2023 R1 Annual Report

2023

Impact Report

click here to start your journey

Room One is a community voice, powerfully advocating for the health and well-being of ALL people living in the Methow Valley. In 2023, we were able to reflect back on our 25 years in community. We could see that since our founding, we have worked creatively through partnerships, programs, and resource sharing to ensure that everyone living here has the opportunity and resources to thrive. In this year’s Impact Report, you’ll find stats and stories about some of the creative work that’s taken place here this past year. We also know that not everyone receiving this Impact Report wants every piece of information it contains, which is why we’ve gone with a more “Choose your own adventure” route this year. If you’re interested in viewing the report this way, we invite you to hover your cursor over any element on the home page to reveal more details.If you’re drawn more to a typical report style, click on the arrows on either side of your screen to take a more traditional journey through our past year.

Welcome!

2023 Room One Staff, L to R:Back Row: Jess Russell, Erin Flahive, Carrie Port, Kelly Edwards, Kat Goering, Ronda Smeltzer, Shannon Russell, Lori Valentine, Maureen CollinsFront Row: Casey Peplow, Sarah Washam, Dea Luvon, Caitlin Cordell, Mallory Conner, Stephanie Foster, Rumi ValentineNot Pictured: Olivia Wareham

Our food access program experienced a ton of growth in 2023! This marked the second year of our partnership with the Methow Valley Farmers Market, and we received a grant from the Community Foundation that enabled us to hire a Farmers Market Ambassador. Our produce program expanded to include more fruit, protein (beef & salmon!), and culturally relevant foods. We also started a pilot community garden that has become a surprising place of belonging and autonomy for members of our community who don’t have a garden space where they live. All of these additions came as direct results of a community survey–we are constantly working to respond to needs that are elevated by the people most impacted.

FOOD ACCESS

people connected to emergency food

food access-related referrals

people connected to fresh produce

340

92

103

SNAP $ that went directly to local growers

$6304

Total Income = $ 1,136,497

Total Expense = $ 1,221,612

One effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was an economic shift. Personal economic hardships have worsened as what it takes to make ends meet has risen considerably. In response, there were many sources of funding that became available to individuals and organizations in an effort to build an equitable economic recovery. Beyond boosting funding in spaces that desperately needed it, things like different grant opportunities, the American Rescue Plan Act, and a huge increase of private foundation and individual gifts encouraged organizations to be ambitious and creative. We found ourselves realizing that there were projects and programs that we finally had resources for, that our long-held dreams of reaching more clients in new ways could be a reality. If you’ve been with us for a while, you’ll recognize in this Impact Report some of the areas in which we’ve been able to change and grow to continue to meet the needs of our community. As COVID-19 recovery funds come to an end and the availability of public funding continues to decrease, we want to ensure you know how valuable you are to us--whether this is the first you're hearing about us or if you've been with us since the beginning, we are so grateful for the opportunity to serve our community and it is only because of your support and ambassadorship that any of this is possible.

One effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was an economic shift. Personal economic hardships have worsened as what it takes to make ends meet has risen considerably. In response, there were many sources of funding that became available to individuals and organizations in an effort to build an equitable economic recovery. Beyond boosting funding in spaces that desperately needed it, things like different grant opportunities, the American Rescue Plan Act, and a huge increase of private foundation and individual gifts encouraged organizations to be ambitious and creative. We found ourselves realizing that there were projects and programs that we finally had resources for, that our long-held dreams of reaching more clients in new ways could be a reality. If you’ve been with us for a while, you’ll recognize in this Impact Report some of the areas in which we’ve been able to change and grow to continue to meet the needs of our community. As COVID-19 recovery funds come to an end and the availability of public funding continues to decrease, we want to ensure you know how valuable you are to us--whether this is the first you're hearing about us or if you've been with us since the beginning, we are so grateful for the opportunity to serve our community and it is only because of your support and ambassadorship that any of this is possible.

Total Income = $ 1,136,497

Total Expense = $ 1,221,612

Individual Contributions 22.9%

Foundation Gifts/Grants 43%

Public Grants 30.8%

Business Sponsorships 1.3%

Misc. Revenue 1.5%

Facility Rental 0.5%

Direct Services 58.7%

Youth Programs 16.6%

Engagement 8%

Administration 7%

Advocacy 6.6%

Fundraising 3.1%

In 2023, we launched our Peer Support program based on feedback from and collaboration with the community about what was needed in the realm of recovery support. After an initial 8-week pilot group, it became clear that there was a bigger need for ongoing connection. Because this group is for any person living with any type of destructive behavior or addiction, and because every person is welcome exactly as they are in any given moment, it lends itself to being a space that is, for some, the only true sense of belonging they regularly receive. The way that this program functions has been life-changing for its participants, particularly for those who don’t feel like they have anyone else who cares about them outside of how well their recovery seems to be going.

"The people in this group don't judge me or look down on me if I have to say that I did use. It helps me not want to let them down."

"The thing we all have in common is we want to be healthier people who actually like ourselves."

"I appreciate having somewhere to come where I feel wanted."

PEER SUPPORT

"I look forward to Mondays now. I have made new friends."

"Even if I have relapsed, I feel safe here."

boxes of Narcan (a life-saving overdose reversal medication) distributed

24

7

Average attendance for a Monday night group

14

People were connected with a treatment center or program

FAMILY SERVICES

With support from the Perigee Fund and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, we were able to connect families with support and resources that made a tremendous impact on their lives. Given how difficult it is to make ends meet, these additional funds allowed for purchasing additional gas cards, food cards, household items, and diapers. With flexible funding, we were also able to support activities that created more stability and joy for a struggling family such as recreation access and vouchers for local mental health providers. We know starting with basic needs is essential. Without stability, a family cannot move forward. Our programs show significant increases in parental resilience and stability indicators, setting them up well for a healthy future.

Mental health visits supported with vouchers

People connected to cash assistance

Baby Item room visits

170

484

59

hours of lobbying activities

70

bills tracked

Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and needs, meaning different groups of people need different resources and opportunities available to them in order to thrive.

ADVOCACY

26

While Room One has been involved in promoting equity in our rural area since we opened, 2023 is the year that we were able to formally launch an Advocacy Program thanks to a Systems, Power, and Action grant from the Inatian Foundation! Room One’s strength in advocacy for meaningful change has always come through community connections, coalitions, and capacity building. As we created the structures that would support this program, we built on our values and our organizational strengths; in short, we allowed our work to be driven by the people who it most impacts. We are building power within our community so that everyone–ourselves included–knows how to be their own best advocate for meaningful change. This year we invested in and strengthened existing partnerships and watched what other community organizations are doing. We looked to organizations who are led by working class people and people of color, we joined bigger conversations about housing and immigration rights, and we continued to learn how to best support Okanogan County in meaningful ways.

Blue Sky MindsClassroom in Bloom Coalition for Health ImprovementThe CoveFamily Health Center FYRE Jamie's Place Little Star School Methow At Home Methow Conservancy Methow Housing Trust Methow Pride Methow Valley Community Center Methow Valley Interpretive Center Methow Valley News Methow Valley School District NCW Libraries North Central Washington Community Foundation Okanogan County Community Action Council Okanogan County Housing Coalition Okanogan Housing Authority Palliative Care Network Rural People's Voice The Support Center Thriving Together Twisp Valley Grange TwispWorks WAISN WSCADV

Total # of people who walked through our doors

Different types of referrals made

Partner organizations we worked with

Uniquegroups offered

New Clients

Totalservices provided

Staff, board members, & volunteers

657

81

2048

For example: navigation of legal resources, emergency motel stays, suicide intervention, financial planning, fax assistance, etc.

43

31

7

30+

For example: utilities assistance, mental health services, legal systems, food access, etc.

We recognize that we live in an adult-centered world where youth don’t always get a say in what sort of information or resources are available to them. Room One works with two youth boards on a regular basis to remedy this: our Youth Advisory Board and the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) in partnership with FYRE in Omak. A major win this year was the publishing of a tangible resource guide, created by the YLC for their peers. The Teen Survival Guide, funded in part by the Department of Health, is meant to help bridge the informational gap in our rural county and make resources like this accessible to more young people. The Youth Advisory Board has also been instrumental in shaping the way we do programming–in 2023, they co-created a new Adulting 101 series. By asking for and listening to the perspectives of the incredible youth in our community, the reality that their voices matter is reinforced.

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Did you know our Okanogan Healthy Youth program has its own Annual Report? Click here for even more stats and data!

LATINO COMMUNITY SERVICES

Times that translation services were accessed :

6

Adquirimos un conjunto de equipos de interpretación de alta calidad para hacer que los eventos y las reuniones sean más inclusivos para todos en nuestra comunidad. Al poner este equipo a disposición nuestra y de otras organizaciones locales sin fines de lucro, aumentamos la accesibilidad a las reuniones comunitarias para las personas que no hablan inglés como primer idioma. Si alguna vez has tenido que navegar por un sistema complicado o tratar de entender lo que se dice en un foro público, imagina lo mucho más difícil que sería hacerlo en un idioma que aún estás aprendiendo. Además de trabajar hacia la accesibilidad, nuestro Equipo de Servicios Latinos dedica tiempo regularmente e intencionalmente a crear espacios donde se celebre la diversidad y donde las personas puedan conectarse entre sí sin miedo a ser juzgadas o a sentirse cohibidas. Dado el potencial de crecimiento de nuestro valle, es muy importante pensar en cómo promover el sentido de pertenencia y la inclusión para todas las personas en todos los espacios.

21

Women and kids involved in our monthly Mujeres group

We purchased a set of high quality interpretation equipment to make events and meetings more inclusive for everyone in our community. By making this equipment available for use by us and other local nonprofits, we increased community meeting accessibility for people who do not speak English as a first language. If you’ve ever had to navigate a complicated system or try to make sense of what’s being said in a public forum, imagine how much harder it would be to navigate in a language that you are still learning. In addition to working towards accessibility, our Latino Community Services Team spends time regularly and intentionally creating spaces where people can connect with each other without fear of judgment or self-consciousness. Given the growth potential of our valley, it is so important to think about how to promote belonging and inclusion for all people in all spaces.

Percentage of WA's immigrant and refugee population that is covered by the 2023 state healthcare budget

20

Room One is a community voice, powerfully advocating for the health and well-being of ALL people living in the Methow Valley. In 2023, we were able to reflect back on our 25 years in community. We could see that since our founding, we work creatively through partnerships, programs, and resource sharing to ensure that everyone living and working here has the opportunity and resources to thrive. In this year’s Impact Report, you’ll find stats and stories about some of the creative work that’s taken place here this past year. We also know that not everyone receiving this Impact Report wants every piece of information it contains, which is why we’ve gone with a more “Choose your own adventure” route this year. If you’re interested in viewing the report this way, we invite you to hover your cursor over any element to reveal more details.If you’re drawn more to a typical report style, click on the arrow at the bottom right of the first page to take a more traditional journey through our past year.

Welcome!

2023 Room One Staff, L to R:Back Row: Jess Russell, Erin Flahive, Carrie Port, Kelly Edwards, Kat Goering,Ronda Smeltzer, Shannon Russell, Lori Valentine, Maureen CollinsFront Row: Casey Peplow, Sarah Washam, Dea Luvon, Caitlin Cordell, Mallory Conner, Stephanie Foster, Rumi ValentineNot Pictured: Olivia Wareham

Want to make sure you’re catching everything? Click on this symbol: on any page to double check!

FAMILY SUPPORT

With support from the Perigee Fund and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, we were able to connect families with support and resources that made a tremendous impact on their lives. Given how difficult it is to make ends meet, these additional funds allowed for purchasing additional gas cards, food cards, household items, and diapers. With flexible funding, we were also able to support activities that created more stability and joy for a struggling family such as recreation access and vouchers for local mental health providers. We know starting with basic needs is essential. Without stability, a family cannot move forward. Our programs show significant increases in parental resilience and stability indicators, setting them up well for a healthy future.

Mental health visits supported with vouchers

People connected to cash assistance

Baby Item room visits

170

484

59

ADVOCACY

While Room One has been involved in promoting equity in our rural area since we opened, 2023 is the year that we were able to formally launch an Advocacy Program, thanks to a Systems, Power, and Action grant from the Inatai Foundation! Room One’s strength in advocacy for meaningful change has always come through community connections, coalitions, and capacity building. As we created the structures that would support this program, we built on our values and our organizational strengths; in short, we allowed our work to be driven by the people who it most impacts. We are building power within our community so that everyone–ourselves included–knows how to be their own best advocate for meaningful change. This year we invested in and strengthened existing partnerships and watched what other community organizations are doing. We looked to organizations who are led by working class people and people of color, we joined bigger conversations about housing and immigration rights, and we continued to learn how to best support Okanogan County in meaningful ways.

Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and needs, meaning different groups of people need different resources and opportunities available to them in order to thrive.

hours of lobbying activities

70

bills tracked

26

Blue Sky MindsClassroom in Bloom Coalition for Health ImprovementThe Cove Family Health Center FYRE Jamie's Place Little Star School Methow At Home Methow Conservancy Methow Housing Trust Methow Pride Methow Valley Community Center Methow Valley Interpretive Center Methow Valley News Methow Valley School District NCW Libraries North Central Washington Community Foundation Okanogan County Community Action Council Okanogan County Housing Coalition Okanogan Housing Authority Palliative Care Network Rural People's Voice The Support Center Thriving Together Twisp Valley Grange TwispWorks WAISN WSCADV

In 2023, we launched our Peer Support program based on feedback from and collaboration with the community about what was needed in the realm of recovery support. After an initial 8-week pilot group, it became clear that there was a bigger need for ongoing connection. Because this group is for any person living with any type of destructive behavior or addiction, and because every person is welcome exactly as they are in any given moment, it lends itself to being a space that is, for some, the only true sense of belonging they regularly receive. The way that this program functions has been life-changing for its participants, particularly for those who don’t feel like they have anyone else who cares about them outside of how well their recovery seems to be going.

"The people in this group don't judge me or look down on me if I have to say that I did use. It helps me not want to let them down."

"The thing we all have in common is we want to be healthier people who actually like ourselves."

"Even if I have relapsed, I feel safe here."

"I look forward to Mondays now. I have made new friends."

"I appreciate having somewhere to come where I feel wanted."

PEER SUPPORT

Average attendance for a Monday night group

7

People were connected with a treatment center or program

14

boxes of Narcan (a life-saving overdose reversal medication) distributed

24

LATINO COMMUNITY SERVICES

Percentage of WA's immigrant and refugee population that is covered by the 2023 state healthcare budget

20

21

Women and kids involved in our monthly Mujeres group

Times that translation services were accessed :

6

Hemos comprado un conjunto de equipos de interpretación de alta calidad para hacer que los eventos y las reuniones sean más inclusivos para todos en nuestra comunidad. Al poner este equipo a disposición nuestra y de otras organizaciones locales sin fines de lucro, hemos mejorado la accesibilidad a las reuniones comunitarias para las personas que no hablan inglés como primer idioma. Si alguna vez has tenido que navegar por un sistema complicado o tratar de entender lo que se dice en un foro público, imagina lo mucho más difícil que sería hacerlo en un idioma que aún estás aprendiendo. A nivel individual, Room One cuenta con dos miembros del personal bilingües y acceso a un servicio de interpretación/traducción que nos permite comunicarnos directamente con cualquier cliente, independientemente de la diferencia de idioma. Además de trabajar hacia la accesibilidad, nuestro Equipo de Servicios a la Comunidad Latina dedica tiempo de manera regular e intencional a crear espacios donde se celebre la diversidad y donde las personas puedan conectarse entre sí sin miedo al juicio o la autoconciencia. Dado el potencial de crecimiento de nuestro valle, es crucial pensar en cómo promover el sentido de pertenencia y la inclusión para todas las personas en todos los espacios.

We purchased a set of high quality interpretation equipment to make events and meetings more inclusive for everyone in our community. By making this equipment available for use by us and other local nonprofits, we increased community meeting accessibility for people who do not speak English as a first language. If you’ve ever had to navigate a complicated system or try to make sense of what’s being said in a public forum, imagine how much harder it would be to navigate in a language that you are still learning. On a more individual level, Room One has two bilingual staff members and access to an interpretation/translation service that enables us to speak directly with any client, regardless of a language difference. In addition to working towards accessibility, our Latino Community Services Team spends time regularly and intentionally creating spaces where people can connect with each other without fear of judgment or self-consciousness. Given the growth potential of our valley, it is so important to think about how to promote belonging and inclusion for all people in all spaces.

We recognize that we live in an adult-centered world where youth don’t always get a say in what sort of information or resources are available to them. Room One works with two youth boards on a regular basis to remedy this: our Youth Advisory Board and the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) in partnership with FYRE in Omak. A major win this year was the publishing of a tangible resource guide, created by the YLC for their peers. The Teen Survival Guide, funded in part by the Department of Health, is meant to help bridge the informational gap in our rural county and make resources like this accessible to more young people. The Youth Advisory Board has also been instrumental in shaping the way we do programming–in 2023, they co-created a new Adulting 101 series. By asking for and listening to the perspectives of the incredible youth in our community, the reality that their voices matter is reinforced.

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Did you know our Okanogan Healthy Youth program has its own Annual Report? Click here for even more stats and data!

One effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was an economic shift. Personal economic hardships have worsened as what it takes to make ends meet has risen considerably. In response, there were many sources of funding that became available to individuals and organizations in an effort to build an equitable economic recovery. Beyond boosting funding in spaces that desperately needed it, things like different grant opportunities, the American Rescue Plan Act, and a huge increase of private foundation and individual gifts encouraged organizations to be ambitious and creative. We found ourselves realizing that there were projects and programs that we finally had resources for, that our long-held dreams of reaching more clients in new ways could be a reality. If you’ve been with us for a while, you’ll recognize in this Impact Report some of the areas in which we’ve been able to change and grow to continue to meet the needs of our community. As COVID-19 recovery funds come to an end and the availability of public funding continues to decrease, we want to ensure you know how valuable you are to us--whether this is the first you're hearing about us or if you've been with us since the beginning, we are so grateful for the opportunity to serve our community and it is only because of your support and ambassadorship that any of this is possible.

Total Income = $ 1,136,497

Total Expense = $ 1,221,612

Individual Contributions 22.9%

Foundation Gifts/Grants 43%

Public Grants 30.8%

Business Sponsorships 1.3%

Misc. Revenue 1.5%

Facility Rental 0.5%

Administration 7%

Advocacy 6.6%

Fundraising 3.1%

Direct Services 58.7%

Youth Programs 16.6%

Engagement 8%

BUILDING STORY

With an incredible infrastructure grant from a private foundation, we were able to envision a new Room One campus. After talking with clients, longtime volunteers, and community partners, we knew that key needs for the new building were: homey, welcoming, and accessible. We joyfully celebrated the new space with community during our 25th Anniversary Block Party in October and in November, our client services were able to move in!

Our food access program experienced a ton of growth in 2023! This marked the second year of our partnership with the Methow Valley Farmers Market, and we received a grant from the Community Foundation that enabled us to hire a Farmers Market Ambassador. Our produce program expanded to include more fruit, protein (beef & salmon!), and culturally relevant foods. We also started a pilot community garden that has become a surprising place of belonging and autonomy for members of our community who don’t have a garden space where they live. All of these additions came as direct results of a community survey–we are constantly working to respond to needs that are elevated by the people most impacted.

FOOD ACCESS

103

6304

92

103

340

people connected to fresh produce

people connected to emergency food

food access-related referrals

SNAP $ that went directly to local growers

Total # of people who walked through our doors

Different types of referrals made

Partner organizations we worked with

Uniquegroups offered

New Clients

Totalservices provided

Staff, board members, & volunteers

657

81

2048

For example: navigation of legal resources, emergency motel stays, suicide intervention, financial planning, fax assistance, etc.

43

31

7

30+

For example: utilities assistance, mental health services, legal systems, food access, etc.