United Way of Tompkins County Affiliate Member Organization

NUTRITION FOR THE ELDERLY

IN TOMPKINS COUNTY

FOODNET

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

July 16, 2003

Gertrude Armbruster, Chair, called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m.

Present: Board Members: Gertrude Armbruster, Olan Forker, Kay Friedlander, Anna Holmberg, Marian Kira, Liz Norton, Carolyn Peterson, and Helene Rosenblatt. Staff:  Stephen Griffin and Carolyn Arnold.

Excused: Board Members: Bob Baker, Chris Decker, Loren Colbert, Keefe Gorman, Mary George Opperman, Elaine Saunders and Lawrence Williams.

Changes to the Agenda: none.

Minutes of May 14, 2003 and June 18, 2003: Motion to approve the minutes of both meetings as written. Motion made by Marian Kira, seconded by Helene Rosenblatt. Passed.

Reports of Committees:

Finance Committee:  Olan Forker pointed out the financial statements in the meeting packet. Steve Griffin gave the balance sheet and income statements current as of June 30.

2004 budget: Steve Griffin gave out a two-page budget summary for 2004 dated June 25, 2003 and noted as the second draft. The revenues are consistent with the Tompkins County planned appropriations and projections for state and federal funds. Key points are:

·          We plan to raise $15,000 from local Towns and authorities, in order to offset a $15,000 reduction in county funds.

·          $50,500 is anticipated from fund raising to support 2004 operating costs.

·          Other than payroll and rent, we expect to keep the overall expenses the same as the 2003 budget. Savings in some areas (such as payroll processing) will offset necessary increases in others.

·          A 3% wage increase would add about $12,000 to expenses for 2004. Our payments to the County for the building will be about $11,818 more than shown under the rent category. The wage increases; rent, and revised expense estimates will be incorporated into the next draft of the budget and sent to the board.

Long Range Planning: Foodnet's updated Strategic Planning Assumptions were handed out. Work has begun on a five-year strategic plan. The PEP committee (Program, Education and Personnel) has reviewed the planning process and proposed a revised mission statement that was approved by the board on May 14, 2003. We plan to develop a vision statement, values statement, conduct an analyses of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and prepare goals and objectives for now through 2008. The planning process is outlined in a Power Point presentation named "Strategic Planning" given at the April PEP meeting and available for use with other committees. We have an opportunity to work with a team of Cornell students in Fall 2003 through the Small Business Management Workshop offered by the Department of Applied Economics and Management of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. We have an interview with the Workshop program assistant Melanie Eisen on July 28 to match Foodnet with a student team.

Gertrude Armbruster noted that this is Olan's last board meeting and report as Foodnet's Treasurer. We thank Olan for the time, expertise and effort he has given so generously to Foodnet.

Program Education and Personnel Committee: Kay Friedlander reported that the Program, Education and Personnel Committee met on June 25. The next meeting of the PEP committee will be on July 29, 2003 at 4:00pm at Foodnet.

On June 25, Steve showed the committee demographic information from slides and printed materials published by the New York State Office for the Aging as part of "Project 2015: The Future of Aging in New York State." Carolyn Arnold gave a report on Medicare Part B Coverage for Medical Nutrition Therapy. The committee is guiding the organization of a packet of information for new clients and for outreach to groups such as doctors' offices, caseworkers and caregivers. The committee is reviewing our privacy and confidentiality policies and procedures and will guide staff training on the topic. The committee continues to work on our goals for the future.

Kay reported that she encountered some confusion over Foodnet's name and identity while talking with a potential recruit for board membership. The person in question thought that Foodnet was the same as the Tompkins County Food Distribution Network, which operates emergency food pantries including "the Kitchen Cupboard". There is a possibility that at least one donation that was suggested to be given to Foodnet was given to the Food Distribution Network instead. We need to make the public more aware of Foodnet and the services we provide.

Buildings and Property: no report

Publicity and Public Relations: Pictures from the Foodnet picnic were show in a slide show before the meeting began.

The June issue of the Lansing Older Adult Newsletter included an article about Foodnet that encourages Lansing residents to attend our program at Woodsedge Apartments.

June 20, 2003 Ithaca Journal "BOCES Grads Achieve Goals" featured two of our volunteers, Kelly Rowland and Sarah Reinhart.

June 27 Ithaca Journal article on 4-H Career Exploration Conference featured a group of students who visited the Foodnet program at Titus Towers. One of our former board members, Therese O'Connor, was their host leader. The students are from 4-H clubs all around the state. It was a very successful visit.

"Senior Time" Radio Show July 27 will feature an interview about Foodnet, the show has invited us to do another interview about the Wheel-A-Thon in September.

The Senior Circle deadline is this Friday for mailing August 14. We will submit an article about the Wheel-A-Thon, a piece about the Quilters Corner Place Mat project, and maybe a photo from the picnic.

Quilters Corner plans to host a promotion September through October 2003 inviting people to come in their shop to sew a placemat for Meals on Wheels. People will also be invited to sew a placemat at the local quilt guild show to be held October 18 & 19 at the Rink & Field in Lansing. Everyone who makes a placemat will be entered to win a new Pfaff sewing machine worth $1999.

We haven't taped any TV shows yet, but we still plan to do at least one on cable TV.

Helene Rosenblatt offered to assemble a memory book of newspaper articles about Foodnet, which could be kept in the office for people to see. The office staff will provide Helene with recent articles that we have saved.

Nominating Committee Kay Friedlander thanked Olan Forker for his service as a Board Member and Treasurer, and nominated William G. Tomek for membership on the Board.

William G. (Bill) Tomek came to our attention as a potential board member through Olan Forker. He is Professor Emeritus of Applied Economics and Management at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University and a Graduate School Professor. He is professionally active part-time. He is currently president of the senior section of the American Agricultural Economics Association and is active in the American Economic Association, the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, and the Econometrics Society. He is the Lay Leader at Forest Home Chapel, the Treasurer of Protestant Cooperative Ministry at Cornell, and a board member of the Wesley Foundation at Ithaca.

Mr. Tomek is willing to serve and would start at our Board Meeting in September. His experience should help Foodnet. Olan said that Bill is very well organized and conscientious.

Motion: to elect William G. (Bill) Tomek to the Board of Directors, to fill the unexpired term of Olan Forker. Motion made by Kay Friedlander, seconded by Liz Norton. Passed.

Treasurer: Kay has made some contacts but has not yet found anybody willing to serve as Treasurer.

Development Committee: Keefe Gorman was unable to be here, so Steve Griffin reported.

The total of gifts and pledges for the annual fund is $37,693. 84

This compares favorably to the total of $37,140.17 raised as of this time last year.

Board members and Development Committee members are completing individual contacts with people who have donated in the past and some new donor prospects, as well as churches. We have updated our list of family and friends of Foodnet clients and will include them in newsletters and invite them to participate in the Wheel-A-Thon.

The Wheel-A-Thon will be September 20, 2003 at Cass Park. Our goal is to have 150 participants and to raise $10,000! People are invited to take part in the non-motorized event on the Cayuga Waterfront Trail at Cass Park. This is a 2-mile loop. It is a paved, 10 feet wide path that welcomes walkers, bicycles, in-line skaters, and wheelchairs. Diane Conneman is organizing a Road Rally to start off-site (maybe at the Chase-Pitkin parking lot in front of Wegmans) and end up at the park. Classic cars and motorcycles are invited to participate in separate flights. We have contacts with Generations Corvette Club, an antique car club, a Porsche Club, the Finger Lakes Harley Owners Group, and ABATE. SYSCO Foods will donate some food and supplies for the picnic. We have not set a rain date. We are actively seeking sponsors, door prizes, publicity, and completing plans for the event itself. This will be the topic of the Development Committee on this Friday, July 18 at noon and board members are welcome to attend.

The United Way has announced $2,000 one-time grants available from the youth philanthropy program. We received such a grant three years ago and will apply for this round.

Major gifts:

First Bank Niagara is beginning review of grants requests in late July, including a request of $50,000 (if for one year) to $100,000 over three years to be used by Foodnet and submitted by Irene Stein and the Tompkins County Office for the Aging.

Loren Colbert is helping to see if we can apply to the Tompkins County Foundation for a three year capital grant to help pay for our building. If we could get about $25,000 a year for three years it would take a lot of pressure off our annual budget and fund raising. We will also try to find other foundations that would help to pay for the building.

Executive Committee: Gertrude Armbruster continues to work on linkages.

Registered Dietitian: Carolyn Arnold, RD reported that the Farmers Market Coupon booklets arrived the morning of the FOODNET Annual Picnic at Stewart Park, and were distributed to eligible clients at the picnic.  They have also been distributed at the congregate sites and to home-delivered clients.  COFA and Cornell Cooperative Extension staff has distributed coupons at food pantries and senior housing.

The Cornell Dietetic Internship Program will again be assigning an intern to FOODNET for community nutrition experience in September, October and November.  This year’s intern will be Alison Parker. 

Executive Director: Steve Griffin gave the following report:

The Clean Indoor Air Act goes into effect July 24, 2003. Foodnet already has adopted a smoke free environment for all of its sites, as documented in the employee handbook. The smoke free environment includes all vehicles used for business. We have reviewed the new law, made sure "No Smoking" signs are posted where required, and are informing all employees in a memo to be distributed with payroll on July 18.

I have applied for a team of students from Cornell to work on our Long Range Planning this fall through the Small Business Management Workshop offered by the Department of Applied Economics and Management of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

I have committed to take part in the Performance Outcome Measures Project of the Government Performance Results Act. The Tompkins County Office for the Aging will survey a sample of congregate and home delivered meal clients and collect demographic information on all clients. The results will measure how Foodnet services impact the nutritional risk status of our clients. The surveys and more information are available at www.gpra.net

I taped an interview about Foodnet with Fred Antil, to be aired on the "Senior Time" radio show on Sunday, July 27 at 8:15 am, on WHCU radio 870AM. It includes an introduction to Foodnet, a reminder that Farmers Market Coupons are available, and an invitation to take part in the Wheel-A-Thon on September 20. Fred is interested in doing an interview about the Wheel-A-Thon closer to the date.