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| Budget Estimate Cuts Spending $31 Billion |
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| Travis County Snapshot |
What populations are growing the fastest in our community? What percentage of households speak a language other than English at home? Does having a post-secondary degree make it more likely you wil have a job or earn more money? These are just some of the questions answered in a new document analyzing data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Travis County Health and Human Services & Veterans Service, Research and Planning Division, has released its annual Travis County Snapshot from the American Community Survey.
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| Tobacco Free Policies | |
Capital Metro and Austin Travis County Integral Care are the two latest agencies to announce new tobacco-free policies. As of this week, smoking is no longer allowed near bus boarding areas of all Capital Metro-owned transit centers and park & rides.
Today, Austin Travis County Integral Care announced that smoking will no longer be allowed, either indoors or out, at all 36 ATCIC locations. In unveiling the We Can Quit! tobacco-cessation campaign, it was noted that smokers with a serious mental illness have a 25-year shorter life expectancy than those who do not smoke.
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| Fight Cancer, Participate in New Research |
 The American Cancer Society is soliciting men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 with no personal history of cancer to participate in a new research study called the Cancer Prevention Study-3. By joining CPS-3, you can help researchers better understand the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that cause or prevent cancer. The American Cancer society hopes to recruit 500,000 people nation-wide from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. For more information, visit the American Cancer Society website. |
| Austin ISD Dual-Language Elementary Schools Host Orientations |
Parents of children who will be in kindergarten or first grade next fall are invited to learn about Austin ISD's Two-Way Dual Language Immersion Program. Four elementary schools offer the dual English/Spanish language program which seeks to create multi-lingual students. Learn more on the AISD website.
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| Legislators Attend CAN Board Meeting | |
Members of the Travis County Legislative delegation joined Congressman Lloyd Doggett at the January 14th meeting of the CAN Board of Directors to discuss key issues and challenges for the upcoming legislative session and potential impacts of
anticipated state budget cuts. You can view the video of the meeting at Channel 6 website. Click on "City Council" and look for "Community Action Network - Board of Directors."
The Legislative Agendas of CAN partner agencies are now posted on the CAN website. A copy of the presentation shared with legislators about the growing levels of poverty and low income populations in the five county area is also available at caction.org. |
| Follow CAN's Tweets |  Get short, timely updates on meetings, research and more on CAN_Austin. |
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| Free Help Applying for College Financial Aid |
 Students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are 350% more likely to go to college, according to the Student Futures Project. The Austin Chamber of Commerce partners with area school districts, businesses and volunteers to offer free help completing this complicated and sometimes difficult to understand form. Financial Aid Saturday events will be held at high schools throughout Central Texas beginning February 5th through March 26th. Learn more. |
| Tips for Caring for People With Alzheimer's Disease | |
 Caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease can be very difficult, both emotionally and physically. Caregiver Resource Center of Austin Groups for the Elderly is offering a free seminar for family caregivers to learn strategies, tips, and hands-on activities that can help make caregiving easier and less stressful for both the caregiver and the senior.
The seminar will be held from 10am to noon on Saturday, January 29th at the AGE building, 3710 Cedar Street. tThe seminar is free, but seating is limited. RSVP TO Bruce Kravitz at bkravitz@ageofaustin.org or by phone to (512) 451-4611, extension 236. Call by January 23rd to arrange for free respite care during the seminar. |
| Feria para Aprender - Learning Fair Inspires | |
The fifth annual Feria para Aprender will be held on Saturday, January 29th at the North Lamar Event Center, 10601 N. Lamar. The Spanish language learning fair for parents and students is designed to inspire students to do well in school and go to college and to educate parents about resources available for them to help their children be successful. The University of Texas Strauss Institute surveyed parents at last year's fair to find that out what impact Feria para Aprender had. Click here to see the results of the study and to find out more about Feria para Aprender.
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| Affordable Housing and Transportation | |
The City of Austin's Neighborhood Housing and Community Development office will host their third forum in its series "Linking Austin's investments for a Sustainable Community" on Tuesday, February 11th. This month's forum will focus on Affordable Housing and Transportation. The forum begins at 10 a.m. in the 4th floor conference room of the Street Jones Building, 1000 E. 11th Street.
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| Central Texas African American Family Support Conference |
 The eleventh Central Texas African American Family Support Conference will be held at the Hilton Austin Hotel on February 10th and 11th. Themed, Resources to Empower Consumers, Youth and Families, the conference features presenters on a variety of topics including: principles of holistic living, teen dating violence, ensuring treatment success and ex-offenders coping with mental health.
Thursday's keynote address will be given by Ruthie Garrison, author of "Thirty Thieves of Innocence," who will speak about her family's experience with mental illness. Friday will feature a keynote address from Dr. Alvin Poussaint, a nationally recognized expert on race relations in America, the dynamics of prejudice, and issues of diversity as our society becomes increasingly multicultural. The conference is free to consumers with a minimal fee for professionals seeking Continuing Education Credits. For more information, go to ctaafsc.org.
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| Conference for Afterschool Professionals |
 The Central Texas Afterschool Network will hold its fourth annual conference for afterschool professionals on Saturday, Feruary 26th at the AISD Baker Center.
The Conference is entitled "Diversity and Inclusion in the 21st Century" and will feature workshops and networking. Registration is $20 and breakfast and lunch are included. Register at ctanuniversity@yahoo.com. |
| Community Resources 101 |  United Way Capital Area and 2-1-1 Texas are offering 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. Click here to register. |
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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 as a convener, connector and informer helps our community:
- 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 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, Interfaith Action of Central Texas, 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, 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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