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| Congratulations 2009 Butler Award Winners! |
The winners of the 2009 Butler Awards were announced at the annual CAN Appreciation Reception on November 20th. Richard Troxell, Founder and Executive Director of House the Homeless, received the Leadership Award. Carol Wright, Director of Education Programs for Skillpoint Alliance, received the Bridge Builder Award. Kathleen Ridings,
Director of Social Services for the Salvation Army, accepted the Spirit
of Collaboration Award on behalf of the Passages Collaboration.
Passages is a partnership of agencies that provide housing and support services to individuals and families that are homeless. Partners include: Caritas of Austin, Family Connections, Foundation
Communities, Foundation for the Homeless, LifeWorks, the Salvation
Army, and SafePlace. |
City/County Partner to Get Out the Count
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Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell and County Judge Sam Biscoe announced this week a
joint effort to count as many people as possible in next year's U.S. Census. The Austin-Travis County Complete Count Committee will organize and publicize
Census events and work with community groups to spread the word to diverse
groups and all sectors of the community, rural and urban areas.
The committee is co-chaired by County Court at Law Judge Eric Shepperd,
Constable Bruce Elfant and LatinWorks co-founder Alejandro Ruelas and also
comprises about 40 others, including city demographer Ryan Robinson, Susana
Almanza of People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources, and other
neighborhood and civic leaders. Officials are looking for more people to serve
on the committee.
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CAN Board of Directors
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United Way and Ready By 21 will share a preview of a new report on prioritized outcomes for children and youth at the December 11th CAN Board of Directors meeting. The meeting will be held at the City Hall Boards and Commissions Room from 1 - 3 p.m. The meetings are open to the public and are televised live on Cable Channel 6.
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| CAN Community Calendar |
Check out the events in our community and add your events to the calendar at www.caction.org. | |
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Texas Ranks Second in Hunger
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 The U.S. Department of Agriculture ranks Texas second only to Mississippi in the number of households that were "food insecure" in 2008. Household Food Security in the United States, 2008 was released by the USDA last month. Food insecurity as measured in this annual, nation-wide survey is at its highest level since the USDA began the surveys in 1995. Households experience "food insecurity" if, at some time during the year access to adequate food was limited by a lack of money or other resources. Food stamp use is also at a record high. According to an article this week in the New York Times, the number of food stamp recipients has increased by 10 million over the past two years. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) now feeds one in 8 Americans and nearly 1 in four children. The article also reports that food stamps reach about two-thirds of those who are eligible to receive them. Click here to read the article and to see an interactive map of SNAP enrollment. |
Feeding Kids - Toolkit for Faith Community
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program provides funding for local organizations to offer nutritious meals and healthy activity for children during the summer months. Texas Impact offers a free toolkit " Feeding Texas Kids with the Summer Food Service Program" to guide faith communities interested in setting up a summer food program. Participation in USDA's summer food program can be integrated with existing summer youth programming and can last all summer or just a week or two. |
| Hispanic Futures Conference |
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Students and parents are invited to the Hispanic Futures Conference this Saturday, December 5th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Travis High School. The Conference is sponsored by the Austin ISD Department of Diversity and Intercultural Relations and will feature a panel discussion with several elementary, middle and high school principals who will discuss preparing and paying for college and conflict resolution. The conference is free and includes breakfast and lunch. For more information, call 414-0884.
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| College Enrollment at an All-Time High |
The Pew Research Center reports that almost 40% of young adults ages 18 to 24 were attending college in the United States in October 2008. The report attributes this all-time high record to increases in community college enrollment.
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Chamber Seeks Volunteers for Financial Aid Saturdays
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The only way to become eligible for college scholarships, grants and subsidized loans is to submit the 100+ question Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Austin Chamber is recruiting volunteers to help more than 2,500 families complete the FAFSA forms at 29 Financial Aid Saturdays to be held at local high schools this February and March. Learn more at www.financialaidsaturdays.com. |
Free Tax Preparation Assistance
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Tax season is approaching and Foundation Communities' Community Tax Centers are ready to offer free tax preparation and other financial services to low-income clients. The Community Tax Centers helped to complete over 17,000 tax returns last year, bringing almost $26 million in tax refunds into the Central Texas economy. The Community Tax Centers are now training volunteers to become certified by the IRS to assist with tax return preparation. To learn more, visit www.foundcom.org. |
| African American Family Support Conference |
 The theme of this year's African American Family Support Conference is Beyond the Illness: the Voice of One the Power of Many. The conference, sponsored by Austin Travis County Integral Care, will be held February 11th and 12th at the Austin Hyatt. Speakers include Jennifer Ayers Moore, the sister of the man on whom the movie The Soloist is based, and Nancy Carter, Executive Director of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI). The conference is free to family members and consumers of services. Registration for the two-day conference is $65 for those attending on behalf of an organization. Learn more about the conference. |
Community Action Network is a collaboration of organizations and individuals in Central Texas who are working together to build a community of equity and opportunity.
CAN's role in the community is to ...
- Enhance awareness of community issues;
- Strengthen partnerships and connect planning efforts;
- Support collaborative strategies that maximize community resources and impact; and
- Mobilize action by reporting on progress made to improve the community's well-being.
CAN Partners: Austin Area Interreligious Ministries, Austin Chamber, Austin Community College, Austin Independent School District, Austin Travis County Integral Care, Capital Metro, City of Austin, Community Justice Council, One Voice Central Texas, Seton Family of Hospitals, St. David's Community Health Foundation, St. Edward's University, Travis County, Travis County Healthcare District, United Way Capital Area, University of Texas at Austin, and Workforce Solutions - Capital Area.
CAN Issue Area Groups: Aging Services Council, Austin/Travis County Victim Services Task Force, Basic Needs Coalition, Behavioral Health Planning Partnership, Central Texas After-School Network, Child & Youth Mental Health Planning Partnership, Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, Early Care and Education, HousingWorks, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Coalition, Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, Ready by 21, Reentry Roundtable, and Regional Transit Coordination Committee. | |
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