Board President, Bettina Premo

Life is a journey and the purposeful life makes it an exciting, worthwhile journey.  To the staff and stakeholders of the Council of the Southern Mountains, please always stop and listen to sounds like those Barbara Hall related to above. 

First, LOOK.  Always be observant of opportunities to help others and empathize with their situation.  The old adage of, “Don’t judge someone until you walk a mile in their shoes,” still holds true.  Be observant, be mindful, and be on the outlook for innovative and unique ways to meet the challenges of those served by CSM.

Next, LISTEN.  Be sure you hear the cries of little children and the elderly for their exclamations are often low in volume and difficult to discern.  Often the voices of the downtrodden and forgotten are lost in the multitude of sounds in a modern complex society.  We must listen for the whispers and the sounds of despair so we can create symphonies of hope. 

Now, one must,  CHOOSE.  Everyone must select their path in life so choose right over wrong.  Choose to help instead of criticize and choose to provide honor and self-reliance to those we serve for there is no greater human need than that of dignity.

Finally, and most importantly, ACT.  Love without works provides no desire to achieve higher standards and levels of self- attainment.  Act in a way that you want others to act toward you and we will all live in a better world. 

I would like to say that I hope everyone will see the Council of the Southern Mountains for the quality of work they do daily to meet the needs of the community, and for their ability to develop needed programs and services for those we are fortunate enough to serve.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as President of the Board of Directors.

Thank you!

Bettina Premo

A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Randal Johnson

   It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required.

By: Sir Winston Churchill

It is said that adverse situations do not mold character, they expose it.  The character of those we rely upon is defined daily by their thoughts, words and actions.  It must always be known that our thoughts guide our outward behaviors for in order for a deed to be accomplished it must first be an aspiration.  That aspiration becomes reality only through dedication to our purpose and then our best endeavors put forth for the ultimate attainment of our dream.

It isn’t easy always doing what is required.  In order for us to grow we have to take on new challenges and exert our will to accomplish new rewards.  Often, unfortunately, we miss our goals but the failure is not in the lack of success in every effort we make but simply in our giving up or not trying at all.  That is the cause for blame; not reaching for new vistas to help those we are charged to serve.

It is difficult to expose one’s self to the possibilities of failure.  It is hard to hear the disparaging comments from others when one knows the self-sacrifice made and how our best effort was attempted, notwithstanding the long hours of work and worry that no one ever sees.  As we have all heard, sometimes our best is not good enough.  That may be true but the alternative is worse.  By not giving our best we fail our fellow citizens along our life’s journey.  Facing obstacles is no easy task but facing ourselves knowing that we failed our neighbors because we would not do what was required is far worse.  For if we do not try our best to achieve our respective destinies, then and only then, do we fail.  We must always do what is required and stay the course.

Randal Johnson

Mission Statement:

The Council of the Southern Mountains strives to provide quality services and opportunities to help people achieve the dignity of self-sufficiency.

Vision Statement:

The Council will improve the quality of life in our communities and eradicate poverty by helping people to overcome barriers to success.

CSM IMPACT PROGRAMS

Title XIX Waiver

Donna Turner, Director of Clinical Services

The I/DD Waiver Program is West Virginia’s home and community based services program for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.  This is a program that reimburses for services to instruct, train, support, supervise, and assist individuals who have intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in achieving the highest level of independence and self-sufficiency possible.  This service provided services in natural settings, homes and communities where the consumer resides, works and shops.

The TXIX Program offers many services to their consumers.  Some of these services are:

• Service Coordination---this service is designed to ensure accessibility, accountability and continuity of support and services.  It also ensures that the maximum potential and productivity of the consumer is utilized in making meaningful choices with regard to their life and inclusion in the community.
• Transportation---This service is used to provide transportation to home, job, habilitation facility and community based activities such as shopping and doctor.
• Nursing Services---this service provides routine medical monitoring.
• Person Centered Support: Family---This service enables the consumer to live and inclusively participate in the community in which the consumer lives, works, receives education, accesses healthcare, and engages in social and recreational activities.  This service is used to help with areas of functionality, for example, self-care, language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living.  This service cannot not be provided by a spouse and must be a family member living in the consumer’s home.

Also, one of our consumers is a 24 hour care home.  This means more independence for the consumers, as well as, more income for the company.

Finally, the satisfaction surveys have been very positive.  This survey is distributed to every consumer and their families every 6 months.  To date, we have not received any score below a 4, which states “I agree with this statement”.    This survey asks questions about topics such as, being treated with kindness and respect, willingness to help, privacy and confidentiality, professional manner, recommendation of the company and overall satisfaction.

The TXIX Waiver Program currently has seventeen consumers.

This graph shows the revenue from the Title XIX Waiver Program and how it is so important to the people we serve and our agency. 

Foster Grandparent Program

 Marcia Mullins, Foster Grandparent Program Director

The Foster Grandparent Program is a volunteer program that offers seniors age 60 and older a paid non-taxable stipend of $2.65 per hour to serve as mentors, tutors and caregivers for children and youth with special needs.

The Stipend is non-taxable. It is not included in any income calculations relating to receipt of any other benefits by the Foster Grandparent.

Foster Grandparents serve 20 hours per week in community-based organizations such as elementary schools, hospitals, day care programs, after-school programs and Head Start programs.
Foster Grandparents tutor elementary school students to improve reading skills, offer emotional support to children who have been abused and neglected, mentor troubled teenagers and young mothers, and care for infants and children with physical and developmental disabilities. In the process, they strengthen communities by providing youth services that community budgets cannot afford and by building bridges across generations. According to Corporation for National and Community Service statistics, please consider the following:

Foster Grandparents work with children and youth who have special needs which may include: Developmental Disability, Emotional Disorder, Hearing Impairment, Learning Disability, Language Disorder, Mental Retardation, Orthopedic Impairment, Physical Disability, and Speech Impairment.
Outcomes:
• 87 percent of children and youth report showing a lot or fair amount of improvement in their academic performance since establishing a relationship with a Foster Grandparent
• 90 percent of children and youth report showing a lot or a fair amount of improvement in their self-image since establishing a relationship with a Foster Grandparent
• 58 percent of children and youth report showing a lot or a fair amount of improvement in their school attendance habits since establishing a relationship with a Foster Grandparent
• 66 percent of children and youth report reducing risky behaviors a lot or a fair amount since establishing a relationship with a Foster Grandparent
• 66 percent of children and youth report a having kept out of trouble a lot or a fair amount since establishing a relationship with a Foster Grandparent

Listed  Below is Information on the CSM Foster Grandparent Program’s Annual Accomplishments:

Foster Grandparent Volunteers Served:                                                          63

Total Number of Hours Served:                                                                64,838

Total number of Children Served:                                                                 159                               

Total In-Kind Support Received:                                                       $38,274.00

Meals, Physicals, Transportation, Meeting Space, Recognition and Public Service Recognitions.

Work Plan:  School Readiness/Head Start/Early Childhood Education:

Nineteen (19) Foster Grandparent Volunteers have served a total of 36 children at 14 volunteer stations to enhance their social, emotional, and cognitive skills on a daily basis for this program year of 2015-2016.  Eighteen (18)   or 50% of children will advance into kindergarten this year.  36 children advanced within Head Start, Pre-K or day care by demonstrating fine motor skills, emotional-socialization, cognitive , language and numeric skills. One child with a speech impairment was also served by a Foster Grandparent Volunteer.

Work Plan:  Tutoring and Child Literacy:

Forty four 944) Foster Grandparent Volunteers have provided one-on-one attention to 123 children  to help "level out the playing field" in academic achievement, attendance, and social and emotional development skills, thus allowing increased learning  outcomes.  Seventy eight (78) or 63% of the children served have shown   improvements in classroom behavior by following directions, staying on task and/or following classroom rules and increasing their reading skills by at least one grade level.  Fifty three (53) or 43% of the 123 children served were in Special Education. Thirty (30) or 24% of the children had an incarcerated parent during this reporting period.

Other Accomplishments:

Amy McVey, teacher at Welch Elementary Handicap Class reports that Patricia Smith, FGP Volunteer is essential in helping students with a disability in her class learn how to eat on their own.  She assists by monitoring them as they eat to make sure that the students do not choke.  She always helps with talking to the students about things going on in their lives and lets them know that she cares.  She is also very helpful in making sure the students are ready to eat lunch by taking care of their needs such as giving them their milk and juice.  She interacts with her assigned students, especially during their gym time, and the students like to sit and talk to her.  Ms. Smith reads to the students and serves as a mentor to the students. 

These students are positively impacted by having a FGP Volunteer assigned to assist their unique needs.  This helps the pupils to be a part of school, helping them overcome everyday barriers so they can grow to their full potential.

COMMUNITY SERVICES (CSBG)

Heather Eldridge, Director of Community Services

I
Shown above are CSBG staff members: Regina Sanders, sponsor of multiple events for CSM youth, Latonia Foster, serving as Office Manager for the Weatherization Program and Emergency Food Services and Ida Monroe, Coordinator of the Family Day Care Feeding Program.

The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) provides funds to alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty in communities throughout the United States.

CSBG funding supports projects, as shown above in the pie chart, that:

• Lessen poverty in communities
• Address the needs of low-income individuals including the homeless, migrants and the elderly
• Provide services and activities addressing employment, education, better use of available income, housing, nutrition, emergency services and/or health

In addition, discretionary grants are available at the statewide or local level, or for associations with demonstrated expertise in addressing the needs of low-income families, such as Community Action Agencies (CAAs).

 With the support of CSBG funding, states and CAAs work together to achieve the following goals for low-income individuals:

• Increased self-sufficiency
• Improved living conditions
• Ownership of and pride in their communities
• Strong family and support systems

Working together, agencies increase their capacity to achieve results. Partnerships among supporters and providers of services play a large role in the successful implementation of CSBG grants.

As a matter of helping those in poverty better utilize their resources, the Council provides CSBG funded supplemental food and utility assistance to those in need.  Recipients must prove income eligibility.  This assistance is funded by the Community Services Block Grant revenue and provides the opportunity for the poor to achieve dignity on their way toward self-sufficiency.

The Council operates an emergency Food Pantry that served a total of 310 people, 165 families, this current year.  Items from the Food Pantry include, but are not limited to donated goods from collaboration members Mountaineer Food Bank and Huntington Area Food Bank. 

The Family Day Care Food Program, headed by Ida Monroe, provides funds to child care providers to serve nutritious meals to the children of parents seeking employment or training to obtain a job.  The program serves a total of 23 providers per month and over 50 children.

The Wholesale Buyers’ Club has a total of 45 participants. This program allows consumers to buy products in bulk at lower costs. Items purchased range from eggs to cleaning supplies. There are no requirements to participate in this program but it is primarily aimed at the low-income to help meet their family needs.

The Emergency Utilities Program has assisted 41 families and 95 individuals this year. This program assists low income families with termination notices of electric and water. The program also assists families with fuel, coal, or wood when an eligible consumer is in need.

As a matter of helping those in poverty better utilize their resources and obtain emergency assistance, the Council provides these supplemental food and utility programs.  The majority of this assistance is funded by Community Services Block Grant revenue and provides the opportunity to help recipients meet their individual and family needs.

Council of the Southern Mountains maintains the McDowell County Federal Credit Union targeted toward the low-income that pays dividends on participant’s savings.  The credit union also makes loans to low-income participants up to $500 to help them maintain their self-sufficiency.  The credit union now has deposits of $25,000 and paid a dividend last year of 1.0%.   This dividend helps the low income depositors make better use of their income.  The credit union, with its own Board of Directors, presently has $11,748 in loans to mostly low-income individuals and $3,062 in deposits for participants in the Christmas Club.  Again, these results help the low-income make better use of their available resources.

The Council of the Southern Mountains receives Emergency Food and Shelter Program  Assistance in a collaborative with Catholic Charities and the Shelter Against Family Abuse (SAFE) of $11,492.00.  This award is divided equally among the collaboration members and is used to provide food vouchers and utility assistance for eligible low-income families.  This effort, with Council as the lead agency, helps the those in poverty make better use of their funds.

The Council of the Southern Mountains provides the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (V.I.T.A) program that resulted in 626 families being assisted with over $1,377,680 in State and Federal returns being generated for local tax payers at no charge to the low-income service recipients. The CSM staff are certified by the Internal Revenue Service and file the returns electronically.  Tax payers report they have their refunds just as fast as any other way they have filed in the past and all of this is without charge to those families. . The number of people served and the amount of the refunds sets an internal record for the community action agency since the inception of the service. In a recent visit by an Internal Revenue Service representative, it was related that the agency is still third in the State of West Virginia in the number of returns and financial impact. 

The latest figures on the average cost of a professional income tax preparer to handle a typical tax return was $273. This includes an itemized Form 1040 with Schedule A and a state tax return, according to the National Society of Accountants.  As a result, the Council of the Southern Mountains saved area residents $173,000 in tax preparation charges.  This money goes directly back into the local economy and helps people during this economically distressed time.

This flow chart shows how CSM consumers are initially served.      

CSM FITNESS/WELLNESS CENTER

                                                                                                        Pictured above is the CSM Trainers,                                        Garnet Edwards, WVU Sports Hall of

                                    Fame in Track and Field and present

                                    day record holder in several track

                                    events; Mary Lewis, Sports Trainer;

                                    Ruth Brown, Sports Trainer.

FITNESS CENTER STATISTICS

CSM wants to give McDowell Countians a healthy, positive outlook. One of those steps, fittingly, was a two-mile fun walk and a 10-kilometer race through the town of Welch on Saturday morning, July 23, 2016.  Our theme was “Restore the Glory of McDowell County,” since this area has a history of being a wonderful place to live and CSM wants to restore that reputation.

Tom Morsi, a volunteer CSM Board of Director, who helped originate the race in 2015.

Part of the mission of the CSM is to help low-income people in McDowell County “achieve economic and social self-sufficiency” and the Council has been at it for more than 52 years.

McDowell County fitness and health statistics are at the bottom of the charts so CSM is  trying to raise awareness of the benefits of exercise and fitness, so people can enjoy life.

Tom Morsi said, “Here the last few years, if anybody mentions Welch or McDowell County, it’s always bad. It seems we’re first in everything that’s bad and last in everything that’s supposed to be good.”  Tom and CSM desire to change that image.

The 2 Mile Fun Walk was around the town of Welch and it was an opportunity to have a good time. CSM wanted to show people that walking is an excellent way to exercise.

Participants in the walk or run received a free one-month membership to the CSM Fitness / Wellness Center. Garnet Edwards is one of the Fitness Center Trainers and he is a tremendous asset to the agency.  He is one of the greatest individuals you’d ever want to meet. He lives for physical fitness and he wants to get McDowell County restored to glory.

             Garnet Edwards is pictured below:

Race-day registration started at 7:30 a.m. on July 23 at the Council of the Southern Mountains office at 148 McDowell Street in Welch. Runners and walkers received t-shirts printed with the “Restore the Glory” slogan.  The Welch police force escorted the runners and walkers and Welch Mayor Martha Honaker, also a CSM Board member, supported the event as starter for the 10K race.

The entry fee was $10 for the 10K run and $5 for the walk. These fees just helped offset the cost of t-shirts and other expenses.  The event was termed a success by those in attendance.

In the effort to help create a healthier community, the Council of the Southern Mountains offered a free nutrition class for CSM Fitness/Wellness Center members and the public on August 3, 2016.  The instructional course  was in conjunction with the West Virginia University Extension Service and will be held at the CSM Fitness/Wellness Center at 148 McDowell Street, Welch, WV. The program was titled, “Healthy Eating - Healthy You; Retrain Your Brain.”  This program is about general healthy eating and tips for making healthy choices. CSM plans more nutrition classes in 2017.

                                                                 Impact Service of CSM

In order to provide healthier homes for those served by this agency, low to moderate income families at 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, the Council of the Southern Mountains, developed an application or “app,” along with a coordinating website, called “Healthy Habitat” www.healthyhabitathelp.com for use with modern communications technologies such as: smart phones, tablets and computers.   As a result of funding from the Office of Economic Opportunity and the Department of Health and Human Resources implementation of an educational and remediation “app” and website to provide low to moderate income home owners cost-effective hazardous home remediation resources in order to meet the Healthy Homes Initiative was completed in order to help low to moderate income families obtain and maintain adequate housing and a suitable living environment.

The Healthy Habitat “app” and coordinated website provides consumer friendly and affordable information for low to moderate income homeowners self-remediation of hazards methodologies. Targeted homeowners are able to access identification of home dangers and remedial interventions, including but not all inclusive of the following potential hazards: carbon monoxide; air conditioning/heating system dangers; appliances/water heater dangers, asbestos, biologicals/unsanitary conditions; building structure/roofing; combustible gases; drainage; electrical and fire hazards; air pollutants; such as formaldehyde/radon; injury prevention; lead based paint, mold/moisture. 

According to the website’s statistical “dash board,” for the first nine months of 2016 there were 594 visitors to the website with 665 page views and 95.79% of the views were from new visitors.  One interesting statistic is that 43.34% of the visitors to the website were from the United Kingdom.  The Council maintains the “app” and website and pays all fees for these services.

www.healthyhabitathelp.com

Impact Program: Youth Exposure Series

The Council of the Southern Mountains recognizes that many children in its service area grow up amid poverty, violence, and illness. They see their families, friends, and communities suffering from the effects of alcoholism, unemployment, incarceration, and a lack of educational opportunities. Many children, however, are resilient and manage to succeed despite a negative environment. Although not all children are faced with adverse circumstances, our country’s well-being requires that every child in every community be guaranteed the opportunity to reach his or her full potential.

Providing children with the opportunity to develop positive behaviors is the foundation of most efforts to prevent youth crime and violence. For nearly two decades the Council  has sought effective intervention and prevention strategies through the Youth Exposure Series or YES.  Effective strategies of this program funded by the Community Services Block Grant include comprehensive approaches that provide opportunities for education, mentoring, engage youth and their families; and are community-based.

As a result, agency staff, funded through the Community Services Block Grant, provide community based activities each year to children identified as being at risk.  These predominately low income children are provided opportunities to “equal the playing field” with their peers.  These opportunities include going to restaurants, other than fast food facilities, and ordering meals; attending concerts or events that provide cultural education and exposure; attending professional sporting events that creates awareness of positive social activities and behavior; attending exhibitions that highlights the positive contribution to society of cultural diversity.  The staff mentor the 60 children, ages ranging from 7 to 17, by serving as role models during events and instructing them in how to handle various social situations, even those that are negative.  The staff also transports the children to educational institutions that gives exposure to what the world offers and that they can be a part of that process if they work to their potential. This process provides experiences that are educational, culturally rewarding and influential in preventing delinquency. 

As a result, not one of the 60 children involved in the Youth Exposure Series program has been involved in a crime, been identified as a “problem child” in school or dropped out of school during this program year. 

Impact Program

BILL PAY SERVICE

Low-income Individuals usually live a “cash lifestyle” due to their circumstances and need financial services. As a result, the Council of the Southern Mountains has initiated a Bill Pay service for these area residents. 

Approximately one-quarter of U.S. households (more than 30 million), representing $1.3 trillion dollars in annual spending, do not utilize banks, according to the FDIC, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.  Including illegal immigrants, the number of residents without bank relationships is reported to be closer to 60 to 72 million, with some estimates as high as 100 million; that is nearly one of our every three residents.

There are over 236 million transactions at 3rd party walk-in bill payment centers every year. The total estimated payment volume of 3rd party walk-in bill payment transactions is $28 billion.  Walk in payment increased 19.3 million users 2000 to 2010, payments by check continue to decline.

One in five people prefer to pay a bill in person. Many want the convenience and security of paying in person and getting a receipt at the time of payment, while many others are among the 30 million households in the U.S. who do not have a bank account. Locally, with the closing of the Walmart store, there are limited places where people can directly pay their bills and those places are a considerable distance away.  In order to help low-income families keep as much of their income as possible, CSM started a Bill Pay service.  CSM offers this complete walk-in bill payment solution that provides a convenient way to serve low-income consumers who often have no other means of paying their bills but in person by cash. As of this date, over 200 McDowell County residents have used Bill Pay services.  

Tammi Ferrell   

Impact Program                  Weatherization

The Weatherization Assistance Program operated by the Council helps low-income individuals and families reduce energy costs and increase comfort and safety in their homes. Individuals, families, the elderly and the disabled who are making no more than the current allowable as based on the federal poverty income level are eligible for help. However, priority is given to the elderly and disabled,  emergency situations and homes with children.

In West Virginia, energy savings average 35% of consumption for the typical low-income home after weatherization. Residents of weatherized homes experience approximately $400 in annual savings on their energy bills, at current energy prices. For every $1 invested in the Council’s weatherization assistance program, it returns $2.51 to the household weatherized. 

The CSM Weatherization Assistance Program had ten (10) completions during the 2016 program year.  The average cost per home weatherized was $5,868. One Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP) consumer was served during the winter month as they had no heat.  CSM repaired the heating system and returned the home to safety. 

The CSM Wx staff had to endure a temporary lay-off in May and part of June, 2016 due budget shortfalls. The 2017 budget should avoid the recurrence of a lay-off.

Not Pictured: Gerald Brown, Auditor/Estimator/Quality Control Inspector

Lawrence Carper and Randy Johnson       Curtis Lindsey, Coordinator       Latonia Foster, Office Mgr.                     

Retired and Senior Volunteer

Program

Barbara Caceres, RSVP Director  

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is America's largest volunteer network for people age 55 and over. There are over 500,000 volunteers across the country who are tackling tough issues in their communities. With RSVP, volunteers choose how and where they want to serve, the amount of time they want to give and they choose whether they want to draw on their skills or develop new ones. They find the opportunity that's right for them.

In the past year 540 RSVP volunteers serving the counties of McDowell, Raleigh, Wyoming and Mingo,
have donated 124,925 volunteer hours.

Volunteers performing telephone reassurance calls, home visits, visits to the veteran hospital and with hospice patients donated 60,083 hours.

Volunteers at food pantries have donated 3,887 hours.

Volunteers for neighborhood watch groups have donated 59,243 hours.
Volunteers helping the Veterans have donated 1,712 hours.

There are also 335 community volunteers under the age of 55, in these 4 local counties, that are
organized by RSVP volunteers and help with projects. Currently, there are 38 Neighborhood Watch groups; 8 calling stations are developed with volunteers making calls to the sick, elderly and shut-ins; 29 volunteers are working with disaster shelters through the American Red Cross along with other projects, 28 volunteers are collecting and visiting the Veterans Hospital located in Beckley and taking needed supplies to the long-term patients; 8 volunteers are visiting with Hospice patients; and 25 volunteers are working distributing food and clothing at the Itmann Food Pantry in Wyoming County.