St. Anne's Center

History

Over the years, other churches joined the coalition, and today there are 8 congregations involved. For a number of years, the coalition of churches was the primary source of funding for the Center. During this time, the services provided were somewhat informal, and little oversight was needed. By 1992, the needs of those being served had grown beyond the capacity of the Lincoln Street facility. A capital campaign was carried out, and the facility on Binford was built. With the new facility, additional funds were needed. St. Anne's Center began to engage in fund raising activities which were generally successful. The programming became somewhat more complex, with government contracts to engage in case management and other services, requiring additional staffing and record-keeping.

While the Center grew in size and complexity, the operating budget and oversight functions did not. The board of directors did not have structure and resources needed to support the new programming. A long-term, strategic plan was needed, but no provisions or expertise existed to create one. Fundraising activities were not keeping up with the demand for services, and the Board of Directors was not made aware of the increasing financial, staffing, program or administrative needs of the organization.

As a result, today, St. Anne's Center's is at an important crossroads. We are in the process of determining how we will create create long-term sustainability through an assessment of stakeholders, mission, customers, and resources. In essence, we are deciding what we want to be when we grow up, and putting together the structure, plans and benchmarks to help us get there. As a part of this process, we are seeking greater community involvement. We would like to embrace the community, and find ways to get the community to embrace St. Anne's Center.