Help at H.O.M.E, October 18, 2018

Minutes for the meeting of Thursday, October 18, 2018, p.m.

Location: Senior Center, Holden

Present: Brian Bullock, Faye Ellis, Susan Marsh, Marty Holman, Marcia Sherbourne, and Joe Sullivan

• Chairman Bullock called the meeting to order at 4:03.
• The minutes of April 3, 2018, were accepted as written.
• Welcome Aldrich Relief Fund/CoA update from Faye Ellis.
  March 2018 through October 2018: 12 applications were funded.
  Direct help to applicants: $11,409.
  Categories: HMLD $2,632; heat $2,224; other $6,553.
  Donations deposited: $2,000.
• Help at Home account report from the Town.
• Balance to date for fiscal year 2019: $38,836.

Grants to date for fiscal year 2019: $2,822.

Joe Sullivan agreed to be our new treasurer. Brian will discuss the Town’s reporting format with Town Accountant Lori Rose. Joe will create a new format for our committee for reporting monthly income and expense. Faye Ellis will continue to report category details from the outreach workers.

• Reference book update. Cindy Smith, the social worker who helped revise the previous edition, is no longer with the senior center.

• Annual November appeal letter (with HMLD bills). Susie will revise this letter, omitting numbers and adding personal stories about families helped. Faye will ask Louise Charbonneau to suggest examples. Letter must go to Teresa Montoya (HMLD) by October 23 for printing.

• H@H is not giving out as much money in grants as we are taking in as donations. There was unanimous agreement that we want to give more grants. It was questioned whether we want to give out money other than via the Welcome Aldrich distribution system. Brian asked that everyone think about our mission and alternative ways to distribute dollars.

• The next regular H@H meeting will be Thursday, January 10, 2019 at 3 pm at the Senior Center.
• Meeting adjourned at 5:20 pm.         
• — Minutes submitted by Susan Marsh