Winona Volunteer Services Inc

WITH DEDICATED VOLUNTEER AND PARTNERS, WINONA VOLUNTEER SERVICES (WVS) HELPS PEOPLE ADDRESS LIFE'S CHALLENGES IN A RESPECTFUL AND DIGNIFIED MANNER. WVS RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE DIRECT ASSITANCE IN OUR MAJOR PROGRAMS. WVS WAS RECERTIFIED THROUGH THE POINTS OF LIGHT FOUDATION AS A SERVICE ENTERPRISE ORGANIZATION. THIS DEMONSTRATES HOW COMMITTEED WVS IS TO EFFECTIVELY DELIVERING ON OUR MISSSION BY ALIGNING VOLUNTEER PASSIONS AND SKILLS WITH MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEER POSITIONS. THROUGHOUT 2020, OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS REMAINED COMMITTED TO SERVING OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WITH FOOD & OTHER SERVICES IN THE SAFEST AND MOST RESPECTABLE WAY IMAGINABLE. WE ADJUSTED OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTION MODEL MULTIPLE TIMES DUE TO THE UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES BROUGHT ON BY COVID-19 AND SUSPENDED THE USE OF FOOD SHELF CARDS AND OTHER PAPERWORK SINCE THE GOVERNMENT INCREASED INCOME ELIGIBILITY. MASK WEARING, PHYSICAL DISTANCING, LIMITING THE NUMBER OF SHOPPERS INSIDE AND CLOSING OUR LOBBY AREA PROVIDED A SAFE

THE SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD SHELF WVS IS ONE OF TWO FOOD SHELVES IN WINONA COUNTY. IN 2021 WE SERVED AN AVERAGE OF 466 HOUSEHOLDS EACH MONTH AND DISTRIBUTED AN AVERAGE OF 37,588 POUNDS OF FOOD OR ROUGHLY 81 POUNDS PER HOUSEHOLD PER VISIT. QUALIFYING INDIVIDUALS HAVE INCOMES UP TO 300% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES. THIS MEANS A SINGLE PERSON MAKING 18 AN HOUR OR LESS QUALIFIES TO USE THE FOOD SHELF (38,641/3,220) OR A FAMILY OF FOUR MAKING 38 AN HOUR (79,500 A YEAR) UPON ENTRY INTO THE FOOD SHELF, THE PERSON VERBALLY VERIFIES THEIR INCOME AND PROVIDES OTHER BASIC INFORMATION TO THE INTAKE VOLUNTEER. ONCE REGISTERED, THE PERSON IS GIVEN A SHOPPING LIST THAT GUIDES THEIR FOOD SELECTION PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE AISLES. THERE IS NO LIMIT ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME A HOUSEHOLD CAN USE THE FOOD SHELF DURING THE MONTH. 39% OF THE FOOD WAS PURCHASED OR FROM CHANNEL ONE FOOD BANK 25% WAS COMMUNITY DONATIONS 9% WAS PURCHASED FROM OTHER VENDORS 24% WAS FOOD RESCUE FROM WALMART, KWIK TRIP, HY-VEE, TARGET, ALDI & MIDTOWN 3%ADJUSTMENTS TO INVENTORY

HOME DELIVERED MEALS VOLUNTEERS DELIVER LATE MORNING MEALS TO APPROXIMATELY 110 HOMEBOUND AND CONVALESCING WINONANS MONDAY THRU FRIDAY. 70 INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERS, 17 BUSINESSES AND 10 CONGREGATIONS COVER THE ELEVEN ROUTES. CLIENTS EITHER PAY FOR THEIR OWN MEAL AT 5.35 OR 5.85 WITH MILK OR ARE ON A WAIVER THROUGH THE COUNTY IN WHICH THEIR INSURANCE PAYS FOR THEIR MEALS. THE CLIENT SERVICES COORDINATOR QUALIFIES INDIVIDUALS TO THIS PROGRAM, MONITORS THEIR MEAL REQUESTS, AND RECONCILES THE MONTHLY BILLING WITH THE INDIVUALS' INSURER AND STEAK SHOP CATERING WHO BILLS WVS FOR THE MEALS AND OUR BOOKKEEPER SENDS THE RECONCILED BILLS TO THE CLIENTS. HOME DELIVERED MEALS WAS LOCALLY STARTED IN 1971 AND SERVES THE CITY OF WINONA AND GOODVIEW. OUR PROGRAM IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE MEALS ON WHEELS DELIVERY SERVICE WHICH IS FEDERALLY FUNDED AND COORDINATED BY SEMCAC. THEIR PROGRAM SERVES PEOPLE IN THE GREATER WINONA COUNTY.

COORDINATED ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THE CLIENT SERVICES COORDINATOR WORKS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS (CHURCHES, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDES) AND INFORMS THEM THAT WVS IS THE ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR ANYONE LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE IN WINONA COUNTY DUE TO CHALLENGING AND UNEXPECTED SITUATION REFERRING INDIVIDUALS TO OUR CENTRALIZED HUB FOR ASSISTANCE SAVES EVERYONE TIME AND MAKES GETTING HELP SIMPLER. A SPECIALIZED FUND FROM THE WINONA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ALLOWS WVS TO ISSUE VOUCHERS FOR GASOLINE, BUS TICKETS, LODGING, DIAPERS, CAB RIDES, CLOTHING, BEDS, RENT, DENTAL SERVICES, ID'S AND OTHER UNFORESEEN NEEDS PEOPLE HAVE. THE CLIENT SERVICES COORDINATOR ISSUES VOUCHERS BASED ON SPECIFIC PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND UTILIZES HER NETWORK OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO MAKE APPROPRIATE REFERRALS TO AVOID DUPLICATION OF SERVICES.

THE CLOTHES SHOP THE CLOTHES SHOP PROVIDES LOW-COST, HIGH QUALITY CLOTHING TO TRENDSETTERS, BARGAIN HUNTERS THE ECO-FRIENDLY AND ANYONE LOOKING FOR A GREAT DEAL. THE SALES GENERATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR WVS WHILE PROVIDING INDIVIDUALS WITH FREE CLOTHING IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. WE PARTNER WITH NONPROFIT COMMUNITY OUT OF ROCHESTER MN AND SELL THEM ALL THE CLOTHING THAT DOES NOT MAKE THE CUT TO THE SHOP FLOOR. RECYCLING THESE ITEMS SAVES THEM FROM GOING INTO THE LANDFILL AND GIVES THEM A SECOND LIFE AS TEXTILES OR CLOTHING FOR FOLKS ABROAD. HOLIDAY PROJECTS STAFF COORDINATES THE FREE CONGREGATE EASTER DINNER COMPLIMENTS OF CHARTWELLS DINING SERVICE OUT OF ST MARY'S UNIVERSITY. WE DELIVERED ROUGHLY 240 MEALS TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON EASTER SUNDAY. A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS, WE DISTRIBUTE 400 HAM BAGS TO CURRENT FOOD SHELF CLIENTS AFFORDING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE A FRESH HOLIDAY MEAL FOR THEIR FAMILY.