FAMILIES FIRST ANNUAL UPDATE 2007 annual RePORt
FAMILIES FIRST ANNUAL UPDATE 2007 annual RePORt
FAMILIES FIRST ANNUAL UPDATE 2007 annual RePORt
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families first <strong>annual</strong> update<br />
<strong>2007</strong> <strong>annual</strong> report
HarbOUR HOUSE, New Bedford, MA<br />
“Creating a Safe Harbor<br />
for Homeless Families”<br />
— Charles Huschle<br />
Photo © Mercy Bell<br />
In the spring of <strong>2007</strong>, Families First began an intensive outreach effort to<br />
widen the scope and impact of our programs. As a result, we began<br />
working with the staff and residents of HarbOUR HOUSE, an emergency<br />
family shelter in New Bedford, MA. Director Shelly Correia called our<br />
Program Coordinator, Jessica Kirkpatrick, after receiving a Families First<br />
mailing. “I want all your programs!” Correia said last summer. Since then,<br />
we have provided 14 parenting workshops and five professional trainings,<br />
and Ms. Correia is thrilled.<br />
HarbOUR HOUSE is a 54-bed shelter with the capacity to serve 16 families.<br />
The atmosphere at HarbOUR HOUSE is empowering and encouraging.<br />
Upon arrival, every family meets with a shelter worker to create a selfsufficiency<br />
plan, which includes setting goals for finding employment<br />
and permanent housing. The staff is dedicated to increasing a family’s<br />
sense of self-worth. They do this by treating everyone with dignity and<br />
respect, and with sensitivity to cultural differences. Because of this<br />
orientation and focus, HarbOUR HOUSE has embraced Families First’s<br />
programs for its residents and staff.<br />
HarbOUR HOUSE is a place that truly needs the support of community<br />
based organizations and parenting education for its residents. While there<br />
are a few married couples at HarbOUR HOUSE, most residents are single<br />
mothers with infants and toddlers. Some are pregnant; some have lost<br />
their spouses due to violence, drug abuse, or abandonment; some are in<br />
recovery themselves. Living in a shelter is deeply challenging because of<br />
the wide range of attitudes, values and opinions expressed by its diverse<br />
population. Families feel alienated from society and are often recovering<br />
from the impact of domestic violence or violence in their communities.<br />
One mother reported “feeling like her parenting was on ‘hold’” while living<br />
in the shelter.<br />
Photo © Jurek Durczak<br />
Parents and staff at HarbOUR HOUSE and Families First parenting<br />
educators have found it hugely rewarding to participate in our parenting<br />
workshops and professional trainings. This is work that is truly worthwhile<br />
– strengthening these families who need our help the most. When we<br />
finished our signature program, Love and Limits, one parent commented,<br />
“I’ve learned a lot – I can’t wait to apply some of the techniques.” Another<br />
said, “It helped me be more calm and patient and listen to and care about<br />
my kids’ feelings.” One mother added, “I always learn something new.”<br />
Families First will continue to expand our programs in southeastern<br />
Massachusetts and looks forward to further developing our relationship<br />
with HarbOUR HOUSE. In January 2008, our parenting educators will<br />
meet to discuss the special needs of HarBOUR HOUSE in order to create<br />
a thoughtful mission for our work there in the months to come.
Dear Friends of Families First,<br />
Happy New Year to you and your family! Whether you<br />
enjoyed the holidays at home or traveled to be close to<br />
loved ones, we hope you had a wonderful holiday season<br />
and that you were able to create new memories with your<br />
family and friends.<br />
As Executive Director and Chair of the Board of Directors<br />
at Families First, we believe deeply in the importance of<br />
parenting education and support. In a society driven by<br />
longer work days, increasing demands, and less proximity to<br />
extended family, we know that there is now, more than ever,<br />
a critical need for our services in the community. Each day,<br />
we devote our efforts to reaching as many families as possible<br />
in the most effective ways possible, and we will continue until<br />
we connect with every family in need of our services.<br />
Regardless of background or life circumstances, we know that all parents can benefit from having parenting<br />
strategies, tools, and support systems readily available. Ultimately, it is the children of these parents who benefit and<br />
go on to develop into healthy individuals who are well-equipped to deal with all of life’s ups and downs. We know<br />
our work is making a difference when we see a frustrated father take a deep breath and calmly ask his crying child<br />
why she feels so sad or a mother set boundaries for her toddler by giving him options for playtime. There is nothing<br />
more rewarding than watching a family become stronger and healthier right before our eyes. We are humbled to be a<br />
part of this process.<br />
<strong>2007</strong> was a remarkable year for Families First Parenting Programs and we thank you for your support. We hope<br />
the pages of our <strong>2007</strong> Annual Report illustrate the tremendously positive and uplifting images we’ve painted<br />
throughout the year. Through the remarkable efforts of our staff, parent educators, volunteers, and donors, we were<br />
able to directly serve more than 3,000 parents and professionals at more than 100 organizations in 48 Massachusetts<br />
communities. We also had a banner fundraising year, welcoming more than 200 new donors to the Families First<br />
family and raising the most grant revenue in our organization’s history.<br />
It’s hard to believe that 2008 marks the 20th Anniversary of Families First! We look forward to continuing our<br />
incredible momentum throughout this year and are excited to celebrate this important milestone with you. Thank<br />
you for being an important part of our journey – this work wouldn’t be possible without your generosity.<br />
Best wishes for 2008,<br />
Crista Martinez<br />
Executive Director<br />
Meryl Kessler<br />
Chair, Board of Directors
Background & History of Families First<br />
Founded by Wheelock College and The Children’s Museum in Boston, Families First Parenting Programs<br />
was created in response to decades of turbulence and change for American families. Between 1955<br />
and 1985, divorce rates skyrocketed, an increasing number of mothers entered the workplace and<br />
the childhood poverty rate climbed to an all-time high, resulting in a tremendous amount of stress<br />
being placed on parents and children. Since 1988, Families First has served as a lifeline to parents of<br />
all backgrounds and life circumstances, offering them the tools and confidence they need to raise<br />
healthy children in our communities. As we continue to learn about the families and commun ities we<br />
serve, we are responding by creating new curricula, reaching out to new audiences of parents and<br />
professionals, and striving to serve families in the most effective ways possible.<br />
<strong>2007</strong> Achievements<br />
1. Implemented our Strategic Plan to serve more<br />
parents and professionals by forming new large-scale<br />
partnerships with several family serving organizations in<br />
the Boston area.<br />
2. Provided more than75% of grant-supported programs<br />
to parents needing financial assistance and living in<br />
challenging circumstances.<br />
3. Provided 388 parenting and professional programs in<br />
Boston and Eastern Massachusetts, directly serving<br />
nearly 3,000 people and partnering with more than<br />
100 organizations in 48 different communities.<br />
4. In <strong>2007</strong>, Families First generated our highest fundraising<br />
revenues in the organization’s history.<br />
5. Received a $100,000 grant from The Bank of New York<br />
Mellon to fund programs for low-income families<br />
and the creation of culturally competent curricula for<br />
Haitian families.<br />
6. Received $40,000 from the Clowes Fund to support<br />
30 workshops and professional trainings at ten Boston<br />
Center for Youth and Family sites.<br />
7. Families First, in collaboration with Wheelock College<br />
hosted a parenting education Summit. For three days,<br />
participants engaged in stimulating conversation about<br />
the field of parenting education.<br />
8. Held our 2nd Annual Family Album Gala, which brought<br />
together 500 supporters and raised more than $400,000<br />
for our parenting and professional programs.
Overview of Programs & Objectives<br />
Programs for Parents<br />
Families First’s parenting education<br />
workshops positively impact thousands<br />
of Massachusetts families each year.<br />
These programs are so successful<br />
because they are a unique combination<br />
of information, skill-building and<br />
support. Our workshops start with welldeveloped<br />
curriculum that is rooted<br />
in the latest social, psychological and<br />
developmental research. Our belief<br />
that “there is no right way to parent”<br />
incorporates research and strategies<br />
from a number of experts in the field<br />
and gathers information from focus<br />
groups and pilot workshops. Our<br />
parenting educators, each of whom is<br />
a highly trained and skilled facilitator,<br />
tailor each workshop to the audience<br />
they are serving and mindfully balance<br />
individual needs with the needs of each<br />
group. The end result is parents walking<br />
away feeling better informed, more<br />
confident and part of a larger network<br />
of parents they can turn to for support.<br />
Programs for Professionals<br />
In the late 1990s, Families First<br />
embarked on our Professional Training<br />
Initiative (PTI). Through the PTI,<br />
Families First developed accredited<br />
training programs to strengthen the<br />
ability of professionals from diverse<br />
disciplines to work with children and<br />
families effectively and confidently. Over<br />
the past nine years, we have continued<br />
to expand and enhance our trainings,<br />
and we now offer eight different<br />
topics covering a range of issues and<br />
challenges. Through these trainings,<br />
professionals such as teachers, social<br />
workers and health care personnel learn<br />
important developmental information<br />
and strategies for identifying and<br />
meeting the needs of the families they<br />
serve. Participants also connect with<br />
other family service professionals in<br />
order to share best practices and provide<br />
mutual support in their work with<br />
children and parents.<br />
Collaborations<br />
As part of our Strategic Plan and in<br />
an effort to serve increasing numbers<br />
of parents and professional, we have<br />
formed new, large-scale partnerships<br />
with several family-serving organizations<br />
in the Boston area. The goal of these<br />
efforts is to create a larger presence,<br />
greater visibility, increased programming<br />
efficiency and new collaborations not<br />
only for Families First, but also among<br />
the organizations we identify. Some of<br />
these partnerships include: East Boston<br />
Collaborative; Boston Centers for Youth<br />
and Families; Children’s Hospital,<br />
Boston; Agenda for Children; Boston<br />
Public Schools and Boston After School<br />
and Beyond.<br />
Programs for Low-Income and<br />
Homeless Families<br />
The challenges of parenting are<br />
universal, regardless of income,<br />
cultural background or family<br />
structure. Yet when parents are faced<br />
with overwhelming stressors, such as<br />
homelessness, poverty, and substance<br />
addiction, the likelihood of child abuse<br />
and neglect increases and children’s<br />
behavior and performance in school<br />
suffers. The encouraging news is that<br />
parenting education programs are a<br />
proven method for preventing child<br />
abuse and neglect. Unfortunately, lowincome<br />
parents are less likely to access<br />
support services that can help to prevent<br />
these outcomes. For these reasons, we<br />
devote over 75% of our programming<br />
to homeless and other low-income<br />
families.<br />
Culturally Competent Parenting<br />
Programs<br />
Cultural competence is the ability to<br />
learn from and relate respectfully with<br />
people of your own culture and other<br />
cultures, adjusting your own behaviors<br />
based on what you learn. Families First<br />
is committed to strengthening families<br />
from all backgrounds. In addition to<br />
translating all of our core curricula into<br />
Spanish, we have held focus groups and<br />
hired consultants to ensure that our<br />
new programs are culturally competent.<br />
We conduct approximately 17% of<br />
our workshops in Spanish and we<br />
continue to adapt our programs to meet<br />
the cultural needs of Haitian families.<br />
Currently, we are developing cultural<br />
adaptations of three core curriculums<br />
for the Haitian-Creole Community.<br />
Curriculum Development<br />
At the heart of Families First’s programs<br />
are our interactive parenting workshops.<br />
We currently offer over 30 different<br />
curriculum-based workshops, ranging in<br />
length from one to eight-week sessions,<br />
covering a broad range of parenting<br />
topics and issues. Each of our curricula<br />
has been researched and assembled by<br />
experienced writers who incorporate the<br />
latest findings in social, psychological<br />
and developmental research. We hold<br />
focus groups and pilot programs<br />
with groups of parents, using the<br />
feedback from these sessions to revise<br />
and strengthen the curricula further.<br />
Currently, Families First is working<br />
with Open Circle, a leader in addressing<br />
the need for social and emotional<br />
learning in schools. Families First and<br />
Open Circle have collaborated together<br />
to produce a series of five parenting<br />
education workshops that focus on<br />
the social and emotional growth of<br />
children, as well as on the enhancement<br />
of parents’ own social and emotional<br />
skills in the context of the family. We<br />
will continue to work with Open Circle<br />
to finalize a new curriculum to address<br />
relational aggression, mainly among<br />
young girls.
Program Site Report<br />
Fiscal Year July 1, 2006 – June 30, <strong>2007</strong><br />
<br />
Early Care & Preschool<br />
Associated Early Care, Boston<br />
Horizons for Homeless Children,<br />
Dorchester<br />
Jamaica Plain Head Start<br />
Marlborough Early Childhood Center,<br />
Marlborough<br />
Somerville Early Head Start<br />
South Shore Day Care Services, Weymouth<br />
Tartt’s DayCare Centers, Inc., Boston,<br />
Roxbury<br />
Roxbury Weston Programs<br />
Willett Early Childhood Center, Norwood<br />
World of Wonder Preschool, Woburn<br />
After School Programs<br />
BELL Summer – Charlestown, Dorchester,<br />
Mattapan & Roxbury<br />
BELL – Joseph J. Hurley Elementary School,<br />
Boston<br />
BELL – Mattahunt Elementary School,<br />
Mattapan<br />
BELL – Thomas J. Kenny Elementary School,<br />
Dorchester<br />
BELL – William M. Trotter Elementary<br />
School, Dorchester<br />
Citizens Schools at The Edison School,<br />
Brighton<br />
Chittick Elementary School, Mattapan<br />
Condon Elementary School, South Boston<br />
Joseph J. Hurley Elementary School, Boston<br />
Providence After School Alliance,<br />
Providence, RI<br />
Runkle School Extended Day, Brookline<br />
Summerbridge Cambridge<br />
Tobin Elementary School, Roxbury<br />
Winthrop Elementary School, Dorchester<br />
King Open Extended Day, Cambridge<br />
Hospitals/Community Health Centers<br />
Boston Children’s Hospital, Center for<br />
Families, Boston<br />
East Boston Neighborhood Health Center’s<br />
Education & Training Institute<br />
Miscellaneous<br />
Bethany Hill School, Framingham<br />
(Residential)<br />
Morse Institute Library/Children First, Natick<br />
Lunenburg Mass Family Network/School<br />
Linked Services (Government/State)<br />
The Parish of Saint Paul, Newton Highlands<br />
Parent and Community Organizations<br />
Action, Inc., Gloucester<br />
Assabet Valley Area Family Network,<br />
Marlborough<br />
Beginning Years Family Network, Sutton<br />
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center<br />
Boston Public Schools Family Literacy<br />
Program<br />
Boston’s Hope-The Home for Little<br />
Wanderers, Dorchester<br />
Cambridge Community Learning Center<br />
Catholic Charities, Dorchester<br />
Child Care Resource Center, Cambridge<br />
Children Services of Roxbury<br />
Dare Family Services, Braintree, Somerville,<br />
& Worcester<br />
Dorchester CARES<br />
Dress for Success, Boston<br />
East Boston Social Centers<br />
The Family Center at the Village School,<br />
Marblehead<br />
Friends of the Children, Dorchester<br />
Girl Scouts Patriot’s Trail Council, Boston<br />
The Home for Little Wanderers – Community<br />
Living Program<br />
Julie’s Family Learning Program, South Boston<br />
Jumpstart, Boston<br />
MassHousing, Springfield<br />
Mission Works, Roxbury<br />
Parent Partnership, Newburyport<br />
Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc.,<br />
Quincy<br />
Room to Grow, Boston<br />
Roxbury Tenants of Harvard Association<br />
Shrewsbury CPC<br />
Wellesley Mothers Forum<br />
YWCA of East Boston<br />
YWCA of Lowell<br />
Schools / Education Centers<br />
Agassiz Elementary School, Jamaica Plain<br />
Amigos School, Cambridge<br />
Boston Collegiate Charter School, Dorchester<br />
Boston Public Schools<br />
Brockton Public Schools<br />
Brookwood School, Parents’ Association,<br />
Beverly<br />
Ellis Memorial and Eldredge House, Boston<br />
Fall River Schools – Greene School<br />
Fitchburg Public Schools<br />
John D. Philbrick School, Roslindale<br />
Lesley Ellis School, Arlington<br />
Madison Park High School<br />
Mother Caroline Academy and Education<br />
Center, Dorchester<br />
Northeastern University, Youth Development<br />
Initiative Project, Boston<br />
Norwood Community Partnerships for<br />
Children<br />
Norwood Public Schools<br />
Reading Public Schools<br />
Southborough Organization for Schools<br />
University of Rhode Island<br />
Village School, Marblehead<br />
Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Dorchester<br />
Transitional Housing Sites<br />
Boston Family Shelter<br />
Bridge Over Troubled Water, Brighton<br />
Crossroads Family Shelter, East Boston<br />
Granada House, Allston<br />
Harbour House, New Bedford<br />
Horizons Housing, Mattapan<br />
Housing Families, Malden<br />
Lena Park, Dorchester<br />
Medford Family Life Education Center<br />
Pathways Family Shelter, Framingham<br />
Renewal House, Roxbury<br />
Re-Vision House, Dorchester<br />
Sandra’s Lodge/Hestia’s House, Waltham<br />
Shelter Inc., Cambridge<br />
St. Ambrose Family Inn, Dorchester<br />
The Second Step, Newton<br />
Transition House, Cambridge<br />
Conferences<br />
A View from All Sides-CTF, Marlborough<br />
Family Support Conference, Pittsburgh, PA<br />
Horizons for Homeless Children, Roxbury<br />
Mass AEYC Conference, Worcester<br />
Massachusetts Title 1 Conference, Woburn<br />
Parents Helping Parents, Watertown<br />
(conference in Marlborough)<br />
Institutes<br />
The 10th Rhode Island Early Childhood<br />
Summer Institute, URI, Kingston RI<br />
Strategic Partners<br />
BELL Boston<br />
Boston After School and Beyond<br />
Boston Centers for Youth and Families<br />
BPS: Office of Family – Community<br />
Engagement<br />
Boys and Girls Club<br />
Cambridge Public Schools<br />
Citizen Schools<br />
East Boston Collaborative<br />
Friends of the Children<br />
Jumpstart
Collaboration with Purpose<br />
Families First and Children’s Hospital’s Young Parent’s Program<br />
(YPP) have established a cooperative relationship in order to<br />
serve inner city teen parents and their children. YPP, a specialty<br />
award-winning clinic within Children’s Hospital Primary<br />
Care Center, was launched in 1980 to provide comprehensive<br />
medical care, mental health services, and advocacy to high risk,<br />
inner city teen parents and their<br />
young children. YPP serves approximately 250 teenage mothers,<br />
75 young fathers, and 300 babies <strong>annual</strong>ly.<br />
A collaboration between Families First and Children’s Hospital<br />
based on the mission of YPP to work with teen parents and<br />
their extended families was a natural fit. YPP through Children’s<br />
Hospital applied for and received a 5 year federal grant to fund<br />
“Project Connect”. This project brings together family-based<br />
comprehensive medical treatment, parenting and life skills<br />
groups, and home visiting interventions. YPP wrote Families<br />
First into the grant for all five years.<br />
With funding in place, the collaboration between Families<br />
First and YPP has blossomed into two joint programming<br />
initiatives. The goals of these two initiatives are to help young<br />
parents become capable mothers and fathers who are part<br />
of strong families, and to prepare young parents to become<br />
productive and responsible adults. For its part, Families First<br />
began providing an eight session Family Forum, utilizing our<br />
seasoned Parenting Educators and curriculum geared toward<br />
the concerns of young parents of children birth to 5 years old.<br />
The second initiative joins the efforts of Families First’s Program<br />
Department and YPP staff to create curriculum for an eight<br />
week co-facilitated Father’s Group. The purpose of the group is<br />
to create a safe space for young fathers to discuss and learn new<br />
skills around various emotional, relational and societal factors<br />
that impact their interpersonal relationships with their coparents<br />
and children.<br />
Both Families First and YPP receive great benefits through this<br />
unique opportunity to work together. Children’s Hospital has an<br />
opportunity to partner with a community organization, which<br />
extends the range of services Children’s provides. It also gets<br />
to share in the expertise that the experienced corps of Families<br />
First parenting educators brings. The partnership also affords<br />
Families First the wonderful opportunity to create programming<br />
and content which is co-branded with Children’s Hospital and<br />
to fulfill its mission by working with a population that deserves<br />
and needs help. In the truest sense, this collaboration affords<br />
both organizations valuable opportunities to promote nurturing<br />
and healthy interactions through their work with families.<br />
National Parenting Education Summit<br />
In May of <strong>2007</strong>, Families First, in collaboration with<br />
Wheelock College, convened the first National Parenting<br />
Education Summit (Charting the Progress and Promise of<br />
Parenting Education), which was attended by 65 experts<br />
from the parenting education field. Attendees came from<br />
nine states and the United Kingdom. They represented<br />
individual parenting educators, parenting support and service<br />
organizations, and other experts working in inter-disciplinary<br />
environments to strengthen family relationships. Over a<br />
3 day period, participants discussed issues connected with<br />
credentialing, licensing, curriculum development, program<br />
design, funding, and advocacy.<br />
The Summit provided Families First with tremendous<br />
visibility, positioned us as leaders in the field, and attracted<br />
the attention of the National Parenting Education Network<br />
(NPEN), which has requested a similar conference on an<br />
<strong>annual</strong> or bi<strong>annual</strong> basis. By the conclusion of the Summit, it<br />
was very clear that practitioners felt a strong need to convene<br />
on a more regular basis and also to establish a network or<br />
networks to more effectively communicate across what is a<br />
very diverse and decentralized field.<br />
Families First Executive Director, Crista Martinez, presented<br />
an overview of our initial findings from the Summit at the<br />
15th Annual A View From All Sides Conference, sponsored<br />
by the Children’s Trust Fund of Massachusetts. A committee,<br />
led by Families First board member Professor Lisa Fiore, is<br />
currently meeting to formally synthesize the information<br />
gained from the Summit and to prepare a summary report.<br />
A huge thanks to the following individuals for making the<br />
Summit possible:<br />
Summit Committee<br />
Linda Braun<br />
Nina Dickerman<br />
Gayle Dublin, Chair<br />
Lisa Fiore<br />
Anastasia Galanopoulos<br />
Meryl Kessler<br />
Anne Marcus<br />
Marta Rosa<br />
Stefi Rubin<br />
A. Rae Simpson<br />
Phyllis Sonnenschein<br />
Lee Soto<br />
Eleonora Villegas-Reimers,<br />
Chair<br />
Anne Bentley Waddoups<br />
Leslie Zients-Pucker<br />
Town Hall Panelists<br />
Linda Braun<br />
Harriet Heath<br />
A. Rae Simpson<br />
Mary Kay Strannik<br />
Eleonora Villegas-Reimers,<br />
Moderator<br />
Thank You Wheelock College
Run, Run as Fast as You Can!<br />
<br />
John Hancock Financial<br />
Services Donates Boston<br />
Marathon Numbers and<br />
Much More to Families First<br />
Through the generosity of John Hancock<br />
Financial Services, seven dedicated<br />
Families First supporters received official<br />
Boston Marathon numbers. These<br />
magnificent seven individuals had the<br />
opportunity to run the 111th Boston<br />
Marathon and they raised more than<br />
$34,000 for our parenting education<br />
programs!<br />
For more than 140 years, John Hancock<br />
has been committed to strengthening<br />
and improving communities in Boston<br />
by providing support to the city’s youth<br />
and families most in need. John Hancock<br />
forms strategic partnerships with the<br />
city of Boston, Boston Public Schools,<br />
the Boston Police Department, and state<br />
of the art non-profit organizations as<br />
Families First, to identify the needs of<br />
the community. John Hancock creates<br />
innovative, educational programs to<br />
leverage all of their resources, financial<br />
and sponsorships like the Boston<br />
Marathon to benefit Boston area<br />
communities.<br />
The relationship between John Hancock<br />
and Families First began in 1997 when we<br />
were awarded our first grant of $2,500.<br />
For the past ten years, the company has<br />
made increasing financial contributions to<br />
Families First and has been crucial to the<br />
development of our parenting education<br />
programs. In 2004, we were awarded<br />
a three-year $150,000 grant from them,<br />
which enabled Families First to continue<br />
our important work and to begin a<br />
number of new initiatives.<br />
John D. DesPrez III, President and Chief Executive Officer<br />
John Hancock Financial, holding the ribbon as the winner<br />
of the <strong>2007</strong> Boston Marathon crosses the finish.<br />
As John Hancock’s headquarters is<br />
located in South Boston district, their<br />
funding supports our programs for lowincome<br />
families in this neighborhood, as<br />
well as the development of our curricula<br />
Bullies, Targets, and Bystanders, which<br />
helps parents address issues related<br />
to bullying that their children may be<br />
experiencing. John Hancock funded<br />
the creation of our Family Resource Kits,<br />
which are kits given to families living in<br />
transition who participate in our Positive<br />
Parenting workshop series, as well as<br />
several of our other major initiatives,<br />
including our Family Album Galas.<br />
One of the most rewarding aspects of<br />
our partnership with John Hancock has<br />
been getting to know and work with their<br />
incredible team of people. Carol Fulp,<br />
Vice President of Community Relations,<br />
has been a wonderful champion for<br />
Families First. She and her husband,<br />
Bernie, co-chaired our very first Family<br />
Album Gala and introduced us to new<br />
Families First Board Member, Carey Hoch,<br />
Senior Vice President of Marketing at John<br />
Hancock. Carey and her marketing team<br />
helped Families First create some of the<br />
beautiful collateral for the second Family<br />
Album Gala.<br />
Our ability to grow and reach more<br />
families each year would not have<br />
been possible without the dedication<br />
and generosity that John Hancock<br />
has shown to Families First and to the<br />
Boston community over the years. On<br />
behalf of the more than 4,500 families<br />
and professionals we serve each year,<br />
Families First wishes to express our<br />
sincere appreciation to John Hancock<br />
for their years of unfailing support<br />
and commitment to the families and<br />
communities we serve.
Creating a New Page in our Family Album:<br />
BNY Mellon supports Families First in a big way in <strong>2007</strong>!<br />
In July of <strong>2007</strong>, Mellon Financial Corporation<br />
and The Bank of New York Company, Inc.<br />
merged to form what is now known as The<br />
Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon). The<br />
result of this merger is an outstanding global<br />
corporation which provides financial growth<br />
services and asset management for clients in<br />
thirty-four countries. In addition to providing<br />
exceptional service to their clients, BNY<br />
Mellon invests in initiatives that improve our<br />
communities by partnering with nonprofit<br />
partners, local agencies, and their global<br />
corporate neighbors.<br />
BNY Mellon is deeply respected in the<br />
community for their charitable efforts, which<br />
extend far beyond the generous grant<br />
funding which they provide to numerous<br />
organizations. The Charitable Giving Program<br />
Team includes: Joannie Jaxtimer, Senior Vice<br />
President and Director of Corporate Affairs,<br />
Carol Smith, Community Relations Manager,<br />
Faith Peters James, Community Sponsorships<br />
& Employee Programs Manager, and Celina<br />
Miranda, Charitable Giving Manager. These<br />
individuals go above and beyond the call of<br />
duty on a daily basis and are both personally<br />
and professionally committed to improving<br />
conditions in our communities. We are almost<br />
certain they never sleep!<br />
Our relationship with BNY Mellon began in<br />
2004 with an initial meeting. Since that time,<br />
the BNY Mellon Charitable Giving Program has<br />
contributed more than $200,000 to Families<br />
First for support of a variety of projects such<br />
as the creation of our grandparenting curricula,<br />
development of our culturally competent<br />
curricula for parents within the Haitian<br />
community, and support for our low-income<br />
parenting and professional trainings.<br />
Funding from the BNY Mellon Charitable<br />
Giving Program/Alice P. Chase Trust also<br />
served as seed money for the creation of our<br />
Family Engagement Plan for work in school<br />
and after-school settings and also enabled<br />
us to continue the implementation of the<br />
recommendations from our strategic plan. In<br />
Fiscal Year <strong>2007</strong>, BNY Mellon Charitable Giving<br />
Program contributed $100,000 to Families First,<br />
making them our single largest donor last year!<br />
This support helped Families First reach those<br />
families in the community who needed our<br />
help the most.<br />
The BNY Mellon Charitable Giving team<br />
strongly believes in forming comprehensive<br />
partnerships with the organizations with whom<br />
they support. In the spring of 2006, Joannie<br />
Jaxtimer co-chaired our very first Family Album<br />
Gala with her husband, Mike Barry, and helped<br />
lead us through our most successful special<br />
event in Families First history at that time, which<br />
raised more than $300,000. We were thrilled<br />
when Joannie accepted our invitation to cochair<br />
the second Family Album Gala! Once<br />
again, she helped open doors, introduced<br />
us to new friends, provided strategic advice,<br />
and fundraised on our behalf. The second<br />
gala raised more than $400,000 and brought<br />
together more than 500 guests. Joannie now<br />
serves on our Friends Council and continues<br />
to serve as a wonderful ambassador to our<br />
organization.<br />
Carol Smith has also been instrumental<br />
in supporting us through the entire grant<br />
process each year, offering advice on ways to<br />
strengthen our relationship with BNY Mellon<br />
and volunteering her time by serving on the<br />
gala committee. From attending our events,<br />
serving on event committees, and assisting us<br />
with a variety of other projects, Faith Peters<br />
James and Celina Miranda are also a wonderful<br />
part of this partnership.<br />
We are incredibly grateful for the tremendous<br />
support we have received over the years from<br />
BNY Mellon. We know the impact of their<br />
support will continue for years to come, and<br />
that many children will develop into healthy,<br />
productive, and caring members of our<br />
society because of this partnership. On behalf<br />
of the nearly 3,000 families we serve each year,<br />
Families First wishes to extend our deepest<br />
appreciation to BNY Mellon and looks forward<br />
to continuing our work together.
Selected Financial Information<br />
Year Ending June 30, <strong>2007</strong><br />
Statement of Activities<br />
Operating Revenues:<br />
Unrestricted<br />
Temporarily<br />
Restricted<br />
Permanently<br />
Restricted<br />
Foundation grants $ 183,130 $348,250 $ 531,380<br />
Individual contributions 438,458 438,458<br />
Corporate contributions 219,650 219,650<br />
Program revenue 67,636 67,636<br />
Interest and dividends 36,789 36,789<br />
Net assets released from restrictions 268,683 (268,683)<br />
Total Operating Revenues $1,214,346 $ 79,567 $1,293,913<br />
Operating Expenses:<br />
Programs $ 640,513 $ 640,513<br />
General and administrative 65,897 65,897<br />
Development 408,271 408,271<br />
Total Operating Expenses $1,114,681 $1,114,681<br />
Changes in Net Assets from Operations 99,665 79,567 179,232<br />
Total<br />
Changes in Total Net Assets<br />
Net Assets, Beginning of Year $ 688,026 $103,450 $ 565,250 $1,356,726<br />
Net Assets, End of Year $ 933,291 $183,017 $ 565,250 $1,681,558<br />
This page represents selected financial data from the FY07 (year ending June 30, <strong>2007</strong>) audit.<br />
Complete copies of the audited financial statements are available upon request.<br />
Sources of Total Revenue (FY <strong>2007</strong>)<br />
7%<br />
5%<br />
3%<br />
Foundation Grants<br />
13%<br />
41%<br />
Gala<br />
Annual Fund<br />
Father’s Breakfast<br />
Program Income<br />
Dividends & Interest<br />
31%
Families First <strong>2007</strong> Family of Supporters<br />
$75,000 +<br />
BNY Mellon Charitable Giving<br />
Program/Alice P. Chase Trust<br />
The Charles Engelhard Foundation<br />
$25,000-$74,999<br />
The Amgen Foundation<br />
The Clowes Fund, Inc.<br />
Davis Marcus Partners<br />
John Hancock Financial Services<br />
Anne and Paul Marcus Family<br />
Foundation<br />
John Moriarty<br />
$10,000-$24,999<br />
Analog Devices<br />
Anna B. Stearns Charitable<br />
Foundation<br />
Anonymous<br />
Bain Capital Children’s Charity Ltd.<br />
Melora and Andrew Balson<br />
Bank of America Philanthropic<br />
Management<br />
Cabot Family Charitable Trust<br />
Cisco Systems, Inc.<br />
The City of Boston<br />
Dedham Temporary Home for<br />
Women and Children<br />
Gayle and Buddy Dublin<br />
Fidelity Foundation<br />
George H. and Jane A. Mifflin<br />
Memorial Fund<br />
Wycliffe and Corinne Grousbeck<br />
The Janey Fund<br />
Ann and Ed Kania<br />
Meryl Kessler and Scott Oran<br />
The Klarman Family Foundation<br />
Ludcke Foundation<br />
Medical Information Technology, Inc.<br />
New Balance Foundation<br />
The Nord Family Foundation<br />
Procter & Gamble<br />
Leslie and Ken Pucker<br />
Rowland Foundation, Inc.<br />
State Street Foundation<br />
Suffolk Construction Company, Inc.<br />
TDBanknorth Charitable Foundation<br />
Jim and Margaret Wade<br />
$5,000-$9,999<br />
Amy and David Abrams<br />
Anonymous<br />
Anonymous<br />
Blue Cross/Blue Shield<br />
Jonathan Boyar*<br />
Cahn Funds for Social Change, Inc.<br />
Edgar Casado and Jeanne Chow<br />
Citizens Bank<br />
Crossroads Community Foundation<br />
Olive Darragh<br />
Deluxe Corporation Foundation<br />
Jeremy and Kerry Donahue<br />
John and Pia Dragat<br />
Entergy Charitable Foundation<br />
Federal Street Advisors<br />
The Frederick E. Weber Charities<br />
Corporation<br />
Gale International, L.L.C.<br />
Ann Geraghty<br />
Michael and Eileen Hicks<br />
Highland Street Foundation<br />
Hill, Holliday, Connors,<br />
Cosmopulos, Inc.<br />
Thomas R Hudson, Jr.<br />
The JPMorgan Chase Foundation<br />
Liberty Mutual Group Fund<br />
Robert and Mary Lincoln*<br />
Peter Luppino*<br />
Patricia MacDonald and<br />
Melanie Howe<br />
Meredith and Grew Oncor<br />
New Boston Real Estate Fund<br />
Megan and Robert O’Block<br />
Phyllis W. McGillicuddy<br />
Charitable Trust<br />
Putnam Investments<br />
Michael and Dena Rashes<br />
Richard E. and Nancy P. Marriott<br />
Foundation<br />
Roy A. Hunt Foundation<br />
Jack and Mary Shaughnessy<br />
Matthew and Carey Strobeck<br />
$2,500-$4,999<br />
Michael and Karen Buckley<br />
Cambridge Community Foundation<br />
Donna and James Carris<br />
CB Richard Ellis/New England<br />
Community Health Charities of<br />
MA, NH & VT<br />
Tom and Midge DeSimone<br />
Jennifer Dobruck*<br />
Jim and Emma Egan<br />
Gannett, Welsh, & Kotler, LLC<br />
Thomas and Sue Geraghty<br />
Rebecca Green*<br />
Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare Foundation<br />
Carey and Jonathan Hoch<br />
John and Valerie Howard<br />
Chris Jordan*<br />
Brian and Susan Kavoogian<br />
John and Chrissie Lawrence<br />
Earle Leeder<br />
Anne Lovett and Stephen Woodsum<br />
Andrew and Lisa Majewski<br />
Susan Marsh*<br />
Mark and Wendi McKenna<br />
McNamara/Salvia, Inc.<br />
New England Development<br />
Elisabeth and Thomas Niedermeyer<br />
Kevin and Jennifer Queally<br />
Suzanne Rothschild and John Baynard<br />
Richard Rudman<br />
Sovereign Bank<br />
The Stride Rite Foundation<br />
The Wilder Companies, Ltd.<br />
Individual, Corporate, & Foundation Supporters<br />
July 1, 2006 through June 30, <strong>2007</strong><br />
We are deeply grateful for the<br />
generosity of all of our donors<br />
$1,500-$2,499<br />
Battery Management Company LLC<br />
Biogen Idec Foundation<br />
Charles Ezekiel and Jane Garfield<br />
Cheever Fund I at the Boston<br />
Foundation<br />
Comcast<br />
Lisa and David Craig<br />
Alan and Leslie Crane<br />
Michael Elefante and Louise Sawyer<br />
Betsy Gerlach and Harold Dennis<br />
Judith Leeder<br />
Pat and Erin Murphy<br />
Verná Myers<br />
John and Dianne O’Connell<br />
Lia and William T. Poorvu<br />
Pyramid Advisors LLC<br />
Virginia Rothschild<br />
Leonard and Laurie Slap<br />
Wainwright Bank<br />
Tricia and Nick Winton<br />
Jeff and Mary Zients<br />
$1,000-$1,499<br />
Barbara and Stephen Anthony<br />
James Baldwin and Dana Zadorozny<br />
Jeffrey and Maryann Bass<br />
The Baupost Group, L.L.C.<br />
The Bay State Federal Savings<br />
Charitable Foundation<br />
Belden CDT Inc.<br />
Kevin and Julie Callaghan<br />
Alexandra and Colin Campbell<br />
Nassib Chamoun<br />
The Charles Stark Draper<br />
Laboratory, Inc.<br />
Colony Realty Partners, LLC<br />
Karen and Brian Conway<br />
Jennifer Eckert<br />
Elkus Manfredi Architects<br />
Paul Gannon<br />
Silvia Gosnell<br />
Charles Griesinger<br />
LAZ Parking<br />
Kearney, Donovan & McGee, P.C.<br />
Alan and Pat Kessler<br />
The Lassor and Fanny Agoos<br />
Charity Fund<br />
Thomas and Penelope Lawrence<br />
Mary Lentz<br />
Phil and Ellie Loughlin<br />
John Mannix and Carmel Shields<br />
William P. McQuillan<br />
ND Burlington South Ave LLC<br />
National Development<br />
The New York Community Trust<br />
Horacio Padua<br />
Anne L. Peretz<br />
Shirin Philipp and John Higgins<br />
Reebok International Ltd.<br />
Mark and Etta Rosen<br />
Lucia Santini<br />
James and Carol Savage<br />
Anthony and Beth Terrana<br />
Robert and Naomi Tuchmann<br />
Dan Walsh<br />
Frederic E. Wittmann<br />
Sidney and Deanna Wolk<br />
$500-$999<br />
Ajay and Kate Agarwal<br />
Janet Atkins and Tarleton Watkins II<br />
William and Karen Bailey<br />
Bank of America Matching Gifts<br />
Peter and Patricia Bishop<br />
Ian and Caitlin Blasco<br />
Jeffrey and Suzanne Bloomberg<br />
Gregory Boyle<br />
Linda and Peter Braun<br />
Jim Bumpus<br />
Sara and Marcus Byruck<br />
Carie Capossela and Robert Adler<br />
Dennis Carlberg<br />
Stephen Certa<br />
The Touchstones Fund<br />
Jody and Kim Comart<br />
Stephen Conlin and Anne Donahue<br />
Sue Covitz and Henry Grossman<br />
Brian T. Devlin<br />
Thomas and Mary Ellen Dobruck<br />
Eisenson Family Fund at the Boston<br />
Foundation<br />
Kenneth Everding<br />
Martin and Susana Fantozzi<br />
Elizabeth B. Gerlach<br />
Michael and Susan Goldman<br />
Marion and Eric Golin<br />
Lucia A. Henderson<br />
David and Claire Hertan<br />
Brian Hetherington<br />
Jay Hirschberg<br />
Ogden Hunnewell<br />
Intercontinental Real Estate<br />
Corporation
Families First <strong>2007</strong> Family of Supporters (continued)<br />
Tyler Jacks and Laura Davis<br />
Linda and Gerald Jones<br />
Emily and Leo Kahn<br />
Stephen Kay and Lisbeth Tarlow<br />
Brian Keefe<br />
Edward Keefe<br />
Robert and Roberta Kraus<br />
Seth and Cynthia Lawry<br />
Ludwig Apartments<br />
Bob and Linda MacIntosh<br />
Richard Marks and Jennifer Morrison<br />
Crista R. Martinez<br />
Edward and Susan McCabe<br />
John P. and Carolann McCarthy<br />
Elizabeth McDonald<br />
Mark J. McHugh<br />
Matt and Meredith McPherron<br />
William Minahan<br />
Shelly Nemirovsky<br />
Elizabeth Page<br />
Frank Panayotou<br />
Bernard & Sue Pucker<br />
David Ritchie<br />
Jennifer Roy and Marc Thompson<br />
Tanya Roy<br />
Matthew Rubins<br />
Eric Sheffels and Barbara Moths<br />
Sheffels<br />
Ralph Smith and Cookie Otani-Smith<br />
Phyllis and Adam Sonnenschein<br />
Anne and Andrew Sternlicht<br />
Jean Stevenson<br />
Joanne Sullivan<br />
Symantec Corporation<br />
Joan I. Thorndike<br />
Rose and David Thorne<br />
Jeffrey and Laura Waxman<br />
Barbara Weiler and Frank Litwin<br />
Doug and Judith Weinstock<br />
Jack Welch and Lisa Breen<br />
Gwen Werner and Charles Nelson<br />
Michael S. and Elizabeth A. Winkler<br />
Robin Wolk and David Klein<br />
Marc and Robin Wolpow Family Fund<br />
$250-$499<br />
Sebastian Agapite<br />
G. Michael Amante<br />
Charles Ames<br />
William Apfel<br />
Greg Badger<br />
Thayer Baine<br />
Peter Berg<br />
Lorna Bognanno<br />
Boston Properties<br />
Stacey A. Breslin<br />
Warren and Nancy Brown<br />
Paul and Katie Buttenwieser<br />
Daniel Campia<br />
Michael S. Cavanaugh<br />
Charles Christopher, Jr.<br />
Lisa and John Cleary<br />
William J. Cleary III<br />
Bob Clifford<br />
Domenic Colasacco<br />
Cheryl and Brian Cuddy<br />
John Cunningham<br />
Kelly Cutler and Paul Rehm<br />
Richard and Barbara Cutler<br />
Martin Deale<br />
George DeFina<br />
Patrick J. Delahunty<br />
Nina and Mitch Dickerman<br />
Robert and Deborah Dickey<br />
Thomas Dimino<br />
Brian Dobruck<br />
Derrick Egbert<br />
Beth Fredericks and Lee Joseph<br />
Edward Gallagher<br />
David Goddard<br />
Andrew Griesinger<br />
John Gruber<br />
Michael Hart<br />
Sarah Helm Kulka<br />
David Hooke<br />
Houghton Chemical Corporation<br />
Dr. and Mrs. Terry Hunt<br />
Joannie Jaxtimer and Michael Barry<br />
Jackie Jenkins-Scott<br />
Peter Jette<br />
Phil Johnson<br />
Curtis Kemeny<br />
Kip Kimble<br />
Tony Kingsley and Sarah Perry<br />
Myra Kolton<br />
Amy Kraft<br />
Jeffrey P. Lagarce<br />
Steven and Donna Lipiner<br />
Deborah Lunder and Alan Ezekowitz<br />
Bob Maloney and Beth O’Neill<br />
Maloney<br />
Phillip Mancini<br />
Robert and Shawna Mashal<br />
Sean McConnell<br />
Dawm Micco<br />
Jenine Micco<br />
Marilyn Micco<br />
Susan Miller<br />
Glenn P. Morgan<br />
Terry and Nicole Murray<br />
Trevor Nardini<br />
Jeffrey and Sarah Newton<br />
Thomas O’Connell<br />
Timothy Orr<br />
The Perkins Charitable Foundation<br />
Andree Phillips and Dave Kubilus<br />
Douglas Reynolds and Kathleen Miller<br />
Mike Ripp<br />
Lisa A. Robinson and Robert S. Hansel<br />
Lauren and Mark Rubin<br />
Mark Runde<br />
Valerie Scales<br />
Jonathan Seelig<br />
Peter Sheehan<br />
Lori Silver and Peter Lefkowitz<br />
Richard and Patricia Simon<br />
Katie and Lukas Skoog<br />
Holden Smith<br />
Nancy J. and J. Kirk Smith<br />
Timothy and Eileen Smith<br />
Fredericka and Howard Stevenson<br />
William and Rebecca Stevenson<br />
Marc Stiller<br />
Lynne and Douglas Stotz<br />
Amanda Strong<br />
Maureen Sullivan and Marc Resnick<br />
Michael Tamasi<br />
Thomson Financial<br />
Brenda Travagline<br />
Dorothy Urlich<br />
Cynthia L. Walker<br />
Michael Watkins and Shawna<br />
Slack-Watkins<br />
Brad and Regina Watts<br />
Jim Whalen and Diane Conley<br />
Mark and Kym Williams<br />
Elizabeth Wilson<br />
Dan Winston<br />
$100-$249<br />
Michael Ahern<br />
Dan Anderson<br />
Anonymous<br />
Bruce H. Bagdasarian<br />
Betty and Arthur Bardige<br />
Dana Bartholomew<br />
Dan Baxter<br />
Susan and James Beck<br />
Dan Beliveau<br />
Robert Bender and Sandra Venner<br />
Gordon and Lucy Bennett<br />
Gordan Bewick<br />
Tom Bianchi<br />
Timothy and Patricia Blank<br />
Gerald and Janice Boyar<br />
Anne Boyle<br />
William R. Brandon<br />
Rebecca Braun and John Caouette<br />
Joel Brebbia<br />
Sarah Brinley and Kevin O’Flaherty<br />
James Broder<br />
Robert and Marilyn Brooks<br />
Bruce Brumberg<br />
Karen and Ralph Buglass<br />
Cambridge Trust Company<br />
Kim and Kevin Canning<br />
Michael and Erica Caplan<br />
Jennifer Carroll<br />
Ralph Catalano<br />
Stephen and Suzanne Chapman<br />
Vincent Chiarella<br />
Christopher and Mary Chiodo<br />
Laura Christensen<br />
Brian Clark<br />
Bruce Cluett<br />
Charles W. and Ellen P. Cobb<br />
Jonathan and Tory Cohen<br />
Jeffrey and Martha Cokin<br />
David Conley<br />
Linus Cooke<br />
John Corcoran<br />
Andrea Cordova<br />
John Cosgrove<br />
Elizabeth Coxe<br />
Rob Cramer<br />
Stephen Curran<br />
Susan P. Davies and Richard W. Talkov<br />
Bill Delahunty<br />
Brian DeLaurentis<br />
Yvette Dobruck<br />
Michael Doherty<br />
Alexa Dulchinos and James Benninger<br />
Julie Duncan<br />
Bryan Eckelman<br />
Toby and Sandra Fairbank<br />
Michelle and Kevin Farrell<br />
Peter Ferrelli<br />
Craig Ferrero<br />
Elaine Fineman<br />
Robert and Glenda Fishman<br />
10
Peter L. Flynn<br />
Diane and Blaine Fogg<br />
John and Eileen Fox<br />
Vincent Freudenberger<br />
James and Sue Frontero<br />
Laura Gall<br />
John Gaziano<br />
Doug George<br />
Amy Glass<br />
Michael Glasser<br />
Jill A. Gold<br />
Stephen Goldfinger<br />
Vicary Graham<br />
Daniel B. Gross<br />
Adam Grossman<br />
David E. and Jill B. Grossman<br />
Robert Guere<br />
Mark Hamel<br />
Leslie and Michael Hammer<br />
Douglas C. Hayes<br />
Dave Henry<br />
Jada Den Herder<br />
Brian Hickman<br />
Timothy and Debra Hill<br />
Jarrod Hobson<br />
Doug and Andrea Hoffer<br />
Jeremy Holman<br />
Bruce and Alice Houghton<br />
Robert and Nancy Hurlbut<br />
James V. Iacoi<br />
Suzanne Irwin<br />
Joelle Kanshepolsky<br />
Kathy Kingston<br />
John J. Kinney<br />
James P. Knowles<br />
Madeline Krauss and Paul Friedberg<br />
Kurt and Kathleen Kusiak<br />
Lisa Leffert and Lee Schwamm<br />
Carol and Harold Levin<br />
Gary Lieberman<br />
Norma Jean Lincoln<br />
Chris Link<br />
Andrew Lohmeier<br />
Thomas M. and Nancy L. Looney<br />
Charlie Lord<br />
Elizabeth Lowrey<br />
Brendan Macaulay<br />
Christopher Maguire<br />
Sharon Manuel and Kenneth Stevens<br />
Suzanne R. and Michael Marinaro<br />
June Mark<br />
Carol and Jay Marlin<br />
Chris Marques<br />
Rita Martinez<br />
Sandra Marwill and James Jampel<br />
William M. McAvoy<br />
John McGah<br />
Briana McGrath<br />
Charley McKersten<br />
Peggy McNamara<br />
Colin and Anne McNay<br />
Mayor Thomas M. and Angela Menino<br />
John Miller<br />
Beth H. and Karl D. Mitchell<br />
Mitchell Gold & Bob<br />
Williams – Boston<br />
Mohit Monaktala<br />
Brian Monnich<br />
Joe Morgart<br />
Siddhartha Mukherjee<br />
Daniel G. and Karen E. Nocera<br />
Jennifer O’Brien<br />
Paul and Meredith O’Brien<br />
JoAnne and Kurt Ochalla<br />
Barbara and Oliver Oldman<br />
Madeleine and Andrew Oldman<br />
Jay Orlander and Anna Mitus<br />
Richard Owen<br />
Kevin C. and Anne D. Phelan<br />
Jonathan Pucker<br />
Pamela and Chris Quincy<br />
Scott K. Rabschnuk<br />
Clara Recchia<br />
Edward Remondi<br />
Abby Rischin and David Moss<br />
George and Estelle Roberts<br />
Kris Rodammer<br />
Stuart and Margie Rose<br />
Roz and Ron Rosenthal<br />
Barbara Ross<br />
Arlene and David Rubin<br />
Marcie and Tom Ruddy<br />
Philip Saines<br />
Arria and Jack Sands<br />
Steven and Leslie Saul<br />
Barbara Schmidt<br />
Matt and Kathy Schott<br />
James Goldman and Carolyn Searles<br />
Neil Sheth<br />
Susan Simon<br />
Shannon Siwinski<br />
Ronald and Mary Skates<br />
Stuart Snyder and Abby Cohen<br />
Helen and Joe Soussou<br />
Jonathan Spack and Tracy Fitzpatrick<br />
Kenneth and Nicole Spencer<br />
Peter Stacey<br />
Jerry Steimel<br />
April and Geoffrey Stein<br />
Dr. Sarah B. Stewart<br />
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this report. If we have inadvertently made an error<br />
or omission, please notify Jeanette Ardanowski at 617-868-7687 ext. 24 and accept our sincere apology.<br />
Due to space constraints, we unfortunately cannot list all of our donors in our <strong>annual</strong> report. Our<br />
deepest gratitude goes out to all of our supporters who gave gifts of less than $100 over the past year.<br />
* Designates total funds raised through Boston Marathon<br />
Jeff Stone<br />
Robert and Merily Swanson<br />
Phil Terzis<br />
Kenneth Thornby<br />
Jonathan Thorpe<br />
Tony Cappoli Interiors, Inc.<br />
Peter Trager<br />
Paul A. Tuchmann<br />
Elaine Tung and David Concoran<br />
George and Dagmar Unhoch<br />
Mary Urban-Keary<br />
Natalie Vieira<br />
Eleonora Villegas-Reimers<br />
Nancy Walthall<br />
Rev. Joseph Washington<br />
Sally Ann Webster and<br />
Jeffrey L. Peters<br />
Randall Wehling<br />
Anna Wells<br />
Ira and Lynne Wilson<br />
Robert G. Wolf<br />
In-Kind Donations and<br />
Pro Bono Services<br />
Anonymous<br />
Atlantic Graphics<br />
The Boston Red Sox<br />
Kim Comart<br />
Sue Covitz and Henry Grossman<br />
Family Album Gala Committee<br />
Fathers’ Breakfast Committee<br />
Foxbow Ventures<br />
Fred Delorey, Loftwood Associates<br />
Nina and Mitch Dickerman<br />
Michael and Susan Goldman<br />
John Hancock Financial Services<br />
Marketing Team<br />
Bonny Katzman, BK Design<br />
Longwood Events, The State<br />
Room<br />
Anne and Paul Marcus<br />
MAX Ultimate Food<br />
Ben Mayer<br />
Deborah Mutschler<br />
Dr. Charles Nelson<br />
Madeleine and Andrew Oldman<br />
John O’Connor<br />
Gigi and Michael Pucker<br />
Putnam Investments<br />
Communications Department<br />
Summit Committee<br />
Suzanne Rothschild and John<br />
Baynard<br />
South End Flowers<br />
Wheelock College<br />
A gift in tribute is a particularly<br />
thoughtful way to celebrate a<br />
birthday, anniversary, or other<br />
joyous event, or to honot the<br />
memory of a relative or friend.<br />
We thank all who chose to<br />
support Families First in this<br />
way. Listed are people in whose<br />
honor or memory gifts were<br />
received.<br />
In honor of:<br />
Melora Balson<br />
Johnathan Boyar<br />
Rebecca Green<br />
Jennifer Dobruck<br />
Betsy Gerlach<br />
Anna Golja<br />
Michael and Susan Goldman<br />
Christina and Bill Helm<br />
Chris Jordan<br />
Meryl Kessler<br />
Jon Kraus<br />
Robert Lincoln<br />
Peter Luppino<br />
Anne Marcus<br />
Susan Marsh<br />
Crista Martinez<br />
Oran/Kessler Family<br />
Leslie Pucker<br />
Joe Quinn and Diane Juliar<br />
Elissa and Bill Warner<br />
Tricia Winton<br />
In memory of:<br />
C. Milton Jacobson<br />
Rose B. Shotz<br />
The departed members of<br />
the Zolloto Family<br />
11
Sign of the Times: The New<br />
Families First Logo<br />
Our organizational focus in <strong>2007</strong>? Branding!<br />
The Families First Parenting Programs (FFPP) Board and staff have<br />
spent the past year adjusting the Families First brand to reflect<br />
changes and discoveries that came out of our recent strategic<br />
planning process. With our 20th Anniversary coming up, our<br />
enhanced brand helps to underscore our growth over the past<br />
two decades. Now we are ready to kick off a year that celebrates<br />
20 years of progress!<br />
The re-branding process for FFPP began by honing our mission<br />
statement to reflect the current scope and vision of our work.<br />
Our new mission statement now more fully incorporates the<br />
professional and organizational development work that we do,<br />
as well as the workshops we provide to parents.<br />
Our next step was to refresh our visual identity, including the<br />
creation of our new logo, which can be seen throughout this<br />
report. Tapping a talented group of marketing executives on<br />
the FFPP Board, we formed a subcommittee that worked with a<br />
branding consultant to identify the following four key attributes of<br />
the FFPP brand: family oriented, educational, knowledge leaders,<br />
and adding value through partnership.<br />
We worked with a graphic designer to revise the FFPP logo to<br />
capture the above attributes and to reflect the positive, hands-on<br />
and professional nature of our work. The resulting logo conveys<br />
the elegance of our curricula, the growth that is possible with this<br />
information, and the hope and inspiration our work engenders.<br />
We are particularly excited that our new logo emphasizes the<br />
importance of the partnerships through which we do our work<br />
– both with individual parents and with the professionals and<br />
organizations that serve families with children.<br />
As we move into the next phase of organizational growth,<br />
Families First Parenting Programs will continue to transform all<br />
aspects of our operations to fulfill our mission of fostering the<br />
growth of positive relationships between parents and their<br />
children.<br />
So much is possible with your support and partnership.<br />
12<br />
Thanks for being on the journey with us.
Guest speaker John Badalament, Ed.M, author of The Modern Dads<br />
Handbook, encouraged guests to keep their lines of communication<br />
with their children open at all times. He invited parents to ask for<br />
concrete feedback from their children, reminding everyone that<br />
simply asking for it is useful and validates their children’s feelings.<br />
John asked the guests, “If a documentary were to be created about<br />
you in 20 years and your children were interviewed, what would<br />
you want them to say about you; what would you not want them to<br />
say? Most importantly, what are you doing today to make sure that<br />
your children remember you in the way you’d want?”<br />
On October 11, <strong>2007</strong>, approximately 260 guests gathered at the<br />
State Room in downtown Boston for the 6th Annual Families<br />
First Fathers’ Breakfast. Attendees celebrated their roles as fathers<br />
and learned how Families First strengthens families from all life<br />
circumstances. We are thrilled to report that the breakfast was<br />
a great success and raised more than $95,000 for our parenting<br />
education and professional training programs!<br />
Haji Shearer, Families First Parenting Educator, shared an inspiring<br />
testimonial about his work with teen fathers. He observed that<br />
many of their individual concerns are, in fact, often shared by most<br />
fathers. He stressed how important it is for all parents to have safe<br />
environments where they can discuss their parenting concerns and<br />
obtain information and support.<br />
Thank you to our co-chairs Michael Buckley, Blake Jordan and<br />
Andy Majewski, and to our entire Fathers’ Breakfast Committee<br />
for all their hard work! We hope to see you at next year’s Breakfast,<br />
which will take place in October, 2008.<br />
Please join us for an elegant evening to celebrate Families Fist’s 20 years of building positive<br />
relationships between parents and their children.<br />
Individual tickets begin at $250. Sponsorships are also available.<br />
Look for your invitation, which will be coming soon.<br />
For more information, contact Katie Skoog at 617-868-7687, x22
mission statement<br />
Families First Parenting<br />
Programs builds positive<br />
relationships between<br />
parents and their<br />
children by educating<br />
both families and the<br />
professionals who serve<br />
them through inspiring,<br />
hands-on workshops.<br />
Our skilled workshop<br />
leaders stand beside<br />
parents and caregivers<br />
to lead them through the<br />
crucible of child rearing<br />
by transforming their<br />
experiences, doubts and<br />
fears into the knowledge<br />
and confidence they need<br />
to build positive discipline,<br />
communication, and selfesteem<br />
in families. Our<br />
training for professionals<br />
enhances their ability<br />
to better support and<br />
engage families. We help<br />
communities thrive by<br />
strengthening families first.<br />
Board of<br />
Directors<br />
Meryl Kessler, Chair<br />
Crista R. Martinez,<br />
President<br />
Melora Balson, Vice<br />
Chair<br />
Donna Carris, Treasurer<br />
Gwen Werner, Clerk<br />
James Baldwin<br />
Michael Buckley<br />
Gayle Dublin<br />
Lisa Fiore<br />
Michael Hicks<br />
Carey Foran Hoch<br />
Charmain Jackman<br />
John Lawrence<br />
Steven Lipiner<br />
Andrew Majewski<br />
Anne Marcus<br />
Mark McKenna<br />
Shirin Philipp<br />
Kevin Queally, Jr.<br />
Eleonora Villegas-<br />
Reimers<br />
Margaret Wade<br />
Leslie Zients-Pucker<br />
Linda Braun, Honorary<br />
Susan O’Connor,<br />
Honorary<br />
Staff<br />
Jeanette Ardanowski,<br />
MSW, Development<br />
Associate<br />
Nicole Cleckley, M. Ed,<br />
Curriculum<br />
Coordinator<br />
Sue Covitz, Director of<br />
Strategic Partnerships<br />
Michael Goldman,<br />
Director of Finance &<br />
Administration<br />
Charles Huschle,<br />
Development Officer<br />
Jessica Kirkpatrick,<br />
LCSW,<br />
Program Coordinator<br />
Crista Martinez, MSW,<br />
MBA, Executive<br />
Director<br />
Madeleine Otani<br />
Oldman,<br />
Program Associate<br />
Susannah Pearson, Office<br />
Administrator<br />
Katie Skoog, Director of<br />
Development<br />
Randi Walsh, MA,<br />
Director<br />
of Programming<br />
Parent Educators<br />
Milly Arbaje<br />
Pam Bailey<br />
Lisa Bibuld<br />
Shawne Blake<br />
Debra Broadley<br />
Marilyn Buckler<br />
Program Site Report<br />
Carol Darcy<br />
Nina Dickerman Friends’ Council<br />
Briget Fiscal Evans Year July 1, 2006 – June 30, <strong>2007</strong><br />
Marionette Fennell-<br />
Patterson<br />
Beth Fredericks<br />
Alina Gardner<br />
Alejandra Hernandez<br />
Charmain Jackman<br />
Rosalyn Levy<br />
Malvina Libsch<br />
Milagros Lopez-Ramirez<br />
Lilly Marcelin<br />
Susan Marx<br />
Adam Mintz<br />
Maribel Molina<br />
Jo-Anne Ochalla<br />
Gail Parsons<br />
Marta Rivera<br />
La Verne Saunders<br />
Haji Shearer<br />
Nicole St. Victor<br />
Pat Stabler<br />
Marcia Strauss<br />
Marcy Tannenbaum-Fox<br />
Yvette Thomas<br />
Doug Weinstock<br />
Parents’ Council<br />
Beth Baldwin<br />
Sue Blaney<br />
Jodi Blankstein<br />
Sue Covitz<br />
Gayle A. Dublin<br />
Claire Koen<br />
Madeleine Otani<br />
Oldman<br />
Pat Stabler<br />
Robin Wolk<br />
Leslie Zients Pucker<br />
Linda Braun<br />
Robert Brooks<br />
Karen Buglass<br />
Michael Cavanaugh<br />
James Chung<br />
Kim Comart<br />
Lisa Craig<br />
Kelly Cutler<br />
Gail DeRiggi<br />
Michael Elefante<br />
Elizabeth Gerlach<br />
Ned Hallowell<br />
Mikkie Harvey<br />
Daisy Helman<br />
Thomas Jacobs<br />
Joannie Jaxtimer<br />
Jackie Jenkins-Scott<br />
Linda Jones<br />
Frances Litman<br />
Verná Myers<br />
Liz Niedermeyer<br />
Mark O’Connell<br />
Deirdre Phillips<br />
Douglas Reynolds<br />
Ann Romney<br />
Marta T. Rosa<br />
Suzanne Rothschild<br />
Howard Samuels<br />
Candelaria Silva-Collins<br />
Phyllis Sonnenschein<br />
Jonathan Spack<br />
Michael Thompson<br />
Naomi Tuchmann<br />
Jim Wade<br />
Patricia Winton<br />
NON PROFIT ORG.<br />
US POSTAGE<br />
P A I D<br />
BROCKTON, MA<br />
PERMIT NO. 402<br />
99 Bishop Allen Drive<br />
Cambridge, MA 02139<br />
www.families-first.org<br />
Learn more at www.families-first.org