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2004 - 2005 The last fiscal year marked our first decade of dedicated service to the community. The year began with our Annual Board Retreat at the Airport Marriott on July 31, 2004. NANAY officers, board members, staff and youth from Florida as well as from California discussed strategies, renewed their commitment and received training on goal setting and fund raising, facilitated by Gelly Borromeo, President and CEO of Asian Business Ventures. On November 6, 2004, NANAY celebrated 10 years of community service by hosting an Anniversary Banquet and Awarding Ceremony at the Broward Convention Center. Special awards were given to John Gaudiosi (Most Distinguished Philanthropist), Banal na Pag-aaral (Most Distinguished Volunteers), John Stokesberry (Most Distinguished Eldercare Pioneer), Congresswoman Carrie Meek (Most Distinguished Legislator), and City of North Miami (Most Distinguished Community Service). NANAY’s accomplishments for the last 10 years were summarized, and its vision for the next 10 years was shared with more than 330 guests, including some of the original founders from the Bruce family who flew from California and Texas to join the celebration. The last five years brought into fruition the first two missions of NANAY—to provide supportive services to elders and youth, and to provide preventive and affordable primary health care to the uninsured and medically underserved. The rapid growth and expansion of services necessitated additional staffing and a streamlining of NANAY’s operations to prevent staff burnout. In Dec 2004, Evelyn Bruce, a founding member of NANAY, moved from California to Florida and agreed to serve part time as Executive Director of NANAY Community Center, to enable Bennie Trinidad to concentrate his efforts in building and promoting the NANAY Health Center operations. With her experience as a California CPA and Chief Financial Officer of QBIS Group, Inc. (a private consultancy group), Evelyn also assisted in preparing NANAY’s financial reports for external independent audit, which we passed with flying colors. Natacha Francois, MSW and Ted Ravelo were hired as full time social worker and support staff of the NANAY Community Center, while Ludna Santos ARNP and Sashana Garnett began working full time to provide primary health care at the NANAY Health Center. Paul Leach was retained as part-time computer instructor, Lance Lall as part-time IT support person, and Len Cocker as part-time maintenance person. NANAY Community Center Center-Based Care, Socialization, Recreational Services and Transport NANAY’s Center-Based Socialization and Recreational Services were designed to improve the self-esteem, encourage socialization, maintain independence, promote the health and enhance the quality of life of elders over 60 years of age. Last year, NANAY provided at least 8, 093 units of recreational activities at the Community Center, which included bingo and mahjong games, folk dancing lessons, arts and crafts, field trips and other group interactive sessions overseen by Sony Trinidad and assisted by Dada Dequito. Joey Fidel and Ted Ravelo transported elders to and from the Center (total 6,280 units), and also provided special transport to field trips, medical/ dental appointments, swap shops, malls and outside performances (total 513 units). In addition to their daily scheduled activities at the NANAY Community Center, elders were encouraged to showcase themselves through folk-dances that were taught by Tessie Santos. Elders were able to overcome their inhibitions and stage fright as they gracefully performed their dances during the Dragon Boat Festival at Haulover Park (Oct 16-17, 2004), NANAY’s 10th Anniversary Celebraton at Broward Convention Center (Nov 6, 2004), Sinulog Celebration at Our Lady of Lourdes Church (Feb 5, 2005), Charity Concert for Tsunami Victims at North Miami Beach Performing Arts Theater (Feb 6, 2005), Dance Performance at Villa Maria Adult Center (Apr 29, 2005), UM Cultural Show at Gusman Theatre (Mar 6, 2005), Mother’s Day Event at Parrot Jungle Treetop Ballroom (May 8, 2005), APA Heritage Month Cultural Program at Jackson Memorial Hospital (May 13, 2005) and Polynesian Culture Festival at Easterlin Park (May 15, 2005). Computer Classes Computer classes at NANAY Community Center continue to be a popular educational program for the elders. Due to the limited number of PCs in the computer lab, the high demand for classes, and the different levels of experience among elders, it became necessary to divide the classes in three categories – the beginners, the intermediate/transitional, and the advanced groups. By June 2005, we have 37 regular students in 18 class sessions – representing 9 computer classes or formal group instructions and 9 computer labs where elders applied what was taught in class, as well as received one-on-one tutorial according to each individual’s specific needs. NANAY’s IT specialist, Paul Leach, provided a total of 431 units of computer classes during the last fiscal year, mostly to North Miami elders and some youth. Caregiver Program Funding from the Alliance for Aging enabled NANAY to provide services to caregivers, including elders who were taking care of their children, grandchildren, spouses and/or disabled family members; and younger adults who were taking care of their elderly parents and/or grandparents. In addition to respite, screening and assessment, the caregiver program also included gerontological counseling, health support, recreation, transportation, and training on caregiving skills. A Caregiver’s Workshop was given by Karen Balauat on Jan 29, 2005. As of mid-June, 60 caregivers have participated in the program and received 2,310 units of caregiver counseling and support. Tai Chi & Exercise Classes Tai Chi Chuan was offered on Wednesdays and Fridays, and the exercise classes were conducted by a cadre of instructors on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Tai Chi was designed to relieve the discomforts of arthritis and osteoporosis while the exercise classes were designed to develop the elders’ strength and endurance. Rose Marie del Rosario (Program Director) served as the substitute instructor for both sessions, as needed. To date, a total of 131 individuals, mostly elders, have participated in our Tai-Chi exercises, soft aerobics and other forms of moderate physical activity. Group and Individual Counseling
Case Management and Early Intervention Program Through funding from the Alliance for Human Services, NANAY’s Early Intervention Program began in Sept 2004, targeting at risk elders who were living alone or in poverty, and who were not already accessing services in the community. To date, Natacha Francois, NANAY’s Social Worker/Case Manager, has provided case management and early intervention to 135 elders and families through home visits, assessments, evaluation and monitoring of clients. Majority of the clients served were North Miami residents who originated from the Island of Haiti, followed by the United States, Jamaica, South America, Honduras, Peru, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines and Vietnam Our social worker identified clients at risk in the community in partnership with faith based organizations and the police department. Assistance and referrals were made to various agencies (government and private) to meet their identified needs. Most of the problems identified among case-managed elders were related to loneliness, social isolation, lack of transportation, lack of adequate housing, medical needs, language barriers, lack of access to services, lack of sufficient income, and depression. As part of the program outreach, NANAY’s Social Worker also attended health and social fairs, visited community centers and local churches, handed out flyers, spoke on a local Haitian Radio Station, and responded to a number of referrals coming through the Alliance’s Elder Helpline. Y.S.T.E.P. (Youth Skills Training and Employment Project) Our YSTEP program, directed by Dr. Rose del Rosario, is funded by the Miami-Dade County CDBG and aimed at preparing low-income16 to 21 year olds toward meaningful employment. It includes individual counseling, [such as personal and family issues, academic performance, peer pressure, and social relationships], group counseling [such as on topics pertaining to organizational and leadership skill development, conflict mediation and other topics], life skills training [work experience/job training opportunities, time and stress management], job search sessions [preparing a resume, completing job application forms, responding to interviews, negotiating salaries/wages and work schedules], and tutorial/mentoring sessions [one-on-one and/or group activities to develop and enhance job and academic skills]. By the end of the fiscal year, 77 youth had participated in the program, and 10 students have succeeded in finding part-time jobs in the last 6 months. The individuals that have served as YSTEP Program Assistants are: Helen Story (2004), Glenda Layug (February – June 2005) and Santas Rosario (June – December 2005). Youth and Intergenerational Activities
The 4th Intergenerational Leadership Forum was held on Sept 18, 2004, when 60 youth and elders re-established their relationship by sharing important cultural values and respect for one another’s points of views. NANAY’s Intergenerational Birthday Celebration was held every first Wednesday of the month. Youth and elders also interacted with each other every Thursday through arts & crafts activities, sing-along, bingo, karaoke, mahjong, and “conversation hours” or group sharing. On Oct 9, 2004, youth and elders together participated in a SportsFest, featuring outdoor games at CB Smith Park, hosted by the Filipino American Ministries. On Nov 25, 2004, 30 elders and members of NANAY Youth Council participated in the North Miami Winternational Parade by riding on the NANAY Float, while others passed out health care flyers and crackers to the crowd. They also held a Christmas Party at the NANAY Center on Dec 18, 2004 and enjoyed the holiday festivities by eating, exchanging gifts and singing Christmas Carols. During their Leadership Retreat on Jan 29, 2005, at least 35 Youth Council officers and new members planned the events for the school year, and discussed the youth council’s present strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, to arrive at possible solutions and action plans. On February 18, 2005, they celebrated “Lovefest” -- an intergenerational Valentine’s Day activity where the youth presented the elders with self made flowers and cards showing their appreciation. The event also consisted of games and intergenerational dancing, with 55 youth and elders participating. The Youth Council joined the second Annual Polynesian Festival on May 14-15, 2005 and performed several cultural dances in front of the beaming audience. The youth also tended the “Children’s Corner” where they painted children’s faces and sold homemade toys. The 3rd Annual Intergenerational Luau/ Honoring of Graduating High School Seniors on May 28, 2005 constituted an end of the school year event where the youth and elders performed different cultural dances, upcoming officers were inducted, and outgoing senior class youth council members as well as outstanding, dedicated members were honored. On June 11, 2005, five selected youth council members joined in modeling cultural Filipino costumes during the Philippine Independence Day Celebration at the German American Country Club in West Palm Beach. Internship and Volunteer Service NANAY has continued its partnership with Miami Dade College, Florida Career College and Miami Dade County Public Schools in ways that benefit students and our organization. In most schools, students are required to engage in internship and/or community/volunteer service in order to apply what is learned in school and to increase their experience in a real-work setting. On the other hand, we have relied on the enthusiasm of interns and volunteers to provide much needed manpower NANAY HEALTH CENTER From July through September 2004, the NANAY Health Center operated with the help of volunteers. In Oct 2004, M. Ludna Santos, a full-time registered nurse practitioner (ARNP), was hired through funding from Health Foundation of South Florida, while Sashana Garrett, a medical assistant, was funded by the State of Florida Department of Health. Since then, over 700 clients throughout Miami-Dade County had been provided with a variety of services ranging from health screenings and counseling to actual medical treatments and consultations, including immunizations at the NANAY Health Center. In November and December 2004, a NANAY health panel discussion aired on North Miami TV and Cable Tap, where Dr. Tony Wong, Natacha Francois MSW and Bennie Trinidad discussed the importance of immunization and the diseases that can be prevented by vaccines as well as the availability of services at the NANAY Health Center. The Health Center also published and distributed quarterly newsletters touching on preventable diseases and other health issues. Immunization awareness and the racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity and mortality rates relating to cardiovascular disease were emphasized at the Asian Health Forum that was held at NANAY Center (Feb 15, 2005) and during North Miami Homeowners Association meeting (Mar 15, 2005).
NANAY provided
health screening, collected immunization surveys and distributed health
educational materials at the Dragon
Boat Festival To reduce the cost of medical care for the uninsured, a NANAY Health Access Program (N-HAP) has been instituted as an affordable alternative, whereby clients can opt to pay a $175 annual enrollment fee, and get up to 40% discount on medical consultations, basic laboratory fees and vaccinations and reduced prescription drug cost. NANAY CDC NANAY has envisioned that its third mission, to provide supportive housing for elders and low income families, would be realized within the next decade or so. To achieve this goal, the NANAY Community Development Corporation (NANAY-CDC) was formed as an affiliate organization of NANAY Inc. on June 24, 2003 and received its own 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in March 2005. NANAY CDC joined the Florida Minority Community Reinvestment Coalition (FMCRC) and worked closely with FMCRC Chair Al Pina, in advocating Wachovia and Bank of America to commit Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) funds for minority businesses and underserved communities in Florida.
On
Mar 7, 2005 and Apr 2, 2005, Asian leaders met with
Wachovia top executives
Tony Riggio (based in Jacksonville) and
Peter Roulhac (based in
Miami) at the NANAY C Bank of America top executives Denise Freedman (based in Tampa) and Charlie Henderson (based in Virginia) also met with NANAY officers at the Community Center on June 9, 2005, to discuss the bank’s five-year/$36 billion dollar CRA commitment for Florida's minority and underserved communities and to explore potential partnerships with NANAY Inc, NANAY CDC and NANAY Community Investment Funds, LLC.
NANAY’s
recent association with Tom Zuniga, President of DSG Capital Resources,
LLC, paved the way for the formation of its for-profit arm, the
NANAY
Community Investment Funds, LLC on Mar 1, 2005 to serve, or provide
investment capital for, low-income communities or low-income persons in Florida.
NANAY Community Investment Funds, ILC is currently awaiting formal certification
as a Community Development Entity (CDE) from FDIC that will enable it to receive
Tom Zuniga was also instrumental in forming a partnership between NANAY-CDC and Amici Consulting & Development Group for the development of a condo-conversion project on a 42-unit apartment complex, soon to be called NANAY Landing, located at 14860 to 14872 NE Sixth Avenue in North Miami, where NANAY CDC will be in charge of providing supportive financial services to existing residents, marketing and managing the condominium association. The unexpected and untimely death of NANAY’s valued Board member, Einez Yap, created a major void in NANAY’s organizational set-up. Her son Andrew Yap, who is a marketing consultant and faculty member at FIU, has agreed to fill her place as Board Member of NANAY Inc, and will be helpful in establishing a potential partnership between NANAY and the new LEASA Foundation that is now being incorporated as a charitable organization in honor of the late Einez Yap. GRANTS AND OTHER SUPPORT A total of $567, 923 grant support was approved by the Alliance for Aging to support eldercare services through the Older Americans Act ($143,148), Alliance for Human Services for Center-based socialization ($70,000), Special Transport ($48,000) and Early Intervention programs ($57,000), Florida Department of Health “Closing the Gap” program for immunization ($106,774), Health Foundation of South Florida for primary health care ($106,000), North Miami CDBG for local services to elders ($10,000) and Miami-Dade County CDBG for YSTEP services and youth-related activities ($25,000). The 2004-2005 Youth Council officers applied for a grant from the Generation US Foundation (managed by the Community Service Bureau, Miami Dade County Public Schools), and were awarded $350.00’s worth of supplies to support the Youth Council’s intergenerational and community service activities. The Youth Council also benefited from individual donations, ranging from $1.00 to $300.00, to enable young people to carry out various intergenerational, leadership training and community involvement activities. The generous donations received from Dr Patrawadee Duangjak (Ohio), Filipinas Magazine (California), the founders of NANAY, LBC Foundation (California), United Way (Miami-Dade and Broward), Wachovia Bank, and technical assistance funding from the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) are gratefully acknowledged, in addition to the numerous individuals and families from the local community who supported all of NANAY’s fundraising activities that were coordinated by the NANAY Advisory Board and the “Friends of NANAY”. Karen Balauat donated a sound system from the proceeds of a Benefit Concert that was held at the North Miami Beach Performing Arts Center on April 2, 2005, featuring John Balauat and Dada Dequito.
NANAY’s
operational activities are overseen by the Governing Board (Chairman
Sang
Whang and members
Ellen Rivera, Winnie Tang, Josephine Whang, Helen
Kranzel, Dennis Murasaki, Dr. Piyush Agrawal, Ric Garcia, Dr. Marion Faldas, Dr.
Antonio Wong, Karen Balauat, John Gaudiosi, Nida Winnett, Nida Recabo, the
late Einez Yap, ex-officio member
John Stokesberry, and newly
appointed members
Andrew Yap and
Debbie Lowe) and the NANAY Health
Board (Dr Tony Wong, Dr Marion Faldas, Mike McDearmaid, Karen Balauat, Nena
Forte, Bing Valde, Helen Kranzel, Franlie Bautista, Betty Moyer, Ted Ravelo,
Joey Fidel, Gigi Moneda, Evelyn Bruce, and
Rose
Jeanty). . Special
thanks to the NANAY Advisory Board members (Lila Lee, Joy Prachayasatierkul,
Loleng Villanueva, Tessie Santos, Sally Gozon, Nena Forte, Mike Upright, Rey
Lazaro, Sol Valencia, Bing Valde, Nini Balauat, and
Nieva
Cacayan) headed by
Franlie Bautista who took the initiative in
raising funds for the Community Center, and to our volunteers
Marvin
Weinstein and
Jhun Pascua from the
North Miami Police Department, Dr. Jerry
Ciocon, Dr. Ernesto Ramos, Bening Forneste,
Tony Abiera, Ernie Yu, Ronnie Flores, Malou
Ortega, NANAY continues to be proud and impressed by the active participation of its Youth Council Officers (Rashawd Tullock, Xuan-anh Vu, Kamille Layug, Gicel Estrada, Fernando Larin, Josue Vasquez, Mark Cuevas) and Youth Advisory Board (Jacquestephen Carrenard, Ace Castillo, Maria Fatima Cuevas, David Dial, Kimberly Dizon, Jonathan Lanzas, Luis Larralde, Glenda Layug, Rebecca Louisdor, Joshua Padilla, Richard P., Santas Rosario, R.J. Trinidad, Larraine Valientes and Lorielee Valientes). Still, NANAY’s executive officers and staff members, Bennie Trinidad, Evelyn Bruce, Mike Gozon, Dr. Rose del Rosario, Sony Trinidad, Dada Dequito, Natacha Francois, Joey Fidel, Ted Ravelo, M. Ludna Santos, Sashana Garnett, Paul Leach, Lance Lall, and Len Cocker are the true unsung heroes, whose hard work, dedication, team effort and commitment to service have made all things possible for our elders, our youth, and our community. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE A lot has been accomplished, but a lot more needs to be done in service to our community. Through a minigrant received from C-One (Center on Nonprofit Effectiveness), NANAY Board members, officers and staff were able to conduct a self-assessment survey of the organization as a prelude for a more extensive program directed at improving the organizational effectiveness of NANAY, particularly in regard to information technology, promotions and marketing, board development, fundraising, and self-sufficiency.
NANAY plans to maximize the use of its Health Center in providing affordable primary health care for the uninsured and low income families, by providing them with the option of joining NANAY’s Health Membership plan at minimal cost. NANAY also will actively pursue its plans to advance community development programs that empower, transform and improve the lives of low- and moderate-income minorities or disadvantaged individuals and communities; and to develop affordable housing, counseling, education and other supportive services for the community that it serves within the contiguous Counties of Miami-Dade and Broward, located within the State of Florida Our plan for the future constitutes a quantum leap in the positive impact that NANAY has on the lives of our elders and youth. And we hope that our community will support us in this endeavor. May God continue to guide us in all our undertakings
Sincerely,
July 13, 2005
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NANAY Inc. is supported by Florida Older Americans Act, Alliance for Aging for Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, Health Foundation of South Florida, State of Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Transportation, Miami-Dade Alliance for Human Services, Dept of Health and Human Services, Miami Dade County Department of Health, Miami-Dade County Office of Community and Economic Development, North Miami CDBG, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), National Asian Women's Health Organization (NAWHO) and United Way (Miami-Dade Reg. # 161126)
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direct support from banking institutions through CRA and New Markets Tax Credit
(NMTC). 
