By Amy Wenk – Staff Writer
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Atlanta working to tackle human trafficking problem before Super Bowl LIII
Gaby Humphries has trouble remembering his name.
“It starts with a ‘D’ but so much of me has pushed that out,” said the 28-year-old, sipping a black coffee at Starbucks.
She was talking about the man who led her into sex trafficking. It all seemed OK at first. When they met, he was a “regular looking guy” who wore a sweater vest. It was an upscale apartment in Dunwoody. But soon, he would bring half a dozen men a day to have sex with her.
“He reminded me of the devil, a snake in the garden,” she said.
Humphries had a childhood typical of trafficking victims. She was raised by a single mother and raped at 13. She began to lash out, dressing in goth, having casual sex and cutting herself. She moved from one mental institution to another and was pregnant at 18.
“I went downhill from there,” she said. “I wasn’t a good mom.” She started stripping. It was easy money. She’d numb herself with drugs and alcohol. But, things soon spiraled out of control and she lost custody of her son.
“I got even worse,” she said. She was 23 when she answered an online ad, a call for models, and quickly found herself immersed in a sex trafficking operation. For months, she would have sex with four to eight men a day, receiving just half the hourly fee the men were charged. Her trafficker, who told Humphries he was a former college professor, took the rest.
And, he’d rape her.
Humphries’ story is unfortunately all too common in Atlanta, often labeled as one of the worst cities in the U.S. for the crime.
Human trafficking, which includes both sex and labor trafficking, is essentially modern-day slavery. In Atlanta, trafficking has consistently climbed, with 98 reported cases in 2012 to 276 in 2017, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
From 2003 to 2007, the Atlanta sex trafficking industry went from $232 million to $290 million, according to a 2014 report from the Urban Institute.
Atlanta is a hotbed for the activity for several reasons. It’s home to the world’s busiest airport. It hosts major conventions and events. It has an extensive highway system and thousands of hotel rooms.
However, it’s hard to truly quantify the scope of the crime, said Eric Pauly, supervisory special agent with the FBI in Atlanta, who leads the violent crimes against children and human trafficking squad.
“I think the data is incomplete,” Pauly said, equating it to drug use. He added “Atlanta has been ahead of the curve” in terms of reporting the crime.
And now with Super Bowl LIII gearing up in Atlanta, the issue is being raised, perhaps like never before.
“Those events draw large populations with disposable income,” Pauly said. “That makes it a very attractive destination for traffickers to bring their victims, their stables of women, to those venues.”
City, nonprofit and business leaders from multiple backgrounds are now implementing new training and initiatives.
“We are using this as an opportunity to educate the community about the depth and scope of the problem and how every sector can get involved,” said Deborah Richardson, executive director of the International Human Trafficking Institute, which has a goal to train 50,000 people in metro Atlanta, including the 10,000 Super Bowl volunteers in partnership with the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee.
The city of Atlanta is also training thousands of people, including the Atlanta Police Department, in preparation for the Super Bowl.
“This moment is really ripe for us to engage people while they are listening,” said Ouleye Ndoye Warnock, the city’s first human trafficking fellow. Atlanta was one of three cities to land a Pathways to Freedom grant to fund the two-year position, along with Chicago and Minneapolis.
“The main goal is to create a policy blueprint that will really outline the social services that Atlanta has in place and areas where we may have gaps in our services,” said Warnock, a Spelman College grad who’s currently pursuing her doctorate at Columbia University.
She’s certainly seen first-hand the trauma trafficking can cause.
Warnock studied global human rights issues. She volunteered in Senegal in West Africa, encouraging young girls to stay in school and counseling them on health issues including sex. She worked with the African Refugee Development Center in Tel Aviv, Israel, learning how smuggling and trafficking went hand-in-hand with migration. She got a fellowship as a shelter director in northern Thailand, working with trafficked and sexually abused young women.
“I realized all these issues I’d been studying in all these countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East were going on right here,” said Warnock. “We have child marriage issues in most of our states. We have all kinds of labor and sex trafficking here … What’s been surprising is to see the lens I developed abroad directly applies here.”
The city also just announced a partnership with Wellspring Living, a non-profit group that offers residential and job programs to help survivors get back on their feet. The effort will offer internships within city departments for trafficking survivors, which will kick off next year.
Wellspring was founded in 2001.
“The first girl that walked in our door was a traffic survivor,” said Mary Frances Bowley, a former kindergarten teacher who founded Wellspring and serves as its executive director. “From the beginning, we just listened to what her needs were and developed our program around the needs of our participants.”
The programs help women reintegrate into the community. Wellspring’s Women’s Academy trains survivors on valuable job skills and helps place them in internships with top Atlanta companies.
“It’s a pathway to a living wage job,” Bowley said. Every quarter, Wellspring brings in 20 women into its career track. “We give them everything they need to make them employable, work ready.”
Trafficking has become a top priority for many Atlanta corporations.
Delta Air Lines has shown an incredible passion in the fight, working on the issue since 2011. That’s because 71 percent of trafficking survivors traveled on planes during their recruitment process, says Delta. The airline has trained 53,000 of its 80,000 employees on human trafficking, teaching them to spot signs of the crime.
“I know it’s working,” said Allison Ausband, senior vice president of in-flight service for Delta, who also leads the company’s trafficking initiatives. “Typically every day we will get a report that one of our employees feels like they have seen the signs of human trafficking.”
Delta has made significant donations to trafficking organizations. And CEO Ed Bastian holds roundtables to bring together executives around the issue.
“Unfortunately, a lot of trafficking occurs in airports and occurs on our airplanes. It is heartbreaking,” Bastian told Atlanta Business Chronicle during a meeting earlier this year. “What we’re trying to do is create the dialogue at a higher level.”
The Rotary Club of Atlanta has also established an anti-human trafficking task force comprised of high-level executives.
“The businesses of Atlanta have got to start educating themselves, their people and the community about how to combat trafficking,” said Ted Blum, managing shareholder of the Atlanta office of Greenberg Traurig LLP, who chairs Rotary’s task force. Greenberg Traurig has also gotten involved by offering internships to Wellspring graduates.
The Atlanta office of consulting firm Accenture is another company now offering internships to trafficking survivors. Those opportunities are crucial for them forge a new path in life.
“So far, we have had pretty good success in converting those folks over to full-time employees,” said Jonathan Lively, managing director of Accenture Strategy.
Other Atlanta companies are making efforts.
Intercontinental Hotels Group, which has its Americas headquarters in Atlanta, requires all its hotels to display a human rights policy. The hospitality giant also provides training to spot trafficking activity. And for the Super Bowl, it plans to have extra security and communications at hotels close to the event.
The Georgia World Congress Center has posted more than 500 signs about trafficking in its bathrooms to provide information about who to call and what to do.
“It’s a priority for everyone,” said Frank Poe, executive director of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. “It’s gone out of the shadows and into the forefront.”
Lives can turn around. Look at Humphries. It was getting a DUI that was her ultimate break-down point.
“I didn’t have anything to live for,” she said. She was looking for help and only thought to go sit in church. It was Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church and a kind pastor quickly became her savior, getting Humphries involved in Wellspring. She stayed in the program more than two years and graduated from the Women’s Academy, later becoming an intern at The Coca-Cola Co.
Today, she works as an operations administrator at ADP. She has custody back of her 9-year-old son, Oliver. And she passionately advocates for regulating the sex industry and encourages more businesses to hire survivors.
“Let these girls live,” Humphries said. “We are wild things. But, we are capable. We are smart. We are funny. We are beautiful, very resourceful and incredibly resilient. Any girl that goes through what we go through and then comes out on top, that’s a woman right there. They just need to have that continued support system.”
Gaby, graduate of the Women’s Residential Program, shares her story with Megyn Kelly on the January 23 show about sex trafficking in America. Executive director Mary Frances Bowley joins the conversation, as well.
Watch their Today show segments.
Wellspring BoardBlog: May 23, 2017 – SPECIAL EDITION
Written By: Stuart Griffin
SPECIAL EDITION: Q3 KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Thank you for tuning into this special edition of the Wellspring Living BoardBlog. We are in the process of designing our Board Key Performance Indicator Dashboard. In the interim, I wanted to share with you some of our successes and challenges from the latest organizational dashboard. You will begin receiving this on a quarterly basis.
GENERAL
- As of Q3, all direct care programs are UNDER budget
- Administrative expenses are down 41% compared to Q3 of 2016:
Q3 FY16 = 29%, Q3 FY17 = 16.77%
- Employee turnover has decreased by 38% compared to Q3 of 2016
GIRLS RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM (GRP)
- Number of participant days served is up more than 300% compared to Q3 of last year. Q3 2016 = 159; Q3 2017 = 877
- This metric measures the total number of days served at GRP multiplied by the number of participants served during Q3. This speaks to the consistency within the pipeline of the home.
WOMEN’S RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM – NORTH (WRPN)
- Percent of participants choosing a program for long-term care = 0%
- This metric measures the success of our 90-day assessment center in Duluth. If a participant makes a healthy, long-term choice after she leaves the assessment center, we view that as success. Zero percent is not what we are going for, although it speaks to the reason why we need to make changes at that home. As a 90-day assessment center, we haven’t been utilizing that home as well as we could (or should). This is why we proposed the changes in the long-range plan for the Duluth home. As a side-note, we have paid down the mortgage from $590,000 to $365,000 within the last 2 months!
WOMEN’S ACADEMY
- 77% of participants in the career track are equipped for a full-time job
DEVELOPMENT
- Dollars raised by development: Q3 2016 = $395,742; Q3 2017 = $727,092
- This is HUGE! We had a rough year last year and this shows how much momentum we have going into the new fiscal year.
- Dollar raised per dollar spent: Q3 2016 = $4.81; Q3 2017 = $8.35
- Function of the above metric.
- There has been a 93% increase in the number of donors who are thanked within a timely manner. This is a testament to the Board’s involvement in writing donor ‘thank you’ notes.
RETAIL
- Sales per square foot (not including recycling or consignment): Q3 2016 = $12.05; Q3 2017 = $10.65
- We all know we are experiencing a negative trend in retail and we are exploring options now how to remedy this trend. The retail committee is meeting on May 18th to make decisions on the future strategy of retail and they will bring those recommendations to the Board on June 1st.
COMMUNICATIONS
- We have seen a positive trend in the number of people who come to our website from social media. We have tweaked our social media strategy and we have seen a large increase in engagement through social media.
- Q1 2017 = 580; Q2 2017 = 756; Q3 2017 = 794
Wellspring BoardBlog: May 09, 2017
Written By: Stuart Griffin
The purpose of this resource is to catch you up on what is happening in key areas of our organization: programs, retail, financials, operations, development, and upcoming volunteer opportunities (as information is available) so you will be even more prepared for the upcoming Board meetings. The BoardBlog will be updated and posted every two weeks. Again, this resource is for you as a Board Member of Wellspring Living, so it’s imperative that it serves it’s purpose: to keep you updated and informed.
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS: Director Jennifer Bartl
Wellspring Living Girls Residential Program (Residential home for survivors of CSEC between the ages of 12-17):
- As of today, May 9, 2017, we have 10 girls in residence.
- 2 girls in the intake pipeline (1 in state, 1 out of state)
Independent Living Program (Residential Program for Women from 18-32)
- (Please read the October 25th Board Blog to catch up on this program)
- This program is currently closed awaiting DFCS approval to begin serving girls who have aged out of DFCS between the ages of 18 and 23.
- Our tour with DFCS went very well. They are confident that they can fill the 12 rooms at the Independent Living Program with young women who have aged out of foster care.
- Before we begin filling rooms at ILP, we will fill rooms at the Duluth home (Renewed Hope House).
- We are budgeting for this to occur in December of 2017 and looking at the possibility of reopening this home to serve this population contingent upon targeted reserves.
- 30 days prior to opening this home we will need to hire and train staff and there is typically a 6 week lag between receiving residents and receiving funding from DFCS.
Women’s Residential Program – North (90-Day Residential Home for vulnerable women coming to us from various parts of the community: located in Duluth, GA)
- As of today, May 9, 2017, the “entry” side of the house is full with 7 women. The house has 15 rooms, but the first stage is currently full.
- We have 2 more intakes coming in before the 17th of May.
- No discharges planned.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: Director, Amy Killingsworth
Women’s Academy (Community-based program for women 18+ done in partnership with the Metro Atlanta YMCA and Randstad)
- We had a meeting with the Metro YMCA to discuss outcomes and the future of the Women’s Academy. The YMCA is very excited about continuing our partnership and they are wanting to do more.
GED
- As of May 9, 2017, census: 10
- 4 women have passed the GED practice test and 2 are ready to take their next official GED test. The GED track has progressed incredibly well and we have had a lot of success over the last 3 sessions.
- We are moving the GED campus to Renovation Church in July for Summer classes.
CAREER
- As of May 9, 2017, census: 6
- The career track has qualified for a grant from Accenture
- We are opening a career track at the Duluth home in July
APPRENTICESHIP
- As of May 9, 2017, census: 3
WELLSPRING LIVING INSTITUTE: Director, Kendra Hanson
- The new mentorship client from Minnesota is going really well
- Operational reviews for the Balanced Scorecard are going well. The staff is continuing to buy in more and more each quarter.
RETAIL
- The Retail Committee had a great meeting last week
- They are working on getting Board Members involved, researching consignment options and local advertising strategy
FINANCE
- The FY17/18 budget was approved at the May 3, 2017 Board meeting.
- April financials will be posted to the Board Landing Page by May 22, 2017.
The BoardBlog is posted every other Tuesday on the Board Landing Page: www.old.wellspringliving.org/board.
Wellspring BoardBlog: April 25, 2017
Written By: Stuart Griffin
The purpose of this resource is to catch you up on what is happening in key areas of our organization: programs, retail, financials, operations, development, and upcoming volunteer opportunities (as information is available) so you will be even more prepared for the upcoming Board meetings. The BoardBlog will be updated and posted every two weeks. Again, this resource is for you as a Board Member of Wellspring Living, so it’s imperative that it serves it’s purpose: to keep you updated and informed.
Today, 14 years ago, the human genome project was completed. Just a piece of useless information, unlike what you are about to read here…
GENERAL
- The website has been completely updated and the program pages reflect their new names along with relevant metrics
- We have received notice that we have been accepted for 2 $100,000 multi-year grants. We don’t have the particulars yet, but we will know more over the next 30 days. Neither of these were budgeted because we have not received them in the past.
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS: Director Jennifer Bartl
Wellspring Living Girls Residential Program (Residential home for survivors of CSEC between the ages of 12-17):
- As of today, April 25, 2017, we have 9 girls in residence.
- Great news! One of the three runaways has been recovered. There is a process she is required to go through before she can be readmitted, but we hope to have her back in GRP soon.
- We are continuing to have mixed communication with our main referral partner, GA Cares regarding new referrals. Everyone is trying to have patience with the new system, but it’s difficult when we are not in control. We see this changing soon, but for now we are at the mercy of a new system that isn’t working perfectly.
Independent Living Program (Residential Program for Women from 18-32)
- (Please read the October 25th Board Blog to catch up on this program)
- This program is currently closed awaiting DFCS approval to begin serving girls who have aged out of DFCS between the ages of 18 and 23.
- Our tour with DFCS went very well. They are confident that they can fill the 12 rooms at the Independent Living Program with young women who have aged out of foster care.
- Before we begin filling rooms at ILP, we will fill rooms at the Duluth home (Renewed Hope House).
- We are budgeting for this to occur in December of 2017 and looking at the possibility of reopening this home to serve this population contingent upon targeted reserves.
- 30 days prior to opening this home we will need to hire and train staff and there is typically a 6 week lag between receiving residents and receiving funding from DFCS.
Women’s Residential Program – North (90-Day Residential Home for vulnerable women coming to us from various parts of the community: located in Duluth, GA)
- Our current census (April 25, 2017) at this home is 3.
- We have 3 intakes this week with no scheduled discharges.
- We believe the changes in this program (moving it from a 90-day assessment center to a longer-term program) will help fill the home on a consistent basis.
- We have had a low census at this home. We are reducing staff accordingly.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: Director, Amy Killingsworth
Women’s Academy (Community-based program for women 18+ done in partnership with the Metro Atlanta YMCA and Randstad)
- Women’s Academy has a new partnership with the Fulton Community Courts. They are going to work with our ladies who have criminal records and they are also going to help with referrals.
GED
- Current (April 25) census: 10
- 4 women have passed the GED practice test and 2 are ready to take their next official GED test. The GED track has progressed incredibly well and we have had a lot of success over the last 3 sessions.
- We are moving the GED campus to Renovation Church in July for Summer classes.
CAREER
- Current (April 25) census: 8
- The career track has qualified for a grant from Accenture
- We are opening a career track at the Duluth home in July
APPRENTICESHIP
- Current (April 25) census: 3
- Randstad is continuing to become more invested in the Women’s Academy as they learn the struggles our participants face and the struggles Wellspring Living faces while serving this population day-to-day.
WELLSPRING LIVING INSTITUTE: Director, Kendra Hanson
- New mentorship client began 4/15 from Minnesota
- Participating in a roundtable discussion in Columbus, GA for teachers, community members and law enforcement 4/25
- Quarter over quarter, data collection within our Balanced Scorecard efforts has become easier. Staff is becoming more accepting of the process.
- Partnership with the state department continued as The Institute hosted people from the country of Mauritius on how to better serve trafficking victims
- Urban Institute research connection made in Washington DC–they came to Atlanta and were interviewing several programs around Atlanta for a new research report on justice pursued with trafficking victims.
- Next Direct Care Training: May 22nd – 26th
- Networking webinars increased attendees with new series on program foundations began in March
- Several international connections made in recent months, mostly in Europe.
- The Women’s Residential Program will receive a referral from Wisconsin soon due to networking relationship with The Institute.
RETAIL
- The Retail Committee had a great meeting last week
- They are working on getting Board Members involved, researching consignment options and local advertising strategy
FINANCE
- The FY17/18 budget has been approved by the Finance Committee and will be sent to the full Board by Wednesday, April 25th for approval at our May 3rd Board meeting.
- March financials are currently posted on the Board Landing Page.
The BoardBlog is posted every other Tuesday on the Board Landing Page: www.old.wellspringliving.org/board.
Wellspring BoardBlog: April 11, 2017
Written By: Stuart Griffin
The purpose of this resource is to catch you up on what is happening in key areas of our organization: programs, retail, financials, operations, development, and upcoming volunteer opportunities (as information is available) so you will be even more prepared for the upcoming Board meetings. The BoardBlog will be updated and posted every two weeks. Again, this resource is for you as a Board Member of Wellspring Living, so it’s imperative that it serves it’s purpose: to keep you updated and informed.
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS: Director Jennifer Bartl
Wellspring Living Girls Residential Program (Residential home for survivors of CSEC between the ages of 12-17):
- As of today, April 11, 2017, we have 10 girls in residence.
- We cannot continue paying the current staff if our census stays below 12. We are meeting today to layout a 2 week plan to either increase census (which is not in our control) or reduce staff.
- Update on the above point: we have mitigated the above point and are in a good staff / participant ratio.
Independent Living Program (Residential Program for Women from 18-32)
- (Please read the October 25th Board Blog to catch up on this program)
- This program is currently closed awaiting DFCS approval to begin serving girls who have aged out of DFCS between the ages of 18 and 23.
- Our tour with DFCS went very well. They are confident that they can fill the 12 rooms at the Independent Living Program with young women who have aged out of foster care.
- Before we begin filling rooms at ILP, we will fill rooms at the Duluth home (Renewed Hope House).
- We are budgeting for this to occur in December of 2017 and looking at the possibility of reopening this home to serve this population contingent upon targeted reserves.
- 30 days prior to opening this home we will need to hire and train staff and there is typically a 6 week lag between receiving residents and receiving funding from DFCS.
Women’s Residential Program – North (90-Day Residential Home for vulnerable women coming to us from various parts of the community: located in Duluth, GA)
- Our current census (April 11, 2017) at this home is 3. This is low and we are looking at solutions now to increase the census.
- We have 2 expected intakes this week.
- We believe the changes in this program (moving it from a 90-day assessment center to a longer-term program) will help fill the home on a consistent basis.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: Director, Amy Killingsworth
Women’s Academy (Community-based program for women 18+ done in partnership with the Metro Atlanta YMCA and Randstad)
- Both GED & Career programs had their Spring Session orientations this past week.
- GED enrollment: 10
- Career enrollment: 7
- Out of 17 participants, referrals came from 12 different community partners. This shows how diverse the Women’s Academy reach is in the community and the amount of time our staff has put into fostering relevant partnerships.
WELLSPRING LIVING INSTITUTE: Director, Kendra Hanson
- The Institute has been working with CHOA for a joint grant. Things are moving forward and they are now seeking approval from the Internal Review Board.
- New mentorship client beginning 4/15 from Minnesota.
- Numerous speaking engagements and panel opportunities this month.
RETAIL
- The Retail committee is meeting next week to discuss overall strategy.
- Toco Hill: Sales are continuing to increase month over month.
- Marietta: Sales are continuing to increase month over month since we hired a new manager.
- Peachtree City: Sales are not doing well due to the quality of products we are getting to sell along with competitors moving into the area. The Retail Committee is looking at ways to help this location.
- Duluth: Sales are also down at Duluth. The reason isn’t clear, but we are looking into it.
Retail Need: We would love to get someone who has the time to come in and put some select pieces on Ebay!
FINANCE
- We are meeting with the Chair and incoming Chair of the Finance committee this week to review the proposed budget. Once the Finance committee approves the budget, it will be presented to the Full Board at the Board meeting on May 3, 2017.
- The March financials will be prepared on the Board Landing Page by April 24, 2017.
The BoardBlog is posted every other Tuesday on the Board Landing Page: www.old.wellspringliving.org/board.
Wellspring BoardBlog: March 28, 2017
Written By: Stuart Griffin
The purpose of this resource is to catch you up on what is happening in key areas of our organization: programs, retail, financials, operations, development, and upcoming volunteer opportunities (as information is available) so you will be even more prepared for the upcoming Board meetings. The BoardBlog will be updated and posted every two weeks. Again, this resource is for you as a Board Member of Wellspring Living, so it’s imperative that it serves it’s purpose: to keep you updated and informed.
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS: Director Jennifer Bartl
Wellspring Living Girls Residential Program (Residential home for survivors of CSEC between the ages of 12-17):
- As of today, March 28, 2017, we have 10 girls in residence. There is a planned discharge for 3/31.
- We cannot continue paying the current staff if our census stays below 12. We are meeting today to layout a 2 week plan to either increase census (which is not in our control) or reduce staff.
Independent Living Program (Residential Program for Women from 18-32)
- (Please read the October 25th Board Blog to catch up on this program)
- This program is currently closed awaiting DFCS approval to begin serving girls who have aged out of DFCS between the ages of 18 and 23.
- Our tour with DFCS went very well. They are confident that they can fill the 12 rooms at the Independent Living Program with young women who have aged out of foster care.
- Before we begin filling rooms at ILP, we will fill rooms at the Duluth home (Renewed Hope House).
- We are budgeting for this to occur in December of 2017 and looking at the possibility of reopening this home to serve this population contingent upon targeted reserves.
- 30 days prior to opening this home we will need to hire and train staff and there is typically a 6 week lag between receiving residents and receiving funding from DFCS.
Women’s Residential Program – North (90-Day Residential Home for vulnerable women coming to us from various parts of the community: located in Duluth, GA)
- Our current census(March 28, 2017) at this home is 4. This is low and we are looking at solutions now to increase the census.
- We were recently awarded a VOCA (Victims of Crime Assistance) grant in the amount of $180,000 per year for three years to pay for expenses serving this population. Just to be clear, this is $180,000 per year, not $180,000 spread over three years.
- We have a mortgage on the home in Duluth of ~$600,000. This is a large expense especially since we have not had that home filled or near maximum capacity. We are looking for ways to retire the debt or even sell the home and move the program to The Village. The Finance Committee is exploring all options to free up this expense.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: Director, Amy Killingsworth
Women’s Academy (Community-based program for women 18+ done in partnership with the Metro Atlanta YMCA and Randstad)
- GED Update
- 10 currently enrolled for the upcoming session and 5 others awaiting approval.
- Career Update
- 5 currently enrolled for the upcoming session and 3 awaiting background checks.
- We are taking applications through April 7th.
- We are piloting a medical coding class for three hours during the Spring and Summer sessions in both the GED and Career tracks.
- Although the YMCA is a great partner, there is a lack of space as our sessions grow larger. We are looking for a consistent, larger space for the program.
WELLSPRING LIVING INSTITUTE: Director, Kendra Hanson
- Catholic Charities of East Bay renewed their relationship with The Institute
- There are 2 international organizations in discussion with us for mentorship
- The Institute hosted the State Department for a discussion on sex trafficking and how Wellspring Living serves this population.
- We recently signed a mentorship MOU with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and they have begun sending us referrals for mentorship clients.
RETAIL
- Toco Hill: Sales are continuing to increase month over month.
- Marietta: Sales are continuing to increase month over month since we hired a new manager.
- Peachtree City: Sales are not doing well due to the quality of products we are getting to sell along with competitors moving into the area. The Retail Committee is looking at ways to help this location.
- Duluth: Sales are also down at Duluth. The reason isn’t clear, but we are looking into it.
Retail Need: We would love to get someone who has the time to come in and put some select pieces on Ebay even if we need to hire someone part-time and pay them a percentage of the return.
FINANCE
- The Finance Committee will receive the proposed budgets for FY17/18 this week and the Long Range Planning Committee will receive the proposed long-range plan this week.
- The March financials will be prepared on the Board Landing Page by April 24, 2017.
The BoardBlog is posted every other Tuesday on the Board Landing Page: www.old.wellspringliving.org/board.
Wellspring BoardBlog: March 14, 2017
Written By: Stuart Griffin
The purpose of this resource is to catch you up on what is happening in key areas of our organization: programs, retail, financials, operations, development, and upcoming volunteer opportunities (as information is available) so you will be even more prepared for the upcoming Board meetings. The BoardBlog will be updated and posted every two weeks. Again, this resource is for you as a Board Member of Wellspring Living, so it’s imperative that it serves it’s purpose: to keep you updated and informed.
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS: Director Jennifer Bartl
Wellspring Living Girls Residential Program (Residential home for survivors of CSEC between the ages of 12-17):
- On March 4, 2017 3 girls from the residential program ran away. Unfortunately, this is something we consistently experience serving this population and it is not a negative reflection on the program. Every organization that serves this population in a residential setting experiences this, but we do everything in our power to keep this from happening. In every experience we learn what we could have done differently and this was no exception. We will keep you updated if we learn anything else about this situation from law enforcement. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out and ask.
- The above situation will affect us negatively from a financial standpoint. Although we are still able to bill for them for up to 10 days after they run away, we will see a negative impact of (($187 / day) x 3) until these beds are filled.
- We currently have 8 girls at the home with a planned intake for 03/20/2017.
Independent Living Program (Residential Program for Women from 18-32)
- (Please read the October 25th Board Blog to catch up on this program)
- This program is currently closed awaiting DFCS approval to begin serving girls who have aged out of DFCS between the ages of 18 and 23.
- Our tour with DFCS went very well. They are confident that they can fill the 12 rooms at the Independent Living Program with young women who have aged out of foster care.
- Before we begin filling rooms at ILP, we will fill rooms at the Duluth home (Renewed Hope House).
- We are budgeting for this to occur in December of 2017 and looking at the possibility of reopening this home to serve this population contingent upon targeted reserves.
- 30 days prior to opening this home we will need to hire and train staff and there is typically a 6 week lag between receiving residents and receiving funding from DFCS.
Women’s Residential Program – North (90-Day Residential Home for vulnerable women coming to us from various parts of the community: located in Duluth, GA)
- Our current census(March 14, 2017) at this home is 6. We have 1 intake within the next week and a screening within the next couple of days.
- We were recently awarded a VOCA (Victims of Crime Assistance) grant in the amount of $180,000 per year for three years to pay for expenses serving this population. Just to be clear, this is $180,000 per year, not $180,000 spread over three years.
- We have a mortgage on the home in Duluth of ~$600,000. This is a large expense especially since we have not had that home filled or near maximum capacity. We are looking for ways to retire the debt or even sell the home and move the program to The Village. The Finance Committee is exploring all options to free up this expense.
- We are trying to keep the census at 7 to maximize the VOCA funds, but not go much higher considering the uncertainty of the future of this home.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: Director, Amy Killingsworth
Women’s Academy (Community-based program for women 18+ done in partnership with the Metro Atlanta YMCA and Randstad)
- Current Census:
- Carver YMCA (Career Track): 4
- Oak Hill (GED Track): 7
- Career Apprenticeships (Randstad): 6
- GED Update:
- One participant completed her GED this week! She is starting college in the Summer!
- Spring Enrollment Update:
- GED Track full at 12 and has current wait list for Spring session (9 returning, 3 new)
- CR Track has 6 applicants for Spring session
- There is a Women’s Academy graduation on April 9th at 2:00pm at the Church of the Redeemer.
WELLSPRING LIVING INSTITUTE: Director, Kendra Hanson
- Data collection: Refining our monthly internal collection measures through insight from Kennesaw State University. New evidence-based assessments will be put in place in this quarter at GRP to add to the growing clinical stature of the program
- Of the 7 programs in the mentorship program, 4 are about to open in the next several months, one drop-in center and three residential programs, so most are working toward finalizing the details before they begin their intake and screening of their first participants
- We are in the process of finalizing a formal partnership with the CJCC in Atlanta. This is great because we will receive mentorship partners from the CJCC along with data-sharing capabilities.
RETAIL
- Toco Hill: Sales are continuing to increase month over month.
- Marietta: Sales are continuing to increase month over month since we hired a new manager.
- Peachtree City: Sales are not doing well due to the quality of products we are getting to sell along with competitors moving into the area. The Retail Committee is looking at ways to help this location.
- Duluth: Sales are also down at Duluth. The reason isn’t clear, but we are looking into it.
Retail Need: We would love to get someone who has the time to come in and put some select pieces on Ebay even if we need to hire someone part-time and pay them a percentage of the return.
FINANCE
- The Wellspring leadership staff in conjunction with program directors and coordinators are developing the FY17/18 budget. The proposed budget will be delivered to the Finance Committee on March 24, 2017.
- The February financials will be prepared on the Board Landing Page by March 15, 2017.
The BoardBlog is posted every other Tuesday on the Board Landing Page: www.old.wellspringliving.org/board.
Wellspring BoardBlog: February 28, 2017
Written By: Stuart Griffin
The purpose of this resource is to catch you up on what is happening in key areas of our organization: programs, retail, financials, operations, development, and upcoming volunteer opportunities (as information is available) so you will be even more prepared for the upcoming Board meetings. The BoardBlog will be updated and posted every two weeks. Again, this resource is for you as a Board Member of Wellspring Living, so it’s imperative that it serves it’s purpose: to keep you updated and informed.
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS: Director Jennifer Bartl
Wellspring Living for Girls (Residential home for survivors of CSEC between the ages of 12-17):
- 30 Day Outlook: Current census is 11. We have 1 intake this week. We should fluctuate between 11 and 13 in March due to a graduation and 1 emergency bed placement that will either leave or stay depending on the assessment.
Independent Living Program (Residential Program for Women from 18-32)
- (Please read the October 25th Board Blog to catch up on this program)
- This program is currently closed awaiting DFCS approval to begin serving girls who have aged out of DFCS between the ages of 18 and 23.
- Our tour with DFCS went very well. They are confident that they can fill the 12 rooms at the Independent Living Program with young women who have aged out of foster care.
- Before we begin filling rooms at ILP, we will fill rooms at the Duluth home (Renewed Hope House).
- We are budgeting for this to occur in December of 2017 and looking at the possibility of reopening this home to serve this population contingent upon targeted reserves.
- 30 days prior to opening this home we will need to hire and train staff and there is typically a 6 week lag between receiving residents and receiving funding from DFCS.
Renewed Hope House (90-Day Residential Home for vulnerable women coming to us from various parts of the community: located in Duluth, GA)
- Our current census (February 28, 2017) at this home is 8. We have 3 on the waiting list. We would like to keep a census of 7 to maximize the VOCA funds and keep our incremental expenses to a minimum for now until we get our revenue back up.
- We were recently awarded a VOCA (Victims of Crime Assistance) grant in the amount of $180,000 per year for three years to pay for expenses serving this population. Just to be clear, this is $180,000 per year, not $180,000 spread over three years.
- We have a mortgage on the home in Duluth of ~$600,000. This is a large expense especially since we have not had that home filled or near maximum capacity. We are looking for ways to retire the debt or even sell the home and move the program to The Village. The Finance Committee is exploring all options to free up this expense.
- We are trying to keep the census at 7 to maximize the VOCA funds, but not go much higher considering the uncertainty of the future of this home.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: Director, Amy Killingsworth
Empowered Living Academy (Community-based program for women 18+ done in partnership with the Metro Atlanta YMCA and Randstad)
- Current Census:
- Carver YMCA (Career Track): 4
- Oak Hill (GED Track): 7
- Career Apprenticeships (Randstad): 6
- GED Update:
- The work our GED Coordinator has done this session in GED has been amazing! If momentum continues, it looks like we could have 1 or 2 get GED this session, and possibly 4 more finish next session. The ladies are passing their practice tests and really making progress! This would be our highest numbers ever at ELA for GED.
- The GED Track will begin traveling to APS 2 days/week for additional tutors and focused GED instruction. This session, the one day a week has proved very helpful, so next session we will be going Tues/Fri.
- Spring Enrollment Update:
- GED Track full at 12 and has current wait list for Spring session (9 returning, 3 new)
- CR Track has 5 applicants for Spring session (3 from City of Refuge, 1 from 4Sarah, 1 from New American Pathways)
WELLSPRING LIVING INSTITUTE: Director, Kendra Hanson
- Data collection: Refining our monthly internal collection measures through insight from Kennesaw State University. New evidence-based assessments will be put in place in this quarter at GRP to add to the growing clinical stature of the program
- Of the 7 programs in the mentorship program, 4 are about to open in the next several months, one drop-in center and three residential programs, so most are working toward finalizing the details before they begin their intake and screening of their first participants
- We are in the process of finalizing a formal partnership with the CJCC in Atlanta. This is great because we will receive mentorship partners from the CJCC along with data-sharing capabilities.
RETAIL
- Toco Hill: Sales are continuing to increase month over month.
- Marietta: Sales are continuing to increase month over month since we hired a new manager.
- Peachtree City: Sales are not doing well due to the quality of products we are getting to sell along with competitors moving into the area. The Retail Committee is looking at ways to help this location.
- Duluth: Sales are also down at Duluth. The reason isn’t clear, but we are looking into it.
Retail Need: We would love to get someone who has the time to come in and put some select pieces on Ebay even if we need to hire someone part-time and pay them a percentage of the return.
FINANCE
- The Wellspring leadership staff in conjunction with program directors and coordinators are developing the FY17/18 budget. We will have this completed by the last week in March for the Finance Committee to review.
- The February financials will be prepared and on the Board Landing Page by March 15, 2017.
The BoardBlog is posted every other Tuesday on the Board Landing Page: www.old.wellspringliving.org/board.
Wellspring BoardBlog: February 14, 2017
Written By: Stuart Griffin
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
The purpose of this resource is to catch you up on what is happening in key areas of our organization: programs, retail, financials, operations, development, and upcoming volunteer opportunities (as information is available) so you will be even more prepared for the upcoming Board meetings. The BoardBlog will be updated and posted every two weeks. Again, this resource is for you as a Board Member of Wellspring Living, so it’s imperative that it serves it’s purpose: to keep you updated and informed.
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS: Director Jennifer Bartl
Wellspring Living for Girls (Residential home for survivors of CSEC between the ages of 12-17):
- 30 Day Outlook: Current census is 10. We have 2 intakes over the next two weeks and we should be at 13 by the end of March. (This time last year we had 1 girl in the home.)
- There is a new referral process that we are still trying to get our hands around. We haven’t seen anything in writing, but we are told that GA Cares has 48 hours to perform an assessment once a girl is in custody. Once the assessment is performed and the girl is a confirmed CSEC victim then the custodian will contact the residential program (GA Baptist or Wellspring Living). In the past, GA Cares would make the referral, now the custodian makes the referral after an assessment is performed. We are seeing the pipeline open due to these changes, but we need to get this all codified in policy / contract while at the same time making sure our intake processes are operating accordingly.
- Recently Jennifer Bartl spoke in TN about what Wellspring is doing in GA. We are now receiving calls for referrals from TN.
Independent Living Program (Residential Program for Women from 18-32)
- (Please read the October 25th Board Blog to catch up on this program)
- This program is currently closed awaiting DFCS approval to begin serving girls who have aged out of DFCS between the ages of 18 and 23.
- Our tour with DFCS went very well. They are confident that they can fill the 12 rooms at the Independent Living Program with young women who have aged out of foster care.
- Before we begin filling rooms at ILP, we will fill rooms at the Duluth home (Renewed Hope House).
- 30 days prior to opening this home we will need to hire and train staff and there is typically a 6 week lag between receiving residents and receiving funding from DFCS.
Renewed Hope House (90-Day Residential Home for vulnerable women coming to us from various parts of the community: located in Duluth, GA)
- Our current census (February 14, 2017) at this home is 6. We have one intake today, one Friday and another on the 23rd.
- We were recently awarded a VOCA (Victims of Crime Assistance) grant in the amount of $180,000 per year for three years to pay for expenses serving this population. Just to be clear, this is $180,000 per year, not $180,000 spread over three years.
- We have a mortgage on the home in Duluth of ~$600,000. This is a large expense especially since we have not had that home filled or near maximum capacity. We are looking for ways to retire the debt or even sell the home and move the program to The Village. The Finance Committee is exploring all options to free up this expense.
- We are trying to keep the census at 7 to maximize the VOCA funds, but not go much higher considering the uncertainty of the future of this home.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: Director, Amy Killingsworth
Empowered Living Academy (Community-based program for women 18+ done in partnership with the Metro Atlanta YMCA and Randstad)
- We currently have 5 in the career track and 9 in the GED track. 2 of the ladies are pregnant and had to leave the program to be put on bedrest.
- We are beginning registration for enrollment this week for next session.
WELLSPRING LIVING INSTITUTE: Director, Kendra Hanson
- Data collection: Refining our monthly internal collection measures through insight from Kennesaw State University. New evidence-based assessments will be put in place in this quarter at GRP to add to the growing clinical stature of the program
- Direct Care Training this week includes 14 people from nine organizations across the United States and Canada.
- Of the 7 programs in the mentorship program, 4 are about to open in the next several months, one drop-in center and three residential programs, so most are working toward finalizing the details before they begin their intake and screening of their first participants
RETAIL
- The Marietta store is really doing well and Toco Hills is thriving! If you are beginning your Spring cleaning early, take your good stuff over to one of our stores!
FINANCE
- The Wellspring leadership staff in conjunction with program directors and coordinators are developing the FY17/18 budget. We will have this completed by the first week in March for the Finance Committee to review.
- The January financials will be available on the Board Landing Page by Wednesday, February 15th. For the last 6 months we have tried to have previous month’s financials completed by the second week of the current month. Due to processing reasons, we need to push that to the 15th of each month. Our goal is to make sure we have consistency and predictability in our reporting and pushing this a few days will help with this.
- We are meeting on the 15th with Ed Abufaris (Finance Comm. Chair) and other members of the Finance Committee to discuss paying down the remainder of accounts payable ($87k) within the next 30 days.
The BoardBlog is posted every other Tuesday on the Board Landing Page: www.old.wellspringliving.org/board.