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| Plan to End Homelessness |
Art by Lupe Galvez |
The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) has released " The Plan to End Community Homelessness in Austin - Travis County." ECHO coordinates Austin and Travis County's annual Continuum of Care application for federal homeless housing funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which totaled close to $5.1 million this year.
The Plan to End Community Homelessness focuses on the following areas along the services continuum:
- Prevention Services include emergency rent and utility assistance, case management services and other services to keep individuals and families in stable housing.
- Short Term Services include emergency shelter and transitional housing for up to 18 months.
- Long Term Services include services such as Permanent Supportive Housing which provides safe housing in the long-term that includes opportunities for services.
ECHO has recently been established as an independent entity with an independent Board of Directors. It is hoped that this new governance structure will allow for more effective coordination and more federal dollars coming into the community for homeless housing and services. |
| Uninsured Children: Who Are They and Where Do They Live? |
Thirty-nine percent of all children in the U.S. who have no medical insurance live in Texas, California and Florida, according to a new report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report "Who and Where are the Children Yet to Enroll in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program?" estimates that 7.3 million children in our country have no health insurance, even though an overwhelming majority (65%) of them are eligible for CHIP or Medicaid. The report includes downloadable state-by-state color coded maps and slides showing where uninsured children live.
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| Proposed MetroAccess Policy Changes |
 The Capital Metro Board will consider changes to MetroAccess policies that govern what services are made available to people with disabilities at its September 24th meeting. Social service agencies and community organizations that serve people with disabilities are invited to attend a special forum on Wednesday, September 22nd from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Capital Metro Board Room, 2910 East 5th Street. At this forum, Capital Metro staff will explain the proposed changes, discuss potential impacts, and answer questions. Please RSVP to Guillaume.Vigier@capmetro.org or 369-6058. More information about the proposed changes and opportunities to voice opinions about them can be found on the Capital Metro web site.
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| September 30th Application Deadline for CAN Community Council | | The CAN Community Council is accepting applications for new members through the end of September. Get to know the issues in our community and become engaged in building collaborative solutions. Apply at www.caction.org. |
| Nominations Open for 2010 Butler Award | | Do you know of a collaboration that has been effective at bringing people and groups together to address community needs? Consider nominating the collaboration for the 2010 Spirit of Collaboration Butler Award. The deadline for nominations is October 30th. |
| Follow CAN's Tweets |  Get short, timely updates on meetings, research and more on CAN_Austin. |
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| State Board of Education Candidate Forum |
The League of Women Voters and KLRU-TV will co-sponsor a forum for the State Board of Education candidates for Districts 5 and 10. The forum will be taped in the KLRU studios in Austin on Tuesday evening, September 28th and will be aired on KLRU Austin and KLRN San Antonio before early voting begins for the November 2nd election. The public is welcome to attend the taping. RSVP and find more information at www.klru.org. |
| Imagine Austin: Choose Your Future...Now! |
Austin's population is expected to double over the next thirty years. The Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan will serve as a blueprint for where that growth will occur. During the third round of public input for the new plan, residents will be asked to comment on different scenarios to accommodate this future growth. Public hearings begin next week and continue through the first week of October. Visit http://www.cityofaustin.org/compplan/events.htm to find a location close to you. |
| Austin ISD Seeks Input on Facilities Use | |
 The Austin Independent School District will host six Community Dialogue sessions during the last week of September to gather input on facility options for meeting current and future needs of students. The District is in the process of developing a Comprehensive Facility Master Plan to allow it to reduce operating costs through more efficient and effective use of facilities. Every AISD campus will be impacted by the plan.
At the Community Dialogue sessions, the public will be asked to give input on possible options that were developed by a 70-member Facility Master Plan Task Force. Visit www.austinisd.org for a listing of times and locations for the public meetings. |
| Outward Bound: Free Wilderness Expeditions for Veterans |
 Outward Bound, a 45-year old non-profit outdoor, adventure-education organization, is offering free wilderness expeditions to veterans who were deployed in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. The wilderness expeditions are physically, mentally and emotionally stimulating and work to build self-confidence, trust, and communication skills to help veterans successfully return to families and communities following war-time service. To learn more call 1-866-669-2362 ext 8387 or download this brochure. |
Learn How to Become a U.S. Citizen
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The Immigrant Services Network of Austin is offering a workshop with information on how to apply for U.S. citizenship. The workshop will be held this Saturday, September 18th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Austin Community College Eastview Campus. The workshop is free, but tickets are required. For information on where to acquire tickets visit isnaustin.org. |
Get Ready: September is National Preparedness Month
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As hurricane season heats up, we are reminded that disasters can strike at any time, and often the most vulnerable and the least prepared. Austin City Council has declared September Disaster Preparedness Month and is promoting a "Disaster Ready Austin". A Public Safety Open House will be held this Saturday, September 18th from 10 am to 1 pm at the Combined Transportation, Emergency and Communications Center at 5010 Old Manor Road. This is the only time during the year when this emergency command center is open to the media and public. Families will learn practical steps for preparing for emergencies in their homes, businesses and communities. Click here to download a flier. |
| Pass the Torch: Leadership Conferences for Youth |
The African American Men & Boys Harvest Foundation is launching a new year of leadership conferences for high school boys and girls and their parents. The new year will be kicked off on September 28th with
the 40th African American Men and Boys & Women and Girls Conference at LBJ High School.
The goal this year is to hand over the leadership reins to the youth and to empower them to set the agenda for these monthly leadership conferences. To learn more about the Harvest Foundation and this year's conference schedules, visit http://aambharvestfoundation.com/aamb/. |
| Legislative Forum: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities | |
In partnership with The Arc of the Capital Area and Easter Seals Central Texas, Austin Travis County Integral Care will host a community forum to learn about service and resource issues affecting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Local elected officials including Texas State Representatives Donna Howard, Eddie Rodriguez and Elliott Naishtat, will participate in the forum on Tuesday, September 28th from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River Street.
The community forum is free and open to the public. Consumers, family members, providers and partner agencies are encouraged to attend. Learn more. |
| Veterans Small Business Resource Symposium |
The City of Austin will host a workshop for military veterans on small business assistance available at no cost. Veterans will learn about resources to create or grow a small business, how to become certified as a minority or woman-owned business, business loan programs for veterans, and general assistance offered through the City of Austin Veteran's Office. The Veteran's Small Business Resource Symposium will be held at City Hall on October 7th from 6 - 8:30 p.m. Learn more. |
| Race, Place and Fair Housing in Texas |
Mercedes Marquez, Assistant Secretary, Office of Community Planning and Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be the keynote speaker for a Statewide Conference at the University of Texas School of Law. "Race, Place, and Fair Housing in Texas" will bring together national and local experts to discuss the latest legal requirements and best practices for planning and creating fair housing opportunities for low-income persons of color. The full-day conference will be held October 15th. For registration and conference information, visit www.utlawjusticecenter.org/activities/fairhousing.html. |
| Community Resources 101 |  United Way Capital Area and 2-1-1 Texas are beginning an on-going series of free trainings on community services for front-line staff and volunteers. Participants will learn when to use 2-1-1 Texas and how to search the 2-1-1 Texas database to find information about available community resources. The trainings will be held on Friday, October 22nd (now full) and Friday, December 10th (still available) from 9 - 11 a.m. at United Way Capital Area, 2000 E. MLK Blvd. RSVP to Community Action Network at cristell.laurel@austinisd.org 414-0323. |
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 Community Action Network (CAN) is a partnership of agencies and organizations in Austin and Travis County that provide resources to improve the health and well-being of people in our community. CAN is a collaboration of organizations and individuals 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 of Commerce, Austin Community College, Austin Independent School District, Austin Travis County Integral Care, Capital Metro, Central Health, City of Austin, Community Justice Council, One Voice Central Texas, Seton Family of Hospitals, St. David's Foundation, St. Edward's University, Travis County, 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 Afterschool
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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