Public Life
Foundation
Of Owensboro
2002 ANNUAL
REPORT
2003 GOALS
Creating, revitalizing, and sustaining civic capital
through support of groups that want to make a difference
Top of Page
DEVELOPING CIVIC CAPITAL
A community vision from shared values. Better informed and engaged
citizens. Grass roots participatory
democracy. Citizenship. Valuing the voice of all. Public ownership in decision making. Building capacity. Collaboration. Community service. People Ð from all walks of life Ð mobilized
for action.
These principles, these approaches, these outcomes are
things we stand for at the Public Life Foundation of Owensboro. In 2002, we applied our resources
toward these ends by
- conducting
research and issuing reports to provide important information
- listening
to citizens who share concerns and identify opportunities
- facilitating
work sessions, forums, and retreats
- identifying
citizens who want to be involved
- convening
organizational meetings
- assisting
with organizational documents
- counseling
leaders and committees
- providing
administrative support
- providing
office space, meeting and filing space
- absorbing
administrative or project costs
Some of our efforts supported groups that are or may be
permanent fixtures in our community.
At other times, we supported citizens organized for a short time around
a particular issue. All of these
efforts focus on the goal of building, revitalizing, or sustaining civic
capital in our community.
Top
of Page
2002 foundation activities and 2003 goals include (in
alphabetical order):
CHILDREN
2002 Activities
- Advised
and assisted in the restructuring of the Goodfellows Club: expanded board,
committee system, focus group of recipient families, planning retreat,
database management, etc. (Since 1916, the Goodfellows Club has
provided coats, shoes, clothing, emergency assistance, and an annual
Christmas party for the disadvantaged children of our community.)
- Expanded
partnerships and year-round fund-raising. (The Goodfellows campaign exceeded
its 2002 goal of $90,000.)
- Provided
staff support and office, meeting and storage space
CITIZENS INVOLVED:
- 121
volunteers and board members
- 1,045
donations from individuals and groups
- 1,010
children served last year
2003 Goals
- Advise
and assist with the Goodfellows Club Board of DirectorÕs planning retreat
- Continue
providing financial and administrative support: staff, office space, equipment,
supplies, conference room, etc. for the Goodfellows Club
- Advise
and assist Goodfellows with select initiatives (to be determined), e.g.:
- school
partnerships
- policies
and procedures
- ÒSoup
DayÓ fund-raising promotions
- annual
benefit tennis tournament
Top
of Page
COMMUNITY APPEARANCE
2002 Activities
- Supported
P.R.I.D.E. (Public Responsibility in Designing our Environment)
financially and administratively
- PRIDE
hired its first Executive Director, Kate Higdon
- Provided
office space, furniture, equipment, supplies, etc.
- Assisted
with planning retreat, committee system, annual goals
- Assisted
with 501C3 application; tax exempt status secured
- Advised
and assisted PRIDE with programs and projects, such as:
- monthly
meetings and speakers
- Dream
Board project
- ÒCrafting
a Community VisionÓ PowerPoint presentation/workshops
- advocacy
for landscape architects on transportation design teams
- public
input on color of bridge painting
- public
input on ÒWelcome to OwensboroÓ sign design
CITIZENS INVOLVED:
- 81
members and meeting attendees
- Hundreds
provided input on riverfront project (2001)
- 256 provided
input on ÒDream BoardÓ project
- 1,350
citizens (1,300 elementary school students and 50 adults) provided input
on the color selection of the Cary Bridge
- 1,300
citizens voted on the design of the Owensboro Welcome sign
- 110 participated
in ÒCrafting a Community VisionÓ workshops
(Most of
the workshops will be held in 2003.)
2003 Goals
- Advise
and assist with PRIDEÕs Board of Directors planning retreat
- Continue
providing financial and administrative support for PRIDE: staff, office
space, equipment, conference room, etc.
- Advise
and assist PRIDE with select initiatives (to be determined), e.g.:
- membership
campaign
- fund-raising
- ÒCrafting
a Community VisionÓ workshops
- awards
program
- demonstration
projects
- new
community entrance design-appearance plan
Top
of Page
EDUCATION
2002 Activities
- Provided
administrative and financial support for the Citizens Committee on
Education (CCE) and ambitious projects adopted by the group:
- Community
focus groups to examine citizen views on education
- Statistical
analysis of student population and financial trends of the Owensboro and
Daviess County school systems
- Strategic
Plan for Higher Education in Owensboro-Daviess County
- The
ÒLearning Community,Ó a program to instill a greater cultural value of
lifelong learning in our community
- Provided
leadership support (Foundation President Rodney Berry serves as Co-Chair)
- Recruited
several new members, enhanced diversity
- Supported
and facilitated planning retreat
- Researched
materials and prepared member manuals
- Prepared
meeting materials, minutes, financial reports, database management, etc.
CITIZENS INVOLVED:
- 16 board
members
- 60 participated in community focus
groups (2001)
2003 Goals
- Continue
providing leadership, financial, and administrative support for the
Citizens Committee on Education
- Advise
and assist the CCE with select initiatives (to be determined), e.g.:
- fund-raising
- committee
expansion and diversity
- Resolution
on impact of state budget crisis on education
- city-county
school study
- higher
education plan
- Learning
Community
- Newsletter
- education
roundtable
Top
of Page
HEALTH CARE
2002 Activities
- Completed
our series of PeopleÕs Health Project public forums on health care access
issues Ð 52 forums involved a broad cross-section of the community
- Worked
with a professional team from the University of Kentucky Center for Health
Management and Research to compile and analyze the results from the
forums, issued a report: All Is Not Well: Citizens Speak Out About
Health Care in Daviess County
- Presented
several PowerPoint summaries of the All Is Not Well report to community groups, distributed the
report and posted it on the foundation web site
- Convened
participants in health care forums who wished to stay involved in health
care issues Ð led to the formation of the Citizens Health Care Advocates
(CHCA)
- Advised
and assisted CHCA with organizational documents: articles, bylaws,
tax-exempt application, etc.
- Advised
and assisted CHCA with programs and projects, such as:
- Monthly
meetings and guest speakers
- R.C.
Neblett Service Award for health care professionals
- Open
Letter to the community on the hospital-physician controversy
- Luncheon
to introduce a mobile optometry program to our community
- Representatives
at public health care meetings: health department, ODCH, Health Council
- Provided
staff support: Executive Director, Beverly Mills
- Provided
office space, furniture, equipment
- Convened
a Prescription Drug Task Force to examine in detail community options and
recommendations from a foundation report released in 2001 Ð led to a
Prescription Drug Service Center model that may be incorporated into a
broad community health care access program. (2002 grants from the Progeny Fund and Young Foundation
support a pilot project that uses a computer software program to expedite
the application-approval process for McAuley Clinic patients that qualify
for corporate drug programs.)
- Convened
a Medical Transportation Advisory Committee (and recruited chair Angela
Woosley) to examine complications and collaborative options to improve
transportation services for those seeking health care. This has already led to a
customized computer program (designed by Rajen Shah of Green River
Intra-Transit System) to integrate and streamline services of several
agencies.
- In
response to citizen concerns about health care costs Ð and in particular,
the fact that health insurance premiums in our area are higher than other
parts of Kentucky Ð the foundation retained researcher-writer Fran Ellers
for a series of issue briefs on the subject to be released in 2003.
- Updated
our two on-line directories: Resource Guide for Community Health Centers
and Primary Care Directory.
- Co-sponsored
a community forum conducted by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky
- Foundation
President Rodney Berry serves on Healthy Horizons, a task force planning
our communityÕs first Summit on Healthy Lifestyles, and the Green River
Health Council
CITIZENS INVOLVED:
- 578 participants
in PeopleÕs Health Project forums
- 56 members
of Citizens Health Care Advocates (CHCA)
- 74 additional
attendees at CHCA meetings and functions
- 30 participants
in Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky forum
- 260
recipients of report: All Is Not Well: Citizens Speak Out About Health
Care in Daviess County
- 40 serving
on task forces
- 1,100
prescription drug reports distributed
- 1,250
of each Directory distributed
- Reports and directories are also
made available on our foundation web site
Top
of Page
2003 Goals
- Advise
and assist with CHCAÕs Board of Directors planning retreat
- Continue
providing financial and administrative support for CHCA: staff, office
space, equipment, conference room, etc.
- Advise
and assist CHCA with select initiatives (to be determined), e.g.:
- guest
speakers
- research
- newsletter
- membership
campaign
- fund-raising
- Complete
and publish issue brief on health care costs
- Complete
and publish additional issue briefs (topics to be determined)
- Develop
a series of Town Hall Meetings on health care
- Advise
and assist Prescription Drug and Medical Transportation Task Forces
- Update
health care directories on foundation web site
RACE AND ETHNIC RELATIONS
2002 Activities
- Organized
several viewing parties and a televised community panel discussion
following the KET premiere of Living the Story: A History of the Civil
Rights Movement in Kentucky.
- Sponsored
the distribution of Living the Story
videos to school and public libraries in our area.
- Organized
a ÒCommunity UnityÓ campaign in response to a KKK rally. Supplies ran out when more
than 40,000 yellow ribbons were requested throughout the community.
- Convened
several meetings to establish a Unity Coalition to develop programs on an
ongoing basis that promote racial and ethnic harmony in our
community.
CITIZENS INVOLVED:
- 120 participated
in KET viewing parties and panels
- OCC-TV
televised a group discussion following the KET documentary
- 40,000
yellow ribbons were distributed
Top
of Page
2003 Goals
- Officially
establish the Unity Coalition: convene meetings, advise and assist with
organizational documents, elect
leadership, etc.
- Develop
one or more start-up projects
- Extend
membership opportunities
- Raise
funds as needed
WORLD AFFAIRS
Top
of Page
2002 Activities
- Organized
9-11: One Year Later, a structured
community dialogue to reflect upon the personal and societal effects of
the terrorist attacks. The
event was co-sponsored by Community Conversations, Hager Educational Foundation,
and the Owensboro Human Relations Commission, and nearly 100 local
citizens Ð from all walks of life, including students Ð participated.
- Convened
several meetings to establish an Owensboro Area World Affairs
Council. Local college and
university faculty are assisting the Council in planning a 2003 lecture
series.
CITIZENS INVOLVED:
- 98 participated
in 9-11: One Year Later
- 70
attended organizational meetings or have expressed interest in a
World
Affairs Council
2003 Goals
- Officially
establish the Owensboro Area World Affairs Council: convene meetings,
advise and assist with organizational documents, elect leadership, etc.
- Assist
local college and university faculty in planning a 2003 lecture series
ADMINISTRATION
Top
of Page
2002 Activities
- Expanded
foundation offices to provide work space and conference room for citizen
groups
- Provided
office furniture and equipment, bookkeeping and receptionist services,
office administration, advisory services, etc., to citizen groups
- Updated
foundation web site (www.plfo.org)
2003 Goals
- Operate
the foundation at a level that does not require withdrawals from our
endowment corpus
- Continue
services to citizen groups
- Explore
ways to enhance external communications: print/electronic newsletter (two
issues in 2003), several In My View columns, OCC-TV, etc.
- Identify
most promising funding sources for PLFO or citizen groups
- Explore
the availability and contractual options for freelance grantwriters
- Continue
web site updates, promote site more aggressively (subject to available
funds)
- Explore
a summer intern program (subject to available funds)
- Assess,
update, and expand foundation and citizen group databases
- Expand
foundation Board of Directors with up to three non-family members
- Secure
tax-exempt classification as an operating foundation
- Develop
a foundation strategic plan
- Hold
mid-year and year-end annual Board of Directors meetings
Top
of Page
