Dear Friends,
If I had to say in just one phrase what Family Support Hawaii (FSH) does, it would be that it changes lives for the better. FSH’s past 35 years of success in improving the lives of children and families serves as our foundation, together with our partners and beneficiaries, to build our future. Our commitment is to deliver quality services that result in measurable and verifiable positive change in the lives of those we serve. The articles in this newsletter will describe some of the positive impacts on the 1,900 lives that we reach each year.
As funding for social services is increasingly challenged with government cutbacks, we realize we must think differently about our service delivery to improve the return on social investment. I believe the future for our mission, to support families and communities in providing love and care for our children, will depend increasingly on private support. The public and private funders of today and tomorrow will be supporting value-producing organizations, and place more emphasis on social return on investment (SROI). Our stories of success in peoples’ lives must be accompanied by measurable and verifiable outcomes. I believe shared values and collective aspirations are the ties that bind the community with the effectively managed and high-performing non-profit organization. I believe Family Support Hawaii has entered its Second Stage of Growth with a culture focused on meaningful outcomes that will attract donors interested in impacting the lives of children and families in measurable ways. I intend for FSH to be the “one stop shop” for children and families in West Hawaii through our direct services or one of our many community partnerships.
The staff and I are very excited as we commit ourselves to our Second Stage of Growth producing meaningful and measurable outcomes that help children and families achieve the changes they aspire to and want. Please join us as we invest in our community’s future. I am convinced that the return on these social investments will improve all our lives.
With warm Aloha,
Ray Wofford, LMSW
Executive Director