* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:20] I WERE NOW CALLED TO [ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TUESDAY, MAY 2, 2023 5:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ] ORDER THIS PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN 20 23, 20 24 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM. ALL PERSONS DESIRING, UM, TO SPEAK SHOULD SIGN THE LIST IN FRONT OF THE ROOM IF THEY NOT HAVE ALREADY DONE SO. OKAY. TODAY'S HEARING IS FOR [a. Conduct a public hearing regarding the City of Baytown Community Development Block Grant funding for the 2023-2024 program year.] THE PURPOSE OF RECEIVING INPUT WITH REGARD TO THE 20 23 20 24 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT 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 ASKED BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE. THIS IS NOW 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, MS. SHARON, I SHALL ATTEMPT TO HAVE THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED. I WILL NOT ASK THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS OF BAYTOWN TO MAKE THEIR PRESENTATIONS. AND THAT IS TOP FIVE AND THE BOOKLET. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PRESENT, UH, TO YOU ALL ON THIS EVENING. I AM MEL DANCY ROBINSON, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS OF BAYTOWN. AND JOINING ME THIS EVENING IS MS. MICHELLE CAREY REDDICK, AND SHE IS OUR DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM OPERATIONS. THIS EVENING, WE WILL BE PRESENTING OUR JOB READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM, UM, IN HOPES OF RECEIVING FUNDING AGAIN FROM YOU ALL, AS WE DID LAST YEAR, OUR JOB READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM. OKAY. OUR DRIVE READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM, UM, WAS A PROGRAM THAT WE LAUNCHED IN 2021, AND WE DID IT, UH, DURING THE TIME WHERE EVERYTHING WAS VIRTUAL. AND WHAT WE DID WAS DECIDE TO HAVE THIS TRAINING PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PREPARE THEM FOR DIFFERENT SKILLS AS THEY ENTERED EITHER THE WORKFORCE OR IF THEY WERE GOING TO GO STRAIGHT INTO COLLEGE. BUT WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE SOME SKILLS TO BETTER PREPARE THEM, UM, AS THEY, UH, PREPARE FOR GRADUATION. THE DIFFERENT, UH, STUDENTS THAT CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM IS GOOSE CREEK, UH, CONSOLIDATED, ISD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THESE STUDENTS ARE IDENTIFIED ON THE CAMPUSES OF ALL OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS. WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL SITE COORDINATORS THAT ARE BASED ON ALL OF THE SECONDARY CAMPUSES HERE IN GOOSE CREEK. SO THERE'S A SITE COORDINATOR AT EVERY HIGH SCHOOL. SO OUR SITE COORDINATORS ARE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND TARGET, UH, THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE, UH, IN THIS PROGRAM. OUR GOAL IS GOING INTO THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, IS TO ADD A DIFFERENT COMPONENT. THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR, IT WAS ALL ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, BUT WHAT WE REALIZED IS THAT WE HAVE SOME JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS THAT ARE IN EIGHTH GRADE THAT ARE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT COLLEGE. AND SO NEXT YEAR WE ARE GOING TO INTRODUCE THE ACADEMIC READINESS COMPONENT OF OUR JOB READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM. AND WE ARE GOING TO TARGET OUR EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS. SO WE'RE GOING TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE PROGRAM THIS YEAR. SOME OF, ONE OF OUR MAIN PARTNERS IS PIVOT FOUNDATION, PIVOT FOUNDATION. UM, THEY ARE THE ORGANIZATION THAT FACILITATES ALL OF OUR WORKSHOP. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE LIKE ABOUT PIVOT FOUNDATION IS THAT THEY DESIGN EVERY WORKSHOP UNIQUE TO THE CAMPUS. SO THERE ARE SOME CAMPUSES THAT WANT TO STRICTLY JUST FOCUS ON JUST COLLEGE READINESS RIGHT NOW, AND THEN THEY MAY ONLY WANT LIKE A SMALL COMPONENT OF THE JOB READINESS. AND SO SHE'S ABLE TO SWITCH OUT SOME OF THE WORKSHOPS AND MAKE IT UNIQUE TO EACH CAMPUS. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LIKE ABOUT IT. AND SO SPEAKING WITH HER THIS YEAR ABOUT THE NEW COMPONENT THAT WE WANT TO INTRODUCE TO OUR EIGHTH GRADERS, UH, SHE WAS LIKE, YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. UM, I CAN DESIGN A WORK WORKSHOP SPECIFICALLY JUST FOR EIGHTH GRADERS. AND SO THOSE, THAT'S [00:05:01] ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT TO BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR. BEING PART OF THIS PROGRAM ARE STUDENTS THAT GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM, THEY LEARN THESE SKILLS, UH, AND PART OF LEARNING SOME OF THE SKILLS AS RESUME WRITING, UM, INTERVIEWING SKILLS, HOW TO DRESS APPROPRIATELY FOR AN INTERVIEW. WE ALSO TAKE THEM THROUGH WHAT WE CALL MOCK INTERVIEWS SO THAT THEY ARE PREPARED TO ANSWER DIFFERENT QUESTIONS AND ALSO ASK QUESTIONS DURING THE INTERVIEWS. AND SO WHEN THEY GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND SOME OF OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE READY TO WORK, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, WE TRY TO CONNECT THEM WITH SOME OF THE LOCAL BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY, IF JUST IN HOPES OF JUST EXTENDING, IF NOTHING ELSE, AN INTERVIEW, UH, NOT NECESSARILY SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU HIRE THIS MANY STUDENTS? BUT AT LEAST JUST EXTEND THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW THEM. AND SO SOME OF OUR STUDENTS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROGRAM, UH, UTILIZED SOME OF THOSE SKILLS, WENT OUT ON INTERVIEWS, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO GET JOBS. HERE ARE SOME FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HAD FROM, UM, OUR SITE COORDINATORS THAT WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THE STUDENTS ON THE CAMPUSES AND ALSO, UH, FROM A STUDENT, UH, THAT WAS A PART OF THE JOB READINESS PROGRAM. THESE, UH, WRITTEN FEEDBACKS ARE A PART OF YOUR HARD COPIES, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TWO VIDEO RECORDINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SHOW YOU. UM, SOME TESTIMONIALS FROM ONE STUDENT THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM THIS YEAR, AND THEN ONE OF OUR SITE COORDINATORS THAT HOSTED IT ON HER CAMPUS. SO AT THIS TIME, THIS FEEDBACK WILL COME FROM MS. CAROLYN LEE. SHE'S OUR SITE COORDINATOR AT ROBERT E. LEE. HELLO, I'M CAROLYN LEE, A SITE COORDINATOR LOCATED IN ROBERT E. LEE HIGH SCHOOL. OUR FACILITATOR WAS SO WELL TRAINED ON HER INFORMATION THAT SHE LITERALLY GAVE OUR STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT FAFSA WAS FOR, WHY IT WAS SO IMPORTANT. SHE EVEN ASSISTED THEM IN ACTUALLY FILLING OUT THEIR FAFSA FOR THOSE WHO HAD NOT DONE IT. ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MY STUDENTS WHO WERE HOMELESS. THEY SAID, WELL, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A ROOF OVER OUR HEADS. SHE GAVE THOSE STUDENTS THE INFORMATION, WHICH ENLIGHTENED ME THAT ALL OF OUR MCKINNEY-VENTO STUDENTS NOT ONLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO COLLEGE, BUT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO COLLEGE FOR FREE. I WOULD SUGGEST EVERYONE TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF TRAINING FOR THEIR STUDENTS. IT WAS AMAZING. IT WAS EDUCATIONAL, IT WAS INFORMATIONAL, AND I THINK EVERYONE WOULD BE PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME OF SHARING THIS KNOWLEDGE WITH OUR YOUTH. THANK YOU. AND OUR LAST TESTIMONIAL WILL COME FROM A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. HIS NAME IS TEDDY COLE PEPPER, AND HE'S A 12TH GRADER AT, UH, GCM MS. TJ COLE PEPPER. AND I ATTENDED THE JOB READINESS TRAINING PROGRAM WITH COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOL IN THE JOB READINESS PROGRAM. I LEARNED HOW TO BECOME A BETTER ADVOCATE FOR AN EMPLOYMENT POSITION. I CAN UTILIZE THE SKILLS LEARNED WHEN WRITING MY RESUMES AND WHEN I AM IN AN INTERVIEW WITH MY FUTURE EMPLOYER. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS AND THE PIVOT FOUNDATION FOR THIS AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO ENTER INTO THE WORKFORCE. YOU ALL HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB, AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON. AND THEN, THESE ARE JUST A FEW PICTURES OF OUR PARTICIPANTS FROM THIS YEAR THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM. WE WERE ABLE TO HOST A JOB READINESS TRAINING WORKSHOP ON ALL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSES THIS YEAR. AND THESE ARE JUST THREE PICTURES FROM SOME OF THE STUDENTS THAT PARTICIPATED. AND THAT ENDS OUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD. FIRST OFF, THANK YOU GUYS FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. I GUESS THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS CONCERNING THE, UM, THE EIGHTH GRADERS AND THE ACADEMIC AWARENESS PROGRAM THAT YOU GUYS, UH, ARE GONNA START, WHAT DOES THAT CONSIST OF? FOR, FOR THOSE STUDENTS? IT'S ALSO GOING TO TEACH THE STUDENTS HOW TO WRITE RESUMES, EVEN AT THIS AGE. UM, IT'S ALSO GOING TO TEACH THEM HOW TO SEEK COLLEGES THAT, UH, THAT MAY BE OF THEIR INTEREST DEPENDING ON RIGHT NOW WHAT THEY MAY BE INTERESTED IN. UM, SO SHE WILL TRAIN THEM HOW TO LOOK AT COLLEGES SPECIFIC TO THE FIELD THAT THEY FIELD OF STUDY THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO IN. SHE WILL ALSO TEACH THEM HOW TO SEARCH FOR SCHOLARSHIPS. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALL LEARNED, UH, THROUGH THIS WORKSHOP THIS YEAR, THAT THEY CAN START APPLYING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS WHILE THEY'RE IN JUNIOR HIGH. SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE THAT TO THEM AT, IN, IN EIGHTH GRADE SO THAT BY THE TIME THEY GET TO HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, THEY WILL ALREADY HAVE SOME SCHOLARSHIPS THAT THEY ARE APPLYING FOR. I, I'M NOT, I DON'T THINK I'M UNDERSTANDING. IF THIS GRANT THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING FROM US, IS THAT TO CONTINUE WHAT YOU'RE DOING OR IS THIS TO ADD THE JUNIOR [00:10:01] HIGH? OR IS IT A COMBINATION OF MONIES THAT IS GONNA PROVIDE BOTH? GREAT QUESTION. YES, MA'AM. IT IS A COMBINATION OF WHAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ADD THE COMPONENT FOR THE JUNIOR HIGH EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS. SO THIS WOULD GO INTO A GENERAL POT THAT WOULD THEN ALLOW YOU TO DO BOTH OF THOSE? YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. SO IN THE CURRENT YEAR, THEY ACTUALLY ARE RECEIVING FUNDING RIGHT NOW FROM CDBG. I UNDERSTAND THAT. YEAH. SO THEY'RE JUST GONNA EXPAND THE PROGRAM. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE WORKSHOP. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE KIDS VOLUNTARILY SIGN UP FOR AND THEY'RE INFORMED THROUGH THE SCHOOL? YES. UM, THEY DO SIGN UP VOLUNTARILY. MM-HMM . BUT AGAIN, SOME OF OUR PSYCH COORDINATES BECAUSE THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH THE STUDENTS MM-HMM . UM, AND THEY WORK, THEY WORK WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ON THEIR GOALS MM-HMM . AND SO WHAT THEY'LL DO IS THEY'LL REACH OUT TO SPECIFIC STUDENTS OH, OKAY. AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS A WORKSHOP THAT WE'RE HAVING ON MAY 8TH. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART OF IT? SO IT IS ANNOUNCED, UM, THROUGH, THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL, USUALLY ON SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS, THEY POST FLYERS. THEY SEND IT THROUGH GOOGLE CLASSROOM, SO THEY PUT IT OUT THERE. SO, SO IT'S OPEN TO EVERYONE? YES, MA'AM. YES, MA'AM. OH, OKAY. AND IS, IS IT SOMETHING THAT THEY DO MONTHLY OR IT'S JUST ONE SET DATE THAT THEY GET TOGETHER TO DO THE WORKSHOP? IT DEPENDS ON THE CAMPUS. 'CAUSE OF COURSE WE HAVE TO WORK AROUND THE CAMPUS SCHEDULE. MM-HMM . WHAT WE ASK IS THAT EACH HIGH SCHOOL HOSTS AT LEAST ONE. OH, OKAY. BUT AFTER THIS YEAR MM-HMM . WE'VE HAD PRINCIPALS TO SAY, HEY, WE WANT MORE THAN ONE. YEAH. SO IT JUST, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THE SCHOOL IS ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE. YEAH. SOUNDS. BUT THEY WILL HOST AT LEAST ONE. OKAY. IT SOUNDS VERY BENEFICIAL. YEAH. FOR THE STUDENTS. YES. SO WITH IT BEING OPEN TO EVERYONE, UM, CDBG IS RESTRICTIVE IN INCOME BASED, UM, PEOPLE AND PEOPLE THAT RESIDE WITH WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. SO HOW ARE YOU MAKING SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE REIMBURSING YOU FOR THOSE PEOPLE, THAT THEY ARE FALLING WITHIN THE INCOME LIMITS AND LIVE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS? GREAT QUESTION. SO, OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE PART OF COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS THAT ARE ON OUR CURRENT CASELOAD, THOSE STUDENTS HAVE ALREADY MET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, WHICH ARE PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME FAMILY STUDENTS. SO THOSE ARE THE STUDENTS THAT WE DO TARGET FOR FIRST. IF THERE ARE STUDENTS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR CASELOAD, THEN THOSE STUDENTS, WE STILL WON'T TURN AWAY BECAUSE WE ARE SEEKING ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HELP OFFSET THOSE STUDENTS THAT DON'T MEET THE INCOME. UM, THE, THE LOW INCOME ELIG EL ELIGIBILITY QUALIFICATIONS. AND THEN FOR THE CITY LIMITS PART, 'CAUSE I KNOW LIKE GCM, YOU'LL HAVE PEOPLE FROM HIGHLANDS AND MCNAIR AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO ARE YOU ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE ONES THAT ARE GETTING REIMBURSED WITH THE GRANT ARE SPECIFICALLY WITHIN CITY LIMITS? YES, MA'AM. BECAUSE WE DO, WE STILL UTILIZE YOUR, UH, DEMOGRAPHIC SHEET AS WELL. SO YES, MA'AM. WE DO. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. ARE YOU GUYS PLANNING ON PROMOTING, PROMOTING THE DIFFERENT ACADEMIES THAT HIGH SCHOOLS OFFER TO THE EIGHTH GRADERS? I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT HAVING THEM APPLY TO COLLEGES AND SCHOLARSHIPS AND WORK ON THEIR RESUME, BUT I MEAN, REGULAR SCHOOL IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. I KNOW GOOSE CREEK HAS DIFFERENT ACADEMIES AND YOU KNOW MM-HMM . A DIFFERENT SCHOOL ON WIDE DRIVE ALSO. ARE YOU GUYS PROMOTING THAT ALSO CURRICULUM? YES, WE ARE. GREAT QUESTION. SO THIS YEAR, WHAT WE DID WAS INTRODUCE, UH, WE CALL IT OUR TRANSITION GROUP. SO OUR EIGHTH GRADERS THAT ARE GOING INTO HIGH SCHOOL. WHAT WE DO IS WE HAVE OUR HIGH SCHOOL SITE COORDINATORS COME OVER AND THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT GCM OFFERS. THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT STEWARD CAREER CENTER OFFERS. THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT IMPACT OFFERS, JUST IN CASE THEY ARE INTERESTED IN SOME OF THOSE ACADEMIES AS WELL. YES. HOW WILL YOU MEASURE HERE, ? HOW WILL YOU MEASURE, OR HOW WILL YOU KNOW, HOW MANY OF THE STUDENTS CAME TO YOUR WORKSHOPS OR IN THAT YOU WORKED WITH ACTUALLY GOT A JOB, OR ACTUALLY WHEN THE COLLEGE ACTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET SCHOLARSHIPS? DO YOU HAVE ANY PERCENTAGE OR DOCUMENTATION THAT WILL SHOW THE, THE, UH, SUCCESS? WHAT, WHAT WE PLAN TO DO THIS UPCOMING YEAR IS TO TRACK ALL OF OUR GRADUATES. YES. UH, WE ARE DOING A PRE AND A POST-SURVEY, AND THEN WE ARE ALSO FOLLOWING, FOLLOWING UP WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY THE STUDENTS THAT MAY GRADUATE, THAT WE WON'T HAVE THAT DIRECT CONTACT WITH. AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THEM BECAUSE WE'RE ALSO, UM, CREATING AN ALUMNI PROGRAM. SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO BE ABLE TO TRACK THOSE STUDENTS TO SEE WHERE THEY ARE AT AND IF THEY CAN COME BACK AT SOME POINT TO BE MENTORS, UM, WITHIN THIS PROGRAM. SO WILL YOU TRACK THEM FOR THE FIRST YEAR? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, OR, YES, MA'AM. OKAY. THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION. UM, AND I, I DON'T REMEMBER READING IT IN THE, IN HERE, IN OUR BOOK, BUT YOUR GOAL FOR, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2324, YOU SAID, IS A HUNDRED STUDENTS. [00:15:02] IS THAT TOTAL WITH ALL THE CAMPUSES? AS OF NOW, YES. IS TOTAL WITH ALL OF THE CAMPUSES, BECAUSE AGAIN, SOMETIMES ON THE, ON THE DIFFERENT CAMPUSES, AS THE SITE COORDINATORS ARE, THEY'RE TRYING TO COORDINATE A SPECIFIC DATE TO BRING IN THESE WORKSHOPS, WE HAVE TO WORK AROUND THE STUDENT SCHEDULE. SO HIGH SCHOOL SOMETIMES IS, IT CAN BECOME DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE HOW ARE WE PULLING THE STUDENTS, BECAUSE WE'RE PULLING THEM SOMETIMES FROM CORE CLASSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE HAVE TO BE STRATEGIC ON HOW WE CAN HOST THE WORKSHOP. WHAT'S A GOOD TIME? DO WE HOST IT DURING EIGHTH PERIOD OR DO WE HOST IT DURING FIRST PERIOD? SO WE TRY TO TARGET ON EACH CAMPUS, I BELIEVE WE SAID, WHAT, 2020 STUDENTS PER CAMPUS. UM, AND THEN THAT GIVES US THAT OUR, OUR A HUNDRED AND THEN IT, BUT IF WE'RE HOPING TO EXCEED IT, UM, AND THAT'S OUR HOPE. BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE JUST LIMIT LIMITING IT TO MAYBE LIKE 20 STUDENTS. BUT OUR HOPE IS TO GO OVER THAT IF WE CAN. AND THAT'S FOR ALL THE HIGH SCHOOL, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT, WHAT, THREE TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS, AND THEN WE'VE GOT THREE OR FOUR OTHERS, ALL LIKE ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOLS, RIGHT? WE HAVE SIX IMPACT. SIX, YES, MA'AM. SO WE HAVE SIX, ALL THE, SO IT'S FOR ANYBODY ON ANY OF THE CAMPUSES, IT'S FOR ANYBODY. UH, BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED OUT, I THINK WE ONLY HAD MAYBE THAT, WHAT 50 THAT REGISTERED, BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE TO REGISTER, LIKE YOU SAID, THEY VOLUNTEER TO REGISTER FOR IT. SO OUR HOPE IS TO GET MORE STUDENTS TO VOLUNTEER FOR IT. BUT NOW THAT MORE PRINCIPALS ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING MORE WORKSHOPS ON THEIR CAMPUS, OUR HOPE IS THAT THE NUMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO GROW. SO WHEN WE INITIALLY STARTED OUT IT, LIKE I SAID, IT PROBABLY WAS MAYBE LIKE 50 STUDENTS. SO OUR HOPE IS OKAY, LET'S KIND OF DOUBLE THAT. LET'S GO TO A HUNDRED. UH, AND WE MAY, WE MAY EXCEED THAT. THAT IS OUR HOPE. THANK YOU. THAT MM-HMM . OH, DOES THAT INCLUDE THE JUNIOR HIGHS, THE 100? MM-HMM . NO, IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE JUNIOR HIGH. IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE JUNIOR HIGH. RIGHT NOW. IT DOESN'T. YOU GUYS RECENTLY HAD AN EVENT? I SAW SOME PICTURES ON FACEBOOK. YES. CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT INFORMATION ABOUT, WHAT WAS THAT, ABOUT THE END OF THE YEAR? SO WAS IT END OKAY. I WAS, I WAS OKAY. 'CAUSE WE'VE HAD A COUPLE, SO OUR END OF YEAR CELEBRATION, YES. OKAY. WHERE WAS THAT HELD? WHEN? FRIDAY, WHEN AND WHERE, WHEN AND WHERE? SO IT WAS FRIDAY, THIS PAST FRIDAY ON THE 28TH, AND WE HAD IT AT ENCHANTED BALLROOM. SO EACH YEAR, AT THE END OF EACH YEAR, WE HOST AT END YEAR EVENT END, WE ASK OUR SITE COORDINATOR TO IDENTIFY AT LEAST ONE STUDENT ON THEIR CASELOAD TO HONOR. AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A GRADUATING SENIOR. AND SO WE HONOR THAT SENIOR FOR, OF COURSE, THEIR, THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THEIR PERSEVERANCE, UM, JUST, JUST ACCOMPLISHING, YOU KNOW, GETTING THROUGH SCHOOL AND GRADUATING. SO WE HOST THAT EVERY YEAR. SO THIS YEAR WE HONOR 12 GRADUATES. GOOD. COULD WE EVER GET AN INVITATION TO JUST SUPPORT AND CONGRATULATE THOSE STUDENTS? ABSOLUTELY, YES. COULD YOU PLEASE LET US KNOW IN THE FUTURE? YES. 'CAUSE I WANTED TO BE THERE TO JUST ENCOURAGE THEM AND LET 'EM KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE FOR THEM. YES. PERFECT. CERTAINLY WILL. SO, I HAVE A QUESTION. UM, IN THE CURRENT YEAR, YOU RECEIVED $7,000 AND YOU'RE ASKING FOR THE SAME AMOUNT FOR THE NEW YEAR, BUT YOU'RE EXPANDING. IS THAT GONNA BE FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE TO ADD MORE STUDENTS? ARE THEY GONNA GIVE YOU A DISCOUNT BECAUSE YOU'RE ADDING MORE CLASSES? WE'LL PIVOT. LIKE HOW WILL THAT WORK? SO WE PLAN TO REPARTNER AGAIN WITH GRAD CAFE BECAUSE WHEN WE INITIALLY LAUNCHED THIS PROGRAM, WE LAUNCHED IT WITH GRAD CAFE AS ONE OF OUR FACILITATORS. AND THEN GRAD CAFE CLOSED DOWN. AND THEN THAT'S HOW WE FOUND PIVOT FOUNDATION. SO OUR GOAL IS TO REPARTNER WITH GRAD CAFE TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE. AND WHEN WE INITIALLY PARTNERED WITH THEM, THEY DID NOT CHARGE US A FEE. UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING TO REPARTNER WITH THEM AGAIN AS WELL. ALSO, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE ARE, WE ARE SEEKING ADDITIONAL FUNDS THROUGH, UM, OTHER, UH, FUNDERS AS WELL. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER FUNDS LOCKED IN FOR THIS COMING YEAR? NOT YET. I'VE APPLIED, BUT NOT YET. UH, LOCKED IN. EVERYTHING IS PENDING. . OKAY. UM, ALSO, I'M LOOKING AT THE BUDGET YOU SUBMITTED AND THERE'S, UM, $300 FOR A LINE ITEM CALLED OTHER CAPITAL EXPENSES. COULD YOU TELL US, COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THAT? YEAH, SOME OF OUR, WE REALIZED WITH, UM, SOME OF THE EXPENSES THIS YEAR. UH, OUR MAIN EXPENSE OF COURSE IS THE FACILITATOR. UM, BUT THEN WE HAD SOME OTHER EXPENSES THAT CAME UP WHERE, UM, TO HELP STUDENTS THAT ARE PREPARING, UH, MAYBE FOR, UM, WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY, THE INTERVIEWS. INTERVIEWS AS THEY'RE PREPARING FOR INTERVIEWS, SOME OF THE STUDENTS DIDN'T HAVE APPROPRIATE ATTIRE, SO THEY MAY NEED IT JUST A SHIRT, A COLLARED SHIRT, OR [00:20:01] MAYBE SOME SLACKS. OR WE'VE HAD STUDENTS THAT HAVE GOTTEN HIRED, UM, LIKE THERE WAS ONE YOUNG LADY THAT GOT HIRED AT LITTLE CAESAR'S AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE, THE KHAKIS AND THE POLO SHIRT. SO WE WANNA BE ABLE TO AT LEAST HELP THEM IF, IF THAT ARISES TO STILL BE ABLE TO HELP THE STUDENTS. SO THAT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, DETER THEM OR MAKE THEM FEEL SAD OR ASHAMED. LIKE, HEY, WELL I GOT THIS JOB, BUT NOW I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE CLOTHING ITEMS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO EVEN START THE WORK. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAME ACROSS THAT WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HELP OUR, THE STUDENTS WITH. OKAY. I DIDN'T, I THOUGHT CAPITAL EXPENSE WAS LIKE EQUIPMENT BUILDING, UH, SOMETHING THAT LASTED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE, UH, MY POINT IS THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A CAPITAL EXPENSE. THAT WOULD BE, TO ME, WOULD BE, UH, A SUPPLY THAT YOU PROVIDE THE STUDENTS. THAT'S JUST MY COMMENT ON IT. SO HOW WOULD YOU PROVIDE THAT? UM, 'CAUSE WITH CDBG, WE CAN'T GIVE OUT CASH. MM-HMM . WE CAN'T GIVE OUT GIFT CARDS, WE CAN'T GIVE OUT MONEY ORDERS. WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO HOW WOULD THAT BE DISTRIBUTED? WELL, I GUESS IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE NATURE OF THE STUDENT'S CAREER FOCUS. FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WE HAVE A YOUNG MAN WHO IS GRADUATING THIS YEAR, FRIDAY NIGHT. HE SHARED THAT HE'S GOING TO BE WORKING IN ONE OF THE PLANTS WITH HIS FATHER. SO IN THE EVENT HE NEEDS TOOLS IN THE EVENT, HE NEEDS SOME TYPE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WILL MAKE HIS ONBOARDING OR HIS TRAINING WITH THE PLANT EASIER, HE CAN ALWAYS REACH BACK TO US. 'CAUSE I REALLY PUSH THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND WE WOULD HELP HIM IN THAT ASPECT. SO WOULD YOU GO TO THE STORE WITH HIM AND, 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST GIVE HIM MONEY? OH NO. YEAH, WE DON'T, YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE, 'CAUSE I CAN'T REIMBURSE THAT . YEAH, NO. AND WE'VE HAD SITE COORDINATORS THAT PERSONALLY TAKE THAT WILL GO TAKE AND TAKE THEM SHOPPING AND PURCHASE THE ITEMS. BUT NOT NEVER, WE'VE NEVER PUT CASH IN STUDENTS' HANDS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE. SO YEAH, WE, WE GO , MAKE SURE. YES, NO, WE GO. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. MM-HMM . BUT IT'S NOT A CAPITAL EXPENSE. LET'S THINK OF IT AS HUMAN CAPITAL. YES. I'M SORRY, WHAT? HUMAN CAPITAL, ALL THE WHOLE PROGRAMS ON HUMAN CAPITAL. , . BUT, UM, THAT, THAT'S A FAIR POINT. UM, AND AS A NOTE TO THE BOARD, UM, AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS, WE CAN, UM, APPROVE BUDGET BASED ON LINE ITEMS. SO WE CAN FUND SOME AND NOT THE OTHER. LIKE SHARON SAID, THERE'S SOME THINGS WE CAN REIMBURSE AND THERE'S OTHER THINGS WE CAN'T. UM, IF WE FEEL THIS ONE'S KIND OF MISNAMED, UM, UM, OTHER, OTHER CAPITAL EXPENSES, WE KNOW THE INTENTION OF IT IS FOR, UH, THE PURCHASE OF CLOTHING AND OTHER EMPLOYMENT NECESSITIES. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? NO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. NEXT TWO, NEXT 2%. WE HAVE HEARTS OF HANKS OF BAYTOWN. THAT IS WITH MS. NIKKI. THAT IS TAB NUMBER SIX. PICK ME UP. HELLO. CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MY NAME'S NIKKI RECON WITH ARTS AND HAN BAYTOWN. UM, MY VOICE IS CHRONICALLY WEAK, BUT I'M FEELING A LITTLE BIT UNDER THE WEATHER, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE STRANGE. SO JUST BEAR WITH ME PLEASE. UM, SHE'S HANDING OUT SOME, JUST SOME BROCHURES AND OTHER THINGS, UH, FROM OUR AGENCY. THE MAIN SHEET IS IN RESPECT TO THE PROGRAM THAT I WILL BE PRESENTING TONIGHT. UM, WE'LL JUST GO THROUGH THE SLIDESHOWS AND I'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT IT WITH YOU GUYS. SO, HEARTS AND HANDS OF BAYTOWN IS A FEEDING, UH, MINISTRY ORGANIZATION. WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO BE FUNDED. NOW, THIS IS OUR SECOND FULL YEAR OF FUNDING AND PRAYERFULLY WILL BE FUNDED FOR ANOTHER YEAR TO COME. SO WE STARTED OUT WITH, UM, CHRIS AND SHARON ACTUALLY APPROACHING US DURING COVID AND WE WERE GIVEN SOME WONDERFUL COVID FUNDING, WHICH REALLY HELPED TO INFUSE THE DOORSTEP BLESSING PROJECT AND JUST GROW IT IN WAYS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. SO WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE FOR THAT. UH, WE HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH OVER THE YEARS THROUGH THIS WONDERFUL WOMAN. LET ME JUST SAY, UM, I KNOW SHE DOESN'T VOTE ON IT, SO I COULD SAY THAT, RIGHT? UM, WE'VE JUST LEARNED SO MUCH AND, UM, MYSELF PERSONALLY, AS AN EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, I'VE JUST GROWN A LOT, UM, WITH DIFFERENT EDUCATION THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. SO OUR MISSION IS TO SHARE THE LOVE OF CHRIST THROUGH THE WORDS OF WORKS OF OUR HANDS, UM, SERVING [00:25:01] THE CHURCH COMMUNITY AND BEYOND. SO WE HAVE A VISION OF TURNING THE SAFETY NET INTO A SPRINGBOARD. SO OUR PROGRAMMING IS NOT MEANT TO ENABLE, BUT TO ELEVATE. UH, WE BELIEVE THAT NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GO HUNGRY. AND DOORSTEP BLESSING IS ONE OF OUR FIVE PILLAR PROGRAMS, UM, IN SERVING OUR COMMUNITY IN THAT RESPECT. UM, YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET, UH, THE COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT FROM 2022. SO FEEL FREE TO PERUSE THAT. UH, WE DO PROVIDE FOOD FOR FAMILIES IN A DIGNIFIED AND SUPPORTIVE MANNER THROUGH OUR FIVE CORE PROGRAMS. OUR CLIENT CHOICE, FRESH MARKET, FOOD FOR CHANGE, MARKET, FOOD FAIR, MOBILE DISTRIBUTION, DOORSTEP BLESSING, AND PAULA'S PANTRY, WHICH IS OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH. UM, THIS IS JUST KIND OF A FLOW CHART OF ALL OUR PROGRAMS WHO WE PARTNER AND COLLABORATE WITH, UM, THE DIFFERENT FOOD SOURCES, AVAILABILITY, OUR DIFFERENT ACCESS POINTS, UH, UTILIZATION, AND FINALLY WORKING INTO OUR STEPS OF STABILITY. SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON OUR DOORSTEP BLESSING PROGRAM, WHICH IS CIRCLED IN THE RED. UH, THESE ARE DIFFERENT PARTNERS, WHETHER THEY BE ACTUAL DISTRIBUTION LOCATIONS OR PARTNERS THAT HELP FACILITATE THE DISTRIBUTIONS. SO, UM, WE PARTNER WITH RIGHT NOW EIGHT DIFFERENT ACTUAL SITES AND VARIOUS PARTNERS THAT HELP US IN TRANSPORTING THAT. UM, ALSO PARTNERS THAT HELP PACK UP THESE WONDERFUL DOORSTEP BLESSINGS. THESE ARE JUST SOME PICTURES OF SOME DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON. SO THE TOP LEFT PICTURE IS ACTUALLY THE CLIENT CHOICE FRESH MARKET. SO THAT'S WHERE FAMILIES ARE INVITED TO COME AND SHOP FREELY, JUST AS YOU AND I DO WHEN WE SHOP AT KROGER'S OR ALDI. OUR FAVORITE LOCATION, UM, WE HAVE FOOD FAIR DISTRIBUTIONS WHERE WE ARE SETTING UP AT DIFFERENT POCKETS OF THE COMMUNITY ACROSS CHAMBERS AND HARRIS COUNTY. UM, DRIVE THROUGHS VERY OFTEN. SOME OF 'EM ARE WALK UP AND WE ARE DISTRIBUTING BETWEEN 10 AND I'VE DONE OVER 80,000 POUNDS OF FOOD IN ONE DISTRIBUTION. ACTUALLY MORE THAN THAT, IT WAS 80 PALLETS OF FOOD. UM, WE DID, I THINK 83 OF THOSE LAST YEAR. AND SO THAT IS JUST ANOTHER MEANS TO AN END OF GETTING FOOD INTO PEOPLE'S HANDS. DOWN AT THE BOTTOM YOU SEE A PICTURE JUST ADVERTISING OUR HEARTS FOR HOMELESSNESS OR PAULA'S PANTRY. YOU SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL LITTLE PICTURE WITH CHICK-FIL-A. SO THEY'RE ONE OF THE PARTNERS THAT ACTUALLY COME AND HELP PACK THESE PROJECTS FOR US. SO DURING THE COURSE OF THE MONTH, WE ARE PUTTING OUT HUNDREDS OF DOORSTEP BLESSING PACKAGES INTO THE COMMUNITY. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS SATURDAY COMMUNITY RESOURCE, UH, CREDIT UNION, WHO IS ANOTHER ONE OF OUR PARTNERS WILL COME IN AND THEY'LL PACK A HUNDRED, UM, BOXES, WHICH ARE FAMILY SIZED, NON-PERISHABLE FOOD PACKAGES. THEY'LL PACK A HUNDRED BAGS, WHICH ARE SENIOR SIZED DISTRIBUTION PACKAGES. WITH THAT, WE WILL PUT, UM, NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS THAT MIGHT BE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. THEN WE WILL ADD PRODUCE COMPONENTS THAT ARE FRESH, FROZEN MEAT COMPONENTS, DAIRY COMPONENTS, UM, BAKERY COMPONENTS. SO BASICALLY IT BECOMES LIKE A, A LITTLE INSTACART DELIVERY DIRECTLY TO A DOORSTEP OF SOMEBODY IN NEED OR TO A SENIOR COMMUNITY ROOM. SO WE GO TO 1, 2, 3, 5 DIFFERENT SENIOR SITES DURING THE COURSE OF THE MONTH. AND THEN WE UTILIZE, UM, OUR VOLUNTEERS AS WELL AS DOORDASH HAS A NONPROFIT ARM AND THEY WILL DELIVER, WE'LL CALL THEM ONE-OFFS. UM, TODAY, I HAD A LADY EMAIL ME. SHE IS RETURNING BACK TO BAYTOWN LIVING IN MOTEL SIX AFTER BEING A HOUSTON RESIDENT FOR A WHILE. SHE'S FORMERLY OF BAYTOWN, SO SHE KNEW OF US ALREADY. UM, SHE IS DIABETIC, SHE IS UNABLE TO COOK, OBVIOUSLY LIVING IN A HOTEL, SO SHE'S LIMITED TO MICROWAVE TYPE MEALS AND WHATNOT. SO SHE REACHED OUT TO ME. I PUT HER IN TOUCH WITH MY COORDINATOR, WHO THEN'S GONNA CALL HER BACK, PREPARE, LET'S SAY A MENU FOR HER. WE WILL PUT THAT PACKAGE TOGETHER AND ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS WILL KINDLY DELIVER THAT WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS TO HER. IF THAT NEED PERSISTS, WE WILL DO THAT ONCE A MONTH. WE TRIAGE THINGS JUST LIKE THEY WOULD IN AN EMERGENCY ROOM. SO IF THE NEED IS GREATER, WE MIGHT DO THAT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS IN A ROW UNTIL THEY GET THEIR FEET BACK UNDER THEM. UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR SENIOR SITES AND LOCATIONS LIKE THAT, WE ARE WORKING WITH THOSE THAT ARE IN THE PINK, AS I LIKE TO SAY IN OUR BAYTOWN MAP. SO, UM, THAT ARE QUALIFIED FOR CDBG FUNDING AND TO BE REIMBURSED IN THAT WAY. SO WE WORK ONE-ON-ONE WITH THOSE SITE COORDINATORS. THE ACTIVITIES DIRECTORS IS WHAT THEY'RE USUALLY CALLED AT THE SENIOR SITES. AND, UM, WE JUST FACILITATE OUR PROGRAMS THERE. WE'RE REACHING OUT TO THE, THE [00:30:01] POPULATION THERE, WE'RE REGISTERING THOSE FOLKS. WE'VE GOT APPLICATIONS THAT ARE BOTH PAPER AND DIGITAL ON EVERYBODY. UM, WE HAVE MASTER LISTS THAT ARE PRODUCED. WE GO, WE PACK UP EITHER A U-HAUL OR WE MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT GROUP COME AND PICK UP FROM US. FOR EXAMPLE. SECOND BAYTOWN IS ONE OF OUR PARTNERS THAT FIRST SIGNED ON YEARS AGO TO PARTNER WITH US. THEY WILL COME, UH, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER, DECEMBER, I'M SORRY, I APOLOGIZE. AS I MENTIONED, I'M NOT FEELING WELL. . UM, THEY WILL COME WEDNESDAY OF THIS MAY OF MAY, MAY 10TH, AND THEY WILL PICK UP ABOUT 35 DISTRIBUTION PACKAGES FOR, FROM US. THEY LOAD THEM INTO TRAILERS AND TRUCKS. THEY BRING A LITTLE ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS WITH THEM. THEY HAVE OUR PAPERWORK, THEY TAKE IT, THEY DISTRIBUTE DIRECTLY TO THE DOORSTEPS OF THOSE FAMILIES THAT ARE IN NEED. WHAT'S WORKED SO WONDERFULLY ABOUT HAVING THESE PARTNERS THAT GO AND DELIVER IS THEY'RE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THESE FAMILIES. FOR ME, I'M A CHRISTIAN. I LOVE JESUS. THAT'S WHY I DO WHAT I DO. SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME. THEY HAVE THAT ONE-ON-ONE TIME, THEY'RE ABLE TO MINISTER TO THEM OR JUST SHARE DIFFERENT THINGS WITH THEM. WE'VE HAD SOME PARTNERS THAT HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND. IF THEY SEE A FAMILY THAT'S STRUGGLING AND THEY NEED FURNITURE OR THERE'S ANOTHER NEED IN THAT HOUSEHOLD, THEY'LL GO AND THEY'LL TRY TO MEET THAT, THAT NEED IN OTHER WAYS. UM, WE ALSO WORK TO SEE IF FAMILIES ARE IN NEED OF SNAP SERVICES OR WIC SERVICES IF THEY'VE NOT ALREADY SIGNED ONTO THOSE PROGRAMS. WE HAVE WHAT ARE CALLED CAP NAVIGATORS THAT CAN REACH OUT TO THEM OR THEY CAN COME AND VISIT US IN-HOUSE OR CALL ON THE PHONE IF THEY SO DESIRE. UM, WHAT ELSE? SO AGAIN, WE DO THIS THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE MONTH. WE HAVE TWO STRONG PARTNERS THAT ARE COMING AND PACKING THESE PROJECTS. CHICK-FIL-A IS ANOTHER ONE. MALITA IS BEHIND ME. SHE'S ONE OF MY STRONG ADVOCATES BACK HERE. BUT, UM, THEY COME ON THE THIRD, UM, SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH. SO THE PROGRAM IS VERY, UM, IT'S BECOME VERY TURNKEY. IT'S BECOME, IT'S, IT'S JUST AMAZING. AND I'LL GET EMOTIONAL IF I START TALKING TOO MUCH ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE HAVE STORIES UPON STORIES OF FAMILIES THAT FACE TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS THAT CANNOT ATTEND OUR CLIENT CHOICE FRESH MARKET. THEY DON'T HAVE A CAR TO GET TO ONE OF OUR DRIVE THROUGH LOCATIONS. AND SO BRINGING THIS FOOD TO THEIR DOORSTEP OR TO THIS COMMUNITY ROOM SETTING IS A TREMENDOUS BLESSING TO THEM. UM, I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT TOO, AT THE TOP HERE, YOU SEE WE CAN HELP YOU ACCESS HEALTHY FOOD. SO WE JUST LAUNCHED THIS CAMPAIGN. IT'S CALLED YOUR WAY TO HEALTHY EATING. AND SO IT'S JUST ALL OVER OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, FACEBOOK AND, UM, INSTAGRAM. IT'S GOING OUT IN OUR DOORSTEP BLESSING PACKAGES. WE HAVE, UM, PDFS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED THAT ARE CALLED BENEFIT FOOD BENEFITS. SO IT TALKS ABOUT BENEFITS JUST IN GENERAL FOR SENIORS, UM, FOR FAMILIES, FOR WIC. UM, JUST EVERYTHING IS LISTED ON THERE. AND THEN ANOTHER LOCAL RESOURCES, UM, PAGE THAT HAS LINKS TO OTHER SERVICES, NOT ONLY HEARTS AND HANDS, BUT OTHER LOCAL PANTRIES. UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY IN OUR AREA THAT DO WHAT WE DO TO DIFFERENT DEGREES. WE ARE THE LARGEST AND WE ARE THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS A PROGRAM SUCH AS DOORSTEP BLESSINGS. BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE PEOPLE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS THEY NEED, AS MANY RESOURCES AS THEY NEED. SO THESE TYPES OF FLYERS AND PAPERWORK ARE ALSO GOING IN TO DOORSTEP BLESSING PACKAGES. LET'S SEE IF I'M MISSING ANYTHING. OKAY, SO AGAIN, DOORSTEP BLESSING IS PAIRING VOLUNTEERS WITH AT-RISK POPULATIONS WHO FACE BARRIERS AND PRETENDING ATTENDING TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS. THIS PAPER YOU SHOULD HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU. SO THIS IS TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE IMPACT OF THE DOORSTEP ING PROGRAM IN 2022. SO EIGHT UNIQUE SITES BREAKING THROUGH THOSE TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS, 96 DISTRIBUTIONS. THOSE, THOSE ARE DATES THAT WE DISTRIBUTED. UM, 3,632 HOUSEHOLDS SERVED. THAT IS A DUPLICATED NUMBER BECAUSE REMEMBER, WE'RE GOING TO THESE VARIOUS HOUSEHOLDS EACH AND EVERY MONTH. NOW, AS PEOPLE ARE MOVING IN AND OUT OF APARTMENTS OR WHATNOT, THOSE NAMES ARE GONNA CHANGE. SO SOME FAMILIES MIGHT BE SERVED FOR SIX MONTHS, SOME MIGHT BE THERE FOR 12, SOME MIGHT BE THERE FOR TWO. YOU NEVER KNOW. BUT WE ARE CONSTANTLY REVISITING, ENROLLING NEW, NEW FAMILIES AS THEY'RE NEEDED, AS NEEDED. UH, 6,943 SERVICES. SO THAT NUMBER IS, UM, FOR EVERY REPRESENTATIVE, EVERYBODY IN THE HOUSEHOLD. OKAY. AND THEN 145,280 POUNDS OF FOOD, WHICH EQUALS 116,224 MEALS ON THE TABLES OF [00:35:01] PEOPLE IN NEED. I WANNA TALK REAL QUICK ABOUT OUR IN KIND DONATION OF FOOD POUNDAGE BECAUSE WITH THIS PROGRAM, YOU GET A LOT OF BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. UM, WE HAVE FOOD PARTNERS THROUGHOUT CHANNELVIEW, BAYTOWN, LAPORTE, MONT BELLEVUE THAT WE ARE GOING AND WE ARE PICKING UP DONATED FOOD FROM ALL THE MAJOR RETAILERS AND ALSO RESTAURANTS. SO THAT FOOD IS DONATED TO US, BUT WE OBVIOUSLY ARE REPORTING ON ALL THAT POUNDAGE. SO THOSE, UM, RETAILERS GET THEIR TAX RIGHT OFF, BUT THAT'S AN IMPACT VALUE OF OVER ALMOST $250,000 OF IN KIND DONATIONS. UM, AND THEN THE VOLUNTEERS, WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT OUR VOLUNTEERS. AND THAT WHAT'S, THAT'S WHAT MAKES OUR, AGAIN, I'LL GET EMOTIONAL. UM, WE HAVE ARMIES OF VOLUNTEERS AND, UH, THEY, THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE AMAZING. AND OUR VOLUNTEERS WILL DO WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD NOT DO IF THEY WERE PAID TO DO IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT ALWAYS PRETTY , YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING. IT'S NOT EASY WORK. IT IS BRACK BACK BREAKING WORK. LAST YEAR WE PUT OUT ALMOST 3 MILLION POUNDS INTO THE COMMUNITY. THOSE POUNDS ARE GOING THROUGH THE HANDS OF VOLUNTEERS AND TEAM MEMBERS. THAT'S A LOT. THAT'S BACKBREAKING WORK AND UM, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY HONORED TO DO IT. AND WITHOUT A DOUBT IT'S WHAT I WAS CALLED TO DO. UM, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT VOLUNTEERS, THERE'S A NICE LITTLE FORMULA YOU CAN JUST TIMES YOUR VOLUNTEER HOURS TIMES 29 95 AN HOUR. THAT'S WHAT THE STATE OF TEXAS SAYS A VOLUNTEER HOUR IS WORTH, UM, IN 2022 AND 2023. SO THAT'S OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF IMPACT. AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE SO MANY COLLABORATING PARTNERS FOR DOORSTEP BLESSING IN PARTICULAR, WE HAVE 16 COLLABORATING PARTNERSHIPS. YOU GUYS HAVE THIS IN YOUR BOOK. THIS IS JUST A FLOW CHART OF PRETTY MUCH HOW THE, UM, PROGRAM WORKS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT PLAYERS AT THE TABLE AS FAR AS MY TEAM AND GETTING IT DONE. GOOD THINGS ARE COMING. WE'RE SO EXCITED THAT TRUCK IS FINALLY COMING TO US. UM, BE ABLE TO SLAP SOME BRANDING ON IT. YOU GUYS ARE GONNA SEE IT ALL OVER BAYTOWN, SO IT'S REALLY GONNA BE A BLESSING. TWOFOLD. WE'LL BE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR, OUR DONATION PICKUP. SO WITH THAT, WE'VE ALREADY GOT RETAILERS WAITING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO BRANCH OUT AND PICK UP MORE POUNDS FROM THEM. AND THEN WE WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO GET TO THESE SITES WITHOUT THE HELP OF A U-HAUL TRUCK. SO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. REALLY, REALLY EXCITED. UM, THIS IS JUST A BIG MAP OF ALL OUR, ALL OUR PARTNERS AND NOT EVERYBODY ELSE LISTED ON HERE. BUT AGAIN, COLLABORATION IS THE KEY. WE COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT EVERYBODY COMING ALONGSIDE US. AND IT IS A COMMUNITY MISSION, YOU KNOW, TO FEED OUR COMMUNITY SO OFTEN. UM, YOU KNOW, WE SEE EXXON, WE SEE DIFFERENT RETAILERS IN THE COMMUNITY. WE SEE THE EXPANSION ON GARTH ROAD AND ALL OVER THE PLACE AND PEOPLE COMING THROUGH SEE WEALTH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THEY COME INTO BAYTOWN, BUT WHEN I SAY WE PUT OUT 3 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD LAST YEAR, THE NEED IS GREAT. YOU KNOW, THE NEED IS GREAT IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WE'RE ALL A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE. SO, UM, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE BEFORE YOU. I THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME, FOR YOUR FUNDING. IT'S ALWAYS AN HONOR TO HEAR OTHER PEOPLE COME AND PRESENT BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S PROGRAMS ARE AMAZING AND, UM, WE'RE ALL IN IT TOGETHER. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. YES, MA'AM. UM, DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MUCH YOU REQUESTED LAST YEAR? YES, MA. YES MA'AM. IT WAS TEN SEVEN FIFTY 10,750. AND SO I AM REQUESTING MORE THIS YEAR AND I'LL SPEAK TO THAT IF YOU GUYS DON'T MIND. SO OBVIOUSLY WE'VE SEEN THE RISE, THE COST OF LIVING INFLATION, IT HITS, IT'S HIT EVERYBODY. UM, THE DIFFERENCE IS WITH NONPROFITS, WE CANNOT PASS THAT INFLATION ON TO OUR CONSUMERS, TO OUR CLIENTS. IT HAS TO COME SOMEWHERE. SO RISING COSTS IN, UM, STAFFING, YOU KNOW, FOOD, GETTING THE FOOD TO THE PLACES THAT, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. AND, UM, WE WORK UNDER SEVERAL GRANTS IN THE AREA AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I'M HAVING TO EXPLAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS MY REASON BEHIND IT AND THE THE NEED. BUT AS I MENTIONED, YOU GET A LOT OF BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. THIS, THIS IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PLUS PROGRAM ACTUALLY IN THE MILLIONS IF YOU LOOK AT THE GRAND SCHEME OF OUR BUDGET. BUT, UM, YEAH, THAT'S THE REASON. DID THAT ANSWER THAT? OKAY? YES. [00:40:01] THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. I HAVE A QUESTION. YES, MA'AM. UM, SO YOU MENTIONED RIGHT NOW YOU'RE PARTNERING WITH EIGHT, I GUESS SITES OR MM-HMM . COMPLEXES, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU'RE NOT NOT A SENIOR OR DISABLED OR HAVE SOME SORT OF TRANSPORTATION BARRIER AND YOU DON'T LIVE AT ONE OF THOSE EIGHT MM-HMM . SITES, CAN YOU STILL GET HELP FROM YOUR DOORSTEP? BLESSINGS? ABSOLUTE, ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH KIND OF LIKE THE ONE-OFFS WHEN PEOPLE CALL US AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THAT ADDITIONAL HELP, UM, IT WILL EITHER BE DELIVERED BY DOORDASH OR BY ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS. UM, SO YES MA'AM. ABSOLUTELY. AND WE HAVE A NICE LITTLE ROSTER OF THOSE FOLKS AS WELL. OKAY. AND I HAVE A SECOND PART TO MY QUESTION. YES, MA'AM. SO IF IN THESE DOORSTEP BLESSING DELIVERIES, YOU MENTIONED, UM, YOUR PARTNERS MIGHT SEE, UH, A FAMILY IN NEED OF FURNITURE OR SOMETHING, WHAT ABOUT IF WHOEVER I GUESS IS DELIVERING SEES LIKE A SOCIAL SERVICE NEED, DO YOU HAVE PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY, OTHER AGENCIES THAT YOU CAN REFER THEM TO? ABSOLUTELY. AND HOW DOES THAT WORK? YES, ON PHONE CALLS REFERRAL BASIS, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, SOMEBODY GOT WITH ME RECENTLY ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT WAS GOING ON WITH ONE OF OUR BAY TERRACE RESIDENTS AND IT WAS A DRUG ISSUE AND THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED WITH THEM. SO I REACHED OUT TO ONE OF OUR PARTNERS CALLED DAKOTA. AND UM, THAT PERSON IS CURRENTLY IN A KIND OF TREATMENT WITH THAT AGENCY. SO YES, WE WORK WITH MARCELLUS WILLIAMS, WE WORK WITH LOVE NETWORK, WE PARTNER WITH PRETTY MUCH ANYBODY THAT WILL HAVE THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY. OKAY, THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. I HAVE A QUESTION. YES, SIR. WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL FIRST APPROACHES LOVE NETWORK, I MEAN, NOT, I DO APOLOGIZE HEARTS AND YOU'RE GOOD. UM, HEARTS OF HANGS WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL FIRST APPROACH IS HEARTS OF HANGS HOW LONG BEFORE, UM, THEY ARE, UM, AWARDED OR NOT AWARDED, SEEKING THE ASSISTANCE THAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. SO DEPENDING ON THE NEED, WHICH OBVIOUSLY THE NEEDS ARE USUALLY GREAT BECAUSE THEIR EMERGENCY NEEDS, IF WE'RE ABLE TO, IT'LL GO OUT THE SAME DAY. IF NOT, IT'S USUALLY WITHIN A DAY OR TWO DAYS, BUT YEAH. MM-HMM . WITHIN 48 HOURS OR LESS? YES MA'AM. YES MA'AM. UM, IF, IF WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER ON SITE THAT IS ABLE TO GET IT TO THEM THAT DAY, IT'S USUALLY DONE. THE DOORDASH TAKES US TWO DAYS TO GET THAT IN THE SYSTEM AND ROUTED. SO IN THE CASES WHERE THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY'LL BE VERY FORTHCOMING AND SAY, NO, I HAVE FOOD IN MY HOUSE. I CAN WAIT A COUPLE DAYS, THEN THOSE WILL KIND OF PUSH THROUGH THE DOORDASH. BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO HELP PEOPLE AND TO SERVE AND SO WE'RE GONNA DO THE VERY BEST WE CAN TO GET THOSE TO THEIR HOUSES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SO ON YOUR BUDGET YOU HAVE MULTIPLE SOURCES OF, UM, UM, IN KIND CONTRIBUTIONS OR OTHER FUNDS THAT YOU'RE RECEIVING, WERE THOSE GUARANTEED FUNDS SINCE NO LETTERS OF FUNDING COMMITMENT WERE INCLUDED? YES. SO THOSE ARE LIKE LEGIT A REAL THING HAPPENING? YES. BUT CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, SO WE WORK UNDER, UM, BE WELL BAYTOWN, WHICH IS MD ANDERSON FUNDED THROUGH EXXONMOBIL, AND THEIR FISCAL YEAR IS SEPTEMBER THROUGH AUGUST. SO WE'RE STILL IN THAT CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. SO THAT IS INCLUDED IN THERE. AND THAT FUNDING IS GUARANTEED. WE ARE A UNITED WAY FUNDED AGENCY. THEIR FISCAL YEAR IS JULY TO JUNE. SO WE ARE GOING INTO THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THAT FUNDING. AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE APPLIED FOR ADDITIONAL OR APPLIED FOR FUNDING FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. THAT AWARD SHOULD COME, WE SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING BY JUNE 1ST. SO YOU'VE GOT PIECES OF BOTH OF THOSE IN THERE. I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL RECEIVE THE FULL, THE FULL ASK THERE AS FAR AS IN KIND DONATIONS, OF COURSE THERE'S ALWAYS EBB AND FLOW TO THOSE DONATIONS, BUT I'M GOING ON THE PAST TWO, THREE YEARS TO GIVE A PRETTY EDUCATED ESTIMATE THERE. YEAH. AND IN YOUR PROPOSAL YOU MENTIONED A DOORSTEP, BLESSINGS MANAGER, AND THEN A-C-D-B-G MANAGER. ARE THOSE THE SAME POSITION? THE THE SAME PERSON? YES. AND THEN THE SALARY, THE TOTAL SALARY THAT YOU ARE, UM, PUTTING IN HERE, INCLUDING EVERY, ALL FUNDING SOURCES, IS A LITTLE BIT OVER $66,000. SO THAT'S ONE PERSON. NO, AND I HAVE TO, I HOPE I DID NOT MAKE A MISTAKE ON THAT. SO I HAVE TWO DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS. SO FOR SALARY, FOR CDBG, YOU'RE REQUESTING 8,500 MM-HMM . AND THEN OTHER FUNDING [00:45:01] SOURCES, 51,800. OKAY. SO YES, THAT, THAT IS TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. OKAY. THAT IS TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. SORRY ABOUT THAT. NO WORRIES. IT'S HARD. I DO A LOT OF GRANT WRITING AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, , UM, IN, IN SOME OF THE NARRATIVE, UM, THERE'S A LITTLE DISCREPANCY IN ONE SPOT. IT SAYS, UM, YOU'RE ABLE TO SERVE 350 FAMILIES A MONTH, AND ANOTHER ONE IT'S 500 FAMILIES A MONTH. OKAY. AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. IT'S 500. IT'S 500. THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT I, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU COPY AND PASTE THINGS AND REWORK WORDING AND I MUST HAVE MISSED SOMETHING BEING TOTALLY TRANSPARENT. THERE ARE THESE UNDUPLICATED FAMILIES. THEY ARE UNDUPLICATED FAMILIES. YES, MA'AM. AND, UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE OVER 600 UNDUPLICATED FAMILIES, BUT YOU ALWAYS KIND OF WANT TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING METRICS OUT THERE. UM, ALSO, UM, SEE IN YOUR BUDGET YOU PROVIDED HERE, UM, THERE'S NOTHING FOR THE ADVERTISING LINE ITEM? UH, YES. I, I HAVE FUNDING ELSEWHERE FOR ADVERTISING OR YOU'RE SAYING THAT I DIDN'T INCLUDE THAT AT ALL? CORRECT. OR JUST FOR CDBG? UH, IT'S NOT INCLUDED AT ALL. OKAY. MY APOLOGIES. MY APOLOGIES. UM, YES, SO FOR ADVERTISING, WE HAVE 3,500, A LITTLE BIT UNDER $8,000 THAT I UTILIZE IN TOTAL, EXCUSE ME, FOR ADVERTISING OF ALL OUR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. OKAY. I IMAGINE YOU GET, UM, QUITE A BIT IN KIND FOR THAT AS WELL. OH YES, ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. WONDERFUL. AND NOT TO GIVE YOU GUYS ANY EXCUSES, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT THE GATORADE THAT HAPPENED IN MARCH THE BIG. OKAY. SO WE, WE TOOK THAT OVER FROM THE YMCA AND I INHERITED THAT IN NOVEMBER. AND SO I HAD TO PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER IN A VERY SHORT TIMEFRAME AND WAS WRITING GRANTS IN BETWEEN. AND SO I APOLOGIZE IF I MADE A FEW ERRORS, IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. AND THE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR TRAINING AND TRAVEL MM-HMM . WHAT IS THAT GONNA COME? THAT, THAT WAS JUST IN CASE WE DID NOT HAVE THE TRUCK. SO SHOULD THE TRUCK NOT BE IN PLACE, THAT'S WHERE THOSE U-HAUL COME IN AND THAT TRAVEL COMES IN AND I ALWAYS WORK TRAINING IN THERE JUST IN CASE THERE ARE ANY, UM, FOOD SAFETY COURSES, CIVIL RIGHTS COURSES THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN BY ANYBODY THAT WE ONBOARD. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . YOU MENTIONED THE NUTRITION EDUCATION AND COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS. YEAH. I DON'T SEE A LINE ITEM FOR THAT. SO HOW DOES THAT COME IN? SO THOSE ARE FREE, THOSE ARE FREE TO BOTH THE POPULATION AND WE WORK WITH RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT THREE COHORTS THAT ARE FIXING TO START. SO WE WORK WITH MD ANDERSON AND WE WORK WITH THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK IN PROVIDING THOSE CLASSES, UM, BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. AND SO REALLY FUN. WE DO COOKING DEMOS AT OUR LOCATION PROPER. WE'VE ALSO DONE THEM FROM TIME TO TIME AT THE DIFFERENT, UM, SENIOR SITES. AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF FUN. YEAH, I IMAGINE THAT JUST, THIS IS JUST A COMMENT, I IMAGINE, I KNOW YOU GIVE THEM FRESH PRODUCE AND MAYBE SOMETIMES THEY DON'T ALWAYS KNOW HOW TO COOK SOMETHING. ABSOLUTELY. SO I LIKE THAT, THAT YOU OFFER THAT. WE DO. AND WE ALSO OFFER, UM, IN THE DOORSTEP BLESSING PACKAGES. I WILL PUT NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION. THERE WILL BE THINGS, UH, DIFFERENT RECIPES, DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT. WE'LL GO INTO THE DOORSTEP BLESSING PACKAGES WHEN CLIENTS ACTUALLY COME INTO OUR FRESH MARKETS. WE HAVE EDUCATIONAL WALLS THAT HAVE RECIPES, WE'VE GOT DISPLAYS WITH COOKING DEMOS GOING ON. SO JUST AS YOU MENTIONED PEOPLE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH BOK CHOY, YOU KNOW, AND SO WHEN WE GET BOK CHOY, WE DISTRIBUTE IT, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PUT THOSE PIECES WITH IT. YEAH. IS THAT, IS THAT ALL THE QUESTIONS? YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS. Y'ALL HAVE A BLESSED EVENING. APPRECIATE IT. I WILL, I WILL NOW CALL TALENT YEAR, UM, COALITION NEXT 2%. THAT IS TAB NUMBER SEVEN. SO SINCE THESE ARE PHOTOS, YOU JUST CLICK ON THERE WITH THE MASK. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS TAMMY GUIDRY. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND HOMELESS SERVICES WITH TALLY YIELD COALITION, MARCELLUS WILLIAMS RESOURCE CENTER. I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU AND PRESENT TO YOU, [00:50:01] UH, THE BAYTOWN HOMELESS OUTREACH PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM WAS BEGAN AND WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE FIRST STEP HOMELESS SERVICES PROGRAM. IT WAS BEGINNING NOVEMBER 13TH, 2020, AND SINCE THIS TIME WE HAVE CASE MANAGED SERVICES TO OVER 500 HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN THE BAYTOWN. UM, THE BAYTOWN SERVES OFFICE AT STERLING MUNICIPAL LIBRARY HAS BEEN AND REMAINS TO BE THE LOCATION OF OUR HOMELESS SERVICES PROGRAM. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, WE ASSIST HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS TO OBTAIN NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION SUCH AS IDENTIFICATION CORDS, BIRTH CERTIFICATES, AND SOCIAL SECURITY CORDS. WE PARTNER WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT'S HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM TO PROVIDE THE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WITH A TEMPORARY ID CARD, WHICH IS THE HOMELESS ID UNTIL THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS NEEDED TO OBTAIN THEIR STATE ID. PROPER DOCUMENTATION IS NEEDED FOR EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING, AND A LOT OF THE CLIENTS THAT WE DO SERVICE, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY, THEY LOSE THEIR DOCUMENTATION SO THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO GET ANY TYPE OF JOB OR ANY TYPE OF HOUSING IF THERE'S ANY AVAILABLE WITHOUT DOCUMENTATION. WE ALSO PARTNERS WITH THE TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, UH, DEPARTMENT TO ASSIST OUR CLIENTS TO APPLY FOR SNAP FOOD BENEFITS AND MEDICAID. WE'RE THE ONLY AGENCY THAT ASSISTS CLIENTS TO APPLY FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY, SSI AND SOCIAL SECURITY RETIREMENT. WE NAVIGATE OUR HOMELESS CLIENTS TO RESOURCES TO INCLUDE MEDICAL SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND EMPLOYMENT. WE HAVE PARTNERED ALSO WITH SEVERAL AGENCIES IN THE BAYTOWN AREA AS WELL AS THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, UH, STATE, LOCAL, AND NATIONAL. WE PARTNER WITH S AND HANDS OF BAYTOWN TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE FOOD ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF BLESSING BAGS THAT CONTAIN NON-PRESSURE FOOD ITEMS AND WATER. WE ALSO PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH HYGIENE PRODUCTS THAT HAVE BEEN DONATED TO US FROM VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO, UH, CO-PARTNER WITH EAST HARRIS COUNTY, UH, NAVIGATION CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS HOMELESS, WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE VARIOUS SERVICES TO TO THE HOMELESS POPULATION. AND I'M SUPPOSED TO BE CLICKING TO SHOW YOU MY PICTURES OF THE HOMELESS, UH, UH, OUTREACH THAT WE DO WITH THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM. THIS IS ONE OF MY CLIENTS THAT CAME THROUGH OUR PROGRAM. UH, UNFORTUNATELY, THE EAST HARRIS COUNTY NAVIGATION CENTER CLOSES DOORS IN APRIL OF 2023. IN MARCH OF 23, 23, WE HAD PARTNERED WITH THE HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS, WHICH PROVIDES HEALTHCARE AND, UH, MEDICAL, HEALTHCARE AND DENTAL HEALTHCARE FOR THOSE CLIENTS WHO ARE HOMELESS. HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS DOES HAVE A MOBILE UNIT THAT WILL BE COMING TO BAYTOWN IN MAY TO SERVICE THE OUR CLIENTS. THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP, WE'RE ABLE TO ALSO REFER OUR CLIENTS TO HARRIS HEALTH, THE BAYTOWN CLINIC FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND MEDICAL NEEDS. ANOTHER ONE OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE ALSO PARTNERED WITH IN THE MEDICAL FIELD IS UHP HEALTH. UHP HEALTH PROVIDES MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT FOR OUR HOMELESS CLIENTS. THEY ARE CURRENTLY LOCATED AT LINCOLN COURTS, WHICH IS PROPERTY OWNED BY THE BAYTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY. WE ALSO HAVE OFFICE SPACE IN THAT LOCATION AS WELL. WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE HANDS-ON OUTREACH WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM. I THINK I'M GOING THE WRONG WAY. I'M TRYING TO SHOW YOU THE PICTURES. OKAY. I GUESS YOU CAN GET IT FOR ME. , WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, UH, HANDS-ON OUTREACH WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM. I THINK IT'S ONE AFTER THAT ONE. YEAH, THERE YOU GO. UM, BY VISITING HOMELESS CAMPS IN THE IN, ALSO IN CITY PARKS AND OTHER AREAS OF BAYTOWN WHERE THE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS MAY BE LOCATED, WE VISIT WITH CHURCHES AND BUSINESS OWNERS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY HAVE A HOMELESS, SEEN A HOMELESS INCREASE IN THEIR AREAS OR IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE ALSO PARTNER IN, IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH COUNSELORS AT G-C-C-I-S-D AND LEE COLLEGE WHO MAY HAVE HOMELESS FAMILIES THAT ARE IN NEED OF SERVICES. ALL THOSE SHELTER AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS LIMITED. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND SUITABLE SHELTERING FOR SHELTER FOR SOME OF OUR CLIENTS, NOT ALL OF WHICH MEET THE STRICT QUALIFICATIONS TO BE ADMITTED INTO SHELTERS WITH THE, UH, BAY AREA HOMELESS SHELTER, AS WELL AS MANY OF THE OTHER SHELTERS IN HOUSTON. THERE ARE STRICT QUALIFICATIONS TO GET INTO THESE SHELTERS. IF A CLIENT IS DISABLED OR IF A CLIENT IS, UH, MENTALLY, UH, CHALLENGED OR HAVE MENTAL ILLNESS OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES, THEY MAY NOT BE ADMITTED INTO THE SHELTERS. IF THEY DON'T HAVE A STATE ID, THEY MAY NOT BE ADMITTED INTO A SHELTER, ALTHOUGH THEY DO HAVE A HOMELESS ID. THE BAY AREA HOMELESS SHELTER DOES NOT ACCEPT THAT, UH, UH, FORM OF IDENTIFICATION. UH, WE HAVE ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE BAYTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY AS THE DESIGNATED AGENCY TO REFER HOMELESS CLIENTS TO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM. THIS [00:55:01] PROGRAM WAS BEGINNING JULY OF 2021 THROUGH HUD, WHICH PROVIDES A HOUSING VOUCHER AND, AND PROVIDES SUBSIDIZED APARTMENTS FOR CLIENTS FOR UP TO THREE YEARS. THIS PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY ON HOLD, PENDING THE ISSUANCE OF ADDITIONAL VOUCHERS TO THE BAYTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY. BAYTOWN WAS AWARDED ONLY 31 VOUCHERS IN 20, UH, 2021, AND THOSE VOUCHERS WERE USED UP IN ONE DAY. THERE IS CURRENTLY A WAITING LIST FOR THIS PROGRAM. AS WE ALL KNOW THAT NOT ALL HOMELESS PEOPLE OR THOSE THAT WE SEE ON THE STREET CORNER MERE OF FAMILIES. MANY LIVE IN CARS, IN HOTELS, OR WITH OTHER PEOPLE. SOME OF THE, SOME ARE ELDERLY AND DISABLED AND ARE NOT, UH, DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH INCOME TO PROVIDE A STABLE HOME FOR THEMSELVES. OTHER CHALLENGES, SOME FACE ARE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES, THOSE FACING HOMELESSNESS OR THE FACE OF HOMELESSNESS IS BROAD. IT'S NOT JUST ONE INDIVIDUAL. IT'S NOT, YOU CAN'T TELL JUST BY LOOKING AT SOMEONE OF WHETHER THEY'RE HOMELESS OR NOT, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND OTHER ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS, THE HOMELESS POPULATION IN BAYTOWN IS GROWING. OUR APPROACH FOR A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM IS BASED ON THE PREMISE OF FACILITATING FROM BEGINNING TO END ALL THE SOCIAL, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL NEEDS OF THE CLIENT. USING A ONE STOP SHOP, AND IN SOME CASES A HANDHOLDING CONCEPT. MANY OF OUR CLIENTS THAT I SEE ON A WEEKLY BASIS, THEY HAVE TO COME BACK TO ME EACH WEEK. WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO REPLACE DOCUMENTATION, IT'S NOT AN OVERNIGHT PROCESS. YOU CAN GET THE I, YOU CAN GET THE HOMELESS ID FIRST. THEN THERE'S A PROCESS OF GETTING THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE. THEN THERE'S A PROCESS OF GETTING THE SOCIAL SECURITY CARD. THEN THERE'S A PROCESS OF GETTING THE STATE ID. SO MANY OF OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO COME TO SEE ME MORE THAN ONE TIME. AND THIS, SOMETIMES THERE IS A HANDHOLDING PROCESS BECAUSE I HAVE TO REMIND THEM, I NEED YOU TO COME INTO THE OFFICE ON THIS DAY TO SEE ME. DID YOU BRING BACK THE PAPERWORK THAT I ASKED YOU TO BRING BACK? DID YOU KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENT AT THE, UH, SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE? DID YOU CALL TO SEE ABOUT YOUR ID WITH THE STATE? IT'S DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, HOLD THEIR HANDS WITH IN ORDER TO GET THEM TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF SUSTAINABILITY. UH, AND WE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE APPROACH TO HELP THEM TO GET TO THAT NEXT LEVEL. UH, ACCORDING TO OUR IN-HOUSE DATA, FROM NOVEMBER, 2020 TO APRIL 30TH, 2023 OF THE 500 CLIENTS, SO WE HAVE A SERVICE, FOUR 40% OF THOSE CLIENTS FOUND SHELTER OR HOUSING. 20% FOUND EMPLOYMENT, 50% HAVE SOME FORM OF IDENTIFICATION. 15% RECEIVED MEDICAL SERVICES, 10% FILED FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS AND 90% FOOD ASSISTANCE FROM SNAP BENEFITS. OUR GOAL IS TO SERVICE 150 INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILIES EACH YEAR THAT ARE HOMELESS OR AT THE RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS. WE HAVE FOUND THAT MANY OF THE HOMELESS LACK COMPUTER SKILLS, JOB READINESS SKILLS, AND FINANCIAL LITERACY. WITHOUT BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS, IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO APPLY FOR JOBS. SINCE MOST JOBS NOW REQUIRE APPLICATIONS TO BE COMPLETED ONLINE. IT'S SO DISHEARTENING WHEN YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE WAREHOUSES IN BAYTOWN BEING BUILT, ALL THESE WAREHOUSE JOBS OUT THERE. BUT MY CLIENTS CAN'T GO IN PERSON TO APPLY FOR A JOB. THEY HAVE TO DO IT ONLINE. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO GO ONLINE TO APPLY FOR A JOB. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF COMPUTER SKILLS TO GO ONLINE TO APPLY FOR A JOB. MANY TIMES I HAVE TO ASSIST THEM WITH THAT OR HAVE SOMEONE ELSE ASSIST THEM TO APPLY FOR THOSE WAREHOUSE JOBS THAT ARE OUT THERE, BUT THEY JUST CAN'T GET INTO IT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT COMPUTER LITERATE. JOB, JOB READINESS SKILLS SUCH AS RESUME WRITING AND INTERVIEW SKILLS WOULD ALLOW OUR CLIENTS A BETTER OPPORTUNITY OF BEING HIRED. ANOTHER AREA OF GREAT NEED IN THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY IS FINANCIAL LITERACY. WE CAN PLACE A HOMELESS PERSON IN AN APARTMENT, BUT UNLESS THEY REALLY KNOW HOW TO BUDGET THEIR MONEY FOR EXPENSES SUCH AS RENT AND UTILITIES, THEY MIGHT MAY FIND THEMSELVES HOMELESS AGAIN. AND THIS HAS HAPPENED IN SEVERAL CASES. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME CLIENTS THAT HAVE RECEIVED THE HOUSING VOUCHER THROUGH THE BAYTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY. THEY WERE ABLE TO MOVE INTO AN APARTMENT, BUT BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE A, A UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO BUDGET THEIR FINANCES, THEY BECAME HOMELESS AGAIN BECAUSE THEY DID NOT PAY THEIR RENT LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO. THEY DIDN'T PAY THEIR UTILITIES LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO. THEY USED THEIR MONEY FOR OTHER THINGS. AND SO THAT DID END UP, THEY DID END UP BECOMING HOMELESS ONCE AGAIN, THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM WILL BE MEASURED BY A, A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO FIND, UH, HOUSING AND SHELTER EMPLOYMENT AND HAVE THEIR BASIC NEEDS MET. THIS WILL BE DONE THROUGH FOLLOW-UPS PROCESS THAT WE HAVE CONDUCTED WITH OUR CLIENTS. FOLLOW-UPS ARE DONE IN PERSON BY PHONE OR EMAIL. EACH CLIENT IS GIVEN A PLAN OF ACTION THAT THEY MUST WORK ALONG WITH A CASE MANAGER IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS TO HELP THEM TO BECOME SELF-SUSTAINABLE. THE ROSE TO SELF SUSTAINABILITY IS A PROCESS AND HAS TO BE WORKED BY THE CLIENT AND THE CASE MANAGER. THROUGH THE FUNDING OF THE CDBG GRANT, WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PAY FOR STATE IDENTIFICATION CARDS AND BIRTH CERTIFICATES. [01:00:01] WE WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE COMPUTER TRAINING, JOB READINESS TRAINING, AND FINANCIAL LITERACY CLASSES. AND THESE CLASSES AND COURSES. TRAINING WOULD BE CONTRACTED OUT WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION. NEEDS SUCH NEEDS SUCH AS SHOWERS, BUS PASSES, AND EMERGENCY MOTEL STAYS WOULD ALSO BE PART OF THIS GRANT. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL DATA GATHERED IN 2022, THERE ARE 500 AND 580,466 HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN THE UNITED STATES WITH A NUMBER INCREASING DAILY AS THE HOMELESS POPULATION GROWS IN BAYTOWN. THE NEED IS GREAT AND THE RESOURCES ARE FEW. WITH AWARD OF THE CDBG GRANT, OUR BAYTOWN HOMELESS OUTREACH PROGRAM WILL BE THE STEPPING STONE THAT WILL HELP BREAK THE CYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS FOR SO MANY INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. THANK YOU. OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. I, UH, ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT TO ME WAS, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE THE BULK OF THE FUNDS THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING FOR THE, FROM THE CDBG GRANT MM-HMM . UH, $8,200 IN CONTRACTED SERVICES. MM-HMM . KIND OF EXPLAINED THAT WHAT THOSE CONTRACTED SERVICES AND TRAINING ARE. THOSE SERVICES WOULD BE THE JOB READINESS TRAINING, THE FINANCIAL LITERACY COURSES, AS WELL AS THE COMPUTER TRAINING FOR THOSE CLIENTS THAT WE DO SERVICE. WE ARE TRYING TO AT LEAST GET 50 HOMELESS CLIENTS INVOLVED IN THESE PROGRAMS SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE A BETTER FUTURE AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO GO ONTO THE COMPUTER TO APPLY FOR A JOB, BEING ABLE TO HAVE INTERVIEW SKILLS AND KNOWING HOW TO, UH, WRITE A RESUME AND BEING ABLE TO, UM, KNOW HOW TO MANAGE THEIR MONEY. SO THIS IS WHAT THOSE, UH, SERVICES WOULD BE, UH, PAID FOR WITH THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY AND WHO'S GONNA PROVIDE THAT TRAINING? WE WILL FIND AN OUTSIDE AGENCY TO PROVIDE THOSE TRAININGS. SO YOU FOUND YET WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN ONE YET? NO. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE WORKING ON AS OF NOW. SO HOW DID YOU COME TO THE AMOUNT OF $8,200 FOR THAT THEN? THIS IS A, A ESTIMATE THAT, UH, MS. RAMONA, SHE'S, UH, NOT ABLE TO BE HERE WITH US THIS EVENING, BUT SHE'S THE ONE THAT, UH, DID A RESEARCH, UH, WITH OTHER AGENCIES WHO HAVE PROVIDED THESE SERVICES. AND THIS IS JUST A, A ESTIMATE THAT SHE HAS GOTTEN. IF WE PROVIDE THIS AMOUNT FOR 50 CLIENTS. AND THAT'S 50 AS IN FIVE ZERO. FIVE ZERO. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT KIND OF CLASSES THEY, UH, NOT THE CONTENT. YOU COVERED THAT VERY CLEARLY. MM-HMM . BUT, UM, WOULD IT BE LIKE A SERIES OF CLASSES? YES. WOULD IT BE LIKE A ONE-ON-ONE? YES. IT WOULD BE A SERIES OF CLASSES. IT WOULD BE, UH, THERE MAY BE SOME ONE-ON-ONE IN SOME GROUP CLASSES WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, ESTABLISH, SINCE WE ARE EXTRA LIBRARY THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO USE ONE OF THE MEETING ROOMS THERE. THE, UH, ORGANIZATION THAT WE CHOOSE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES WOULD COME THERE, BRING THE EQUIPMENT, OR ELSE WE CAN PROVIDE THE EQUIPMENT AS WELL FOR THEM TO, TO, UH, WORK ON THE, UM, LIKE THE COMPUTER TRAINING AS WELL AS THE JOB READINESS SKILLS AND, UH, FINANCIAL LITERACY CLASSES. SO IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE MORE THAN ONE CLASS. IT WOULDN'T BE JUST ONE COURSE. COURSE. AND IT WOULD BE OPEN TO EITHER INDIVIDUALS OR TO A GROUP IN A GROUP SETTING. THANK YOU. YOU, I WANNA THANK YOU. SORRY, GO AHEAD. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED REACHING OUT TO THE HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION? BECAUSE I KNOW THEY PROVIDE COURSES LIKE THAT AND IT'S USUALLY AT NO COST. UH, YES. WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE RESEARCHING THEM AND WE ARE RESEARCHING A LOT OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES AS WELL TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES. OKAY. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS SERVICE THAT YOU PROVIDE. 'CAUSE I KNOW LAST YEAR WAS YOUR FIRST YEAR DOING THIS, RIGHT? YES. IT WAS GOOD. YES. WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT THE, THE CLIENTS THAT HAVE PETS WITH THEM IN PARTICULAR? I HAVE SEEN FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS WHEN WE COME INTO BAYTOWN AND EXIT GARTH ROAD. MM-HMM . RIGHT THERE AT INTERSECTION OF GARTH AND I 10 WHERE MM-HMM . UH, CHILIES AND PANDA EXPRESSES. MM-HMM . THERE IS A LADY, A FEMALE SITTING OUT THERE WITH THE DOG. AND WHEN, I MEAN, I JUST, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO KNOW FROM THE MANAGEMENT INSIDE WHAT'S GOING ON AND IF WE CAN GET HER SOME SERVICES. MM-HMM . THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE RECOMMENDED, OR THEY HAVE TRIED TO HELP HER, AND SHE DOESN'T WANT IT. SHE JUST WANTS TO COLLECT MONEY. SO, TWO PART QUESTION. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH CLIENTS, WITH PETS THEN? HOW DO YOU KEEP FROM PEOPLE WHO WANT TO JUST SIT OUT THERE AND COLLECT MONEY AND, YOU KNOW? OKAY. THE FIRST PART ABOUT THE PETS, WHAT WE DO IS, UH, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE SHELTERS DO NOT ACCEPT PETS, WE DO TRY TO TALK TO THE CLIENT TO RELINQUISH THEIR PET TEMPORARILY TO A SHELTER IN HOUSTON THAT HELPS THE HOMELESS WITH THEIR PETS. THEY WOULD RELINQUISH THE PET FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING UNTIL THAT PERSON IS ABLE TO FIND A HOME. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THE HOMELESS REFUSE TO RELINQUISH THEIR PETS. THEY, THEIR PETS IS THEIR FAMILY, AND THEY REF, THEY WOULD RATHER, I HAD ONE CLIENT TELL ME SHE WOULD RATHER SLEEP IN THE STREETS IN A TENT WITH HER PETS THAN TO GIVE UP. SHE WAS, WAS GONNA BE ABLE TO GET INTO AN APARTMENT, BUT IT WAS A NO PET'S POLICY, AND SHE REFUSED TO GIVE UP HER PET. SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES THAT WE DO HAVE. WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HOUSE, UH, FIND SHELTER FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE THAT DO COME ALONG. [01:05:01] 'CAUSE MANY OF THEM DON'T WANT TO GO INTO A SHELTER. AND ESPECIALLY IF THEY DO HAVE PETS AS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE, UH, HARRIS COUNTY HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, THEY HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES AS FAR AS WHERE THEY CAN GO TO TAKE THEIR PETS IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO. THE SECOND PART ABOUT THOSE THAT ARE OUT THERE PANHANDLING AND DO NOT WANT ANY ASSISTANCE, THERE ARE MANY OF THOSE THAT ARE LIKE THAT. WE CAN PROVIDE AS MUCH ASSISTANCE AND, UH, CASE MANAGEMENT TO THEM. BUT IF THEY'VE MADE UP THEIR MIND THAT THEY DON'T WANT ANY OTHER ASSISTANCE OR ANY OTHER SERVICES, OUR HANDS ARE TIED. A LOT OF THEM, THEY ONLY WANT TO PANHANDLE. A LOT OF THEM DON'T WANT TO, TO GET OFF THE STREETS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE COME, BECOME FAMILIAR WITH. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS COMFORTABLE TO THEM. THEY WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO MANAGE ANY OTHER WAY. I'VE HAD A CLIENT, AND SHE ALSO HAD A PET, AND SHE WAS ABLE TO GET INTO AN APARTMENT, BUT BECAUSE SHE HAD BEEN ON THE STREETS SO LONG, SHE HAD THAT STREET MENTALITY THAT SHE WASN'T ABLE TO STAY IN THE APARTMENT BY HERSELF. SHE BROUGHT FRIENDS IN. THEY HAD, UH, A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON IN AND OUT OF THE APARTMENTS, SO SHE GOT EVICTED. SO A LOT OF THEM, UNTIL WE BREAK THAT MENTALITY OF BEING IN THE STREETS, THAT THERE IS SOMETHING BETTER FOR THEM, THEY WILL REMAIN IN THE STREETS AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT THEY DO. AS FOR THE, AS THE PANHANDLING, THE ONLY THING I, I TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THE PANHANDLING. UH, I KNOW GOD PLACES EVERYTHING ON OUR HEARTS FOR A REASON, BUT IF YOU CAN, DON'T GIVE THEM ANY MONEY. IF YOU CAN GET 'EM SOMETHING TO EAT, THAT'S THE BEST THING TO DO. MANY OF 'EM WON'T TAKE THE FOOD. I'VE HAD THEM SAY, I DON'T WANT YOUR FOOD. I WANT MONEY. AND I, AND I LET THEM KNOW, BUT I CAN GIVE YOU A CARD WHEN YOU DECIDE TO COME TO ME FOR ASSISTANCE, I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU. BUT, UH, I SUGGEST, AND I ASK PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, DON'T GIVE THEM MONEY, BECAUSE A LOT OF 'EM, THEY'RE, YOU CAN'T TELL WHO'S GONNA DO THE RIGHT THING AND WHO'S NOT. AND SO THE BEST THING IS JUST OFFER THEM SOME FOOD. OFFER THEM, UH, IF YOU NEED SOME CARDS FROM ME OR BROCHURES FROM ME, I CAN BE GLAD TO GIVE YOU SOME TO PASS OUT TO A HOMELESS PERSON THAT YOU MAY SEE WHERE THEY CAN REACH OUT TO US FOR ASSISTANCE. MM-HMM . ANOTHER FOLLOW UP QUESTION. AS YOU'RE HELPING PEOPLE GO FROM HOMELESS TO FINDING HOME MM-HMM . WHAT ABOUT TRANSPORTATION? I CURRENTLY KNOW A PERSON WHO IS EMPLOYED MM-HMM . BUT IS STAYING IN MOTELS. MM-HMM . AND SHE'S TRYING TO FIND PERMANENT RESIDENCE. MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, MAYBE A MOBILE HOME TO START OUT WITH OR SOMETHING. MM-HMM . THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS SHE DOES HAVE EMPLOYMENT, WHICH IS LIMITED MM-HMM . BUT SHE DOES NOT HAVE ANY TRANSPORTATION. SO WHEN YOU HELP PEOPLE, I, YOU KNOW, FILL OUT APPLICATIONS FOR, YOU KNOW, JOBS AND SO FORTH. WHAT DO YOU, HOW DOES THAT NEED, BECAUSE I KNOW HARRIS COUNTY TRANSPORTATION, THE TOKENS DON'T GO IN CERTAIN AREAS. YES. YOU KNOW, THEY DOESN'T, THEY ONLY COVER THE MAIN YES. THOROUGHFARE. SO WHAT DO WE, HOW DO WE REMEDY THAT? AND THAT IS ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES AS WELL, BECAUSE AS YOU SAY, HARRIS TRANSIT ONLY GOES IN CERTAIN AREAS. IT DOES NOT GO TO ALL THE, THE PLACES WHERE THE JOBS MAY BE, ESPECIALLY IN THE WAREHOUSE DISTRICTS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS IF THAT PERSON, IF WE'RE ABLE TO WORK WITH THAT PERSON, WE MAY BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THROUGH ANOTHER AGENCY, OR THROUGH VOLUNTEERS THAT MAY BE ABLE, ONE WOULD BE ABLE TO VOLUNTEER TO TAKE THAT PERSON TO AND FROM WORK UNTIL THEY'RE ABLE TO GET ON THEIR FEET. THERE'S, UH, WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER IN OUR AGENCY THAT HE HELPS, UH, HELP US OUT SOMETIMES WITH TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, IF THERE'S A NEED, WE CAN'T DO IT EVERY DAY. WE CAN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME, BUT WE'LL TRY TO SEE THOSE CLIENTS THAT ARE REALLY TRYING, YOU KNOW, TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. WE'LL TRY TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR THEM TO, FOR TRANSPORTATION. ANOTHER, ANOTHER QUESTION. NOW I, I'VE SEEN A FAMILY MM-HMM . AND THIS IS COM MIGHT NOT BE RELATED, BUT I'VE SEEN A FAMILY PARK THEIR VEHICLE, AND IT'S USUALLY A FEMALE MM-HMM . WITH A COUPLE OF CHILDREN MM-HMM . AND HAVE ASSIGNED, YOU KNOW, HOMELESS MM-HMM . AND, BUT SHE'S WEARING A, UM, KIND OF A MIDDLE EASTERN MM-HMM . ATTIRE WITH BLACK HEAD SCARF COVERING. AND I'VE NOT ONLY SEEN THAT IN BAYTOWN, I'VE SEEN IT IN HOUSTON ALSO MM-HMM . IN HARRIS COUNTY, BUT IN CITY OF LIMIT, HOUSTON MM-HMM . AT DIFFERENT ETHNIC LOCATIONS. MM-HMM . WHAT DO WE DO? I MEAN, HOW DO WE, 'CAUSE I, I'VE TRIED TO TALK TO ONE OF THEM MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, IN HOUSTON, HEY, THERE ARE SERVICES OUT THERE MM-HMM . WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? AND IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE JUST INTERESTED IN THE CASH THAT THEY MIGHT NOT BE ACTUAL HOMELESS. YES. AND THEY'RE JUST USING THEIR CHILDREN. MM-HMM . AS A, TO PULL ON STRING HEART STRINGS. MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THAT? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE COME ACROSS? YES, I HAVE COME ACROSS THAT, AND ONE OF, AND WE'VE COME ACROSS IT WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM. THERE WAS A FAMILY ON BELTWAY EIGHT. IT WAS A MOTHER AND HER CHILDREN. THEY WERE OUT THERE. AND SO THE HARRIS COUNTY HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM DID REFER THEM TO OUR AGENCY FOR ASSISTANCE. BUT WE, UH, I WORKED WITH HER AND I GAVE HER ASSISTANCE, BUT SHE WAS STILL OUT THERE THE NEXT WEEK. SHE WAS STILL OUT THERE THE FOLLOWING WEEK THAT WOULD COME INTO THE ORDINANCES OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, OF THAT AGENCY. I SUGGEST THAT IF, IF IT CONTINUES, OR IF YOU SEE IT, THAT YOU DO TALK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE MOST LAWS, [01:10:01] UH, UH, FORBID THEM BEING IN THE MEDIAN, COLLECTING MONEY. IT'S AGAINST THE LAW. AND A LOT OF 'EM ARE BREAKING THE LAW. BUT IT, IT JUST HAS TO BE ENFORCED. IT'S, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF THE, THE, UH, LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS ENFORCING THE LAW. MM-HMM . BECAUSE I, I MEAN, COMING BACK AGAIN, I'VE SEEN, THERE USED TO BE A GENTLEMAN UP, UP TILL, I THINK LAST WINTER I DIDN'T SEE HIM. HE USED TO WALK UP AND DOWN GUARD. MM-HMM . CAUCASIAN MALE. MM-HMM . ABOUT FIVE EIGHT BUILD MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, YOUNG. AND THERE WAS ONE TIME IT WAS COLD. MM-HMM . SO WE GOT A JACKET AND A BLANKET FOR HIM MM-HMM . AND ACTUALLY FOLLOWED HIM AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, PULLED UP IN A PARKING LOT AND TRIED TO GIVE IT TO HIM MM-HMM . AND HE DIDN'T WANT IT. YES. YES. AND SO WE, I MEAN, I LITERALLY ASKED HIM, 'CAUSE MY WIFE MADE ME DO IT MM-HMM . SO I ASKED HIM, HEY, WHY NOT? MM-HMM . HE'S LIKE, I'D RATHER HAVE THE CASH. YEAH. AND I TOLD HIM, I'M SORRY, I'M NOT DOING THAT. YES. YES. AND SO WE KIND OF FOLLOWED HIM AND, YOU KNOW, TRIED TO TELL HIM AGAIN. DO YOU, I MEAN, IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND, IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE. YES. AND THEY DID IT BECAUSE I, I MEAN, I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS OR SO. YES, YES. WELL, I, I DO KNOW THAT, UH, CHIEF STRINGER WITH THE BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT, HE HAS BEEN TRYING TO COME DOWN HARDER ON THOSE THAT ARE IN THE MEDIANS. THOSE THAT ARE BEGGING FOR MONEY ON THE COURT, ON THE, ON THE CORNERS. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HE IS WORKING ON AS FAR AS, UM, MAKING THEM TO MOVE ALONG AND NOT, AND NOT DO THAT. BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, IT IS ILLEGAL. AND, UH, AND BAYTOWN IS, HE'S, HE'S REALLY TRYING TO ENFORCE THAT TO NOT HAVE THEM THERE. AND LIKE YOU SAY, IT'S MANY OF THEM THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT JUST WANT THE MONEY. THEY DON'T. AND, AND A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR THE MONEY, THEY'RE DOING IT FOR MANY REASONS, WHETHER IT'S DRUG ADDICTION OR WHATEVER IT IS. THAT IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT THEY'RE OUT THERE DOING IT FOR THE MONEY. WE ARE AN AGENCY THAT WE DON'T TURN OUR BACKS ON ANYONE. WE HELP ALL THOSE THAT ARE IN NEED. AND WE WILL TRY OUR VERY BEST TO HELP THOSE THAT ARE LIKE THAT. BUT IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO RECEIVE THE HELP FROM US, WE, WE, OUR HANDS ARE TIED. YEAH. JUST ONE, THE LADY I'M TELLING YOU ABOUT, CHILI MM-HMM . THIS PAST WEEKEND WHEN IT WAS RAINING AND COLD. MM-HMM . SHE WASN'T OUTSIDE MM-HMM . BUT TWO WEEKS, OR TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO, SHE WAS OUT THERE MM-HMM . SO I PERSONALLY GOT THE HOSTESS TO GO OUT THERE AND SEE IF SHE WANTED ANY FOOD. MM-HMM . I DIDN'T WANT BE INVOLVED. I DIDN'T WANT HER TO KNOW IF WE WERE GONNA PAY FOR IT. MM-HMM . AND SHE DIDN'T. SHE JUST TOLD THEM NO AND PEOPLE WEREN'T GIVING HER MM-HMM . CASH. MM-HMM . LITERALLY JUST CASH. YEAH. AND I TOLD THE HOST, SAY, ASK HER IF SHE WANTS ANY HELP. YOU KNOW, WE KNOW MM-HMM . WE CAN GET HER SOME HELP OR SOMETHING. I JUST WANT CASH. AND SHE HAD HER STUFF WITH HER DOG OUT THERE. MM-HMM . YES. SHE'LL PROBABLY BE OUT THERE THIS WEEKEND ALSO. YES. SHE PROBABLY WILL. AND WE'VE ALSO HAD ANOTHER CLIENT LIKE THAT, THAT WAS, I'M, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE FOOD TOWN RIGHT HERE ON DECKER. THERE WAS A LADY OUT THERE, HER NAME WAS, UH, I FORGOT HER NAME, BUT SHE WAS OUT THERE FOR A LONG TIME FOR, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AS A MATTER OF FACT. BUT SHE, UH, SHE'S NO LONGER THERE. THEY, UH, HAVE, HAVE MADE HER LEAVE. BUT WE WOULD, I WOULD GO BY THERE ALL THE TIME, BRINGING FOOD, UH, BRINGING, I HAD SOME, UH, DONATED CLOTHES AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT ITEMS. AND MANY TIMES SHE WOULD TELL ME SHE DON'T WANT ANYTHING. SHE DON'T NEED ANY HELP. SHE DON'T WANT ANY HELP. UH, THE ONLY THING THAT SHE DID TAKE FROM ME ONE DAY WAS A DRINK FROM MCDONALD'S. UH, THAT'S ALL SHE ASKED FOR. SHE NEVER ASKED FOR MONEY. SHE ALWAYS, AND SHE NEVER ASKED FOR ANYTHING ELSE. BUT, UH, SHE DID HAVE SOME MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. BUT, UH, I WOULD GO BY THERE JUST TO MAKE SURE SHE'S OKAY AND IF SHE NEEDED ANYTHING ELSE. BUT THERE'S MANY OF 'EM LIKE THAT. THERE ARE MANY OF THOSE THAT, UH, JUST TRYING TO LIKE, I LIKE THE STREETS SAYING, RUN GAME ON PEOPLE. THEY JUST WANT TO GET THE MONEY. AND THEY'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING OFF THE STREETS. AND MANY OF THEM THAT ARE OUT THERE PANHANDLING AND THAT ARE OUT THERE GETTING THE MONEY, ARE NOT REALLY HOMELESS. AND THAT BRINGS A BAD LIGHT ON THOSE WHO ARE TRULY HOMELESS. 'CAUSE A LOT OF 'EM ARE OUT THERE. THEY'D RATHER DO THAT THAN GET A JOB, YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET MONEY, SO THEY WON'T GET A JOB, BUT THEY'RE NOT TRULY HOMELESS. AND THAT, AND THAT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE ALL THE HOMELESS ARE PANHANDLING. ALL THE HOMELESS WANT IS MONEY. AND THAT'S NOT TRUE. SO, SORRY, LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, YOU HAD TOLD US ABOUT A, A, A LOT OF HOMELESS CAMP BY MM-HMM . BETWEEN NORTH OF I 10. BETWEEN NORTH MAIN AND SHO. YES. IS THAT STILL THERE? I HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE RECENTLY. RECENTLY, BUT THE LAST TIME I WAS THERE, WHICH WAS, UH, IN THAT AREA WAS ABOUT, UH, MAYBE TWO MONTHS AGO. AND IT IS STILL THERE. AND IT'S, UH, THE PICTURES, IT SHOWS SOME OF THE, UH, THE, THE, THE TIME WE DID VISIT. SO THAT, AND THAT'S BEHIND THE VALERO STATION RIGHT THERE ON I 10 AND MAIN STREET. OKAY. THE, THE TRUCK STOP. THE TRUCK STOP. YES. OKAY. AND, AND, AND ANOTHER THING, I HAVEN'T BEEN BY THERE THIS YEAR FOR THE PAST FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS, BUT ON THE INTERSECTION OF BAKER AND THREE 30 MM-HMM . WHERE THE JACK IN THE BOX AND DAIRY QUEEN AND MM-HMM . MM-HMM . AND THE CUBANS. MM-HMM . SANDWICH PLACE. YES. I HAVE SEEN, 'CAUSE MY WIFE TOLD ME SHE DOESN'T WANT TO GO BY THERE AGAIN. MM-HMM . BECAUSE PEOPLE COME IN AND KNOCKING ON OUR YEAH. WINDOWS. THERE WAS A KIND OF A CAMP THERE. MM-HMM . MM-HMM . LAST YEAR. YES. IN THE WINTER. IS THAT STILL THERE OR DO YOU NO, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NO LONGER THERE. AND THERE WAS A GUY THAT WAS THERE BY THE, IT USED TO BE THE FUN CASTLE, IF Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH BAYTOWN, THE FUN CASTLE. HE WAS THERE FOR A WHILE TOO, BUT HE'S NO LONGER THERE AS WELL. IT'S LIKE THEY, THEY COME AND THEY GO. THEY MAY STAY FOR A WHILE. AND THE CI THE CITY DOES COME TO TRY TO CLEAN [01:15:01] UP AND TRY TO MAKE THEM MOVE ALONG. AND, AND THEY MAY MOVE ALONG FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK, LIKE OVER THERE AT MC ELROY PARK. WE WENT THERE, AND THAT'S OVER THERE IN MONT EDITION. WE'VE GONE THERE SEVERAL TIMES TO VISIT WITH THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM TO VISIT THOSE THAT WERE HOMELESS. THEY, THE ONES THAT WERE THERE, THEY LEFT. AND NOW IT'S, IT IS, I WENT BY THE OTHER DAY. IT LOOKS LIKE A WHOLE NEW GROUP IS THERE. SO IT'S LIKE SOME COME AND SOME GO. AND, UM, YEAH. SO GOING BACK TO YOUR APPLICATION, I'M SORRY. HOW WILL THESE PEOPLE SAY AT CRAIG MUD AND OTHER PLACES FIND YOU AT THE LIBRARY? HOW WILL THEY GET THERE? PHYSICALLY GET THERE? MOST OF THEM EITHER WALK OR RIDE THEIR BICYCLE. AND ONCE THEY GET TO ME, I CAN GIVE THEM BUS PASSES TO GET BACK TO THE LOCATION THAT THEY'RE AT. BUT MOST OF THEM, A LOT OF THE CLIENTS THAT HAVE FOUND ME AT THE LIBRARY IS BY WORD OF MOUTH. AND THEY GET TO ME, THEY'LL, THEY'LL WALK A LOT OF TIMES. AND IF THEY DO HAVE BUS FAIR, THEY'LL RIDE THE BUS, UH, TO GET TO ME. BUT A LOT OF 'EM WALK OR RIDE THEIR BIKES. SOMETIMES YOU JUST SIT IN THE LIBRARY AND PICK 'EM OUT. YES. . YES, MA'AM. SO GOING BACK TO YOUR APPLICATION YES. YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OVER $16,000 IN OTHER FUNDING. YES. AND THEN THAT'S ON YOUR BUDGET WORKSHEET? YES. AND THEN ON THE APPLICATION ITSELF, YOU MENTIONED $200,000 YES. IN A GRANT. YES. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHERE THOSE FUNDS ARE FROM? UM, 'CAUSE THERE ARE NO FUNDING LETTERS WERE SUBMITTED. YES. YES, OF COURSE. THE, UH, THE, THE, THE NUMBER THAT'S ON OUR BUDGET WORKSHEET, THOSE FUNDS ARE COMING FROM OUR CONTRACT WITH THE NIETO HOSPITAL DISTRICT. WE ARE ABLE TO USE SOME OF THOSE FUNDINGS TO FUND OTHER PROGRAMS IN OUR AGENCY. THE $200,000 IS A PENDING GRANT THAT WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR. WE ARE JUST IN THE FINAL STAGES OF, OF, OF RECEIVING THOSE FUNDS. AND THAT'S WITH, IS THROUGH HARRIS, UH, AGENCY THROUGH HARRIS COUNTY. AND IS THAT FOR THIS PROGRAM OR FOR A DIFFERENT PROGRAM AT YOUR AGENCY? THIS IS FOR, UH, THIS PROGRAM AS WELL AS ANOTHER PROGRAM IS FOR THE, OUR, OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, THE HOMELESS PROGRAM. IS THERE LIKE A STRICT DIVISION OF THAT FUND? DO YOU KNOW THAT 75% HAS TO GO TO THE OTHER PROGRAM? I'M REALLY NOT SURE THE, THE, THE PERCENTAGE OF IT, UH, THAT WOULD BE FOR MS. RAMONA, UH, TO, UH, TO BREAK DOWN FOR ME, I'M, I'M REALLY NOT SURE. OKAY. YES. MM-HMM . LAST YEAR YOU TOLD US THAT YOU WERE ALSO WORKING WITH THE CHURCH IN HIGHLANDS AREA. MM-HMM . AND ING OUT OF THERE. YES. SO, OTHER THAN CERTAIN DAYS THAT YOU'RE AVAILABLE AT THE LOCAL LIBRARY HERE IN BAYTOWN, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY OFFICE LOCATIONS ANYWHERE ELSE IN OTHER REGIONS? YES. OUR MAIN OFFICE IS IN HIGHLANDS. THAT'S WHERE OUR MAIN OFFICE IS. AT THAT TIME, WE HAD PARTNERED WITH THE EAST HARRIS COUNTY NAVIGATION CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN AN OFFICE AT THE, UH, HIGHLANDS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. THAT AGENCY IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. THEY CLOSED THEIR DOORS. THEY DECIDED THAT, UH, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY DID NOT WANT TO DO ANYMORE. SO THEY CLOSED THE DOORS IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR. BUT WE DO ALSO HAVE, BESIDES THE LIBRARY, OUR MAIN OFFICE IN HIGHLANDS, AND WE ARE ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE UHP HEALTH, WHICH HAS THE OFFICE AT LINCOLN COURTS IN BAYTOWN. SO THAT'LL, THOSE ARE OUR MAIN THREE LOCATIONS THAT WE WILL HAVE. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR CONTRACT WITH WINNIE STORE HOSPITAL DISTRICT IN WINNIE IN CHAMBERS COUNTY. AND THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE ANOTHER, UH, CASE MANAGER THAT'S THERE TO ASSIST CLIENTS AS WELL. SO I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE PURPOSE OF OUR COMMITTEE IS TO BE SURE THAT THE FUNDS THAT WE GRANT ARE USED IN OUR AREA. MM-HMM . MM-HMM . HOW DO, HOW ARE WE GONNA KNOW THAT THOSE FUNDS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GRANTING YOU THE FUNDS MM-HMM . THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING USED, SAY, IN WINNIE OR IN HIGHLANDS OR SOMETHING OF THAT? OF COURSE. THE, THE, THE FUNDS THAT YOU GUYS PROVIDE US WILL BE USED ONLY FOR THOSE CLIENTS THAT ARE IN BAYTOWN. ANY CLIENTS, LIKE I HAVE A CLIENT IN, IN HIGHLANDS THAT MAY NEED A BIRTH CERTIFICATE OR AN ID, I WOULD NOT PAY FOR THAT OUT OF, OUT OF THE FUNDS THAT THE CDBG GRANTS US. WE HAVE DONORS, WE HAVE BOARD MEMBERS THAT, THAT GIVE US FUNDING. WE WOULD USE THAT, THAT SEPARATE FUNDING TO PAY FOR THOSE CLIENTS THAT ARE NOT IN BAYTOWN. WE DO HAVE A, UH, DATA, A DATABASE THAT WE KEEP OUR, OUR, OUR CLIENTS, UH, WHERE THEY'RE FROM, WHETHER THEY'RE IN, IN BAYTOWN, STERLING LIBRARY OR IN HIGHLANDS OR IN WINNIE. WE KEEP THAT IN A DATABASE SO THAT WE'LL KNOW WHERE THESE CLIENTS WERE THAT WE SERVICE. ANY CLIENT THAT'S NOT IN THE, IN THE CDBG SERVICING AREA WILL NOT GET PAID THROUGH OUR, THOSE FUNDS. OKAY. BUT THAT'S KIND OF FLUENT TOO. 'CAUSE I'VE SEEN PEOPLE KIND OF HANG AROUND, KIND OF BEAR STATION ISLAND AREA AND THEN COME INTO GARTH ROAD, BAYTOWN AREA. MM-HMM . AND KIND OF COMMUTE, YOU KNOW, BACK AND FORTH OR CORRIDOR FOR I 10. MM-HMM . YOU KNOW. YES. VERY POPULAR. YES. WELL, YES. WELL, OUR AGENCY, WE DO A THOROUGH CHECK ON OUR CLIENTS. IT'S NOT THAT WE JUST TAKE THEIR WORD FOR IT. YOU KNOW, WE DO A THOROUGH BACKGROUND, WE DO A THOROUGH CHECK ON WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED. AND IF THERE'S SOMEONE THAT WE FEEL I'M, I'M A GOOD READ OF CHARACTER, THEY HAVE TO COME TO SEE ME AND I CAN TELL WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM. 'CAUSE MOST OF THEM, IF THEY ARE IN THE BAYTOWN AREA, THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK AND SEE ME ALL THE TIME. THEY'RE GONNA BE HANGING AROUND THE LIBRARY. I'M A A, A NATIVE BAYTON, AND I'M IN THE SOUTH SIDE ALL THE [01:20:01] TIME. SO THE MAJORITY OF THE CLIENTS THAT I DO SERVICE, I SEE THEM ON A DAILY BASIS. MM-HMM . OFTEN. LAST YEAR YOU TOLD US THAT BAYTOWN WAS ALSO A PRIME LOCATION FOR PEOPLE, HOMELESS PEOPLE TO BE DROPPED OFF. MM-HMM . IS THAT STILL CONTINUING ISSUE WE ARE HAVING OR IS THAT WHERE, WHERE DOES THAT, WHERE DO WE STAND WITH THAT? WE, WE HAVEN'T HAD AS MANY THIS YEAR AS BEEN DROPPED OFF OR COMING FROM OTHER STATES OR OTHER AREAS. A LOT OF THEM ARE, ARE, HAVE BEEN STAYING IN THE BAYTOWN AREA FOR A WHILE. A LOT OF THEM, UH, THEY HAVE EITHER LOST THEIR JOBS OR, OR SOME SITUATION HAS CHANGED WITH, UH, FAMILY MEMBERS IF THEY WERE STAYING WITH FAMILY MEMBERS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT A LOT OF THE OUT STATE AND OUT TOWN, UH, CLIENTS, WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT MANY. THEY HAVE BEEN COMING THROUGH WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED APPLYING FOR CDBG THROUGH HARRIS COUNTY BEING AS HOW YOUR MAIN OFFICE IS IN THE COUNTY? UNINCORPORATED? YES. YES. WE ARE APPLYING FOR CDBG HARRIS COUNTY. YES, WE ARE. BECAUSE THEY'RE ON THE SAME PROGRAM YEAR AS US. SO DID YOU SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR THIS YEAR THE WAY YOU DID WITH US? UH, I'M NOT OVER THE GRANT TEAM, SO I WOULD HAVE TO GET WITH MS. RAMONA. SHE'S THE ONE THAT HANDLES THE GRANTS AND SUBMITTING. ARE YOU GUYS STILL HELPING PEOPLE GET BACK ON THEIR FEET? AND THEN I THINK LAST YEAR YOU TOLD US YOU WERE HELPING PEOPLE GO BACK TO THEIR HOMETOWN. WELL, YES, THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION IF WE HAD SOMEONE LIKE THAT. WE DID HAVE ONE CLIENT THAT, UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO HELP HIM BECAUSE WE HELPED HIM TO APPLY FOR HIS, UH, RETIREMENT, HIS SOCIAL SECURITY RETIREMENT. ONCE HE DID GET APPROVED FOR HIS SOCIAL SECURITY RETIREMENT AND GET HIS HIS CHECK, HE WAS ABLE TO, TO BUY A PLANE TICKET TO FLY BACK TO GEORGIA. BUT WE DID HELP HIM AS FAR AS GETTING HIM TO THE AIRPORT AND GETTING HIS, UH, RETIREMENT STARTED AND HIS BENEFITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT HE WAS ABLE TO USE HIS OWN FUNDING. BUT WE DID HAVE, UH, BOARD MEMBERS THAT WERE WILLING TO PAY FOR HIM TO GET BACK TO GEORGIA. SO OUR BOARD DOES A LOT FOR US AS FAR AS HELPING THE CLIENTS IF THERE IS A NEED. BUT WE DO TRY TO HELP THEM AND ENCOURAGE THEM IF THEY DO HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS IN ANOTHER STATE, IF THEY'RE ABLE TO GO BACK TO THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS TO GO BACK. AND HE'S ONE THAT, UH, HE, HE'S THERE IN GEORGIA NOW, BUT HE'S TRYING TO COME BACK TO BAYTOWN. BUT I'M CONTINUING TO TALK TO HIM AND LET HIM KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'M STAYING IN TOUCH WITH HIM, THAT TO DO THE BEST THAT HE CAN TO STAY WHERE HE'S AT. IF HE COMES BACK TO BAYTOWN, HE MAY END UP HOMELESS AGAIN. 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW HE HAS SOMEWHERE TO STAY. AND HE FEELS LIKE THAT BECAUSE HE GETS A, A RETIREMENT CHECK THAT THAT'S GONNA BE ENOUGH. BUT IT'S NOT BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A VERY LOW AMOUNT THAT HE GETS AND HE'S NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO FIND ANYWHERE TO STAY IF HE DOES COME BACK TO TEXAS. SO I DO ENCOURAGE MY CLIENTS TO TRY TO DO THEIR VERY BEST TO REMAIN AND TO CONTINUE THAT CYCLE, TO END THAT CYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS. WHETHER IT'S GOING BACK TO YOUR HOME FAMILY OR TO WHEREVER IT IS THAT YOU CAN STAY AND NOT TRY TO COME BACK KNOWING THAT THERE'S NOTHING HERE, THAT YOU'RE GONNA END UP ON THE STREETS AGAIN. UM, THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS. YEAH. ONE, ONE, I THINK UNFORTUNATE ASPECT OF HOMELESSNESS IS, UH, I'M SURE YOU SEE THIS AS IT IS A LOT OF VETERANS MM-HMM . THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, EX ARMY, EX MILITARY. MM-HMM . DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING THAT, THAT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO, TO HELP THEM CONNECT WITH SOME OF THE VETERAN SERVICES THAT THEY MAY HAVE ACCESS TO? THEY JUST DON'T, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT? YES. YES, WE DO. WE DO. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE WERE IN A MEETING ON FRIDAY WITH, UH, A PERSON FROM THE VA AND SHE IS ONE OF THOSE WHO CAN HELP THEM TO GET HOUSING. SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THE VA AS WELL AS OTHER VETERAN ORGANIZATIONS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THOSE VETERANS. WHETHER THEY NEED TO APPLY FOR THEIR BENEFITS AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO, WHETHER THEY HAVE MAYBE A DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE AND THEY NEED TO CLEAR SOME RECORDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WE'RE ABLE TO HELP THEM GET THEIR, THEIR BENEFITS STARTED, AS WELL AS CONNECT THEM TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE VA IN ORDER TO ASSIST THEM WITH ALL THE OTHER SERVICES THAT THEY DO NEED. WHAT IS THE CURRENT CAPACITY, AND THIS MIGHT, THIS IS KIND OF SIDE PROJECT OF THE BAYTOWN HOMELESS SHELTER CURRENTLY, ARE THEY AT CAPACITY OR DID THEY HAVE ROOM? AS OF NOW, THEY ARE AT CAPACITY IN THEIR FAMILY UNIT. THEY, UM, I TALKED TO HER LAST WEEK. THEY DID HAVE A OPENING FOR THE MEN'S SHELTER AND MAYBE ONE OR TWO AT THE WOMEN'S. THEY DO STAY FULL. AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS A WAITING LIST TO GET INTO THAT SHELTER. ESPECIALLY IN THE FAMILY UNIT. YES. MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE, UM, IDS I KNOW I DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT THEY NEED AN ID FOR, I GUESS TO APPLY FOR CERTAIN BENEFITS OR SERVICES OR THINGS LIKE THAT. MM-HMM . DID YOU SAY THAT THE BAYTOWN HOMELESS AGENCY DIDN'T ACCEPT THAT ID FROM THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S? THEY DO NOT ACCEPT THE HOMELESS. I, ID THEY ONLY ACCEPT A STATE ID. MANY, MANY OF OUR CLIENTS ARE, ARE ELIGIBLE WITH ALL THE OTHER QUALIFICATIONS, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A STATE ID. UH, WE HAVE CLIENTS THAT ARE, ARE ELIGIBLE BECAUSE THEY ARE ABLE TO GET UP AND GO LOOK FOR A JOB. THEY'RE ABLE TO MEET ALL THE OTHER QUALIFICATIONS AT THE BAY AREA HOMELESS SHELTER. BUT UNLESS THEY HAVE A STATE ID, THEY CANNOT GET INTO THE HOMELESS SHELTER. BUT WITH THE, WITH THE [01:25:01] ID THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY OUTREACH, RIGHT? MM-HMM . THEY'RE, THEY'RE ABLE TO, BESIDES THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO, CAN YOU TELL US SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO WITH THAT ID YES. WELL, WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO WITH THAT ID IS, IT, IT VARIES BECAUSE THERE IS A LIMITATION ON WHO WILL ACCEPT IT AND WHO WON. EVEN THOUGH IT IS A GOVERNMENT ISSUED ID, IT, A LOT OF PLACES WOULD, LIKE A STATE ID, THEY'RE ABLE TO GET JOBS AT SOME PLACES, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO CASH CHECKS. THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO GO OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT OR ANYTHING WITH THAT. ID, THERE'S, THERE'S A LIMITATION OF WHAT THEY CAN USE. SOME, SOME JOBS WILL ACCEPT IT UNTIL THEY GET THEIR STATE ID. BUT AS FAR AS LIKE APPLYING FOR A BANK ACCOUNT OR, OR OPENING AN ACCOUNT OR CASHING A CHECK, IF THEY'RE WORKING, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT WITH THAT. ID NOT, IT'S NOT GOVERNMENT ISSUED. YEAH. IT'S, IT'S NOT A GOVERNMENT, NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GIVEN TO YOU TEMPORARILY UNTIL, RIGHT. YOU CAN GET YOUR ONE, GOSH, THERE'S GIVE THEM A BREAK KIND OF THING. RIGHT. I MEAN, YOU KIND OF NEED AN ADDRESS TO GO HAVE A STATE ID THERE. SO THEN PREREQUISITES, RIGHT? YES. AS FAR AS WITH THE STATE ID, MANY OF THEM THAT DON'T HAVE A, A HOME ADDRESS OR ADDRESS THAT THEY COULD USE TO BE PUT ON THEIR ID, THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP THEM TO GET, UH, WE USE OUR ADDRESS SOMETIMES, OR, UH, AS OF RIGHT. BLESS YOU. BLESS. AS OF RIGHT NOW, SINCE WE ARE, UH, WE'LL BE OPENING THE OFFICE AT LINCOLN COURTS AND I'VE TALKED TO THE BAYTOWN HOUSING AUTHORITY. THAT MAY BE AN ADDRESS THAT THEY COULD USE AS FAR AS PUTTING IT ONTO THEIR, UH, THEIR ID SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE A RESIDENCE ADDRESS. AND I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY ISSUES OF GETTING A STATE ID OF HAVING A PERMANENT ADDRESS. YES. IT'S THE ADDRESS AND, AND THE OTHER DOCUMENTATION LIKE THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND SOCIAL SECURITY CARD. 'CAUSE THEY HAVE TO HAVE THAT AS WELL, CORRECT. MM-HMM . UM, I JUST WANNA SAY I NEVER KNEW THAT BAYTOWN REALLY. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THE OCCASIONAL PERSON BEGGING FOR MONEY OR SOMETHING ASKING FOR MONEY, BUT I NEVER KNEW THAT BAYTOWN HAD SUCH A HOMELESS POPULATION. AND I THINK MARCELLUS WILLIAMS DOES A, A GREAT JOB WITH THESE PEOPLE. YES. THANK YOU. AND WHAT I TRY TO TELL EVERYBODY IS THAT THE HOMELESS IS NOT JUST THOSE THAT YOU SEE ON THE STREET. MM-HMM . THE MAJORITY OF OUR HOMELESS, WE HAVE THEM IN HOTELS. WE HAVE 'EM LIVING WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'RE, THOSE ARE THOSE THE ONES WE CALL SHELTERED. THEN WE HAVE THOSE THAT ARE UNSHELTERED THAT ARE IN THE PARKS OR IN THE CAMPS. BUT SO MANY OF OUR HOMELESS CLIENTS ARE LIVING WITH OTHER PEOPLE OR LIVING IN HOTELS OR MAYBE IN THEIR CARS. SO THEY, AND WE, WE HAVE A VARIETY. SO WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR SOMEONE IN THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION? LIKE THE PERSON I'M TALKING MM-HMM . I'M TELLING YOU ABOUT. I MEAN, I JUST LITERAL SPOKE WITH HER A FEW HOURS AGO. MM-HMM . SHE'S LIVING IN A HOTEL. MM-HMM . RIGHT THERE ON I 10 CORRIDOR. MM-HMM . WHERE'S THAT PIECE OF HUT? MM-HMM . BUT DOESN'T HAVE A PERMANENT RESIDENCE. HOW DO WE TELL THEM WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU GUYS? IF SHE CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH US THROUGH OUR, OUR OUR EIGHT, FIVE, FIVE NUMBER, UH, CALL AND LEAVE, UH, HER NAME AND PHONE NUMBER. WE CAN CALL HER BACK. SHE CAN ALL, IF SHE'S NOT WORKING, SHE CAN COME. ALSO MEET ME AT THE LIBRARY ON TUESDAYS FROM ONE TO FOUR. I'M THERE EVERY TUESDAY. IT'S A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE. THEY SIGN IN, THEY DO AN INTAKE SHEET AND I'LL BE GLAD TO SIT DOWN WITH HER AND SEE WHAT WE ALL CAN ASSIST HER WITH. WE MAY CONSISTENT WITH FINDING, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSING OR APARTMENTS THAT SHE COULD AFFORD IN HER PRICE RANGE. AND WHEN WE SERVICE OUR CLIENTS, WE DON'T LOOK AT JUST THAT ONE INDIVIDUAL. WE LOOK AT THE ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD. UH, WE LOOK AT THE, IF THERE'S KIDS OR IF THERE'S TEENAGERS THAT MAKE HIM WORK OR WHAT CAUSED THEM TO BECOME HOMELESS. YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THE, WE DO A, A EXTENSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THEM TO SEE HOW THEY GOT INTO THIS SITUATION AND WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO HELP THEM TO GET OUT. OKAY. ANY MORE QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WITH THAT, I WILL NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS [a. Receive the Community Development Manager's Report.] AND I WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO A. THE MANAGER'S REPORT, MS. SHARON. SO ON, UM, WHEN WAS IT? LAST SATURDAY, OH, SORRY, I'M USUALLY LOUD. ON APRIL 22ND, WE HAD OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP EVENT WHERE WE PARTNERED WITH THE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COLLECTION PEOPLE, WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. AND UM, IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. THE EVENT WAS FROM 9:00 AM TO 2:00 PM UM, WE HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE ACTUALLY WALKING THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOODS. WE WALKED THREE OF OUR NIPS, MIDDLETOWN, WEST BAYTOWN, AND THE PE AREA. AND WE ALSO HAD PEOPLE DRIVE UP TO DROP OFF TRASH IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND THEY WOULD JUST GIVE US THEIR TRASH OR THEY WOULD DO THE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. BUT WE HAD PROBABLY ABOUT 50 VEHICLES DRIVE THROUGH TO DROP OFF TRASH. AND THEN WE COLLECTED, GOD, I'M NOT EVEN SURE HOW MANY BAGS OF TRASH FROM WALKING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS. I FORGOT WHAT THE NUMBER WAS. 20 OVER 20 BAGS OF TRASH THAT WERE COLLECTED FROM OUR [01:30:01] EMPLOYEES THAT WERE WALKING IN THE STREETS. BOBBY CAN TELL YOU, UH, HE WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WAS ACTUALLY EMPTYING OUT THE VEHICLES THAT DROVE UP. HE WAS ONE OF THE GUYS THAT WE HAD WORKING ON SITE. SO THAT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. AND WE DO WANT TO PARTNER WITH THE, UH, PUBLIC WORK, PUBLIC WORKS STORMWATER CREW TO DO THE PROGRAM AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, SAY AGAIN? OCTOBER. OCTOBER. AND WE HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING NEXT WEEK. IT IS GOING TO BE TWO MORE ORGANIZATIONS. IT'S GOING TO BE, UH, BAY AREA COUNCIL ON DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, AS WELL AS THE BAY AREA REHABILITATION CENTER AND DESTINY'S WHEELCHAIR PROGRAM. AND WE'LL HAVE A THIRD PRESENTER WHO WILL BE PRESENTING FOR OUR INTERNAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. IT'S GONNA BE KIM. SO WE'LL, UM, HAVE THAT NEXT WEEK, HOPEFULLY. UM, IT WON'T GO AS LONG NEXT WEEK AS IT DID THIS WEEK. I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT SHORTER, SO I APOLOGIZE. UM, THAT'S ALL I REALLY HAVE FOR NOW. DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? SO NEXT WEEK'S MEETING IS, UM, THE REST OF THESE PEOPLE? YES MA'AM. IT'S GONNA BE RIGHT HERE AT 5:30 PM EXCUSE. AND THEN AFTER THAT WE CAN DO OUR BUDGET DELIBERATIONS MEETING ON THE WEEK AFTER, WHICH WOULD BE THE 16TH. WE CAN ACTUALLY DISCUSS THE BUDGET AND FUND IT, LIKE DECIDE ON THE BUDGET ALL IN ONE NIGHT. WE CAN SKIP THAT THIRD ONE AND DO IT ON THE FOURTH ONE AND DO IT ALL IN ONE NIGHT. WE CAN DISCUSS IT ONE NIGHT AND THEN COME BACK ON THE FOURTH TUESDAY AND THEN MAKE THE DECISIONS. IT'S COMPLETELY UP TO YOU. I DON'T MIND EITHER WAY. I'M HERE AND I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO AS ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE. UM, WE HAD SOME GOOD PRESENTATIONS TODAY, SO THAT WAS GOOD. MM-HMM . UM, AND I'M HOPING THAT NEXT WEEK IS THE SAME. UH, KODA IS, UH, NEW TO APPLYING FOR CDBG THROUGH US. AND I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DO HAVE ON THEIR APPLICATION IS THAT THEY WORK WITH THE PROMISE CENTER. BUT I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME ISSUES WITH THE PROMISE CENTER, UM, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THEY'RE, UM, MOVING OUT OF THEIR CURRENT LOCATION AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GO. SO THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. UM, WHENEVER WE TALK ABOUT FUNDING FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS. 'CAUSE LIKE MR. VINCENT SAID, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SERVING BAYTOWN RESIDENTS AND THAT THEY'RE LOW INCOME AND THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE. 'CAUSE I, WELL, ACCORDING TO THEM, THEY SERVE ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, SORRY, I'M BEING SARCASTIC. , ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE POVERTY LEVEL AND ALL SINGLE MOTHERS. SORRY, THAT'S WHAT I GOT OUT OF THEIR APPLICATION, FOLLOWED BY NUMBER FOUR. RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THE DRUG ONE, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM. BECAUSE THEY WERE THE ONES THAT WORKED WITH PROMISE CENTER. YES, MA'AM. SO WE'LL BE HEARING FROM THEM NEXT WEEK. SO I GUESS PREPARE YOUR QUESTIONS. I KNOW FRANKIE, UH, WAS THE ONE THAT REVIEWED THE RFP. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BACK OF THE EVALUATION, I THINK IT TAKES UP THE ENTIRE SPACE. MM-HMM . QUESTIONS MAKES THE LITTLE SMALLER . BUT, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING FOR ME, RHONDA? NO, I JUST THINK THAT THIS YEAR WE ONLY HAVE WHAT, UH, FIVE OUTSIDE AGENCIES. SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT IN ONE MEETING, TALK ABOUT IT. WE SHOULD. UM, THE AMOUNT THAT'S REQUESTED IS MORE THAN THE 15% PUBLIC SERVICE CAP. SO WE DO HAVE TO, NOT EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE FULLY FUNDED, BASICALLY. MM-HMM . UM, WHILE THERE ARE ONLY FIVE APPLICANTS, YOU ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT, UM, OPTIMIST DIDN'T APPLY, WHICH WAS SURPRISING. UM, LOVE NETWORK DIDN'T APPLY, BUT THEY ALSO GAVE BACK TWO PROGRAMS TO US, WHICH IS WHY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE INTERNAL REQUESTS, IT USED TO BE FOUR. NOW IT'S SIX BECAUSE NOW WE'RE MANAGING MM-HMM . THE SHOE PROGRAM AND THE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM. SO IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE WE'RE ASKING FOR ALL THE MONEY, BUT WE'RE NOT. THEY ACTUALLY GAVE IT BACK TO US. SO WHO DID SHE GET? DID THEY GET LAST YEAR THEY REQUESTED 10,250 AND THEY GOT 4,200. NO. YES. 4,200. I REMEMBER. WELL, BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO DETERMINE RESIDENCY. UM, AND WE HAVE DONE ONE REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST FOR THEM SO FAR, AND IT WAS, UM, A LITTLE DIFFICULT. AND WE, I SAY THAT HER PRESENTATION WAS A LOT BETTER THIS YEAR, A LOT BETTER. SO WE DID RECEIVE ANOTHER REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS FROM THEM. MM-HMM . UM, WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT YET, BUT THEY JUST TURNED IT IN, I BELIEVE, AT THE END OF LAST WEEK. AND WE ALSO RECEIVED ONE FROM COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS. LIKE IF YOU'LL LOOK IN YOUR BOOK, IT'LL SAY THAT THEY HADN'T EXPENDED ANY FUNDS YET. COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS, BUT THEY JUST SUBMITTED A REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST FOR $6,000. SO THAT'S, THEY ONLY HAVE SEVEN TO SPEND. SO THEY'RE ONLY GONNA HAVE A THOUSAND LEFT. AND THEY'LL PROBABLY KNOCK THAT OUT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. I MEAN, SCHOOL ENDS AT THE END OF THE MONTH AND THEY WORK WITH THE SCHOOLS. SO THEY'RE KIND OF ON A TIME CRUNCH THERE. BUT I KNOW THAT BY ME WORKING IN THE SOUP KITCHEN AND RIGHT THERE BEHIND MINUTE [01:35:01] MATE, UH, THEY'RE CLOSING, THEY, THEY'RE PUSHING AWAY ALL THE HOMELESS PEOPLE FROM THAT UNDER THERE BECAUSE THEY WANT THE SPACES AND FOR FOUR YEAR PARKING AND SO ON, SO FORTH. YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S BUYING. AND I REMEMBER HEARING IN THE KITCHEN MANY TIMES ABOUT THE FACT THAT , UH, THEY HEARD THINGS WERE GETTING BETTER IN BAYTOWN AS FAR AS THE COMMUNITY IS GROWING. AND I SAID, OH, IT'S GROWING TREMENDOUSLY. SO WE SAID WE, WE GO, SOMETIMES WE GO TO BAYTOWN AND WE WE'RE THERE, OR I'VE BEEN TO BAYTOWN BAYTOWN, SO WE MIGHT BE GETTING A LOT AN INFLUX OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE, UH, PEOPLE. HOUSTON. SO THE HOMELESS PEOPLE. YEAH. AND I, SHE NEVER DOES SHE SEE WHAT HER NUMBERS WERE, BUT SHE'S EASIER THAN TO GO IN THE OTHER, THE DIRECTION. KATIE IS VERY STRICT OR BEND COUNTY. IT'S EASIER TO COME HERE. COME HERE. THEN THEY CAN GET INTO LOUISIANA. AND BAY COUNTY IS JUST A HUB. THAT'S WHY THEY THE CORRECT ON TOP THE ROAD. YES. SO IT MAKES IT EASIER. THAT'S WHAT THEY TOLD. THEY THEMSELVES TOLD ME THAT THEY'RE BAYTOWN IS A GOOD YEAH. AND I'M LIKE YOU AND NEVER USED TO SEE TOO MANY ANYWHERE. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT. BUT NOW WE, UM, I MEAN I, THERE ARE A LOT. I SEE THAT WE HAVE SOME CHILDREN. DID YOU KNOW THAT WE HAD THAT CAMP OUT THERE OFF I 10? I THINK THEY COULD. OH YEAH. ON I 10. WELL, THE ER IS FULL OF THEM. MY DAUGHTER WORKS THE NIGHT SHIFT THERE AND SHE SAYS SOMETIMES IT'S MORE THAN HALF OUR HOMELESS PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY ONCE IT GETS COLD THAT THEY JUST COME IN FOR A WARM BLANKET, SOMETHING TO EAT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THEY'RE OFF AND THEN THEY COME BACK, YOU KNOW? AND, AND THIS IS SEND THIS ONE TO ALL HOSPITAL. THIS ONE HERE? YEP. ON GUARD. YEAH. MS. IS THAT THE, IS THAT FOR MANAGER'S REPORT? THAT'S IT. I'M DONE. OH, DO I HAVE A MOTION? LET'S GO. MOTION. MOTION. DO YOU HAVE A SECOND MOTION? JUDGE, YOU, UM, END THIS MEETING. I SECOND CHAIR. ADJOURN. MS. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OKAY. AND NOW WE CAN TALK. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.