HELPING AT RISK KIDS, INC.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our 250 Guardians are all volunteers representing the roughly 400 children that are in the protective care of Buncombe County Social Services. While Social Services provides some funding for children in Foster Care it barely covers basic needs. When a child is transferred to a relative for Kinship Care there are no funds available to the caregiver. For these unfortunate children, most of whom exist below the Poverty Level, it is extremely difficult to survive much less lead any sort of normal childhood.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Children's Assistance Fund
HARK, Helping at Risk Kids, maintains a fund supported by donations and grants to help meet the critical needs of children in the Buncombe County Juvenile Court system and beyond which are above a child’s ongoing basic requirements of food and clothing.
Examples of such needs are: school trips, extra-curricular activities, sport shoes, gymnastics lessons, prom gowns, books and art supplies. We are also able to support sending children to summer camps which is a rewarding experience both in terms of being a kid and also in learning life skills.
Distributions from this fund are made at the request of a social worker, often in conjunction with a volunteer GAL, and other child serving agencies.
Where we work
External reviews
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Association raises fund to help pay for the needs of the abused and neglected children that end up in the system. In many cases the children have ill-fitting clothes, no lunch money and are dependent on a relative for survival without aid from social services. We can help provide basic needs in the worst cases and some value in more stable environments. We send these children to summer camp, soccer and baseball camp for example. We help pay for the children to participate in class trips. Our goal here is to try to add some stability and personal growth opportunities to lives of very unfortunate children in Buncombe County.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We raise funds through Grants, Member Donations, Events and personal efforts to get our message out and understood. The Board receives requests each week fro our volunteer Guardians who are representing the abused and neglected children in Social Services. The Board evaluates each and every request and authorized a payment to the legal guardian of the child.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our Volunteer Board of Directors was set up and continues to operate for the benefit of the abused and neglected children in Social Services in Buncombe County. Working with our Volunteer Guardians we are extremely efficient in identifying the needs of the children and using our funds to help these children reach some kind of "normal" life.
Additionally, we have "Community Partners" that assist the children by providing camp supplies and equipment, winter hiking clothing, vouchers for furniture for the children who are "aging out" of the system and must become independent, moving services for those soon-to-be independent adults.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
For 2019 so far this year we have accomplished the following:
18 children attended YMCA Camp Watia for a full week (over 50 attended since the camp opened in 2016)
40 children attended a variety of local day camps
64 school supply cards were distributed (these are $50 Walmart Cards)
Over 100 Child Assistance Fund payments were made for a variety of individual needs
3 individual teenagers were sponsored to the Councilor in Training program of the YMCA
For 2020 we expect to do as much as we did in 2019 and add the following initiatives:
Fund six Councilor in Training slots
Expand After-School program enrollment
Provide additional funding to assist the young adults "aging out" of the system
Expand our "Community Partners" Network
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
HELPING AT RISK KIDS, INC.
Board of directorsas of 10/27/2022
Sue Calhoun
Helping at Risk Kids, Inc
Term: 2021 - 2022
Sue Calhoun
Jacqueline Miller
Bill Boughton
Cindi Ackrill
Nick Peters
John Paul
Cindy Donahue
Carole King
Candy Mance
Cindy McGrayne
Doug Keene
Sally Keene
Kelsey Trevethan
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
No data
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data