HOMEWARD PIKES PEAK

The Permanent Coordinating Organization for Homeless Services in the Pikes Peak Region

Annual Report: June 2003

In this first year of operation, HPP was still in the process of establishing routines for activities and programs and discovering which activities were "one time" events and which should become annual priorities.

January 1 - June 30

The Board of Homeward Pikes Peak, during the early part of this period, was mainly concerned with two topics:

Toward the end of this period Homeward Pikes Peak began to assume a leadership role in the annual HUD Grant process known as Super-NOFA. HPP organized interviews for a grant writer for the "Continuum of Care", a vital part of the grant, and also set up a review process for applications that allowed for the proposals to be ranked by neutral parties instead of by the actual providers as had occurred in the past. HPP coordinated an actual head count of the homeless and set a paradigm for semi-annual counts in the future to assure an accurate data base. Finally, HPP urged and facilitated providers to apply for bonus monies, something that had not been done in the past. These efforts were rewarded in December when it was announced that the El Paso County area had won $1,791,000 in grant monies, tripling the past five years' average.

During this time the Executive Director was making an effort to bring himself "up to speed" in the area of homeless services in the Pikes Peak Region and met with dozens of service providers to learn their programs and to offer HPP's services to them.

July 1 - December 31

At the beginning of this period, the Executive Director continued to confer with homeless service providers and took the opportunity to write two "op. ed" essays that were published in the Gazette in the Fall. (see appendix)

In July HPP accepted the task of mediating the proposed transition of management of the Sierra Madre Homeless Shelter from Red Cross to Salvation Army. As of December 31, planning was progressing in a positive fashion.

In September work began on a Strategic Plan for Homeward Pikes Peak, culminating in a day-long session in October with thirty service providers, formerly homeless, governmental officials and interested citizens. (see appendix for strategic plan)

On October 14, a Homeless Conference was held in conjunction with the City of Colorado Springs. National speakers were invited and the attendance was 83 service providers and others interested in service to the homeless. (see appendix for agenda) We are planning to make this an annual event.

In early November a Super-NOFA informational meeting was held to plan, seven months in advance, for the 2004 grant. A time-line was established. This long lead-time is unprecedented in the history of S-NOFA grant applications and should give the providers time to plan and ultimately present well thought out proposals.

In December, the Executive Director, Valorie Jordan and Matt Parkhouse attended a meeting in Denver featuring Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, who spoke and answered questions about his organization's "Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness" program. This concept was discussed for Colorado Springs when the Executive Director presented a progress report to the City Council in mid-December, and was received positively by the Council.

Also in December , the Executive Director was asked to assume leadership of the CHAP (Comprehensive Homeless Assistance Providers) organization for the 2004 year. A new format was established on a quarterly basis. Month one is an outside speaker to bring new ideas to the group. Month two is a series of meetings among like-service providers to ascertain gaps and overlaps in services. Month three is a general session to share information. This plan was approved in December for a trial in the first quarter of 2004. In late December a grant-writing seminar was organized for presentation in January to enable small service providers, who cannot afford to hire a grant writer, to learn the skills necessary to write Super-NOFA grants.

Throughout the second half of the year, the Executive Director sought and utilized opportunities to speak at service organizations and schools and to the media about homelessness.

Finally, in late December the first annual HPP Board internal fundraiser was successfully completed, exceeding its $3,000 goal by almost 100%.

Included with the budget information in the appendix is a profit and loss statement for 2003 and a 2004 budget document.

Summary

We believe Homeward Pikes Peak has accomplished much in its first year of existence, and we pledge to continue, at a high energy level, to keep the concept of service to those who serve the homeless as our ultimate mission.