This is NICA’s 43rd year of operation. Almost 1,000 volunteers give more than 30,000 hours of volunteer work each year. Food and clothing donations totaled more than 1.5 million dollars in 2011, and these were distributed and/or services provided to almost 43,000 clients. Of those clients coming to NICA for food, 65.1% came only one time during the year and 19.8% came twice for a total of 85% – families tell us that they only come when they really need help.
According to our most recent independent audit, NICA’s overhead was 4.2 percent in 2010. This means that for every dollar contributed, almost 96 percent goes towards goods and services. The agency expenses for 2011 totaled $399,754, but we served 42,720 clients (49 percent were children).
NICA values our work with other agencies. Attached to this application are letters of recommendation from three agencies showing collaboration. Below is a list of projects and programs describing our partnerships with agencies and organizations in Tarrant County.
Alzheimer’s Association
- Staff member from Alzheimer's Association holds monthly classes at NICA for Hispanic caregivers
Catholic Charities
- Staff member from Catholic Charities holds financial literacy classes for clients at NICA
Christmas in the Fort Worth Stockyards
- Organization collects food and toys for Christmas for NICA
Community Action Partners of Tarrant County (CAP)
- Work in partnership with CAP offices to pay clients' large utility bills
Community Link of Saginaw
- When excess of perishable food is received, share food with each other’s pantries
Cultural Arts of America
- Partner on literacy projects and grants to benefit Tarrant County residents
Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD)
- Circle of Winners students tutor in 3 after-school programs
- Local schools conduct food drives and collect toys for Christmas for NICA
Fort Worth Public Library, Northside Branch
- Circle of Winners students tutor children in library after school
Ladder Alliance
- Partner with Ladder Alliance to recruit clients for their programs
- Clients needing emergency food services from NICA more than 2 or 3 times may choose as one of their options in their contract to attend GED or other education classes at Ladder Alliance
Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County
- Partner with their Neighbor Helping Neighbor program to serve elderly with complex needs
Mental Health Association (MHA)
- MHA staff present mental health classes and education programs for NICA clients
Mental Health Mental Retardation of Tarrant County (MHMR)
- MHMR caseworkers bring their clients to NICA for services
Northside Coalition
- NICA's Executive Director founded the Northside Coalition in 2005 – the coalition provides networking opportunities for community leaders to come together each month – speakers from Tarrant County non-profits present information about their programs – the coalition maintains monthly contact with more than 170 representatives of organizations
Northside Community Center
- Circle of Winners students tutor children in their after-school program
Northside Neighborhood Association
- Association holds monthly meetings at NICA and collects donations for agency
Rotary Club of North Fort Worth
- Provides opportunities for Circle of Winners students to compete in scholarship program
- Provides work projects for NICA youth
Saint Thomas Catholic Church
- When excess of perishable food is received, share food with each other’s pantries
Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB)
- NICA is one of the eight original members of the food bank
- TAFB provides nutrition education classes for our clients
- NICA is one of seven sites for the food bank’s monthly Mobile Food Pantry
- We collaborate with the food bank on their community gardens
- NICA staff recruit clients for the food bank’s Community Kitchen
- SNAP (food stamp) representative from TAFB comes weekly to help NICA clients apply for food stamps
Tarrant County AgriLife
- Presents nutrition and health education classes at NICA
- Provides master gardeners to help with NICA garden projects
- NICA participated in Walking School Bus pilot project with AgriLife
Tarrant County Department of Human Services (TCDHS)
- NICA Executive Director serves on TCDHS steering committee
- TCDHS provides training for our staff to help elderly clients apply for assistance to pay their utility bills
Tarrant County Food Advisory Council
- Executive Director serves on Food Advisory Council to create more sustainable food systems
- NICA staff and interns developed Asset and Resource Assessment for food security and Strategic Framework plan for next 3 years
Tarrant County Juvenile Services (TCJS)
- NICA staff provides mentoring and volunteer opportunities for their at-risk youth
Tarrant Literacy Coalition (TLC)
- TLC provides GED, English as a Second Language (ESL), and literacy materials and trainings for NICA instructors and volunteers
Texas Christian University (TCU)
- NICA staff make presentations and participate in seminars on food security and poverty for several professors
- TCU provides service-learning students to teach ESL classes each semester
- TCU students built rain barrels for NICA clients who have a square-foot garden
- Working with TCU to get funding to repair a solar green house to get a jump start early in the season for growing plants for NICA's clients' gardens
Texas Re-Entry Services
- Clients needing emergency food services from NICA more than 2 or 3 times may choose as one of their options in their contract to attend programs at Texas Re-Entry Services
Texas Workforce – State of Texas Employment Services
- Workforce sends clients to NICA for computer classes
- Clients needing emergency food services from NICA more than 2 or 3 times may choose as one of their options in their contract to attend Workforce programs
Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County
- NICA staff partner with Union Gospel Mission to obtain furniture and appliances for clients
University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC)
- Provide training for NICA Promotoras who in turn train clients
University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
- Provides NICA with 6 to 8 student social work interns each semester
Weed and Seed of Fort Worth
- NICA staff help recruit youth for their summer programs