Community & Senior Programs VISTA

TITLE:  Community & Senior Programs VISTA

SPONSORING ORGANIZATION:  The Sanneh Foundation (TSF)

GOAL STATEMENT: The Sanneh Foundation (TSF) is a 501(c)(3) serving the various needs of Minnesota's low-income youth and their families. The Community & Senior Programs VISTA will build the capacity of TSF by evaluating, improving, and documenting sustainable outreach strategies and workflows for two key areas: the expansion of the Senior Program at the Conway Community Center and the development of sustainable community engagement and data tracking processes for the newly constructed Conway food shelf. By establishing these systems, the VISTA will help TSF increase its efficiency in serving low-income seniors and families, ensuring long-term community support and organizational stability.

Objective 1: Develop an in-depth understanding of TSF’s mission, the specific needs of the senior population near the Conway Center, and the operational goals for the new food shelf.

• Step 1: Participate in the TSF on-site orientation, including history, mission, core values, and department introductions

• Step 2: Meet with the Conway Director to identify capacity gaps in the current Senior Program and initial needs for the food shelf expansion

• Step 3: Review historic outreach materials and "sustainability materials" from previous VISTAs to understand past community engagement successes and challenges

• Step 4: Identify three professional development resources related to aging-in-place, nutritional service logistics, or community organizing

Objective 2: Strengthen the programmatic and outreach infrastructure to support the growth and sustainability of the Senior Program, focusing on reducing social isolation and increasing participation in health-focused activities.

• Step 1: Develop a comprehensive community outreach plan specifically designed to increase enrollment in the program.

• Step 2: Foster long-term relationships with local organizations, community leaders, and neighborhood stakeholders to ensure ongoing support for senior programming.

• Step 3: Coordinate new senior programs and support the implementation of current programs in a way that aligns with the programmatic standard operating procedures at the Conway Community Center.

• Step 4: Be a key point of contact for marketing and communications related to the Senior Program. 

Objective 3: Develop sustainable processes for community engagement and ensure accurate data tracking systems are in place for the new Conway food shelf

• Step 1: Work with the Nutrition Director to create an on-site intake log for clients using the new food shelf

• Step 2: Make a comprehensive list of local groups, churches, schools, grocery stores, and neighborhood associations. Reach out to one leader from each to introduce the food shelf

• Step 3: Design and implement a sustainable workflow for community engagement at the new food shelf, ensuring local families are aware of the resources and how to access them

• Step 4: Establish a feedback loop by creating and administering community surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of food shelf services and identify areas for improvement.

• Step 5: Finish thorough documentation of all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding senior program outreach and food shelf data tracking