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UH, THAT WE'LL BE MAKING TODAY.AND, UM, WITHOUT GIVING ANYTHING AWAY, I WOULD LIKE TO IN, UH, UH, INVITE MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER TO COME UP AND TELL US WHAT TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE ABOUT.
AND, UH, PRIYA IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND SHE COULD HAVE MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, UH, LOOK, UH, GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US, UH, TODAY.
UH, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF EX EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS TODAY, BUT LET ME, LET ME START WITH THE FIRST ONE.
I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE COMPLETION OF THE CITY'S FIRST EVER RESILIENCE HUB MASTER PLAN STUDY.
THIS PLANNING STUDY WAS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRAND DISASTER RESPONSE, C-D-B-G-D-R 17 FUNDS.
AND THESE FUNDS ARE A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO A HURRICANE.
AND THE RESPONSE TO HURRICANE HARVEY IS NO EXCEPTION.
THE RESILIENCE HUB MASTER PLAN WORK WAS LED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY, MS. PRIUS ZACHARIA AND HER TEAM, AND SUPPORTED BY A NUMBER OF CITY OF HOUSTON DEPARTMENTS GENERAL SERVICES HEALTH, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, A RIA, PARKS AND RECREATION PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC WORKS, OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, LEGAL PROCUREMENT, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OVER A YEAR LONG MULTI-STAGE PROCESS.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, VERY, VERY COLLABORATIVE IN THE, UH, IN THE APPROACH.
THIS EFFORT WAS SUPPORTED BY THE CON CONSULTING TEAM, UH, COMPRISED OF SWA GROUP, RDLR, ARCHITECTS, S HILL, AND ASSOCIATES, HAGGERTY CONSULTING, RESILIENT CITIES, CATALYST, RCC, AND MANY OTHERS.
AND EVERY CITY HAS TAKEN, UH, ITS OWN UNIQUE APPROACH TO DEFINING WHAT A RESILIENCE HUB IS IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR OWN NEEDS AND THEIR OWN OPPORTUNITIES AND CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE HUBS ARE TRUSTED COMMUNITY SERVICING FACILITIES THAT ARE AUGMENTED TO SUPPORT RESIDENTS THROUGH RESOURCE COORDINATION AND SERVICES AS THEY FACE EVERYDAY STRESSES AND SHOCKS AND OCCASIONAL SHOCKS.
UH, THE HOUSTON APPROACH IS ONE, UH, THAT FOCUSES ON BLUE SKY DAYS, AND I, I'M TRYING TO BE CUTE, SO MUCH BETTER
BUT THE HOUSTON APPROACH IS ONE THAT FOCUSES ON BLUE SKY DAYS ON MOST OF THE YEAR ROUND.
BUT, BUT WITH SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS OF PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY FOR CLIMATE EVENTS.
OUR APPROACH BRINGS TOGETHER CITY OWNED FACILITIES AND RESOURCES, BUT THESE ARE SUPPLEMENTED BY NETWORK OF COMMUNITY ASSETS, WHICH ARE FUTURE RESILIENT SPOTS.
THE HUB AND SPITE NETWORK IS DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT THESE ARE NOT JUST COMMUNITY FACING, BUT COMMUNITY SERVING.
AND HOW DO WE DO THAT? BY ENSURING THAT HOUSEHOLDS ARE AT THE MOST, UH, ONLY A QUARTER MILE AWAY FROM A HUB OR CLUSTER OF RESILIENCE SPOT.
THE HOUSTON RESILIENCE NETWORK IS CALLED A NETWORK BECAUSE IT IS MADE UP OF A SERIES OF ORGANIZATIONS AND FACILITIES WORKING TOGETHER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF HOUSTON RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF COMMUNITY STRESSES THROUGH EVERYDAY DISASTER AND RECOVERY NEEDS.
AND THOUGH THE FOCUS IS NOT JUST BASED ON STORMS EVENTS, AS YOU KNOW, IN THIS CITY, WE HAVE FACED SEVEN FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTERS IN THE LAST 80 YEARS.
AND WHEN YOU ADD ALL OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS IN THERE, THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THIS IS ONE CITY IN NEED OF BRAZILIAN HUBS.
THE PROCESS INCLUDED IN FORMING EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS LIKE EDGEBROOK, BIBLEWAY CHURCH, AND NORTHEAST HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, WHO ARE WITH US TODAY.
LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS, IF YOU'LL JUST RAISE YOUR HAND.
THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH, UH, TO FORM A BASIS FOR INFORMED DECISION MAKING AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT.
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AS PART OF THE MASTER PLAN STUDY, A TOOLKIT FOR COMMUNITIES AND A POLL CASE STUDY.WE'RE ALSO CONCEPTUALIZED A TOOLKIT FOR COMMUNITIES, IS A GUIDE FOR OWNERS, OPERATORS, FUNDERS, AND PARTNERS OUTSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RESILIENCE HUB PROGRAMS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
THE PILOT CASE STUDY IS A CONCEPTUAL FACILITY STUDY FOR A SPECIFIC SITE THAT TESTS THE ENGAGEMENT, DESIGN AND FUNDING APPROACHES IN CONTEXT OF AN ACTUAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S NOT EVERY DAY THAT WE GET TO ANNOUNCE NOT JUST THE COMPLETION OF A MASTER PLAN, BUT ALSO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FIRST HUBS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
BUT TODAY IS EXACTLY THAT DAY, AND LET ME JUST PAUSE, SAY, I COULD NOT BE PROUD OF THE COLLABORATION AND ALL OF THE PARTNERS COMING TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, UH, ON TODAY.
AND SO TODAY, I ALSO WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE LAUNCHING OUR FIRST FOUR RESILIENT HUBS, CASHMAN GARDENS RESILIENT HUB ACRES, HOME RESILIENT HUB, SUNNYSIDE RESILIENT HUB, AND A LEAF RESILIENT HUB, AND OUR FIRST SPOT, BIBLE WAY BAPTIST CHURCH.
THIS HAS BEEN A YEAR LONG PROCESS OF COLLABORATION, CORPORATION, AND LEARNING, AND WE HAVE BROUGHT MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT THE HUBS.
AND THIS COLLABORATIVE MUSCLE THAT WE HAVE BUILT HAS LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR AN EXPEDITED IMPLEMENTATION.
IN FACT, I WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU, WE WANTED IT TO GET DONE BEFORE DECEMBER 31ST, 1150 9:00 PM
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR FIRST FOUR HUBS HAS REQUIRED THE LEADERSHIP AND WORK OF MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS AND PARTNERS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, BY WHO IS IN THE ROOM, UH, TODAY.
AND I WANT TO THANK WALTER HAMBRICK, WEST WALTER.
THERE HE IS BACK THERE, WHO HAS BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN COORDINATING WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF BRAZILIANS AND SUSTAINABILITY TEAM, AND WITH MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE THE VISION A REALITY.
NOW, LET ME TURN IT OVER TO PRIYA ZACHARIA, OUR CHIEF RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER, TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE TRANSFORMATION THAT EACH FACILITY HAS UNDERGONE TO BE DEEMED A RESILIENT HUBS.
I DON'T, I DO WANT TO UNDERSCORE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY.
THERE'LL BE MANY OTHER STEPS COMING, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT IN EVERY KEY NEIGHBORHOOD, ESPECIALLY COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED AND UNDER-RESOURCED, AND COMMUNITIES THAT ARE CONSTANTLY IN A STATE OF NEED AND RECOVERY NEED AND RECOVERY, THAT THESE RESILIENCE HUBS WILL HELP TO BUILD A STRONGER, MORE RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE CITY.
IF WE CAN DO THAT WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, THE CITY AS A WHOLE WILL BENEFIT.
AND SO I'M VERY PROUD OF THE COLLABORATION AND THE PARTNERS, UH, THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS DAY HAPPEN.
YEAH, THESE ARE THE STUDIES OF THE REPORTS, OKAY? HAS, HAVE EVERYBODY SEEN THESE ALREADY? SOME OF YOU HAVE, SOME OF YOU HAVE
UM, I, I HAVE TO JUST ECHO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID.
TODAY IS INDEED A VERY SPECIAL DAY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND, UM, WHEN WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THE FIRST FOUR HUBS AND ANNOUNCING THE FIRST RESILIENT SPOT, AND I THINK EVERY EFFORT LIKE THIS REALLY STARTS WITH A VISION AND A VISIONARY LEADER.
AND, AND PLEASE EVERYONE GIVE IT UP ONCE AGAIN FOR MAYOR TURNER.
OUR DEEPEST APPRECIATION FOR YOUR VISION FOR A RESILIENT AND JUST HOUSTON, WHICH IS EMBODIED AS YOU ALL KNOW, IN THE RESILIENT HOUSTON PLAN.
SO THE RESILIENT HOUSTON PLAN HAS REALLY BEEN THE UNDERPINNING, UH, BASED ON WHICH WE UNDERTOOK THIS WORK THIS YEAR, DEVELOPING THE MASTER PLAN AND MOVING THAT VERY QUICKLY TOWARDS, UH, IMPLEMENTATION.
WHAT HAS PREVAILED IN THE WORK THAT WE UNDERTOOK IN THE LAST TWO TO THREE YEARS,
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AND I HAVE TO JUST REEMPHASIZE, IS, IS THAT SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION, COOPERATION, AND MOVING TO YES, UH, IN, IN MAKING THESE HUBS A REALITY.AND IN EMBEDDING THIS CULTURE OF RESILIENCE WITH WITHIN THE CITY, WITH OUR MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS AND WITH ALL OF THE PARTNERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY, WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED IS THAT WE CAN INDEED HAVE A SHARED LANGUAGE AS WE TALK THROUGH MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES IN MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS IN IMPLEMENTING.
WE CAN ALSO LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER ABOUT OUR SHARED, UM, SHARED EXPERIENCES, OUR SHARED PROCESSES AND PLANS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE ALL CAME TOGETHER AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO COME TOGETHER IN A SPIRIT OF YES, AND TO FIND THAT COMMON AND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS AS WE IMPLEMENT THE FIRST OF THE RESILIENCE HUBS AND THE RESILIENCE SPOTS IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
I ALSO WANNA THANK A NUMBER OF OUR ADDITIONAL PARTNERS.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO SHELL, UH, WHO ARE A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DID AND THE EARLIEST CONVERSATIONS WITH SHELL HAVE HAPPENED QUITE SOME TIME BACK.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, AS YOU KNOW, THE FIRST FOUR HUBS ARE, ALL OF THEM ARE IN COMPLETE COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT HAS FORMED THE BASIS FOR A LOT OF THE WORK OF RESILIENCE THAT WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN TO THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT FOR THE TREE PLANTING THE REFORESTATION, AS WELL AS THE EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE THAT THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING TO OEM FOR THEIR EXPERTISE IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES, WHICH HAVE BEEN OVERLAID ON ALL OF OUR RESILIENCE HUBS TO SOLID WASTE FOR THE WORK OF BRINGING THIS, THE COMPOSTING PILOT TO THE RESILIENCE HUBS THAT WE ARE GONNA BE IMPLEMENTING TO A RA FOR THE BRANDING AND COLLATERAL THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE TO LEGAL, TO PROCUREMENT THAT IS NOT A DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY THAT HAS NOT COME FORWARD TO HELP US WITH THIS EFFORT.
SO, ONCE AGAIN, OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO EVERYONE, UH, ON THIS, I ALSO WANNA SAY A SPECIAL NOTE OF THANKS TO BOARD CHIEF HUNTER, AS WELL AS TO DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF WALTER HAMBRICK, WHO HAVE BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN MOVING THIS TOWARDS REALITY, UM, TO MARY BENTON AND HER TEAM, THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS THE MAYOR HAD NAMED THEM.
UH, ALL OF THEM ARE HERE TODAY, AND WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND YOUR COLLABORATION AND THE LEARNING THAT YOU HAVE AFFORDED US.
AND FINALLY, I WANNA SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO THE MOSS TEAM, JEANNETTE ALDERON, TO MELISSA, TO TAMMA ER, AND TO MARK WOOTEN.
WITHOUT THEM, NONE OF THIS WOULD'VE BEEN POSSIBLE.
SO ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU AND, AND, AND WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU, UH, FOR THE, FOR THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
OKAY, SO AS WE DIG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO IT, LET ME, LET ME FIRST BRING UP, UH, DEBORAH MOORE, UH, WITH THE STATE OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND I CAN'T BEGIN, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE HUBS UNTIL I THANK THE MAYOR FOR HIS PHENOMENAL LEADERSHIP OVER THESE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AS MAYOR HAS STATED, MY NAME IS DEBORAH MOORE.
I'M AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY ON BEHALF OF OUR DIRECTOR, STEPHEN L. WILLIAMS AND EVERYONE AT THE HHD, AS WE ARE KNOWN WHERE HEALTH EQUITY IS OUR PRIMARY FOCUS, MANY OF OUR SITES ARE SITUATED IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
SO THE CONCEPT OF RESILIENCE HUBS WITHIN OUR FACILITIES MADE PERFECTLY GOOD SENSE TO US, AND IT IS WELL ALIGNED WITH THE WORK THAT WE ALREADY DO.
RESILIENT HUBS ARE TRUSTED COMMUNITY SERVING FACILITIES DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE RESIDENTS WITH MUCH NEEDED RESOURCES AND TO AID THEM IN RESPONDING TO THE ARRAY OF EVERYDAY STRESSORS THAT THEY MAY FACE.
THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN ESSENTIAL FORCE IN HELPING OUR COMMUNITIES WHEN UNEXPECTED EXPECTED DISASTERS COME OUR WAY.
AND DURING THOSE TIMES, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR RESIDENTS TO HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS SUPPLIES AND ACCESS TO FACILITIES THAT THEY CAN TRUST AND FREQUENT TO ADDRESS THEIR HEALTHCARE CONCERNS.
OUR GOALS AS PART OF THE RESILIENCE HUB INCLUDE COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS, EFFICIENT
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PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES, AND PROVIDING A CLIMATE READY BUILDING THAT IS A SAFE SITE FOR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS.THIS IS RIGHT IN OUR WHEELHOUSE.
WE HAVE A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF RESPONDING TO COMMUNITIES IN TIMES OF EMERGENCIES.
WE HAVE BEEN FIRST RESPONDERS.
WE WILL CONTINUE WHETHER SETTING UP WARMING OR COOLING CENTERS, BEING LILY PAD PADS DURING FLOODS, RESPONDING TO A PANDEMIC, AND PROVIDING RESOURCES IN TIMES OF RECOVERY.
HHD HAS IDENTIFIED, AS THE MAYOR HAS STATED, FOUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS AS PART OF PHASE ONE OF THE MASTER PLAN.
YOU HEARD THEM FROM THE MAYOR, THEIR CASHMERE, SUNNYSIDE, A LEAF AND ACRES HOMES.
THESE MSCS OFFER VARIETY OF PROGRAMS BASED ON COMMUNITY NEED.
THE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO ENHANCE PERSONAL RESILIENCE.
A FEW EXAMPLES, FOUR OF THE MSC.
ALL FOUR OF THESE MSCS HAVE CONGREGATE MEAL PROGRAMS WHERE SENIORS CAN COME TO FELLOWSHIP, LEARN ABOUT HEALTH AND WELLNESS RESOURCES, AND ENJOY A NUTRITIOUS MEAL.
AT CASHMERE, WE ALSO HAVE OUR REENTRY PROGRAM.
THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT IS DESIGNED TO ASSIST RETURNING CITIZENS IN BECOMING MORE RESILIENT IN ACQUIRING SKILLS THAT WILL PROMOTE THAT PERSONAL SUCCESS AND ALLOWING THEM TO AVOID REENTRY INTO, UH, THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
WE HAVE AN AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER AT OUR CASHMERE SITE, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO HELP OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES NAVIGATE HEALTH AND WELLNESS RESOURCES AND BE MORE RESILIENT.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT FOOD INSECURITY IS OFTEN A COMMUNITY CHALLENGE.
FOR THIS REASON, WE PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS TARGET HUNGER, THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK, TO ASSIST OUR RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES WITH MEETING THOSE BASIC NEEDS.
OUR A LEAF SITE HAS SET A PRECEDENT FOR THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON.
IT IS A LARGE FACILITY THAT CAN MEET A VARIETY OF NEEDS.
THE SITE IS FLEXIBLE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS SOUND, AND THE BUILDING IS DISASTER READY.
WITH THE LILY PAD OVERLAY, WE HAVE WIC SERVICES AT OUR ALE, THAT'S WOMEN INFINITE CHILDREN'S SERVICES TO ASSIST WITH NUTRITION EDUCATION.
WE ALSO HAVE OUR DAWN PROGRAM, WHICH ASSISTS WITH MANAGING DIABETES AT OUR A LEAF SITE.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER SERVICES AND PROGRAMS OFFERED AT ALL FOUR OF THESE CENTERS.
TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IS BEING OFFERED TO PROMOTE RESILIENCY, PLEASE VISIT THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT WEBSITE.
SO THESE HUBS MUST MEET A CERTAIN CRITERIA TO BE SELECTED AS A SAFE PLACE.
FOR INSTANCE, THE RESIDENTS MUST BE ABLE TO TRUST THE HUBS.
THEY MUST BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE SITES, AND THE COMMUNITY MUST KNOW THAT THAT HUB IS DESIGNED TO BE ABLE TO ALLEVIATE COMMUNITY VULNERABILITIES.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS ACTIVELY WORKING TOWARDS BUILDING UP OTHER FACILITIES TO BECOME PRIME RESILIENCE HUBS, BUT WE KNOW WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE.
SO TO HAVE PARTNERS THAT HELP US FURTHER THE MISSION AND WORK IS PARAMOUNT.
THE MASTER PLAN HAS AFFORDED US THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLIMENT SOME SERVICES AND EXPAND OTHERS.
VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND FUNDERS HAVE COME TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP AS WE STAND UNITED WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING THE H.
AND NOW MAY I REQUEST, UM, DIRECTOR MESSIAH FROM OUR GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO COME UP AND GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE RETROFIT THAT HAVE GONE INTO ALL OF THE FACILITIES.
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THANKS, PRIYA.THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THIS RESILIENT HUB PROJECTS.
AND PERSONALLY, ME, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY AND GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT MAYOR TURNER AND CHIEF HUNTER HAVE PROVIDED TO THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO DO PROJECTS LIKE THIS.
I WENT TO THE MAYOR AND CHIEF HUNTER TWO YEARS AGO, MAYBE A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS AGO, STRESSING THE NEED TO START AN ENERGY EFFICIENCY SECTION WITHIN GSD, NOT KNOWING THAT WE WOULD BE DOING THIS TYPE OF WORK.
AND PRIYA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND DIRECTION.
SO WHAT PART OF THIS PROJECT DID GSD HAVE? SO WE CONSTRUCTED, OR IN THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING A SOLAR CANOPY, A KAA CARPORT AT CASHMERE.
THE CANOPY WILL PROVIDE RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER RESILIENCE TO THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
THE SOLAR CARPORT WILL HAVE A CAPACITY TO RUN APPLIANCES AND EMERGENCY LIGHTS DURING POWER OUTAGES, BUT AS IT NOW WILL NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO RUN THE FULL BUILDING, WE'RE LAYING OUT GROUNDWORK FOR FUTURE POWER RESILIENCE MEASURES.
DURING THE PROCESS, DEPENDING ON FUNDING, ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS COULD INCLUDE BATTERY STORAGE, ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS, AND NATURAL GAS GENERATOR.
THERE'S AN ASSESSMENT OF WEATHERIZATION IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE AT KME GARDENS.
THIS ASSESSMENT WOULD INCLUDE THINGS SUCH AS ROOF INSTALLATION, AND WE'VE ALSO POWER WASHED THE ROOFS BECAUSE WE FIGURE A LIGHTER ROOF REFLECTS MORE SUNLIGHT, THUS REDUCING THE BUILDING HEAT LOAD.
A RAIN BARREL HAS BEEN INSTALLED ADJACENT TO THE COMMUNITY GARDEN.
THE RAIN BARREL AT CASHMERE WILL COLLECT BOTH HVAC CONDENSATION AS WELL AS SOME RAIN WATER, WHICH WILL BE USED TO WATER A VEGETATION SCALE SWELL OF NATIVE PLANTS.
THIS PROJECT IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.
THE SWELL WILL HELP ABSORB EXCESS RAINWATER ON THE SITE DURING HEAVY STORMS. THE SWELL WILL INCLUDE A GENTLE SELF-CONTAINED SLOPE, NOT DIRECTING ADDITIONAL RAINWATER TO THE STREET OR INTO THE CITY'S STORM WATER SYSTEM.
AND THESE NATIVE PLANTS ARE ABLE TO SURVIVE BOTH HEAVY RAINS AND DROUGHTS.
AS A DIRECTOR, THE MAYOR ALWAYS TELLS ME, I DID A GREAT JOB IN DOING THINGS, BUT I HAVE TO TELL THE MAYOR, AND I TELL YOU, THIS WASN'T ME.
SO I HAVE TO THANK MY STAFF, MY TEAM, JAMES REDDINGTON IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, MUSTAFA ULU, WHO IS HERE, AND OUR NEW ENERGY EFFICIENCY SECTION, SHELLY CARTER AND JUST JESSICA CARAWAY.
WITHOUT THEM, I COULDN'T BE UP HERE IN THIS PROJECT WOULD BE LACKING.
SO I THANK THEM AND I THANK YOU.
I ALSO WANNA ONCE AGAIN, ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PARTNERS, UM, SHELL, WHO IS HERE WITH US, ANDREW SHILOV AND JENNY PHILIP.
UM, AND IF YOU ALL DON'T KNOW THIS ALREADY, SHELL HAS DONATED 500,000 FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SOLAR CAR PORT THAT DIRECTOR MESSIAH WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
AND, UM, NOW I WANNA TURN TO YET ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT PARTNER, THE RESILIENT CITIES CATALYST, WHO HAS WORKED SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH US.
RCC HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY AT THE KME GARDENS TO GIVE THEIR IMPACT AND THEIR INPUT ON WHAT A RESILIENCE HUB WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND THAT HAS FUNDAMENTALLY INFORMED THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE IN IMPLEMENTING NOT JUST THE HUBS, BUT ALSO THE MASTER PLAN AND THE NETWORK APPROACH THAT WE TOOK.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A REAL HONOR TO BE HERE WITH ALL OF YOU TODAY AND ALL THESE GREAT LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, AND IT'S INCREDIBLE TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THE, THE SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN THE CITY'S RESILIENCE JOURNEY.
YOU KNOW, AT RESILIENCE CITIES CATALYST, WE WORK WITH CITIES AND COMMUNITIES HERE IN THE US AND ABROAD TO BRING LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NONPROFITS TOGETHER AROUND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RESILIENCE PROJECTS.
AND, AND WE'VE BEEN REALLY PRIVILEGED TO PARTNER WITH THE GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON, NORTHEAST HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND LOCAL RESIDENTS ON THE DESIGN AND DELIVERY OF JUST ONE OF THE HUBS BEING ANNOUNCED TODAY, THE CASHMERE GARDENS RESILIENCE HUB.
AND WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO SUPPORT ON THE CITYWIDE MASTER PLAN.
YOU KNOW, HOUSTON'S A REAL RESILIENCE LEADER ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND WHEN WE STARTED THIS COLLABORATION IN 2021, THE CITY WAS ALREADY AHEAD OF THE GAME ON RESILIENCE HUBS.
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AS PRIYA MENTIONED, IN RESILIENT HOUSTON, THE CITYWIDE STRATEGY RESILIENCE HUBS WERE UPLIFTED AS A PRIORITY IN THE CASHMERE GARDENS COMPLETE COMMUNITIES ACTION PLAN.LOCAL RESIDENTS HAD ELEVATED THAT AS A PRIORITY AS WELL.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT TYPE OF COMMITMENT FROM CITY LEADERS, FROM LOCAL CHAMPIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE REALLY, IT WAS CRITICAL TO ACCELERATING THE DELIVERY OF THAT HUB.
AND SO WITH THAT STRONG, STRONG MANDATE IN PLACE, WE WERE ABLE TO HELP CO-LEAD, UM, REALLY A DESIGN PROCESS THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER THE DOZEN OF CITY AGENCIES AND CITY CHAMPIONS.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON STAFF IS JUST INCREDIBLE IN THEIR WILLINGNESS TO COLLABORATE AND PARTNER TOGETHER TO BRING THIS FORWARD.
AND REALLY, WE WERE ALSO EMBRACING RESIDENTS, UH, AS ESSENTIAL DRIVERS OF THE PROJECT.
SO IN DEEP COLLABORATION WITH N-E-H-R-C, WE WERE REALLY ENGAGING MORE THAN 450 RESIDENTS DURING OUR, OUR SORT OF CO-DESIGN PROCESS.
AND THAT UPLIFTED, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, NEEDS AROUND FLOODING AND, AND, AND POWER RESILIENCE.
AND THAT'S WHY THE GREAT RETROFITS THAT WERE JUST DESCRIBED BY DIRECTOR MESSIAH ARE SO CRITICAL.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO HEARD ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROVIDING GREATER ACCESS TO FRESH AND HEALTHY FOOD, UM, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOB TRAINING AND CREDENTIALS.
AND THOSE ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT TO THE ACTIVATION OF THIS HUB, AS YOU'LL HEAR FROM PARTNERS AT TARGET HUNGER AND HCC LATER.
SO, YOU KNOW, TAKEN TOGETHER, UH, THE KMA GARDENS RESILIENCE HUB, THE OTHER HUBS THAT ARE BEING ANNOUNCED TODAY, AS YOU KNOW, THOSE CLIMATE READY BUILDINGS, THOSE NODES OF COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS AND ANCHORS OF, OF, OF SORT OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS SERVE AS A MODEL FOR HOUSTON, FOR TEXAS, BUT FOR THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE.
UM, AND I THINK TODAY'S LAUNCH REALLY IS JUST A REAL TESTAMENT TO WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH WHEN GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER AROUND A SHARED VISION AND DELIVER COLLABORATIVELY.
SO I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE MAYOR FOR HIS LEADERSHIP, UH, THE HOUSTON CITY DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR TEAMS FOR ALL THAT INCREDIBLE WORK.
THE LEADERS AT N-E-H-R-C, HUEY, KEN, AND KEITH, UH, AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO PLAYED A ROLE IN HELPING US REACH THIS MILESTONE, INCLUDING ON OUR END, THE JP MORGAN CHASE FOUNDATION, WHO GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED OUR EFFORTS.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR COLLABORATION WITH THIS INCREDIBLE CITY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE DONE THIS WORK SO FAR, AND JUST CONGRATULATIONS.
THANK YOU, PAUL, FOR THOSE WONDERFUL COMMENTS.
AND AS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT ONGOING COMMUNITY COLLABORATION, I WANNA NOW ASK, UM, HUEY WILSON FROM THE NORTHEAST, UH, HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, ANY HRC TO COME UP AND GIVE A FEW REMARKS ON THE PROCESS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT HAS LED US TO WHERE WE ARE.
UH, WHEN THIS, UH, THIS, THIS ENDEAVOR CAME UP, WE WERE CHALLENGED AS A COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND, AND UNDERSTAND WHAT COMPLETE COMMUNITIES WERE.
AND AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS, WE ARE JUST EXCITED BECAUSE WE HAVE THE FIRST HUB, UH, OF ITS KIND IN OUR CITY, WITH THE SOLAR PANELS ALREADY BEING INSTALLED.
NORTHEAST HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IS A SMALL NONPROFIT LAUNCHED AFTER HARVEY TO ADDRESS THE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY NEEDS ACROSS NORTHEAST HOUSTON.
AND KEITH DOWNEY AS PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 52, UNDERSTOOD THAT BRINGING IN GREAT PARTNERS LIKE RCC AND N-E-H-R-C AND HELPING US UNDERSTAND HOW WE WERE GONNA WORK WITH THE CITY, HE BROUGHT US ALL TO THE TABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD DO THIS.
SO THIS HAS BEEN AN EXCITING TIME FOR US.
WE APPRECIATED THE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN MORE THAN GENEROUS AND KIND BECAUSE WE'VE TAPED THROUGH THAT MULTI-SERVICE CENTER WITH ALL KINDS OF PARTNERS MANY TIMES, AND WE APPRECIATE THEM FOR ALWAYS OPENING THE DOORS AND MAKING US FEEL WELCOME AND THEN BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL PARTNERS SO THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE THINGS THAT WE COULD AND COULD NOT DO.
SO THIS HAS BEEN AN EXCITING TIME.
OUR WORK WITH RCC HAS BEEN FUNDAMENTAL TO WHY THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A SUCCESS FOR US AS A COMMUNITY.
UH, 450 RESPONSES AND INTERACTIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITY IS NO SMALL FEAT.
UH, THEY CAME OUT AT EVERY TURN IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT THE RESULTS THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
SO, I AM SO EXCITED, MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TEAM, THE TEAM OF PEOPLE, BECAUSE AS COMMUNITY, WE DON'T REALIZE WHAT THE MULTI, I'M SORRY, WHAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DOES, WHAT OEM DOES, WHAT ALL THESE DIFFERENT PEOPLE DO, BUT YOU GUYS BROUGHT IT
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TOGETHER, BROUGHT IT TO US AT EVERY TURN, AND MADE THIS SUCH A HUGELY SUCCESSFUL ENDEAVOR FOR US.AND, AND CASHMERE GARDENS, CASHMERE GARDENS, COMPLETE COMMUNITIES SHOULD BE A SHINING LIGHT FOR WHAT COMPLETE COMMUNITIES CAN LOOK LIKE ACROSS THE CITY.
AND WE HOPE THAT THAT WILL BE SO IN THE, IN, IN THE, IN THE COMING ADMINISTRATIONS.
BUT WE MUST THANK YOU AGAIN, MAYOR, FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK.
AND NOW SHIFTING GEARS FROM RESILIENCE HUBS TO THE RESILIENCE PART, UM, I WANNA INTRODUCE YOU ALL TO MARY WARNER, THE FIRST LADY OF THE BIBLE BAY BAPTIST CHURCH.
UM, THE CHURCH HAS BEEN A VERY CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE STUDY.
SO AS YOU ARE LEAVING, PLEASE DO TAKE TIME TO LOOK AT THE, THE, THE DELIVERABLES THEMSELVES, THE, THE REPORT, UH, THE TOOLKIT, AS WELL AS THE PILOT STUDY, WHICH WAS DONE AT THE BYWAY BAPTIST CHURCH.
AND WITH THAT, LET ME ASK MS. WARNER TO COME UP AND, UM, GIVE SOME COMMENTS.
THEY PROBABLY GOT UP AND HELPED BECAUSE THEY REALIZED I'M PROBABLY THE OLDEST PERSON IN THE ROOM.
IT HAS BEEN JUST AN EXPERIENCE OF JOY FOR THE BIBLE WAY FAMILY.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF NEIGHBORHOOD THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN A PART OF.
WE CAME INTO THIS AREA, IN THIS AREA, UH, AS A CHURCH OUT OF THE CLEAR LAKE AREA.
AND ONCE WE LEAR LEARNED THAT THIS FACILITY WAS OPEN TO US, WE CAME IN WITH THE GREAT EXPECTATIONS OF COMING IN AND PROVIDING FOR OUR CHURCH FAMILY, A CHURCH HOME.
WE FOUND, WE FOUND A COMMUNITY.
WE FOUND A COMMUNITY OF UNDERSERVED PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE EDGEBROOK AREA, AND GOD HAD GIVEN US AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SERVE THESE PEOPLE.
SO WITH THAT BEING IN MIND, WE BEGAN SOME VERY UNIQUE THINGS THAT WERE UNIQUE FOR US IN THAT WE STARTED TO TAKE OUR FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE STARTED.
WE STARTED WITH A LITTLE SMALL FOOD BANK WHERE OUR CHURCH MEMBERS BOUGHT FOOD IN, AND WE WOULD SUPPLY THAT FOOD TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
FROM THERE, WE PARTNERED WITH UNITED WAY, AND WE BECAME A PART OF A GROUP CALLED, UH, THREE SIX GOODS, 360.
WE PAR PARTNERED WITH HOME DEPOT, AND WE PARTNERED WITH OTHER BED, BATH AND BEYONDS.
AND ALL OF THESE FACILITIES KEPT HELPING US BE ABLE TO HELP THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH WE SERVED.
WE WERE TOLD AND TAUGHT BY A PASTOR AND I, THAT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, PREJUDICE ON MY PART,
WE STARTED WITH OUR LITTLE SMALL, BRING OUR, OUR CANNED GOODS IN.
THEN WE WENT TO $7 BOXES FROM FOOD BANK.
THEN WE MOVED INTO THE AREA OF GETTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY BECOME A PART OF THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK.
WE ARE NOW A HUB OF THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK, WHERE WHEN WE WERE STARTING OFF SERVING ONLY A FEW HUNDRED PEOPLE A MONTH, WE ARE NOW SERVING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE A MONTH.
AND WE ARE A HUB SO THAT THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK NOW BRINGS OUT OTHER MINISTRIES, FOODS TO OUR FACILITIES, AND WE NOW SERVE THOSE COMMUNITIES OUTWARDS.
SO GOD HAS GIVEN US A REAL PRIVILEGE TO SERVE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND WHEN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE CONTACTED US ABOUT THIS PRIVILEGE TO DO EVEN MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY, WE WERE BOARD FOR IT.
SO WE ARE EXCITED, WE ARE GRATEFUL TO YOU, MAYOR TURNER, FOR ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOUR TEAM HAS BROUGHT IN.
WE WERE JUST, UH, ELATED ON THE VERY NIGHT THAT WE MET WITH THEM, BECAUSE THEY CAME IN WITH ALL OF THE ARCHITECTS, WITH ALL OF THE PEOPLE, ALL OF THE PAPER, ALL OF THE EVERYTHING.
AND THEY SAID, LET'S LAY IT OUT.
WE BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY IN, NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCH, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WE
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ARE HERE TO SERVE.SO WE BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY IN, WE SAID, YOU TELL US WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, AND WE ARE GONNA TELL YOU WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND THAT'S HOW WE CAME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY.
WE STILL TAKE TIME TO MINISTER TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO SO IN A GREATER WAY SIMPLY BECAUSE WE WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER FOR YOUR VISION AND THANK YOU.
AND WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU IN HOUSTON
BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISION AND THANK YOU FOR LENDING YOUR SUPPORT THROUGH YOUR, YOUR STAFF TO THE BIBLE WAY CHURCH FAMILY.
AND SO, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD ABOUT RESILIENT BUILDING.
WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, BUT RIGHT ALONGSIDE THAT IS THE PROGRAMMING THAT REALLY MAKES A RESILIENCE HUB AND A RESILIENCE SPOT WHAT THEY ARE IN BEING ABLE TO MINISTER TO THE, UM, TO THE, TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE HAVE TWO SUCH PARTNERS THAT WE WANTED TO SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON.
ONE OF THOSE IS THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
UM, YOU MAY ALL NOT KNOW THIS, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HCC SIGNED A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, UM, LAST YEAR IN JUNE.
AND SINCE THEN, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM ON WORK TRAINING PROGRAMS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THAT GO TOWARDS BUILDING THAT ELEMENT OF RESILIENCE IN FUTURE WORKFORCE.
UNFORTUNATELY, HCC IS NOT IN THE ROOM TODAY, UH, BUT THEY CONTINUE TO BE PARTNERS TO US IN THIS EFFORT.
UM, BUT I WANNA BRING UP SOMEONE ELSE WHO'S, UH, JUST AS ESSENTIAL A, A PROGRAMMING PARTNER THAT'S TARGET HUNGER.
SO I WANNA ASK SANDRA WYKOFF FROM TARGET HUNGER TO COME UP HERE AND PROVIDE SOME REMARKS.
SANDRA, GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
WE ARE THRILLED TO BE A PART OF THIS INITIATIVE.
TARGET HUNGER IS ONE OF HOUSTON'S LARGEST NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING DIRECT FOOD ASSISTANCE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND DURING TIMES OF DISASTER.
OUR MISSION IS TWOFOLD TO ALLEVIATE HUNGER AND ITS ROOT CAUSES IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IN NORTHEAST AND EAST HOUSTON.
IN 2022, TARGET HUNGER DISTRIBUTED THE EQUIVALENT OF 1.2 MILLION MEALS, AND WE CURRENTLY SERVE APPROXIMATELY 8,000 PEOPLE A MONTH, AND THAT NEED IS GROWING.
WE ALSO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF HUNGER, WHICH IS POVERTY THROUGH A NAVIGATION PROGRAM THAT'S PROVIDED BY A TEAM OF BILINGUAL COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WHO HELP FAMILIES CONNECT TO CRITICAL RESOURCES SUCH AS JOB TRAINING, HEALTH CARE, RENTAL, AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE, AND MORE AS A TRUSTED RESOURCE.
HUNGER NAVIGATION SERVICES ARE TRYING TO HELP FAMILIES BECOME STABLE, SELF-SUFFICIENT, AND TO THRIVE.
TARGET HUNGER HAS SERVED THE CASHMERE GARDENS AND FIFTH WARD AREAS SINCE IT BEGAN OPERATING 34 YEARS AGO.
WE'RE PROUD TO CONTINUE TO OFFER SERVICES IN THE CASHMERE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, AND THAT INCLUDES EMERGENCY FOOD SERVICE THREE DAYS A WEEK, AND THAT IS FOR ANYONE IN NEED.
WE ALSO PROVIDE MONTHLY FOOD SERVICE TO APPROXIMATELY 200 HOUSEHOLDS THROUGH THREE PROGRAMS. WE SERVE THE COMMUNITY REENTRY REENTRY NETWORK PROGRAM, A PROGRAM OF THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT SERVES THOSE WHO ARE FORMERLY INCARCERATED.
AND I KNOW IT WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'RE VERY PROUD TO BE PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A DRIVE-THROUGH PANTRY PROGRAM EACH MONTH, AND WE ALSO PROVIDE BOXED FOOD DISTRIBUTION FOR SENIORS PARTICIPATING IN THE BAKER RIPLEY SENIOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER.
EVERYONE WHO RECEIVES FOOD FROM TARGET HUNGER IS CONTACTED BY OUR NAVIGATION TEAM, AND THEY CAN RECEIVE THOSE SERVICES AS WELL IN 2024.
WE ARE SO EXCITED BECAUSE WE'LL BE EXPANDING PROGRAMMING AT THE CASHMERE SERVICE CENTER.
THAT WILL INCLUDE A QUARTERLY POP-UP GROCERY STORE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SECOND SERVINGS, THAT IS A FOOD RESCUE ORGANIZATION.
AND WE WILL ALSO BE PROVIDING A MONTHLY CLIENT CHOICE PANTRY DISTRIBUTION WHERE FAMILIES WILL BE ABLE TO SELECT THEIR GROCERY ITEMS. WE BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE DESERVES ACCESS TO HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD, AND THAT PEOPLE CAN BE EMPOWERED TO PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES AND BUILD A BETTER FUTURE.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TARGET HUNGER, THANK YOU TO MAYOR TURNER FOR THIS AMAZING INITIATIVE, BUILDING RESILIENT HUBS TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD TO BE A PARTNER OF THIS INITIATIVE AND TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE ALSO SO GRATEFUL FOR THE LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
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THANK YOU, SANDRA.AND I ONCE AGAIN, WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES AND DIRECTOR BUGS IS HERE.
THANK YOU, SHANNON, FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE HELPED OUR OFFICE WITH.
UM, I WAS ALSO REMISS IN NOT THANKING ONE PERSON WHO IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR OFFICE.
EDUARDA SANCHEZ WAS PART OF THE YOUTH CLIMATE AMBASSADORS FOURTH COHORT, AND HE LIKED US SO MUCH THAT HE CAME BACK TO WORK WITH US FOR SOME MORE TIME.
THANK YOU ED BODO FOR YOUR HELP WITH THE RESILIENCE HUBS.
AND, UH, FINALLY, I WANNA BRING UP MAYOR TURNER ONCE AGAIN TO WRAP US UP FOR TODAY AND TO OFFER THANKS.
LET ME, LET ME JUST START OFF AGAIN BY, BY THANKING, UH, EVERYONE AND, UM, AND LET ME START WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY.
UH, PRIYA, UH, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE LEAD, YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND WORKING WITH AND COLLABORATIVE COLLABORATING WITH EVERYONE.
SO PLEASE AGAIN, GIVE IT UP TO, UH, PI RYAN.
LOOK, UH, I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS, UH, AND LEMME JUST, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE POWWOW OUTAGES, UH, LET'S SAY A WINTER STORM URI FEBRUARY OF 2021, NO POWER, NO WATER, UM, THAT DOESN'T STOP PEOPLE'S NEEDS AND NECESSITIES.
AND IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING, UH, WHEN YOU, WITHOUT POWER, WITHOUT WATER, AND YOU HAVE SENIORS WHO IN NEED, YOU HAVE CHILDREN IN NEED.
UM, AND THEN THE QUESTION IS, WHERE DO YOU GO? WHO DO YOU TURN TO? AND FOR MANY PEOPLE, THEY CAN'T GET TO THE GEORGIA BROWN OR MANY OF THESE OTHER PLACES THAT WE MAY SET UP IN THE CITY.
THEY WANT TO, THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET TO SOMEPLACE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY CAN EITHER WALK TO OR TAKE A SHORT DRIVE TO, UM, UM, JUST BE ABLE TO GET THERE IN A VERY CONVENIENT FASHION.
SO THESE, THESE RESILIENT HUBS ARE CRITICAL.
UM, AND THE FACT THAT THEY'RE IN THE CASHMERE FIFTH WARD AREA, ACRES HOMES, SUNNYSIDE A LEAVE ALL ACROSS OUR CITY, IT REALLY MAKES IT, UM, AVAILABLE FOR THEM IN THEIR MOMENT OF NEED.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE FOOD INSECURITIES.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT STORMS, BUT, UH, WHEN PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY, THEY'RE HUNGRY, AND WHEN THEY NEED ACCESS TO FOOD, THEY NEED ACCESS TO FOOD.
AND, UM, AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE IT IN A VERY RESPECTFUL AND DIGNIFIED FASHION.
SO TO BE PARTNERING WITH THESE NON-PROFITS, UH, WITH THE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY, THOSE THINGS ARE CRITICAL.
AND ESPECIALLY WHAT, WHAT I'VE OFTEN FOUND, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THESE THINGS ARE NOT BEING DONE, BUT WE JUST HAVEN'T DONE IT IN A VERY INTEGRATED, ROBUST FASHION, UH, WHERE WE ARE ALL BEING ALIGNED AND MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, AND THEN WHEN POWERLESS SAY DOES GO OUT, IS THERE A FACILITY, UM, IS THERE A, IN THIS CASE, THE MULTI SERVICE FACILITY, WELL, IT WITH A POWER STAY ON THERE SO PEOPLE CAN GO THERE.
UH, AND IF IT'S FREEZING COLD, CAN THEY GO THERE AND GET WARM? IF THEY, NO, IF THEY HAVE A PHONE AND IT NEEDS A CHARGING STATION, CAN THEY GO AND ACCESS THAT? SO WE NEED FACILITIES IN ALMOST EVERY QUADRANT THAT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE'S POWER OR NO POWER, THIS BUILDING STAYS ON.
OKAY? AND THAT'S WHY THE UTILIZATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY, SOLAR SO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, BEING THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, UM, AND LEADING IN ENERGY TRANSITION, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UTILIZE ALL OF OUR RESOURCES WHERE OUR ENERGY INDUSTRY PARTNERS ARE WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY, WITH OUR NONPROFITS, WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE UTILIZING ALL OF OUR ASSETS IN A RESPONSIBLE FASHION.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK SHELL AGAIN, UM, BECAUSE, UH, AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY, WHEN WE ALL RECOGNIZED WE NEED TO BUILD A RESILIENT CITY, IT WAS SHELL THAT UNDERWROTE OUR RESILIENT HOUSTON
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PLAN.AND THAT WAS IN FEBRUARY OF 2020.
IT'S NOW SHELL STEPPING UP AGAIN TO HELP PROVIDE THAT SOLAR CONNECTION, UH, RIGHT THERE IN THE HEART OF CASH, FIFTH FORWARD AREA.
SO I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK, UH, SHELL, BECAUSE YOU MAY HAVE THE VISION, OKAY? AND YOU MAY KNOW HOW TO GET THERE OR WHAT'S NEEDED, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE FUEL, YOU'RE NOT GOING THERE.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, YOU NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO BUY IN.
AND YOU NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO SEE COMMUNITIES WHERE THERE HAS NOT BEEN SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS AND SAY, WE WANT TO INVEST IN THESE COMMUNITIES.
AND I DON'T WANT TO JUST, UM, JUST MAKE A STATEMENT AND PASS BY IT.
SO, UM, FOR CJ THEM TO BE RETROFITTING OR, UH, BETTER WORD THAT I USE, ADAPTING FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE IN THESE COMMUNITIES, UH, TO MAKE THEM MEET THE NEEDS OF FOLK IN THESE COMMUNITIES IS VERY, VERY CRITICAL.
SO I JUST WANT A HUGE THANK YOU.
NOW, LET ME JUST CAUTION, IT'S NOT MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, OKAY? QUITE FRANKLY, THE WORK IS JUST STARTING.
SO IT'S NOT MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
AND IN LARGE PART, OUR SUCCESS WILL BE MEASURED NOT NEXT YEAR, BUT FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, 10 YEARS FROM NOW, UH, IN TERMS OF HAVE WE TRULY ESTABLISHED IN A VERY FUNCTIONAL WAY THESE HUBS THAT PEOPLE WILL SAY, HEY, THAT'S WHERE WE CAN GO.
UH, THAT'S WHEN YOU MEASURE SUCCESS.
UH, SO I WANT TO THANK US FOR, UH, THE WORK THAT HAS COMMENCES, UM, AND I, AND THE BLUEPRINT THAT HAS BEEN LAID OUT THROUGH THE RESILIENCE STUDY.
UH, BUT LET ME ALSO ASK, UH, THAT THE WORK CONTINUES AND BE VERY CANDID.
THE WORK IS NOT PREDICATED ON A PERSONALITY.
'CAUSE PERSONALITIES WILL COME AND GO, BUT THE WORK IS PREDICATED ON COMMUNITIES THAT WILL ALWAYS BE HERE AND NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED REGARDLESS OF WHO'S BEING, WHO'S THE MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON.
BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE IN THIS ROOM TODAY AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN THIS ROOM, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT REMAINS A CRITICAL PRIORITY TO BE MET.
UM, UM, AND I CAN ONLY, UM, AND EVEN THOUGH I MAY BE EXITING, WELL, MAYBE I AM EXITING
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHERE WE ARE FIVE AND 10 YEARS, UH, FROM NOW.
UH, AND HAVING SAID THAT, UM, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT, THAT WE CAN ADDRESS? ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY? OKAY, THEN LET ME JUST, UH, LEMME JUST SAY HAPPY HOLIDAYS, HAPPY HANUKKAH, MERRY QUEST, CHRISTMAS, UH, KWANZA, UH, TO SOME, HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE TO CELEBRATE.
UH, SHANNON, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, UH, FOR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, UH, BECAUSE I, I THINK PEOPLE ARE NOW STARTING TO SEE THE VALUE AND THE PURPOSE OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO SEE, BECAUSE LET ME TELL YOU, WHEN YOU LIFT UP ALL COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU LIFT UP THE CITY AS A WHOLE AND YOU'LL HAVE A HAPPY CITY, UH, WHEN YOU LIFT UP ALL COMMUNITIES.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE WHOLE NOTION.
LET'S NOT LEAVE ANYBODY BEHIND.
AND IF WE DO THAT, UH, THEN WE CAN ALL BE VERY PROUD OF H STAND.
OKAY? ALRIGHT, PRIYA, ANYTHING LOUD? WEBSITE, LOCATION.
OKAY, WELL, PLEASE, AND BE CAREFUL WITH THAT STEP.
UM, AND ONCE AGAIN I WANTED TO REMIND YOU ALL, WE DO HAVE A, A FEW PHYSICAL COPIES OF THE PLAN,
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THE TOOLKIT, AS WELL AS A PILOT STUDY.IF YOU DON'T MANAGE TO GET A SET, NO WORRIES.
BECAUSE IF YOU SCAN THE QR CODE THAT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF THESE TWO, UM, WHAT DO WE CALL THEM? THE POPUPS? YES, THE POPUPS ON BOTH SIDES.
SO ONCE YOU GET THE QR CODE, YOU CAN GO TO HOUSTON RESILIENCE HUBS.ORG WHERE THE STUDIES HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED ONLINE.
UM, THANK YOU AND HAVE A WONDERFUL REST OF YOUR DAY.