Annual Report
Dear Friends and Community Partners:
On behalf of our Board of Directors and our staff, I am pleased to share our 2020 Annual Report with you. Who could have imagined when 2020 began that we would still be addressing the COVID-19 pandemic well into 2021?
AVANZAR continued to provide programs and services throughout all of 2020 in accordance with guidance from the CDC, the state of New Jersey, our funders and our coalitions. We pivoted to new ways of doing things that kept our clients and our staff safe. We mastered virtual platforms for secure and safe counseling and program delivery. We also celebrated a milestone for our agency and opened our first-ever residential home for youth who have suffered severe trauma. A pandemic certainly does not stop the need for our services or our ability to provide them.
Since 1975, AVANZAR continues to evolve to meet and respond to the needs of our ever-changing society. We launched new Social Justice initiatives this past year and we look forward to growing this important area of our work. Our mission remains: to empower individuals and families by working to secure their physical safety, emotional well-being, individual freedom and economic equality. Diversity is indeed our strength and we pledge ourselves to creating and maintaining an environment that respects multiple traditions, heritages and experiences.
We are thankful for your support during this pandemic year and look forward to sharing all of our successes with you. For now, please enjoy our 2020 Annual Report. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and our website: avanzarnow.org. We look forward to many years of continued service to our community.
Sincerely,
Claudia Ratzlaff, CEO
India Still, Board President
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Diversity Statement

AVANZAR is committed to equitable and inclusive
treatment to our diverse community with a fully
integrated and educated staff. Diversity is our strength
and we celebrate it by helping individuals of all ages,
races, nationalities, religions, physical abilities, sexual
orientations and gender identities. We pledge ourselves
to creating and maintaining an environment that
respects multiple traditions, heritages and experiences.
Our goal is to eliminate discrimination in the workplace
by becoming change agents in the workplace and in the
community.
Some of our Dismantling Racism activities, services and
initiatives include:

Healing Broken Crowns

Domestic Violence Coalition for Communities of Color

Workplace, Organizational and Community Training

Dramatic Presentation: “THINGS I REMEMBER: A Conversation on Race in the U.S.”

Community Awareness Events
Annual Report
2020
PROGRAM STATISTICS

VIOLENCE INTERVENTION
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, DATING VIOLENCE AND STALKING

Nights of Shelter (3,150)

Hotline Calls Answered (7,664)

Legal Advocacy (747)

Community Education Participants (496)

FNE/SART* Calls (91)

DVRT ** Calls (276)

Total Crisis Responses (367)
Housing Assistance Program

Number of Referrals Received (26)

Number of Intakes Completed (25)

Number of Rental Assistance Approvals (13)

Number of Relocation Assistance Approvals (3)
STATEWIDE HUMAN TRAFFICKING PROGRAM


Engaged 140 survivors of Human Trafficking throughout New Jersey

Provided 46 crisis responses to survivors, 25% under the age of 18

Provided 204 nights of emergency or safe house shelter

Provided 1789 therapeutic counseling sessions to survivors of all forms of Human Trafficking

Referred 66 survivors for legal representation through volunteer lawyers across New Jersey
PEACE A LEARNED SOLUTION (PALS)

INTENSIVE THERAPEUTIC SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND NON-OFFENDING PARENT/ADULT(S)

New Families (8)

Children in Creative Art Therapy Groups (33)

Hours of Group Therapy (68)

Children in Individual Creative Art Therapy (34)

Hours of Individual Creative Art Therapy (595)

Parents/Individual Therapy (158)

Family Therapy Sessions (58)
DISPLACED HOMEMAKER AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY SERVICES


Job Placements (14)

Training Program Placements (6)

Job Readiness (70)

Trainings Held (31)

Clients Served (30)

Outreach Hours (115)
FATHERHOOD SERVICES


Father's Ending Abuse groups held (150)

New clients initiated into program (53)

Clients graduated from program (30)

Ongoing clients engaged (612)
GROW NJ KIDS-SOUTH REGION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER


Number of Centers enrolled (92)

Number of Family Child Care Providers (10)

Number of Program Site Visits (1,532)

Number of Webinars Provided (4)

Number of Participants (75)

Number of Rated Programs(Centers/FCC) (37)

Number of 3- Star Rated Programs (26)

Number of 4-Star Rated Programs (9)

Number of 5-Star Rated Programs (2)
FY 2020 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
TOTAL INCOME ..................$5,794,776
Government Grants ............$5,268,802
Corporate Grants ......................$144,281
Fundraising Events ....................$10,500
Annual Fund Donations .........$126,740
Donated Services .......................$180,571
Revenue for Services .................$16,409
Other ...............................................$47,473
PROGRAM EXPENSE ..............................$5,729,468
Violence Intervention Program .............$2,995,777
Displaced Homemaker Program ...............$261,418
GNJK Technical Assistance Center .......$2,122,220
Youth Stabilization Home............................$191,560
FR:EE Program ................................................$64,907
COVID-19...........................................................$93,586
General & Administrative ............................$613,591
TOTAL ASSETS ..........................................$1,857,213
Current .............................................................$912,4
20
Fixed ..................................................................$922,754
Other ...................................................................$22,039
TOTAL EXPENSES .............$5,729,468
Program Expenses .................$5,115,877
General & Administrative ......$613,591
TOTAL LIABILITIES ...............................$1,857,213
Current Liabilities ........................................$691,345
Long Term Liabilities ...................................$416,771
Unrestricted Net Assets ..............................,$704,167
Temporarily Restricted Net Assets ...........$44,930
AFFILIATIONS
♦ Atlantic County Board of Social Services
♦ Atlantic County Human Services Advisory Council
♦ Atlantic County Family Courts
♦ Atlantic County Office of Victim Witness
♦ Atlantic County Protective Services Coalition
♦ Atlantic County Youth Services Advisory Commission
♦ Displaced Homemakers Network of New Jersey
♦ National Association for the Education of Young Children
♦ New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence
♦ New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking
♦ New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault
♦ New Jersey Department of Community Affairs
♦ New Jersey Department of Human Services
♦ New Jersey Department of Health
♦ New Jersey Department of Education
♦ New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice
♦ New Jersey Commission on Human Trafficking
♦ New Jersey Human Trafficking Taskforce
♦ Stockton University
♦ South Jersey Legal Services
♦ United Way of Greater Phila. & So. New Jersey
♦ Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
Success Story:
A 37-year-old client visited AVANZAR for the first time two years ago. At that time, she was in complete despair; in physical and emotional pain, sadness and most of all, she had no hope. She disclosed that she didn’t like to wear earrings, and she did not even put color on her lips. After a few sessions, she stopped coming to counseling. There was a silence.
A little more than a year later, she initiated counseling again. She described how she tried (again) to keep her family together and give another opportunity to the relationship. She said the abuse increased so badly that he threatened to kill her, and she filed for a restraining order. The journey began again, one step at a time, one Domestic Violence counseling session at a time. She said, “I am rebuilding my life in a space named AVANZAR.”
Six months later, she came to a counseling session. This time she wore earrings and color on her lips. She told her counselor, “It’s the first time in my life, after 12 years of marriage, that I finally feel happy. This place called AVANZAR has helped me to feel happy again and to be where I am today.” She now lives in a new apartment with her two children. She says, “I have peace and my children are happy in their new home.” Transformation is a journey. It’s a journey that for this woman and her family began with a first step – a first step made at AVANZAR..”
CORPORATE DONORS


Atlantic City Electric

Charity League of Atlantic County

D'Arcy Johnson Day

D'Augustine Foundation

Episcopal Church Women (ECW) Christ Church

Foster Karney Trust Fund

Hard Rock Hotel Casino Atlantic City

Glenn Insurance

Hearts and Harleys

M&T Bank

Margate Mother's Association

Zion Lutheran Church

Ocean Heights Presbyterian Church

Philadelphia Foundation

Scrap Away Get Away

Seligsohn Foundation

United Way of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey
MAJOR FUNDERS


NJ Department of Human Services

Division of Family Development

NJ Department of Children & Families

Division on Women

NJ Department of Law & Public Safety

Division of Criminal Justice Office of Victim Witness Advocacy

Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office

County of Atlantic

Charity League of Atlantic County

United Way of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey