The Open Link Inc.

“The executive director and board reviewd form 990 and approved filing it with the internal revenue service.”

“Conflict of interest policy is updated annully.”

“Governing documents, conflict of interest policy and financial statements are available to the public upon request. The request should be in writing and addressed to the board of directors.”

“The open link, a multi-service nonprofit, envisions an upper perkiomen valley (upv) where everyone can flourish. We accomplish our mission through four main program areas; community services including financial, employment and domestic violence counseling; food and nutrition support including meals on wheels, choice food pantry and daily lunches; adult education including high school equivalency prep and testing, health and wellness programs and lifelong learning. The open link thrives because of community support of time, talent and treasures; less than 35% of our financial support comes from county, state and federal governments. More than 250 volunteers give more than 10,000 hours (5 full-time equivalents).”

“For 45 years, our community has relied on us to offer services and programs for those individuals and families who need a hand up. We couldn't do this critical work without your generosity this year, we were blessed with by far our largest gift to date from an anonymous local donor. This individual loved the work that the open link does and was committed to serving people in need in our community. That bequest, totaling more than 700,000, will be used wisely and will be a great benefit to the ongoing health of the open link. The open link board of directors takes the stewardship of this donation, and all your donations, seriously. We are so thankful for the deep love that our community members and donors have for, not only our neighbors, but for the open link itself. In these uncertain times, your gifts at all levels make our work possible each day and we're grateful to have you on our team we have specific plans to invest this bequest to provide for personnel, technology and human services programming to benefit the upper perkiomen valley community. For example, it has already enabled us to purchase a van. With our van we have: expanded the summer meal program for kids exponentially. This summer we distributed twelve times more meals to children versus the previous year and opened doors for our food pantry without walls to reach more people. This past year we served 65 previously unserved senior households. These are uncertain times with potential disruptions in both our private (approximately 70%) and public/government ( approximately 30%) funding. We thank you for your investment in our work and for caring for your neighbors in the upper perkiomen valley.”

“Free services provided in 2019-2020 include: overall, our staff had greater than 15,200 contacts by phone, email and in person for information, referral and services. Community services: provided residents resources necessary to be safe, healthy and move to self-sufficiency. Benefits acquisition support (including snap/food stamps, medicaid, liheap, unemployment) was provided to 224 households. Budgeting and financial assistance of 38,847 (including rental, utility, medical, transportation and other basic needs) was provided to 100 households; employment assistance to 26 individuals; domestic violence counseling to 60 individuals; holiday gifts to 479 children; back-to-school supplies to 165 children. Food and nutrition: choice food pantry including "food pantry without walls" served 1360 individuals in 451 households with more than 250,000 lbs. (>125 tons) of food; volunteers and staff distributed 5664 meals to children through the summer kid's meals program, an increase of 12x versus previous year; volunteers (43) and staff delivered 21,954 meals to home- bound elderly (meals on wheels); pre-pandemic 1633 hot lunches were served to ~100 unduplicated visitors to senior center; post-pandemic 539 grab and go meals distributed to seniors; thanksgiving dinner dsitributed to 158 households, 453 individuals;played leadership role in first monday community supper program providing more than 900 hot meals to folks in the community pre-pandemic. Education: instructors and tutors gave free assistance to 31 students preparing for testing to obtain their diploma (via hiset or ged testing). The 31 students passed 57 hiset subject tests (5 subjects to obtain diploma) at a success rate of 100% (vs. ~75% success rate statewide). Six students earned their diploma with three of them completing since the beginning of the pandemic (and online instruction).”