ECHO, Inc.

ECUMENICAL COMMUNITY HELPING OTHERS

7205 Old Keene Mill Road
Springfield, VA 22150


2006 ANNUAL REPORT
 

ECHO Policy Statement

 

The Articles of Incorporation of ECHO permit ECHO (Ecumenical Community Helping Others) to engage in six specific areas of service and one general area.
    1.      Aiding families in emergencies
    2.      Providing family guidance and assistance
    3.      Supplying transportation to adults and children for needed services
    4.      Educating citizens with regard to social, religious and charitable needs
    5.      Operating a day care center for children
    6.      Other such lawful activities
These areas provide a menu from which ECHO has selected activities which seem to be most needed at the time, in the geographic area in which ECHO operates.  ECHO also cooperates with the Fairfax County Department of Human Services and with other community-based organizations in Fairfax County.

Currently, ECHO focuses primarily on providing aid in emergencies.  We provide financial assistance in paying bills for essential client needs, including housing, utilities, prescription medicines and other essential needs.  Additionally, we provide clients with emergency supplies of food, household items and clothing. Our assistance includes providing family guidance and counseling, to help the person or family to overcome their difficulties in the longer term.  ECHO also supports the Meals on Wheels program; we provide transportation to assist the needy in making essential local auto trips; and we sponsor and assist in providing Thanksgiving and Holiday meals to families in our area.  

It is the policy of ECHO to provide temporary or emergency assistance to enable persons and families who have encountered a difficult situation and who require a measure of assistance beyond that provided by federal, state and local governments.  ECHO strives to provide enough assistance to solve, or help to solve, the immediate problem and to encourage the client to take steps to overcome their difficulties without making the client dependent on continuing assistance.  We also recognize, however, that there are unfortunate persons and families in our area who, despite their best efforts, will need continuing assistance from ECHO.

ECHO has been, from the very beginning, an all-volunteer organization.  We have no paid staff.  Because we are comprised of persons from many faith communities, and persons who do not belong to any faith community, we serve the needy in the Springfield and Burke area without regard to religious belief or ethnicity; nor do we discriminate in any other way in providing services.  ECHO does not engage in any activities which would promote any religious, political, cultural or other point of view.  (June 30, 2006)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President’s Report - Tony Pomilla

Building Expansion Committee Report – John Ray, Chairperson

We finally received all of our Fairfax County approvals, and actually started construction on March 27, 2006. Our estimated "substantially complete date" is August 1, 2006. We hope to be in full operation by September 2006.

Our estimated "best case" cost has risen to $891,000, primarily due to increased County fees and Storm Water Management requirements. Escalating prices for fuel, metal, wood and asphalt due to national and world demand also contributed. We have collected close to $845,000 (greatly aided by the delay in starting construction) and have spent $343,000 to date.

In addition to continued support from our engineering firm, Walter Phillips, and architect, InterSpec, we have hired Chamberlain Construction as the general contractor and ECS as our third party inspector. Venable LLC has provided extremely responsive legal support throughout the process, and the Expansion Committee and the ECHO volunteers were crucial to the developments to date.

Computer Operations Report – John Gauthier, Chairperson

Our fiscal year 2006, which ended on June 30^th, was marked by the commencement of our building expansion project. This project, which started at the end of March 2006 had a significant impact on almost all of our operations for the last quarter of the year. Donations, which had already been down due to our premature anticipation of the start of the building effort a year earlier, fell even further with the arrival of construction equipment, chain link fences, and severely reduced parking facilities. Our outreach to clients was significantly reduced in early May, when we closed the clothing room and shipped all of the clothing and household items, including racks and shelves, to off-site storage. We have been able to maintain our client assistance with food and financial help, uninterrupted, although our client demand for financial assistance has dropped significantly; probably because some clients think that we are not offering financial help, due to the construction activity. We have continued to distribute food at a record level throughout the year.

The number of donation receipts given out during the fiscal year was about 3,800, down from 4,900 in the previous year. This trend marks two years of declining donations. Previous to the last 2 years, donations had been on a steady increase each year since we started keeping records in 1998. This year, donations were at a lower level than the first year we started keeping records (fiscal year 1998). We attribute this reversal to the construction issue. Once our expanded building is completed and we return to normal operations, probably in September 2006, we expect that we will resume our historical upward trend in donations, as well as all other aspects of our operations.

 

The number of volunteers, which had been growing steadily until it leveled off in fiscal year 2005, declined this year. On average, through the year we had about 360 active volunteers; down from a high of 395 in fiscal year 2004 and slightly less than that, last year. Some volunteers may have become inactive because we ceased evening hours as soon as construction started; because with a significantly reduced client and donor load, there is much less for volunteers to do; and because we have stopped orienting potential new volunteers, due to the reduced need. As in the case with declining donations, we expect our volunteer numbers to increase, or at least, hold steady, once we are operating normally again.

 

As a reflection of the reduction in donations, the value of items we passed on to other charitable organizations decreased this year, as it did last year. In 2004 we passed on donations valued at $395,000; in 2005, $271,000; and this year, $189,000.

As regards our client load, the number of client visits decreased from almost 3,000 last year to less than 2,400 this year; the number of individual family members served decreased from about 3,300 to slightly more than 2,900. Individual clients served decreased from about 1,000 to 900, from fiscal year 2005 to 2006.

Client assistance consisting of financial help decreased from $125,000 to $120,000. The amount of clothing decreased from about 3,400 bags to about 2,800 bags. The value of household items given to clients decreased from $94,000 in FY 2005 to $75,000 this year. The amount of food given to clients continued at about the record level of the last 2 years. In spite of all other measures of assistance being in decline, we gave more than 136,000 pounds of food to clients this fiscal year.

 

In sum, this has been a challenging year for ECHO volunteers. For the last quarter of the year volunteers have had to park off-site and be taxied to the building by other volunteers; they have had their work space at ECHO temporarily eliminated, or moved; they have been asked to work around construction equipment and noise and dust; evening volunteers have found themselves without a place to volunteer; and everyone has had to adjust to daily changes in procedures and schedules, not to mention working without water and restroom facilities, at times. We are very proud of all of the volunteers who are surviving and thriving and we look forward to our building completion and a new, more spacious, efficient, comfortable place to volunteer.

 

 

Susan Kirshenbaum takes donated wool home and busily crochets afghans

and baby items. She then sells them and donates the money to ECHO.

 

 

 

Clothing Report – Meg Brantley and Kathy Marchetti, Chairpersons

Clothing donations have remained fairly constant throughout the building expansion process. Since the client store ceased operations in May, all incoming clothing donations have been, and will continue to be, sorted for consignment, storage, and distribution to other organizations. Because of construction, our storage facility has limited space and we are storing much of the clothing off-site, but we anticipate having enough clothing to restock our client store when we resume operation. In anticipation of the construction, ECHO was able to create the following low cost off-site storage capabilities:

1) Interstate Van Lines donated an old moving van trailer and ECHO received permission to park it in the Mason Lodge parking lot.

2) ECHO was able to inexpensively rent a storage container and St. Mark’s allowed us to place it in their parking lot.

3) Burke Shurgard Storage allowed ECHO free storage space through a program they have to assist non-profit organizations.

We also thank the small army of people with trucks, vans and cars that helped us move things to these off-site locations.

As normal operations resume after the construction is completed, we will resume purchasing adult and children’s underwear and sport socks and winter coats in the children and adult sizes that are most often needed.

 

 

CURVES made a very generous food donation.

 

Food Report – John Ray, Chairperson

ECHO continued to receive and give record amounts of food: a total of 13,282 bags and 136,462 pounds of food were given to clients and other agencies.

Expenditures for perishables (meat, eggs, oleo) were steady. Food processing was routinely done by a dedicated group of volunteers who sorted and stored the donated food, and purchased the perishables on a timely basis to ensure we never ran out.

Major donations by the Postal Letter Carriers Union, Giant, Safeway, Pepperidge Farms, Pizza Hut and the Scout Annual Food Drive continued to be significant sources of food in addition to drives by our member congregations, corporations, local schools, and private individuals.

During the past year ECHO focused on providing food to its clients because space constraints before and during construction of the warehouse addition limited its ability to store and distribute clothing and housewares. ECHO decided that food was a more critical client need and so focused its limited capabilities during this period on providing food to clients. The generous support of the community and the hard work of our volunteers allowed us to actually distribute more food this year to clients than in any other year.

 

Housewares Committee Report - Barbara McDonnell and Anita Eitler,

Chairpersons
Though the building expansion construction has impacted work in the housewares department, we have managed to maintain an adequate supply of small appliances, linens, pots and pans, and dishes.  This is due in a large part to the generous support of our member congregations. Reduced storage and work space caused by the ongoing construction has limited our ability at times to accept donations of large appliances, such as microwave ovens, vacuum cleaners, and sewing machines. Many of the smaller household donations had to be put in storage for a portion of the construction period. We are very appreciative of the generous assistance we received with storing items during construction. Please see the Clothing Committee’s Report above for a description of this assistance.

While many of our loyal housewares volunteers have persevered through the challenges presented by reduced and changing work space, there have been fewer volunteers helping in housewares during the past year.  Often there has been less work for these volunteers to do because the volume of donations coming into ECHO is smaller than usual.  These versatile volunteers have used their time by helping in other areas such as sorting and packing food and packing backpacks with school supplies.

Although we have had fewer items to consign at times, the consignment shops continue to be a large source of income and donations.  These shops have taken the majority of items not practical for families in need, such as formal gowns, golf clubs, tennis rackets, and unique antique items.  Many of the collectibles are saved for the semi-annual yard sales.  Some large surplus toys and baby equipment are also consigned.

Among the many outreach programs that benefit from our surplus donations are the James Mott Community Assistance Program which takes overflow career clothing to help rehabilitate young women in the Fairfax area.  They also distribute Bingo prizes to local senior centers.  Bingo prizes consist of little knick-knacks and some jewelry that is received daily in Housewares.  We give a local lady many of our craft items which she, in turn, sends to southern missions.  Many of our surplus linens are given to Medical Missionaries and to a Washington, D. C. facility which helps AIDS patients.  Mariah Center is the recipient of overflow baby food and clothing.  Local animal shelters benefit from the worn and torn blankets and sheets that are worthless to our clients.  Last, but not least, is the drama box.  This box receives vintage clothes and very unusual outfits that have been donated.  These items are given to the drama departments of local high schools.  All in all, very little passes through the Housewares Department that is not put to use.

 

 

When Marilyn Wild missed her doctor's appointment and was informed that the doctor does not charge for missed appointments, she was so grateful she made a donation to ECHO. 

 

Family Counselors Report - Dani Schwalb, Jorge Perez, Elizabeth Sugden,

Marlene Whiteley, Co Chairpersons

Our Family Counselors have once more proven themselves to be among the best people in the area and beyond. They continue to work with and counsel clients in spite of language, religious and ethnic differences, sometimes resorting to signing and drawings to make a point, all the while keeping a calm and caring demeanor. This year has also seen our office uprooted and work space moved to a very dusty back corner of the food room. Finding things is a challenge, as is finding an electrical outlet. Still our counselors come, some even working Saturday mornings to replace evening hours which have had to be canceled due to the construction.

Many of our clients run out of food and money before the end of the month for a wide variety of reasons. This year we have given out more food for fewer client visits and fewer family members. We believe that we have had fewer client visits and family members this year because, despite our efforts to publicize to the contrary, many clients may have thought that ECHO was closed during construction. Since ECHO was not able to give clients clothes during construction, for those clients who did show up, we compensated where we could by providing additional food to help the client free up resources to purchase the clothes they needed. We also believe that we are seeing a trend in which an increasing immigrant population is coming to ECHO with far fewer personal resources, thus requiring food and clothing in an amount larger than their more established counterparts having the same financial difficulties. It also appears that, for this year, a milder winter and an unemployment rate lower than the national average made for fewer, or perhaps smaller, requests for financial aid.

Holiday baskets were distributed in November and December, but because of the anticipated start of construction, instead of doing the Holiday Shop this year, gifts were distributed to families who came for their regular appointments in November and December. Some food basket donors also provided gifts, and families were referred to other organizations for help.

 

 

Meals-On-Wheels Report - Joan Opiela and Nada Nuckolls, Driver Coordinators
The role of Meals-on-Wheels is to deliver well balanced meals to individuals unable to prepare their own meals for reasons of health or disability regardless of age.  Clients pay for the meals on a sliding scale basis.  For twenty-seven years, volunteers have served the infirm, homebound members of our community.  In 1978, the North Springfield Meals-on-Wheels Program began.  Because demand was so great, a West Springfield/Burke Program began in 1982.  In each of these programs, meals are brought to ten to fifteen clients Monday through Friday throughout the year with the exception of major holidays.

Each area has its meals program with a driver coordinator and a treasurer.  Taking turns once a month (or more) the drivers are the kindest, most loving and the most dedicated people in the world!  They drive through pouring rain, wind, summer heat, winter cold and Northern Virginia traffic.  They usually do not have to contend with snow because if Fairfax County schools are closed due to weather, meals are not delivered.  If one of the drivers is ill or has car trouble, there's always someone who will take over at the last minute.

This service is so important to the elderly.  It may allow the client to live in their own home many more years, often into their eighties or even nineties.  We are extremely grateful to all who support this tremendous program bringing a little sunshine into the lives of the homebound and the needy.  When God sent Angels to work here on earth, He made sure there was an abundance of them in the Meals-on-Wheels Program.

In addition to the support ECHO receives from Greenspring Village residents,

the Greenspring  employees donated 76 bags of clothing and goods.

Transportation Committee Report

ECHO continues to provide rides to a few clients in need of transportation to medical appointments. Volunteers for this program are provided by eight of the member congregations on a rotation basis.

Beth Clark's faith group, Sathya Sai Baba, which does social action,

donated 75 brand new blankets.

Community Relations Committee Report – Jane Curtis, Chairperson

Jane Curtis communicates to ECHO member congregations directly and through the representatives who serve on the Board of Directors by sending monthly newsletter articles. David Haase does an outstanding job of writing press releases for ECHO. Also, an ECHO Speakers Bureau continues to be available to speak to community organizations or congregations.

The Community Relations committee is in charge of plans for the dedication ceremony for the headquarters building expansion, to be held on October 15, 2006.

Hazzan Sidney Gershwin Rabinowitz was standing in a food line

Shopping for ECHO when an impressed lady handed him $20 for

our organization.

 

Treasurer’s Report – Catherine McMahon

In FY2006 ECHO was faced with a potential operating fund shortfall due to loss of funding from the Fall 2005 Combined Federal Campaign. Individual donations more than made up for any shortfall and at FY2006 year end ECHO had received $36,704 in individual contributions to the operating budget, exceeding the budget by 63%. Generous donations received from our member congregations also helped to cover the deficit. An additional $13,150 was received from a Fairfax County grant in FY ’06. ECHO continues to receive financial support not only from member congregations and individuals but also local businesses and community groups. The year-end cash reserve was $83,445 and represents 44% of our operating budget for the coming year.

ECHO distributed $119,821 in client financial assistance; the bulk of these monies were distributed for rent and utilities payments. This amount was approximately 5% lower than expectations due to the building expansion. While ECHO was still ‘doing business’, client traffic slowed during the summer months.

Headquarters and administration expenses were lower than expected mainly due to a delay in construction. When the budgets were created it was expected that the building expansion would be completed and headquarters and administrative expenses would increase. We will see those costs increase in FY 2007 once the building expansion is completed.

Donations of food, clothing, housewares and holiday gifts and various miscellaneous items were valued this year at over $636,000. This number is down 25% from FY2005 since donations of clothing and housewares donations significantly slowed during the construction. The sale of unusable donations through eBay, consignment and yard sales contributed $59,695 to the year’s income.

 

By far the biggest news in FY2006 was the near completion of the building expansion project (dedication ceremony was held October 15, 2006). In FY2006, ECHO received $66,970 in building donations from individuals and member congregations combined. Additionally, ECHO successfully met a $25,000 matching grant challenge from a private Richmond foundation in May, and another $25,000 grant was received from the State of Virginia. The generosity from our community continued to our spring and fall yard sales which in total yielded nearly $26,000. A 50/50 fund raiser raffle netted $2,500. All of these donations mean that ECHO will have to borrow less money for the building expansion than originally thought.

This annual report presents audited financial statements in a condensed form. The complete statements with notes are available on the ECHO website.

 

November 2, 2006

We have audited, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted auditing standards, the statements of financial position of Ecumenical Community Helping Others, Inc. (ECHO, Inc.) as of June 30, 2006 and 2005, and the related statements of activities and changes in net assets, functional expenses, and cash flows for the years then ended, and, in our report dated November 2, 2006, we expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

 

In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying condensed financial statements is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the financial statements from which it has been derived.

 

 

ECHO, INC.

ECHO, INC.

ECHO, INC.

ECHO, INC.

President, ECHO, Inc.                    Tony Pomilla                       
Congregation                                                  Representative 

Abiding Presence Lutheran Church                 Roger & Marty Eisinger   
Adat Reyim Congregation                                 Gloria Loew           
Baha’i Community                                              Ayelene Fallah               
Burke Presbyterian Church                                      Linda Greenlees       
Burke United Methodist Church                           Ann Chiles           
Church of the Nativity                                              John & Cecilia Frazee       
First Baptist Church of Springfield                          Cheryl Halla              
Grace Christian Reformed Church                        Nancy Asma                 
Grace Presbyterian Church                                    John Heine               
Kirkwood Presbyterian Church  Temp. Contact:   Gary Warren           
Messiah United Methodist Church                       Don Smith                     
New Hope Church                                                     to be filled
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church                            Susan Irvine               

Rolling Valley/Springfield Congregation of the
   Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints       Alita Romney  
                                Ass’t:  Amy Darger-Stewart       
South Run Baptist Church                                       Diane Sellers           
Springfield Christian Church                                    Bill Crouch                            
Springfield United Methodist Church                      Allyson Kerins       
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church                              Dave & Betty Carruth       
St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church                             Barbara McDonnell             
St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church                       Doris Hare                     
St. John’s United Methodist Church                Carol Wood                           
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church                                   Fran Eck                                 
Sydenstricker United Methodist Church                 Mary Sconyers                  
Westwood Baptist Church                                       Pat Nelson         

President                                    Tony Pomilla               
Vice President                               Bob Diegelman               
Vice President/Finance             John Frazee               
Secretary                                       Marianne DeHart           
Treasurer                                      Catherine McMahon           
Assistant Treasurer            Judy Riekse               
Trustees                          Duane Carlson (07)    Bill Crouch (Emeritus)                        John Myers (07)        John Ray (07)
Members at Large                          Jane Curtis                Kathy Marchetti        Executive Director                        Pat Gauthier

Support Team

Admin. Asst.                                   Burnette Decker  Marianne DeHart

Building & Grounds         Jim Singsank                         
Building Expansion                          John Ray               
Clothing                                           Kathy Marchetti        Meg Brantley            Community Relations                     Jane Curtis            David Haase            Computer Operations        John Gauthier                           
Family Counselors                    Jorge Perez             Elizabeth Sugden                                       Dani Schwalb            Marlene Whiteley   
Food                                               John Ray
Grant Writer                Lowell Kilday               
Holiday Baskets & Gifts            Fran Eck            Dani Schwalb                                Claudia Kiely               
Housewares                         Barbara McDonnell  Anita Eitler                            
Meals on Wheels                  Joan Opiela            Nada Nuckolls            Newsletters                            Fran Eck            Gerda Kilday           

Phone Calls                            Jane Bennett               
Teen Director                     to be filled
Thank You Notes                        Ann Harahan               
Transportation                        to be filled
Volunteer Orientation         Linda Greenlees  (Day)

to be filled   (Night)   

Volunteer Scheduling                Janet Phillips   (Day)       

Meg Brantley  (Night)           

               

JULY JANUARY
1, 4, 8, 15, 22, 29 CLOSED         2 CLOSED (New Year’s Day)
18 Executive Com. Mtg. 7:30 PM 16 CLOSED (M.L. King Day)
(Property Ins.)   ECHO Hdqtrs. 18* Executive Com. Mtg. 7:30 PM
Food Drives: Sydenstricker UMC,     Messiah UMC 
    St. Christopher’s Episcopal        6215 Rolling Road

AUGUST Food Drive: Kirkwood Presbyterian
5, 12. 19, 26 CLOSED                    FEBRUARY
---      No Meeting Scheduled 20 CLOSED (Presidents’ Day)
19    Fall clothing changeover 22* Membership/B-O-D Mtg.

Food Drive: None Prince of Peace Lutheran

SEPTEMBER 8304 Old Keene Mill Road

5 CLOSED (Labor Day) Food Drives: Abiding Presence Lutheran

19 Membership/B-O-D Mtg. 7:30PM Grace Presbyterian

Sydenstricker UMC MARCH

8505 Hooes Road -- No Meeting Scheduled

Food Drives: Burke Presbyterian 13-14 `Spring clothing changeover

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Food Drives: Prince of Peace Lutheran

OCTOBER       Springfield Christian

8 ECHO Yard Sale at St. Bernadette’s APRIL
10 CLOSED (Columbus Day) 14 CLOSED (Good Friday)
17 Executive Com. Mtg. 7:30 PM 17 Executive Com. Mtg. 7:30 PM
   (Property Ins. continued) (Review budget, Nominating Com.)
    St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church Rolling Valley LDS
    6320 Hanover Ave. 6942 Sydenstricker Road
Food Drives: First Baptist Springfield 22 ECHO Sale at St. Bernadette’s
St. Bernadette’s Catholic Food Drives: Burke UMC

NOVEMBER Grace Christian Reformed   

?? Construction due to begin MAY

11 CLOSED (Veterans’ Day) 13 USPS Letter Carriers Food Drive
12 Scout Food Drive 15 Membership/B-O-D Mtg. 7:30 PM
19 Lion’s Club Flea Market   (Approve Budget, Election of Officers)

20 Thanksgiving Food Baskets Grace Christian Reformed
21 Membership/B-O-D Mtg. 7:30 PM 9800 Burke Lake Road
St. John’s UMC  29 CLOSED (Memorial Day)

5312 Backlick Road Food Drive: Springfield UMC

Food Drive:   (Scouts) St. Mark’s Lutheran

DECEMBER JUNE
--     No Meeting Scheduled    ---  No Meeting Scheduled            
20 Holiday  Baskets Food Drive:    Westwood Baptist

21-Jan 2 ECHO Closed 

Food Drive:  None

 

* Meeting changed to Wednesday due to Monday holiday

NOTE:  Dates may change due to construction