Headline: Risk Taking Pays Off
Subheadline: Celebrating 20 Years of the Life Skills Campus
The great Mark Twain once said, “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”
Mr. Twain could have easily been describing Alphapointe’s situation 20 years ago. Times were changing. The “old way” of doing things would eventually be unsustainable. Fortunately, the leadership and foresight of the organization made in a monumental decision – one that continues to pay dividends for Alphapointe today.
In 2022, Alphapointe celebrated the 20-year anniversary of the establishment of our innovative Life Skills Campus. The decision to move from a facility that had been our home for 65 years to this new, large and modern facility designed specifically for our workforce and its needs was transformative.
In 2002, Alphapointe employed 119 people who were blind or visually impaired – now, we employ nearly 200. Back then, we had 190 total employees – now, we employ nearly 400. Back then, almost every employee worked in our Kansas City facility. Today, Alphapointe’s workforce is located across the country. Back then, we provided low vision services to 318 people (all seniors) – now, we’re providing life-changing services to nearly 4,000 people of all ages every year. Back then, all of the clients we served lived in the greater Kansas City metro area. Today, our reach extends nationally and sometimes beyond. Back then, nearly all our revenue was generated through federal contracts – now, nearly one-third of our income stems from non-federal sources, including many commercial customers. And the giving community has been very generous, magnifying our impact.
During these past 20 years, Alphapointe as transitioned from a non-profit exclusively serving the local community to an internationally renowned organization that makes lives better for people around the world. We have become a thought leader in our field.
We continue to heed Mark Twain’s advice. We continue to drive forward, taking risks and innovating. During the last 20 years, we’ve taken “big swings.” Not all of them have been successful, but that is the nature of risk taking. By doing so, we know we can make a difference in the lives of more people who are blind or visually impaired. We strive to innovate, to create more job opportunities and career paths for people who are blind, to reduce the 70% unemployment rate that exists for people who are blind across the nation. We strive to improve services for people who are experiencing vision loss, helping them achieve their goals and aspirations, maintain their independence and age with dignity.
Thank you for supporting our efforts and helping us in ways great and small. If the past is any indication – and it is – I know that more greatness lies in Alphapointe’s future. I hope you continue to stay on board because it’s going to be an amazing journey.
Sincerely,
Reinhard Mabry
President and CEO
Financials (headline type of treatment)
Percent of Total Revenue
Manufacturing, Kansas City 41.4%
Manufacturing, Queens 24.3%
Base Supply Stores 14.0%
Contracted Services 6.6%
Other Income 6.5%
eCommerce 2.3%
Rehabilitation & Education 2.2%
Investments/Trust 2.1%
Fundraising/Events 4.8%
Total Revenue by Category
Manufacturing, Kansas City $25,901,364
Manufacturing, Queens $15,210,341
Base Supply Stores $8,779,077
Contracted Services $4,148,585
Other Income $4,066,438
eCommerce $1,439,555
Rehabilitation & Education $1,389,923
Investments/Trust -$1,329,183
Fundraising/Events $3,031,449
Instructions: if it’s possible to create this page as somewhat of an infographic to maintain the theme throughout, that would be great. I’ve placed an image related to each section in the folder in case that makes sense to incorporate somehow. I didn’t provide captions with the thinking that the images could be next to the corresponding paragraphs (but, if that doesn’t materialize, I can provide captions).
Headline: Highlights
Subhead: 2022 Year-in-Review
Dignitary Visits
Alphapointe’s facilities in both Kansas City and Queens received scores of visits from dignitaries and elected officials who were keen to learn more about how the organization positively affects the lives of people with low vision. Among those who toured: New York City Councilmember Joann Ariola, Missouri U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, New York Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, New York State Senator Jessica Ramos, Missouri Attorney General (now Missouri U.S. Senator) Eric Schmitt, New York City Councilmember Lynn Schulman, Missouri State Senator Barbara Washington, New York City Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom and many more.
Another Patent
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved Alphapointe’s patent for the Junctional Hemorrhage Control Plate, which works in tandem with another Alphapointe patented device (Tactical Mechanical Tourniquet) to stop blood loss in areas where tourniquets can’t be applied. Alphapointe now holds eight patents/patent-pending statuses for its devices and has cumulatively distributed more than 1 million tactical medical devices
Braille Students Excel
Four students who study with Alphapointe staff placed among the top three at the annual Braille Challenge national competition in Los Angeles. Salome Cummins won the national title in her division (grades 5-6), while Charlie Bethay (grades 10-12) and Brooke Petro (grades 7-9) finished as runners-up with Emrie Wisner capturing third place (grades 3-4).
Awards Bestowed
Alphapointe and team members were honored in a host of fashions during the year. Ingram’s proclaimed the organization as one of the “Best Companies to Work For” in its annual list. For its donation to the Ukraine relief effort, the U.S. Exercise Tiger Foundation honored Alphapointe with its Distinguished Corporation Award, while team members Reinhard Mabry, Carroll Foreman, Maria Sanchez, Irshaud Sears and Sharon Smith each received the Civilian Commendation Medal with veterans Christopher Kosiorek and Ryan Williams receiving the Medal of Combat Valor and the American Warrior Achievement Medal. Nonprofit Connect honored Alphapointe and Rightfully Sewn with the “Stronger Together” award for the collaborative efforts between the organizations. Gina Gowin was named a “Women Who Mean Business” honoree by the Kansas City Business Journal, while Tracy Martin was named a “Top 50 Women in ERP to Follow” by SourceDay. Additionally, Board Chair Danny Davies earned recognition as a “Local Hero” by Ingram’s for his amazing work with Alphapointe and in the community.
Ukraine Donation
Working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, Alphapointe donated nearly 5,000 medial-related items to the Ukraine relief effort, including 2,000 life-saving Tactical Mechanical Tourniquets.
New Series Launched
Seeking to create the first online series dedicated to interviewing changemakers within the blindness community, Alphapointe launched the “Foresight” series. Gov. David Paterson was featured in the first episode, which was viewed more than 2,000 times for a total of more than 25,000 minutes of watch time by viewers in 10 different countries and more than 25 U.S. states. In conjunction with the program launch, Alphapointe partnered with Kansas City Public Library for a program featuring a panel discussion about the importance of accessibility.
Raising the Bar – Alphapointe Foundation
The Alphapointe Foundation was created in 2011 with the sole purpose of supporting the programs and services provided at Alphapointe to people with vision loss. Since the creation of the Foundation, millions of philanthropic dollars have been invested in Alphapointe’s mission, changing the lives of thousands of adults, children and senior citizens in our community. In 2022, the Foundation embarked on an ambitious plan to grow Alphapointe’s reach into new markets. Through innovative programming and the addition of new, highly qualified rehabilitation team members, Alphapointe’s comprehensive rehabilitation program empowered nearly 4,000 people to realize their goals of living independently. Thanks in part to the Lavelle Foundation and the New York Community Trust, the ribbon was cut on a new Independent Living training center at the Alphapointe Queens location, featuring a fully-equipped kitchen and a 10-seat technology instruction center. This new component will be a game-changer, increasing capacity to serve people with vision loss across the board. In 2022, generous contributions from corporate partners including Bank Midwest, CH Robinson and the Delta Gamma Alumnae became the foundation for three summer camps, culinary and athletic programs and free community classes. In 2022, the Foundation continued to advocate strongly for bigger and better services and career development pathways for people with vision loss. By engaging local, state and federal elected officials with our mission, the Foundation has continued to move the needle on a bigger scale. With an eye to the future, the Alphapointe Foundation remains tenaciously committed to our mission to empower people with vision loss to realize their own goals and aspirations.