Hastings Family Service provides emergency and supportive services to residents of Independent School District 200. Our programs include:
Food Shelf
Provides groceries to people in need of emergency, short-term assistance. In addition to a five-seven day supply of groceries, persons receive a voucher to a local grocery store for perishables.
Meals on Wheels
In conjunction with Regina Medical Center, this program provides hot meals to the elderly and homebound on a daily basis by volunteers for a reasonable fee. Meals are tailored to individual nutritional needs as set forth by the client's doctor.
Emergency Assistance and Referrals
Grants for individuals and families in an emergency situation takes many forms. Resources to meet these needs come from HFS, Dakota County (ECA), the Federal Government (FEMA), and the Edina Realty Foundation.
• Larger grants include assistance with housing and utility related expenses, car related expenses, and prescriptions.
• Other smaller dollar amount vouchers are given for such items as dairy, baby food/formula, diapers, and gas
If HFS does not directly have resources to assist a client, we refer to a number of area agencies and programs that may be of assistance.
Clothes Closet
Makes available clean, seasonal, and carefully inspected used clothing and household items at no cost to those in need. Items are also available for sale at low cost to the public, as a source of revenue for the agency. The entire inventory is donated by community members.
Just Friends
Just Friends is a volunteer program working to maintain the dignity and enhance the quality of life for people in the Hastings community. Volunteers are dispatched to provide transportation, friendly visiting, and chore services.
School Assistance
Supplies available for children at all grade levels that need them. Some scholarship assistance is available for pre-school and other specialized classes.
Furniture Bank
Matches furniture requests with offers of donated furniture.
Travelers Aid
Assists with emergency needs of the transient and the homeless, in cooperation with the Salvation Army, Hastings police, Dakota County Sheriff's office, and the jail chaplain. Transportation to a homeless shelter or a night's stay in a motel room might be arranged.
Holiday Assistance
Provides food, clothing, gifts, and toys as our community's response to those in need at Christmas. HFS acts as a "clearing house" to organize many volunteer efforts by local businesses, churches, schools, and organizations. An Adopt-a-Family program is also available. Confidentiality is assured for both donors and recipients.
Why We Need a New Website
Our existing website is outdated and was designed in the nineties. We would like the opportunity to offer more interactive features like, contact us, sign up now, client testimonials, video clips, post volunteer and job applications, download client service forms, information and referral links and forms, blogs, e-news, and picture/graphics that better represent the agency we are today. It is out goal to do better outreach with all community members and a better designed website will help us be more appealing and accessible online.
When the judges choose which non-profits will be selected to participate in this year's F1 Challenge they will take into account testimonials from beneficiaries, donors, volunteers, board members and other
I have interned with and worked on a temporary basis with this organization. I have been truly impressed by their committment to the community they serve and they do such an awesome job with a very small staff pool and lots of volunteers. The could definitely benefit from winning this challenge. It would given them the chance to become advanced technology wise and it would definitely cut down some of the manual work load they currently do.
I have heard some of the vision from the Executive Director, and I truly believe that this award would be a very positive and needed step in that direction for this organization to continue to do and expand what it currently does for this community in Hastings, MN.
Danisa Farley/ Intern
I have been a volunteer for a number of organizations in the past 15 years and this mission and dedication of HFS to its clients is without peer. With a staff of 8, and an army of volunteers, they service hundreds of Hastings area people who would otherwise fall through the cracks for social service. There is neither funding nor time available to work on a website which is essential to community awareness of who we are and what services we can offer. The current website is not at all inviting, not easy to use and difficult to keep current.
Helping HFS would benefit not only the community members it services but also other non-profits in the city as HFS frequently works together with them and/or coordinates activities that might benefit the total community. For example, recently, HFS, the United Way and other local non-profits partnered together to provide a weekly bus service for seniors that provided service on a regular route. Also, again with the United Way, they sponsored a proactive seminar for the community regarding how to deal with racial issues. An attractive and user friendly website would get information out about these initiatives more quickly and widely.
An easier and more inviting website would also be better for our client's privacy as they might be able to do things like register for food shelf appointments without having to call to do so.
HFS' mission says that we service the Hastings area, which has been interpreted as the school district of Hastings. By necessity, because of our size and funding, that currently is restricted mostly to the city of Hastings or to people who can get to our door. A better website, would help us extend our outreach to the communities of Hampton, Welch area, New Trier and other small communities who are in the Hastings School district.
While Hastings' position in the metro area might be considered to be suburban, we are an independant small town. If we were chosen for this website challenge, the designers' names would be touted far and wide, (we have people who communte all over the metro area and who work in business large and small!). Help us become known for something other than for our "fracture-critical" bridge!
Karen J. Altpeter, volunteer and Board member HFS
I have been a volunteer for a number of organizations in the past 15 years and this mission and dedication of HFS to its clients is without peer. With a staff of 8, and an army of volunteers, they service hundreds of Hastings area people who would otherwise fall through the cracks for social service. There is neither funding nor time available to work on a website which is essential to community awareness of who we are and what services we can offer. The current website is not at all inviting, not easy to use and difficult to keep current.
Helping HFS would benefit not only the community members it services but also other non-profits in the city as HFS frequently works together with them and/or coordinates activities that might benefit the total community. For example, recently, HFS, the United Way and other local non-profits partnered together to provide a weekly bus service for seniors that provided service on a regular route. Also, again with the United Way, they sponsored a proactive seminar for the community regarding how to deal with racial issues. An attractive and user friendly website would get information out about these initiatives more quickly and widely.
An easier and more inviting website would also be better for our client's privacy as they might be able to do things like register for food shelf appointments without having to call to do so.
HFS' mission says that we service the Hastings area, which has been interpreted as the school district of Hastings. By necessity, because of our size and funding, that currently is restricted mostly to the city of Hastings or to people who can get to our door. A better website, would help us extend our outreach to the communities of Hampton, Welch area, New Trier and other small communities who are in the Hastings School district.
While Hastings' position in the metro area might be considered to be suburban, we are an independant small town. If we were chosen for this website challenge, the designers' names would be touted far and wide, (we have people who communte all over the metro area and who work in business large and small!). Help us become known for something other than for our "fracture-critical" bridge!
Karen J. Altpeter, volunteer and Board member HFS
Poverty may be the suburbs "least kept secret"!
Hastings has the duel identities of a historic river town with rural roots and a rapidly growing suburban community. Hastings Family Service (HFS) has earned an unquestioned position of trust built of their decades of neighbor to neighbor services.
As the fabric of our community changes and more families face challanges that will rely on volunteers contributions of time and talents, we all assume HFS will lead the way.
HFS strength is it's grassroots values. The communities changing demographic requires new approaches to strengthen the grassroots network. The ability to commit limited resoruces for development of communication stratagies is very very difficult.
Because HFS is unique in your roster of nominees, inclusion of Hastings Family Service in the work of Sierrabravo will provide for wonderful learning opportunities with value to many suburban communities around the Country.
Thank you for considering Hastings Family Services,
Richard Graham, volunteer and donor.
Poverty may be the suburbs "least kept secret"!
Hastings has the duel identities of a historic river town with rural roots and a rapidly growing suburban community. Hastings Family Service (HFS) has earned an unquestioned position of trust built of their decades of neighbor to neighbor services.
As the fabric of our community changes and more families face challanges that will rely on volunteers contributions of time and talents, we all assume HFS will lead the way.
HFS strength is it's grassroots values. The communities changing demographic requires new approaches to strengthen the grassroots network. The ability to commit limited resoruces for development of communication stratagies is very very difficult.
Because HFS is unique in your roster of nominees, inclusion of Hastings Family Service in the work of Sierrabravo will provide for wonderful learning opportunities with value to many suburban communities around the Country.
Thank you for considering Hastings Family Services,
Richard Graham, volunteer and donor.
HASTINGS FAMILY SERVICE IS THE EMERGENCY AGENCY SERVING HASTINGS AND THE SURROUNDING AREA. THE AREA IS UNIGUE BECAUSE WHILE IT IS NOW A SUBURB IT IS IN REALITY SMALL TOWN AMERICA WITH A RURAL BACKGROUND. POVERTY IN THESE TYPES OF AREAS IS WELL HIDDEN -- THE PRIDE OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND THE STIGMA OF ASKING FOR HELP IS REAL. SO WE GET MANY CLIENTS THAT COME IN ONLY AT THE LAST MOMENT AFTER HAVING GONE WITHOUT MEALS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THE NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE SKY ROCKETED IN THE PAST 5 YEARS -- FROM THE EMERGENCY FOOD SHELF, TO THE MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM, "JUST FRIENDS" WHERE VOLUNTEERS LEND A HELPING HAND TO THOSE SENIOR CITIZENS OR OTHERS IN NEED - WHETHER IT IS A RIDE TO A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT OR CHECKING ON THE WELL BEING OF SOMEONE LIVING ALONE. HASTING FAMILY SERVICE ALSO PROVIDES THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS MEALS TO ANYONE WHO SIGNS UP AND ALSO PROVIDES GIFTS FOR FAMILIES THAT ASK -- THE COMMUNITY HAS STEPPED UP TO ADOPT MANY OF THESE FAMILIES BUT ON IS TURNED AWAY. THIS LAST CHRISTMAS OVER 330 FAMILIES RECEIVED CHRISTMAS FOOD AND GIFTS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE GONE WITHOUT OTHERWISE. ALL OF THESE SERVICES ARE COORDINATED THROUGH A SMALL AND DEDICATED STAFF. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THERE IS VERY LITTLE TIME LEFT FOR OTHER THINGS LIKE TECHNOLOGY -- WE ARE FIRMLY ROOTED IN THE 1990'S. IN ORDER TO REACH THOSE IN NEED AND THOSE WHO CAN PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO HELP WE DESPERATELY NEED TO UP DATE OUR WEB SITE AND TECHNOLOGY IN GENERAL. ALL OF THE FUNDS THE ORGANIZATION GETS NOW GOES TO THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED.
I WOULD HOPE THAT HASTINGS FAMILY SERVICE IS LOOKED UPON FAVORABLY IN THIS GREAT GIFT THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO GIVE.
THANK YOU
Hastings Family Service
121 East Third Street
Hastings, MN 55033
Our Mission
For 38 years, Hastings Family Service (HFS) has been providing supportive and emergency services to residents of Independent School District 200. Last year 2800 different individuals were helped in the food shelf, with transportation, with mortgage or rental assistance, with holiday assistance, medical or dental grants, clothing, car repairs, or with Meals on Wheels. People often call HFS when there is nowhere else to turn.
Our philosophy has always been to recognize the dignity of the individual and to also remember that any one of us could be in need. Since its incorporation in 1970, HFS has sought to recognize and serve those in our midst whose needs may be hidden, including the working poor, those who are hungry, homeless, or unable to provide for basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, friendship, or transportation.
Hastings is a community where neighbors help neighbors and that is reflected in our mission: The people of Hastings reaching out as Family in support and Service to one another.
Hastings Family Service
