A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO & BOARD PRESIDENT
SPRING 2020 - VIRTUAL GROUNDBREAKING
Hours of therapy provided by the Island Counseling Center.
Families supported by Head Start.
Chicken Alley Thrift Shop sales. All purchases at The Thrift Shop benefit MV Community Services.
Children supported via our Early Education and Care Center.
Adults with mental illness supported by Daybreak Clubhouse.
Invdividuals supported with off-Island travel via the Transportation Access Program.
Children touched by the MV Family Center.
Individuals in recovery supported by the Peer Recovery Support Center.
Clients impacted by the pandemic received emergency rental or mortgage assistance (March-June 2020).
Survivors of domestic or sexual violence accessed services via CONNECT to End Violence.
Seniors supported by Counseling Outreach and Referrals for the Elderly (CORE).
Dear Friends,
As Martha’s Vineyard Community Services approaches our 60th year providing Islanders with a broad range of programs and services, we reflect with a sense of pride and gratitude on an unprecedented chapter in our agency’s history. Our theme for the enclosed FY 2020 Annual Report, “Breaking Ground and Building Resilience,” reflects the strength and character of our fine organization and those who support it….board members, leaders and managers, service personnel, community partners, clients, and benefactors.
It took our collective “Island Family” to help us successfully navigate the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. With pride and thanks we can report that we were able to do so in a way that preserved and even strengthened Martha’s Vineyard Community Services and its mission. Who could have envisioned that a potentially deadly virus could transform the way we work, serve, and support one another? But that it did.
While we were compelled to innovate and find new ways to deliver services to children, adults, families and specialized populations - veterans of our armed forces, families making ends meet while supervising and supporting their children home from school, older adults at highest risk for COVID-19…and so many others…we never wavered in our ingenuity and commitment, and worked harder and smarter to sustain our high-quality services with little-to-no disruption.
At the writing of this report, our journey through COVID-19 continues. Presently, our focus centers on promoting safe, effective, and accessible services across our primary service divisions: behavioral health and substance use treatment; disability services; early childhood programs; domestic and sexual violence prevention and intervention; family services; and a diverse range of community-based programming. Our very own Chicken Alley continues to thrive and secure new ways to safely offer goods and services to Islanders in need.
All groundbreaking achievements…indeed.
Let’s not forget the actual “breaking of ground” on our main campus, as we ushered in the development of our state-of-the art, Early Education and Care Center in 2020. Despite all the hurdles, we are on pace to open in September 2021.
These amazing accomplishments occurred through the heroism of a committed and collaborative team of Board, staff, and community. On behalf of our great team, we thank you for your sustained support.
With warm regards and appreciation,
Beth Folcarelli, Ph.D. Michael Goldsmith
CEO, MV Community Services Board President
pc: Vineyard Gazette
