Resourcewest

“The organization does not have any committees which have the authority to act on behalf of the governing body.”

“The executive director, treasurer and president of the board of directors reviewed form 990. A draft of the form 990 was provided to the executive committee and the board of directors for review and approval for submission.”

“Annually each board of director must re-file the conflict of interest policy with the board secretary and disclose any possible conflicts.”

“The executive director's compensation is approved and paid by the hopkins public school district, and that process is managed under the terms of employment in the community education coordinator handbook. The executive committee approves the executive directors salary and it is approved by the board as part of the budget approval process.”

“The organization will provide copies of its governing documents upon request.”

“During the 2014 tax year, resourcewest ended its services as a navigator for the mnsure program.”

“Resources for children, resourcewest helps families avoid homelessness and a downward spiral into deeper poverty. Promoting stability by providing assistance and direct support for individuals and families: by providing a comprehensive assessment, resourcewest help individuals identify their goals and overcome the barriers they are experiencing during a short-term crisis. This may include finding affordable housing, developing stronger budgeting skills, enrolling in a job training program, having reliable transportation to get to and from school or a job and finding ways to address related child care needs. To address the increasing diversity in the community, our staff includes a case manager who is somali and a licensed social worker who speaks both english and spanish. Staff work with individuals at the resourcewest office, in their homes, and onsite at various community sites. In 2015, 150 families received in-depth case management. In addition, hundreds of individuals received information and resource connections. Stabilizing individuals through bridge assistance funds: our bridge assistance grants are not long term assistance but are given to stabilize a situation so the individual can keep his or her job. 64% of the bridge assistance grants were related to transportation challenges (e.g. Gas cards, bus fare cards, assistance with unexpected car repairs in order to maintain employment). The remaining grants were primarily health related (e.g. Hmo premium payments, prescriptions). Children's programs provide essential resources: resourcewest provides three necessary programs for low income children. "back to school" supplies, "warm winter wear- and "holiday toy chest" served over 400 unduplicated low income families in 2015. 1200 children from diverse backgrounds received backpacks filled with grade appropriate school supplies, 1,350 winter jackets and 5,500 holiday gifts were donated and distributed. Resourcewest depends on the generous in-kind, volunteer and cash support from the area to maintain these programs. The median monthly household income is 1,200 for families who benefitted from the children's programs. Among the 489 families completing our 2015 back to school supply survey, almost 40% were immigrants and refugees. Collaborations: improving access the strategic location in the hennepin county west suburban human services regional center creates a one stop shop, as well as enhances our accessibility to other communities in the western suburbs. We host several agencies onsite each week recognizing the limited public transportation in the western suburbs can prevent individuals and families from getting the help they need on a timely basis. Programs hosted at our site include: ica food shelf employment counselor, community technology center, portico health net, children's dental services, and prepare+prosper tax assistance.”