[Press Conference: "Houston Area Women's Center Supportive Housing Groundbreaking"]
[00:00:19]
WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME.I WANT Y'ALL TO REMEMBER THIS DAY WAS NOT INEVITABLE.
THIS ORGANIZATION BEGAN WITH SOME VOLUNTEERS DONATED PHONES, SOME LOUD OUTSPOKEN WOMEN ON THE SIDELINES AT BEST, SAYING FAMILY VIOLENCE, DOMESTIC ABUSE, SEXUAL ASSAULT NEEDS TO BE TALKED ABOUT.
IT NEEDS TO BE PUBLICLY ADDRESSED WITH SERVICES AND FUNDING.
WE NOW KNOW Y'ALL ARE PROOF THAT UNLESS WE INVEST IN SERVICES AND UNLESS WE ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS AT RISK.
YES, WE NEED THESE SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO THRIVE.
THESE ARE NOT JUST RADICAL OUTSPOKEN WOMEN, ALTHOUGH I'VE GOT, WE GOT A LOT OF THOSE STILL.
WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE THE BUILDING OF A FOUR STORY, 135 EMERGENCY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNIT.
I WANNA CLARIFY, I WANNA CLARIFY THAT BUILDING YOU SEE, BEING BUILT IS NOT OUR BUILDING.
WE'RE NOT LATE TO THE GROUNDBREAKING OR EARLY THIS DIRT.
THIS DIRT IS WHERE THE BUILDING IS GOING TO BE FOUR STORIES.
IT'S GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME.
RIGHT NOW, OUR HOTLINES ARE OPERATING.
WHEN WE STARTED THIS YEARS AGO, WE ACKNOWLEDGED PAINFULLY THAT UP TO HALF OF THE PEOPLE WHO CALL OUR HOTLINE AND WHO WE KNOW ARE IN DANGER, BECAUSE WE DO A LETHALITY ASSESSMENT.
GET THAT WE GOT CALLERS DOING A LETHALITY ASSESSMENT TO SEE HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT YOU'RE GONNA END UP MURDERED.
AND WE'RE TURNING THOSE WOMEN AWAY PAST IN THIS REGION BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH BEDS.
THOSE SURVIVORS ARE DOING THEIR PART.
AND I'M SO GRATEFUL YOU'RE HERE TO DO YOURS.
BECAUSE TOGETHER WE CAN SOLVE THIS CRISIS.
AND I KNOW IT BECAUSE I AM FLANKED HERE BY THESE AMAZING PEOPLE.
WE'VE GOT OUR EXPANSION TEAM, NEW HOPE HOUSING, CAMDEN CONSTRUCTION, GSMA, ARCHITECTS, CORN CONSTRUCTION.
THEY HAVE BEEN ENVISIONING THIS WITH US FOR YEARS.
I'VE GOT AN EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM.
SO WE WE'RE ALL ABOUT THIS AND WE'LL BE DONE JUST IN TIME FOR THE END OF NOVEMBER 20TH, 2024.
SO WE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE WE GOTTA RAISE A LOT OF MONEY.
STILL
I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE HERE.
I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON FOR THIS ORGANIZATION AND FOR THIS REGION, WHICH IS SUFFERING FROM THE HIGHEST HOMICIDE RATES IN THE STATE AND THE HIGHEST TURN AWAY RATES OF THE SHELTERS IN THE STATE.
AND WE ARE GONNA DO IT WITH YOUR HELP.
AND I NOW WOULD LIKE TO INVITE SONYA CORRALES, DEPUTY CEO OVER 30 YEARS IN THE MIDDLE.
I, I WANT SOME OF WHAT YOU TOOK.
WELL, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA CHANGE IT UP A LITTLE BIT AND SPEAK A LITTLE ESPANOL.
[00:05:31]
AUSTIN CENTER, UH, CHILDREN'S ASSESSMENT CENTER, UM, WOMEN'S HOME.WHO'S UP NEXT? DID YOU GET SOME LEMONADE? 'CAUSE IT REALLY HELPS
I WAS WAITING FOR HER TO INTRODUCE ME IN THIS.
I WASN'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING BUT MY NAME, BUT AT ANY, ANYWAY, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
AND SO I WANNA SAY TODAY I STAND BEFORE YOU AS COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ, THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT D, WHAT I CALL THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, AS, AS I SAID THIS MORNING, UH, WE HAD THE SPACE DISTRICT C COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAME AND CERTAINLY HAD THE HEART, BUT WE HAD THE SPACE OVER HERE IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
SO WE WELCOME HER AS WHETHER, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ENGAGE.
EVER WING THAT LEGENDARY PHRASE.
I SAY, HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
BUT IT'S MORE THAN JUST A PROBLEM.
A CRISIS THAT AFFECTS THE VERY SOUL OF OUR BELOVED CITY AS WE ARE CURRENTLY, UH, FAILING TO MEET THE FUNDAMENTAL SAFETY AND HOUSING NEEDS OF SURVIVORS.
THERE'S A CHASM IN OUR SERVICES, WHICH WAS CRUDELY DE DEEPENED IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE HARVEY AND THE COVID E EPIDEMIC AS A RESULT OF SHOCKING REALITY, CONFRONTS US.
OUR LETHALITY RATES ARE SOARING.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOMICIDES HAVE HORRIFYING, DOUBLED SINCE 2019.
IMAGINE IF YOU CAN, THE GRIM CHOICE OF OUR SURVIVORS THAT FACE HOMELESSNESS ARE RETURNING TO A VIOLENT HOME.
THIS DECISION IN ITSELF IS UNBEARABLY CRUEL.
BUT TODAY, I DON'T STAND BEFORE YOU TO SIMPLY OUTLINE THE PROBLEM.
WE ARE HOUSTONIANS, WE ARE FIGHTERS, WE ARE INNOVATORS.
WE BRING THAT SPIRIT OF INNOVATION AND THAT LEMONADE TO THIS CRITICAL ISSUE.
WE NEED A REVOLUTIONARY SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL TO ADDRESS THIS GAP.
WE NEED TO BUILD BRIDGES WHERE THERE ARE CHASMS TO CREATE SAFE PATHS WHEN THERE ARE NONE.
THANKFULLY, WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT.
THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, OR IS A BEACON OF HOPE IN THIS STRUGGLE.
THEY ARE CRAFTING LASTING, LIFE-CHANGING SOLUTIONS THAT ENSURE THE SAFETY OF FAMILIES ESCAPING VIOLENCE.
THEY ARE NOT JUST TREATING THE SYMPTOMS OF THIS CRISIS.
THEY'RE COURAGEOUSLY CHALLENGING ITS ROOT CAUSES.
AND NOW I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO INTRODUCE A LIVING TESTAMENT TO THE RESILIENCE OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT.
JAMIE WRIGHT, A HEART BOARD MEMBER, SURVIVOR, AND A FORMER HAWK CLIENT.
JAMIE'S JOURNEY FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT IS A POWERFUL SYMBOL OF HOPE FOR ALL SURVIVORS.
TOGETHER WE CAN AND WE WILL CREATE A HOUSTON WHERE EVERY SURVIVOR HAS THE SECURITY, THE SUPPORT, AND THE SANCTUARY THEY DESERVE.
SO LET'S ROLL OUR SLEEVES UP AND GET TO WORK BECAUSE HOUSTON, WE DON'T JUST HAVE A PROBLEM, WE HAVE A MISSION.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING.
MY NAME IS JAMIE WRIGHT AND I'M A SURVIVOR OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
DID YOU KNOW THAT IN 2020, OVER 21,000 CALLS WERE MADE TO HOTLINES AS A RESULT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE? I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
[00:10:01]
AND I CERTAINLY DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WOULD BE A PART OF THOSE STATISTICS, BUT I WAS, YOU SEE, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC IN 2020, I FOUND MYSELF HOPELESS, HOMELESS, FULL OF SHAME AND EMBARRASSMENT AS A RESULT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO FIND SAFETY AND SEEK SHELTER AT THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER.
I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY THRIVING.
UM, I HAVE THE HONOR OF SITTING ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, AND I ALSO HAD THE ABSOLUTE HONOR YOU ALL OF PURCHASING A HOUSE HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
AND YOU CAN CATCH THE EPISODE.
IT'S SOME SOMETHING LIKE HOUSTON DANCING INTO, UH, UH, DANCING INTO HOUSTON OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME TO WATCH IT, ACTUALLY.
SO I'M HERE TO TELL YOU ALL THESE SERVICES DO WORK.
I WANNA ALSO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE ADVOCATES.
I'M NOT GONNA LOOK AT YOU, MISS, SO FORTH.
ALRIGHT, ALL THE ADVOCATES, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, EVERYONE THAT'S IN THE MOVEMENT TO ERADICATE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
I WANNA SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU.
SO MAYOR TURNER AND YOUR STAFF.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR STEP FASTNESS AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO ENDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
I STAND HERE IN FRONT OF YOU AS A TESTAMENT, AS WAS ALREADY SAID, OF THE POSSIBILITIES, UM, OF JUST WHEN WE MAKE THE DECISION, DECISION AND WE HAVE THE RESOURCES WE CAN NOW THRIVE.
SO IT'S MY ABSOLUTE HONOR YOU ALL TO PRESENT MY MAYOR, OUR MAYOR, MAYOR, SYLVESTER TURNER.
WELL, I THINK, UH, JAMIE HAS MISSED US ALL UP.
UM, BUT, UH, LET ME, UH, LET ME JUST START OFF BY SAYING HOW, HOW PROUD ALL OF US ARE OF YOU, JAMIE, AND SO MANY OTHER SURVIVORS, UH, WHO HAVE COME THROUGH SO MUCH THAT A STANDING, THRIVING MOVING FORWARD.
UH, SO GIVE IT UP TO JAMIE FOR A SECOND ON BEHALF OF SURVIVOR.
UH, BUT, UM, UM, I'M GONNA KIND OF, UH, KIND OF MOVE AWAY FROM SOME OF THESE REMARKS THAT I HAVE ON HERE.
UM, BUT TO EMILY, THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR PASSION.
AND IT'S, IT'S NOT THE LEMONADE, IT'S, IT'S THE, IT'S THE PASSION AND THE COMMITMENT.
SO, SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH AND, AND YOUR PARTNERSHIP OF THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, UM, THANKING YOU.
AND THEN I'M LOOKING AT ALLEN.
WELL, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING COACHED BY, UH, FOR, FOR FOUR YEARS.
SO I THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP APPRECI LOOK TO THE STAKEHOLDERS, THE PARTNERS THAT ARE HERE, UH, TO THE BOARD MEMBERS, TO THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM.
LET ME THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, UH, FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND FOR YOUR DEDICATION.
THERE'S NO ACCIDENT THAT WE ARE HERE AT THIS MOMENT.
YOUR ADVOCACY AND COMMITMENT HAVE CAUSED US TO BE HERE.
AND I'M STANDING REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, 16 PARTNERS, UH, THAT I HAVE MANY OF THOSE PARTNERS WHO ARE RIGHT HERE.
SOME OF YOUR SPONSORS, CHAMPIONS, UH, RIGHT HERE.
I CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.
UM, YOU'VE HEARD FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABA OF DISTRICT D, WHERE WE ARE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, UM, DISTRICT C PATRICIA PLUM, WHO IS AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN AT LARGE, AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVE OF OTHERS ON CITY COUNCIL WHO ARE COMMITTED TO CREATING SAFE SPACES IN OUR CITY.
AND THEN, UH, THE CITY CAN'T DO THINGS JUST BY ITSELF.
WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A VERY STRONG PARTNER IN THE COUNTY.
AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE COUNTY, UH, BECAUSE THE
[00:15:01]
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, I DON'T THINK HAS EVER BEEN AS STRONG, UH, AS IT IS TODAY.I GIVE IT OUT AND ONE OF THE STRONGEST PARTNERS AT THE COUNTY, UH, THAT I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH BEING A FRIEND, UH, WITH, UH, PARTNERING ON SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS FROM HOUSTON TO AUSTIN, BACK TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, AND THAT IS NONE OTHER THAN THE COMMISSIONER OF PRECINCT, ONE.
THANK YOU FOR VERY, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
AND SHERIFF ED GONZALEZ, LET ME, LET ME THANK WHERE IS THE SHERIFF? SHERIFF, THANK YOU.
UH, YOUR COMMITMENT HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN STEADFAST.
LOOK, LET ME, LET ME JUST SAY THAT, UM, UM, WHEN WE WERE APPROACHED ABOUT BEING A PARTNER ON THIS, ON THIS PROJECT, UH, THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT, UH, IN OUR REGION TO WAY TOO MUCH DOMESTIC, UM, VIOLENCE, UM, WOMEN AND OTHERS BEING KILLED, PATERNAL AWAY, RAPE BEING WAY TOO HIGH, UH, THAT WE NEEDED MORE SPACES IN ORDER TO GIVE PEOPLE, UH, UH, AWAY OUT OF THIS SITUATION.
AND THEN TO BE ABLE TO STABILIZE THEIR LIVES WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND THEN MOVE FORWARD LIKE JAMIE, TO GO ON TO, TO BETTER THINGS.
UH, NUMBER ONE, NO ONE SHOULD FIND THEMSELVES IN THIS SITUATION.
THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
JUST ABSOLUTELY NO JUSTIFICATION.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, I DREAM OF THE MOMENT IN OUR CITY, IN OUR REGION, UH, WHERE WE ARE AT ZERO IN TERMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND THAT'S ONE THAT I BELIEVE IS ACHIEVABLE.
UH, BUT UNTIL SUCH TIME AS WE GET THERE, WE DO NEED TO PROVIDE SAFE SPACES, UH, FOR WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES AND OTHERS SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO REMAIN IN THOSE SITUATIONS.
AND SO TO ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AND EMILY AND, UM, AND MINA PATEL, DAVIS, WHERE MEAN, UM, THANK YOU MANAL FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND I KNOW THE CONGRESSWOMAN WANTED TO BE HERE, BUT YOUROPA HARRIS IS REPRESENTING CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, UH, GOT THERE.
SO ON THIS PROJECT THAT'S COSTING ABOUT $33 MILLION, UM, I AM PROUD, AS I KNOW, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE PROUD, UH, THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS CONTRIBUTING $15.85 MILLION ON THIS, ON THIS PROJECT.
EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR REPRESENTS MORE THAN DOLLARS AND CENTS.
EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE AND GETTING THEM OUT OF HARM'S WAY AND PUTTING THEM IN SAFE SPACES AND THEIR FAMILIES SO THAT THEY CAN BE SURVIVORS AND THEN THRIVE.
EVERY ONE OF THESE DOLLARS IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR HUMANITY AND SAYS, WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE NOT GOING TO SIT BACK AND JUST ALLOW PEOPLE TO BE KILLED, ALLOW FOLK TO BE TURNED AWAY BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO BUILD A FOUR STORY FACILITY, 135 UNITS.
SO I'M JUST, I'M PROUD THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST 80 YEARS TOGETHER, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS, UH, THAT I AM PROUD THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE HAVE DONE.
AND IT'S MY HOPE THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO IT.
AS LONG AS THERE'S ONE PERSON CAUGHT IN A SITUATION THAT LITERALLY THREATENED AND CAN TAKE THEIR LIVES, THEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE COUNTY AND OTHERS NEED TO BE STANDING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH ALL OF YOU SAYING, NO, WE ARE NOT GOING TO JUST TURN AWAY AS IF THIS SITUATION CANNOT IMPACT ALL OF US.
IF IT IMPACTS ONE, IT IMPACTS US ALL.
AND I LOOK FORWARD, MAY I WON'T BE THE MAYOR WHEN IT'S UP AND RUNNING
YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK, UH, BUT I AM PROUD OF THIS MOMENT AND I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT JAMIE, WHEN I LOOK AT YOU, YOU ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF SO MANY OTHERS.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT.
NOW I HAVE THE, NOW I HAVE TO CALLING UP SOMEONE WHO I'VE KNOWN FOR WELL OVER 60 YEARS.
[00:20:01]
AND THAT IS COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS, THE COMMISSIONER PRECINCT ONE.I AM SO PROUD OF SYLVESTER TURNER.
HE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB AS A MAYOR OF THE CITY.
GIVE HIM ANOTHER WARM ROUND OF A BLOCK.
SHE'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF YOU DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE POWER IS GONE AND YOU LOOKING AT IT IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR.
USE THE POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHY YOU HAVE IT.
AND MAYOR, YOU HAVE DONE THAT AND WE LOVE YOU FOR IT.
I, I KNOW CONGRESSWOMAN, SHE WAS JACKSON LEE IS, IS TRYING TO GET, I'M NOT, I DON'T HAVE THIS CANE BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO IMITATE CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN.
I WAS OUT BIKE RIDING IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION FOR CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ.
AND WE GOT IN A DISCUSSION AND SHE SAID, NO, YOU DON'T.
BUT WE'RE STILL CONTINUING TO RIDE.
I'M, I'M SO PROUD OF, UH, ALL THE, ALL OF THE WORK THAT THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER ARE DOING.
SHE IS MY COUSIN IN LAW, BY THE WAY,
I'M SO GLAD YOU WERE HERE, MEANS SO MUCH TO ME.
AND ABBY KAMAN, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DONE, MAYOR.
YOU MADE A GREAT CHOICE IN MAKING HER THE CHAIR OF THAT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
SHE'S DONE A GREAT JOB WITH IT.
JAMIE, I HAVEN'T SEEN YOUR SERIES.
IT WAS LIKE SOMETHING DANCING WITH THE STARS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
BUT I, I PLAN ON SEEING IT AS SOON AS MY LEG IS READY, I'M GONNA DANCE WITH YOU.
THE COUNTY HAS NOT STEPPED UP YET, BUT YOU GOT ONE VOTE.
YOU JUST GOTTA GET ME MY OTHER TWO.
AND I'M SURE I SAW, UH, THE SHERIFF BACK HERE.
YOU STILL AROUND ED? SHERIFF GONZALEZ IS HERE SOMEWHERE BEHIND ME.
UH, HE'S DONE SO MUCH TO TRY AND HELP US DEAL WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
GIVE HIM AROUND, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THOSE HOMICIDE RATES.
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON DENOMINATORS IN MOST INSTANCES WHERE THERE'S A HOMICIDE INVOLVED IS A GUN.
AND WE GOTTA DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN ON OUR LEVEL, EVEN IF OUR PARTNERS AT THE STATE ARE NOT HELPING.
SO THAT WE END THERE, BUT IN OUR LIFETIME, WE OUGHT TO STOP THIS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
I'M SO GLAD ELLEN COHEN, WHO'S CHAIR BY COUNTY WOMEN'S COMMISSION FOLLOWING SUIT, WHAT THE CITY DID THAT THIS FACILITY WILL BE OPENED.
UNLIKE THE WAY THE OLDER ONE WAS BUILT, WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BEING CARVED OFF FROM THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE CITY.
YOU ARE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I AM SO PROUD THAT I AM YOUR NEIGHBOR BECAUSE MAYOR, WE KEEP IT QUIET.
YOU KNOW, WE PROVIDE SECURITY, BUT SOME OF THE TENANTS HERE GO OVER AND SWIM.
I, YOU AND I HAVEN'T LEARNED IT YET.
WE MADE A COMMITMENT, THIS VERY FACILITY, BUT THEY GO AND SWIM.
SO THE BUILDING YOU SEE GOING UP IN THE BACKGROUND IS THE PRECINCT.
UH, AND WE ARE EXPANDING, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
I'M PROUD OF WHAT SHE'S DOING.
I LOVE YOU, UH, SONYA, I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU SAID THIS IN SPANISH BECAUSE WE KNOW MOST OF THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE VICTIMS IN OUR COMMUNITY HAPPEN TO BE AFRICAN AMERICANS NOW.
BUT INCREASINGLY THEY ARE HISPANIC.
BUT REGARDLESS OF WHAT COLOR THEY ARE, WHERE THEY COME FROM, ANY ISSUES IN THEIR BACKGROUND, THIS IS A COMMUNITY THAT IS OPEN.
THIS FACILITY WILL BE OPEN AND THE COUNTY IS GOING TO DO ITS PART.
UH, WE'RE GONNA CHANGE IT UP A LITTLE
BUT CAN I JUST RECOGNIZE, UM, ELLEN COHEN? OH YES.
WHEN I, WHEN I STARTED HERE 31 YEARS AGO, ELLEN WAS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER.
MY SISTER PAMELA BE HERE WILL BE 36 YEARS TOMORROW.
AND OF COURSE, NIKKI VAN HIGHTOWER.
I MEAN, SHE WAS ONE OF THOSE, THAT GROUP OF WOMEN WHO STARTED IT ALL.
AND I BELIEVE SHE'S HERE SOMEWHERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE BOTH OF YOU FOR LEADING THE WAY.
[00:27:49]
SO WE'RE GONNA CLOSE THIS UP AND Y'ALL ARE GONNA MINGLE IN THIS HEAT BECAUSE YOU CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE.YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE LIGHT BITES AND CONNECT AND AT LEAST MAKE ONE NEW FRIEND TODAY.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA COUNT ON EVERY ONE OF YOU TO BE IN CONNECTION WITH ONE ANOTHER AS WE BUILD THIS MOVEMENT.
UH, MAYOR TURNER, THANK YOU FOR THANKING EVERYBODY.
UM, YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL AS THE SHERIFF RODNEY.
I DO WANNA MENTION A COUPLE OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE AND OR WHO HAVE THEIR STAFF HERE.
UM, SENATOR JOHN WHITMEYER HAS GOT STAFF HERE.
SYLVIA GARCIA, REPRESENTATIVE JEAN WU, REPRESENTATIVE LACEY HOLE.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DA'S OFFICE ARE HERE.
WE'VE GOT PROCLAMATIONS FROM BRIANIS, FROM SHEILA, FROM CHIEF FINNER.
I MEAN, WE ARE REALLY IN THIS TOGETHER.
CITY ATTORNEY IS THE ATTORNEY JAIL.
AND THEN KEITH BY WE RAISE YOUR HAND.
YEAH, I'M, I'M SORRY, BUT I, I DO HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT KEITH BYNUM, THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING OMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, BECAUSE, UH, THEY'RE SO INSTRUMENTED AND MAKING, MAKING IT HAPPEN.
SO TO DIRECTOR BYNUM, TO YOUR ENTIRE TEAM, THANK YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
THEY ARE STRONG, STRONG CHAMPIONS, OH MY.
AND THEN ARTURO MICHELLE, THE CITY LEGAL ATTORNEY.
WHERE IS ARTURO? IN THE SHADE?
SO ALL OF THE OTHER CITY PERSONNEL THAT'S HERE THAT I MAY HAVE OVERLOOKED, UH, THANK YOU ALL.
AND ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR PARTNERS WHO MADE STAND IN THE SUN.
LISTEN, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS FOR YOU TO REMEMBER.
WE SOLD OUR FACILITY AT WALL IN DALLAS.
WE'RE STILL STRONG, AS YOU CAN TELL.
BUT WHAT WE DID INSTEAD IS PUT OUT COMMUNITY SURVIVOR EMPOWERMENT HUBS IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO WE HAVE FOUR HUBS AND WE ARE RE-IMAGINING THIS CAMPUS.
WE WILL HAVE A FOUR STORY EMERGENCY
[00:30:01]
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FACILITY.WE WILL RENOVATE THIS SHELTER.
THIS WILL BE A FLAGSHIP CAMPUS.
THIS WILL TURN INTO OUR CRISIS RESPONSE CENTER FOR OUR HOTLINE, OUR SEXUAL ASSAULT AND RAPE CRISIS SERVICES.
UM, WE HOPE TO INVITE YOU BACK.
THIS, THIS LOCATION IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE A SECRET.
WE ARE NOT GONNA HIDE ANYMORE.
BUT THAT MEANS WE'RE COUNTING ON YOU TO MAKE SURE NOBODY EVER FEELS ASHAMED OF HOW SOMEBODY ELSE TREATS THEM.
AND FOR THAT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ISSUED A POSITION PAPER THAT REALLY TALKS ABOUT THE STRATEGY BEHIND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
BEST PRACTICES ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED, AND WE ARE GONNA TURN THE TIDE IN THIS REGION WITH YOUR HELP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.