In 2012, WACOSA served 575 adults with disabilities in central Minnesota compared to 561 in 2011, an increase of 2.5%. Plans are currently underway to open a thrift store in the spring of 2013 with the intent on providing retail skills training for persons with Asperger's Syndrome, an often poorly funded disability found on the autism spectrum. Revenues from the store are expected to ultimately fund these services creating a revenue source for this unmet need, while decreasing WACOSA's dependence upon traditional entitlement dollars. Build out for the store was completed in December, 2012. Hours worked by clients in WACOSA's DocuShred document destruction business increased by 8% from the preceding year, with 660,777 pounds shredded in 2012, a growth of 2%. WACOSA also experienced an increase of 49% in the number of volunteers serving at our organization. We continue to strive to increase our impact on the 'Going Green' efforts of our community by collaborating with business partners to encourage them to recycle through WACOSA. In 2012, WACOSA recycled a total of 250,000 pounds of recyclables outside our DocuShred business. This included plastic, paper, aluminum, glass and cardboard. We also hired a new Development Manager to help us begin developing our planned giving program. In 2011, we established our Gift Acceptance Policy and Procedures to help guide this process.

2012 major goals include: Continue to grow our ASD services, develop a thrift store operation to provide a retail training program for persons with Asperger's Syndrome, grow our volunteer base, seek additional grant dollars, develop a new business opportunity to help generate funding. continue to find contract work, grow DocuShred document destruction business, grow collaboration opportunities, improve overall appearance and safety of WACOSA's physical facilities, explore new efficiencies to help improve upon the use of WACOSA's personnel and financial resources, keep our IT abilities strong and in step with the growing demands of our organization, increase fundraising efforts and continue efforts on our planned giving program, hire a GrantWriter/Development Coordinator and navigate an uncertain legislative environment that threatens significant funding reductions and system changes.

Adults with disabilities

Central Minnesota