MINUTES
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Board Meeting
2:30 July 19, 2010
NHN Food Pantry Distribution Center
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Format)
Present: Virgil Goodin, Mary Ann Kempf, Tom Priester, Joyce Roach, Louise Bolin and Art Schneider.
Excused Absences: Wanda Vonderahe, Robert Stinnett, Marsha Goodin, Don Dreyer and Randy Richards.
Tom Priester opened the meeting with a prayer at 2:34 p.m.
Call to Order:
Dinah Pearson: She provided board members with an impressive resume spanning 40 years as a professional. She has been an independent grant writer since August 199 and has written grants for Fulton State Hospital and Central Methodist University. Her experiences include three years as a University Behavioral Health grant writer, operations manager of University Behavioral Health, plus three years of additional managerial assistance, two years as adjunct M. U. faculty member, four years in infomatics with M. U. She has bachelor degree in statistics and master’s in health care administration. A copy of the resume is in the official board minutes.
She told the board that she provides a variety of services -- providing potential grant source of income, grant writing and editing grant proposals. She normally charges $50 an hour, but would cut that to $25 for a non-profit. She said the grant application market has exploded with the current state of the economy and so there is tremendous competition for grants. She estimates about 40% of her proposals have been funded. Most of the proposals had been to the National Institutes of Health, but in recent years foundations and USDA have been the focus.
Asked about preparing proposals and receiving a portion of any proposals received. She said the profession considers that unethical conduct.
She mentioned the Missouri Foundation for Health having a broad interpretation of “health” and that it is one of the nation’s largest foundations with more than $1 billion in assets and fund distribution limited to the 81 Missouri counties once served by the original Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
After significant board discussion there was consensus for her to send a contract to research possible funding sources at the $25 an hour rate. Ten hours was a possible number of hours suggested. However, that could be adjusted. Board will vote on this at the August meeting.
Virgil
also mentioned to her that there is particular interest in looking at
funding to purchase the recently vacated MFA Building. It has more than
5,000 square feet, ample parking, very visible and handicapped
accessible. He will further investigate purchase option possibilities
with MFA. Art suggested the MFA Foundation as a possible source of grant
funds. Also mentioned was that grant funds secured that could offset
other expenses—such as food, utilities and rent—could reduce the need
for current sources and those funds set aside for a building.
Old Business
·
Minutes
from March, May, June Meetings
(March revision was lost--don't know if it was finalized in May.):
May approval tabled as Robert Stinnett has not provided.
Virgil said the version sent out for May meeting was approved.
·
June
Minutes:
Noted
that data on food distribution for Thursday and Tuesday was switched and
needed to be corrected. Tom move the minutes be approved with
correction. Mary Ann seconded. Passed unanimously.
·
Treasurer’s Report:
Tom
reported that he found the 98 cent
error reported at the June meeting and it went all the
way back to February. It has been
corrected. The $786.68 noted in the June minutes as checking balance
was accurate. At this time the pantry has $8284.16 in the checking
thanks to the city reimbursement of $7191.63. There was no CD report.
Tom requested that when board members make a purchase or agree to
a service for the pantry that they contact Tom in advance with the
amount and the purpose. He has
received past bills and not been told they were coming or given the
amount to expect, so he does not know if the bill is correct or not.
This also will help with the annual audit.
During
the past six months the food pantry has earned no interest on savings
and just $9.52 in interest on the savings that has averaged holding more
than $3000 a month. Another Alliant Bank is offering 3.5% for checking
account deposits. That is more than the pantry is receiving for CDs. Tom
recommended switching everything from Citizens Community to Alliant.
Virgil was concerned that there would be quite a lot of work required to
switch the automatic deposits. Art agreed. Tom did not think so. Tom
will check with the current bank to see what it will offer and prepare a
proposal for the board to authorize changing banks.
Art noted that the checking account has trash pick-up by Veloia and
needs to be changed to Veolia.
Art moved and Mary Ann seconded that the treasurer’s report be accepted.
· Wal-Mart Credit Card Status: Tom reported that the application was returned undelivered by the Postal Service as having the wrong address. The address Tom used was the one that Boonville Super Wal-Mart provided.
·
Donated
Food Weight
Reported in
June: Jeanne reported 4017
pounds—3722 from Boonville Super Wal-Mart.
Total Hours Donated in June:
Jeanne reported 331 hours.
NHN Food Distribution in
June: Virgil
· Total families assisted: 260 Total people served: 642
· Thursday distribution: 57 families
· Tuesday distribution: 118 families
· Saturday distribution: 39 families
· Emergency: 7 families
· Village Meadows: 25 families
· Handicapped: 19 families
· Total families on Supplemental Nutrition Education Program (SNAP) formerly the food stamp program: 145 families
· Total families receiving TANF: 13 families
· Update on NHN Client Data Entry: Robert has the computers. They need to be hooked up. Virgil plans to be present for the hookup to learn how to use the new computers. Concern expressed that currently it requires six notebooks to enter data and that the clients are very upset about the time it takes.
· Data Entry Training Update: Robert –Tabled.
· Switch Plate Replacement at the Distribution Center: Robert –Virgil said he will get the plate. It is a two-button plate and these are rarely used today.
· Local Club List for Possible Contact for Program on the Food Pantry: Tom forgot and will bring in August.
· AmerenUE Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Donation Request: Robert update. Tabled.
· Ricoh Copier: Any decision made on this? No vote reported for June meeting. Discussion on accepting the bank donation. Concern about upkeep. Concurrence to accept and that there should be a charge for use other than for food pantry purposes. Suggested was 25 cents per copy. Tom will hook it up.
· Revised Client Food Distribution Application Form: Robert. Tabled
·
Truck
Signage:
Mary Ann
and Marsha for one side and Tom and Randy for other side.
Mary Ann reported she has contacted CarStar and it will donate a 4 x 8
sign for one side of the truck—equivalent to a donation of $480. CarStar
will be noted as donor on sign.
Tom reported that Alliant Bank will donate $400 for the 4 x 8 sign on
the other side of the truck and that it will be noted as donor. CarStar
reduced its cost from $480 to $400 for the Alliant donated sign.
· Orscheln Shelves—Decision?: Discussion consensus that Tom’s suggestion that the board keep the shelves for future usage.
New Business
· First Christian Church Grant Application: Virgil has submitted the application.
· Board Status of Hazel Stone: Art has no record of emeritus status for Hazel. Virgil said that she was approved for board emeritus status in the spring and will be retained on the board as an emeritus. Tom moved that this be recorded as approved by the board and Louise seconded. Vote was six in favor and Jeanne opposed. She thought this should be done only after a formal resignation as an active board member. Passed.
· City ½ Cent Sales Tax Proposal: Virgil asked if Tom had submitted a proposal. He said he never received an application form. Virgil noted July 26 the committee will hear proposals. Art also said he did not receive an application the summer youth development program. While the meeting was in session Art cell phoned Mary McAllister of city hall. She could not promise a late proposal would be heard, but offered to prepare the sheets and distribute completed forms to committee members. Tom was to pick the form up after the board meeting.
· Donations and Possible Reduced Cost Shelf Donation in the Future: Mary Ann reported Russell Imhoff donated time and material to repair one of the food pantry’s freezers. Mary Ann also noted that Russell Imhoff has stores shelves that he is willing to sell at a very low price to the food pantry. If the pantry is able to secure more space, this likely would be needed.
·
Volunteer
of the Quarter:
This was
to have been on the June board agenda and Art missed including it. Mary
Ann noted that Kelly Williams, a youth, has actively assisted at the
distribution center’s distribution days. The board has not recognized a
youth volunteer.
Jeanne
moved Kelly be the volunteer of the quarter and Tom seconded. Vote was
six in favor and Mary Ann abstaining.
No further business the board adjourned at 3:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Art Schneider, board secretary