FY 07 was a transition year for our operations.  The building expansion, program which began in FY 06, was winding down during the first month of FY 07, and by August 1, 2006 the expansion was essentially complete and our operations were back to normal.  We expected that it would take some time for our donors and clients and potential volunteers to realize that we were back in business and for our operations to get back to the levels we had achieved before the building expansion started.  We think that has been the case.

 The number of volunteers during the fiscal year averaged 373.  That represents a slight increase from the previous fiscal year, but is well below the largest number of volunteers (395), which was reached in FY 04.

 We count the number of donation receipt given to clients, as a proxy to estimate any trends in the number of donors contributing food, clothing and household items.  We offer receipts to all donors; some want a receipt and some don't.  We assume that the proportion of those who want and those who don't want a receipt remains constant.  In  FY 07 we gave almost 4,400 donation receipts; or about 15% more than in FY 06, but  significantly below the level of the 5 fiscal years preceding the start of construction..  We anticipate that with our new building being more attractive and more visible, we will see donations continue to increase.

The number of client visits increased by more than 300 from the FY 06 level, to more than 2,700 in FY 07.  The number of client visits was depressed in FY 06 and the first 2 months of FY 07 due to the construction-forced reduced level of services we were able to provide.   We expect that with a full year of full services in FY 08 we will be able to schedule an increased number of client visits.

In FY 07 we served slightly less than 1,000 individual households comprising more than 3,100 family members.  This level of service is well above the totals for last fiscal year, but less than in recent previous fiscal years.  Anticipating a fiscal year in which we are able to maintain a full 12 months of full services in FY 08, we expect to maintain our FY 07 levels, or exceed them.  Much will depend on the level of need in the community. 

Financial assistance reached a record level of more than $148,000 - a 25% increase over FY 06.  The $30,000 increase consisted entirely of assistance for clients needing help with their escalating rent and mortgage costs.  In FY 07, we had almost 400 client visits seeking financial assistance; dispensing, on average, $373 per visit.  Some clients made more than one visit seeking financial assistance during the year.  We assisted 303 individual client households, providing, on average, $489 per household. 

We distributed a record high 153,000 pounds of food to ECHO clients during FY 07.  All through the building construction phase we continued to offer food to clients in need, and, when we couldn't offer help with clothing or household items, we tended to provide more food that we ordinarily would have, in order to compensate.

  Our administrative costs amount to less than one penny 
out of every dollar we spend.