Helping People, Changing Lives
2019-2020 Annual Report
What we are all about
Helping People, Changing Lives
Our Mission
Combating Poverty & Its Adverse Effects
Westchester Community Opportunity Program, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit, multi-purpose social service company, proudly operating community programs combating poverty and its adverse effects in the Hudson Valley for over 55 years.
Our Mission is to mobilize and efficiently manage resources through partnerships and collaborations to help the low-income and at-risk populations achieve greater self-sufficiency.
WestCOP provides services to:
Hope for the Future
Changing lives - one life at a time
Our Vision
To be an agency that empowers individuals
to live and maintain a better quality of life.
During this challenging time, our goal for the immediate future is to continue providing HOPE and RESILIENCY to our community members, specifically our at-risk population -- and not leave one single individual behind.
Hope to get us through this unprecedented, uncertain, and precarious time; Hope to make our present situation more bearable; Hope for an outcome that makes everyone's life better in some way; Hope that our children have enough grit and resilience to come out better at the end of this pandemic; Hope that we will be a better, more united, and stronger community.
A Message from
WestCOP's Leadership
Donnnovan Beckford
CEO/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
We are incredibly thankful and fortunate to work with our extended family of generous supporters, both within WestCOP and in the community. Our success in helping people and changing lives could not be done without any of them.
Roland L. Grant, Sr.
BOARD CHAIRMAN
All of us are living in challenging and uncertain times, and although it is impossible to predict the continuing impact of COVID-19, WestCOP, and the Board of Directors, are deeply committed to keeping our community healthy, safe, and thriving. We are all here to effectively deploy critical resources to those in greatest need and support our efforts and those of other nonprofits on the frontlines.
You may not be fully aware that residents in Westchester County living with food insecurities have doubled since the onset of the Coronavirus, and the number of hungry children has increased by more than 40%. Homelessness and domestic violence have also significantly increased. Right now, more than ever, it is time for all of us to come together. The Board remains firm in its commitment and strongly motivated to raising and sourcing the necessary funds to support all of our efforts.
As the Board Chair, I promise that each member of the Board of Directors is working diligently with WestCOP staff, partners, and volunteers to ensure that our communities remain united, strong, and resilient.
We are working harder than ever by Helping People, Changing Lives,
Rinku Bhattacharya
CFO
In an unprecedented year, WestCOP rose to the challenge of supporting the increased needs of our community. We juggled managing our existing complex portfolio of grants and secured other sources of support to assist with the significantly increased needs in our service areas. We are grateful to have been able to assist our community through our network of locations and services. In the six months, at the height of the pandemic, we were able to bring in over $4M of direct support and several dollars’ worth of in-kind support to provide emergency food and essentials.
We added emergency support programs, opening the county’s only COVID shelter. We executed and managed additional food distributions, emergency housing assistance for Veteran’s and continued 24-7 counseling assistance for victims of domestic violence. In addition, we have secured technology tools and support for families to ensure that they can continue their learning in a safe online and supported environment. We have ramped up our financial capacity to handle the funding from the CARES act to ensure that we are able to effectively support the community through the pandemic.
We are on the FRONT LINES
A Tribute to WestCOP's Dedicated and Selfless Employees and Volunteers
A Most Challenging Time
Helping our Communities During the Pandemic
In March 2020 our world inexorably changed with the outbreak of COVID-19. The staff at WestCOP immediately rose to the challenge by addressing the heightened issues of school closures, food insecurities, rising unemployment, homelessness, and more. WestCOP's mission has always been to help the at-risk population and now, more than ever, that population needs our help.
One of the first issues WestCOP focused on was food insecurity. With the closures of schools came the end of free breakfasts and lunches for children of low-income families. That combined with the loss of income and escalating unemployment, families in our communities were no longer able to meet their basic food needs. In collaboration with Feeding Westchester, the National Guard, and other caring partners, our CAP programs and Head Start centers began a massive food distribution, which includes:
Local communities being served by WestCOP were also facing compounded problems, such as:
Working around the clock, our IT department set up remote workstations for the staff so that we have new/creative ways of reaching our clients. WestCOP is continually coming up with new solutions every day to help our client base and added the following to our list of 2020 Accomplishments:
Our staff continues to work selflessly and with a dedication to serving anyone and everyone in need for any reason.
We Are More Than One
We are a Team of Dedicated Workers
Leadership
Executive Management
Executive Board
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Tripartite Board
Policy Council
Working in partnership to provide the very best for our children
The Policy Council works with our Early Childhood programs and is comprised of parents and members of the community at large served by WestCOP. Each member is elected to serve on the Council.
The Policy Council partners with WestCOP management to develop the program’s philosophy and long- and short-range program goals and objectives. Meetings are held monthly and transportation, dinner, and babysitting are provided.
We are very grateful for their time, caring, and dedication to making our programs the best that they can be for our children.
Advisory Board
Providing Overall Guidance to WestCOP's CAP Programs
Each one of WestCOP's 10 Community Action Programs has its own Advisory Board. Each board is comprised of 12 members representing a cross-section of the community, including low-income residents, elected officials, and the general community.
The Advisory Board helps to identify the needs of the community, oversee strategic plans, recommend funding, and ensure that outcomes can be met.
They are diligent and hard-working volunteers helping to ensure that the at-risk populations in their community achieve greater self-sufficiency.
Volunteers
The Magic of Volunteers
Volunteerism is vital to the success of many of the WestCOP programs. Recognizing the skills they bring, compassion, and dedication are so important to our staff in reaching their goals. With more people needing services and more competition for available resources, volunteers have become a safety net as WestCOP works its way through these challenging and uncertain times.
We owe our deepest heartfelt thanks to every volunteer who gives us their time, energy, expertise, and willingness to help.
We can't do it without you!
of dedicated front-line essential and support staff, volunteers, and partners who work tirelessly to help our communities
through this challenging time.
Our Funders
Our Partners - a Partial List*
GROWTH & OUTCOMES
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
CARES ACT
Helping individuals and families overcome the hardships caused by COVID-19
CARES ACT SERVICES