Dear friends,
I’m honored to share our 2024 Annual Report - a celebration of the life-changing stories that your support makes possible. This year, we’re proud to share updates on the progress we’ve made toward our Strategic Vision, our roadmap of action for the years ahead. Together, we took bold steps, years in the making, to nourish, equip, and empower our neighbors:
Our Outreach & Housing Access team partnered with 118 unhoused neighbors who secured safe, stable housing - the most homeless-to-housed success stories we’ve ever celebrated in a year;
Our Food Club & Opportunity Hub served more than 3,900 families in need;
Our Lakeshore Food Rescue program rescued over 3.7 million pounds of food;
More than 2,816 volunteers powered these efforts by sharing their time and talents.
Behind each of these numbers are real neighbors with stories of hope and determination. Neighbors like Jan, who met our team last summer after becoming unhoused for the first time. Facing overwhelming barriers, Jan was determined to find a path forward:
Partnering with our Outreach team, she completed housing applications, only to encounter long waitlists.
As she waited and hoped, Jan visited the Community Kitchen and Refresh, where she accessed critical resources like food, clothing, and a safe place to shower - helping her maintain dignity and hope.
In the fall her perseverance paid off– Jan was approved for an apartment and finally had a safe, stable home!
Today, Jan is working one-on-one with our Financial Wellness team to build a budget and pursue her financial goals, and joined Food Club to access the fresh, healthy food she needs to thrive.
Connected and compassionate programs matter. Research-based, collaborative services matter. And a unified community, leading with kindness, makes it all possible. Together, we’re co-creating solutions that empower our neighbors to build healthier, more stable lives.
Under the weight of new and mounting challenges like our growing housing crisis, stability is still out of reach for too many - and need continues to grow. More and more families are turning to us for support. But we’ve proven that our community’s compassion is greater than the shared challenges we face. I’m grateful and inspired by your continued belief and trust in our team, our guests, and our vision of a community where all of our neighbors can thrive. Thank you for ensuring that none of our neighbors have to face challenges alone.
Gratefully,
Scott Rumpsa | Chief Executive Officer
Impact Snapshot
*Guest names, photos and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy.
