May 26, 2009

Dear PRC Families, Friends & Supporters,

As you are aware, the current economic downturn is impacting businesses and services across the country and our community. The Nonnie Hood Parent and Family Resource Center is not immune to these trying times. Our income is limited and it has become difficult to continue with flat and cut grant awards, combined with decreased revenue from donors. The PRC did not end 2008 on a positive financial note and in quarter one of 2009 our fundraising events and sales did not bring in what we had anticipated. As we seek to decrease our operating expenses, we have had to make some hard decisions. The purpose of this letter is to notify you of some of these plans. Difficult changes include the following: a decrease in hours of operation, a staff layoff, charging families, groups and organizations a small fee for Center visits, as well as a restructuring of the Friends of the PRC program. There may also be some positive changes to come but we wish to make sure appropriate steps have been taken prior to the announcement of those specifics.

Regarding our hours of operation, please stay tuned for more information. We would like to remind you that we will continue to be available for parent education and information 24/7 via our website (www.nonniehoodprc.org) and we will continue to offer some day, evening and Saturday hours, to impact as few families as possible while we face these financial challenges.

Regarding the staff layoff, it is with great sadness that we announce that Melissa will no longer be with us after Tuesday May 26th. We invite you to join us in a farewell show of appreciation for Melissa's tireless work with families. Throughout the month we will be collecting notes and cards for delivery to her. Please know that a decrease in staffing was implemented as purely an action of last resort after all other options were exhausted. To that end, we wish to assure you that the Nurturing Connections Supervised Visitation Program will continue into the future with minimal changes to the structure of the program.

The decision to begin charging visitors to the Center was deliberated considerably by the Board and staff. Specifics regarding this decision are still being developed, including the impact this will have on the Friends of the PRC program. The anticipated date for implementation of this plan is July 1. Please stay tuned for further details.

While we know that these changes are painful, they are necessary if we are to continue to stay open to the public and serve families we care deeply about. We remain steadfast in our resolve to meet our mission. Additionally, we would like to reassure you that the PRC has not over-spent any resources. To the contrary, we have cut back wherever we could. It is the sudden drop in grant funding and donations that has impacted our budget. It has created a hole that simply must be addressed. On a positive note, the number of visits to our center was over 26,000 in 2008, up 5,000 visits from the previous year, and the number of groups hosted, referrals given, knowledgeable staff, and quality of programming provided has never been stronger. While you can anticipate seeing more changes in the upcoming months, we encourage you to speak freely with us about ways and ideas you may have that will improve our current reality. We are always open to new ideas and genuinely need your support.

Please know that these steps are being taken to secure the financial health of the organization, not to hinder it. We have been asked, after all these cuts, why bother? It is because we are certain that this economic climate will not last forever and as we find a way to hold tight through this, we will come out the other side and go on to continue serving families in our community. It is, after all, about the mission and the families we serve. We are not giving up on our mission, we are not giving up on the families we serve, and we are not abandoning any of the support or programming the community has come to rely on the PRC for.

Thank you all for your understanding, patience and your dedication to the PRC. This is an unbelievably difficult time yet we are certain that if we forge ahead with honesty and fearlessness, we will make it through. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff of the PRC, we thank you for your support in this matter. While we completely understand that these changes may be inconvenient for your family, we are confident all will remember that the bigger picture is keeping our doors open. Together we will continue to build tomorrow's community by strengthening today's families.

Kimberly H. Townson
Executive Director

Heather Hanson
Board President