Board of Directors

Annual Report Fiscal Year 2008/2009

Hockanum Valley Community Council, Inc. is a multipurpose social service agency located in Rockville/Vernon. The mission of HVCC is to assure that the social service needs of low income and/or disabled residents of the Tolland County area are met. Services available include:

TRANSPORTATION: HVCC provided over 35,916 rides to area residents during FY 2008/2009 covering over 164,370 miles. We serviced over 25 registered Ellington residents totaling 728 rides.

COUNSELING: HVCC's counseling department is a full service out patient clinic serving area residents experiencing emotional, behavioral or substance related disorders with individual therapy, family therapy, medication management, assessment, evaluation and group therapy.

Over the past 12 months HVCC's counseling department has provided the following services to area residents; individual services (including medication management) 10,437 appointments of group, individual, family, couples, medication management and evaluations. We have provided assessments and evaluations to 1,068 new clients during the past 12 months.

FOOD PANTRY: One thousand six hundred twenty-two families are registered for food in 2008/2009. In average 462 bags of food were distributed a month. Families consisted of 200 seniors, 953 adults and 642 children. During the holiday 900 families received food baskets and toys, donated by area businesses, churches, schools and individuals. Forty-six Ellington families received food from the pantry in the past year.

ELDER SERVICES: Our goal is to help seniors remain living in their homes as long as possible. We do this by meeting with them in their homes to discuss challenges they may now face managing their daily lives. We then help arrange for the services they need. Examples include aiding in a search to find appropriate housing; initiating health and home care services; organizing social or educational activities, coordinating transportation services and completing forms or making phone calls that are too overwhelming.

We currently have about 300 clients. During the past year, with one full time staff person, two part-time staff people and about 50 volunteers, we provided 367 hours of chore assistance; 1,311 reassurance phone calls; 576 hours of social support; 2,151 hours of personal assistance; 179 hours of counseling and 556 rides.

GOOD CENTS TREASURES: The HVCC Thrift Store continues to mentor high school students with special needs. We provide a forum for them to showcase their talents while learning a skill and giving us some much needed help in return. We also provide low cost clothing and household needs for low-income families. In fact, if someone is without funds a gift certificate is provided for him/her to shop in anonymity. Good Cents continues to receive donations and volunteer assistance from a very generous community. Volunteers are always welcome to join our team. The excess income generated by the store helps to fund the much-needed programs of HVCC.

On behalf of the Board and staff, let me thank everyone who supported us this past year. I encourage others to come join us in volunteering to see that the mission of HVCC is accomplished as we go forward.

As always, I extend my gratitude to our financial supporters; United Way of the Capital Area, DCF, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, NCAAA, and Greater Hartford Transit District, the towns of East Hartford, Ellington, Manchester, Tolland and Vernon. I truly would be remiss if I didn't thank our local supporters, which include local businesses, individuals, religious organizations, charitable foundations and social service organizations. Without everyone's financial help, we could not exist.

David A. Engelson
Executive Director