Annual Report 2018

Osceola Council on Aging 700 Generation Point

Kissimmee, Florida 34744 (407) 846-8532

We Can Because We Care

MISSION STATEMENT

The Osceola County Council on Aging, Inc. is 501 (c) 3, non-profit, private charitable organization dedicated to providing services to

enable independence and self-sufficiency for seniors, disabled adults, the disadvantaged and families in poverty

Dear Friends of the Council,

I am pleased to welcome you to the Osceola Council on Aging. Our mission is to ensure the delivery of a comprehensive array of services for the elderly, disabled adults , the disadvantaged and families in poverty in Osceola County. Our services help promote their independence, self-sufficiency and prevent institutionalization.

It indeed has been my honor to serve as the 2018 Board President for the Osceola Council on Aging and to work with an outstanding group of people who serve the mission of the Council at every level. “We Care Because We Can” is the focus of this year’s annual report and as you read it you will see in abundance how the Council truly does care about our county’s seniors and low-income residents. Our spirit of caring has inspired everyone who has come into contact with this wonderful agency. That spirit is made evident every day in the many volunteers, donors, and community partners who gave their time, money, and energy towards the Council’s mission this year. Without all of us the Council would not be able to continue to provide much needed and impactful services to our community.

Before there was an Osceola Council on Aging, there was the mission- a set of guiding

principles upon which the agency would be built and operated. While the challenges we

face today might have felt overwhelming to that small group of community volunteers who

founded the Council, our mission and dedication to achieving it remains as solid as ever.

We rightly made a promise—to do our best to protect the most vulnerable among us.

I challenge everybody reading this report to take these words and their meaning

“We Care Because We Can” to heart, to engage in our community and support this vital

organization and its mission.

Michael Sweeney 2018 President Osceola Council on Aging Board of Directors

Message From the President

“Volunteering is at the core of being a human. No one has

made it through life without someone else’s help.”

-Heather French Henry

We Care About ...

Thank you to the

2,298 volunteers who gave

47,916 hours of service in

support of the Osceola Council on Aging’s mission.

We can because you care.

Our Volunteers

In collaboration with

our partners and

volunteers, the Osceola

Council on Aging

significantly improved

the lives of

112,863 Senior

Citizens, Disabled

Adults, Disadvantaged

Families, and

Community Residents

in Osceola County

through its 36 Health

and Human Service

Programs.

Our Clients

Employment/Education Project OPEN

91 students and their families were served in

2018. A total of 209 adults and 50 children

(ages 0-17) received support services to stabilize their households while students pursued their edu-

cation and obtained employment.

Senior Services 617 seniors and disabled adults

were provided with 200,806 hours of services

Repeat

Healthcare

1,895 Families

962 Individuals

were provided services

meals were served and delivered

to over clients. Over

pounds of food were provided to the elderly,

disadvantaged, and disabled citizens of Osceo-la County

We Care About ...

Senior Housing Management

Served 360 residents in 5 apartment complexes

and 12 residential homes and provided over

4100 hours of social services

We Care About ...

Provided weatherization services and home modification for

153 homes with 208 family

members benefitting from the repairs and upgrades

1,150 hours of Case Management were provided

for 165 clients through assessment of needs,

coordination of comprehensive services and follow-up care to ensure they received effective

results to maintain independence in their own homes.

Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP III)

The NSP III Duplex construction finished in May, 2018. Two single mothers and their 8 children moved into their new permanent homes in June.

Emergency Assistance

1,699 low-income households in

financial crisis received $764,261

in LIHEAP, EHEAP, Energy, and Water Bill Assistance

Served a total of 419 Osceola Council

on Aging Clients with 38,190 rides to

Adult Day Care, dining clubs, medical

appointments, stores, and school through Success Express.

Holiday Support 79 families, including 238 children, received

food, clothing, toys, and gift baskets

The Osceola Council on Aging received $1,232,579.26 in-kind

donations through thousands of volunteer service hours and other

donations to support our mission and received $1,734,673 in grant

awards through the generous investment of our community partners

Advent Health

National Association of Free Clinics

All Saints Lutheran Church Old Town Cruisers

Bank of America Foundation Orlando Margarita Society

Buildco America Orlando Sentinel Family Fund

Department of Elder Affairs Osceola County Board of Commission

CenterState Bank Osceola County Farm Bureau

Central Florida Foundation Osceola County Sheriff’s Office

City of Kissimmee Osceola Regional Medical Center Auxiliary

City of St. Cloud Publix Supermarkets Charities

CKB Investors Rotary Club of Kissimmee

Community Charity Golf Rotary Club of Kissimmee Bay

Department of Economic Opportunity Rotary Club of Kissimmee West

Deseret Ranch Rotary Club of St. Cloud

Disney Vacation Club Schoolfield Properties

Duke Energy Foundation Seimer Family Foundation

Emergency Food and Shelter Program Senior Resource Alliance

Family Dollar St. Cloud Florist

Family Health Care of Central Florida St. Cloud Fire Department

Florida Assoc. of Free and Charitable Clinics St. Cloud Police Department

Florida Dept. of Economic Opportunity Stonegate Women’s Golf Association

Florida Department of Transportation TD Charitable Foundation

Heart of Florida United Way Toho Water Authority

Holopaw Home Owners, Inc. The Walt Disney World Foundation

Home Depot Foundation Treasurer Coast

Kissimmee Florist U.S. Department of Agriculture

Kissimmee Police Department Vietnam Veterans of America

Meals on Wheels Association of America Waste Management

Board Officers Annette Fender, President

Michael Sweeney, Past President Isaac Sendros, President Elect

Bruce Vickers, Secretary Sam Haught, Treasurer

Public Elected Officials Beth Anne Knight, Deputy County Manager, Osceola County

Bruce Vickers, Osceola County Tax Collector Chuck Cooper, Councilman, City of St. Cloud

Christine Arendas, Judge, Osceola County Criminal Court Katrina Scarborough, Osceola County Property Appraiser

Kim McKnight, Osceola School District Mary Jane Arrington, Supervisor of Elections, Osceola County

Olga Gonzalez, Commissioner, City of Kissimmee Russ Gibson, Osceola County Sheriff

Low Income Elected District I – City of Kissimmee

Edgar Vasquez, Pastor, Iglesias Bautista Central de Kissimmee Patricia Scarborough, Retired

Reginald Hardee, Turnpike Enterprises, State of Florida

District II – City of St. Cloud Annette Fender, Pat’s Pump and Blower

Lisa Thompson, Dept. Chief EMS, St Cloud Fire Rescue Rick Fiechter, Pastor, Connection Church

District III – Osceola County Don Shearer, Retired

Richard Jennings, My Father Cares, Recovery Counselor Roenea Dixon Dean, Retired

Private Sector George White, Publix Supermarkets

Isaac Sendros, Adventist Health Kissimmee Jorge Soto

Kim Goodwin, Goodwin Realty and Associates Inc. Michael Sweeney, PhD., Toho Water Authority Rayelynne Ketchum, Land Title Professionals

Sam Haught, Wild Florida Sonya Deese Byrnes, Walt Disney World Company

Thomas Ter Beek, Center State Bank