Amy and Rory McCarthy, Everett and Fran McDaniel, Gerry and Tom Martin, Jeff and Amy Medows, Bill and Sharlene Morgan, Lou and Jeanine Moss, Mo-Sci Charitable Foundation, Doug and Joan Nesbitt, John and Dorcas Park, Phelps County Bank, Phelps County Regional Medical Center, Bill and Debbie Priesmeyer, Orval and Alice Reeves, Bill and Beverly Ricker, Deborah Robinson and Daniel Hier, Angie Rolufs, Ed and Marilyn Schmidt, Jeff and Cheryl Schrader, Stahlman Powersports—Greg and Angella Stahlman, Mike and Kris Thompson, Ita Tripathy, Regina Valente and Kamal Khayat, Jodi Waltman, John Wiggins, Jon and Merilee Wilsdorf, Dottye Wolf, Dawna and Leland Womack, and Wendy and Gary Young.
Happy New Year, and THANK YOU!
Jean