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In late 2010, the doors were about to close on the Greenbrier Greenhouse Program. For more than three decades, the innovative social enterprise had provided jobs at the historic Edgerton Park Gardens and Greenhouse to adults with autism and other developmental and physical disabilities. Tending plants and helping customers was therapeutic to participants, having the effect of brightening the personalities of individuals with depression and difficult behaviors. But Easter Seals/Goodwill Industries, which managed the program, said they could no longer sustain the operation.

Instead of looking for a new job, Scott Hickman, the 15-year manager of Greenbrier, decided to act. He and a partner formed the nonprofit, GROWERS, Inc. and took over the program. Continue reading.

Testimony to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee

In Opposition to

House Bill 7322, An Act Concerning State and Local Revenue

Submitted by David V. Hunter, President & CEO, The Mary Wade Home

April 25, 2017

On behalf of The Mary Wade Home in New Haven, I respectfully submit the following testimony in strong opposition to House Bill 7322, An Act Concerning State and Local Revenue, which in Section 31 proposes to remove the sales tax exemption for not-for-profit nursing homes, not-for profit residential care homes, and all other 501(c)(3) organizations.

Mary Wade is a not-for-profit, full service Senior Living Community that has provided quality and compassionate care and assistance to the older adults and their families in our community since 1866. As a not-for-profit organization, we carefully manage our financial resources in accordance with our mission, a task that is becoming more and more difficult every year. We operate on a very thin financial margin and we reinvest that margin into our organization so as to continue to provide the benefit of mission driven care, services and supports to those we serve.  This deficit requires daily challenges to continue to provide the benefit of mission driven care, services and supports to those we serve.  The additional tax burden proposed by House Bill 7322 would be detrimental to our financial stability and the ability to fulfill our mission.

As a provider of Medicaid services, we allocate a significant amount of resources to subsidize the care and services that we provide to our Medicaid clients. The state Medicaid reimbursement consistently underfunds the cost of the high level of care, services and supports that we deliver. In fact, due to the challenges faced by the CT Department of Social Services, our costs in the skilled nursing center exceed the current Medicaid rate by $91.00 per day.   By subsidizing the Medicaid reimbursement so as to maintain that high level of service, we currently provide a great benefit to the state, to those we serve who are enrolled in the Medicaid program, and to the Connecticut taxpayer. This reality also challenges our ability to service older adults and their families in our other community-based services, such as transportation, adult day health center and non-medical home care services.

Our ability to continue to invest in and provide the high level of care and services that our community has come to expect will be severely hindered by this additional tax burden. We ask that you reject this proposal and continue to support the not-for-profit health care and aging service providers in the state.

I make myself available to you in the event you have further questions about the complexities and challenges involved in serving this population under the current circumstances.

Respectfully submitted,

David V. Hunter, President & CEO

The Mary Wade Home

118 Clinton Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510

Editors’ note: This article is part of our ongoing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Project. Visit www.nonprofitquarterly.org to access additional articles from this series.

It would be an understatement to say that the past few months have been uncomfortable. The national election was downright ugly, and it exposed just how naïve those pundits were who “dared ask whether the United States had finally begun to heal its divisions over race” after President Obama was elected.1 The resistance that has sprung up in response to the new administration has also been fraught—apparent, most notably, in the tensions over race and feminism that were sparked in the lead-up to the Women’s March on Washington, in January.2 The critiques and dissent may have hurt some feelings but the march was an undeniable success, drawing historic crowds to the nation’s capital and highlighting the leadership of the four cochairwomen—one Black, one Latina, one Muslim and Arab American, and one white. Nonprofit leaders should get ready for additional uncomfortable conversations over the next years and accept that...

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2017/04/10/think-differently-diversity-nonprofit-leadership-get-comfortable-discomfort

The women arrive every morning at 9 a.m., dressed in skirt suits and pant suits and looking ready for business. For four weeks they come together to collaborate on the most important work of their lives – themselves.

They are participants in Women Investing in Second Chances (W.I.N.S.) at the job-training program STRIVE-New Haven. There, coaches and instructors help the women learn to overcome past struggles that have made it hard for them to find employment or advance in careers.

“We do it on our own, but they [our instructors] give us the strength,” says Dorinda Thomas, who was recently hired at Walmart and has aspirations of working in the medical field. “It feels good to work again. It’s a blessing to be in this classroom with these women. I gained my self-respect back and I gained my confidence back.” Continue reading.

Mark your Calendars! FREE 2017 Zumba® Kids/Kids Jr. classes are back for the 3rd year ;)

Join our team of licensed Zumba® Kids Instructors ready to party with your precious little ones to age-appropriate music and moves. Parents/guardians are encouraged to participate.

Our 3rd year offering FREE Fitness classes. Come join the FUN !

Feel free to share away. Don't miss out on "Appreciation Tuesday" Zumba classes EVERY TUESDAY. 

David V. Hunter Remarks on the occasion of receiving the Heritage Award in honor of Mary Wade’s 150 years of service

April 13, 2017

Greetings!  We’re thrilled to be receiving this Corporate Heritage Award, and wish to thank Tony, Larry Bingaman and the Board Members for recognizing Mary Wade is this fashion.  I am here with Mary Wade’s Leadership which includes Trustees and Senior Staff.

Leo Connors offered an excellent and succinct history of Mary Wade, but when you get to be our age, you like to elaborate on those old stories.  On September 8, 1866, a group of ladies met at the home of Mrs. Eli Whitney, just on the other side of the Green on the corner of Elm and Orange Streets, for the purpose of starting a home for homeless girls. They formed a board, raised $6,000, purchased a house and property at 118 Clinton Avenue in Fair Haven,often called Dragon Village because of the seals that sunned on the banks of the Quinnipiac River.  On December 2 of that same year, in less than three months since their first meeting, they opened the doors and the first president was Mrs. Joseph Sheffield.

This group of prominent women named our organization, The Home for the Friendless, and from 1866 to 1900, the Home served many young women, single mothers and children.  However, in the early 1900’s the board explored a new mission and policies that changed the Home's direction.  The Annual Report for 1924 stated, “The discussions have been along the lines of how we could do the most good for the greatest number.”  It was here that the board authorized the use of the name The Mary Wade Home, and the mission turned to providing a home to elderly women.

The Home survived tumultuous and boisterous events throughout the years, the end of the Civil War, two World Wars, major Depressions, Dramatic events.  The women of New Haven managed the Home for almost 100 years.  Then, in 1976, the board was inspired to elect the first man, the first male resident was admitted in 1982, and in 1990 Frank Hepler became the first male board chair.  

Today, Mary Wade continues at the original location which has been its home for 150 years.  As we continue to strive to do the most good for the greatest number, our services have grown both within our walls and outside too. 

• Today, we are the largest employer in Fair Haven.
• We provide over 10,000 transportation trips annually that bring seniors to physician offices, grocery shopping and centers of worship. 
• We have a new non-medical home care service, called Mary Wade at Home to offer assistance to seniors who are struggling to maintain independence at home.
• Our Adult Day Health Program allows seniors to come to our center for the day and return home in the evening.
• Our Residential Assisted Living offers a home like environment with supportive services to those seniors who require assistance.
• Mary Wade’s skilled nursing service is the only five star program, as rated by the government, in New Haven, and we over both short term rehab stays and chronic long term care services. 

Our culture exemplifies a Mission of Service, Excellence and Innovation both within our walls and in the community at large. 

Mary Wade is a proud and active member of Fair Haven and participates in the Chatham Square Neighborhood Association and Fair Haven Community Management Team, and we provide affordable housing to workforce families.

We are expanding our campus this year with the construction of a new state-of- the-art assisted living building that will include a memory care center. 

Finally, we offer you the opportunity to celebrate our 150^th year by attending our 12^th Annual Wine Dinner to be held on April 29^th here in this beautiful ball room.  Ticket information can be found on our website, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram --- or you can come over to our Table Number 12 and we’ll provide you with an invitation.  All proceeds of this event will support increased staff training to be more effective in providing care to those suffering with Alzheimer’s disease.

Many Thanks for this great honor, and we also wish to congratulate esteemed guests on the dais, to newly elected board members and incoming President DelMonico.  

“This place is going to help a lot of people, not just in terms of job training and employment, but also to be a beacon for the city,” says ConnCat Executive Director Erik Clemons. “For our students, it’s not just about getting people jobs. It’s about how they feel about themselves and believing there are possibilities beyond the conditions that they see every day.” 

ConnCat recently opened the Orchid Cafe, run by its culinary academy students, many of whom came with barriers to employment and career advancement. Read more.

How do you identify potential donors? What information do donors want to know about your organization? How can you move current donors to make larger gifts? What are the best practices around stewarding your donors year round to keep them engaged?

The recorded podcast was presented by Jackie Downing, Director of Grantmaking and Nonprofit Effectiveness at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. Listen to the podcast.

On Monday, Judge Neil Gorsuch was sworn in as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, succeeding Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away in February 2016. Now that the court is once again at its full strength of nine justices, how will Gorsuch’s addition affect the Supreme Court, and especially nonprofits and nonprofit causes, in ...

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2017/04/11/justice-gorsuch-the-immediate-impact-on-nonprofit-organizations-and-causes/ ;

Charitable Spirit is Now Available in Retailers across Connecticut

BRANFORD, Conn. – Salute American Vodka, a high-quality craft vodka company, has announced a new partnership with Brescome Barton, Inc., the largest wholesale distributor of spirits, wine, and beer in Connecticut. The partnership will bring Salute American Vodka from more than 90 locations already sold to nearly every retailer across the state.

A spirit with soul, Salute American Vodka is a leader of corporate social responsibility in the spirit industry. The first dollar of every bottle sold goes directly to organizations that assist veterans and other American heroes in their pursuit of an education, furthering their careers, starting a business and achieving the American dream. The company’s charitable mission mirrors Brescome Barton’s commitment to carry socially responsible brands in the alcoholic beverage industry.

“We are proud to partner with Brescome Barton, a distributor that will not only help Salute American Vodka to expand across the state but a company that holds similar conscious business standards,” says Mike Lutz, Operations Manager of Salute American Vodka. “At Salute American Vodka, we have a product with a social mission and we put the mission first. One hundred percent of every Salute American Vodka dollar contributed goes directly to organizations that help veterans and other American heroes in their local communities.” 

One of Salute American Vodka's charity partners is  Work Vessels for Vets, Inc. The Connecticut-based nonprofit organization equips America’s returning veterans with the tools they need to start a business or pursue career education. The nonprofit works with veterans in the Greater New Haven area and across the state as well as across the country.

Salute American Vodka is USA Certified™ product, meaning everything from the ingredients to the packaging was made in the country. It’s an 80-proof vodka that is distilled four times, giving it a thicker pour with a clean, smooth, and odorless taste. In June 2016, the brand was acquired by Handcrafted Brands of Branford, Conn. The vodka is bottled and distilled in Rochester, N.Y. For more information about the brand and its impact, visit: www.saluteamerican.com.  

About Salute American Vodka

Salute American Vodka is launching nationwide in 2017. The first dollar of every bottle sold is donated directly to organizations that provide programs and services, which support veterans and other American heroes. The high-quality, 80-proof, award-winning craft vodka is USA Certified™; it is 100 percent American-made from the ingredients to the bottle. The vodka is distilled four times, giving the spirit a thicker pour with a clean, smooth and odorless taste. In June 2016, the brand was acquired by Handcrafted Brands of Branford, Conn. Salute American Vodka is bottled and distilled in Rochester, NY. For more about the brand and its impact or to find a retailer that carries Salute American Vodka near you, visit: www.saluteamerican.com. 

About Brescome Barton, Inc.

Brescome Barton, Inc. is the largest wholesale distributor of spirits, wine, and beer in the state of Connecticut. In business since 1936, we have grown significantly through acquisitions and new supplier relationships and continue to grow each year through additional appointments of suppliers and brands.

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Higher Heights builds a community of college-bound students. Photo provided by Higher Heights.

Thirteen years ago, Higher Heights stepped in to help underrepresented college-bound students in Greater New Haven. Now, the organization is bringing its model to other districts and college access programs around the state with training programs that help counselors better support minority, English Language Learner, and low-income students.

“It’s very exciting. We’ve been doing good work in New Haven and now we’re going to have a statewide reach,” says Executive Director Chaka Felder. Continue reading here.