Where community has a place to be, heal, and learn together.
Note from the President and Chair
In 2018, we continued to be guided by our strategic plan. In particular, we were mindful of our community and one of our plan’s core priorities: that community has a place to be, heal, and learn together. Our board is proud of the fact that more than 475 community events were held in East Side’s space in 2018.
This year we have also continued our efforts to ensure that all of our programs are relevant to our mission: building pathways toward equity by disrupting social and economic barriers. Internally, our Equity Action Team has worked to create identity-based affinity groups. Externally, our partnerships with businesses like North Memorial Hospital have helped us remove barriers to stable employment for our community. Engagement with partners and clients helps us learn and move toward our vision.
In this annual report, stories highlight how an intergenerational community comes together in East Side’s spaces—from youth learning about collective power building to older adults learning about the people around them through volunteering.
As always, we seek to honor past and present community leaders. Thank you to our board members who completed their terms of service in 2018, and an enthusiastic welcome to new board members committing to serve their community in 2019.
As a member of our community, you too are an essential part of our vision of community leadership. We all share the community’s work together—no impact would be possible without you.
Kristine Martin
President, East Side Neighborhood Services
Susan O'Reilly
Board Chair, East Side Neighborhood Services
Executive Staff
Kristine Martin, President
Margie Rask, Vice President of Programs
Jeff Mundinger, Chief Financial Officer
Michelle Kornowski, Human Resources Director
Lance Witzig, Director of Advancement
Board of Directors
Frederick Bryan
Michael J. Burns
Hamdy El-Sawaf
Robert J. Foster
Michael Giefer
AJ Graves Koewler
Douglas W. Helm
Curt Holewa
Daren Johnson
Todd Loining
Bradley Losee
Andrew Martin
Michelle M. Mercer
Teresa Olson
Susan O’Reilly
Nikki Pfeffer
Dorothy Rucker
Robert Smithburg
Dennis Spalla
John D. Thompson
Henry Torres
Tina Wallman
Craig Warren
Core Priorities and Program Stories
People have the stability they need to thrive.
Families build foundations for healing and growth.
Children and youth foster curiosity and autonomy through educational pathways.
Older adults are valued, socially and intellectually engaged, and able to live in community.
Community has a place to be, heal, and learn together.
Thriving with Stability
In 2018, we deepened our partnership with North Memorial Hospital, leading to 100% of our certified nursing assistant (CNA) certification program graduates being offered a job. Partnerships with local businesses like North Memorial Hospital help bring stability to the community.
“This program has given me confidence, it has shown me that I do not have to be scared to go back to school. That if I take a chance I will succeed. I will always remember that this is where my journey began. I am so beyond grateful.”
- Molly, Certified Nursing Assistant
Fostering Autonomy
In Youth Out Loud, an Out-of-School time program, students work with topics such as racial and LGBTQ+ equity, collective power building, and how to create change. Youth have attended local government meetings to speak up on important issues, deepening their commitment to equity in their communities.
“I’ve indefinitely grown as a person and even as an African American in the ways of speaking up and out against injustice in my community.”
- Youth Out Loud participant
Learning Together
Delores Vitterno, age 90, started volunteering with East Side 12 years ago in the Senior Dining Program, and now volunteers at the Senior Food Shelf. Community volunteers like Delores help make ESNS a welcoming space.
“I meet a lot of people: different races, different speeches. I get acquainted with a lot of people here because this is a big building. There are a lot of people, you would be surprised how friendly they are and I get along with them.”
- Delores, community volunteer
2018 Highlights
7655
total clients served
92%
of youth say their program helped them perform better in school
1,099,425
pounds of food distributed at 48 locations across Hennepin County
100%
of CNA graduates offered positions at North Memorial Hospital
2755
older adults over 55 served
476
community events held in the ESNS space in 2018
Financial Highlights
Revenue
Total revenue: $7,754,653 for year ended December 31, 2018
Expenses
Total expenses: $7,920,673 for year ended December 31, 2018
A pie chart with the following sections: Government Support ($4,102,277 / 52%), Service Fees and Contracts ($2,331,361 / 30%), Charitable Giving and Foundations ($1,145,798 / 15%), Other ($271,801 / 3%)
A pie chart with the following sections: Adult and Senior Employment ($2,217,245 / 28%), Youth Programs ($1,282,033 / 16%), Core Support ($1,209,496 / 15%) - subdivided into Management ($845,748) and Fundraising ($363,611), NECDC ($1,012,280 / 13%), Food Programs ($785,572 / 10%), Menlo Park Academy ($699,601, 9%), Vital Living ($570,129 / 7%), Family Healing ($144,454, / 2%)
Building pathways toward equity by disrupting social and economic barriers.
