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I WILL NOW CALL TO ORDER THIS PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN 20 22, 20 23 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.
ALL PERSONS DESIRING TO SPEAK SHOULD SIGN THE LIST IN THE FRONT OF THE ROOM IF THEY NOT HAVE ALREADY DONE SO.
[a. Conduct a public hearing regarding the City of Baytown Community Development Block Grant funding for the 2022-2023 program year.]
HEARING IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECEIVING INPUT WITH REGARD TO THE 20 22 20 23 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, UM, PROGRAM BUDGET.EVERYONE DESIRING TO PRESENT INFORMATION AT TODAY'S HEARING WILL BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
I WOULD, HOWEVER, LIKE TO ENCOURAGE EACH SPEAKER TO BE AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE.
THIS IS NOT AN ADVERSARIAL TYPE PROCEEDING.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS HEARING IS TO GIVE ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, SUCH QUESTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO ME.
AND WITH THE AID OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SUPERVISOR, I SHALL ATTEMPT TO HAVE THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
I WILL NOW ASK THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR BAY AREA HOMELESS SERVICES TO MAKE THEIR PRESENTATION.
I'M PROGRAM MANAGER FOR BAY AREA HOMELESS SERVICES, AND I DO WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO THE, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOR OUR PAST GRANT AWARDS THAT HAS PROVIDED DAYCARE FOR SHELTER CHILDREN AT OUR HOMELESS SHELTER HERE IN BAYTOWN.
IT IS OUR MISSION TO PROVIDE HOMELESS SHELTER INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO OBTAIN SELF-SUFFICIENCY AS WELL AS TO BECOME CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.
AND BEFORE I EXPLAIN WHAT, UM, WHAT WE EXACTLY NEED WITH REGARD TO CHILDCARE, I WANNA EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PROGRAM SO YOU UNDERSTAND THE, THE CRITERIA FOR OUR CLIENTS WHO COME INTO OUR SHELTER.
OUR CLIENTS CANNOT BE, UM, VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES THAT THOSE FOLKS NEED OR THE SECURITY THAT THEY NEED.
OUR FOLKS COME IN, THEY'RE DRUG FREE, AND THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PASS A DRUG TEST.
THEY, UM, HAVE TO HAVE A VALID STATE PHOTO ID.
THEY, UM, CANNOT BE RECEIVING DISABILITY BENEFITS BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO WORK FULL-TIME, AND THEY, UH, CANNOT BE REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS.
BUT OUR MAIN CRITERIA IS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WORK A FULL-TIME PUBLIC JOB, AND THAT'S WHERE THE CHILDCARE COMES IN.
MANY OF OUR CLIENTS COME IN AND THEY ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT OBTAINING EMPLOYMENT, BUT THEY'RE REALLY AFRAID ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH REGARD TO THEIR CHILDREN OBTAINING ADEQUATE AND AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE PARENTS, NO.
UM, THE CBD, UH, GRANT THAT WE WERE GIVEN LAST YEAR FOR $4,000 WAS, UH, PROPOSED TO FUND 20 CHILDREN FOR CHILDCARE SERVICES.
AND THIS YEAR WE'RE ASKING FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT TO FUND 15 CHILDREN.
AND THE REASON WE'RE ASKING TO FUND FEWER CHILDREN IS THAT WE HAVE MORE FAMILIES THAT ARE STAYING LONGER, AND THE COST OF CHILDCARE HAS GONE UP.
DURING THE CURRENT FUNDING CYCLE, WE HAVE SPENT 76% OF OUR AWARD, BUT WE HAVE NOT SUBMITTED FOR REIMBURSEMENT YET.
UM, WE HAVE SPENT $3,030 TO FUND THREE CHILDREN FOR CHILDCARE.
AND I KNOW THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY FOR THREE CHILDREN, BUT FOR ONE FAMILY IN PARTICULAR, THAT MEANS AN AWFUL LOT.
WHEN THE MOM, THE SINGLE MOM WAS ABLE TO SAVE ENOUGH TO PUT A DOWN PAYMENT ON A CAR, AND SHE HAS SAVED OVER $2,000 THAT WILL ENABLE HER TO LEAVE THE SHELTER FOR PERMANENT HOUSING WITH HER AND HER FOUR CHILDREN.
AND DURING THE PAST CALENDAR YEAR, WE ONLY HAD 39 CHILDREN, AGE 12 AND BELOW ENTER THE SHELTER.
WE HAD FEWER CHILDREN THIS YEAR.
UM, MOST OF THE CHILDREN WERE SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, AND THE FAMILIES DIDN'T STAY VERY LONG.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY WE'VE HAD SO FEW CHILDREN, UM, BE, UH, REQUESTING FOR CHILDCARE SERVICES.
WE HAD 161 ADULTS COME IN UNEMPLOYED WITH, UM, SORRY, 161 ADULTS COME IN PERIOD.
BUT WITH 143 OF THOSE WERE UNEMPLOYED.
AND SO OF THAT 161, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THOSE LEFT EITHER HAVING GAINED EMPLOYMENT OR MAINTAINED EMPLOYMENT.
THERE IS A LACK OF AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE RESOURCES FOR THE LOW INCOME FAMILY.
AND MANY FAMILIES, OR MANY ADULTS ARE HELD BACK FROM OBTAINING, UM, LIVING WAGE POSITIONS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE.
THE ONE RESOURCE THAT IS AVAILABLE IS
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THROUGH THE TEXAS WORK SOURCE, AND THAT IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR SINGLE ADULTS WITH VALID, UH, EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION.BUT THAT LIST IS QUITE OFTEN WAITLISTED.
SO IT'S VERY HARD FOR OUR CLIENTS TO BE ABLE TO GET ONTO THAT CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE.
AND MANY OF OUR CLIENTS HELP ONE ANOTHER WITH THE CHILDCARE DUTIES, BUT THAT BECOMES A PROBLEM AS ADULTS BECOME EMPLOYED.
AND ALSO DURING THE SUMMERTIME WHEN THE CHILDREN ARE OUT OF SCHOOL.
NOW, OUR PARENTS DO HAVE A CHOICE WITH REGARD TO CHILDCARE, BUT WE DO PRIMARILY USE ONE DAYCARE SERVICE, WHICH IS SOLID ROCK PRESCHOOL BECAUSE THEY ALLOW FOR DROP-INS, THEY PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION, AND THEY ALSO, UM, PICK UP AT SCHOOL.
BUT WE'VE RECENTLY SIGNED ON TO USE ANOTHER DAYCARE CENTER THAT PROVIDES SATURDAY DAYCARE, AND THAT'S PROSPERITY LEARNING CENTER HERE IN BAYTOWN.
AFTER HAVING OPENED OUR BRITAIN FULLER CENTER, WE'VE NEARLY DOUBLED OUR CAPACITY, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE STILL HURTING WITH REGARD TO PEOPLE.
IN TERMS OF COVID, UM, OUR, OUR FAMILY DORM HAS BEEN PRETTY LOW SINCE THIS, SO HAS OUR WOMEN'S DORM.
AND SO WE'VE NOT HAD AS MANY CHILDREN COME INTO THE SHELTER THIS YEAR, OR ACTUALLY THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
BUT WE DO HAVE TWO CASE MANAGERS WHO EFFECTIVELY CASE MANAGE THESE FAMILIES.
AND THAT CASE MANAGEMENT INCLUDES CASE MANAGING THE CHILDREN, AND THOSE SERVICES INCLUDE CHILDCARE, SCHOOL ADMISSION, AS WELL AS HEALTHCARE.
SO WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE AWARD OF $4,000 TO FUND 15 CHILDREN FOR CHILDCARE SERVICES FOR BAY AREA HOMELESS SERVICES.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, YES, MA'AM.
UH, HOW DO YOU, UM, SCREEN THE PEOPLE? YOU KNOW, YOU SAID WITH COVID, AND I KNOW THAT'S A, IT'S BEEN A DIFFICULT ROAD WITH THE COVID, BUT HOW DO YOU, DO YOU TEST EVERYBODY THAT COMES INTO THE PROGRAM? NO, SIR.
WE, WE TAKE IT ON THEIR WORD THAT THEY'RE COVID FREE, BUT, UM, WE DO, UH, OCCASIONALLY HAVE AGENCIES COME OUT AND TEST THE CLIENTS.
AND, UM, WE DO HAVE A STRICT QUARANTINE PROCEDURE FOR WHEN A CLIENT TESTS POSITIVE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO QUARANTINE THEM.
AND FOR THE, UH, MANDATORY 10 TO 14 DAYS.
AND YOU HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES IN THIS PAST YEAR OR, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS, UH, THE COVID COVID SPREADING WITHIN YOUR NO, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE QUARANTINED, WE'VE HAD TWO FAMILIES THAT WE'VE HAD A QUARANTINE.
WE'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY THAT IT HASN'T SPREAD.
I MEAN, KNOCK ON, KNOCK ON WOOD, WE'RE VERY LUCKY THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD A BIG ISSUE WITH COVID.
SO YOU SAID THAT YOU HAVE CLIENTS THAT ARE STAYING LONGER THAN THE NORMAL AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT'S ALLOTTED TO THEM.
WE'RE ALLOWING OUR FAMILY CLIENTS TO STAY NOW UP TO 180 DAYS.
SO WE HAVE, UH, IN FACT, THE LADY WHO I MENTIONED WHO, UH, IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR HER FAMILY TO OBTAIN THE CHILDCARE, THEY'RE GOING ON ABOUT SIX MONTHS THAT THEY'VE BEEN THERE NOW.
AND ONCE THE PEOPLE LEAVE THE SHELTER AND, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE AN APARTMENT THAT, HEY, THEY HAVE SET UP, THEY HAVE A JOB.
DO YOU ASSIST THEM WITH CHILDCARE AFTER THEY LEAVE FOR MAYBE LIKE A MONTH OR SO, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO PAY THEIR BILLS BEFORE THEY HAVE TO TAKE ON THE BURDEN OF CHILDCARE? WE'VE RECENTLY BEEN AWARDED THAT OPTION TO BE ABLE TO EXTEND UP TO TWO WEEKS, I THINK THROUGH C THROUGH, UM, WORKING WITH YOU AND CHRIS, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD TO USE IT YET.
UM, I BELIEVE YOU DID MENTION THAT, UH, YOU GUYS ARE WORKING WITH SOLID, UH, ROCK PRESCHOOL MM-HMM
UM, AND ALSO PROSPERITY LEARNING CENTER.
UH, MY QUESTION IS HOW WERE THOSE FACILITIES VETTED? UH, IS THERE A PROCESS THAT, THAT YOU GUYS GO TO, LIKE ONSITE VISITS OR, UH, HOW, HOW ARE THOSE SPECIFICALLY SELECTED OUTSIDE OF THEIR SERVICE OPERATIONS? WELL, WE VISITED, I KNOW THAT WHEN THEY FIRST CHOSE SOLID ROCK, THEY, UH, THEY WERE VISITED AND, UM, THAT IT WORKED OUT BECAUSE OF, PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUE.
THEY WERE ABLE TO TRANSPORT OUR CLIENTS, UH, PROSPERITY.
I DID GO AND VISIT PROSPERITY BEFORE WE PUT OUR CHILDREN INTO THAT DAYCARE CENTER.
THEY WERE ALSO VERY ATTRACTIVE BECAUSE THEY OFFERED SATURDAY DAYCARE.
DO YOU CHECK AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A VALID LICENSE WITH THE TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES? YES.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE AVERAGE IS, UH, THAT YOU SPEND ON EACH CHILD? OR ALSO IS, DO YOU HAVE A LIMIT THAT YOU CAN SPEND ON EACH CHILD OR ON EACH FAMILY? WELL, IT'S BEEN KIND OF UNSPOKEN OF TWO WEEKS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE LET IT GET A LITTLE AWAY FROM US WITH THIS LAST FAMILY THAT THEY, THE CHILDREN WERE IN FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
AND THAT'S WHAT DROVE THE AMOUNT THAT WE SPENT FOR THE CURRENT FUNDING CYCLE UP.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT, IT'S A CASE BY CASE BASIS BASED UPON CLIENT NEED, BUT, UM, SOLID ROCK,
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FOR EXAMPLE, IS $155 A WEEK.SO WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE, WITH THE FUNDS WE HAVE LEFT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WEIGH THAT OUT IN TERMS OF NEED PER CHILD.
SO YOUR REQUEST IS FOR $4,000 AND IT SAYS, FOR CLIENT SERVICES.
SO IS THAT STRICTLY FOR A FEE AT THE DAYCARE OR IS IT, DOES IT INCLUDE OTHER THINGS? IT'S STRICTLY FOR THE FEE AT THE DAYCARE.
ANY MORE COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR CONCERNS? THANK YOU, MA'AM.
I WILL NOW CALL BAYTOWN EVENING OPTIMIST CLUB TO PRESENT.
AND THAT IS TAB, TAB NUMBER FOUR.
UH, THANK YOU FOLKS FOR ALLOWING US TO COME TO HERE TODAY.
AND THE FIRST THING, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THE BAYTOWN OPTIMIST CLUB, FOR YOU FOLKS SERVING ON THIS COMMITTEE.
I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS A COUPLE TIMES IN MY CAREER IN BAYTOWN, AND I KNOW IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME FROM YOUR FAMILY.
AND I TELL YOU, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE CITIZENS COMING OUT AND DOING THAT, AND I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK YOU PUT IN.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF BEHALF OF THE BAYTOWN OPTIMIST CLUB TODAY, BASICALLY THE BAYTOWN OPTIMIST CLUB FOOTBALL PROGRAM REQUESTING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS TO HELP PAY FOR APPLICATION FEES FOR, UH, ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED CHILDREN.
IN OUR PROGRAM, WE'RE ASKING FOR YOU TO FUND 35 PLAYERS AT $125 FOR THEIR APPLICATION FEE FOR A TOTAL OF $4,200.
UM, YOU'VE BEEN KIND ENOUGH IN THE PAST TO GRANT US SOME, UH, FEES FOR THIS SORT OF THING.
AND IF YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT, SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR YEARS.
I KNOW, UH, WE HAVE ASKED FOR FUNDING FOR MORE PLAYERS IN THE PAST, BUT IT EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT US NOW THAT WE HAVE AN AVERAGE OF 60 CHILDREN AT LEAST EVERY YEAR, THAT CANNOT PAY THE FEES.
HOWEVER, AS YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNMENT HAS A LOT OF VERY INTENSIVE AND VERY, UM, STRICT METHODOLOGIES ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO QUALIFY SOMEONE.
AND, AND A LOT OF OUR CHILDREN ARE, MAY NOT BE LIVING WITH THEIR OWN PARENTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, AND THEY'RE WITH AUNTS OR UNCLES OR GUARDIANS OR WHATEVER.
AND WE KNOW THAT IF WE HAVE 60 A YEAR, THAT PROBABLY I CAN GET THE CRITERIA REQUIRED BY THE PROGRAM FOR ABOUT 35.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE DROPPED OUR, OUR REQUEST.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE HAVING LESS PEOPLE PLAY EVERY YEAR.
THAT JUST MEANS THAT'S HOW MANY WE CAN DOCUMENT ACCORDING TO THE REQUIREMENTS.
THE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, IMPACTS OVER ABOUT 400 DIFFERENT BOYS AND GIRLS.
WE HAVE GIRLS THAT PLAY FOOTBALL AS WELL WITH US.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THE ACTUAL THE PLAYERS, WE HAVE CHEERLEADING SQUADS.
AND WE ROUTINELY ALMOST, I WON'T SAY ALMOST EVERY, EVERY TIME I'VE EVER BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM THAT I KNOW OF, WE'VE HAD MORE FEMALES OUT ON OUR CHEERLEADING SQUADS THAN WE HAVE AX ACTUAL BOYS PLAYING.
WE HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF CHEERLEADERS, AND THERE'S NO LIMIT, WHEREAS THERE IS A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE CAN BE ON A TEAM.
AND IN TERMS OF LEVERAGING THE MONEY THAT YOU WOULD'VE, UH, GIVE FOR SOMEONE TO DO THIS TYPE OF STUFF, THIS PROVIDES AN ACTIVITY ON A SATURDAY WHERE, AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU SOME PICTURES IN A MINUTE.
I GUESS I SHOULD PROBABLY GET GOING ON THAT.
UM, WHERE GRANDFATHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, AUNTS, UNCLES, NEIGHBORS, EVERYBODY COMES OUT TO THESE GAMES ON SATURDAY.
IT'S A REAL BIG FAMILY EVENT, AND IT'S A FAMILY-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT.
WE, WE MAKE SURE THAT IT'S THAT WAY FOR EVERYONE, AND IT'S A REALLY BIG THING FOR THE CHEERLEADING SQUADS TO GET TO COME OUT.
WE DON'T HAVE AN AGE LIMIT EVEN ON THE, THE CHEERLEADING SQUAD.
SO WE'LL HAVE SOME VERY YOUNG, YOUNG LADIES COME OUT FOR THAT, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, THE PROGRAM, MY SLIDE SAYS 50 YEARS, BUT I WAS JUST THINKING I'M, I'LL SOON BE 65.
SO IT'S BEEN PRETTY GETTING PRETTY CLOSE TO 60 YEARS NOW BECAUSE I WAS INVOLVED WHEN I WAS A YOUNGSTER.
UM, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH WE CAN ONLY PROVIDE THE DOCUMENTATION FOR THAT, MAYBE 35 OR 40 KIDS, WE DON'T EVER TURN ANY KID AWAY.
SO EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE'RE GRANTED TO HELP ONE KID HELPS PAY THE APPLICATION FEES BECAUSE WE HAVE TO CURB OUR INSURANCE AND THE FIELDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE CAN'T ACTUALLY GET, UH, FUNDING FOR BECAUSE WE CAN'T PROVIDE THE DOCUMENTATION.
IT'S A STRUCTURED ADULT SUPERVISED INVOLVE IN PROGRAM, AND THERE ARE NO PAID EMPLOYEES.
EVERY DIME THAT YOU GIVE US WILL GO TO THE ACTUAL EXPENSES.
IT'S ENTIRELY RUN BY PARENTS AND VOLUNTEERS FROM THE OPTIMIST
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CLUB AND FROM THE COMMUNITY.UM, WE THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF HEALTHY EXERCISE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY FOR CHILDREN THIS DAY AND GET 'EM AWAY FROM THE, THE TV AND THE INTERNET AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND IT, FOR A LOT OF THESE CHILDREN PROVIDES THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY THEY HAVE AS A COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT BAYTOWN HAS TO OFFER.
AND THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN BAYTOWN, THEY'RE NOT THEIR RELATIVES AND NOT THEIR FRIENDS THAT ARE WILLING TO COME OUT AND WORK AND PROVIDE SOME SPORT AND ACTIVITY FOR THEM.
SO IT HELPS, UH, WE HOPE TO DEVELOP A SENSE OF COMMUNITY FOR THE PEOPLE.
AND SECONDLY, BECAUSE OF THE COACHES AND THE OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED, WE HOPE IT PROVIDES POSITIVE ROLE MODELS FOR A LOT OF OUR YOUTH.
A LOT OF OUR FAMILY, UH, FAMILIES ARE SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES IN THIS.
A LOT OF MALE, UH, ROLE MODEL INVOLVES IN, UH, THE COACHES AND THAT SORT OF THING.
I'M JUST GONNA SHOW YOU SOME PICTURES SO YOU GET AN IDEA OF THE IMPACT OF WHAT YOUR FUNDING CAN HAVE.
AS YOU CAN SEE THE CHEERLEADING SQUADS THERE UP IN THE STANDS, YOU SEE THESE HUGE AMOUNT OF CROWDS THERE.
BUT LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE, THERE'S SOME VERY SMALL YOUNG CHEERLEADERS THERE.
WE DON'T PUT AGE LIMITATIONS ON THAT.
SOME OF OUR COACHES, BECAUSE THE PROGRAM'S SO LONG STANDING, SOME OF OUR COACHES PLAYED IN THE PROGRAM WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER.
MATTER OF FACT, SOME OF THEM, THEIR GRANDFATHER PROBABLY PLAYED IN OUR PROGRAM AT THIS POINT, UM, BECAUSE THE PROGRAM'S BEEN GOING ON.
SO WE'VE HAD PLAYERS GO ON TO PLAY COLLEGE BALL.
LOTS OF OUR PLAYERS, UH, START HERE AND GO TO JUNIOR HIGH AND PLAY IN HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, YOU PLAY WITH PEOPLE AT THIS AGE OF GROUP, THEY'RE STARTING OUT IN JUNIOR HIGH, AND YOU MAY END UP PLAYING WITH THE SAME GUYS ON YOUR TEAM ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S A CHANCE FOR THEM TO DEVELOP LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS WITH PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE INVOLVED IN ATHLETICS WITH.
UM, FOR MANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY THESE YOUNG CHILDREN, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE EVER BEEN OUT OTHER THAN MAYBE TO TO GO TO A FAIR OR SOMETHING THAT THE CITY OF BAYTOWN PUTS ON TO HAVE AN EXPOSURE TO A COMMUNITY ACTIVITY WHERE THEY CAN SEE VOLUNTEERS FROM THE OPTIMIST CLUB AND THE COACHES AND EVERYTHING, ADULTS THAT THEY DON'T KNOW THAT ARE ACTUALLY OUT THERE TRYING TO BE, UH, PUT ON A PROGRAM FOR THEM AND, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, GIVE UP THEIR TIME AND THEIR ENERGIES TO HAVE THIS PROGRAM ON THEIR BEHALF.
UM, OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IS VERY CAREFULLY REGULATED.
I PERSONALLY APPROVE EVERY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION, AND WE CALL IT A SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION.
IT'S THE PAPERWORK THAT THE CITY REQUIRES US TO, TO TURN IN, HAS TO DO WITH SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.
WE HAVE A CERTAIN REQUIRED, UH, DOCUMENTS WE HAVE TO FILL OUT, WE HAVE TO PROVE.
UH, AND THAT'S THE BIG PROBLEM WITH SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS.
WE HAVE TO PROVE THEIR ELIGIBILITY BY, UH, MEMBERSHIP, UH, OR, OR, UH, BEING ELIGIBLE FOR LIKE SHIPS OR MEDICAID OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, OTHER THAN SPEAKING TO ME ONCE THIS CHILD'S NAME IS PUT ON A PIECE OF PAPER AS A SCHOLARSHIP, THEY'RE GIVEN A NUMBER.
AND AT NO TIME AFTER THAT IS THEIR NAME EVER INVOLVED IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE NUMBER THAT THAT THEY ARE U WE USE TO, UH, DO THE PAPERWORK FOR THEM SO THAT NO CHILD THAT'S ON A SCHOLARSHIP STATUS IS D IS DISPLAYED OR GIVEN TO ANYONE ELSE.
SO OUTTA THIS GROUP HERE, THERE WOULD BE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHICH ONE, IF ANY OF THESE CHILDREN HAVE A SCHOLARSHIP THAT YOU GUYS GRANTED US.
UM, THERE IS NO OTHER PROGRAM FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES.
THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT HAVE STARTED AND STOPPED OVER THE YEARS.
I'D SAY THERE'S PROBABLY A HUNDRED, UH, FOR PROFIT PROPRIETARY THINGS.
THEY'RE VERY EXPENSIVE IN MOST CASES THEY COME AND GO.
OVER THE YEARS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HAVE COME AND GONE, BUT I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY FOR MOST OF THOSE, FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES, IT WOULD BE IN EXCESS OF $400 FOR MOST OF THEM TO EVEN JOIN.
AND A LOT OF THESE FAMILIES HAVE TWO OR THREE CHILDREN AND IT'S COST PROHIBITED.
SO THERE'S JUST NOTHING AVAILABLE FOR, UH, PEOPLE OF THIS SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND TO, TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN PLAY IN THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM.
UM, AS I SAID, MANY OF OUR CHILDREN ARE FROM SINGLE PARENT HOMES AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH THESE COACHES, TYPICALLY MALE COACHES, WE DON'T HAVE TOO MANY FEMALE COACHES.
FOR SOME REASON, I GUESS THEY'RE GRAVITATE TOWARD THE CHEERLEADERS, BUT WE DO HAVE FEMALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS, WHICH IS STRANGE.
NOT ANY FEMALE COACHES AT THIS TIME, BUT WE OBVIOUSLY WOULD ACCEPT ANY FEMALE COACHES THAT WOULD WANT TO, 'CAUSE WE WERE ALWAYS TRYING TO GET NEW COACHES.
UM, BUT IT GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A POSITIVE RAIL, UH, MALE ROLE MODEL IN THEIR LIFE.
AT NIGHTTIME WE PLAY ALL OUR GAMES.
'CAUSE WE HAD TO PLAY AT DIFFERENT PLACES OVER THE YEARS.
RIGHT NOW WE PLAY ALL OUR REGULAR GAMES AT STAR WARS, NOT AT STAR WARS STADIUM IS THE SUPER BOWL GAME.
BUT WE PLAY ALL OUR OTHER GAMES AT THE, THE STADIUM OVER HERE ACROSS FROM, UH, ROBERT E. LEE DURING THE DAY.
AND THEN WE HAVE A SUPER BOWL EVERY YEAR.
AND IT'S PLAYED UNDER THE LIGHTS AT NIGHT FOR THE TWO, UH, MAJOR TEAMS THAT, THAT ARE WINNING.
SO IT'S JUST LIKE A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME.
THE REASON I SHOW THIS TO YOU IS JUST TO GET AN IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE FOR THESE SMALL YOUNG PEOPLE'S FOOTBALL GAMES.
THE SIDELINES LIKE THAT ARE JUST TONS OF PEOPLE THERE COME TO WATCH THEIR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS AND RELATIVES PLAY.
UH, THERE'S ANOTHER SHOT OF HOW MANY CHEERLEADERS WE HAVE.
LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE 400 PLUS CHEERLEADERS EVERY YEAR.
JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROBABLY A
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THOUSAND PEOPLE OUT THERE ON SOME DAYS, ESPECIALLY EARLIER THAN IN THE SEASON WHEN THE WEATHER'S NOT QUITE SO HOT.IT'S EMPHASIZED BY OUR COACHES.
AND, AND THIS MAY BE THE FIRST CHANCE THAT CHILDREN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT PLAY AN ORGANIZED SPORT LIKE THIS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SPORTSMANSHIP MEANS AND TO HAVE A TEAM ENVIRONMENT TO WHERE THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MORE THAN JUST THEIR, THEIR SELVES INVOLVEMENT IN SOMETHING.
AND I JUST PUT SOME OF THE GIRLS CHEERLEADERS 'CAUSE THEY'RE KIND OF CUTE.
UH, MORE EXAMPLES OF HOW COMP, HOW MANY PEOPLE SHOW UP ON A WEEKEND JUST TO SEE THESE GAMES ON A SATURDAY.
LIKE I SAID, THERE'S NO LIMIT ON THE SIZE OR NUMBERS OF THE CHEERLEADERS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DADS THAT ARE GONNA BE OUT THERE WATCHING THEIR KIDS PLAY.
A LOT OF THE COACHES ARE DADS.
BUT INTERESTING ENOUGH, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO COACH EVERY YEAR WHO MAY HAVE HAD A CHILD IN THE PROGRAM YEARS AGO AND THEIR CHILD GRADUATED AND AGED OUT AND THEY STILL COACH.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE, I THINK FOR SOME OF THESE GUYS, IT'S KINDA LIKE A, I DON'T KNOW, BUT MAYBE A LIFETIME, WHAT THEY CALL THE, UH, THE NFL GAMES THAT PEOPLE DO, UH, SPORTS, UH, FANTASY LEAGUES.
WELL, THEY GET TO HAVE THEIR OWN FANTASY LEAGUE BECAUSE THEY GET TO COACH A TEAM AND, AND, AND THEMSELVES.
AND ACTUALLY, UH, IT IS MORE THAN A FANTASY FOR 'EM.
IT'S ON, ON THE GROUND OUT THERE, UM, UH, PAINT FACE ON THE MOMS. AND THIS IS AT THE STADIUM THAT WE HAVE MOST OF OUR DAY DAYTIME GAMES DURING THE REGULAR.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF FANS THERE.
AND, UH, THERE'S ABOUT 20 PEOPLE ON EACH TEAM.
WE KEEP THE TEAMS TO 20 'CAUSE THERE ARE CERTAIN RULES ABOUT EVERYBODY GETS TO PLAY AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THESE GUYS ARE BIGGER THAN OTHERS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF SAFETY RULES ABOUT IF YOU WEIGH A CERTAIN WEIGHT, YOU CAN'T RUN WITH THE FOOTBALL AND THINGS LIKE THAT BECAUSE WE, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE ANYBODY INJURED.
AND WE'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY OVER ALL THE YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WITH SPRAINED ANKLES ABOUT THE MOST I'VE EVER SEEN ANYBODY HAVE, WE HAVE LOTS OF PROBLEMS WHERE PEOPLE GET HURT AND FALL OUT AND SOMETIMES START BALLING A LITTLE BIT OR WHATEVER, BUT USUALLY THEY GET BETTER AND GET UP OFF THE FIELD AND GO ON EVERY, LIKE I SAID, EVERYBODY GETS PLAYING TIME AND, AND UH, WE HAVE RULES THAT ARE THERE TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM GETTING HURT.
UH, ON, ONE OF THE THINGS WE USED TO HAVE TO FILL OUT FOR THE CITY IS THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW MANY, UH, HOW MUCH MONEY YOU SPEND ON STAFF AND ALL THAT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS ASKED TO DO AT ONE TIME YEARS AGO WAS TO CALCULATE ACTUAL NUMBER OF HOURS AND GIVE IT SOME KIND OF VALUE.
AND, AND ONE TIME I WOULD GIVE LIKE $15 AN HOUR FOR SOMETHING.
AND THE, THE COST THAT IT TAKES TO RUN THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THE VOLUNTEERS, IT'S JUST ASTRONOMICAL.
I MEAN, YOU GOT COACHES OUT THERE FOUR DAYS A WEEK, YOU HAVE THE OPTIMIST CLUB GUYS.
WE GET THERE SOMETIMES AT SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON SATURDAY AND SOMETIMES CAN LEAVE WAY LATE IN THE EVENINGS.
AND WE'RE THERE ALL DAY, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF WORKING WITH A CONCESSION STAND AND PUTTING, SETTING THE FIELD UP AND THAT SORT OF THING.
UH, AND AS I SAID, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS THIS IS THE FIRST TIME A LOT OF THESE CHILDREN PRIOR TO GETTING TO JUNIOR HIGH, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A TEAM SPORT WHERE THEY REALIZE THEY'RE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE TEAM AND WHAT THE TEAM'S SUCCESS IS AND WHAT THAT CAN MEAN TO YOU.
AT THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, EVERYBODY GETS A TROPHY THAT'S PLAYED, THE ACTUAL TEAMS THAT ARE WINNING OF THEIR BRACKETS, THE TEAM GETS A TROPHY, BUT EVERY INDIVIDUAL GETS A PARTICIPATION TROPHY AND THAT THEY, THEY PLAYED IN THE LEAGUE AND IT, IT HAS THEIR NAME ON IT AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEN EVERY YEAR THE FOOTBALL UNDER THE LIGHTS IS WHERE WE HAVE OUR, WHAT WE CALL OUR SUPER BOWL.
AND THERE'S THE TEAM TROPHIES.
THEY'RE PRETTY NICE TROPHIES TOO.
AND WHOEVER WINS THE TROPHY IS ANOTHER THING.
THE CITY HAS THE CHRISTMAS PARADE.
THE TEAMS THAT WIN, THEY AND THEIR CHEERLEADERS GET TO RIDE IN THE PARADE ON OUR FLOAT.
I THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF OUR CHILDREN, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, IF AN INDIVIDUAL MAY BE THE RECIPIENT OF A SCHOLARSHIP, CAN YOU PLEASE ELABORATE WHAT A SCHOLARSHIP CONSISTS OF? BASICALLY, IT IS THE APPLICATION FEE OF $120.
UM, WE PROVIDE THEM, UH, ALMOST ALL THE HELMET EXCEPT FOR, I MEAN, ALMOST ALL THE EQUIPMENT, BUT SHOES.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO WE ACTUALLY GOT A, A GRANT FROM YOU GUYS TO HELP US BECAUSE AFTER YEARS THEY'VE ACTUALLY PUT IN, UH, THE SAFETY PEOPLE THAT DO THIS HAVE PUT IN A REQUIREMENT THAT THE HELMETS HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED EVERY TWO YEARS.
AND WE HAVE HAD EQUIPMENT HELMETS THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WORE.
'CAUSE AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, THESE KIDS, THEY DON'T REALLY, THEY'RE NOT REALLY HARD ON THE EQUIPMENT LIKE HIGH SCHOOL OR FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARE.
AND, UH, WE PROVIDE THEM THE HELMETS, SHOULDER PADS, UH, THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR OWN SHOES AND STUFF.
BUT THE $125 IS JUST THE APPLICATION FEE.
THAT GOES TO NUMBER ONE, BUYING INSURANCE.
NUMBER TWO, PAYING FOR THE FIELDS.
AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, TO BE EXPENSES PORTA-POTTIES.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE 40 POTTIES OUT THERE ON THE FIELD, UH, WHEN WE'RE NOT ON THE, A LOCATION WHERE THEY HAVE, UH, BATHROOMS HANDY.
UH, BUT IT'S JUST BASICALLY THE APPLICATION FEE THAT COVERS ALL THE EXPENSES THE SAME THAT SOMEBODY WHO IS NOT ON A SCHOLARSHIP WOULD PAY.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO, UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT ON AVERAGE EACH YEAR ABOUT 60 KIDS
[00:25:01]
NEED SCHOLARSHIPS.BUT YOUR, UM, REQUEST IS FOR 35.
SO I'M JUST, I I'VE HEARD OF THE OPTIMIST FOOTBALL, UM, PROGRAM.
I'M JUST NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT.
SO HOW, HOW, HOW DO I, HOW WOULD I KNOW IF I HAVE A CHILD WHO'S, AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO PUT THEM IN, I DON'T KNOW, SOME KIND OF SPORTS PROGRAM.
HOW DO I FIND OUT OR HOW DO PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THESE SCHOLARSHIPS? VERY GOOD QUESTION.
WE, WE HAVE THESE, UM, AS PART OF THE PACKET, WE'VE GIVEN YOU A COPY OF WHAT WE CALL OUR CIRCULAR, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT.
UH, WE, WE GET THESE HANDED OUT IN ALL THE JUNIOR HIGHS EARLY IN THE FALL.
AND THEN WE DO IT AGAIN IN THE SPRING.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THE MAJORITY OF ALL OF OUR, AND, AND WE PUT AN AD IN THE PAPER, BUT BECAUSE THE PROGRAM'S BEEN GOING ON SO LONG, IT'S BASICALLY WORD OF MOUTH.
UM, I MEAN, WHEN YOU GET INTO JUNIOR HIGH, THERE'S GONNA BE THE GUY IN THE NEXT GRADE OR YOUR, YOUR BROTHER, WHATEVER HE MIGHT HAVE PLAYED OR KNOWS IT, AND THEY'RE GONNA TELL THEIR CHILDREN.
AND FRANKLY, OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S THE COACHES.
THE COACHES KNOW, FOR SOME REASON, I GUESS IT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CHILD PLAYING.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF EFFORT TO GET CERTAIN PEOPLE TO BE ON THEIR TEAM THAT THEY WANT TO COACH.
BUT NOW THEY, THEY CAN'T DO THAT IF THEIR CHILD'S, IF THAT CHILD DOESN'T GO TO A HIGH, A JUNIOR HIGH.
'CAUSE THE, THE TEAMS ARE RELE RELEGATED TO THE JUNIOR HIGHS.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU GO TO ONE JUNIOR HIGH, YOU GOTTA BE ON THIS TEAM.
YOU DON'T GET TO GO JOIN THIS OTHER TEAM.
BUT SINCE THEIR CHILDREN PROBABLY KNOW THOSE CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY'RE THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF THAT.
I MEAN, AS SOON AS SOMEBODY SHOWS UP, THE COACH BRINGS THEM TO ME.
I KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA, THE COACH HAS ALREADY TALKED TO THEM AND THAT THEY NEED A SCHOLARSHIP.
UM, AND THAT'S BASICALLY HOW THAT'S HANDLED.
BUT EVERYBODY, AS YOU SAID, IF YOU'RE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, UH, YOU'RE A YOUNG CHILD AND A KID THAT'S BEEN AROUND, UH, HIGH, UH, JUNIOR HIGH FOOTBALL AND EVERYTHING, YOU'RE GONNA KNOW.
IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T AVOID.
IT'S JUST LIKE THE CHEERLEADERS.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ALL COME FROM, BUT THEY ALL SHOW UP AND WE DON'T DO ANY, UM, OTHER THAN THIS, THIS BROCHURE OR THIS, UH, BANNER HAVING SOMETHING ABOUT CHEERLEADERS.
I MEAN, WE DON'T RECRUIT CHEERLEADERS SO TO SPEAK, BUT WE HAVE 400 OR MORE SHOW UP EVERY YEAR.
UH, IT'S JUST BECAUSE THEIR FAMILY KNEW ABOUT IT AND THEIR FAMILY'S FRIEND KNEW ABOUT IT.
AND FRANKLY, THAT'S JUST PART OF THE PROGRAM AND THE WAY IT'S PART OF THE COMMUNITY NOW.
DO YOU PROVIDE FAMILIES WITH THE PAPERWORK NECESSARY TO QUALIFY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP? THAT WAY THEY CAN GATHER THAT INFORMATION PRIOR TO COMING IN TO APPLY? NO, I MEET WITH EVERY FAMILY PERSONALLY AND I ASK THEM QUESTIONS, UH, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT, THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PREPARE THE DOCUMENTS THAT COME WITH 'EM, ANYTHING.
SO I PERSONALLY ASK 'EM, I SAY, OKAY, IS YOUR CHILD ON CHIPS? IS YOUR CHILD ON MEDICAID? UH, DO YOU HAVE, ARE YOU WORKING? AND, AND IF YOU ARE, YOU MAKE A SALARY, I CAN ASK FOR THINGS LIKE, DO THEY HAVE A, A PAY STUB OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU BECAUSE OF THIS, THE MAJORITY OF THE CHILDREN THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE DOCUMENTATION FROM ARE CHILDREN THAT ARE GONNA BE ON EITHER CHIPS OR FOOD STAMPS OR WHAT'S CALLED TANF, ONE OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT THEY'VE ALREADY MET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR.
AND WE JUST PROVE THAT WE KNOW THAT WHAT THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE, AND THE CITY KNOWS, AND THE FEDS KNOW OBVIOUSLY, UH, AND I JUST ASKED THEM.
NOW, GETTING THE PROOF OF THAT IS THE PROBLEM.
UH, EVERYBODY USED TO GET A PIECE OF PAPER IN THE MAIL, THEN THEY WENT TO LITTLE CARDS.
WELL NOW THEY DON'T EVEN GET THAT.
THEY HAVE TO, THEY GET AN, AN INTERNET ACCESS AND YOU GO WITH A NUMBER TO A DOCTOR OR SOMETHING.
IF YOU'RE ON MEDICAID AND YOU GIVE 'EM THAT NUMBER, WELL WE CAN GET THEM TO PRINT THAT OFF FOR US AND PROVIDE THAT.
UH, BUT THAT'S THE REASON THAT I'M NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS I COULD BE IN, IN PROVIDING, PROVIDING THE DOCUMENTATION.
BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THIS CHILD MAY BE ON SHIPS AND HAS A MEDICAID FUNDING NUMBER WHERE THEY CAN GET MEDICAL CARE, BUT THEY MAY BE LIVING WITH THEIR AUNT OR THEIR UNCLE AND, AND THE AUNT OR UNCLE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT ANY OF THIS STUFF.
SO THAT'S THE PART OF THE 60 THAT I CAN'T SUBMIT INFORMATION FOR.
BUT LIKE I SAID, EXPERIENCE TELLS ME EVERY YEAR I GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER AT IT.
I KNOW ABOUT HOW MANY, AND OF COURSE WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME TRACKING IT AS BEST WE CAN.
THEY'LL SHOW UP AND THEY'LL SAY, WELL, YES WE ARE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE MATERIAL.
BUT WE GO AHEAD AND SIGN 'EM UP KNOWING THAT WE'RE GOING TO SCHOLARSHIP 'EM.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, NO KID GETS TURNED DOWN.
UH, AND THEN WE GIVE 'EM THEIR EQUIPMENT, EVERYTHING.
AND THEN MY ACTUALLY MY, I'M IN A LAW PRACTICE AND MY PARALEGALS ACTUALLY GET ON THE PHONE AND START TRACKING THESE THINGS DOWN AND, AND CALLING THE PARENTS AND ASKING THEM, CAN WE GET THIS INFORMATION FROM YOU? AND WE EITHER GET IT OR WE DON'T.
BUT LIKE I SAID, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE ARE PRETTY GOOD ABOUT PROVIDING IT.
UH, AS SOON AS I ASK, THEY SAY, OH YEAH, MY KID'S ON CHIPS OR MY KID'S ON MEDICAID.
AND I SAY, WELL, CAN I SEE YOUR MEDICAID? UH, I USED TO ASK FOR THAT PIECE OF PAPER, BUT IT'S HARD TO GET THAT PIECE OF PAPER NOW.
SO HAVE YOU CONSIDERED PROVIDING THEM WITH A DOCUMENT STATING WHAT THEY NEED TO BRING PRIOR TO COMING TO APPLY? THAT WAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE INTERVIEW PROCESS AND THEY HAVE EVERYTHING READY? NO, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHO I, I COULDN'T,
[00:30:01]
I COULDN'T MAIL THAT OUT TO ANYONE.I DON'T KNOW WHO, WHO WOULD I, I WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO MAIL IT OUT TO SOMEONE.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE TO SHOW UP AT MY DOOR AND SAY, YOU KNOW, MY, I WANT MY CHILD TO PLAY AND I DON'T, UH, AND I NEED A SCHOLARSHIP.
UH, TYPICALLY, ONCE AGAIN, THEY WOULD'VE GENERALLY TALKED TO SOMEBODY IN THE PROGRAM AHEAD OF TIME BEFORE THEY GET TO ME AND SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, MY KID, I NEED TO PLAY.
BUT WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT 'CAUSE WE'VE GOT THREE KIDS OR WHATEVER ARE, THE COACHES WILL KNOW ABOUT SOMETHING ABOUT THIS FAMILY AND THEY'LL BRING THEM TO US AND, AND WE GO FROM THERE.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, WE, EVEN IF THEY CAN'T PROVIDE THE DOCUMENTATION, WE DON'T TURN THEM DOWN.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION ALONG WITH THAT.
UM, MY CONCERN WAS THE WAIT TIME ON THE, UM, ON THE APPLICATION.
AND IF YOU WERE PROVIDING HELP FOR THE PARENTS THAT MIGHT NEED, YOU KNOW, SOME HELP, WHY ARE YOU THE ONLY ONE THAT DECIDES, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S DECIDING TO DOING THE INTERVIEW AND THE QUESTIONING AND, AND ALL THAT? UH, ISN'T THAT, UH, WELL I HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT HELP ME WITH BECAUSE IT'S QUITE A BIT OF PAPERWORK.
BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GET THAT DOCUMENT.
IF THEY BRING IT WITH THEM, WE HAVE TO GET IT, WE HAVE TO MAKE A COPY OF IT.
WE HAVE A COPIER THERE AND, AND WE HAVE TO COPY THE KIDS' BIRTH CERTIFICATE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I HAVE PEOPLE HELPING ME, BUT PRIMARILY IT'S, IT, IT'S PRETTY COMPLICATED TO KNOW WHAT DOCUMENTATION THEY HAVE TO HAVE.
AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH IT AND I, I'VE TAUGHT AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS TO HELP ME THAT UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, AS A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION, THE OPTIMIST CLUB PEOPLE COME AND GO, YOU KNOW.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE A COMMITTEE LIKE A LITTLE YEAH, WE HAVE A COMMITTEE AND THESE PEOPLE ARE THE ONES THAT HELP ME.
THEY, THEY DON'T DECIDE, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS PERSON MAY SERVE OR MAYBE THEY'RE INVOLVED IN THE OPTIMIST CLUB WHEN THEY HAVE A CHILD THAT AGE.
BUT I'VE BEEN A MEMBER FOR 38 YEARS OR 40 YEARS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY THE OPTIMIST CLUB IS DEPENDENT ON PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN MEMBERS AND HAVE BEEN DOING THIS PROGRAM FOREVER.
AND IF IT WERE FOR THOSE MEMBERS, IT WOULDN'T EXIST.
UH, SO ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT I HAVE THE EXPERTISE AND I ALSO HAPPEN TO HAVE THE SECRETARIAL PARALEGAL BACKUP THAT CAN HELP ME.
UH, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TIME DURING THE DAY TO CALL PEOPLE AND, AND ASK THEM, CAN WE GET THIS INFORMATION IF IT'S NOT WHAT WE NEED OR WHATEVER.
BUT I HAVE PARALEGALS THAT DO IT FOR ME.
THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS.
THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
AND ONCE AGAIN, I REALLY, OH, WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU SAID THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY, UH, 20 PLAYERS FOR EACH TEAM.
HOW MANY TEAMS WERE THERE? IT DEPENDS.
UH, WE WILL PUT ON AS MANY TEAMS AS WE HAVE PLAYERS.
LAST YEAR, UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE 'CAUSE OF COVID AND STUFF, WE WERE CUT BACK DRAMATICALLY ON THE NUMBER OF TEAMS WE HAD BECAUSE WE COULDN'T EVEN FUND FUND FULL 20 MEMBER TEAMS FOR EVERY JUNIOR HIGH.
UH, SO THEN WE WOULD TAKE SOME PEOPLE OFF OF ONE JUNIOR HIGH TEAM AND PUT THEM WITH OTHER ONES AND WHATEVER.
THE ONLY THING WE DON'T LET IS COACHES PICK PLAYERS.
AND ON THE AVERAGE, I MEAN ON THE, THE FEES, ARE THERE ANY FEES FOR THE CHEERLEADERS OR IS IT JUST FOR THE FOOTBALL PLAYERS? NO, WE DON'T CHARGE FOR THE CHEERLEADERS.
AS I SAID, THE THE CHEERLEADERS ARE SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE A STRUCTURE FOR.
THEY JUST, ONE OF THE TEAM MOTHERS USUALLY GENERALLY USED TO BE THE CHEERLEADER COORDINATOR, SO TO SPEAK, AND ALL THOSE UNIFORMS. 'CAUSE WE, WE'VE ACTUALLY, UH, IT'S GETTING A LITTLE BIT OFF THE SUBJECT.
WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD SOME ISSUES ABOUT THAT BECAUSE YOU SEE SOME OF THESE UNIFORMS, THE CHEERLEADERS WEAR, WELL, THEY'RE KIND OF EXPENSIVE AND WE'VE GRAPPLED WITH THAT A LOT AT THE CLUB BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT A, SOME YOUNG WORLD GIRL TO BE REJECTED FROM BEING A CHEERLEADER BECAUSE SHE CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY ONE OF THOSE PRETTY UNIFORMS. SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT AS WELL.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE A FUNDING SOURCE FOR THAT.
IT'S JUST WE HAVE TO WORK IT OUT WITH THE TEAMS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
THERE'S NOT MUCH WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT ONE.
SO PROBABLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE COMMITTEE'S ASKED YOU TO, UM, TELL US HOW DO YOU DISTINGUISH, LET'S SAY YOU GIVE OUT 2025 SCHOLARSHIPS.
HOW DO YOU, AND, AND, AND LET'S SAY THAT EVERY ONE OF THOSE 30 OF THEM NEED THIS PROGRAM.
SO DO YOU SPLIT MONIES THERE TO ACCOMMODATE 30? OR DO YOU SAY, OKAY, NO, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GIVE 120 FOR THE FIRST 25? GOOD QUESTION.
IN OTHER WORDS, I, WE JOIN, WE, WE SIGN THE KIDS UP, WE GIVE 'EM THEIR EQUIPMENT, WE LET THEM PLAY.
THEN IF I CAN GET DOCUMENTATION FOR, SAY, JAMES, THEN I HAVE TO SUBMIT THAT DOCUMENTATION TO THE CITY AND THEY WILL REIMBURSE ME LATER FOR THAT ONE CHILD.
IF HE MEETS ALL, IF I HAVE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION, UH, IF I DON'T HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION FOR JAMES, I CAN'T SUBMIT JAMES'S NAME.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S A KIND OF PAY AND CHASE THING.
WE, WE SIGN THEM UP, LET THEM PLAY, AND THEN IF I CAN GET THE DOCUMENTATION, WE TURN IT IN AT THE END OF THE YEAR TO THE, TO THE CITY AND THEY SEEK TO REIMBURSE US FOR THE ONES WHO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, IF YOU, IF IF, IF OUT OF THE 25, 10 OF THEM DON'T BRING YOU THE, UH, THE RIGHT
[00:35:01]
DOCUMENTATION, WELL IT GOES TO THE NEXT 10 THAT MAY BE IN THE PROGRAM THAT NEED IT.IF THE 10, IF THE 10 SHOW UP AND I CAN DOCUMENT 'EM, THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL WOULD FUND.
IN OTHER WORDS, I MAY HAVE 60 PEOPLE ON SCHOLARSHIP A YEAR, BUT ONLY 35 OF 'EM WILL WE ASK YOU GUYS TO REIMBURSE US.
AND THAT'S WHY THE, THE FUNDING AMOUNT HAS CHANGED.
I'VE ASKED FOR DIFFERENT THINGS.
BEGINNING I ASKED FOR 60, 'CAUSE THAT'S ABOUT THE AVERAGE, BUT OVER THE YEARS IT'S GOTTEN NOT A LITTLE WORSE BUT A LITTLE BIT WORSE.
AND, AND EVERY YEAR I'VE SAW, AND, AND THE LAST THING WE REALLY WANNA DO, WE WERE ASKING Y'ALL FOR, FOR SOME FUNDS, Y'ALL WOULD APPROPRIATE HIS FUNDS AND THEN WE DIDN'T USE THEM BECAUSE I COULDN'T PRODUCE THE, THE DATA.
SO NOW I'VE CUT THE REQUEST DOWN TO I THINK KNOWING THAT 60 KIDS WILL SHOW UP NEEDING SCHOLARSHIPS AND I'LL PROBABLY GET 35 TO 40 OF THOSE.
NOW, IF I, IF I WERE TO GET MORE THAN THAT, I CAN'T ASK FOR ANY MORE MONEY, BUT I, I BARELY MEET THE QUOTE, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT I'M ASKING FOR, USUALLY BECAUSE OF THE PAPERWORK, UH, STUFF.
WELL, OF COURSE YOU CAN COME BACK TO NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? YEAH.
EVERY YEAR I CAN, I CAN CHANGE IT AND ASK FOR MORE IF I THINK WE GET BETTER AT IT.
AND WE MAY GET BETTER BECAUSE OF THE ABILITY TO, TO REACH OUT AND GET THESE DOCUMENTATIONS OFF THE INTERNET FROM THESE PEOPLE.
UH, THEY USED TO HAVE TO BRING, I'D GET THESE CRUMBLE LITTLE PIECES OF PAPER.
BUT NOW THE PARENTS HAD TO HAVE THAT PIECE OF PAPER TO GO TO THE DOCTOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
OR TO GET THE FOOD STAMPS OR THE SNAP BENEFITS OR WHATEVER.
SO IT MIGHT BE AN, AND THEN WORST, THE OTHER THING I HAVE IS I HAVE A, THEY GIVE, BRING ME ONE AND IT'S OUT OF DATE.
I THINK THEY'RE ONLY MS. ROSE MIGHT REMEMBER.
I THINK THEY'RE ONLY GOOD FOR SIX MONTHS AT A THROW.
SO IF THEY BRING ME ONCE OUT A DATE, I GOTTA GET A NEW ONE.
SO, BUT ONLY THE ONES THAT I CAN SHOW MEET THE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, ARE ARE WE ALLOWED TO SUBMIT TO YOU GUYS? OKAY.
I HAVE AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION IF I MAY.
SO THE REVENUE FROM THE CONCESSION STANCE HELP PAY FOR THE REFEREES, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH HOW WE FUND THE REFEREES MOST OF THE TIME.
AND THE, UM, AND THE, YOU GUYS ARE FAMOUS FOR THE FISH FRIES AND THAT HELPS GENERATE REVENUE FOR THE, UM, STATE FRIES AND BARBECUES.
ANY ADDITIONAL, UM, HELPS FOR THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM.
THAT REVENUE GOES TO THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL, WE'D HAVE A GENERAL ONE THAT HELPS FUND OTHER CLUB ACTIVITIES.
BUT SPECIFICALLY DURING THE FOOTBALL, BECAUSE WE HAVE A CROWD OVER THERE MM-HMM
WE WILL HAVE A SPECIFIC FISH FRY OR, OR BARBECUE OR SOMETHING AND KIND OF HAW IT TO THOSE PEOPLE WHEN THEY GET THROUGH PLAYING FOOTBALL TO COME OVER AND EAT SOMETHING.
BUT THAT'S PART OF THE FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM? YES.
AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE FIELD, SUCH AS THE CLEANUP AFTER THE GAMES ARE, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD EXPENSE TOO.
NOT, NOT AS BAD AS THE, THE BIGGEST EXPENSE BESIDES THE INSURANCE IS THE REFEREES.
UH, FRANKLY, IF PEOPLE DIDN'T NEED ANY AMOUNT OF HOT DOGS IN A LOT OF NACHOS, WE'D BE IN REALLY BAD SHAPE.
BUT WE TYPICALLY, I WON'T SAY WE BREAK EVEN, BUT WE GET PRETTY CLOSE ON, ON REFEREES.
'CAUSE THE REFEREES GET PAID A LOT AND THEY, THEY EARN THEIR MONEY.
I WAS A REFEREE FOR 30 YEARS AND I REFERED OPTIMIST CLUB FOR 30 YEARS, BUT THEY EARN IT 'CAUSE IT'S HOT OUT THERE AND IT'S A TOUGH JOB.
SO THE REFEREES ARE, ARE THE ONES, UM, MAINTAINING THE CLEAN UP THE FIELD AFTERWARDS? NO, NO, NO, NO.
WE, WE HAVE PEOPLE, WE SOMETIMES HIRE PEOPLE, SOMETIMES WE CAN'T HIRE ANYBODY TO HELP US.
AND THE OPTIMIST CLUB MEMBERS HAVE TO DO IT.
PARTICULARLY ONE OF THE BAD THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO IS WE HAVE TO DO THE ONE AT SUPER BOWL AND IT DOESN'T END UNTIL LIKE NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT OR WHEN WE'RE DONE.
SO WE'LL BE OUT THERE TILL ONE OR TWO IN THE MORNING, CLEAN UP ONE OF THOSE STADIUMS. IT'S A PRETTY BAD DEAL'S, A PRETTY BIG DEAL.
BUT THAT'S PART OF THE PROGRAM.
THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING.
I HAD A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.
I WAS LETTING THE BOARD SPEAK FIRST.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT YOU, YOU SPOKE OUT.
I'M STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE EXACT PROCESS TO SIGN UP.
I SEE ON HERE YOU HAVE SOME, SOME PHYSICAL DATES AND YOU HAVE AN ONLINE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO AND SIGN UP MM-HMM
UM, IF SOMEBODY HAD FINANCE WAS LOOKING FOR THAT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THAT YOU OFFER, COULD THEY SIGN UP ONLINE? NO, THEY HAVE TO SHOW UP AT THE PHYSICAL.
UH, EVEN IF YOU SIGN UP ONLINE, YOU HAVE TO PHYSICALLY SHOW UP FOR TWO THINGS.
WE HAVE TO SEE THE KID, THE BOY OR THE, OR THE GIRL, AND WE HAVE TO WEIGH THEM.
SO EVEN WHEN YOU SIGN UP ONLINE, THAT CAN KIND OF GET YOU IN LINE FOR FIRST COME FIRST SERVE ON YOUR TEAM FOR YOUR, YOUR JUNIOR HIGH.
BUT YOU HAVE TO SHOW UP AND YOU HAVE TO WEIGH, BECAUSE WE KEEP TABS ON EVERYBODY'S WEIGHT BECAUSE OF THE RE SAFETY RESTRICTIONS.
SO EVEN IF THEY, THE ONLINE IS JUST TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO GET IN LINE, SO TO SPEAK.
SO THEY'RE NUMBER 19 ON THE TEAM INSTEAD OF 21, SO TO SPEAK.
SO THEY THEORETICALLY, IF THEY NEEDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, THEY COULDN'T GET IN LINE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE OH NO.
UH, IF THEY SIGN UP BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOING THE ONLINE SIGNUPS TOO LONG, BUT YEAH.
BUT WHEN THEY'D SHOW THEY'D HAVE TO COME GET THEIR EQUIPMENT, OF COURSE MM-HMM
AND WE HAVE TO DO THAT ALL AT THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THEY'D SHOW UP FOR THE CHILD TO WEIGH AND THEN THEY WOULD SEE ME AND I'D TRY TO GET THE INFORMATION I CAN, THERE'S SEVERAL FORMS THE PARENTS HAVE TO FILL OUT AND SIGN, UH, AND THEN THEY GIVE THEM EQUIPMENT AND, AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND THEN I START TRYING TO GET THE, THE BACKUP DATA, SO TO SPEAK.
SO EVERYBODY HAS TO COME TO THE IN-PERSON AND WE HAVE TO, AND
[00:40:01]
WE'CAUSE UH, I MEAN OCCASIONALLY YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A, A YOUNG MAN THAT'S PRETTY GOOD SIZE AND MUCH, MUCH, MUCH LARGER THAN THE AVERAGE CHILD OF HIS AGE.
SO WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT.
SO I DID, I DID TAKE A LOOK AT THE, UM, UH, I THINK YOU CALLED IT A CIRCULAR.
UM, AND I DO SEE THAT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE AND I KNOW, UM, SHARON WAS ASKING SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
UM, MAYBE A SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO, TO HAVE IN THERE LIMITED AMOUNT, UM, MUST PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION OF PROOF LIKE CHIPS OR SOMETHING.
AND I, I KNOW IT WILL BE STILL A CASE BY CASE BASIS, BUT AT LEAST PARENTS WOULD KNOW THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO QUALIFY A LITTLE EASIER.
WELL, THAT MIGHT BE TRUE, BUT I'D BE CONCERNED THAT THAT MIGHT DISCOURAGE SOMEBODY FROM SHOWING UP THAT COULDN'T PROVIDE THE DATA IF I WAS, IF I WAS, IF I KNEW THAT WOULDN'T BE THE CASE.
BECAUSE IT'S, WE ASK YOU GUYS TO HELP US AND, AND WE CAN GET HELP WITH THESE PEOPLE, BUT WE DON'T WANT ANY KID NOT TO PLAY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT.
AS LONG AS WE CAN DO ENOUGH FISH FRIES.
AND, AND FRANKLY, THAT'S WHY FOR MANY YEARS WE NEVER DID THIS.
WE STARTED DOING IT BECAUSE IT GOT VERY DIFFICULT TO RAISE THE FUNDS.
UM, BUT WE, IF WE PUT ANYTHING ON THERE THAT SAYS, YOU GOTTA SHOW UP WITH THIS TO QUALIFY, I, I WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT LEERY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT A KID NOT TO SHOW UP AND PLAY BECAUSE HIS MOM CAN'T, OR DAD COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH HIS PAPERWORK FOR HIM.
AND I'M SURE THERE'S SOME SORT OF COMPROMISE.
OTHERWISE, IT'S, IT'S YOUR TIME AND YOUR PARALEGALS THAT ARE GOING AROUND LOOKING FOR THIS.
SO AS LONG AS IT HAPPENS, I I, AND OUR BOARD CONFRONTS US EVERY YEAR.
WE TALK ABOUT IT AND WE SIT DOWN AND SAY, LOOK, HERE'S THE CRITERIA.
IF THEY CAN'T SHOW US THIS, SHOULD WE NOT, NOT YOU GUYS, BUT SHOULD WE NOT PAY THEIR FREIGHT FOR THEM? AND THERE'S NEVER EVEN BEEN MUCH MORE THAN JUST THE IDEA ASKED.
'CAUSE IT'S JUST, IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN.
OPTIONS, CLUB'S ALL ABOUT VOLUNTEERING, TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE.
AND IT'S VERY ADMIRABLE THAT NO CHILD IS TURNED AWAY FROM FOOTBALL.
UM, AND LOOKING THROUGH THE PICTURES, WHICH WERE VERY CUTE, BUT THE CHEERLEADERS WERE ADORABLE.
LIKE YOU SAID, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS HOW EXPENSIVE THOSE UNIFORMS MUST BE.
AND WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH THAT AND WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER FOR THAT ONE.
'CAUSE IT'S HARD TO TELL THE VOLUNTEER MOTHERS AND THE VOLUNTEER CHEERLEADERS THAT, WELL, YOU CAN'T MAKE THEM BUY A RED SHIRT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT I, I ASSURE YOU THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER TO IT RIGHT NOW.
I WOULD JUST, WE, WE DON'T KNOW OF ANY CHILD THAT'S BEEN DENIED THAT BECAUSE IF WE KNEW ABOUT IT, WE WOULD TRY TO FIX THAT MM-HMM
UH, BY HELPING THEM WITH SOME WAY OF UNDER TO BUY THE FUNDS.
AND I'M PRETTY SURE SOME OF THE CHEERLEADING SQUADS DO THAT ON THEIR OWN.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT IT BECAUSE THAT STUFF CAN COST A HUNDRED DOLLARS OR MORE, SOME OF THE STUFF THOSE PEOPLE WEAR.
UM, CHEERLEADING IS VERY EXPENSIVE.
AND JUST LIKE WITH FOOTBALL, THIS IS PROBABLY SOME OF THOSE YOUNG LADIES FIRST TIME BEING ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THAT, UM, AS THEY GO INTO JUNIOR HIGH, AS SHARON'S DAUGHTER IS, IT IS RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE EVEN AT THAT POINT.
SO I, I AM JUST A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
AND MAYBE SOME
AND WE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE JUST HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO COME UP WITH IT.
'CAUSE WE, WE DON'T REGULATE THAT IN TERMS OF SIZE OR AGE OR ANYTHING.
SO WE'D HAVE TO WADE INTO IT PRETTY HEAVY DUTY OR SOME WAY OR ANOTHER TO WADE INTO IT TO KEEP A LIST OF THE RIGHT.
AND WE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN DO THAT YET.
BUT WE, WE'RE OPEN TO SUGGESTION IF YOU CAN OFFER ANY SUGGESTION, BUT THAT'S, IT'S A PROBLEM THAT WE NEED TO SURMOUNT BECAUSE WE KNOW IT COULD HAPPEN OR IT MIGHT HAPPEN, OR IT MAYBE HAS HAPPEN AND WE JUST DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
BUT I ASSURE YOU, IF WE KNEW ABOUT IT, WE WOULD, WE WOULD PROVIDE THE FUNDS OUT OF OUR POCKET TO DO IT.
SO I GOT ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU, PA.
SO IF, YOU KNOW, IN THIS FOOTBALL PROGRAM, YOU GOT BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT PLAY, RIGHT? SOME ARE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE SAME AGE.
IF THE, IF THE ONE OF THE BOYS PLAYS THE GIRLS WANT TO BE THE CHEERLEADERS MM-HMM
OR PLAY, NOW WE GOT GIRLS THAT PLAY.
HOW DO YOU, HOW, YOU KNOW, UM, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU DISTINGUISH TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT, IF THIS, THE BALLPLAYER DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS? WELL, THIS LITTLE YOUNG LADY MAY NOT HAVE THE FUNDS EITHER.
NOBODY HAS STEPPED UP AND ASKED US ABOUT THAT OTHER THAN IF ONE OF THE, THAT WERE TO HAPPEN.
UH, WE'VE NEVER, I'VE NEVER HAD ANYBODY FROM ONE OF THE CHEERLEADING MOMS, SO TO SPEAK, TALK TO US ABOUT THAT.
BUT AS I SAID, IF, IF WE KNEW ABOUT IT, WE WOULD TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE A FORMAL WAY OF KEEPING, THAT'S WHY WE DON'T LIMIT THE CHEERLEADERS.
I MEAN, SOME OF THE CHEERLEADING SQUADS HAVE 30 OR MORE KIDS ON 'EM.
UM, BUT WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THAT PART RIGHT NOW.
AND WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU GUYS TO FUND IT BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY I CAN ASK FOR THE FUNDS UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF THE PROGRAM BECAUSE
[00:45:01]
I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE, THE CHEERLEADER GUYS.I MEAN, THE PARENTS GOTTA SHOW UP OR SOMEBODY HAS TO SHOW UP IN A RESPONSIBLE ADULT AND SIGN OFF ON THE REQUEST AND THE DOCUMENTATION I HAVE TO SUBMIT TO MS. ROSE.
BUT, UM, LIKE I SAID, WE, WE BELIEVE IT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE WE JUST KNOW IT'S BAD ECONOMICS AND WE KNOW THAT STUFF COSTS MONEY.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY'RE VERY WELL DRESSED.
UH, AND I, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE ANY FEMALE CHILDREN, BUT I KNOW AS SHE SAYS, I KNOW IT'S EXPENSIVE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOL.
SO CIS THAT IS TAB NUMBER FIVE.
UM, I AM MEL DANCY ROBINSON, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS OF BAYTOWN.
I HAVE WITH ME THIS EVENING, MY, UH, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM OPERATIONS, MICHELLE KERRY REDDICK, CAN YOU SPEAK UP PLEASE? I'M GONNA DO MY BEST.
AND I WAS GETTING TO THAT NEXT, I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE.
I HAD SOME, UH, THANK YOU MA'AM.
DENTAL ORTHODONTIC WORK DONE THIS MORNING.
SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE
CAN CAN YOU HEAR ME A LITTLE BETTER THOUGH? YES.
WE CAN ALSO PULL TOWARDS YOU IF YOU'D LIKE.
SO THIS EVENING, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE AND PRESENT TO YOU, UM, ONE OF OUR NEW PROGRAMS, UM, THAT WE STARTED AND LAUNCHED BACK IN JANUARY OF 2021, WHICH IS OUR JOB READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM.
OUR JOB READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM, UM, IS A PROGRAM THAT IT, WE LAUNCHED FOR A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, UM, GOOSE CREEK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.
AND THE JOB READINESS PROGRAM COVERS, UH, A NUMBER OF OF THINGS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS TO BE ABLE TO TEACH OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT HOW TO, UH, PROPERLY APPLY FOR JOBS IF THEY ARE INTERESTED, HOW TO APPLY FOR COLLEGE, IF THEY ARE INTERESTED.
AND SO WE THOUGHT WHAT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO BE ABLE TO GET THESE GROUP OF TEENAGERS TOGETHER, UM, TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THEM THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY WOULD NEED, UH, TO GO OUT INTO EITHER THE WORKFORCE OR TO ENTER INTO COLLEGE.
AND SO THIS IS HOW WE CAME UP WITH THE JOB READINESS, UH, TRAINING PROGRAM.
IT IS A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM, UH, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO TEACH THE CHILDREN HOW TO WRITE RESUMES, HOW TO, UH, INTERVIEW FOR, UM, JOB INTERVIEWS.
UM, IT ALSO WILL TEACH THEM HOW TO PROPERLY DRESS FOR AN INTERVIEW.
IT WILL ALSO TEACH THEM ABOUT, UM, HOW TO PREPARE FOR COLLEGE, IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN COLLEGE, THE STEPS THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO TAKE, UM, AND LOOKING FOR A COLLEGE, UM, THE FIELD THAT THEY MAY DESIRE TO GO INTO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THE, UM, PROGRAMS THAT WE DECIDED TO PUT IN PLACE FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
UM, THE WORKSHOP TOPICS ARE CAREER EXPLORATION, UH, EFFECTIVE TEAM COMMUNICATION, TRANSITIONING TO COLLEGE.
UH, WE ALSO GO INTO, UH, HOW TO APPLY FOR FSFA AND THE TASFA.
UH, WE ALSO TEACH THEM HOW TO SEEK SCHOLARSHIPS AND HOW TO APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS.
UM, AND IN ADDITION, WE HAVE ALSO INCLUDED, UH, JOB FAIRS.
I'M NOT, I'M SORRY, NOT JOB FAIRS, BUT COLLEGE FAIRS AND COLLEGE TOURS.
SO WE'VE ALSO MADE THAT A PART SO THAT WE CAN EXPOSE THE KIDS TO WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IN, UH, IF THEY DECIDED TO ENTER COLLEGE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, AND SO THAT HAS BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL.
OUR KIDS HAVE BEEN REALLY EXCITED.
SOME OF OUR KIDS, WE LEARNED IN OUR PAST COLLEGE, UH, TOURS, TAKING THEM TO EITHER U OF H, UH, TSU, WE'VE TAKEN THEM TO LAMAR UNIVERSITY.
UM, WE'VE TAKEN THEM TO, UM, IT'S, IT'S LAMAR UH, TECHNICAL SCHOOL.
AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS A LOT OF OUR KIDS THAT WE'VE TAKEN ON THESE FIELD TRIPS, SOME OF THEM HAVE NEVER REALLY BEEN OUTSIDE OF BAYTOWN.
UM, AND SO THEY WERE EXCITED JUST TO BE ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS AND JUST TO LEARN ALL ABOUT, UM, WHAT THEY CAN POSSIBLY, UM, UM, ACHIEVE OUTSIDE OF, UH, BAYTOWN AND OUTSIDE OF, UH, HIGH SCHOOL.
[00:50:01]
A SELF-ASSESSMENT, UH, FOR OUR STUDENTS AND A CAREER ASSESSMENT.AND ALL OF THIS IS ALL PROVIDED UNDER THE ACTUAL, UH, THE ACTUAL CURRICULUM THAT IS TAUGHT DURING THE JOB READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE JOB READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM.
THIS PROGRAM IS OPEN TO ALL OF GOOSE CREEK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GRADE NINE THROUGH 12.
UM, UPON COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM, EACH STUDENT WILL RECEIVE A, A CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION AND, UH, THE SITE COORDINATOR THAT IS ASSIGNED TO THEIR CAMPUS WILL ALSO ASSIST THEM AFTERWARDS WITH APPLYING FOR EMPLOYMENT AND OR COLLEGE.
UM, THE STUDENTS ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN MOCK INTERVIEWS.
UH, THIS PAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO DO MOCK INTERVIEWS AND WE HAD, UM, A FOUR PANEL AND THE VOLUNTEERS CAME FROM EXXONMOBIL.
UM, AND IT WAS REALLY, IT WAS REALLY NICE.
THE KIDS AT FIRST WERE NERVOUS.
THEY WERE ALL, THEY WERE NERVOUS ABOUT THE INTERVIEWS.
THEY FELT LIKE IT WAS A ACTUAL INTERVIEW, BUT AS, UH, THEY GOT STARTED WITH THE INTERVIEW, ONE THING I WILL SAY, THE INTER THE INTERVIEW PANEL MADE OUR STUDENTS FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE.
AND, UM, THEY ACTUALLY DID A GREAT JOB.
WE GOT A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS FROM, UH, THE INTERVIEW PANEL ABOUT OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR PARTICIPATION, OUR, UH, JOB READINESS TRAINING COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE'VE PARTNERED WITH PIVOT FOUNDATION, UM, PIVOT FOUNDATION, UH, FACILITATES ALL OF THE WORKSHOP.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS, WHEN WE INITIALLY STARTED OFF BACK IN JANUARY, 2021, WHAT WE DID WAS COMBINE ALL FIVE HIGH SCHOOLS.
AND WE GOT, UM, PROBABLY ABOUT FIVE STUDENTS FOR EACH HIGH SCHOOL TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, AND I FAILED TO MENTION IN THE BEGINNING, THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM, SO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AT THE TIME, SO MOST OF OUR STUDENTS WERE REMOTE.
UM, SO THIS GAVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOG ON AND PARTICIPATE, UM, IN THE PROGRAM.
BUT SINCE INTRODUCING THE PROGRAM BACK IN JANUARY, 2021, WE REALIZED THAT A LOT OF OUR CAMPUSES, UH, WANTED TO DO IT INDEPENDENTLY.
UM, AND SO PIVOT, UH, THEY'RE ABLE, THEY WERE, THEY ARE ABLE TO CREATE, UM, THE WORKSHOPS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR THAT PARTICULAR CAMPUS.
'CAUSE THERE ARE SOME CAMPUSES THAT ARE JUST KIND OF FOCUSED MAINLY ON COLLEGE, UH, READINESS AND NOT SO MUCH CAREER READINESS.
AND SO IN THAT EVENT, IF IT'S FOR THAT PARTICULAR CAMPUS, SHE WOULD DESIGN IT AND STRUCTURE THE WORKSHOPS SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT CAMPUS.
WE ALSO CONNECTED WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT I DID, I WENT OUT TO THE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES WITH THE, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, INTRODUCED MYSELF, INTRODUCED THE JOB READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM, EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT THE PROGRAM WAS ALL ABOUT, AND WE ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO AT LEAST EXTEND AN OPPORTUNITY TO OUR STUDENTS, UM, FOR AN INTERVIEW.
UM, AND SO WHAT I DID, I SOUGHT OUT THE DIFFERENT, UH, LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY HIRING.
AND WE GOT, I GOT A LOT OF GENERAL MANAGERS THAT WERE LIKE, OH, YEAH, SURE.
WE WILL EXTEND THE OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, TO INTERVIEW YOUR STUDENTS.
AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, AFTER THE PROGRAM WAS OVER, WE, UM, GAVE A LIST TO OUR STUDENTS AND SAID, HEY, THESE ARE ALL OF THE LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE HIRING.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
WE WILL REACH OUT TO THE MANAGER AND EMAIL THEM YOUR NAME ONCE YOU ACTUALLY GO GO ONLINE.
OR IF IT WAS A PAPER APPLICATION TO FILL OUT THE APPLICATION.
AND A, A FEW OF OUR STUDENTS DID THAT.
AND A FEW OF OUR STUDENTS WERE EXTENDED AN INTERVIEW, AND SOME OF THEM ACTUALLY OBTAINED EMPLOYMENT.
AND SO THESE ARE TWO PHOTOS OF, UH, TWO OF OUR STUDENTS WITH THEIR MANAGERS, UM, AFTER BEING HIRED.
AND THIS IS JUST SOME FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM OUR STUDENTS.
UM, OUR SITE COORDINATORS THAT ARE ON CAMPUS WORKING WITH THE STUDENTS, UM, SOME OF THEM STATED THAT THEY REALLY ENJOYED, UH, THE PART HOW THEY LEARNED ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO DRESS AND BEHAVE FOR INTERVIEW.
UH, ANOTHER STUDENT STATED, AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, THEY MOVED FORWARD WITH THEIR COLLEGE COUNSELING AND ENROLLED IN LEE COLLEGE FROM OUR SITE COORDINATOR.
AS A RESULT OF THE WORKSHOP, TWO STUDENTS CREATED THEIR RESUMES AND PLAN TO ATTEND THE LOCAL JOB FAIRS AND SEEK EMPLOYMENT.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAD ONE CAMPUS, WHICH WE CALL OUR SPECIALTY CAMPUS.
THEY DID NOT HAVE A COLLEGE AND CAREER COUNSELOR ON CAMPUS.
AND SO BY HOSTING THE JOB READINESS PROGRAM ON THEIR CAMPUS, THEY SAID THIS WAS VERY BENEFICIAL FOR THEIR STUDENTS.
THEIR STUDENTS REALLY LEARNED A LOT, AND THEY WANTED, AND ACTUALLY AFTER THAT FIRST INITIAL
AND THEN HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF OUR STUDENTS THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM, UH, HOLDING
[00:55:01]
UP THEIR CERTIFICATES.UH, THEY ALSO, UH, ALL EACH OF THE STUDENTS DO RECEIVE SOME TYPE OF INCENTIVE.
SOMETIMES WE GIVE OUT GIFT CARDS.
UM, SOMETIMES WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, GIVE OUT LAPTOPS TO SOME OF OUR STUDENTS.
AND SO THIS IS JUST A FEW PHOTOS OF OUR STUDENTS THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED.
ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION, MA'AM.
THESE TRAININGS, IT SAYS UNDER DESCRIPTION ON, ON OUR, UM, RFP BOOKS THAT WOULD BE OFFERED VIRTUALLY.
IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
CURRENTLY, THEY ARE ALL VIRTUALLY RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT WAS BECAUSE THIS YEAR WHEN THE SCHOOL OPENED BACK UP, THEY WERE, THEY DID NOT ALLOW GUESTS TO COME ON THE CAMPUS.
SO IT IS OUR HOPE THAT NEXT YEAR WE WILL THEN BE ABLE TO HAVE THE FACILITATORS TO COME ON CAMPUS.
THAT WAY WE CAN OFFER THEM IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY.
SO THESE MOCKING VIEWS, THEY'RE STILL IN VIRTUAL, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
I WOULD'VE LOVED A PROGRAM LIKE THIS WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
IS IT VIRTUAL FROM SCHOOL? IS THIS PART OF THEIR DAILY SCHEDULE? LIKE HOW DOES THAT WORK? IT IS VIRTUAL FROM SCHOOL.
THE SITE COORDINATORS WILL MAKE A PLEA.
THEY OFFER THE JOB READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM TO THE STUDENTS AT LARGE.
ONCE THEY IDENTIFY THE STUDENTS THAT WILL PARTICIPATE, WE WILL USE SOMETIMES THE COMPUTER LAB SO THAT EACH STUDENT WILL HAVE THEIR OWN MONITOR OR COMPUTER.
UM, AND WE DO IT THROUGH WEBEX.
SO OUR FACILITATOR, SHE IS A PART OF THE ZOOM PRESENTATION.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE STUDENTS, WE HAVE THE PROGRAM STAFF TO MONITOR, AND THEN WE HAVE THE SITE COORDINATORS WHO ARE THERE TO SUPPORT THE KIDS AS WELL.
SO HOW I SEE THAT ANY STUDENT FROM ANY OF THE THREE OR FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS CAN PARTICIPATE.
HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THOSE STUDENTS THAT NEED HELP? OR WHO HELPS YOU IN IDENTIFYING THOSE STUDENTS? BECAUSE THE PSYCH COORDINATOR IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT WITH THE STUDENT, THEY HAVE SUCH A RELATIONSHIP WHERE THE STUDENT WILL WILLINGLY LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY NEED HELP.
EITHER AFTER THE SESSION, BEFORE THE SESSION, DURING THE SESSION, THEY COMMUNICATE WITH THE FACILITATOR AND THEY WILL ASK QUESTIONS OF THE FACILITATOR.
SO THAT'S WHERE I'M KIND OF LOST.
WHO, HOW, WHO DOES THIS SITE COORDINATOR, WHO IS THAT EMPLOYED BY COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS? YES, SIR.
AND THEY'RE ON EACH OF THE CAMPUS? YES, SIR.
JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL, WE HAVE SITE COORDINATORS ON BOTH THE JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSES.
THE REASON BEING, I HAVE A KID IN HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT NOW, NEVER HEARD OF, NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE.
NEVER HEARD OF COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS.
NO, I MEAN, AND I TRY TO STAY AS INVOLVED AS POSSIBLE.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS SUCH A PROGRAM AVAILABLE.
YOU KNOW, WELL, I WILL SAY THIS, UM, WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT IS KIND OF REINTRODUCING WHO WE ARE.
COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN IN THIS AREA SINCE 1994.
THEY STARTED OUT AS A, UH, GAIN PREVENTION, UH, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM.
AND THEN LIKE DARE OR HUH DARE, LIKE DARE SIM SIMILAR TO DARE BAYTOWN PD.
UM, THEY WERE OVER AT THE GREEN CENTER ACROSS FROM WALL STERLING HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT'S WHERE WE WERE INITIALLY BASED.
AND THEN, UM, WE FOUND OUT WE COULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE IF WE WENT INSIDE THE SCHOOL TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SUPPORT THAT WAS NEEDED ON CAMPUS ON A DAILY BASIS WITH THE STUDENTS.
SO WE'VE BEEN INTENTIONAL, UM, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN WITH COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS, BOTH MICHELLE AND I SINCE 2018.
AND WE DID REALIZE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHO WE WERE AND WHAT WE DID.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT INTRODUCING WHO WE ARE.
SO WE ARE, WE SHOW UP AT ALL OF THE OPEN HOUSES, THE FISH CAMP, THE TADPOLE CAMP.
UH, WE SHOW UP AT THE COMMUNITY EVENTS.
UH, WE GIVE OUT FLYERS AND WE KIND OF SHARE THAT INFORMATION ABOUT WHO WE ARE BECAUSE WE DO REALIZE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO STILL DON'T KNOW WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO.
AND SO THIS IS JUST ONE PROGRAM THAT WE OFFER, BUT ON A DAILY BASIS, WE PROVIDE, UH, MONITORING AND INTERVENTION IN THE AREAS OF ACADEMIC BEHAVIOR, ATTENDANCE, AND BASIC NEEDS FOR OUR STUDENTS.
WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHO THE NAMES OF THE COORDINATOR AT EACH OF THE CAMPUSES? YES, SIR.
WHO, WHO ARE THEY? CAN YOU TELL ME? YES, SIR.
[01:00:01]
ALL 22.UH, GCM IS, UH, MISS SHAY MONTGOMERY AND ERIN PARKER.
UM, SO WE HAVE TWO BASED ON ALL OF THE CAMPUS WITH THE EXCEPT EXCEPTION OF THE SPECIALTY CAMPUS.
AND THAT'S IMPACT, UH, STEWART, UM, PPE EIGHT, PETER E HIGHLAND, AND POINT AND POINT.
SO WE'RE ON ALL OF THE CAMPUS, BUT THOSE SPECIALTY CAMPUS ONLY HAVE ONE BECAUSE IT IS A SMALLER CAMPUS.
SO YOUR LINE ITEM ON YOUR BUDGET, YOU HAVE $600 FOR OTHER CAPITAL EXPENSES.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT'S GONNA COVER? MM-HMM
SO THE, THE OTHER CAPITAL, UM, I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ON THERE WHERE WE'VE GOT YEAH, TOTALLY.
SHARON HAS JUST HIS OTHER, SHE'S FINE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND OUT WITH OUR PROGRAM, HERE YOU GO.
UM, WITH OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE GOING ON JOB INTERVIEWS, LIKE FOR SOME OF THE STUDENTS THAT, UH, GOT HIRED WITH SOME OF OUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS THROUGHOUT THE AREA, THEY REQUIRE THEM TO WEAR CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, NOT UNIFORMS, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE, MAYBE HAVE KHAKI SLACKS OR BLACK SLACKS, OR THEY MAY HAVE TO HAVE THE NON-SLIP SHOES.
AND SO THE STUDENTS THAT ARE ENTERING OUR PROGRAM, NOT ALL OF THEM, OF COURSE, CAN AFFORD TO EVEN TO GO OUT AND PURCHASE THESE ITEMS TO START WORK.
AND SO THAT IS WHERE WE WANT TO FALL IN TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT BASIC NEED ITEM SO THAT THAT'S NOT A BARRIER WHERE THEY CANNOT START, UM, THEIR NEW JOBS.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER THEM.
AND I HAVE THE SAME QUESTION FOR TRAINING AND TRAVEL.
IF IT'S VIRTUAL, UM, WILL THE TRAVEL EXPENSES BE MAYBE THE TRIPS THAT THEY'RE GONNA TAKE TO COLLEGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT? YES.
THE COLLEGE FAIRS, THE COLLEGE TOUR, WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER ONE SO FAR THIS YEAR.
WHEN TO OPEN BACK UP, GOOSE CREEK ALLOWED US TO DO A FIELD TRIP.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET ONE IN JUST ABOUT A MONTH AGO IN MARCH TO TSU.
SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, UH, PAY THE TRANSPORTATION TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THEM THERE.
AND WE DO PROVIDE LUNCH FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AND THEN ONE MORE, AND THEN I'LL LET MR. VINCENT GO.
OUR GOAL IS TO SERVE A HUNDRED STUDENTS.
SO IS IT GONNA BE THE SAME A HUNDRED STUDENTS ATTENDING ALL FOUR TRAININGS, OR IS IT GONNA BE 25 STUDENTS PER TRAINING TO EQUAL 100? MM-HMM
25 STUDENTS PER TRAINING? YES.
OH, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT, UM, SOME OF THE BUSINESSES WERE RESTAURANTS.
HOW ARE, I MEAN, ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING AT OTHER BUSINESSES TO GET INVOLVED? AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO REACH OUT TO THOSE BUSINESSES? SO, IT IS OUR HOPE TO GET OTHER BUSINESSES INVOLVED.
WE WOULD LIKE TO POSSIBLY TRY SOMETHING LIKE CLERICAL, LIKE THERE MAY BE SOME STUDENTS THAT WANT TO GET INTO ADMINISTRATIVE, SOME TYPE OF CLERICAL WORK.
UM, I, I HAVEN'T PERSONALLY REACHED OUT YET TO, UH, SOME OF THE BUSINESS THAT BUSINESSES THAT CAN POSSIBLY OFFER THAT, BUT THAT IS ON OUR AGENDA FOR, UH, THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR TO BE ABLE TO SEND A LETTER.
'CAUSE WE GIVE EVERYONE A LETTER.
WE GIVE THEM A BROCHURE THAT, THAT GIVES THEM ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT IS OUR, THAT IS ON OUR AGENDA TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS.
IT'S JUST THAT RIGHT NOW THAT THE, THE FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE HIRING IMMEDIATELY.
AND OUR STUDENTS ARE LIKE, I'M READY TO WORK RIGHT NOW.
UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME THAT THEY, THEY CURRENTLY HELP OUT THEIR HOUSEHOLDS, AND SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE OUT THERE SEEKING EMPLOYMENT AND THEY WANT IT RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, WE DID THE YEAR, TWO YEARS AGO WHEN THE CITY OFFERED SUMMER EMPLOYMENT, WE WERE ABLE TO GET QUITE A FEW OF OUR KIDS SIGNED UP THROUGH THE CITIES PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THAT PROGRAM COMES BACK SO THAT WE CAN ROLL THEM OVER INTO THAT PROGRAM AS WELL.
AND, UM, YOU, YOU WERE MENTIONING BEFORE ABOUT, UM, UH, MORE SO VISITING COLLEGES AND, AND, AND LETTING THE STUDENTS KNOW ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE POSSIBILITIES OF, OF GOING TO COLLEGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER VOCATIONS? UH, HVAC PLUMBING, UH, ELECTRICAL, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT MIGHT NOT REQUIRE COLLEGE EDUCATION? UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, OFFER GREAT, YOU KNOW, UM, TECHNICAL JOBS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IS THAT, IS THAT, AND SO THAT IS, THAT IS PART OF OUR AGENDA AS WELL.
BUT THE ONLY THING WE CANNOT OFFER IS OUR STUDENTS TO GO ON THE TRIPS, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PLANTS, YOU HAVE TO BE 18 AND OLDER FOR THEM TO ALLOW YOU TO COME IN.
AND SO WHAT OUR GOAL IS FOR NEXT YEAR IS
[01:05:01]
TO BE ABLE TO OFFER A PANEL WHERE WE CAN OFFER IT POSSIBLY VIRTUALLY, VIRTUALLY, AND THEY CAN COME IN AND SPEAK TO OUR STUDENTS AND SHARE ABOUT HOW THEY CAN GET, UH, GO INTO THAT FIELD, THAT VOCATIONAL FIELD.UM, AND ONE MORE QUESTION IS, I UNDERSTAND, UH, GOOSE CREEK DOES HAVE A, UM, UH, DEPARTMENT CT E YES.
DO YOU GUYS WORK WITH THE CTE DEPARTMENT OR IS THAT KIND OF TWO SEPARATE THINGS, OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO WE COLLABORATE, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE CONTRACT WORKERS WITHIN IN GOOSE CREEK, OUR SITE COORDINATORS THAT ARE BASED ON THE CAMPUS, UM, THEY, THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH CTE.
THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH THE COLLEGE AND CAREER COUNSELOR, THE ACTUAL COUNSELOR.
AND GOOSE CREEK ALSO HAS WHAT THEY CALL STUDENT WELLNESS INTERVENTIONISTS.
AND SO THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH ALL OF THEM AS WELL.
AND SO AT TIMES THEY DO COME TOGETHER AND THEY'LL COLLABORATE AND COME UP MAYBE WITH SOME TYPE OF EVENT OR SOME TYPE OF OTHER WORKSHOP TO BE ABLE TO, UH, INTRODUCE TO THE STUDENTS THAT ARE ON CAMPUS.
SO IF STUDENTS ARE HIRED OUT OF YOUR PROGRAM, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY, UM, GETTING ANY SCHOOL CREDIT OR THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, GETTING OUTTA SCHOOL EARLIER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IT'S JUST FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL CORRECT.
GAIN OUT THAT CORRECT EVERYTHING.
I KNOW WHAT FAFSA STANDS FOR AND WHAT DOES P FAFSA STANDS FOR? IS THAT A SISTER PROGRAM COMPARED TO FAFSA? I BELIEVE YES.
THAT'S THE, UM, THAT IS THE TEXAS ONE FOR THE STUDENTS.
AND THEN WHAT IS THE RETENTION RATE? I MEAN, YOU HAVE PICTURES OF STUDENTS AT A COUPLE OF THE RESTAURANTS ONCE THEY GET HIRED.
HOW LONG DO YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU GUYS EVER FOLLOWED UP, HOW LONG THEY ACTUALLY STAY, AND HOW IS, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS IS BENEFICIAL? ARE THEY ACTUALLY STAYING THERE FOR LONGER DURATIONS OR MOVING UP THE LADDER, THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, OR NO.
UM, THAT IS ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING WITH OUR ALUMNI PROGRAM THIS, UH, THIS UPCOMING YEAR BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TRACK IT BETTER.
UM, WE, WE ONLY KNOW BY WORD OF MOUTH WITH SOME OF OUR SITE COORDINATORS THAT ARE STILL IN CONTACT WITH THE STUDENTS AFTER GRADUATION.
UH, LIKE WE HAVE ONE YOUNG LADY, THIS IS HER JUNIOR YEAR, AND SHE IS STILL WORKING IN THE PROGRAM.
WE HAVE SOME STUDENTS THAT HAVE GRADUATED AND THEY ARE NO LONGER WORKING, AND THEY'VE GONE EITHER OFF TO COLLEGE OR THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING ELSE.
SO WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TRACK IT IN OUR DATA SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE ON OUR GEN TO BE ABLE TO TRACK MOVING FORWARD ALONG WITH OUR ALUMNI PROGRAM.
HAVE YOU GUYS EVER THOUGHT ABOUT WORKING WITH ANY OF THE ON CAMPUS CLUBS? LIKE I KNOW GCM, THEY HAVE THE, UM, THE GLOBAL BUSINESS ACADEMY MM-HMM
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UH, CHICK-FIL-A ACADEMY IS THERE.
AND THEN I THINK RECENTLY, LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THEY HAVE STARTED FDLA, FUTURE BUSINESS LEADERS OF AMERICA.
DO YOU GUYS EVER, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PIGGYBACK OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS AND KIND OF LET STUDENTS KNOW WE HAVE THESE OPTIONS AVAILABLE AND STUFF LIKE THIS.
SO WE'VE NEVER PIGGYBACKED OFF OF ANY OF GOOSE CREEK, UH, PROGRAMS. OKAY.
UM, BUT THAT IS A GOOD, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT THAT IS AN IDEA AND AN OPTION THAT WE CAN MOST CERTAINLY LOOK INTO.
UM, STERLING HAS THE EDUCATION PROGRAM OVER THERE AS WELL AS NURSING, I BELIEVE.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO BECAUSE AFTER THEY LEARN THESE SKILLS IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN PROBABLY CARRY ON INTO ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS. YEAH.
SOME OF THE PROGRAMS, LIKE AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE AND BANKS, THEY CAN'T HAVE VOLUNTEERS 'CAUSE OF THE PRIVILEGE, YOU KNOW, THE PRIVACY ACT AND SO FORTH, BECAUSE YEAH, THEY, YEAH, EXACTLY.
BUT I THINK SOME OF THESE OTHER BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN HAVE A CLERICAL JOB LIKE AT THE COURTHOUSE, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, JUST GIVING DIRECTIONS IN THE FRONTS AND YEAH.
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING JUST STARTING OUT BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF THESE KIDS JUST TO GET THEIR FEET WET IN A BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND WHAT THE REAL WORLD ACTUALLY ENTAILS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT MY SON GRADUATED IN 1990.
UH, HE WAS A ROBERT E. LEE COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOL STUDENT, AND IT KEPT HIM STRAIGHT.
IT KEPT HIM, UH, I'M A TEACHER, SO I DON'T, DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO DO ALL THAT AS A PARENT, THE FESTA AND THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU ALL IN THE PROGRAM, IT KEPT HIM, UH, ON TOP OF WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE FOR HIM TO GO TO COLLEGE.
HE DID GRADUATE FROM TEXAS STATE, AND HE IS, UH, WORKING IN AUSTIN AND DOING VERY WELL FOR HIMSELF.
I, I, I APPRECIATE THAT GUIDANCE, YOU KNOW, AND THE TRACKING, BECAUSE AS A, UM, TEACHER AS WELL, I WOULD, I WAS VERY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY.
I WOULD HEAR THAT, UH, A LOT OF THE PARENTS DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHERE TO GO, YOU KNOW, ANY HELP, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME TO APPLYING FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS AND, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH, YOU KNOW, OR HELP.
AND THEY WERE SMART KIDS, THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO GO, AND THE PARENTS DIDN'T HAVE THE, THE HELP THAT THEY
[01:10:01]
NEEDED.SO Y'ALL'S PROGRAM DID HELP 'EM, UH, HIM AND OTHER KIDS THAT I RECOMMENDED, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THIS.
SO I APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE ALL THAT EXTRA WORK THAT Y'ALL DO.
AND THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, SO HE'S AN ALUMNI, BUT I DON'T KNOW, WAS THAT COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS IN, BEFORE YOU ALL MADE IT IN, WAS IT 1990? YOU SAID 94 94, YES.
WELL, THAT'S WHEN THEY STARTED OUT AT THE, AFTER THAT THEY STARTED OUT AT THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM.
THERE'S COMMITTEES IN SCHOOL BEFORE THAT.
WE HAVE COMMITTEES IN SCHOOLS, BUT IT'S, YEAH, HE DID GO TO.
YOU DON'T, BECAUSE I REMEMBER, I, I GRADUATED IN 98 FROM LEE.
UM, ONE OF MY ENGLISH TEACHERS IN 10TH GRADE, WHICH WOULD BE 96.
WE HAD A MOCK PROGRAM WHERE EXXON AND CHEVRON PROVIDED THEIR EMPLOYEES TO KIND OF GET US READY FOR THE SIMILAR MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, YOU CAME AND APPLIED FOR A JOB AND IN MOCK INTERVIEW AND SO FORTH.
WHAT IF SOMEBODY LIKE ME OR SOMEONE ELSE WANTS TO VOLUNTEER AS A, SO DO WE JUST CALL AND SIGN UP AND YES, YOU COULD CALL AND SIGN UP.
WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS, MENTORS, TUTORS.
GIVE US A CALL, EMAILS, DIRECT LINE.
NO, BECAUSE I KNOW AS A PART OF ANA, THEY, THEY DO AT, AT ALMO.
'CAUSE I KNOW THEIR MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO GIVE BACK.
AND THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING 'CAUSE THEY MENTOR CHILDREN FROM EARLY AGE, FROM ELEMENTARY ON TO HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE.
SO THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN.
I HAVE, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, PLEASE.
UM, SO I KNOW YOU GOT YOUR COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS COORDINATOR, ONSITE COORDINATORS ON THE CAMPUSES THAT COULD IDENTIFY SOME OF THE KIDS THAT MIGHT BENEFIT FROM THIS.
RIGHT? SO IS IT'S, THEY'RE NOT GETTING CREDIT.
SO IT'S BASICALLY EXTRACURRICULAR.
SO DO THEY HAVE TO HAVE PARENTAL PERMISSION OR, UH, MAYBE A COUNSELOR OR A TEACHER RECOMMENDATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE RECOMMENDATION.
UM, AND THAT IS WHY OUR SITE COORDINATORS WORK CLOSELY, EITHER WITH THE COLLEGE AND CAREER COUNSELOR THAT'S ON CAMPUS AS WELL, OR THE COUNSELOR, BECAUSE SOME OF THE COUNSELORS AND THOSE COLLEGE CAREER COUNSELORS HAVE, HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THEM TO IDENTIFY THE STUDENTS AS WELL.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE, UM, REFERRALS OR WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE PARENT PERMISSION FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
THE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ALREADY ON OUR CASELOAD.
SO EACH OF OUR SITE COORDINATORS HAVE TO, THEY CARRY A CASELOAD OF 100 STUDENTS.
AND SO WHAT THEY DO IS GO ON THAT LIST AND THEY IDENTIFY THEIR HIGH SCHOOL, THEIR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO SAY, OKAY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WHICH OF THESE STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, WE THINK WILL BE INTERESTED IN THIS PROGRAM.
BUT THEY ALSO ADVERTISE IT SCHOOLWIDE.
SO IT GOES OUT ON ANNOUNCEMENTS, FLYERS ARE POSTED THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL SO THAT OTHER KIDS THAT MAY NOT BE ON OUR CASELOAD WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE AS WELL.
I HAVE, I HAVE ONE MORE ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
IT SAYS HERE THAT, UM, YOU WERE APPLIED FOR ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDS.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF GOOSE CREEK? CISD FUNDING? YES.
WE, GOOSE CREEK IS ONE OF OUR FUNDERS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THROW IN A SUGGESTION RIGHT AT THE END MM-HMM
TO KEEP BOTHERING SHARON
BUT, UH, THE CITY IS HIRING SOME, UH, SUMMER WORKERS FIRST OFF.
AND I WAS JUST GONNA THROW OUT THERE THAT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MIGHT BE A GOOD CONTACT FOR NEW BUSINESSES AS WELL.
WE WILL DEFINITELY LOOK INTO IT.
UH, WILL NOW CALL HARS AND HANGS OF BAYTOWN.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HEARTS AND HANDS IN BAYTOWN.
SO Y'ALL ARE VERY FORTUNATE TONIGHT.
[01:15:01]
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY.SO THANK YOU AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE HEARTS AND HANDS OF BAYTOWN, AND WE, CAN Y'ALL HEAR, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? YES.
SO WE ARE A FOOD MINISTRY, A FOOD PANTRY.
AND SO WE, UM, SHARE FOOD WITH THOSE IN NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
LAST YEAR IN 2021, WE DISTRIBUTED OVER 2.8 MILLION POUNDS TO OVER 25,000 FAMILIES IN THE AREA.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON AND WE HAVE SO MANY VALUABLE PEOPLE THAT POUR INTO US.
AND, UM, FROM VOLUNTEERS TO DONORS TO CORPORATE SPONSORS.
UM, IN 2020, WE WERE THE LUCKY RECIPIENTS OF SOME CDBG, UM, COVID SPECIFIC FUNDING.
UM, SHARON AND CHRIS ACTUALLY CONTACTED US AND ASKED US IF WE WOULD BE WILLING TO DISTRIBUTE THAT.
AND SO CRITERIA FOR THAT FOR FAMILIES WAS, UM, MEDICAL VULNERABILITY, AGE VULNERABILITY, OR INTERACTION VULNERABILITY.
SO IT WAS COVID SPECIFIC FUNDING.
UM, THE PROGRAM I'M GONNA PRESENT TO YOU GUYS IS CALLED DOORSTEP BLESSING.
WE DO BELIEVE THAT NO ONE SHOULD GO HUNGRY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WE, UM, WE'RE FUNDED ON, WE WERE FOUNDED ON DIGNITY RATHER.
AND, UM, BEING SUPPORTIVE OF THOSE IN NEED.
SO THE COVID FUNDING ACTUALLY WAS, UM, SO INSTRUMENTAL IN DOORSTEP BLESSINGS.
WE ACTUALLY BEGAN THIS PROGRAM.
IT DID NOT HAVE A NAME BACK IN 2015.
AND IT WAS WITH ONE SENIOR LOW INCOME APARTMENT COMPLEX CALLED WINDHAM PARK.
AND WHAT WE DID IS WE TOOK, UM, KIND OF OUR PANTRY MOBILE.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A BRICK AND MORTAR BUILDING THAT IS SET UP LIKE A GROCERY STORE WHERE FAMILIES IN NEED ARE INVITED IN AND THEY SHOP ONE-ON-ONE WITH A VOLUNTEER, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO PICK AND CHOOSE FREELY JUST LIKE WE DO WHEN WE GO GROCERY SHOPPING.
UM, SO THAT'S THE DIGNITY PART, RIGHT? AND BEING ABLE TO SELECT, UM, WHAT YOUR FAMILY LIKES.
UM, MAYBE YOU'RE DIABETIC AND YOU NEED TO STAY AWAY FROM THAT LOW SUGAR, OR YOU'RE HYPERTENSIVE AND YOU NEED TO STAY AWAY FROM THAT HIGH SALT QUANTITY.
SO GETTING TO SHOP FREELY, JUST LIKE WE DO AT THE GROCERY STORE, CUTS DOWN ON THOSE HAZARDS, RIGHT? OF SELECTING SOMETHING THAT, NUMBER ONE, YOUR FAMILY DOES NOT LIKE, OR YOUR FAMILY DOES NOT NEED, OR CANNOT CONGEST OR INGEST RATHER.
AND SO, UM, I GET EMOTIONAL WHEN I START TALKING ABOUT THIS 'CAUSE WE ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND WE ARE SEEING THIS DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
SO FORGIVE ME IF MY VOICE STARTS TO TREMBLE A LITTLE BIT AS I COMMUNICATE.
UM, BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE JUST SHARE THAT LOVE WITH THESE FAMILIES.
AND SO THEY'RE INVITED INTO THE BRICK AND MORTAR SITE.
BUT DURING COVID, WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, RIGHT? DOORS CLOSED.
WE NEVER STOPPED WHAT WE WERE DOING.
AS I MENTIONED, WE WERE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
WE NEVER STOPPED FOR A MINUTE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE RAMPED EVERYTHING UP.
SO WITH THE COVID FUNDING THAT CAME DOWN FROM CDBG, WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY JUST CREATE A MORE ROBUST DOORSTEP BLESSING.
SO WE WERE STILL DOING, UM, FOOD FAIRS.
AND IF FOR YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT, THAT'S WHERE THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK COMES.
THEY DELIVER ANYWHERE FROM 10, I'VE DONE AS MANY AS 50 PALLETS OF FOOD, UM, AT A SITE.
THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, ROBERT E. LEE, WERE SOME OF OUR GO GANDER.
I'M A FORMER GANDER, UM, WAS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST LOCATIONS.
WE SERVED OVER 800 FAMILIES WITHIN A FOUR HOUR TIME BLOCK SEVERAL TIMES DURING COVI.
SO THESE THINGS WERE ALL STILL IN MOTION, BUT, UM, WE HAD TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET TO PEOPLE THAT WERE STUCK IN THEIR HOMES, RIGHT? THE QUARANTINE, THE DISABLED, THE ELDERLY.
AND SO, DOORSTEP BLESSINGS WAS REALLY BORN OUT OF COVID.
AS I MENTIONED, WE WERE DOING IT BACK IN 2015 AND THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, BUT IT WAS SMALL PIECES.
SO WE WOULD GO INTO THESE APARTMENT COMPLEXES, WE WOULD SET UP IN THE COMMUNITY ROOMS, WE WOULD TAKE THE GROCERIES TO THEM.
AND IT WAS, IT'S, IT'S PRECIOUS BECAUSE THE SENIORS ARE COMING AND THEY'RE IN THEIR LITTLE WALKERS OR THEIR MOBILE WHEELCHAIRS OR WHATEVER IT IS.
AND A LOT OF THESE FOLKS, EVEN PRIOR TO COVID, THEY COULDN'T GO TO THE GROCERY STORES.
YOU KNOW, THIS WAS THEIR GROCERY STORE, THIS WAS THEIR SOCIAL SOCIAL INTERACTION.
UM, THIS WAS THEIR CHANCE JUST TO HAVE SOME NORMALCY IN THEIR LIVES.
AND SO WE WOULD SET IT UP AND IT'S EVERYTHING FROM FRESH PRODUCE TO BAKERY, TO MEAT, TO CANNED GOODS, YOU NAME IT.
UH, WE GET EVERYTHING JUST LIKE A GROCERY STORE WOULD GET IT.
WE WOULD TAKE IT, THEY WOULD COME THROUGH, WE'RE COLLECTING DATA.
I'VE GOT DATA THAT I COULD SHARE WITH YOU FOR DAYS.
SO THAT IS PART OF OUR PROCESS, BUT WE'RE COLLECTING THE DATA, BUT MOST OF ALL, WE'RE JUST GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FOOD, FRESH FOOD ON THEIR TABLES.
AND SO WE STARTED, UM, WITH THIS ONE WINDHAM PARK, AND THEN OVER THE YEARS WE
[01:20:01]
ADDED ANOTHER LITTLE ONE AND ANOTHER LITTLE ONE.AND THEN WHEN THIS COVID MONEY CAME DOWN, THE C-B-C-D-B-G, WE WERE ABLE TO EXPAND THAT AND GROW INTO MORE, UM, SECTION EIGHT HOUSING.
UM, BAY TERRACE IS ONE OF THE COMMUNITIES WE WORK WITH.
ROSEMONT, WHICH IS ANOTHER LOW INCOME FAMILY SITE.
AND SO WE DO THIS MONTHLY AND, UM, WE ARE LOADING UP U HALLS AND I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR DISTRIBUTION PACKAGE.
SO THAT'S GONNA CONSIST OF A PRE-PACKED BOX.
AND SO IT'S NOT QUITE THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS WE'RE GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE AND WE'RE GETTING TO CHOOSE OFF THE SHELF WHAT WE WANT, BUT IT'S A NICE BOX.
IT'S GONNA FEED THEIR FAMILY FOR SEVERAL MEALS.
AND THEN WE'RE ADDING TO IT, UM, FROZEN MEAT AND DELI, UM, PREPARED MEALS, ENTREES, YOU KNOW, THE HEB BEAUTIFUL SIMPLE MEALS THEY HAVE THAT YOU CAN PAY $20 TO POP FOR MM-HMM
WE GET THOSE, WE GET PRIME RIB, WE GET LOBSTER, YOU NAME IT.
WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST RETAIL NETWORK.
WE PICK UP FROM 26 DIFFERENT RETAILERS DURING THE COURSE OF THE WEEK.
WE ALSO PICK UP FROM EIGHT DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS.
SO OLIVE GARDEN, PIZZA HUT, CHIPOTLE, I COULD GO ON AND ON.
BUT WE'RE GETTING ALL THIS FOOD.
AND WHAT'S SO AMAZING IS THAT MOST OF IT IS FREE.
IT'S JUST VOLUNTEER HOURS AND, UM, OTHER HOUSTON FOOD BANK FEES AND LITTLE THINGS THAT MIGHT COME ALONG THE WAY.
BUT AS I MENTIONED, 2.8 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD IN A YEAR IS A LOT OF FOOD, RIGHT? SO BACK TO DOORSTEP BLESSING.
SO WE ARE GOING TO THESE SITES MONTHLY AND WE TAKE, UM, I WORK WITH THE ACTIVITIES DIRECTORS.
SO, UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT EDISON COURT, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, HOUSING SECTION EIGHT.
AND, UM, WORKED WITH THEIR ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR AND SHE SIGNED UP CLIENTS.
WE HAVE AN APPLICATION PROCESS.
WE PUT THEM ON OUR ROLES FOR THAT PARTICULAR RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, WE'RE CALLING THEM, ARE YOU IN NEED THIS MONTH? CAN WE, CAN WE COME TO YOU? AND SO WE KNOW WHO WE'RE GOING TO BEFORE WE GO AND WE'RE DELIVERING TO THEIR DOORSTEP.
IN SOME CASES IT MIGHT BE A COMMUNITY ROOM THAT WE'RE GOING TO, AND NOT DIRECTLY TO THE DOORS, BUT IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE SITE.
AND SO WE WORK AT ALL THESE DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, THIS THURSDAY WE'RE GONNA BE AT SHADY CREEK, WHICH IS ON ALEXANDER.
AND, UM, WHAT IS SO AMAZING IS THE SUPPORT THAT WE'VE HAD FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND A LOT OF THAT DURING CID YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANTED TO KNOW, HOW CAN I HELP? AND WE HAVE ARMIES OF VOLUNTEERS.
AND, UM, WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, UM, COMMUNITY RESOURCE CREDIT UNION AND CHICK-FIL-A HAVE BOTH SIGNED OUT ON WITH US IN TERMS OF VOLUNTEERING.
SO THEY ACTUALLY COME ONCE A MONTH AND THEY PACK THESE DOORSTEP BLESSING BOXES BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT.
THERE IS A LOT OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND LABOR THAT GOES INTO THESE PROGRAMS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS SATURDAY WE HAVE COMMUNITY RESOURCE COMING IN.
THEY'LL PACK ABOUT 250 DOORSTEP BLESSING BOXES FOR US THAT WILL BE GOING OUT THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE MONTH.
THE THIRD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH, CHICK-FIL-A COMES IN, THEY PACK ANOTHER 250.
SO THESE ARE A LOT OF BOXES GOING OUT THROUGHOUT THE MONTH.
ANOTHER THING THAT'S VERY UNIQUE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM IS THAT WE HAVE PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE GONNA DELIVER FOR US.
SO NOT ONLY ARE PEOPLE PACKING THESE THINGS AND HELPING US GET THOSE BOXES READY, BUT WE HAVE PEOPLE LIKE, UM, BAYTOWN, CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE, SECOND BAYTOWN, DIFFERENT MINISTRIES, DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT COME.
THEY PICK UP FROM US AND THEN THEY GO DELIVER.
SO SOMETIMES IT'S MY STAFF THAT'S DELIVERING.
OTHER TIMES IT'S THESE OTHER VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE DELIVERING TAMMY, WHO YOU GUYS WILL HEAR FROM IN A LITTLE WHILE FROM MARCELLUS WILLIAMS. THEY WORK WITH US.
SO TAMMY COMES IN ONCE A WEEK, SHE PICKS UP FOR SO MANY FOLKS, AND SHE GOES AND DELIVERS TO THEM.
SO IT'S GIVEN PEOPLE AWAY TO PLUG IN, TO GET INVOLVED, TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A PHENOMENAL PROGRAM.
UM, THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT, AN OVERVIEW OF OUR PROGRAM ENTIRETY.
SO YOU CAN SEE I'VE LISTED ALL THE FOOD SOURCES THAT WE HAVE, THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMMING, THE DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE.
WE INCORPORATE ALL KINDS OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES INTO THESE, UM, PROGRAMS. SO DOORSTEP BLESSING FOR AN EXAMPLE, UM, WE MIGHT HAVE SOMEBODY FROM WELLCARE GOING AND TALKING ABOUT MEDICARE AND THINGS THAT THEY COULD SIGN ON, OR LEGACY HEALTH, HELPING SENIORS OR ANYBODY IN NEED GET REGISTERED FOR THESE DIFFERENT SERVICES.
SO WE WANNA TRY TO CREATE SOME KIND OF ONE STOP SHOP MENTALITY AND, UM, GIVE AS MANY RESOURCES AS WE CAN TO THOSE THAT WE'RE SERVING.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE DOORSTEP BLESSING IS THE ONE THAT I CIRCLED IN RED THERE.
SO THAT HAS SOME OF OUR SITES AND ALSO SOME OF THE PARTNERS THAT ARE HELPING TO, UM, PUT THESE PROGRAMS OUT AND INTO ACTION.
[01:25:02]
AND THIS IS ALL, UM, TAKING STEPS TOWARDS STABILITY.HOPEFULLY WE DON'T WANNA CONTINUE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY OVER AND OVER.
WE KNOW THAT OUR SENIORS, THEY'RE LOCKED IN AS FAR AS THEIR FINANCES, BUT WE CAN SHARE WITH THEM MAYBE DIABETES PREVENTION OR CHRONIC CONDITIONS CLASSES.
WE CAN HAVE, UM, PEOPLE COME IN AND DO COOKING DEMOS ON HEALTHY EATING.
SO WE INCORPORATE THOSE THINGS INTO OUR PROGRAM.
THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF DOORSTEP BLESSINGS, UM, AS IT WOULD RELATE TO CDBG AND SOME OF OUR OTHER SITES.
SO THIS IS OUR LITTLE MAP, AND WE CHECK ALL THE ADDRESSES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE AND WE'RE ACTUALLY STAYING IN THE PINK.
YOU'LL, YOU'LL HEAR MY STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WHEN WE'RE DOING THESE APPLICATIONS, HAVE YOU CHECKED? ARE THEY IN THE PINK? YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE PUTTING THEM INTO THEIR CORRECT DATABASE.
SO, UM, THERE'S LOTS OF PROCESSES IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT, UM, DONORS AND FUNDERS AND CHECKING ALL THE BOXES.
BUT, UM, WE DO HAVE QUITE A BIT OF STAFFING THAT GOES INTO THIS.
AND ALSO A LOT OF IN KIND VOLUNTEER HOURS, UM, THAT GOES.
SO WE DO HAVE A DOORSTEP BLESSING COORDINATOR SPECIFICALLY.
UM, SHE MAKES SURE THAT MAYBE THERE'S SOME NEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE ENTERED INTO THAT LOCATION.
YOU KNOW, ARE WE TOUCHING EVERYBODY THAT WE CAN TOUCH? UM, MAKING SURE THAT OUR VOLUNTEERS KNOW HOW MANY BAGS OF MEAT TO PACK FOR THIS PARTICULAR DISTRIBUTION, THE BAKERY, DO WE HAVE THIS? DO WE HAVE THAT? ORDERING THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, SO HER, HER POSITION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS PROGRAM, AND WE'VE BEEN SO THANKFUL THAT FUNDS HAVE BEEN REALLOCATED THROUGH THE COVID TO HELP SUPPORT THAT.
UM, YOU COULD SEE WE HAVE THE PACKING PROJECT, CORPORATE SPONSORS THAT I WAS TALKING TO ABOUT OUR OUTREACH PARTNERS THAT I WAS TALKING TO ABOUT THAT ACTUALLY HELP US DO THE DELIVERING PARTNERING SITES, WORKING WITH THOSE ACTIVITIES DIRECTORS.
UM, RECEPTION, I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL VOLUNTEER LADY THAT VOLUNTEERS FOR ME FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
AND, UM, SHE'S ON THE PHONE AND SHE'S FIELDING ALL THOSE CALLS BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE, LET'S CALL THEM ONE-OFFS, WHERE SOMEBODY MIGHT CALL.
AND, UM, I HAVE ONE, ONE WOMAN THAT CALLS FOR HER SON WHO'S DISABLED.
AND SO HE LIVES ON HIS OWN, BUT HE NEEDS, HE NEEDS THAT SUPPORT.
AND SHE IS, SHE'S LIKE, CAN YOU GUYS DELIVER? YOU KNOW, I'M OUTTA TOWN.
CAN YOU HELP HIM WITH FOOD? AND SO CHERYL, WHO'S MY RECEPTIONIST, YOU KNOW, SHE'S WORKING WITH THOSE, THOSE FOLKS AND HELPING THEM GET ON OUR LIST.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE FROM BAYTOWN JUNIOR FORUM AND OTHER, UM, FOLKS, CAN YOU DELIVER TO THIS PERSON? AND SO IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL NETWORK OF, UM, VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF AND EVERYBODY.
UM, AND THEN I MENTIONED TO YOU GUYS ABOUT THE RETAIL.
SO WE DO PICK A LOT OF RETAIL DONATIONS UP.
LAST YEAR, I THINK IT WAS JUST UNDER 600,000 POUNDS FROM OUR RETAILERS, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE.
AND SO WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEKING A TRUCK THIS YEAR.
WE'VE ALREADY WRITTEN A COUPLE OF GRANTS, ONE TO ONE OAK FOUNDATION AND ANOTHER TO MOODY.
WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET A TRUCK TO BE ABLE TO NOT ONLY PICK UP RETAIL DONATIONS, BUT TO DELIVER TO THESE SITES.
AND, UM, YOU WOULD THINK, WELL, IT COSTS A LOT MORE TO BUY A TRUCK THAN IT DOES TO RENT THE U-HAUL, BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT TO SPECIFICALLY HELP PICK UP DONATIONS TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY AS TO WHAT WE CAN GIVE ALSO TO TAKE IT INTO PLACES.
LIKE RIGHT BEHIND US IS 7 7 5 2 OH.
THAT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IS CONSIDERED A FOOD DESERT BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT ANY GROCERY STORES WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE.
WE HAVE, UM, OUR DOLLAR GENERAL RIGHT OVER HERE, BUT YOU GUYS KNOW PRICES AND SIZE, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FRESH THERE.
SO, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK TO GET THAT VEHICLE.
EXXONMOBIL IS SUPPORTING US WITH THAT.
AND, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE FUNDING TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE TO GET INTO THESE, UM, THIS COMMUNITY BEHIND US.
ALSO, WORKING WITH THE PROMISE CENTER RIGHT HERE, THAT IS ONE OF THE SITES THAT WE ARE TRYING TO EXPAND TO.
UM, THEY WERE WORKING TO GET THEIR FACILITY KIND OF BACK UP TO DATE AND GOING.
AND, UM, WE'LL GONNA BE WORKING WITH VALERIE, ALSO WITH THE CITY OF BAYTOWN TRANSIT TO HELP CUT THROUGH TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS.
SO THAT'S THE CORE OF DOORSTEP BLESSING, BREAKING DOWN THOSE TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS FOR FOLKS THAT CANNOT ATTEND A TRADITIONAL PROGRAM OF FOOD FAIR, THE CLIENT CHOICE PANTRY OR WHATNOT.
THIS IS JUST TALKING ABOUT COLLABORATION.
WE COLLABORATE WITH ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY AND ARE SO FORTUNATE THAT AT THIS WE ARE VERY YOUNG.
WE'RE ONLY ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS OLD, WHICH I'VE THINK IS VERY YOUNG.
UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING TO US, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? WHAT DO YOU NEED?
[01:30:01]
AND, UM, THESE FOLKS ARE JUST INVALUABLE, ABSOLUTELY INVALUABLE.AND THEN THIS JUST TALKS ABOUT WE'RE ALL PART, WE'RE ALL A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
AND OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS BEING VOLUNTEERS AND SERVING IN THE ROLES YOU DO, YOU KNOW, THAT IT, IT TAKES ALL OF US TO TRULY BE, UM, SUCCESSFUL AND TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION.
UM, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT YOU GUYS DO AND THE MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM? OH, GOOD QUESTION.
IS MEALS READY TO EAT? WE ARE DELIVERING GROCERIES.
THAT, THAT, THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE.
SO YOU ARE GETTING NON-PERISHABLES, YOU'RE GETTING FRESH, YOU'RE GETTING MEAT THAT'S FROZEN THAT YOU CAN THEN PREPARE FOR YOUR FAMILY? I AM, I AM FAMILIAR WITH MEALS ON WHEELS.
THEY DO IT ONCE A WEEK ON THURSDAYS FOR FAMILIES.
THEY HAVE VOLUNTEERS AND THEY WORK OUT OF A LOCAL CHURCH.
WHERE DO YOU GUYS STORE THESE PRODUCTS? THE FROZEN GOODS? I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE A FACILITY FOR THIS? YES, SIR.
WE HAVE A BRICK AND MORTAR LOCATION.
SO IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE OLD HEB MM-HMM
THAT WAS ON THE CORNER OF NORTH MAIN AND CEDAR BAYOU.
WE'RE DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM NORTHSIDE BAPTIST, AND WE HAVE, UM, ABOUT 28,000 SQUARE FEET, WHICH DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THREE SHIPPING CONTAINERS.
I HAVE A 25, UM, 2,500 SQUARE FOOT COVERED AREA THAT ALSO HELPS.
WE HAVE WALK-IN FREEZER, WE HAVE, OH, I'D HAVE TO COUNT.
WE PROBABLY HAVE ABOUT 10 FREEZER UNITS RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATORS, COMMERCIAL FREEZERS, GROCERY STORE SHELVING, UH, PRODUCE TABLES.
SO WHEN YOU WALK IN, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE IN A SMALL GROCERY STORE? YES.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE WE STORE EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING COMES IN AND GOES OUT SO QUICKLY THAT THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF STORING NEEDED.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO TURN, WE'RE TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING IN AND OUT INTO THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT.
COULD WE COME BY AND LOOK AT THE FACILITY? ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, IS THERE APPROPRIATE DAYS AND TIMES SO THE FAMILY DON'T FEEL, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP THEIR PRIVACY? SURE.
SO ACTUALLY RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH A LITTLE RENOVATION PROJECT.
WE, IT'S A FOUR WEEK, UM, TURNAROUND.
WE'RE TWO WEEKS IN, SO I WOULD JUST REQUEST YOU GIVE ME A FEW WEEKS TO GET EVERYTHING BACK IN ORDER.
SO DURING THE TIME, JUST LIKE COVID, WHEN WE WERE DOWN AT OUR SITE, PEOPLE COULD NOT COME IN AND SHOP AT OUR SITE.
WE WOULD DO A LITTLE DRIVE THROUGH IN FRONT OF OUR FACILITY.
SO THESE FEW WEEKS THAT WE'RE DOWN, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS MORNING, I WAS THERE AT 5:30 AM RECEIVING A 20 PALLET DELIVERY.
AND THEN CARS, CARS LITERALLY GUYS LINE UP BEFORE 5:00 AM YOU KNOW, THE NEED IS REAL WHEN PEOPLE ARE CAMPING OUT IN THEIR VEHICLE TO RECEIVE FOOD.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW WHEN WE'RE CLOSED.
UM, THIS THURSDAY, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE AT SHADY CREEK ON SATURDAY, WE'RE AT TRINITY ASSEMBLY FOR A FOOD FAIR.
MULTIPLE PROGRAMS GOING AT ONE TIME.
AND I KNOW DURING THANKSGIVING I SAW THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK, THEY WERE AT ONE OF THE JUNIOR HIGHS HERE IN TOWN WHERE THEY CAME IN EARLY IN THE MORNING.
AND THEN VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF, YOU KNOW, CARS LINED UP MM-HMM
DURING PICK UP, YOU KNOW, EARLY RELEASE PICKUP AND THEY JUST GAVE THEM WHATEVER THEY NEEDED AND THE FOOD THEY HAD.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE A SIMILAR SETUP AND THAT YES, SIR.
AND SO WHEN YOU SEE IT INCORPORATION WITH THE SCHOOLS, UM, THAT IS A DIRECT PROGRAM THROUGH THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK.
WE ARE A HOUSTON FOOD BANK AGENCY.
WE ARE ONE OF THE TOP OUT OF 600 AGENCIES FOR THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK.
AND SO FOR FOOD FAIR SPECIFIC, THEY'RE GONNA COME IN, THEY'RE GONNA DROP OFF THOSE PALLETS.
WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, GET OUR ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS GOING.
WE'RE PACKING POX AS WE'RE LOADING 'EM INTO THE VEHICLES.
AT MY LOCATION, LIKE THIS MORNING WE RECEIVED THE FOOD THAT'S GONNA COME INTO OUR DOORS, OR IN THIS CASE THIS MORNING, IT WENT OUT THROUGH, UM, THE DRIVE THROUGH.
WE ARE ALSO WHAT IS CALLED A HUB WHERE HOUSTON FOOD BANK HUB.
SO VISUALIZE A BICYCLE TIRE AND YOU'VE GOT THE MIDDLE AS THE HUB, AND THEN YOU HAVE ALL THE SPOKES COMING OFF THE SITE.
SO WE HAVE SMALLER SPOKES THAT ARE ALSO HOUSTON FOOD BANK THAT COME TO MY SITE AND THEY PICK UP FROM US, WHETHER IT BE THEIR OWN ORDER OR MAYBE WE'RE SHARING AN ORDER.
UM, SO WE DO A LOT IN THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT OF THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK, OF ALL OUR PARTNERS, THESE GUYS BEHIND ME, UM, COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS.
WE PARTNER WITH EVERYBODY TO GET THE JOB DONE AND TRY TO PLUG IN EVERYWHERE WE CAN.
[01:35:01]
ALSO RECEIVE FUNDING FOR CDBG CV, WHICH IS THE CORONAVIRUS FUNDS.AND DURING, UM, FOR THANKSGIVING, THEY SPENT OVER $1,700 ON TURKEYS THAT THEY GAVE OUT TO, UM, FAMILIES IN NEED.
UM, SO YEAH, THEY'VE DONE PRETTY WELL.
WHICH LEADS ME TO MY QUESTION THOUGH.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, COMPLIANCE IS MY FAVORITE WORD.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A PERSON MANAGING THIS PROGRAM AS WELL AS THE COVID PROGRAM? OR IS IT GONNA BE THE SAME PERSON? WELL, IT WOULD BE THE SAME PERSON, BUT THE COVID PROGRAM WILL BE FALLING OFF IN THE END OF AUGUST.
AND THEN THIS ONE, I UNDERSTAND IF WE ARE FUNDED, IT WOULD START IN JULY.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO THERE'LL BE A TINY BIT OF OVERLAP FOR THIS ONE.
UM, EVERYBODY'S ON A DIFFERENT FISCAL, I THINK JULY FISCAL YEAR IS, UM, UH, UNITED WAY.
WHAT ARE WE USING THESE FUNDS FOR PRECISELY, OR IS IT FOR JUST THIS IS DOORSTEP BLESSING.
THIS ONE THEY DON'T HAVE FUNDS FOR YET, BUT THEY DO HAVE COVID DOLLARS THAT THEY SPENT, AND THAT IS FOR THEIR FOOD FOR FAMILIES PROGRAM, WHICH IT HELPS THEM WITH THE FOOD FAIRS THAT THEY DO.
WE PROVIDE THEM WITH FUNDING FOR SALARIES FOR THE YOUNG LADY TO MANAGE THE PROGRAM.
UM, WE ALSO PROVIDE THEM WITH TRANSPORTATION COSTS, THE RENTAL OF THE YOUTH HALL THAT SHE MENTIONED EARLIER.
BUT THAT'S THINGS, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA BE DOING WITH THESE FUNDS? WITH THESE FUNDS HERE, ACCORDING TO HER BUDGET, HALF OF IT'S GONNA GO TO SALARIES.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE DOING, UH, 5,000 IN FOOD, 500 IN BOXES AND BAGS, AND THEN TWO 50 IN TRAINING AND TRAVEL, WHICH I'M ASSUMING IS THE U-HAUL.
AND I'M, I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL HAVE A TRUCK SOMETIME WITHIN THIS, THE COURSE OF THIS NEXT YEAR, SO THAT WE WON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DO THE U-HAUL.
WE'RE ALSO FUNDED BY MD ANDERSON.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH BE WELL BAYTOWN THE BIG INITIATIVE THAT CAME IN VIA EXXONMOBIL.
SO WE HAD BEEN FUNDED BY MD ANDERSON SINCE 2017.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THERE WAS A LETTER OF SUPPORT ALSO IN THE PACKAGE FROM THEM.
WE ARE A UNITED WAY AGENCY, SO THIS PROGRAM BUDGET FOR DOORSTEP BLESSING IS OBVIOUSLY A LOT LARGER THAN THE TEN SEVEN FIVE THAT WE'RE ASKING FROM YOU GUYS.
BUT EVERY PIECE, EVERY PIECE IS SO IMPORTANT.
UM, AS A SMALL NONPROFIT, UM, YOU KNOW, STAFFING, STAFFING IS A MUST.
WE, WE HAVE ARMIES OF VOLUNTEERS, BUT I HAVE TO HAVE THAT STAFF TO GET EVERYTHING DONE THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE.
ESPECIALLY FOR ALL THE REPORTING BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH DATA AND YOU GUYS KNOW, DATA DRIVES DOLLARS.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT NIKKI.
DO IS THERE EVER A TIME WHEN, YOU KNOW, YOU GO OUT AND YOU DISTRIBUTE THE FOOD THAT YOU HAVE LEFTOVERS THERE? VERY SELDOM.
BUT WE WILL ALWAYS, IF, IF WE HAVE LEFTOVERS AT ONE OF THESE SITES, WE MIGHT BRING THEM BACK.
WE WOULD TRY TO GET INTO THE HANDS OF SOMEBODY THAT NEEDS THEM.
IT THE PRE-PACKED BOXES, WE MIGHT BRING THEM BACK TO THE SITE TO BE ABLE TO PUT THEM OUT THE NEXT DAY.
AND I, I DID NOT SHARE A LOT OF PICTURES ON HERE WITH YOU GUYS ABOUT OF THE FAMILIES THAT ARE RECEIVING BECAUSE OF THE DIGNITY COMPONENT.
WE WOULDN'T WANNA PICTURE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU GUYS THAT DURING COVID AND EVEN TO THIS DAY, THE SOCIALIZATION WAS SO IMPORTANT.
SO MANY OF THESE, SO MANY PEOPLE WERE BEHIND DOORS, RIGHT.
BUT WE WERE STILL OUT THERE TRYING TO, UM, IMPACT LIVES.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY, ONE OF MY PET PEEVES, I GUESS IS THAT THE OLDER GENERATION, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR OLD FOLKS THAT, UH, THAT THEY GET, YOU KNOW, RECEIVED, BECAUSE A LOT OF 'EM, LIKE YOU SAID, BEF IN YOUR, IN YOUR OPENING STATEMENTS, THEY CAN'T EVEN GET OUTTA THE HOUSE.
YOU KNOW? AND THERE'S TIMES WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN YOU GUYS HAVE DELIVERED, UH, AND MY STORY IS THAT ONE OF MY, MY DAUGHTER THAT SHE'S, SHE LIVES AND WORKS IN WASHINGTON, DC BUT, UH, WE HAD, FOR CHRISTMAS, Y'ALL WERE GIVE, Y'ALL WERE AT THE PROMISE CENTER.
AND, UH, I, I ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD GO, HELP ME DELIVER.
'CAUSE I WANTED TO DELIVER TO THE, THE PEOPLE THAT I KNEW IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SHE SAID, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT, DAD.
YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT THE PEOPLE WERE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE LITTLE THAT THEY WERE RECEIVING.
I MEAN, I MEAN, THAT'S ADEQUATE.
BUT I MEAN, IT'S, IT, IT'S NOT LIKE, HEY, HEY, HERE'S A MEAL.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? HERE'S, HEY, IT'S JUST SOMETHING.
AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GRATEFUL FOR WHATEVER THEY GET.
AND SO I, UH, TRULY BELIEVE IN THAT.
BELIEVE IN THIS, THIS FOOD BANK AND, AND EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING FOR, FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THESE THINGS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR ELDERLY POPULATION, HAVING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN
[01:40:01]
MEDICATION.AND FOOD, OUR SINGLE MOTHER BEING ABLE TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR HER FAMILY, YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY, AGAIN, I GET EMOTIONAL DURING THE COURSE OF COVID, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WERE SEEING SO MANY PEOPLE IN DRIVE-THROUGHS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD DELIVER TO THESE HOUSES.
WE WOULD SEE THESE GENTLEMEN, THESE DADS, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, SOME OF YOU MENTIONED, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A DAD.
THEY LOST THEIR JOBS OVERNIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE SURROUNDED BY INDUSTRY, RIGHT? THAT SO MANY OF THESE FOLKS ARE CONTRACTORS THAT WORK OUT HERE AND OVERNIGHT WENT FROM $90,000 A YEAR TO ZERO.
SO THEY WOULD SHOW UP AT 5:00 AM IN THE MORNING BECAUSE THAT WAS HOW THEY WERE GONNA PUT FOOD ON THE TABLES FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
GUYS, WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT LOOKS TO BE SO WEALTHY, RIGHT? NEW RESTAURANTS POPPING UP HERE AND THERE.
PRAISE THE LORD FOR EXXON, FOR CHEVRON, FOR THE INDUSTRY THAT SURROUNDS US BECAUSE THAT SUPPLIES THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT THE NEED IS VERY REAL TOO.
SO, UM, ONE OF MY GOALS IS TO REALLY TRY TO EDUCATE PEOPLE THAT IT IS OUT THERE.
YOU DON'T ALWAYS SEE IT, BUT IF I'M SERVING 25,000 FAMILIES THAT NEED FOOD, THE NEED IS REAL IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO IT'S UP TO US TO ALL BE A PIECE, WHETHER IT BE VOLUNTEERING, DONATING, GRANTING FUNDS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THAT PIECE IS, WE ALL HAVE TO DO IT BECAUSE FOOD, WE ALL NEED FOOD, YOU KNOW? IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE SIMILAR IN BAYTOWN CURRENTLY? I MEAN, MEALS ON WHEELS IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING I KNOW OF.
YEAH, THEY'RE READY TO EAT MEALS FOR MEALS ON WHEELS.
WE PROVIDE THEM WITH FUNDING THROUGH, BUT THERE'S NOTHING WHERE YOU PROVIDE FRESH VEGETABLES THAT THEY CAN PREPARE THEIR MEALS SO THEY'RE NOT JUST GETTING PROCESSED.
THERE'S NOTHING ELSE LIKE THIS IN BAKE HEALTH GARDEN.
NOT THAT'S CURRENTLY DELIVERING THAT I KNOW OF.
UM, EVEN IN HOUSTON, I'VE NOT HEARD OF A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON LIKE THIS.
ANOTHER THING, OUT OF THAT 2.8 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD, ABOUT 50% OF THAT WAS FRESH PRODUCE.
WE ARE, WE ARE VERY MUCH ABOUT HEALTHY CHOICES, MAKING HEALTHY CHOICES.
WHEN YOU GUYS COME IN AND YOU ARE, YOU ARE ABLE TO TOUR THE, I'M SORRY, TOUR THE FACILITY.
YOU'LL SEE WE HAVE THINGS THAT ARE NUDGES AND THINGS TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY CHOICES.
WE HAVE A HUGE EDUCATIONAL AREA WITH ALL KINDS OF COOKING TIPS AND TRICKS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION.
UM, AGAIN, MD ANDERSON CANCER PREVENTATIVE, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ABOUT.
I'M HONORED AND BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT I CAN, WHAT I DO.
UM, IT'S WITHOUT A DOUBT WHAT THE LORD CREATED ME TO DO.
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME.
WERE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU.
I WILL NOW CALL ON TALENT YOUR COALITION.
FIRST STEP HOMELESS OUTREACH PROGRAM.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS EVENING.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND HOMELESS SERVICES WITH ITALIAN YIELD COALITION INCORPORATED.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A, A LITTLE SYNOPSIS OF OUR PROGRAM TITLED FIRST STEP HOMELESS OUTREACH SERVICES PROGRAM.
IN NOVEMBER OF 2020, WE BEGAN OUR FIRST STEP HOMELESS OUTREACH SERVICES PROGRAM TO ASSIST THE GROWING HOMELESS POPULATION IN OUR AREA.
AFTER BEING CONTACTED BY THE CITY OF BAYTOWN PARKS DEPARTMENT THAT, UM, WAS SEEING AN INCREASE IN THE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE LIVING IN THE CITY PARKS, WE WERE GRANTED PERMISSION TO USE A SPACE AT THE STERLING LIBRARY IN BAYTOWN TO WORK WITH THOSE CLIENTS WHICH WERE HOMELESS.
THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, WE HAVE ASSISTED HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS TO OBTAIN NECESSARY DOCUMENTATIONS, SUCH AS IDENTIFICATION CARDS, BIRTH CERTIFICATES, AND SOCIAL SECURITY CARDS.
MANY OF THE TIMES BEING HOMELESS, THEY LOSE THEIR ITEMS. UH, THIS ONE OF THE SADDEST THING IS A LOT OF PEOPLE STEAL FROM THEM.
THEY'RE HOMELESS, BUT THEY STILL ARE VICTIMS OF THEFT AND THEIR WALLETS ARE STOLEN, THEIR PURSES ARE STOLEN.
THAT HAS ALL THE DOCUMENTATION INCLUDED IN THERE.
WE PARTNER WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, HOT, WHICH PROVIDES THE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WITH TEMPORARY IDENTIFICATION CARDS.
THESE ARE TO BE ABLE TO BE USED TEMPORARILY UNTIL THEY'RE ABLE TO GET A STATE ID WITH THESE TEMPORARY CARDS.
THEY'RE ALSO ABLE TO USE THOSE TEMPORARY
[01:45:01]
CARDS TO, UH, GET, UH, THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, AS WELL AS OTHER DOCUMENTS, THE BIRTH CERTIFICATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, ALONG WITH OTHER DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY DO HAVE TO PROVE WHO THEY THEY ARE.AND, UH, WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STATE ID TO GET A JOB OR HOUSING.
THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT THE, UH, TEMPORARY ID FOR HOUSING OR FOR MOST EMPLOYMENT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A STATE ISSUED ID.
WE ALSO HAVE ASSISTED HOMELESS CLIENTS WHO APPLY FOR BENEFITS SUCH AS FOOD STAMPS, MEDICAL SERVICES, THROUGH LEGACY, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH AND HARRIS COMMUNITY HEALTH.
WE, UH, HAVE ALSO ASSISTED THEM TO FIND EMPLOYMENT.
WE HAVE JOB REFERRALS THAT WE DO GIVE TO THEM.
WE REFER OUR CLIENTS ALSO TO, UH, LEE COLLEGE AND OTHER, UH, COLLEGES TO, UH, FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO MAY NOT HAVE THEIR GED.
WE DO FIND PROGRAMS THAT OFFER GED TRAINING AND WE OFFER THAT TO THEM AS WELL.
WE HAVE ALSO PARTNERING WITH HEARTS AND HANDS OF BAYTOWN TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE FOOD ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF BLESSING BAGS THAT CONTAIN NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS AND WATER.
WE ALSO PROVIDE OUR CLIENTS WITH HYGIENE PRODUCTS THAT HAVE BEEN DONATED TO US THROUGH VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
WE, UH, HAVE PARTNERSHIPS ESTABLISHED WITH VARIOUS CHURCHES, NONPROFITS, AND GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES IN THE AREA.
WE ARE ALSO EXCITED TO CO-PARTNER WITH THE NEWLY FORMED EAST HARRIS COUNTY NAVIGATION CENTER, WHICH IS A 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION TO ASSIST THOSE, UH, HOMELESS CLIENTS IN THE EAST HARRIS COUNTY AREA, AS WELL AS BAYTOWN AS, UH, A NAVIGATION CENTER BASICALLY PROVIDES SERVICES SUCH AS SHOWERS, JOB TRAINING, UH, CASE MANAGEMENT THAT WE ALSO PROVIDE FOR THEM, AS WELL AS, UM, FOOD AND VARIOUS SERVICES THAT THE HOMELESS CLIENTS DO NEED.
AND SO WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE EAST HARRIS COUNTY NAVIGATION CENTER TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM.
ALL THOSE SHELTER AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS LIMITED.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND SUITABLE SHELTER FOR A FEW OF OUR CLIENTS, NOT ALL OF WHICH MEET, MEET THE STRICT QUALIFICATIONS TO BE ADMITTED INTO SOME SHELTERS.
A LOT OF THE SHELTERS AS, UH, WE'VE ALREADY, UH, ESTABLISHED EARLIER, THEY DO HAVE RULES AND REGULATIONS, AND SOME OF OUR CLIENTS DO NOT MEET THOSE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE ACCEPTED INTO A SHELTER.
WE ALSO PARTNER WITH THE BAYTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND WE ARE A DESIGNATE DESIGNATED AGENCY TO REFER HOMELESS CLIENTS TO THE NEWLY IMPLEMENTED EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM THAT THE, UH, BAYTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY GETS THROUGH HUD.
THIS PROGRAM, WHICH ALLOWS CLIENTS TO MOVE INTO AN APARTMENT AND HAVE THEIR RENTS SUBSIDIZED FOR UP TO THREE YEARS, 15 OF OUR CLIENTS SO FAR HAVE RECEIVED THESE, UH, EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS AS OF THE FALL OF 2021.
OUR APPROACH FOR A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM IS BASED ON THE PREMISE OF FACILITATING FROM BEGINNING TO END ALL THE SOCIAL SERVICES, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL NEEDS OF THE CLIENT, USING A ONE STOP SHOP AND AS SOMETIMES A HANDHOLDING CONCEPT TO ACHIEVE THEIR RESULTS.
ACCORDING TO OUR IN-HOUSE DATA, IN NOVEMBER OF 2020 THROUGH MARCH 20, MARCH 30TH, EXCUSE ME, OF 2022, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ASSISTED 238 CLIENTS THROUGH OUR PROGRAM.
30% OF THESE CLIENTS FOUND SHELTER OR EMERGENCY HOUSING, 10%, UH, FOUND EMPLOYMENT, 14% RECEIVED AN ID, 7% RECEIVED MEDICAL SERVICES, THREE PER PERCENT FILED FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS, AND 90% RECEIVED FOOD ASSISTANCE OR FOOD STAMPS.
OUR GOAL IS TO SERVICE 175 INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR WHO ARE HOMELESS OR AT THE RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS.
CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, THE HOMELESS ARE NOT JUST THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE SEE ON THE STREET.
MANY OF OUR CLIENTS ARE FAMILIES AND MAY BE LIVING WITH OTHERS, OR THEY MAY BE IN CARS OR LIVING IN HOTELS.
SOME ARE ELDERLY AND DISABLED WITH NOT ENOUGH INCOME TO PROVIDE A STABLE HOME FOR THEMSELVES.
OTHERS HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES.
THE FACE OF HOMELESSNESS IS BROAD.
IT'S NOT JUST THE PEOPLE THAT WE SEE DAY TO DAY.
SOME SOMEONE MAY BE HOMELESS AND YOU COULD NEVER TELL THAT YOU, YOU WOULDN'T KNOW JUST BY LOOKING AT THEM THAT THEY ARE HOMELESS.
AND DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND OTHER ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS, THE HOMELESS POPULATION IN BAYTOWN IS GROWING.
OUR EFFORTS INCLUDE HANDS-ON OUTREACH WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM BY VISITING HOMELESS CAMPS, CITY PARKS, AND OTHER AREAS IN BAYTOWN WHERE THE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS MAY BE LOCATED.
UH, RECENTLY, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO, I WAS WITH THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM AS WE WENT INTO A HOMELESS CAMP LOCATED IN BAYTOWN.
AND IT'S NOT JUST A SMALL CAMP.
THIS CAMP WAS IN, IN SOME WOODS, AND IT WAS QUITE EXTENSIVE AND QUITE LARGE.
AND THERE WAS, IT WAS ONE AREA WHERE IT WAS BROKEN DOWN INTO SEVERAL LITTLE SMALLER CAMPSITES.
AND, UH, WE ALSO VISIT WITH CHURCHES AND BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESS OWNERS, I'M SORRY, WHO MAY HAVE NOTICED AN
[01:50:01]
INCREASE OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AT THEIR LOCATIONS.WE ARE ALSO IN CONTACT WITH THE SCHOOL COUNSELORS IN G-C-C-I-S-D AND LEE COLLEGE, WHO MAY HAVE FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY HOMELESSNESS.
THIS, UH, SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM IS MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO FOUND HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, AND HAVE THEIR BASIC NEEDS MET.
THIS IS DONE THROUGH OUR FOLLOW-UP PROCESS THAT WE CONDUCT WITH ALL CLIENTS.
OUR FOLLOW UPS ARE DONE EITHER BY PHONE OR IN PERSON, OR BY EMAIL.
MANY OF THE TIMES, UH, THE CLIENTS WILL COME BACK TO THE LIBRARY WEEK AFTER WEEK AFTER WEEK TO SEE ME.
IT'S NOT JUST A ONE TIME THING.
AND, UH, WE HELP 'EM WITH WHATEVER SERVICE THAT THEY NEED, AND THEN IT'S BY, WE DON'T SEE YOU ANYMORE.
THEY COME BACK OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO SEE US.
I HAD ONE CLIENT, MR. FITZGERALD.
HE WOULD COME TO ME EVERY WEEK TO GET HIS NEEDS MET.
WE STARTED OFF WITH GETTING HIM THE HOMELESS ID WHEN WE MOVED TO GETTING HIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE.
THEN WE MOVED TO GETTING HIS, UH, SOCIAL SECURITY CARD.
NEXT STEP WAS GETTING HIS STATE ID.
HE ALSO WAS AWARDED A HOUSING VOUCHER.
HE CONTINUED WEEK BY WEEK TO COME TO SEE ME, TO SEE WHAT THE NEXT STEP WAS.
THAT'S THE HANDHOLDING PROCESS THAT WE DO.
THAT'S THE FOLLOW UP THAT WE DO, AND THAT'S HOW WE CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR CLIENTS, UH, ON THE ROAD TO SU UH, SUSTAINABILITY TO BREAK THAT CYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS.
AND, UM, AND THROUGH THE FUNDING OF THE CDGB GRANT, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PAY FOR STATE IDS AND BIRTH CERTIFICATES, AS WELL AS PROVIDE OTHER BASIC NEEDS SUCH AS CLOTHING AND SHOES THAT NO OTHER AGENCY IS OFFERING TO THE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
AT THIS TIME, HOMELESSNESS IS AN ISSUE THAT, UM, THAT MANY CITIES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY FACE.
THE NEED IS GREAT AND THE RESOURCES ARE FEW.
WITH THE AWARD OF THE C-D-G-C-D-B-G GRANT, OUR FIRST STEP HOMELESS SERVICES PROGRAM WOULD BE THAT STEPPING STONE THAT WOULD HELP BREAK THE CYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS FOR SO MANY INDIVIDUALS.
AND YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, SO I, BUT I, PRIOR TO THAT, I HAD NO IDEA, UM, THE EXTENT OF HOMELESSNESS.
I MEAN, I SAW THE OCCASIONAL, WHAT I THOUGHT MIGHT BE A HOMELESS PERSON UNDER THE OVERPASS OR MAYBE AT WALMART OR SOMETHING.
CAN YOU, I KNOW YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, OR IN, IN, IN YOUR, UM, PROPOSAL HERE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT YOU, THAT YOU'VE TOUCHED AND, AND YOU'RE SAYING HERE WITH THE FUNDS YOU'RE REQUESTING MM-HMM.
UM, INSTEAD OF BEING AT THE LIBRARY FOR ONE DAY TO HELP THESE PEOPLE THAT COME TO YOU, LIKE, UM, MR. WHAT WAS HIS NAME? FITZGERALD? LIKE, YOU'RE GONNA BE AT THE LIBRARY FOR THREE DAYS, IS THAT CORRECT? I'M, I'M CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, I AM THERE ONE DAY, BUT I CAN BE THERE AS MANY DAYS AS I'M NEEDED.
I'M OUR ORGANIZATION AND OUR PROGRAM IS AS A NEED BASIS WHERE THEY NEED ME AT.
IF THEY'RE, IF THEY CAN'T COME TO THE LIBRARY, IF THEY NEED ME TO COME TO, UH, MCDONALD'S MAYBE, OR SOMEWHERE, OR IF THEY DON'T HAVE A BUS PASS OR TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO THE LIBRARY, IF THEY'RE ON, UH, ALEXANDER AND THEY'RE AT THE MCDONALD'S OVER THERE AND THEY SAY, I CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE LIBRARY, BUT I DO NEED ASSISTANCE, I CAN GO THERE AND HELP THEM.
WE, WE ARE NOT THE ONES THAT WE'RE JUST GONNA STAY IN JUST THE LIBRARY.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO WHERE THE NEED IS.
LIKE VISITING WITH THE OUTREACH AT, UH, THE, UH, HARRIS COUNTY HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM VISITING TO THE PARKS.
A LOT OF THE PEOPLE, THEY WON'T COME INTO THE LIBRARY.
MR. FITZGERALD WAS ONE OF THOSE THAT I MET AT THE PARK.
AND FINALLY AFTER MONTHS, HE MADE HIS MIND UP TO COME TO THE LIBRARY TO SEE WHAT SERVICES THAT WE OFFER.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS THAT THEY'RE GONNA COME TO US.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO GO TO THEM.
LONG AS IT'S IN THE BAYTOWN AREA, IN THE CDBG GRANT TERRITORY, WE'RE GONNA GO TO THEM.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF THE NEED ARISES, I TRY TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO COME TO THE LIBRARY AND TO GET THE SERVICES THERE.
BUT, UH, AND THE LIBRARY HAS OFFERED ME MORE DAYS IF, IF NEED BE.
AND SO THAT, THAT IS STILL AN OPTION THAT, UH, WE MAY, I MAY BE THERE MORE THAN JUST THE ONE DAY A WEEK.
UM, I'M A VOLUNTEER AT THE HOSPITAL WITH THE PASTORAL CARE.
UM, I DON'T, I, AND I THINK THEY WERE TAKEN FROM THE STREET AND MM-HMM
GIVEN SOME MEDICAL OR HELP MM-HMM
A COUPLE OF THEIR TESTIMONIES TO ME IS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE, DA DA DA.
OR, OR I WANNA GO BACK HOME, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM.
SO I KNOW CASEWORKERS COME IN AND TALK TO THEM, MANA MM-HMM
BUT TO, AT WHAT POINT DO THEY GET, UH, HELP
[01:55:01]
FROM, DO THE CASEWORKERS CALL YOU AND LET YOU KNOW THAT THEY'RE, UH, THAT THEY ARE HOMELESS AND NEED SOMEWHERE TO GO AFTER THEY GET OUTTA THE HOSPITAL? YES.AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HAVE SPOKEN TO SOME OF THE CASEWORKERS FROM THE METHODIST HOSPITAL HERE IN BAYTOWN THAT HAVE REFERRED CLIENTS TO US, AND WE'VE ASSISTED THEM TO, UH, FIND THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED.
WHETHER IT'S GO, UM, AS FAR AS GOING HOME OR, UH, LIKE SAY FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S HOMELESS, THAT'S FROM ANOTHER STATE, THAT HAVE FAMILY THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO.
WE COULD CALL AND VERIFY WITH THAT FAMILY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, IT IS OKAY FOR THEM TO COME BACK.
AND WE MAY BE ABLE TO FIND THE FUNDS, UH, TO, UH, BUY THEM A BUS TICKET TO GO BACK HOME.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO, TRY TO DO.
WE CAN'T DO, DO IT ALL THE TIME.
'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING TO DO EVERYBODY THAT'S ABLE TO GO BACK.
BUT IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, SOMEONE'S SICK AND THEY NEED TO BE WITH FAMILY, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO GET A DONOR TO DONATE THE FUNDS FOR, UH, US TO GET A BUS TICKET FOR THOSE PEOPLE TO GO BACK TO THEIR FAMILY.
WE DON'T JUST PUT 'EM ON THE BUS AND SEND 'EM OFF SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, AND NOT VERIFY WITH FAMILY THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO COME THERE AND THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE THERE TO PICK THEM UP AT THE BUS STATION AND THEY, THEY WILL HAVE SHELTER ONCE THEY GET BACK TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
SO, DO YOUR HOME, DO YOUR, DO YOU HAVE MEDICAL HELP, MEDICAL HELP FOR YOUR HOMELESS, UH, PATIENTS OR NOT? THAT DOESN'T, THAT'S NOT IN YOUR BUDGET? WELL, NO, IT'S NOT IN OUR BUDGET, BUT OUR MEDICAL HELP RIGHT NOW COMES THROUGH, THROUGH LEGACY, COMMUNITY HEALTH, LEGACY AND HARRIS HEALTH.
WE REFER THOSE CLIENTS TO THOSE TWO ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THAT'S WHERE THAT KICK IN THAT KICKS IN.
UM, GOING BACK TO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT THE GREYHOUND BUSES YES.
AND SENDING PEOPLE OUT OF BAYTOWN.
SO HOW ARE YOU GONNA DETERMINE THAT? 'CAUSE I SEE THAT YOU DID REQUEST $745 FOR GREYHOUND BUSES.
HOW ARE, IF THEIR BAYTOWN RESIDENTS WERE SHIPPING THEM OFF? NO, IF THEY'RE, NO, NOT BAYTOWN RESIDENTS.
THESE ARE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE COME FROM OTHER STATES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF HOMELESS THAT ARE NOT BAY BAYTOWN RESIDENTS.
AND IF THEY HAVE FAMILY, LIKE I HAD ONE THAT WAS, UH, ORIGINALLY FROM SAN DIEGO, AND HE HAD COME TO BAYTOWN.
HE'D BEEN ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND ENDED UP IN BAYTOWN AT THE CERTAIN LIBRARY LIVING THERE ON THE FRONT PORCH.
AND HE WAS ABLE TO CONTACT HIS, WE WAS ABLE TO HELP HIM GET HIS FOOD STAMPS.
THEN WE, I WAS ABLE TO GET HIM A, A FREE PHONE.
HE FINALLY WAS ABLE TO CONTACT HIS DAD IN SAN DIEGO, AND HIS DAD TOLD HIM HE'S WELCOME TO COME BACK HOME IF HE HAD THE MEANS TO GET BACK TO SAN DIEGO.
I TALKED TO THE FATHER AND WE ARRANGED FOR HIM TO GO BACK HOME.
AND HIS DAD ALSO SENT A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY FOR HIM AS WELL TO, TO GET A BUS TICKET TO GO BACK.
IT'S NOT THE BAYTOWN RESIDENCE THAT WE'LL SEND OFF SOMEWHERE.
SOMEONE THAT HAS FAMILY IN ANOTHER STATE THAT THEY'VE LIVED THERE BEFORE AND THEY ARE ABLE TO GO BACK HOME.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEND THEM BACK.
AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE, UM, FOR THE LINE ITEMS ON THE BUDGET IS MM-HMM.
THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE PROPOSAL THAT MENTIONED EXACTLY WHAT THAT COST IS GONNA COVER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO IF YOU CAN EXPOUND ON THAT.
THE SHOWERS ARE GONNA IN INCLUDE FOR A CLIENT THAT MAY HAVE A JOB INTERVIEW, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES YOU HAVE A CLIENT THAT IS HOMELESS THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO TAKE A SHOWER TO GO ON A JOB INTERVIEW.
WE WOULD PAY AT A TRUCK STOP WHERE THEY HAVE THE SHOWERS PAY FOR THEM TO GO TO A TRUCK STOP AND TO TAKE A SHOWER AND TO GET CLEANED UP.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE, THE SHOWER FEE, WHICH RUNS ABOUT $18 A PERSON IF YOU'RE NOT A, A TRUCK DRIVER.
AND THEN ANY OTHER, UH, SOAP OR TOWELS OR THINGS LIKE THAT THAT THEY'RE GONNA NEED.
DO YOU TAKE DONATIONS FOR AT THE, UM, FOR THE SHOWER STUFF AND STUFF LIKE THAT? YES, MA'AM.
DO YOU TAKE ANY DONATIONS? HOW ABOUT SUITS AND CLOTHES AND ALL THAT AS WELL? WELL, AT THIS TIME WE DON'T HAVE A, A PLACE TO STORE CLOTHING.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, A SPOT FOR HYGIENE PRODUCTS.
AND WHAT I NORMALLY DO, IF THE ORGANIZATION WILL BAG UP THE HYGIENE PRODUCTS FOR US, OR WE, UH, BAG THEM UP OURSELVES INTO INDIVIDUAL BAGS THAT INCLUDE SOAP, TOOTHPASTE, UH, TOOTHBRUSH, UH, A TOWEL, LIKE A WASHCLOTH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, DEODORANT AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WE ARE ABLE TO GIVE THEM THOSE SU UH, SUPPLIES.
AND WE DO GET A LOT OF DONATIONS OF THOSE IN.
IF, IF, IF YOU DON'T GET ALL YOUR, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING THAT YOU NEED, THAT YOU APPLIED FOR.
DO YOU HAVE, UH, ANY OTHER SOURCES THAT, THAT YOU CAN DRAW FROM AT THIS TIME? WE ARE A UNITED WAY PARTNER AND WE ARE ABLE TO GET, UH, DONATIONS FROM, UH, DONORS.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DONORS THAT HAVE STEPPED UP TO ASSIST WITH THE HOMELESS PROGRAM AS FAR AS, UH, THINGS SUCH AS THE HYGIENE PRODUCTS AND, UH, WITH HEARTS AND HANDS, OUR PARTNERS WITH THE FOOD PRODUCTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, WE, WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE THE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE, THE NEED IS GREAT AND WE SEE THAT THE NEED IS GREAT AND, UH, WE ARE GOING TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN IN OUR POWER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE CARE OF THE, THE NEEDS OF THE CLIENTS.
[02:00:01]
ALLOCATION? UH, I'M GONNA HAVE TO LET MS. RAMONA MA IS FINE.UH, LAST YEAR WE WERE FUNDED 45,000.
SO WITH THEIR APPLICATION, THEY DID PROVIDE, UM, A UNITED WAY FUNDING AGREEMENT, BUT IT DID EXPIRE, UH, AT THE END OF JUNE OF THIS YEAR.
WHICH IS WHY I HADN'T INCLUDED IT IN YOUR PACKETS.
'CAUSE IT WASN'T GONNA BE RELEVANT TO THE GRANT YEAR STARTING ON OCTOBER 1ST.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN, UH, THE ALLEGATIONS WILL BE DETERMINED FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR FROM UNITED WAY? WE AREN'T GETTING ANY UNITED WAY FUNDING FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
YOU'RE NOT ANTICIPATING ANY? NO.
SO WHAT IS YOUR FUNDING SOURCE FOR THE, UM, FOR, FOR THE REST OF THE 40,000 FOR THIS PROGRAM, WE HAVE DONORS.
SO IT'S ALL PRIVATE DONORS? IT'LL BE EITHER, YEAH.
MORE THAN LIKELY IT'LL BE PRIVATE DONORS.
AND WE ARE LOOKING INTO, WE'VE JUST ESTABLISHED, UH, JUST APPOINTED A BRAND NEW BOARD AND WE HAVE A NEW, UH, FUNDING COMMITTEE AS WELL AS A GRANT TEAM.
AND SO THEY'LL BE OUT THERE LOOKING FOR FUNDING THROUGH GRANTS AND THROUGH OTHER FUNDING, UH, OPPORTUNITIES.
DO YOU MIND ME ASKING WHAT HAPPENED WITH UNITED WAY? WHY YOU GUYS WERE NOT, I WOULD HAVE TO LET OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANSWER THAT.
JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY.
UH, WE, UH, WERE, WE'RE A LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
UH, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN FUNDED BY UNITED WAY.
UH, UNITED WAY'S CRITERIA WAS THAT IF YOU ARE FUNDED IN ANY GIVEN, UH, YEARLY CYCLE 50,000 OR MORE, UH, YOU HAVE TO DO A FINANCIAL REVIEW.
WE WERE NOT AWARE THAT WE WERE OVER 50,000 WITH ONE GRANT THAT WE WERE GIVEN THROUGH COVID.
WE WERE GIVEN A, A GRANT FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
AND THAT ONE GRANT AT THAT ONE CYCLE KICKED US INTO A FINANCIAL REVIEW.
WE WERE NOT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR AN EXTENSION OR A, UH, BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, THE FINANCIAL REVIEW BOARD SAID, YOU KNOW, NO, WE WANNA STICK TO THE GUIDELINES.
SO WE'LL HOPEFULLY WILL, UH, NEXT YEAR, UH, WE HAVE OUR NINE 90, WE HAVE OUR COMPILATION, AND WE WILL HAVE OUR FINANCIAL REVIEW READY FOR THE NEXT GRANT PERIOD.
WE DO HAVE, BY THE WAY, I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS, AND SO THAT, I DO KNOW THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT CDBG ALWAYS ASKS, IF YOU DON'T GET THIS MONEY, WHAT HAPPENS MM-HMM
AND YOU, YOU KNOW, WILL YOU BE FUNDED? MM-HMM
WE ARE, WE DO HAVE A NEW BOARD, AND OUR BOARD IS, UH, IS, UM, PURSUING FUNDRAISING AND GRANTS, BUT WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT CONTRACTS.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH WINNIE HOSPITAL TO DO CASE MANAGEMENT.
THAT'S OUR NICHE IS CASE MANAGEMENT.
AND SO THAT WILL TAKE US THROUGH THE CYCLE THAT CDBG IS IMPACTED WITH.
SO WE DO FEEL LIKE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO DELIVER, UH, AND NOT BE JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST RELYING SOLELY ON DONORS AND ON FUNDRAISING, WE DO HAVE A CONTRACT IN PLACE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE REQUESTING YOUR TOTAL BUDGET, INCLUDING OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, AND IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS, ONE A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN ONE THIRD OF THAT WOULD BE CDBG.
BUT THE OTHER TWO THIRDS IS NOT GUARANTEED.
THE OTHER TWO THIRDS, IT'S GUARANTEED BASED ON THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR CONTRACTS.
AND THAT IS ONLY ONE OF THE CONTRACTS.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, E-C-H-N-C, THAT WILL ALSO, UH, PUT US INTO A CONTRACT THAT WON'T BE FINALIZED AND PROBABLY UNTIL END OF OCTOBER.
UM, WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR IS DEFINITELY THE FUNDS TO COVER THINGS LIKE BIRTH CERTIFICATES AND, AND SOME OF THE OTHER COSTS ON HERE.
UM, THESE ARE THINGS THAT NO OTHER AGENCIES THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND HERE IN BAYTOWN THAT WILL HELP US TO COVER THESE COSTS.
SO DEFINITELY WE ARE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL AS THE MANPOWER TO DELIVER THE SERVICE.
AS YOU WELL KNOW, UH, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HOMELESS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REALLY CASE MANAGEMENT.
YOU'RE WALKING WITH SOMEBODY THAT'S MANPOWER.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING A VOLUNTEER IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE.
SO WHEN, WHEN YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A CONTRACT WITH WINNIE HOSPITAL, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH VINEY HOSPITAL.
AND YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING CASE MANAGEMENT.
WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL? UH, THEIR PROGRAM IS AN INDIGENT PROGRAM.
SO WINNIE HOSPITAL HAS AN INDIGENT PROGRAM AND THEY'VE ASKED US TO STEP IN AND DO CASE MANAGEMENT TO, UH, HELP, UH, INFUSE OR TO, YOU KNOW, INCREASE THEIR PROGRAM PARTICIPATION.
UH, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING IN CHAMBERS COUNTY.
PART OF THAT FUNDING, UH, WE ARE ABLE TO ALLOCATE ELSEWHERE, NOT JUST SPECIFICALLY FOR CASE MANAGEMENT, FOR WINNING HOSPITAL, IT'S A CONTRACT.
SO WE, WE MADE SURE THAT WE COULD USE, BECAUSE WE KNEW SOME THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING WITH UNITED WAY.
WE KNEW THAT WE COULD USE SOME OF THOSE SLIDES FOR SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO.
[02:05:01]
THANK YOU, MA'AM.FRANKIE, I KNEW THE EMERGING LEADER WOULD HAVE, UM, UH, OH, JUST, JUST A FEW.
UM, WE HEARD EARLIER FROM BAY AREA HOMELESS, UM, AND SERVICES, AND WE GOT TO HEAR ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES AND LIKE TYPE OF THINGS Y'ALL, UH, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE MM-HMM
IT'S CLEARLY DIFFERENT CLIENTS, BUT DO Y'ALL EVER PARTNER OR COORDINATE SERVICES, MAYBE BOUNCE FROM ONE TO THE OTHER? UM, YES.
AS, AS A MATTER OF FACT, THEY REFER CLIENTS TO US.
MANY OF OUR CLIENTS THAT WE SERVICE DON'T QUALIFY TO GO INTO BAY AREA HOMELESS SERVICES BECAUSE EITHER THEY ARE DISABLED, THEY HAVE A SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEM, THEY HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, OR THEY DON'T HAVE A STATE, A STATE ID.
IN ORDER TO GET INTO BAY AREA HOMELESS SERVICES, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STATE ID.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR CLIENTS DON'T HAVE STATE IDS.
WE HAVE THE HOMELESS OUTREACH ID THAT WE MAKE UNTIL THEY CAN GET THEIR STATE ID.
DO YOU EVER DO IT KIND OF OPPOSITE ONCE YOU HELP THEM GET THEIR IDS, THEN SETTLE THEM IN ONE OF THE SHELTERS THAT THEY HAVE? I, I DO REFER OUR CLIENTS TO THE SHELTERS MM-HMM
BUT SOMETIMES THEY, THEY DON'T WANT TO GO.
IT, IT BOILS DOWN TO A LOT OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
THEY HAVE HAD BAD EXPERIENCES IN SHELTERS, AND IF THEY'RE INDIVIDUALS, THEY REFUSE TO GO INTO A SHELTER.
FAMILIES, THEY MAY GO INTO A SHELTER.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR CLIENTS THAT WE HAVE SERVICE THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, THEY DO NOT WANT TO GO INTO SHELTERS.
UM, AND THEN I WAS CURIOUS, UM, THE HOMELESS CAMP YOU MENTIONED MM-HMM
UM, DURING YOUR PRESENTATION YES.
UM, DO YOU HAVE, DO YOU LIKE APPROXIMATELY KNOW HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS WERE STAYING THERE APPROXIMATELY? WE MET TWO, AND THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY MAYBE THREE OR FOUR OTHERS JUST BY TALKING TO THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS.
ONE PERSON, HIS CAMP WAS DOWN FURTHER IN THE WOODS, AND HE WAS A LONER.
AND HIS LITTLE AREA, HE HAD A SIGN MAKING SURE THAT NO, NOBODY COMES TO HIS AREA.
BUT ACCORDING TO THE TWO HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT WE DID HAVE CONTACT WITH, THERE WERE MAYBE UP TO FIVE OR SIX PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE WHOLE WOODED AREA, IN EACH LITTLE SEPARATE INDIVIDUAL CAMP.
UM, UH, YOU, YOU MENTIONED, UM, THAT YOU'RE DOING WORK IN CHAMBERS COUNTY AND OBVIOUSLY IN THE BAYTOWN AREA AS WELL.
HOW BIG IS YOUR SERVICE AREA? AREA? OUR ENTIRE SERVICE AREA IN INCLUDES HIGHLANDS BAYTOWN, AND WE HAVE BRANCHED OFF INTO CHAMBERS COUNTY WITH TELLING YOUR COALITION, MARCELLUS WILLIAMS RESOURCE CENTER.
SO WE, UH, WE TRY TO HELP THE EAST SIDE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE RESOURCES ON THE EAST SIDE OF HARRIS COUNTY AND INTER CHAMBERS COUNTY IS VERY LIMITED.
SO WE ARE ABLE TO ASSIST CLIENTS IN EVERY AREA, BUT OUR MAIN FOCUS IS THE BAYTOWN AREA.
ALTHOUGH OUR OFFICES ARE LOCATED IN HIGHLANDS, WE FOCUS PRIMARILY IN BAYTOWN.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR CLIENTS COME FROM THE BAYTOWN AREA.
YOU OUT OF, SO JUST YOUR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S 52% OF THE CLIENTS THAT WE SERVICE AS AN ORGANIZATION IS FROM THE BAYTOWN AREA.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT LAST YEAR OUR, WE HAD 427 CLIENTS THAT WE SERVED AND WE OFFERED UNDUPLICATED, UH, OR I'M SORRY, DUPLICATED SERVICES ABOUT 3,700.
WHAT I MEAN ABOUT THAT IS THAT WE HELP THEM WITH, UH, APPLYING FOR THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY.
WE HELP THEM WITH FOOD STAMPS, WE HELP THEM WITH RENT ASSISTANCE, UTILITIES, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
YOU COME TO US AND WE TRY TO FIND ALL THE RESOURCES.
SO, UH, NIKKI'S COMMENT TODAY WAS VERY, VERY TRUE COLLABORATION.
AND WE ARE REALLY BIG ON THAT.
YOU CANNOT DO THIS ONE ORGANIZATION.
YOU CANNOT, UH, SO YES, WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PARTICULAR CDBG MONEY, WE ARE TALKING THE STERLING LIBRARY.
WE'RE SERVICING A HOMELESS POPULATION.
WE BELIEVE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ARE SERVICING ARE IN THE SERVICING AREA.
SO, UM, WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT DOING THAT.
UH, WE DID IT REALLY WELL AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY, TWO HUNDRED THIRTY EIGHT PEOPLE MM-HMM
THE OTHER THING I JUST WANNA SHARE WITH THIS GROUP IS THAT A LOT OF TIMES, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL ABOUT COLLABORATION.
A LOT OF TIMES WE MAY GET A CLIENT THAT IS APPLICABLE FOR BAY AREA HOMELESS SHELTER IF BAY AREA, AND THEY ARE IN SO MUCH NEED OF MORE CAPACITY.
IF THEY ARE NOT, WE WILL GO OUT AND FIND ONE IN HOUSTON, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, WHEREVER WE GOTTA FIND IT, TO GET THAT MOTHER AND THAT CHILD OFF THE STREET.
SO, UH, OUR COLLABORATION DOES EXTEND THE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY, PRETTY WELL.
BUT JUST KEEP IN MIND, THE BASIS OF OUR PROGRAM
[02:10:01]
IS THAT WE'RE CASE MANAGEMENT AND WE'RE GOING TO FIND THE RESOURCES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.THIS IS AN AWESOME PROGRAM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
FIRST STEP, BECAUSE WE HAVE TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES, HOMELESSNESS, WE HAVE TOUCHED A LOT OF LIVES.
I, I'M JUST SO I'M REAL ADAMANT ABOUT THAT.
UH, I KNOW, UH, UH, TAMMY SHARED WITH YOU THAT THE EMERGENCY, UH, VOUCHER PROGRAM FOR THE HOMELESS 31 WAS GIVEN TO BAYTOWN 700 WAS GIVEN TO HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY OF THE 31 HERE IN BAYTOWN, WE WERE ABLE TO DO AND QUOTE ME, UH, DON'T LET ME MISQUOTE, I THINK 15 OR 17, IT WAS OUR CLIENTS WAS, WAS, UH, 15 CLIENTS THAT RECEIVED THE VOUCHERS MM-HMM
SO WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE BAYTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY TO CONTINUE THAT RELATIONSHIP OF USING THOSE VOUCHERS WHENEVER THEY COME THROUGH HUD.
MR. YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH.
UM, I, I DID NOTICE THAT THERE WAS, UH, $1,200 BEING ALLOCATED FOR THE EMERGENCY HOTEL STAY.
WOULD THAT BE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO REFUSE TO GO TO A SHELTER OR MAY NOT WANT TO GO OR EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT? NO, THAT WOULD BE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY BE IN, IN MAYBE A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
SAY FOR INSTANCE, WE HAD A CLIENT THAT HAD FALLEN AND BROKEN HIS, UH, MEDICAL KNEE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE HAD A CLIENT THAT HAD FALLEN AND BROKEN HIS HIP.
AND SO ONCE HE WAS, WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL, HE HAD NOWHERE TO GO WHILE HE RECOVERED.
OR MAYBE THEY ARE LIVING WITH SOMEONE AND THEY HAVE TO GET OUT IMMEDIATELY AND THEY HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.
'CAUSE THEY ARE IN DANGER FOR SOME REASON.
AND IT'S NOT REALLY A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT MAY BE SOME FROM SOME OTHER REASON THAT THEY NEED TO LEAVE FROM THAT.
THE PERSON WANTS THEM OUT AND THEY MAY HAVE SOME SMALL CHILDREN AND THEY'RE THROWING 'EM OUT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO FIND THEM SOMEWHERE TO STAY WITH THOSE SMALL CHILDREN JUST FOR, UH, MAYBE THREE DAYS UNTIL WE CAN GET THEM INTO TRANSITIONAL HOUSING OR TO A SHELTER.
AND AS MR. RAMONA SAID, A LOT OF THE SHELTERS AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSINGS ARE IN THE HOUSTON AREA THAT, UH, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE TO SEND THOSE PEOPLE TO.
YOU SAID, WE WERE JUST WONDERING, YOU SAID A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO YOU WENT INTO A WOODED AREA IN BAYTOWN.
CAN YOU TELL US OR SHARE WITH US WHERE ABOUT IT WAS, UH, OFF OF I 10 AND NORTH MAIN.
I DON'T WANNA GIVE THE EXACT LOCATION BECAUSE YOU JUST NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
AND THE THING ABOUT IT IS, THE THING ABOUT IT IS YOU DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHERE THE CAMPS ARE.
THE WAY I HELP 'EM UP ON THAT CAMP WAS I HAD AN ANOTHER CLIENT THAT I WAS ASSISTING AND, UH, SHE HAD GOTTEN AN ID FROM ME, BUT SHE WASN'T ABLE TO COME BACK TO THE LIBRARY AND SHE ASKED ME TO MEET HER OVER THERE.
AND THAT'S WHERE SHE WAS LIVING AT.
AND ONCE I GOT THERE, UH, THAT DAY TO GIVE HER THE ID, AND I WAS TALKING TO HER AND I SAID, WELL, IS THIS JUST A SMALL CAMP? AND SHE'S THE ONE THAT TOLD ME, NO, IT'S BIGGER.
IT GOES FURTHER BACK INTO THE WOODS.
THAT'S WHEN I REACHED OUT TO THE HARRIS COUNTY HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM TO SEE IF THEY WOULD WANNA GO AND MAKE CONTACT WITH THE, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE THERE AND SEE WHAT SERVICES THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO OFFER THEM.
AND WHEN YOU GUYS WORK WITH BAYTOWN HOUSING MM-HMM
TO PROVIDE THOSE VOUCHERS AND THOSE HOMES, DO YOU GUYS HELP OUT WITH THE DEPOSITS AND APPLICATION FEES AND STUFF LIKE THAT? OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? WELL, ACTUALLY THE, THE, THE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM, THE BAYTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY PAYS FOR THE DEPOSITS AND WHATEVER FEES THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE TO MOVE IN.
WE DO HELP WITH, UH, BASIC NEEDS.
LIKE IF THEY NEED POTS AND PANS, TOWELS OR, UH, THINGS LIKE FURNITURE, WE MAY BE ABLE TO GET FURNITURE FOR THEM.
WE HAD A DONATION OF MICROWAVES FROM ANOTHER ORGANIZATION.
WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE SOME OF THEM MICROWAVES AND JUST SOME OF THE BASIC NEEDS TO GET THEMSELVES, UH, IN THE APARTMENT AND SETTLED IN.
I, I USED TO WORK WITH BAYTOWN HOMELESS, JUST OFF RECORD BAYTOWN HOMELESS SHELTER.
AND THEY HAD RENTED FEW PLACES, FEW APARTMENTS THAT WERE FURNISHED MM-HMM
AND THEY WOULD TRANSITION THEIR CLIENTS FROM THE SHELTER MM-HMM
TO KIND OF GET AN ACCLIMATED YEAH.
YOU KNOW, KIND OF A IN BETWEEN.
AND, AND, AND ONE OF THE, ANOTHER MISCONCEPTION IS THAT IF WE JUST PUT THE HOMELESS IN AN APARTMENT, EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY UNTIL YOU ADDRESS THEIR OTHER NEEDS, YOU CAN PUT 'EM IN AN APARTMENT ALL DAY LONG.
IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT APARTMENT OR MAINTAIN THEIR STABILITY, THEY'LL BE RIGHT BACK ON THE STREETS AGAIN.
SO IT, IT TAKES NOT JUST ADDRESSING THE HOUSING PART OF THE PIECE, BUT IT TAKES THE WHOLE HOLISTIC APPROACH.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO.
I HAVE A QUESTION I'M CURIOUS TO NOTE.
ARE ANY OF THESE HOMELESS, UM, YOUNG LADIES OR YOUNG MEN THAT HAVE BEEN TRAFFIC TRAFFICKING, OR THAT HAVE BEEN I HAVEN'T RUN INTO ANY THAT HAVE BEEN TRAFFICKED.
AND, AND, AND I, WHEN I MEET WITH THE CLIENTS, THEY DO AN INTAKE FORM AND, AND I DO EXTENSIVE INTERVIEW WITH 'EM.
I TALK TO 'EM, QUESTION 'EM, YOU KNOW, AND SEE WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM OR WHAT THE SITUATION IS.
ESPECIALLY IF IT'S SOMEONE THAT'S COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN.
UH, AND IT'S, IT'S USUALLY IT'S, IT IS ONE-ON-ONE.
IT'S ME AND THEM IN OFFICE BY OURSELVES.
IF THEY DO COME WITH A FRIEND OR SOMEBODY, ASK THEM
[02:15:01]
IF THEY WOULD LIKE THEIR FRIEND TO COME IN THE OFFICE WITH THEM MM-HMMIF NOT, THEY CAN SIT OUTSIDE AND WAIT UNTIL WE FINISH THE INTERVIEW.
AND I DO TALK TO 'EM, BUT I HAVEN'T RUN INTO ANYONE THAT HAS BEEN TRAFFICKED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THE MAJORITY OF THE, UM, CLIENTS THAT I DO SERVICE, THEY'RE, UH, THE AVERAGE AGE IS 30 AND ABOVE.
I DO HAVE SOME THAT I HAVE MAYBE FIVE OR SIX THAT MAY BE IN THEIR TWENTIES, BUT THEY, UM, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, I HAVEN'T RUN INTO ANY THAT HAS BEEN TRAFFICKED YET.
SO HOW, HOW LONG HAS YOUR PROGRAM BEEN IN EXISTENCE? WE'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE NOVEMBER.
I WORKED IN LOES AND FISHES FOR MM-HMM
AND, UH, MY JOB, OF COURSE WAS TO FEED, HELP FEED SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE.
WOULD, YOU KNOW, GO TO HOUSTON FOR THAT.
WE HAD LOTS AND LOTS AND SOME OF MY, SOME OF OUR, UH, UH, CUSTOMERS WERE, UM, FROM BAYTOWN MM-HMM.
AND, AND I WOULD SAY, WHY WOULD YOU GO WAY OVER THERE TO GET HELP? YES.
YOU KNOW, AND IT'S BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO OFFER THEM AROUND HERE.
SO I'M GLAD THAT'S SO TRUE THAT YOU ALL ARE EXISTING NOW BECAUSE, UH, YES.
AND FROM
AND THAT'S WHERE WE FED 'EM AT LOAFS AND FISHES.
'CAUSE I'VE HAD FRIENDS OF MINE THAT WERE, UH, EITHER HOMELESS OR IN NEED AND I WOULD TAKE THEM TO LOAVES AND FISHES.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WAS DOWN THERE, UH, OVER THE WEEKEND I WAS IN THAT AREA.
I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION REGARDING THE HOTEL STAYS.
AT $1,200, THAT'S PROBABLY 10 NIGHTS.
MAYBE IF YOU STAY LIKE AT A DECENT PLACE.
ARE YOU GONNA LIMIT THE NUMBER OF DAYS PER PERSON TO STAY AT A HOTEL? YES, IT WILL BE LIMITED.
AND, AND IT WILL BE JUST EMERGENCY BASIS.
I I, WE, WE WON'T ESTIMATE NO MORE THAN THREE DAYS.
THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE THAT TIME TO FIND ANOTHER FACILITY FOR THEM TO GO TO.
BECAUSE I KNOW I READ THROUGH YOUR PROPOSAL AND IT DID SAY SPECIAL NEEDS INDIVIDUALS.
'CAUSE I CAN IMAGINE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU WERE AUTISTIC AND YES.
SO I CAN SEE THAT THAT'S TRUE.
SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS AS TO IF YOU'D BE LIMITING THE NUMBER.
AND, AND WITH THE HOTEL STAYS, WE HAVE SO MANY CLIENTS NOW THAT ARE CALLING FOR HOTEL STAYS, BUT IT'S, WE LET THEM KNOW THAT NO AGENCY DOES THAT.
AND IT WILL BE A VETTING PROCESS.
IT WON'T, WE JUST WON'T BE GIVING IT TO JUST ANYBODY BECAUSE THEY GIVE US A SAD STORY.
WE WILL VERIFY ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THEY DO GIVE US.
I WANNA DO SOMETHING WITH YOU.
UM, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO, UH, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH LICENSED ASSISTED LIVING BECAUSE REMEMBER THE TYPE OF CLIENTS THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY ARE SSI AND THEY ARE HOMELESS, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO THEY GO? AND WHILE THEY'RE WAITING ON LOW INCOME HOUSING OR THEY'RE TRYING TO DRY OUT OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, WHERE DO THEY GO ONCE THEY SOME STABILITY? SO WE ARE WORKING WITH LICENSED ASSISTED LIVING JUST TO IDENTIFY THOSE TYPES OF FACILITIES FOR THEM TO GO.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES.
I THINK WE JUST DON'T, I HAVE, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
REALIZE THAT THE MORE YOU, Y'ALL TALK, I'M THINKING TOO THOUGH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IS TALK AS FAR AS THE CLIENTELE, EVEN THE OLDER GENERATION, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT, UM, THESE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE SOCIAL SECURITY.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT DRAWING SOCIAL SECURITY.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MEDICARE, IS IT BECAUSE THEY NEVER SIGNED UP FOR MEDICARE? IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET 65, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE NOTHING.
IT'S, I'VE, I'VE, AND I HAVE A CLIENT THAT WAS IN THAT SITUATION.
HE'S 70 AND HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT HE HAD TO APPLY FOR HIS SOCIAL SECURITY.
AND HE HAS NO FAMILY TO HELP HIM.
HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS OF APPLYING.
THAT'S WHERE WE CAME IN TO HELP HIM APPLY FOR HIS RETIREMENT.
HE WAS RETIRED FROM EXXON, BUT HE, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, THINGS HAPPENED AND HE ENDED UP HOMELESS AND HE JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
AND A LOT OF OUR ELDERLY CLIENTS, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
THEY DON'T HAVE FAMILY, THEY DON'T HAVE FRIENDS OR ANYONE TO HELP THEM ALONG THE WAY.
AND THE WAY THE PROCESS IS NOW WITH SOCIAL SECURITY, THEY WANT YOU TO DO EVERYTHING ONLINE, WHICH A LOT OF THE OLDER CLIENTS ARE NOT COMPUTER LITERATE.
SO WE HELP THEM TO APPLY FOR THEIR DISABILITY, HELP THEM APPLY FOR THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY RETIREMENT AND THEIR BENEFITS, THE MEDICARE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S, IT'S, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL THAT WE'VE HAD TO DO THAT FOR BECAUSE THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY ELSE TO HELP THEM.
THAT'S, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MA'AM.
YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TELLING YOU ABOUT THANK YOU GUYS.
PRISCILLA DON'T, DON'T TURN IT OFF YET.
THAT WILL, IN THAT WILL CONCLUDE THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING AFTER FIVE SPEAKERS.
[a. Receive the Community Development Manager's Report.]
INTO THE, UM, MANAGER'S REPORT WITH MS. SHARON.SO I'M GONNA TRY TO KEEP THIS BRIEF, BUT FIRST WE'RE GONNA BRING, UH, SOMEBODY UP TO THE PODIUM.
UM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HAS A NEW
[02:20:01]
EMPLOYEE, UH, PRISCILLA LARA.SHE'S GONNA BE REPLACING LOUIS SANCHEZ, WHICH SOME OF YOU WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH.
BUT I WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT TODAY MIGHT BE ONE OF THE LAST DAYS THAT YOU HEAR MY DULCE HOMES AT THE END OF THE LINE.
WHEN I, WHEN YOU GET A CALL, UM, IT'LL PROBABLY BE PRISCILLA CALLING YOU.
I'LL, I'LL, YOU KNOW, HAVE HER CALL Y'ALL NEXT WEEK FOR THE QUORUM.
BUT AFTER THAT, IF I MIGHT THROW MYSELF IN THERE EVERY NOW AND THEN.
BUT IT'S GONNA BE PRISCILLA NOW.
SO MS. LAURA IS OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH SPECIALIST.
WELL, SO, UM, WHY DON'T YOU TELL US, UH, OUR BOARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
SO ONCE AGAIN, I'M PRISCILLA LAURA AND I'M SO EXCITED TO, TO HAVE JOINED THIS TEAM AND TO BE WORKING SO CLOSELY WITH Y'ALL.
I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WORKING OVER, UH, WITH THE PATIENT COMMUNITY, WITH HARRIS HEALTH SYSTEM, THE INDIGENT AND UNINSURED.
AND THEN I TRANSITIONED OVER TO HOUSTON METHODIST, WHICH WAS MORE OF THE, THE INSURED COMMUNITY,
AND, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY OPENED UP HERE WITH THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE, SO I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT BETTER PLACE TO SERVE THAN, THAN THE CITY OF BAYTOWN.
AND SO I'M SO EXCITED ONCE AGAIN, UM, TO GOING FORWARD JUST TO COLLABORATE WITH Y'ALL AND WORK, WORK CLOSELY WITH Y'ALL.
ARE YOU ALSO A RANGER, MR. NORMAN? YES.
WE'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS VECTOR.
THE, OH, NEXT WEEK WE DO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING.
IT'S ONLY GONNA BE LUCK NETWORK PRESENTING FOR THE THREE PROGRAMS THAT THEY RECEIVE FUNDING FOR.
SO IF YOU WANT TO REVIEW THEIR, UM, APPLICATIONS, IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO, AND THEN WE'LL DO A BRIEF, UM, PRESENTATION ON OUR INTERNAL PROGRAMS. WE DON'T SUBMIT A FORMAL APPLICATION, UM, FROM INSIDE THE CITY FOR OUR FUNDS.
IT USED TO BE TO WHERE WE DID ONE, BUT IT WAS DETERMINE THAT THE STAFF TIME THAT WENT INTO DOING THAT AND EVERYTHING, WHEN THE FUNDING IS STILL GONNA BE USED ANYWAY, WAS DETERMINED NOT TO DO THAT.
SO IN REGARDS TO A QUESTION THAT MS. RHONDA HAD FOR ME TODAY, SHE ASKED IF WE KNOW WHAT OUR BUDGET IS GONNA BE FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
HUD IS SUPPOSED TO BE, UM, FROM COMMUNICATION, I RECEIVED ALL CPD, UM, ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITIES SHOULD BE RECEIVING THEIR ALLOCATION FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR BY MAY 12TH.
OUR BUDGET DELIBERATION MEETING IS THE 17TH.
SO IF FOR WHATEVER REASON WE STILL DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE RECEIVING, WE MIGHT HAVE TO CANCEL THAT MEETING.
I'M NOT SURE YET BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE APPLYING FOR FUNDS, THEY'RE PUBLIC SERVICE ACTIVITIES, THERE'S A CAP MM-HMM
TO HOW MUCH WE CAN GRANT TO A PUBLIC SERVICE ACTIVITY.
IT'S 15% OF THE TOTAL ENTITLEMENT.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR ENTITLEMENT IS.
SO WE REALLY CAN'T DELIBERATE ON A BUDGET FOR PEOPLE UNTIL WE KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GETTING.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THE NUMBER BEFORE THE 12TH OR BEFORE THE 17TH.
I MEAN, BASICALLY IF I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER BY THE TIME I HAVE TO POST THE AGENDA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CANCEL THAT MEETING.
UM, IF WE CANCEL THAT MEETING, THEN WE'LL JUST MEET AGAIN ON THE FOURTH.
I CAN MATH RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, BUT WE'LL MEET AGAIN ON FOURTH TUESDAY IN MAY.
IF WE GET OUR NUMBERS, MAYBE WE CAN KNOCK IT ALL OUT IN THE ONE TUESDAY AND DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK ON THE FOURTH OF TUESDAY IN MAY.
SO IT'LL BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
HOPEFULLY WE'RE NOT HERE TILL EIGHT AGAIN, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF EVERYBODY GETS AN IDEA OF HOW THEY WANT THEIR FUNDING TO GO, I KNOW THAT MS. LOPEZ HAD LET US KNOW THAT SHE WAS A, A BOARD MEMBER FOR
SO SHE WILL BE RECUSING HERSELF FROM A VOTE ON THAT PROPOSAL.
VICKY IS MARRIED TO MY SECOND, THIRD JUDGE THAT MYSELF.
I'M JUST, THERE IS A LIMIT BASED ON FAMILY RELATIONS.
WE WILL HAVE TO CONSULT OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
AND THAT'S, BUT IT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW, I JUST LIKE YOU SAY NOW THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BRINGING THINGS ON ON BOARD, YOU KNOW, WE AT LEAST, UH, UH, UH, ACKNOWLEDGED IT.
AND SO WHICHEVER WAY IT GOES IS FINE WITH ME.
YOU KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE RIGHT.
BUT I DON'T WANNA SAY, HEY, I VOTED I DIDN'T SAY NOTHING AND HEY MAN, YOU KNOW, THIS YOUR KEN VOTE TRANSPARENCY IS ALWAYS BEST BE ON THE SAFE SIDE.
JUST A QUICK QUESTION, SHARON.
SO LIKE BAY AREA OPTIMIST OR BAY AREA, WHATEVER WE'RE, WE ARE, THERE'S A CAP AT 15% OF OUR TOTAL ALLOTMENT.
LET'S SAY FOR THE SAKE OF EASY NUMBERS, WE GET $150,000.
WHY DON'T, BUT IT'S, IT'S GETTING, I, YOU KNOW HOW IT IS.
SO BASICALLY IF WE GET A HUNDRED, WE CAN ONLY PROVIDE, UM, 15,000 TO PUBLIC SERVICE.
[02:25:01]
I SEE.AND THAT'S SOMETHING, USUALLY OUR CAP FOR PUBLIC SERVICES IS ABOUT 90 SOME ODD THOUSAND.
BUT YOU HAVE TO THINK LOVE NETWORK FOR TRANSPORTATION IS REQUESTING 66,700.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN THERE'S, UH, DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE HAVE TO FUND EVERYONE THAT REQUESTS FUNDING OR THAT WE HAVE TO FUND THEIR TOTAL BUDGET.
I KNOW I HAVE OPINIONS ON SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, ON WHAT I THINK SHOULD GO AND SHOULD.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I HAVE NO SAY IN THIS.
I CAN JUST GIVE YOU MY ADVICE.
BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, UM, WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE THAT NUMBER.
'CAUSE WE WON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WE CAN, IF BASICALLY IF YOU GUYS DECIDE ON A BUDGET BEFORE WE GET OUR NUMBERS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MEET AGAIN TO FIX IT.
SO WHY DON'T WE JUST GET IT RIGHT TO FIRST? RIGHT.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE WAY I'M LOOKING AT IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.