May Dugan outlines challenges and recommits to mission at annual meeting
by Frank Barnett

(Plain Press, May 2010) “When I started in November of 2008, that was during the election and I kind of felt like President Obama. He inherited a lot more problems than I did, but May Dugan had a lot of issues as well,” said May Dugan Executive Director Rick Kemm to those gathered at the organizations annual meeting on April 20th.

Dr. Julie Rehm, board president, called the meeting to order, expressing a determined spirit to serve the community despite the challenges. A crack staff and board have kept the wheels turning. She said their biggest new initiatives in the coming year, pending the completion of fund raising, are an Education and Resource Center that will allow people to earn their GED, and a preventative health care program. Nearby Thomas F. McCafferty Health Center has agreed to provide nursing students to give blood pressure screenings at May Dugan. As they celebrate their 40th anniversary, Rehm said they decided to refresh their marketing and communications strategy with a new logo and website, and replacing other dated materials.

Board treasurer Jared Maloof further outlined how the plusses have outweighed the minuses this past year. Maloof credited Kemm and his team for scaling back expenses, as government grants, their biggest funding source, have been scaled back. He seemed most pleased with the Cleveland Foundation grant allowing them to hire a Director of Finance, Vicky Vine, instead of the outsourcing they had to do. Kemm later reiterated his concern when he found out how overwhelming the task he had taken on when he started. He said a revamped finance department was his biggest need when they went for the grant.

Councilman Joe Cimperman spoke for a few minutes, holding his baby daughter Mave, whom he called his Chief of Staff. While the City of Cleveland had been thanked by the treasurer for providing them a home (renting the city-owned building at 4115 Bridge Avenue for just one dollar a year), Cimperman thanked the staff and supporters “for giving so many people in the city a feeling of home.” He said that included himself because, growing up in the Cleveland in the 1970s, his family struggled financially as his mother suffered a severe bi-polar disorder. Places like May Dugan Center kept them from going under all together.

One of the two new board members was there to be sworn in by Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Kathleen Ann Keough. And Kemm wrapped up the proceedings recognizing four volunteers for their service.

“This has been an anchor in this community for so many years,” said Kemm, “and it’s going to remain an anchor because people know where to come for help.”

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