Desert Mission 2007 Annual Report:
Opening Doors to All the Possibilities
Letter from the Vice President
When Elizabeth Beatty and Marguerite Colley collaborated to provide needed health care and social services to the indigent sick in Sunnyslope, I wonder if they gave any thought to the notion that, 80 years later, their legacy would be the inspiration for an $8 million not-for-profit with 88 employees and 1,651 volunteers carrying on the tradition of their charity.
We are committed to continuing their work because we know families struggle to overcome social and economic factors that stand between them and overall health every day. It is important to us that individual dignity is preserved when families access our resources. We leverage resources through partnerships, to avoid duplication of efforts as we work to move our families toward self-sufficiency and the fullest gift of health.
I’m encouraged by the number of lives we’ve been able to touch. In 2007, the Desert Mission provided a comprehensive safety net of integrated social services to more than 12,000 families. We addressed the needs of more than 27,000 people from 71 zip codes. Eleven percent were new to the Desert Mission and 46 percent were children.
I continue to be inspired by the perseverance of our families and by the generosity and compassion of our employees, volunteers (whose 29,188 hours of service are equivalent to adding 14 full-time employees), board members and donors who work together to support them as they seek to prevail over difficult circumstances.
As the economy continues to change, so will their needs. As we have done for 80 years, the Desert Mission will remain attentive, to recognize any shift. We are steadfast in our commitment to make sure today’s families have what they need to achieve their fullest potential.
Thank you for your support,
Cindy Hallman
Vice President, Desert Mission and Community Services
John C. Lincoln Health Network