We’re Green! May 31, 2012

 I am pleased to announce that The Next Door came out as #70 on the list of Oregon’s Best Green Businesses from Oregon Business magazine.

Every year, employees fill out a survey to determine the 100 Best Nonprofits in Oregon.  We made that list last year, but didn’t make it this year as they shifted criteria around.

One category they ask about is whether the business has sustainability practices in place–recycling, energy saving measures, composting, incentives for employees to walk/bike to work, etc.  The magazine breaks that category out and judges all businesses, nonprofit and for profit, and this year we made that list!

At the Next Door, we’ve tried hard to implement green practices.  Recyling is second nature to all of us, lights are on sensors so no one forgets to turn them off, our bike racks are often full and our Klahre House School kitchen composts as much as possible.  There are many more things we could do, but it’s sure nice to be recognized for what we’re doing already!

Here’s a link to the article from Oregon Business Magazine.

A New Office in The Dalles May 22, 2012

For a year, we have been searching for a new office to rent in The Dalles.  We’ve been in our current space at 1005 W. 6th Street for eight years and it’s time to move.  We had a long wish list of qualifications for a new office space and I’m very happy that we were able to fulfill all of them!  Most importantly we will have visibility as it’s located in a central location in downtown The Dalles.  There will also be plenty of natural light for employees in a newer, cleaner building with a better heating and cooling system.

Before we move in on July 1st, there is some renovation to be done building offices and a conference room.  In the next six weeks I will be posting updates on that renovation as the moving date approaches.  Here is a photo of the new office that I took this week:

Radio Tierra May 16, 2012

What is behind this nondescript door?

When we purchased our new building in Hood River and renovated it, we had dreams of being able to provide or rent space out to other nonprofit agencies in the area.  Due to space constraints, we were only able to provide space for one other organization and I am proud to say that it is our local Spanish language public radio station, Radio Tierra.

This station is home grown, starting in the basement of someone’s house, moving to the cleaning closet behind a local business and eventually coming to NDI.  It has no paid staff, just a dedicated and hard working volunteer Board of Directors. For all it’s modest trappings, it packs a punch when it comes to programming and number of listeners.  There are live radio shows every morning and on Saturdays, and the rest of the time there is recorded Spanish language music.

It has been wonderful to hear music coming from the recording studio and even better to be able to partner on getting out important information to the community.  This morning, for example, the Superintendent of the Hood River County Public Schools, Charlie Beck, was on the air inviting people out to a School Information Forum, held in Spanish, at Mid Valley Elementary School.

It was the first time any Superintendent has been on Radio Tierra.  The DJ enthusiastically told his listeners, “Some of us didn’t get to finish school or weren’t interested in school, but it’s important for our children to take it seriously.  They should study hard and someday they could even get a PhD and become a Superintendent like Charlie Beck!”  What a great point.

Here’s where it all takes place–lots of music and lots of good messages

One of My Favorite Nights of the Year May 9, 2012

Becci Crane, NDI’s Foster Parent Certifier, hands Jody Gehrman, NDI’s latest Foster Parent, her new certificate at the Annual Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner

Every year I look forward to our Annual Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner.  Becci Crane, Foster Parent Certifier, does a great job of coordinating the event, held last night, May 8th.

What’s not to love about the event?

I get to have a delicious dinner (this year at Stonehedge Gardens Restaurant in Hood River), surrounded by good company and then tell them all how much they are appreciated.

This year I told them that I appreciate:

• Their compassion and passion for helping one child at a time,
• Their patience and perserverance as they are tested day after day by the children, by the system and sometimes even by The Next Door, and
• Their strength in the face of these tests and challenges but also their strength when the children share their often times heartbreaking stories.

First and foremost, I told the foster parents that I appreciate that they have taken up the call to be a part of the Village that raises our children, one day at a time, one child at a time.  They are helping to heal our sometimes broken society and showing the children that they are valued and loved.

My co-workers, Larry James and Alex Stromquist, also spoke about how appreciated the parents are, and then Becci Crane distributed baskets to each mother and father, in keeping with the theme of self care.  We certainly hope that the foster parents don’t forget to take care of themselves.

Linda and LeRoy have been fpster parents for years–they took a break and then came back. Now that’s dedication!

It’s Working May 2, 2012

When I see a photo like this, taken of a mother and her toddler involved in our programs, I know in my gut that what we’re doing is helping both.

But that’s only what my gut tells me. It’s the statistics that prove that my intuition is correct. Here are some data about our Healthy Start program in Wasco County that Program Director, Karen Enns, shared with me recently.

The mission of the Healthy Start program is to promote and support positive parenting and healthy growth and development for parents and their first-born children. The program seeks to prevent child abuse & neglect, improve health & development outcomes and improve school readiness. The program provides the following services:

•Welcome Baby Packets & Screening for ALL first-time parents

•Home Visiting for high–risk families, which includes: weekly to monthly home visits, up to age 3 with a focus on parent-child relationships; monitoring health, growth & development; early literacy; positive parenting; crisis support and community resources.

Characteristics of home visit families:

•79% are single moms
•38% have less than a high school education
•12% are age 17 or younger
•52% report current or recent depression
•77% experienced severe lack of parental nurture
•69% have severe problems w/ substance abuse, mental illness, or criminal history

Results: Early Learning & Risk-Reduction

•97% of HS~HF parents read to their babies/children 3 or more times per week
•100% report regular positive interactions with their children (stories, singing, etc.)
•60% report reduced parenting stress
•91% report HS~HF program helped with social support

Results: Health Related

•100% of HS~HF children have a primary healthcare provider
•100% have health insurance
•88% receive regular well-child check-ups (compared to 76% statewide*)
•100% are up-to-date on immunizations (compared to 78% statewide*)
•100% receive developmental screening and referrals to early intervention (if appropriate)
•Less than 4% report use of the ER for routine care
•Increased prenatal care, increased breastfeeding, and reduced smoking among subsequent pregnancies/births

By preventing the following negative outcomes, Healthy Start saves countless dollars:

• By preventing child abuse & therefore foster care placement, we save $30,000-$200,000 per child
• By increasing use of prenatal care and preventing low birth-weight babies, we save $10,000-$28,000 per child
• By monitoring children’s development and identifying delays early, we prevent costs associated with special education services
• By increasing primary care provider use, we prevent ER use and associated costs
• By increasing immunization rates, we prevent costs associated with preventable childhood diseases and illnesses

The incidence of child abuse for children in Healthy Start is 2½ times less than for children NOT in the program.

Photos and statistics help to tell the story.