Executive Update: 2018 Top Ten

Hello, friend of Wedgwood,

Following is a brief, bulleted TOP 10 report for 2018 at Wedgwood. Our hope is that you will be pleased to know that your investment in the lives of children and families has been put to good use.

1. Did you know that Wedgwood maintains a network of young professionals on its NextGen Board? There are close to 40 rising professionals that currently serve or are alumni of this board. They visit with our residents, promote the agency, volunteer, and educate/prepare themselves for future non-profit board assignments. These are our community’s future leaders!

2. In June of 2018, we celebrated the high school graduation of NINE Wedgwood residents. This is the highest number of annual graduates ever and it eclipses the TOTAL number of graduates between 1980 and 2015. Additionally, Lighthouse Academy and Hope Academy of West Michigan graduated 50 community students this past year.

3. The new tax laws caused alarm among many non-profits, since previous limits on deductions were significantly reduced. Our giving has been very strong and we fully expect to meet or exceed our annual goal. Confidence is high and once again God is good!

4. Wedgwood’s adolescent and young adult Substance Use Disorder services continue to expand. I am continuously amazed by the creativity, resilience, and adaptability of our clinical leaders. We now have well over 50 employees dedicated to substance use treatment. I am proud of Wedgwood’s bold response to this serious epidemic.

5. We tried a new venue for our annual celebration dinner in 2018. We met at Frederik Meijer Garden and a sit-down dinner was replaced by a progressive, strolling dinner with information stations highlighting the work done at Wedgwood. There was much more time for conversing and networking. Attendance was strong, and interest and support were affirmed. The highlight of the evening was hearing from two successful young men who graduated from Wedgwood’s residential program 15 years ago.

6. We have successfully completed the termination of a 40-year-old defined benefit plan which has been frozen for 12 years. This will relieve our annual debt load by over $400,000 and will give us much more financial stability and strength for the future.

7. We are happy to report that the silent phase of Wedgwood’s FAITH IN OUR FUTURE Capital Campaign has been well received. We are over halfway to our 6.5 million dollar goal and will be launching the public phase of the campaign in spring. If you have not heard the specifics yet, you soon will!

8. On a challenging note, we have been hit hard with the labor market realities of a healthy West Michigan economy. We have experienced turnover and serious challenges in recruiting staff. We have significantly raised our pay scales, but do not have the capacity to raise our contracted “prices,” so costs go up while revenue remains flat. We are focusing on morale, cost-efficiency, creativity, and faith.

9. We continue to be encouraged by our community’s response to increasing awareness of human trafficking. Wedgwood’s Manasseh Project, begun in 2012, continues to bear much fruit! Outreach efforts by Wedgwood speakers and curriculum have reached close to 40,000 listeners, legislators, and correctional system professionals across the state, and even the country. Our three video productions are used educationally nation-wide. All of these efforts have transformed countless lives and prevented the destruction of countless others.

10. While federal and state policy authorities work to reduce the utilization of residential and institutional services, demand for Wedgwood’s services remains strong. There may be fewer referrals to select from, but the magnitude of need is much greater. Because we believe that each child is nothing less than an image-bearer of God, we continue our commitment to the least and the lost.

Wedgwood Christian Services once again renews its commitment to provide Distinctively Christian and Professionally Excellent services to children, teens, and families. Our staff and board view this as a mission and not a job. It is a privilege to deliver that message, not in a coercive or forceful way, but rather in a most compelling, compassionate, and irresistible way.

I hope you find this update encouraging. All of us at Wedgwood thank you for your partnership and we wish you a most blessed new year!

With profound thanks,

Randy Zylstra, CEO/President