North East Exchange Team - San Francisco

NEXT VILLAGE SF IS A NEIGHBORHOOD NONPROFIT PROVIDING SERVICES, SUPPORT, AND EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES THAT EMPOWER MEMBERS TO LIVE MORE INDEPENDENT AND ENRICHED LIVES IN THEIR OWN HOMES AS THEY AGE.

OUR PROGRAMS DURING 2020 WERE LARGELY DETERMINED BY COVID. IN 2021, WE BEGAN TO TRANSITION TO SOME IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING WHILE MANY OF OUR EDUCATIONAL AND SOME OTHER PROGRAMS REMAINED ON ZOOM. THE LARGEST OF OUR PROGRAMS DURING 2021, BY EXPENSE, IS OUR DISTRICT 2 UNIVERSITY (D2U) PROGRAM. D2U IS A PROGRAM FUNDED BY THE SAN FRANCISCO DEPARTMENT OF DISABILITY AND AGING SERVICES (DAS). IT WAS FUNDED AFTER A STUDY REVEALED THAT THE DISTRICT 2 SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT IN SAN FRANCISCO HAD AMONG THE LOWEST NUMBER OF SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES PER SENIOR POPULATION OF ALL THE DISTRICTS IN SAN FRANCISCO. THEREFORE, OUR MISSION FOR THIS PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE SENIORS IN DISTRICT 2. AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF DISTRICT 2 RESIDENTS ADVISES OUR STAFF ON PROGRAM IDEAS. WEEKLY PROGRAMS INCLUDED A MEN'S AND A WOMEN'S CONVERSATION GROUP AND ITALIAN AND SPANISH CONVERSATION GROUPS. MONTHLY PROGRAMS INCLUDE AN ARMCHAIR TRAVEL MEETING WHERE THE SPEAKER TALKS ABOUT AND SHOWS PICTURES FROM TRIPS S/HE'S TAKEN ALL OVER THE WORLD. A STRESS BUSTERS WORKSHOP IS OFFERED 2CE A MONTH. RECREATION MEETINGS INCLUDE CHESS LESSONS AND AN IMPROVISATION CLASS. EXAMPLES OF EDUCATION AND CULTURAL MEETINGS INCLUDE FINANCIAL PLANNING, AND SPEAKERS ON THE HISTORY OF ASPECTS OF SAN FRANCISCO. IN PERSON ACTIVITIES HAVE INCLUDED WALKING GROUPS, WALKING TOURS OF SAN FRANCISCO LANDMARKS, AND COFFEE AND CONVERSATION AT LOCAL, DISTRICT 2, CAFES AND RESTAURANTS. DEPENDING ON THE TOPIC AND TYPE OF ACTIVITY, ATTENDANCE AT EACH PROGRAM CAN RANGE FROM 4 OR 5 TO BETWEEN 80 AND 100. ALL PROGRAMS ARE FREE OF CHARGE AND OPEN TO ALL. BASED ON OUR CONTRACT WITH SF DAS, WE MUST SERVE A GIVEN NUMBER OF SENIORS FROM DISTRICT 2. WE HAVE EXCEEDED ALL OF THE GOALS IN OUR CONTRACT. IN 2021, WE SERVED 67 UNDUPLICATED SENIORS FROM DISTRICT 2 AND MANY OF THEM ATTENDED MULTIPLE PROGRAMS ON A REGULAR BASIS. WHILE OUR TOTAL DAS CONTRACT WILL NOT COVER ALL OF OUR EXPENSES, WE WILL USE OUR PRIVATE FUNDRAISING TO FUND THOSE EXPENSES NOT COVERED BY THE CONTRACT.

IN ADDITION TO OUR D2U PROGRAM, WE MAINTAIN OUR ORIGINAL VILLAGE PROGRAM. IN 2021, WITH THE RESUMPTION OF FACE TO FACE CONTACT, OUR LARGEST VILLAGE PROGRAM WAS OUR SERVICES AND SUPPORT TO OUR MEMBERS, LARGELY PROVIDED BY OUR TRAINED VOLUNTEERS WHO PROVIDED AT LEAST 4,300 HOURS OF SUPPORT AND SERVICES. THESE INCLUDED APPROXIMATELY 800 FRIENDLY PHONE CALLS, MORE THAN 100 IN-PERSON FRIENDLY VISITS, ABOUT 450 GROCERY AND PRESCRIPTION RUNS, 157 BUDDY WALKS AND ABOUT 110 VARIOUS HOUSEHOLD TASKS. WE PROVIDED OUR MEMBERS REFERRALS TO RESOURCES, TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, FRIENDSHIP AND COMPANIONSHIP, MEAL DELIVERY, WALKING PARTNERS, HELP WITH CHORES AND MUCH MORE. OUR EXPENSES FOR THIS PROGRAM INCLUDED 80% OF THE PROGRAM TIME OF OUR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR AS WELL AS SUPERVISION AND HELP FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND ASSISTANCE FROM OUR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT WITH DATA ENTRY TO TRACK ALL OF THE SERVICES WE PROVIDED.

ISOLATION IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN SENIORS AND HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE DETRIMENTAL TO BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. IN ADDITION TO SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR OUR MEMBERS, WE ALSO PROVIDE A VARIETY OF SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF ISOLATION. THESE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE MONTHLY LUNCHES, READING GROUPS AND HAPPY HOURS AT VARIOUS LOCAL VENUES; MONTHLY WATERCOLOR AND WRITING CLASSES; DIFFERENT EXERCISE AND MEDITATION ACTIVITIES; WALKING TOURS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD; AND PRESENTATIONS AND LECTURES ON TOPICS RELATED TO HEALTH ISSUES, DE-CLUTTERING, TRAVELS, SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY, COMMUNICATION, FINANCIAL ISSUES FOR SENIORS, AND AGING. IN 2021, WE PROVIDED NEARLY 600 SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL EVENTS. IN ADDITION, WE PRODUCE A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER THAT LISTS OUR EVENTS AND CONTAINS EDUCATIONAL ARTICLES, INFORMATION ABOUT RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES, LINKS TO RESOURCES AND OTHER INFORMATIVE AND ENTERTAINING INFORMATION INCLUDING A CHINESE LANGUAGE ITEM. MOST ARE DELIVERED ONLINE BUT A GOOD NUMBER MUST BE MAILED TO MEMBERS WHO DO NOT USE EMAIL. WE ALSO WORK WITH 3 CONTRACTORS TO PRODUCE A BIWEEKLY PODCAST THAT HOSTS GUEST SPEAKERS AND DISCUSSES TOPICS OF INTEREST TO SENIORS. THIS PROGRAM USES A PERCENTAGE OF OUR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR'S TIME AS WELL AS SUPERVISION AND ASSISTANCE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND OUR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.

OTHER PROGRAM EXPENSES FOR 2021 COSTS FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION, AND FOR SOFTWARE AND DATABASE SERVICES TO TRACK ALL OF OUR PROGRAM DATA. ALLOCATED COSTS INCLUDE FACILITY COSTS, INSURANCE, COSTS FOR POSTAGE, PRINTING, SUPPLIES AND TELEPHONE AND COSTS FOR PROGRAM INSURANCE. EVALUATIONS ARE DONE FOR EACH ACTIVITY TO ENSURE THE QUALITY OF OUR ACTIVITIES. IN ADDITION, OUR MEMBERS ARE SURVEYED ANNUALLY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR WORK. PROGRAM INSURANCE INCLUDES ACCIDENT, GENERAL LIABILITY, AUTO LIABILITY, IMPROPER SEXUAL CONDUCT AND DISHONESTY INSURANCE. BACKGROUND CHECKS ARE DONE FOR ANY VOLUNTEER WHO WILL WORK WITH AN INDIVIDUAL MEMBER WHETHER AS A DRIVER OR IN THE MEMBER'S HOME. THESE ARE DONE THROUGH ONE OF OUR DATABASE PROVIDERS. FOR STAFF TIME IN OUR 3 LARGEST PROGRAMS, I DID NOT INCLUDE COSTS FOR PAYROLL TAXES OR HEALTH BENEFITS AND ONLY THE TIME STAFF SPENT IN PROGRAMMING, NOT THE TIME SPENT IN THE INDIRECT ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE PROGRAMING.