8/22/2018 BOARD OF ASSESSORS Minutes

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VETEIIAIrl,18 Connecting veterans,families and the community since ]983 X 247 Stevens Street, Suite E • Hyannis, MA 02601 �> 011' _im-EAC31 508,778.1590 • Fax 508.778.1094 www.copeveterans.com 2. Your second question referred to the absence of regular staff presence and you asked about how much of the space is used on a regular basis by staff or volunteers and about our hours of operation. From fiscal '15 through fiscal '17, we provided holistic therapies to our clients using multiple rooms on the second and third floors of the Grace Building. These therapies were provided regularly on Wednesdays from 9-4. In addition to our contracted holistic providers, a staff member was also present to monitor the activities. During that time period, we served 52 veteran clients and provided 347 holistic therapy sessions. That program was financed by a grant from Cape Cod Healthcare. The program was interrupted due to the exhaustion of our funding and the fact that my position as Program-Director, the position which oversaw this program, was left unfilled until January, 2018. I had filled the vacancy in our Executive Director position and my former position went without a replacement. Due to some increased funding from the state, however, we were able to hire a Program Director in January, and she is writing grants to support the re-instatement of this program. She has already secured $5000 toward that end, and we plan to hold a Wellness Day to reintroduce this program in late September or early October. In addition to the holistic therapies, we have utilized the Building for multiple staff projects, and community symposia: • March, 2015: Luncheon and Briefing to Cape Cod Legislative Delegation • May, 2015: Staff Composition to VOA SSVF Grantees • August, 2015: Wellness Day to Introduce Holistic Therapies • January, 2016: Mental Health Symposium • October, 2016: Police Symposium with Police Departments on the Cape • April, 2017: Meeting of the Military, Veteran and Family Collaborative • December, 2017: Meeting of the Military, Veteran and Family Collaborative • January, 2018: Meeting of the Military, Veteran and Family Collaborative • May 22, 2018: Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center Board Meeting I site these examples to illustrate our past level of usage and to indicate the types of purposes for which we will continue to use the building with much greater frequency.in the future. Now that we have been able to fund our new Program Director, the use of both the auditorium facilities at Grace and the multiple side rooms which are perfect for symposia which include large and small group meetings will be utilized often, and our Holistic Therapies Program will be reinstituted between one and two days each week. In addition, our Treasurer will make his permanent office Serving Veterans of All Conflicts and Eras --