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THAT FIRST ITEM THAT IS PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANYONE HERE.
I DON'T, ANYONE ONLINE, UH, IS A PUBLIC SPEAKER.
I, I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
WOULD YOU SERVE IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING OVER APRIL MEETING? I NEED SECOND.
UM, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? PHOENIX? I HAVE A COMMENT.
I WANNA THANK, UH, JAMES FOR THE COMPREHENSIVENESS OF THESE MINUTES, AND THEY, UH, GREATLY IMPROVED.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPRO THE MINUTES.
EVERYBODY HAVE THE CAMERA? OKAY.
I SEE CARMEN, UH, YOU GOT A NOTE THAT WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT HERE YET, BOTH OF WHOM ARE SUPPOSED TO BE, ARE SUPPOSEDLY GOING TO JOIN US, BUT THEY'LL BE LATE.
UH, PHYLLIS LEE AND DANIEL AUSTIN.
PETER, I, CAN YOU GUYS SEE ME? YES.
YEAH, WE CAN SEE YOU, RIGHT? THANK YOU.
UH, EVERYBODY WHO'S ONLINE IS AWARE OF THE, UH, TOMA REQUIREMENTS FOR, UH, BEING VISIBLE AND, UH, AUDIBLE AT ALL TIMES IN THE MEETING.
UH, QUICK UPDATE ON THE SENIOR LISTENING SESSIONS.
WE'VE COMPLETED TWO SO FAR, UH, ONE IN DISTRICT FIVE AND ONE IN DISTRICT, UH, 13.
AND WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH FORMAT.
THE, THE FIRST ONE WAS IN DISTRICT FIVE.
YOU WANT TO, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT, WELL, MAYBE WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT LAST TIME.
UM, BUT IN DISTRICT FIVE, WE DID THE FORMAT WHERE, UM, PRESENTED THE, THE CITY COUNCILMAN, TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES FACING SENIORS, AND THEN TURNED IT OVER TO CITY SERVICES TO PRESENT, UH, THE SENIOR SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
AND IT WAS GREAT PRESENTATION.
THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ASKED AND ANSWERED.
HOWEVER, IT DEFINITELY, UH, MEANT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES.
WE LEARNED HOW MUCH, UH, SENIORS OUT THERE DON'T KNOW ABOUT SENIOR SERVICES, DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE PRESSING ISSUES, WE KIND OF MISSED THAT POINT.
UM, AND SO THEN WE DECIDED LET'S CHANGE THE FORMAT.
SO YOU HAD ONE AND SOMEONE ELSE HAD, HE HAD THE OTHER ONE LAST WEEK.
SIMILAR IN, IN DISTRICT 13, THE, THE, UH, OUR COUNCIL PERSON, UH, OBJECTED CORRECTLY THAT IF WE USED THE SAME FORMAT THAT WE'VE USED, WE WERE GONNA LEARN ANYTHING.
WE WERE ONLY GONNA BE TELLING PEOPLE.
AND IT WOULD EVOLVE INTO INDIVIDUAL PROBLEM SOLVING IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH HAVING THE OTHER PRESENTATIONS.
SO INSTEAD, WE STARTED OUT WITH JUST, UH, I, I DID AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED FROM THE CITY AND INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS, UH, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND, UH, TALKED ABOUT THE CITYWIDE NUMBERS VERY BRIEFLY, AND THEN TALKED ABOUT HOW DISTRICT 13 WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE CITY AS A WHOLE, AND POINTED THAT STUFF OUT.
TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, KIND OF THE, THE RANGE OF PROBLEMS THAT ALL SENIORS WIND UP HAVING TO SOME DEGREE OR ANOTHER.
AND THEN WE KIND OF CUT IT OFF AND WENT DIRECTLY INTO BREAKOUT SESSIONS.
AND WE HAD ABOUT 40 PEOPLE, UH, PRESENT.
EACH TABLE HAD A DISCUSSION LEADER AND A SCRIBE.
SO WE HOPEFULLY GOT A PRETTY GOOD RECORD OF, OF WHAT WE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY.
AND IT, IT WAS A MUCH IMPROVED SESSION BECAUSE THE FOCUS OF IT WAS TO ASK PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED TO TELL US THINGS RATHER THAN OUR TRYING TO TELL THEM WHAT THE CITY DOES.
I, I THINK THERE'S A NEED, THERE'S A GREAT NEED BASED ON WHAT WE LEARNED FOR THE CITY TO DO A BETTER JOB OF TELLING THEM WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
UH, THAT, THAT WAS VERY CLEAR IN BOTH SESSIONS, REALLY.
UM, BUT I, I THINK THAT WE, WE LEARNED A LOT MORE THAN WE WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE.
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AND THE SENIOR SERVICES GROUP WERE ALL THERE AND HAD A TABLE SO THAT PEOPLE COULD GET HANDOUTS THAT TALKED ABOUT WHAT WAS AVAILABLE FOR SENIOR SERVICES EITHER BEFORE THE SESSION OR AFTER THE SESSION.AND THEY, MANY OF THEM DID THAT.
BUT IT WAS, UM, IT WAS INTERESTING AND FASCINATING.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP THAT'S VERY CLEAR TO ME IS WE NEED TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SOME BETTER IDEAS OF HOW TO PUBLICIZE THESE SESSIONS TO PEOPLE WHO AREN'T NORMALLY ATTACHED TO THE CITY.
UH, I'D SAY PROBABLY, UH, ALMOST A THIRD OF OUR GROUP CAME FROM THE MARCUS ANNEX, UH, SENIOR CENTER, UH, PEOPLE WHO FREQUENT THAT.
AND WE DIDN'T GET, YOU KNOW, WE DID NOT HAVE A GOOD RACIAL MIX.
WE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE MAY HAVE HAD ONE OR TWO HISPANICS, ONE HISPANIC, UH, TWO IF WE CANNOT BELIEVE.
AND, AND, UH, WE, UH, HAD VERY, VERY LOW PARTICIPATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AT THE SECTION ONE.
UM, IT, DISTRICT 13 IS, IS THE MOST AFFLUENT DISTRICT IN THE CITY, BUT THERE ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT POCKETS OF POVERTY WITHIN THE DISTRICT THAT WERE NOT REPRESENTED IN THE MEETING.
AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE GET TO THOSE PEOPLE ON AN INFORMAL BASIS, UH, RATHER THAN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO IT, BUT WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW.
SO I THINK THE FORMAT GOING FORWARD, WE'LL PUT TOGETHER, UH, MODIFIED, UH, POWERPOINTS AS, AS KIND OF THE GUIDE FOR WHAT THE NEXT MEETINGS OUGHT TO BE.
AND I THINK AS WE LEARN THINGS ALONG THE WAY, I THINK DAVID'S, UH, HAVE JUNE 25TH, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE NEXT, THE NEXT, UH, MEETING.
UM, I, I THINK THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA LEARN THINGS ALONG THE WAY.
WE'LL KEEP TWEAKING IT AS WE GO TILL WE GET EVERYBODY'S DISTRICT COVERED.
BUT, UH, I THINK WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD FORMAT NOW, AND WE'LL, WE'LL PUT TOGETHER A KIND OF A GENERIC SLIDESHOW WITH CUSTOMIZED DATA REGARDING YOUR DISTRICTS.
SO IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR DISTRICT, YOU'LL, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE SIMPLE STATS OF HOW YOUR DISTRICT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I, I'VE, I'VE NOTICED, UM, YOU KNOW, MY DISTRICT 10 IS MEETING WITH, WITH COMMISSIONER STEWART IS IT'S A GREAT LOCATION TO BE HOLDING AT THE, UH, FARM GREENVILLE, UH, LIBRARY.
UH, HOWEVER, JUST WHAT YOU JUST SAID IN TERMS OF PEOPLE THAT COME OUT, TYPICALLY THE FOLKS COME OUT FROM THE LAKE HIGHLANDS TRUE COMMUNITY, AND WE GET VERY FEW PARTICIPATION FROM THE HAMILTON PARK.
AND SO, UH, I GUESS THE CITY FOLKS HAVE, I'VE MADE TWO SUGGESTIONS ON, ACTUALLY, MY, MY SUGGESTION IS PARK GREEN LIBRARY, BUT THEY ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE HAMILTON PARK, UH, UH, COMMUNITY CENTER BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE A SENIOR, SENIOR CENTER.
I'M CONCERNED THAT IF WE HAVE IT THERE, THE FOLKS FROM LAKE COLLEGES WON'T COME.
THAT'S JUST MY CON THAT'S, THAT'S MY PERSONAL CONCERN.
AND, AND ALSO, UH, IN TERMS OF GETTING IT OUT, I THINK THE BEST WAY TO, TO GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OUT TO THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE NOT PART TO PARTICULARLY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITIES.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT, IT'S CHURCHES MAKE SURE PORTION CHURCHES, SYNAGOGUES THAT THEY ARE, THEY'RE ANNOUNCED THERE, UM, COUPLE SUNDAYS IN ADVANCE OR IN THEIR NEWSLETTER.
LIKE OUR CHURCH HAS A NEWSLETTER.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YARD DEPARTMENTS WORK FOR THAT IN THAT AREA, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO REACH THOSE PEOPLE THAT DON'T TRADITIONALLY COME.
THE, UH, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAD WERE, UH, THE MARKET CENTER PRODUCED A BIG SHARE OF THE THING, AND THEN OTHERS HEARD ABOUT IT IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
UH, BUT OUR OUTREACH AHEAD OF THE MEETING, WE WERE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET TO ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND ALL OF THAT.
AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, MY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION NEVER PUBLISHED ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND SO IT IS, IT, IT REQUIRES NOT JUST SENDING OUT THE FLYER, BUT IT ALSO REQUIRES FOLLOW UP TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEBODY DOES SOMETHING WITH THE FLYER, UH, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO BUILD.
AND, AND THE GOAL IS TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE WHO AREN'T ENGAGED AND ARE NOT USING THE CITY SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN GET TO THAT GROUP TO THE DEGREE POSSIBLE.
YESPER, I THINK PHYLLIS WAS BEFORE ME.
UH, TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT HE SAID, AM I HEARING THAT IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS CAN THINK SOME PEOPLE WON'T COME BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION? YEAH.
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AND THAT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE LOCATION AND PARTICULARLY, AND POTENTIALLY TRANSPORTATION AS WHAT? WELL, TRANSPORTATION TOO.BUT I I, I'M, I'M UNDER THE OPINION THAT I DON'T CARE WHERE WE GO.
WE GOT THE SAME PEOPLE, STICK WITH THE SAME PEOPLE.
SO THAT IS A PROBLEM ACROSS THE BOARD TO GET PEOPLE TO MIX WITH EACH OTHER.
SO WHEN YOU SAID YOU, YOU THINK IF IT'S GONNA BE THIS LOCATION, THESE PEOPLE WON'T COME.
AND IF I SAID WE GONNA HAVE SOMETHING IN THE BOTTOM, OH, AIN'T COMMITTING LOCATION, SO THAT YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM.
SO, BUT I'M JUST GONNA SUGGEST WHOSOEVER WILL LET 'EM COME.
AND THEN YOU TELL YOUR PEOPLE, YOU TELL YOUR PEOPLE.
BECAUSE IF WE TRY TO SIT HERE AND FIGURE OUT HOW CAN I GET YOU TO COME TO THE BOTTOM AND YOU TRY TO GET ME TO COME TO THEY TOWN, AND WHEN I, I AIN'T GOOD.
I'M JUST, I WONDERING BECAUSE THAT HEARING, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT COMMUNICATION TO STILL LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND ONCE YOU HAVE THE SESSION AND THE PEOPLE SHOW, WHOEVER'S GONNA SHOW UP, SHOWS UP, IT BECOMES PRETTY CLEAR WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO PRETTY FAST.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA LEARN FROM THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO BREACH AND REQUIRE TO TRY TO GET THE, THE
WILL WE WE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GATHERING? OR ARE, IS THAT BEING HANDLED BY THE OFFICE? WHAT'S THE PROCESS? NO.
TO, TO, TO GET, TO GET PEOPLE THERE, PEOPLE THERE? NO, IT, IT IS REALLY UP TO THE COUNCIL PERSON'S OFFICE LARGELY.
AND THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP AT POLICE'S MEETING CAME AS A DIRECT RESULT OF INFORMATION WENT UP IN THE COUNCIL PERSON'S OFFICE.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS IN OUR DISTRICT.
THERE WERE, THERE WERE SEVERAL FROM THE, THE SENIOR CENTER, BUT THERE WERE ALSO A VARIETY OF PEOPLE WHO PAY ATTENTION TO THE EMAILS THAT, UH, COUNCILPERSON SENT OUT.
SO I JUST ADMIT, ONE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT, I THINK IS TO GET, WE WERE DELAYED IN GETTING OUR INFORMATION OUT, SHOULD HAVE GONE OUT SOONER THAN IT DID.
AND WE WOULD'VE HAD, I THINK, BETTER DISTRIBUTION OF THE INFORMATION.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY ABOUT THE FLYERS IS WHEN YOU, WHEN WHEN THEY SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO THE LIBRARIES AND THE REC CENTERS WITH A FLYER, IT'S A COLOR NICE, PRETTY COLORED, UH, POSTER.
AND THEY PRINT IT IN BLACK AND WHITE AND THEN XEROX IT IN BLACK AND WHITE, AND YOU WIND UP WITH, WITH TOTALLY UNNOTICEABLE FLYERS LAYING ON A TABLE SOMEWHERE.
AND IT'S GONNA REQUIRE SOMEBODY TO GO OUT AND ACTUALLY DELIVER A STACK OF GOOD FLYERS.
WHEN YOU SAY THEY, WHO'S THEY, WHEN THEY SEND OUT THE FLYER, WHO'S, THEY LIKE, LIKE THE CITY COUNCIL OFFICE SENT OUT A BUNCH OF FLYERS AND WE SENT SOME OUT, BUT THEY DON'T GET, THEY DON'T GET REPRODUCED IN THE MANNER THAT YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING TO.
AND, AND WHEN YOU GO TO THE LOCATION, YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, A BLACK AND WHITE POSTER ON THE BOARD IN THE MIDDLE OF 30 OTHER BLACK AND WHITE POSTERS, AND IT DOESN'T STAND OUT.
THE REASON I'M ASKING IS THAT I, I REALLY THINK THAT THE COMMISSIONERS AND THEIR DISTRICT PERSONS SHOULD BE THE ONES SET A MAJORLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GATHERING BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR DISTRICT.
REGARDLESS TO WHAT COMMUNITY THEY ARE IN.
THEY KNOW THE PEOPLE IN THEIR DISTRICT.
AND SO LISTENING TO US TO GET THE BEST RESULTS OUT OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TEMPING TO DO, I THINK IS A BETTER WAY TO GO.
EVEN WITH THE FLYER, BECAUSE A FLYER THAT MAY BE USED FOR YOU MAY NOT BE A FLYER THAT I WOULD USE FOR MY COMMUNITY.
AND I HAVE NOT SEEN THE FLYER, SO I DON'T KNOW.
WELL, YEAH, YOU WILL SEE THE FLYER FOR YOUR SESSION BECAUSE WE, WE HAD BUY OFF ON, WELL EVENTUALLY WE HAD BUY OFF ON THE FLYER FOR, WE HAD A FLYER DESIGNED THAT OUR COUNCIL PERSON DIDN'T LIKE AT ALL.
AND SO HER STAFF DEVELOPED ANOTHER FLYER AND WE WOUND UP MERGING THE INFORMATION FROM BOTH WHAT I DIDN'T SAY, BUT ULTIMATELY EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
COUNCIL PERSON, SENIOR SERVICES, AND MYSELF IN THE CASE OF DISTRICT 18, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE WHAT THAT FLYER WAS GONNA SAY.
SO, SINCE I'M IN SEPTEMBER, AND I, I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHETHER, WHETHER, UH, COUNCILMAN GRACIE HAS APPROVED OR NOT, BECAUSE I HAVE NOT BEEN A PART OF THAT COMMUNICATION.
BUT DO I HEAR YOU SAYING THAT I NEED TO BE GETTING WITH HIS OFFICE TO DESIGN A FLYER FOR OUR DISTRICT? AND AT WHAT POINT WILL I BE INCLUDED IN THE CONVERSATION? I THINK YOU INCLUDED, AS SOON AS YOU WANT TO BE INCLUDED, I'M INCLUDED MIND.
RIGHT NOW THERE'S, JUST SO YOU KNOW, WELL, I, SO AMERICA IS TAKING A LEAD ROLE IN TERMS OF
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THE SUPPORT.YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP, WHO'S GONNA SUPPLY THE COFFEE AND THE DONUTS OR THE COFFEE AND THE PASTRIES AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
IS IT GONNA BE SENIOR SERVICES OR IS IT GONNA BE THE COUNCIL? YOU KNOW, IT WINDS UP BEING A JOINT EFFORT.
AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAD IS SOMETHING WOULD COME OUT OF THE COUNCIL PERSON'S OFFICE TO ME, BUT WOULDN'T COPY MECA.
AND, AND WE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET TOGETHER AS SOON AS YOU CAN AND RESOLVE THIS IS WHO'S GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN, IN THE PLANNING AND EVERYTHING.
AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE COPIED ON ALL THE COMMUNICATIONS SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SO WHEN WILL I KNOW THAT THE LETTER OR WHATEVER THAT WAS SENT TO MY COUNCIL PERSON HAS ACTUALLY RECEIVED THE RESPONSE? BECAUSE I DID NOT SEND IT AND I LEFT.
I RECEIVED I THINK, A COPY OF IT.
SO WE WILL BE APPROACHING THE COUNCIL OFFICE TO, UM, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU HAD ALREADY, YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED A RESPONSE.
I'M SORRY? DIDN'T YOU SEND A LETTER OR SUB COMMUNICATION EARLIER AT THIS? I HAVE TO SAY I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE, THE JUNE, THE MOST RECENT ONES.
SO WE WILL START WORKING THAT INTRO.
I, I THINK I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TALK TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL PERSON AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN BETWEEN EVERYBODY, YOU'RE GONNA NAIL DOWN A DATE IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
DO WE HAVE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR SEPTEMBER? NOT AWARE OFF.
SO THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO IS NAIL DOWN A DATE THAT EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE AND, AND GET THAT ON THE CALENDAR.
I JUST DID NOT KNOW MY ROLE SINCE I RECEIVED A LETTER THAT HAD GONE OUT AND NOT, WAS NOT AWARE OF A LETTER GOING OUT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M INQUIRING AS TO WHAT IS MY ROLE IN THIS.
'CAUSE I HAVE NO PROBLEM IN MAKING THE CONTACT, SETTING THE DATA AND DOING EVERYTHING NECESSARY.
YOU'RE THE STAR PERFORMER OF THE EVENT.
SO YOUR ROLE NEEDS TO BE AS LONG AS I KNOW.
SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO TAKE IT ON OURSELVES.
I DON'T DO, NO, LET ME FINISH.
WE'VE SEEN, I'VE SEEN, I'VE SEEN MY NAME ON
SO, SO I KNOW THAT I'M A, I'M A PART OF THE PROGRAM.
FORTUNATELY MY MY CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ME.
MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF THE, THE TIMING.
THAT'S WHY WE MADE THE COMMENT ABOUT THE LOCATIONS.
AND SO THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING.
FOR ME, I'M JUST THAT KIND OF PERSON.
BUT THIS IS, WHAT MONTH IS THIS? WELL, THIS, THIS IS MAY, THIS IS THE END OF YOU GUYS WANNA SAY JUNE? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING THIS IN SEPTEMBER.
I DON'T WANNA WAIT UNTIL AUGUST TO DO SEPTEMBER.
LIKE YOU'RE WAITING IN MAY TO DO JUNE.
WELL, NO, I KNEW ABOUT THIS, THAT I KNEW ABOUT THIS A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
I THINK THAT THE, THERE'S TWO CRITICAL THINGS.
ONE IS YOU NEED TO ESTABLISH A DATE AND THEN YOU NEED TO FIND A LOCATION FOR, OR WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE HELD, AND GET THAT CAST IN STONE SO THAT YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY INVOLVED CAN BE THERE AND YOU, AND YOU KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE.
AND THEN, THEN YOU NEED TO PUT TOGETHER THE AGENDA FOR THE MEETING, WHICH WE WILL BE PROVIDING YOU WITH THE OUTPUT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE MEETINGS COMING UP TO YOURS SO THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN MODIFY IT ANY WAY YOU WANT TO, BUT, WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE YOU A PROTOTYPE AND IT CAN BE AMENDED, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY UP UNTIL WEEK BEFORE.
I, I JUST NEEDED TO, I JUST NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT MY ROLE IS.
YOUR ROLE, YOUR ROLE IS TO BE A LEADER IN GETTING THIS THING.
SO AT THIS TIME WE ARE TRYING TO ESTABLISH THE MONTH AND THEN THE MORE SPECIFIC DATE FOR EACH COMMISSIONER.
AND THEN WE'LL START WORKING ON WITH THE COUNCIL DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNCIL PERSON IS AVAILABLE ON THOSE DATES.
I'LL CONTACT COUNCILMAN GRACIE AND I'LL GET THAT DATE TOO.
AND MECA HAS DONE A GREAT JOB.
UH, WE'RE THE JUNE ONE AND SHE'S BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB IN COMMUNICATING AND TRYING TO MAKE IT WORK.
WHAT I DON'T KNOW IS, DO WE FINALIZE THE LOCATION FOR, FOR DISTRICT 10? I AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE LIBRARY AS WELL AS REC CENTER.
I HAVE ASKED THEM TO PROVIDE ME THAT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THEY'RE LOOKING INTO IT RIGHT NOW.
SO I WILL GET BACK TO YOU BEFORE END OF THE WEEK.
SO, MEREDITH, DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME GOING AHEAD AND SECURING THE DATE, THE SITE AND ALL OF THAT? NO.
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WOULD PREFER TO COORDINATE IT ALL TOGETHER, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS AVAILABLE ON THOSE DATES.SO IF YOU CAN, THE, THE, THE AVAILABILITY OF THE DATE NEEDS TO BE CLEARED BY SENIOR SERVICES, THE COUNCIL OFFICE AND NOT, AND THAT THOSE ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE.
BUT ALL THREE NEED TO BE INVOLVED BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BOOK IT WHEN SENIOR SERVICES, THIS WASN'T MY STATEMENT I WAS ASKING ME.
I THINK IT'S OKAY WITH HER IF I GO ON AND GET WITH COUNCILMAN, UH, GRACIE, GET A DATE SET TO GET BACK TO YOU.
THAT WAS WHAT WE CERTAINLY, AND AND YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME AS WELL AS, AS WELL AS A SIGN.
IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA INCLUDE ME IN THE EMAIL FIRST.
YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO REACH OUT TO THE COUNCIL DIRECTLY.
I'M TRYING TO WORK THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY IN THE BACK, SIR.
JUST MAKING IT A LITTLE EASIER TO REACH YOUR MICROPHONE.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF KNOW I KNOW ABOUT TECHNOLOGY.
UH, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WITH THE SENIOR LISTENING SESSIONS.
I THINK THEY'RE GONNA BE VERY PRODUCTIVE AND I SUSPECT THEY'LL BECOME MORE PRODUCTIVE AS WE GO DOWN THE ROAD.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA LEARN A LOT, UH, AS TO WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THIS, IN THE SOUTHERN DALLAS DIS DISTRICTS, I THINK THE POPULATION HAS GREATER NEEDS, GENERALLY SPEAKING AS, AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THE VARIOUS DISTRICTS AND MORE PEOPLE WILL BE REPRESENTED.
AND I THINK IT'LL BE A MUCH MORE ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THE NEEDS ARE.
AND IT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING FOR ON THE SECTION OF THE SOUTHERN SECTOR THAT YOU'RE IN.
IT'LL BE DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND EVEN WITHIN DISTRICT 13, YEAH.
WE HAVE 1600 PEOPLE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL.
SENIORS LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL IN DISTRICT 13, WHICH IS THE MOST AFFLUENT DISTRICT IN THE CITY.
THEY'LL, THOSE PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT THE PEOPLE DO IN SOUTH DALLAS.
AND WE NEED TO, WE, WE NEED TO GATHER AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN SO WE CAN BE BETTER INFORMED WHEN WE RECOMMEND WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE DOING.
UH, NEXT, UH, ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION IS GONNA BE PRESENTING, CHRIS
AND YOU ALL RECEIVE COPIES OF HIS PRESENTATION MATERIAL.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO RELY ON SEEING ON SCREEN YOUR, UH, IF YOU, YOUR ADVANCE ATTORNEY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE, FOR HAVING, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT MY DNAS UP HERE.
SO, UM, I WORK FOR THE VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS.
I'M HAVE, I HAVE MY READING GLASSES ON AS WELL.
UM, SO, UH, THIS IS THE MISSION OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
UM, VISITING NURSE NURSE ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS PROVIDES CARE TO OUR COMMUNITY, ENHANCING HEALTH AND WELLBEING WITH COMPASSION, DIGNITY, AND INTEGRITY.
UM, ACTUALLY THIS IS A NEW MISSION STATEMENT FOR US.
WE HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR 90 YEARS.
OUR, OUR, UH, THIS IS OUR 90TH, UH, ANNIVERSARY.
WE STARTED IN 1934, AND SO WE HAVE CHANGED OVER THOSE NUMBER OF YEARS, BUT THIS IS OUR, IS OUR CURRENT STATEMENT.
SO, AS I, I SAID, UH, WE'VE BEEN, UH, BEEN HERE FOR, IN NORTH TEXAS, UH, REALLY HERE IN DALLAS FOR 90 YEARS.
UM, WE STARTED OUT, UM, IN THE THIRTIES AS, UH, VISITING NURSE SERVICE THAT WOULD, NURSES WOULD GO INTO SORT OF PARTS OF THE CITY, MOSTLY WEST DALLAS, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, WITH THAT PART OF THE CITY.
AT THAT TIME, WEST DALLAS WAS UNINCORPORATED.
IT WAS NOT PART OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, AND, UH, THERE WERE COMMUNITY LEADERS BACK IN THE THIRTIES THAT FELT LIKE THERE WERE, UH, NEW MOTHERS AND CHILDREN THAT WERE NOT BEING CARED FOR ONCE THEY LEFT THE HOSPITAL OR ONCE THEY HAD THEIR CHILDREN.
AND SO, UH, THE VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS WAS FORMED, AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF WHAT WE, UM, STARTED DOING 90 YEARS AGO.
UH, WE HAVE CHANGED OVER THE NUMBER, OBVIOUSLY CHANGED OVER THOSE 90 YEARS.
TODAY WE'RE REALLY TWO THINGS.
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UH, WE COVER ALL OF DALLAS COUNTY, THE MILLS ARE WHEELS.
AND THEN AS WELL AS WE ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST REGIONAL END OF LIFE CARE PROVIDERS.
SO HOSPICE, UH, AND PALLIATIVE CARE IN ALL OF NORTH TEXAS.
SO DALLAS COUNTY'S THE MILLS PROGRAM, BUT ALL THROUGHOUT THE REGION IS, UH, END OF LIFE CARE, HOSPICE, AND PALLIATIVE CARE.
UM, THESE, THESE ARE THINGS YOU GUYS CERTAINLY KNOW AS, AS SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSIONERS, UM, IN THE UNITED STATES, EVERY DAY ABOUT 12,000 PEOPLE ARE TURNING 60 EVERY DAY.
UM, HERE IN, UH, DALLAS, ABOUT ALMOST 50,000 SENIORS LIVE AT OR BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.
UM, THERE ARE SOME NUMBERS THAT ARE BOTH, UH, RELATED TO THE CITY OF DALLAS, BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE, WHICH IS WHERE OUR MEALS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON, IT'S ABOUT 50,000 PEOPLE, UH, THAT LIVE AT OR BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, MEANING THAT THEY PROBABLY COULD QUALIFY FOR MEALS, ALL THOSE.
UM, AND THAT'S A, CERTAINLY IS A, A LARGE NUMBER.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CONSTANTLY SEE IS, OBVIOUSLY, I THINK YOU GUYS ALL KNOW THIS, CERTAINLY FOR SENIORS, IS INCREASED FOOD INSECURITY.
UH, THE ABILITY TO HAVE ACCESS TO, TO QUALITY MEALS, THE ABILITY TO HAVE ACCESS AND THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO SEEING, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE SENIOR POPULATION, REALLY NON-FOOD RELATED ISSUES, WHICH EVERYONE KNOWS IS CERTAINLY, UM, THE COST OF LIVING IN DALLAS HAS GONE UP, OBVIOUSLY, RENT.
AND A BIGGER PART OF WHAT A LOT OF OUR CLIENTS SEE IS TRANSPORTATION.
SO ACTUAL MORTGAGES, COST OF RENT AND TRANSPORTATION ARE, ARE REALLY GROWING NEEDS FOR, FOR THAT POPULATION.
THIS IS A SNAPSHOT AGAIN OF THE, OF THE SENIORS IN, UH, DALLAS COUNTY.
AGAIN, WE'VE COMMISSIONER HELPED US WITH THIS.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF BREAK THIS OUT.
IT'S A GREAT, IT'S A GREAT KEY THAT SHOWS US, UM, THE POPULATION WITHIN THE COUNTY.
AND IT SHOWS US THOSE NUMBERS.
THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF THAT REALLY GREAT DATA THAT WE USE REALLY TO HELP US.
HOW DO WE SORT OF RELEASE OR HOW DO WE EXTEND RESOURCES INTO THE COMMUNITY? WE USE DATA LIKE THIS TO HELP US WITH THAT.
SO NEXT I LOOKED THIS MORNING, I HAD A LOT OF SLIDES, SO I'M GONNA TRY TO GO THROUGH THEM A LITTLE FASTER SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN ASK QUESTIONS AND CERTAINLY STOP ME ASKING ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU LIKE.
SO THIS SHOWS, UH, OUR MEALS COVERAGE AREA.
YOU'LL SEE THE LITTLE DIFFERENT COLORS.
UH, WE BREAK THE COUNTY UP INTO ABOUT 21 DIFFERENT REGIONS.
UM, WE NOT ONLY DELIVER MEALS IN EACH OF THOSE AREAS, BUT WE ALSO MAKE THE MEALS FOR ALL OF THE SENIOR, UH, CENTER PROGRAMS AND CONGREGATE FEEDING PROGRAMS IN DALLAS COUNTY.
SO NOT ONLY DO WE MAKE AND ALMOST DELIVER 5,000 HOME DELIVERED MEALS EVERY DAY.
SO MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, UH, THROUGH PAY DRIVERS AND VOLUNTEERS IN OUR KITCHEN ON MOCKINGBIRD, WE'RE MAKING 5,000 HOME DELIVERED MEALS THAT GETS DELIVERED RIGHT NOW, EVERY DAY ACROSS THE COUNTY.
AS WELL AS WE MAKE MEALS FOR ALL OF THE SENIOR CENTERS.
SO ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WAS RUN BY THE COUNTY OF DALLAS.
AND THERE'S ABOUT ANOTHER 11 INDEPENDENT PROGRAMS. WE MAKE THE MEALS FOR THOSE PROGRAMS AS WELL.
WE DISTRIBUTE THOSE AND DELIVER THOSE TO THEM, UH, EACH DAY, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW LARGE OF A PROGRAM WE ARE.
WE'RE ONE OF THE LARGEST MEALS PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY, AND EVERYBODY'S ALWAYS LIKE, YAY, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.
BUT ON THE H SIDE, THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS THERE'S HUGE NEED IN DALLAS.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, GROW OUR RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ABLE TO COVER AS MANY OF THOSE CLIENTS AND MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT NEED THOSE FIELDS.
UM, THIS IS JUST KIND OF A, A REALLY GRAPHIC SORT OF TALKS ABOUT FOR US AS AN ORGANIZATION, PROVIDING MEALS AND PROVIDING HEALTHCARE, PROVIDING THAT KNOCK ON THE DOOR DAY.
IT'S NOT ONLY THE PROVIDING OF ACTUAL NUTRITION, BUT IT'S ALSO A LOT OF OUR CLIENTS LIVE ALONE.
AND SO A BIG PART OF WHAT A LOT OF HEALTHCARE IS MOVING TOWARDS, WHAT A LOT OF SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS ARE LOOKING AT IS REALLY THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
SO SOMEONE HAVING ACCESS TO GOOD HEALTHCARE, SOMEONE HAVING TRANSPORTATION, SOMEONE HAVING ACCESS TO FOOD, SOMEONE HAVING ACCESS, UH, TO, UM, OUTDOOR SPACE OR A LIBRARY.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS REALLY HELP, HELP DETERMINE SOMEONE'S HEALTH.
AND SO WE, WE WANT TO BE PART OF THAT MIX FOR US.
WE SIT IN THE FOOD PIECE, THE HEALTHCARE PIECE, AND THEN THE SOCIAL ISOLATION.
[00:30:01]
HOW OR WHAT OUR IMPACT IS AS AN ORGANIZATION THROUGH OUR MEALS PROGRAM.TALK ABOUT IS THAT, UM, THE SOCIAL ISOLATION PIECE.
A LOT OF OUR CLIENTS LIVE ALONE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF THEM, WHEN THE VOLUNTEER OR PAID DRIVER KNOCKS ON THE DOOR EACH DAY, THEY HAND THEM A MEAL.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE ONLY PERSON THEY'RE GONNA SEE THAT DAY.
THEY MIGHT SEE A NEIGHBOR, UH, THEY MAY SEE SOMEONE ELSE, UH, IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WE ARE GONNA INTERACT WITH THEM.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FEW MINUTES VISIT.
I DELIVER A ROUTE EVERY WEEK, AND I PROBABLY SPEND SOME CLIENTS, YOU GIVE THEM A MEAL AND YOU SAY HELLO AND THEY WAVE AND THEY WANNA GO BACK INSIDE.
SOME OF 'EM WILL WANT TO VISIT FOR A GOOD 10 MINUTES.
AND I FEEL LIKE EACH DAY WHEN WE'RE DOING THAT, I'M PROBABLY THE ONLY PERSON THAT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE GONNA TALK TO THAT DAY.
SO IT'S A BIG PIECE, IS THAT KIND OF SOCIAL, UM, SOCIAL ISOLATION PIECE.
THERE ARE TONS OF STUDIES THAT SAY MEALS PROGRAMS REDUCE, UH, EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS.
ONE OF THE TOP REASONS WHY, UM, SENIORS ENTER EMERGENCY ROOM OUTSIDE OF SAY, FALLS, IS MALNUTRITION, UH, AND DEHYDRATION.
AND SO A BIG PART OF MEALS IS DOING IS DELIVERING THEM EACH DAY.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, THAT THE FEELING, UH, OF ISOLATION AND LONELINESS.
WE DID A STUDY A FEW YEARS BACK, UH, WHERE WE LOOKED AT ALL OF OUR MEALS CLIENTS.
UH, WE LOOKED AT, UH, PEOPLE THAT RECEIVE MEALS AND FOLKS THAT LIVE IN DALLAS COUNTY THAT DON'T, THAT ARE KINDA LIKE THEM.
UH, WE WORK WITH THE PRICEWATERHOUSE AND THEY DID A STUDY FOR US AND THEY CAME OUT, PEOPLE THAT ARE ON MEALS PROGRAM, AND THIS IS JUST FOR DALLAS COUNTY.
UM, SAVE THE HEALTH SYSTEM ABOUT $10.4 MILLION A YEAR, MEANING LESS EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS, LESS CHA UH, CHALLENGES, MALNUTRITION, RUNNING ALL THAT DATA TOGETHER, SPIT OUT THAT THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THAT PROGRAM ACTUALLY SPEND LESS IN HEALTHCARE COSTS.
SO THAT GOES BACK TO THAT SOCIAL ISOLATION, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH PIECE THAT IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE ON MEALS AND SOMEONE'S CHECKING ON YOU EVERY DAY AND FEEDING YOU, THE CHANCES OF YOU USING HEALTHCARE GOES DOWN, WHICH IS A PRETTY INTERESTING STUDY.
UM, COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE DO, UH, OUTSIDE OF MEALS IS, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO WE STARTED THIS KIND OF BEFORE COVID.
UH, WE HAD THOUGHT THAT A LOT OF OUR CLIENTS AND THEN A LOT OF PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH IN, UH, THE COMMUNITY, HAVING ACCESS TO FLU SHOTS THAT ARE BEING SORT OF BROUGHT TO THE SENIORS.
YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, ABOUT HOW DO YOU GET PEOPLE TO COME TO YOUR, YOUR EVENTS OR COME TO YOUR, YOUR LISTENING SESSIONS.
A LOT OF TIMES TRANSPORTATION OR JUST MOBILITY ISSUES, IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO EVEN GO TO GO TO THOSE THINGS.
IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO GO TO THE DOCTOR, HARD FOR THEM TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND SO FORTH.
EVERYONE HERE WE GO TO TOM THUMB OR PHARMACY OR WHATNOT, AND THERE'S A FLU SHOP FOR US.
SO IT'S EQUALLY AS HARD AS FOR A LOT OF OUR HOME BOUND SENIORS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.
SO A FEW YEARS AGO, RIGHT BEFORE COVID, WE DECIDED WE WOULD DO A FLU SHOT PROGRAM.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT EVERY YEAR.
UM, NOT ONLY DURING COVID, WE DID, WE DO FLU SHOTS IN THE FALL OF 2020, BUT IN THE WINTER OF 21, WE STARTED DELIVERING COVID VACCINES AS WELL IN HOME COVID VACCINES.
THIS PROGRAM HAS NOW BEEN GOING ON FOR A COUPLE YEARS.
IN THIS LAST, UH, FALL, WE GAVE OUT A LITTLE OVER 730 VACCINATIONS, BOTH TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CLIENTS OF OURS IN THEIR HOME, PLUS A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. UM, WE SEND OUT, UH, INFORMATION TO ALL OF OUR CLIENTS THROUGH EVERY MONTH.
THEY GET KIND OF A FLYER ABOUT, UH, NUTRITION EDUCATION OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF OF THING.
WE INVITE THEM TO CALL US AND SAY THEY WANT A FLU SHOT.
AND SO OUTSIDE OF THEIR MEAL DELIVERY ROUTE, WE SEND SOME OF OUR HOSPICE NURSES AND AIDS OUT TO GET FLU SHOTS OUTSIDE OF THAT, JUST KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND GIVE 'EM FLU SHOT IN THEIR HOME.
AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO ACTUALLY GO OUT AND GET THAT.
SO THAT'S A PRETTY IMPORTANT PROGRAM WE STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO.
UH, ANOTHER ONE THAT WE DO, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, REALLY LOVE IS WE HAVE A PET CARE PROGRAM.
UM, SO A LOT OF OUR CLIENTS HAVE DOGS AND CATS.
UM, YEARS AND YEARS AGO, PROBABLY 10 OR 15 YEARS AGO, THERE WERE A BUNCH OF STUDIES THAT SAID THAT IF YOU WERE ON MEALS ON WHEELS, YOU WERE SHARING YOUR MEAL WITHDRAWAL.
SO WELL, WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO DO THAT.
WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO FEED THEIR ANIMALS AS WELL.
A LOT OF TIMES THIS IS THEIR COMPANION.
AND SO ONCE A MONTH, UH, WE DO A PET DELIVERY.
THERE'S ABOUT, I THINK IT'S AROUND, SAY THERE'S ABOUT 240 OR SO CLIENTS, PROBABLY 400 DOGS AND CATS ON THAT SERVICE ANYWAY.
SO ONCE A MONTH WE DELIVER A ON A SATURDAY, WE HAVE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT COME AND VOLUNTEER TO DO THAT, AND WE DELIVER A CLIENT BAG OFF THROUGH THE LAST MONTH.
AND SO IT HELPS THEM OFFSET THE COST OF FEEDING THEIR FURRY COMPANIONS.
UM, WE WORK WITH PHOENIX MOBILITY FOR TRANSPORTATION STUFF, AND THEN WE USE SOME TECHNOLOGY THAT WE, UM, A LOT OF US, UM, WHEN YOU
[00:35:01]
GO TO THE DOCTOR RIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR, YOU GET THE LITTLE MESSAGE OF TEXT MESSAGE DURING THE PHONE SAYING, TOMORROW YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT.WE USE A SIMILAR SYSTEM TO REMIND OUR CLIENTS OF THINGS.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO USE, IT'S CALLED CARE MESSAGE AND WE'RE ABLE TO USE THAT SYSTEM AS WELL.
THAT'S, I SAY WHILE WAITING FOR THE NEXT SLIDE, HOW DOES THAT COMMUNICATION PROCESS WORK THAT MAY NOT HAVE TECHNOLOGY? SO IT'S TWO, IT'S, IT'S PART, IT'S NOT THE ONLY WAY WE COMMUNICATE.
WE SEND EVERYONE THAT'S IN OUR SYSTEM THAT HAS A CELL PHONE, THAT MESSAGE, AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED, IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT 85% OR CLIENTS HAVE ONE.
MOST PEOPLE NOW THAT'S WHAT THEY USE VERSUS A PHONE THAT'S IN THE HOME, RIGHT? SO THE OTHERS GET THE SAME COMMUNICATION, THEY JUST GET THROUGH A FLYER WHEN THEIR MEAL IS DELIVERED, THEY'RE GIVEN THAT.
EVERYONE ALSO THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO RECEIVE A TEXT MESSAGE THAT SEND A TEXT MESSAGE THROUGH THE PHONE.
ONLY PEOPLE ON THE CELL PHONES THAT DON'T HAVE ONE YET.
SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S ANOTHER WAY TO COMMUNICATE TO THEM AND IT'S AN EASY WAY FOR US TO COLLECT INFORMATION BACK.
THEY CAN, I CAN ASK A QUESTION.
UM, THIS IS COMMISSIONER AUSTIN.
AS FAR AS THE FREE RIDES TO DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS AND PRESCRIPTION PICKUPS, HOW DO, UH, SENIORS GO ABOUT GETTING THOSE? DO THEY HAVE TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS? UM, IS IT DONE ON AN APP? DO THEY CALL A TELEPHONE NUMBER? HOW'S THAT DONE? SO OUR PROGRAM IS, WE WORK WITH PHOENIX MOBILITY, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT HERE IN NORTH TEXAS THAT YEAH.
SO WE MAKE REFERRAL, WE, WE MAKE REFERRALS FOR OUR CLIENTS TO THAT ORGANIZATION.
SO A LOT OF TIMES WE AREN'T COORDINATING IT.
WE GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION, THEY REACH OUT THEMSELVES AND THEY COORDINATE WITH PHOENIX MOBILITY.
SO THE TIMELINE, IT COULDN'T BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE WITHIN A DAY OR SO.
PAPERWORK, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD TAKE A DAY OR SO.
IT, IT, IT DEPENDS ON, UM, THE AVAILABILITY OF THOSE OF THOSE DRIVERS FOR THAT PROGRAM.
AGAIN, WE GIVE, IF A CLIENT OF OURS SAYS, I REALLY NEED TRANSPORTATION SERVICES TO SEE WHAT WE SAY, GREAT, HERE'S INFORMATION ABOUT PHOENIX MOBILITY.
THEY REACH OUT TO THEM AND WORK OUT THE DETAILS THERE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS IS WE CERTAINLY HAVE OUR, OUR VOLUNTEERS AND DRIVERS WHO DELIVERED A MEAL EVERY DAY.
AND THERE'S A, AN ABILITY AND A WAY FOR US TO SORT OF CAPTURE INFORMATION THROUGH KIND OF A MOBILE APPLICATION THAT CAN KICK BACK TO OUR OFFICE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, TODAY I DELIVERED MEALS TO CHRIS AND HE DIDN'T LOOK SO WELL OR HE NEEDED THIS OR THAT.
YOU CAN SEND A LITTLE MESSAGE BACK AND IT GOES BACK TO OUR OFFICE.
BUT ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE REALIZED IS, THAT'S GREAT, BUT GOSH, IF WE HAD A DEDICATED TEAM OF PEOPLE, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, AND TO VISIT THE, THE HIGHEST NEED CLIENTS OR PEOPLE THAT WERE DEEMED THAT NEEDED, THAT WOULD BE A, A GREAT WAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO EVEN ADD MORE SERVICES.
SO DURING COVID WE STARTED THIS, WE HAVE FOUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND A SOCIAL WORKER NOW ON STAFF WHOSE JOB IS EVERY DAY THEY GET A REPORT FROM THAT, UH, FROM THAT SYSTEM THAT SAYS, HERE ARE THE 25 CLIENTS THAT NEED A HOME VISIT, AND THEY GO OUT AND VISIT THOSE CLIENTS.
SO, UH, OUR, THESE GUYS ARE ALSO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AT DIFFERENT COMMUNITY EVENTS TO HELP REALLY, UM, RECRUIT PEOPLE TO BE ON MEAL SERVICE.
UH, THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO TOO.
WE GET A LOT OF REFERRALS TO ON SERVICE.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS IS WE REALIZED YEARS AGO, WE NEED TO BE OUT IN COMMUNITY ASKING, UH, FOLKS IF THEY NEED THE SERVICE.
AND SO THAT IS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS DO BOTH RECRUITMENT OF NEW CLIENTS, BUT ALSO SORT OF DO HOME VISITS TO CLIENTS.
WELL, SO, EXCUSE ME, YOUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
THEIR BACKGROUND IS, THEY ALL HAVE THEIR, ALL OF THE FOUR OF THEM, TWO OF THEM HAVE MASTER'S MASTER IN SOCIAL WORK AND THE OTHER TWO TO HAVE, UM, A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER DEGREE.
AND THERE'S AN ACTUAL LICENSE, UH, FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THEY CAN CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS, THEY GET A CER CERTIFICATION.
SO THEY'RE ALL CERTIFIED IN THAT, IN THAT WORK.
[00:40:12]
THERE WE GO.UM, THIS TALKS ABOUT THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PROGRAM WE TALKED ABOUT.
SO WE CAN MOVE, WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE.
SORRY, GETTING A LITTLE AHEAD OF EASE.
UM, ANOTHER, ANOTHER THING THAT WE REALIZE TOO IS AGAIN, WE'RE GOOD AT DELIVERING MEALS.
WE'RE GOOD AT PROVIDING HOSPICE PALLIATIVE CARE, BUT A LOT OF THE OTHER SERVICES OUT THERE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE PARTNER WITH HEALTH HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS.
AND SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS WITH SOME OF THE MAJOR HEALTH SYSTEMS, UH, IN NORTH TEXAS.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO ACTUALLY REFER CLIENTS TO PHYSICIAN HOUSE CALL GROUPS NOW.
SO OBVIOUSLY GETTING TO THE DOCTOR IS A BIG CHALLENGE FOR, FOR FOLKS THAT HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES AND TRANSPORTATION ISSUES.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING NOW IS REFERRING, UH, OUR CLIENTS TO A NUMBER OF THE HOUSE CALL GROUPS WHERE DOCTORS WILL ACTUALLY COME AND VISIT THEM IN THEIR HOME, WHICH IS A GREAT SERVICE.
UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THOSE PRACTICES, UH, HERE IN NORTH TEXAS.
AND SO THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO REFER CLIENTS TO THAT SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE SOMEONE COME AND VISIT THEM IN THEIR HOME IS, IS A BIG DEAL.
YOU CAN JUMP IT, YOU CAN JUMP PAST THIS ONE TOO.
SO YOU GUYS CAN, UM, THIS WE DO A NUMBER OF, UM, UH, SORT OF, WE ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW ARE WE PROVIDING THE BEST SERVICE WE CAN.
WE COULD KNOW THAT IN THE SENSE OF THAT WE'RE DELIVERING THESE MEALS, BUT ARE WE DOING IN THE CORRECT WAY? ARE WE DOING TIMING WAY? ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE RIGHT TYPE OF MEAL, THE RIGHT TYPE OF SERVICE? AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, AT VNA HAS ALWAYS DONE IS WE'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO PARTICIPATE IN A LOT OF RESEARCH STUDIES THAT ARE DONE ON THE DELIVERY OF MEALS, ON THE TYPE OF MEAL.
UM, AND SO WE'VE BEEN A PART OF A NUMBER OF STUDIES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT HAVE REALLY SORT OF COME OUT AND GIVEN US AND REALLY MEALS PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY DIRECTION ON HOW, WHAT THEY NEED TO SERVE, WHEN THEY NEED TO SERVE IT.
UM, AND THE ABILITY FOR US TO KNOW THOSE THINGS IS IMPORTANT THAT WE AT DNA WANT TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATION, PARTICIPATE IN THAT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE KIND OF THE INSIDE TRACK.
SO WE'VE BEEN PART OF A NUMBER OF RESEARCH PROGRAM, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ON PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE.
ONE OF THE ONES IS
SO THE, THE BIG DIFFERENCE WE'RE LOOKING AT IS DOES THE DAILY KNOCK ON THE DOOR, THE HANDING OF THE HOT MEAL, DOES THAT COHORT OF PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT HEALTH OUTCOMES, UTILIZE HEALTH SYSTEM AND PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING THE FROZEN MEALS.
SO IT'S, IT'S AN INTERESTING STUDY.
WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT ONE.
WE DON'T HAVE RESEARCH LIKE YET.
BUT THAT CHANGE HOW MEALS PROGRAMS SORT OF APPROACH THEIR DELIVERY MODEL, MAYBE.
COULD IT, COULD IT ALSO REINFORCE THE MEALS? NO, I HAVE A QUESTION.
I'M SEEING THAT, UH, THE VNA SUNSHINE CALL PROGRAM AND I SEE THAT YOU ARE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UT DELL MEDICAL AND DELL MEDICAL IS A UT BRANCH IN AUSTIN.
I UNDERSTAND THAT UT UM, UT HOUSTON ALSO HAS A CALL PROGRAM THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO INSTITUTE.
UM, DID, DID YOU ALL WORK WITH THEM TOO OR IS IT JUST THE ONE IN AUSTIN? SO THE ONE RIGHT NOW IT'S THE ONE IN AUSTIN BECAUSE THEY ARE DOING A STUDY NATIONWIDE AND THEY REACHED OUT TO US AND ASKED IF WE WANTED TO PARTICIPATE.
SO IN THAT
[00:45:06]
UM, THIS GOES BACK A LITTLE BIT TO SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE USE.AGAIN, THE ABILITY TO CAPTURE REAL-TIME DATA EVERY DAY ON OUR CLIENTS, UH, TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THEIR NEEDS, UH, IS GREAT.
AND SO WE HAVE A, A SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS US WHEN YOU DELIVER, IF YOU'VE DELIVERED MEALS IN THE PAST FOR US, YOU WOULD'VE GOTTEN A PAPER MANIFEST AND HERE'S THE LIST AND ALL THE NAMES.
NOW THAT'S ALL DONE ON THE PHONE.
SO IT'S ALL AN APP, IT'S DONE.
SO WHEN YOU ARE DELIVERING, YOU CLICK DELIVERED OR UNDELIVERED HOME, NOT HOME.
AND IT GIVES US THAT REAL TIME FEEDBACK.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE, UM, INTAKE SPECIALISTS, UM, THAT WILL ACTUALLY FOLLOW UP WITH ALL THE CLIENTS THAT WERE AT HOME BECAUSE WHY WEREN'T THEY THERE? IS THERE A CHALLENGE? DO THEY NEED A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER TO COME VISIT THEM? DO THEY NEED EXTRA RESOURCES AND SO FORTH BEFORE THE SYSTEM, WHICH WAS IMPLEMENTED OF THE YEAR, RIGHT? IN 2019 BEFORE THAT YOU, WE WOULD, YOU WOULD PICK UP YOUR MEALS AND YOU GET YOUR PAPER MANIFEST.
THE ASSUMPTION WAS ALL THOSE MEALS ARE DELIVERED.
DIDN'T, YOU COULD CALL BACK AND SAY CHRIS WASN'T HOME THAT DAY, BUT NOT A LOT OF OUR, OUR VOLUNTEERS, THEY WOULD DO, SOME WOULD DO AND SOME WOULD.
THIS IS, THIS IS, YOU HAVE TO CLICK THROUGH IN ORDER TO FINISH YOUR ROUTE.
SO IT GIVES US REAL, REAL TIME DATA, WHICH IS REALLY INTERESTING.
SO IT'S ALLOWED US TO REALLY KIND OF SHIFT, UH, AND GROW ROUTES.
UM, PRIOR TO 2019, WE WERE SERVING ABOUT 3,900 CLIENTS NOW, WHEREAS HIGH AS 5,000, A BIG PART OF THAT IS NOT JUST THE NEED, WHICH IS ALWAYS THERE, BUT IT'S HOW DO YOU SCALE UP TO THAT? AND THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS REALLY HELPED US GET TO THAT POINT.
SO, UM, AND REALLY IMPORTANT PART.
SO NEXT SLIDE WE CAN, LET'S GET THIS ONE.
SO I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
SO THE SECOND PIECE OF WHO WE ARE, AGAIN, THE MEALS PROGRAM IS OUR END OF LIFE CARE, UH, PROGRAM.
UM, WE ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST, UH, NON-PROFIT HOSPICE PROVIDERS IN NORTH TEXAS.
THEY'RE PROBABLY LAST COUNT TWO TO 300 HOSPICE PROGRAMS IN NORTH TEXAS ALONE.
SO ANYONE NEEDS IN LIFE CARE, THEIR PHYSICIAN IS THE ONE THAT SORT OF SAYS IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO HAVE THAT TYPE OF SERVICE.
THERE'S HUNDREDS YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM.
UM, THERE ARE THE LARGE NATIONAL GROUPS THAT PROBABLY HAVE FIVE OR 600 CLIENTS ON SERVICE, UH, AT A TIME HERE IN NORTH TEXAS.
AND THEN IT DROPS DOWN TO THE REGIONAL GUYS.
US, WE HAVE ABOUT 325 THIS MORNING WHEN I LOOKED.
UH, WE HAVE ANOTHER A HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT ARE ON PALLIATIVE CARE, WHICH IS PRECURSOR TO HOSPICE.
HOSPICE CARE IS YOUR END OF LIFE CARE IS YOU HAVE SIX MONTHS LEFT TO YOU COME ONTO HOSPICE CARE.
WE TAKE OVER AS A, AS A ORGANIZATION, WE TAKE OVER YOUR TAKING CARE OF YOU UNTIL YOU PASS AWAY.
IT'S 90% OF OUR CLIENTS LIVE IN THEIR OWN HOME.
THE OTHERS LIVE IN A NURSING HOME OR HOSPITAL SETTING OR ASSISTED LIVING.
UH, PALLIATIVE IS THE PRECURSOR TO THAT.
PEOPLE CAN COME ONTO PALLIATIVE CARE.
IT'S MORE SERIOUS ILLNESS CARE.
UM, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A DIAGNOSIS, UH, THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SIX MONTHS LESSER LIVE.
IT'S JUST NOT AS INTENSE TO SAY IN HOSPICE.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT 110 PEOPLE HERE IN HERE IN OUR AREA ON THAT SERVICE.
AGAIN, WE COVER DALLAS, UH, FOR MEALS, THE CITY OF DALLAS FOR MEALS, BUT THEN WE COVER IT THIS ENTIRE AREA FOR HOSPICE CARE.
THIS IS RELATED TO OUR, OUR PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAM.
SO IN THE, UH, LATE SEVENTIES, MEDICARE CAME OUT WITH THIS NEW THING CALLED HOSPICE.
UM, THE VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION.
WE WERE THE FIRST HOSPICE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE WERE THE FIRST ONE TO RAISE OUR HAND AND SAY, WE'LL DO IT.
IT WAS A MODEL, IT WAS KIND OF A, IT WAS A, A TEST TO SEE IF THEY WOULD ACTUALLY DO IT.
SO WE RAISED OUR HAND AND SAID WE WOULD DO THAT A FEW YEARS AGO.
WE RAISED OUR HAND AND SAID WE WOULD DO THE PALLIATIVE CARE PORTION OF THAT.
AND THAT'S HOW THAT PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAM WAS CREATED.
THERE'S A HUGE GAP IN HEALTHCARE.
EVERYBODY KNOWS BETWEEN SAY, SERIOUS ILLNESS CARE, END OF LIFE CARE.
SO PALLIATIVE IS THAT BRIDGE BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THAT PROGRAM FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
[00:50:01]
BUT WHEN IT ENDED, WE KNEW THAT.WE REALIZED BY BEING IN THAT PILOT, THE, THE NEED THAT WE HAVE HERE IN NORTH TEXAS, THE NEED PEOPLE HAD.
UM, IT IS A YOU WE DO NOT GET PAID ANYTHING FOR PALLIATIVE CARE.
HOSPICE IS A MEDICARE BENEFIT.
UH, WHEN YOU ARE 65 AND OLDER AND YOU HAVE MEDICARE AND YOU NEED TO GO ONTO HOSPICE SERVICES, MEDICARE PAYS THE HOSPICE PROVIDER DNA, UH, SO MUCH A DAY THAT PROVIDES YOU WITH HOSPICE CARE AND YOU ARE ON THAT SERVICE UNTIL, UNTIL YOU PASS AWAY.
HOW, IT'S NOT THAT THERE'S NO PAYER FOR THAT, BUT THE ABILITY AND THE RESOURCE THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO BRING SERIOUS ILLNESS CARE, WE REALIZED THERE WERE TOO MANY PEOPLE IN NORTH TEXAS THAT NEEDED THAT.
AND SO WE DECIDED TO STICK WITH IT AND SAY TO KEEP IT.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A MISSION BASED SERVICE.
WE'RE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN THAT, THAT PALLET OF PIECE AS WE WE'RE DOING IT MORE OR LESS FOR FREE.
UM, WE DO HAVE A FEW MANAGED MEDICARE PARTNERS THAT PAY A LITTLE BIT ON IT, BUT FOR THE MOST PART IT IS NOT A ADDED BENEFITS.
BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE KEPT THAT.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT ALLOWED PEOPLE TO HAVE THAT SERVICE PRIOR TO HOSPICE CARE AND IT'S REALLY HELPED HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND AND UTILIZE THAT SERVICE.
ABOUT HOW LONG ARE YOUR PATIENTS ON PALLIATIVE TAKE CARE? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
SO PALLIATIVE, WE, YOU CAN, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ON FOR MORE THAN A YEAR ON PALLIATIVE HOSPICE CARE.
THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY FOR US IS PROBABLY AROUND 20 TO 25 DAYS.
AND YOUR PALLIATIVE CARE AVERAGE IS ABOUT, OOH, I WOULD'VE TO LOOK.
UH, I WOULD PROBABLY SAY IT'S ABOUT TWO MONTHS.
UM, AND WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT PALLIATIVE IS BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT TERMINALLY ILL PEOPLE COME ON.
AND THEY STAY ON THE SERVICE AND THEN THEY DECIDE I DON'T NEED IT ANYMORE.
A LOT OF OUR PALLIATIVE CARE PATIENTS ARE CANCER PATIENTS.
SO THEY GO INTO REMISSION AND THEY DON'T NEED US TO COME AND PROVIDE THE SERVICES ANYMORE.
SO, UM, THIS IS NOT SENIOR RELATED, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, WE DO ALSO WITHIN OUR, OUR HOSPICE PROGRAMS IS WE, WE HAVE A PEDIATRIC HOSPICE PROGRAM.
UH, CHILDREN'S CAME TO US KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID AND SAID, THERE ARE NO PROVIDERS ANY LONGER FOR, UM, PEDIATRIC HOSPICE CARE.
WE'VE GOTTEN OUT OF THAT BUSINESS.
THEY CAME TO US AND WE SAID, ABSOLUTELY.
SO OF THE 325 OR SO CLIENTS IN HOSPICE CARE, WE HAVE EACH DAY, ABOUT 30 OF THEM ARE ARE PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 20.
UH, AND IT IS INFANTS ALL THE WAY TO TEENAGERS.
AND SO WE, UM, UH, STARTED THAT PROGRAM IN A REALLY, UH, IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A TRUE BLESSING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
AND IT'S, AND THAT'S A GROWING NEED HERE IN NORTH TEXAS.
SO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, JUST 'CAUSE IT'S A UNIQUE THING OF WHAT WE DO.
HOW DO YOU, HOW IS DNA, BUT WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY COME FROM TO THESE THINGS? GREAT QUESTION.
SO WE ARE ABOUT A $35 MILLION AGENCY.
MEDICARE, UH, MEDICAID MAKE UP ABOUT 60% OF THAT BECAUSE IT'S A MEDICARE, UH, FEE FOR SERVICE FOR, FOR HOSPICE CARE.
THE MEALS PROGRAM, UH, ABOUT HALF OF THE MONEY THAT WE NEED TO RUN THAT COMES FROM TWO IDOLS THAT COME FROM THE FEDS THAT COME TO THE STATE AND COMES TO THE LOCAL, LOCAL AGENCIES.
ONE IS CALLED TITLE THREE, IT'S OLDER
SO THOSE DOLLARS COME AGAINST FEDS STATES AND THEN THEY COME LOCALLY.
THE OTHER IS CALLED TITLE 20, WHICH IS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT.
MONEY STATES RECEIVE, THEY CAN USE IT FOR A NUMBER OF THINGS.
THE THINGS TEXAS USES, THEREFORE IS TO PROVIDE MEALS FOR SENIORS.
IT'S ABOUT HALF OUR BUDGET, UH, FOR OUR MEALS PROGRAM AND THE REST OF IT.
UM, COMMISSIONER IS, IS COMMUNITY FUNDED, RAISED.
WE RAISE ABOUT $8 MILLION A YEAR THAT NOT ONLY COVERS, UM, THE, THAT KIND OF GAP BETWEEN WHAT WE'RE GETTING FROM STATE TO PAY FOR MEALS, BUT ALSO A PART OF WHAT WE DO FOR HOSPICE IS IF YOU'RE 65 AND OLDER, IT'S CAPABLE.
IF YOU'RE UNDER 65, GENERALLY NOT EVEN PRIVATE INSURANCE DOESN'T.
I MEAN, WE MEDICARE, SO WE, WE TAKE ON, OR WE HAVE CLIENTS THAT COME ONTO OUR SERVICE FREE OF CHARGE THAT NEED IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE, SAY THEY'RE 50 YEARS OLD AND HAVE CANCER.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE, THEIR PROGRAM, THEIR INSURANCE DOESN'T PAY FOR IT.
AND WE USE FUNDRAISING DOLLARS TO COVER THE COST OF PROVIDING THAT CARE.
IT'S ABOUT 10 TO 15 TO 20 PEOPLE, DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF YEAR THAT ARE ON THAT TOTAL SERVICE OR CHARITABLE HOSPICE CARE.
SO WE RAISE DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THE MEALS PART HALF OF IT, AND THEN RAISE DOLLARS TO HELP PAY FOR CHARITABLE,
[00:55:01]
UM,I DELIVERED MEALS FOR PROBABLY FIVE YEARS AND I WAS ALWAYS AMAZED AT THE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF, OF THE CLIENTS.
SOME WOULD BE THERE FOR TWO OR THREE WEEKS.
OTHERS WOULD BE THERE FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS.
SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE VARIOUS SEGMENTS THAT YOU STARTED? YES.
SO WE HAVE, AGAIN, WE HAVE ABOUT 5,000 CLIENTS ON SERVICE EACH DAY.
WE END UP DISCHARGING FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
SO PERSON PASSES AWAY, THE PERSON MOVES, UH, THE PERSON JUST DOESN'T WANT MEALS ANYMORE.
UM, IT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED TO 120 A MONTH.
SO WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE ARE DELIVERING ROUTES, THEY HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE, THEY'LL DELIVER A ROUTE FOR A YEAR AND THEY'LL SAY, THE PEOPLE I STARTED WITH, ONLY HALF OF THEM ARE LEFT.
IT'S BECAUSE THEY COME OFF AND ON SERVICE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY ARE LOOKING AT AND ARE, ARE REALLY WANTING TO FIGURE OUT IS, AGAIN, THAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN DALLAS COUNTY OR THAT LIVE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS THAT LIVE OUT OR BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, THERE ARE 60 OR 40.
THOSE PEOPLE WOULD QUALIFY FOR MEALS.
MOST LIKELY THAT, BUT YOU PROBABLY HAVE TO THINK THAT HALF OF THEM WILL NEVER WANT SOMEONE TO DELIVER A MEAL TO THEIR HOUSE.
AND I THINK THAT'S A CHALLENGE THAT A LOT OF SOCIAL SERVICE GROUPS, AND WHETHER IT'S, WHETHER IT'S IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO SENIORS, IS THERE'S PLENTY OF FOLKS THAT COULD USE RESOURCES, BUT THEY JUST AREN'T GONNA EITHER, UM, ALLOW THE ORGANIZATION TO PROVIDE THAT CARE OR JUST DON'T WANT IT.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT NUMBER AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT'S THAT REAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD WANT MEALS? HOW DO WE GET TO THAT NUMBER? UM, BUT, BUT FROM A, EVERY MONTH IT EBB AND FLOWS.
WE AGAIN DISCHARGE A HUNDRED TO 120 AND WE ADD A HUNDRED TO 131 MONTH, AND THEN ONE MONTH IT'S 140, AND THE NEXT MONTH IT'S 110.
SO IT JUST DEPENDS ON ADDING THOSE FOLKS.
BUT A BIG PART OF THAT IS A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT COME OFF SERVICE THAT SAY THEY DON'T NEED THE MEALS ANYMORE, WE CONSTANTLY STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM BECAUSE WE KNOW TRADITIONALLY THAT THEY'LL PROBABLY COME BACK.
UM, PEOPLE THAT MOVE OUT OF OUR COVERAGE AREA, WE REFER THEM TO OTHER MEALS PROGRAMS, PROVIDE 'EM CARE.
SOME PEOPLE, UH, END UP MOVING IN WITH A, A, A LOVED ONE OR A CHILD THAT SORT OF SAYS, MY MOM DOESN'T NEED MEALS NOW I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TAKE CARE OF THEM OR, OR PROVIDE 'EM WITH THE, THE FOOD THEY NEED.
BUT SO IT, IT IS A VARIETY OF REASONS.
UM, CHRIS, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE, UM, SINCE YOU GUYS HELP DRIVE DOWN HOSPITAL USAGE, ARE THE MEDICAL SYSTEMS LIKE THR AND METHODIST PROVIDING YOU WITH GRANTS TO HELP YOU DELIVER MORE? YEAH.
UM, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, WE'VE HAD SOME GOOD PARTNERSHIPS THERE.
UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE A, I'LL USE METHODIST AS AN EXAMPLE.
WE DID A JOINT GRANT WITH THEM.
THERE'S A SCALE THAT'S USED TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOU GET A SCORE, WHETHER OR NOT THEY THINK YOU'LL READMIT REIT.
SO WHETHER YOU'RE GONNA COME BACK TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM OR COME BACK FROM THE HOSPITAL, UNINTENDED READMISSION.
AND SO WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM TO, UH, AND WE, WE HAVE A SMALL PROGRAM.
WE HAD USED TO HAVE A LARGER PROGRAM.
IT'S NOW IT'S A LITTLE SMALLER.
BUT THE INTENT IS THEY LOOK AT THOSE PEOPLE AND THEY SAY, OKAY, CHRIS NEEDS MEALS FOR 30 DAYS OR 60 OR 90 TO PREVENT HIM FROM RE REMITTING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM OR UNINTENDEDLY REMIT BACK TO THE HOSPITAL.
THAT PROGRAM IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY FROM A MEALS ON WHEEL.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE GETTING THE KNOCK ON THE DOOR, YOU'RE GETTING THE DELIVERY.
BUT FOR THOSE CLIENTS, UH, I'D HAVE TO LOOK TO SEE HOW MANY THERE ARE RIGHT NOW.
THEY GET A, THEY GET SOME QUESTIONS WITHIN THAT MOBILE SYSTEM THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, HAVE, ARE YOU, ARE YOU FEELING OKAY? ARE YOU EATING YOUR MEALS? HAVE YOU MADE YOUR FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENT? AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION IN THERE, AND THAT GETS FED BACK TO METHODIST.
UM, AND IF THERE'S A CHALLENGE WITH THAT PERSON, LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING NOT RIGHT, NOT FEELING WELL, OR THEIR MEDICATION ISN'T WORKING THAT SAME DAY, WE REACH OUT TO OUR CONTACTED METHODS TO TELL THEM, THIS ISN'T DOING WELL.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO GIVE HIM A CALL.
SO IT'S A INABILITY TO SORT OF PREVENT THAT PERSON FROM MAYBE SHOWING BACK UP AT THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T TAKING THEIR MEDICATION BACK AND THEY WEREN'T GOOD.
SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THEIR, WITH
[01:00:01]
THEIR WHY THEY WERE DISCHARGED, UH, FROM AN ACUTE EVENT.SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY WITH THAT PROGRAM.
OF THE 8 MILLION THAT YOU RAISE, HOW MUCH OF THAT COMES FROM FOUNDATIONS OR OTHER MAJOR GRANT TYPE THINGS AS OPPOSED TO FUNDRAISING TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE FOR INDIVIDUAL
THE REST OF IT IS INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS ACROSS A VARIETY OF WAYS.
WE ARE NOT AN EVENT HEAVY ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE ONE, UH, ONE LARGE EVENT THAT WE DO EACH YEAR.
THE REST OF IT IS REALLY INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS AT ALL LEVELS.
SO, UM, FROM SOMEONE GIVING US $25 TO SOMEONE GIVING US A MILLION DOLLARS, DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF YEAR AND DEPENDING ON THE YEAR WE CREATED, WE'VE TRIED TO CREATE A REALLY DIVERSE WAY OF RAISING DOLLARS.
SO IT'S NOT ALL IN ONE GIANT BUCKET.
SO FOUNDATIONS IN A LARGE GRANT WE RECEIVE EACH YEAR IS PROBABLY ABOUT TWO AND A HALF OR SO.
AND THEN THE REST OF THAT MONEY IS RAISED.
SOME BUCKETS ARE BIGGER THAN OTHERS, BUT IT'S RAISED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
AND MOST OF OUR DONORS ARE INDIVIDUAL DONORS TO US AT ALL.
YOU ALL RECEIVE A GREAT AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM UNITED WAY THOUGH, RIGHT? WE DO NOT, WE ARE NOT PART OF UNITED WAY'S.
UM, WE, SO UNITED WAY, YEARS AGO SET UP THREE PILLARS IN WHICH THEY SUPPORT.
ONE IS HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, ONE IS GRAD, UM, HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, AND ONE IS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
WE RECEIVE A SMALL GRANT FROM UNITED WAY.
AND SO IT'S NOT VERY, IT'S NOT AS MUCH AS SAY A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE.
WE, UM, WE DO, WE ARE NOT ONE OF THE LARGER FUNDERS FROM THE UNITED WAY.
WELL, BACK TO YOUR, UH, MEALS ON WHEELS.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
WHEN, WHEN YOUR RESEARCH, I'M, I'M REALLY AMAZED AT YOUR RESEARCH AND I COMPLIMENT YOU FOR DOING IT.
SO DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THE IMPACT ON, ON HEALTH AND ESPECIALLY NON ER ADMISSIONS TO JUST THE NUTRITION? IS IT THE COMBINATION OF THE NUTRITION AND THE, THE DAILY CONTACT AND CHECKING ON THEM? I MEAN, THEY SEE THAT AS ALL THROUGH OF MULTIPLE REASONS THAT IT HAS AN IMPACT? YES.
I I WOULD ARGUE IT'S PROBABLY THE KNOCK ON THE DOOR MORE THAN IT IS THE NUTRITION.
UH, SO A LOT OF THE STUDIES WILL SAY THE NUTRITION IS HUGELY IMPORTANT.
BUT THE ABILITY FOR US TO GET IN THE HOME IS BECAUSE WE'RE DELIVERING THE MEAL, RIGHT? YEAH.
UH, AND THE ABILITY FOR US TO SEE THE PERSON EVERY DAY SEE CHANGE OF CONDITIONS YES.
AND, OR GET FEEDBACK FROM THEM AND THEN SEND A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER OVER.
AND THEIR ROLE IS TO DO AN ASSESSMENT AND SEE WHAT OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES THEY CAN PROVIDE.
IF THERE'S A MEDICAL NEED, WE THEN REFER THEM TO OUR HOSPICE TEAM WHO THEN SENDS A, A, A CLINICIAN TO CHECK, MAYBE THEY DON'T NEED HOSPICE.
MAYBE THEY DON'T NEED PALLIATIVE, BUT IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT THEY NEED? DO THEY NEED A REFERRAL TO A HOUSE CALLS DOCTOR? DO THEY NEED SOMETHING ELSE THAT, THAT WE SCRATCHED THE, WE SCRATCHED THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG ON THAT.
UH, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SEND OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO EVERY CLIENT.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE HAVE, THEY MAKE ABOUT 150 TO 160 CALLS A MONTH TO, TO SOMEONE'S HOME, WHICH IS PRETTY GOOD FOR FOUR OF THEM.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE TRY TO FOCUS ON THE ONES THAT WE GET REFERRALS FOR THAT HAVE GREATER NEED.
BUT THE ONES THAT, UM, A DRIVER IDENTIFIED WHEN THEY VISITED THAT DAY THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WASN'T, DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT.
SO THE, THAT'S A BIG KIND OF PART OF WHAT WE DO.
BUT, BUT I THINK FROM THE RESEARCH SIDE, IT IS THE NUTRITION, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY THE ISOLATION PIECE.
AND IT IS THAT KIND OF LONELINESS SIDE OF THINGS THAT UNFORTUNATELY DRIVES PEOPLE TO ACCESS HEALTHCARE MORE.
SO KIND OF FOLLOWING THAT, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR CLIENTS LIVE IN LIKE, THEIR OWN PERSONAL FAMILY HOME VERSUS SOME APARTMENT SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY'RE SORT OF ISOLATED VERSUS LIKE A SENIOR APARTMENT? YES.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD HAVE TO, WE'D HAVE TO DIG IN AND LOOK 'CAUSE IT CHANGES A LOT.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GUESS PROBABLY ABOUT HALF OF OUR CLIENTS LIVE IN THEIR OWN HOME.
AND THEN 25, 30% LIVE IN APARTMENTS, AND THEN MAYBE 20,
[01:05:01]
25% LIVE IN A SENIOR FACILITY.AND NOT, NOT ASSISTED LIVING, BUT RIGHT.
SORT OF THE SENIOR, SENIOR INDEPENDENT, INDEPENDENT IN SENIOR PROGRAM.
AND THEN YOU, YOU'VE SAID THAT, THAT, SO I MEAN, I ALWAYS THOUGHT MEALS ON WHEELS, YOU HAD TO BE HOME BOUND, BUT IF YOU'RE BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL, WHICH IS A CERTAIN NUMBER, YOU ALSO COULD QUALIFY.
SO IF YOU'VE SEEN ONE MEALS PROGRAM, YOU'VE SEEN ONE MEALS PROGRAM,
SO THE, THE, THE STATE DOLLARS QUALIFY TELL YOU, UH, THE PERSON HAS TO BE LIVE ALONE AND NO OTHER SOURCE FROM YOU.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVE THEIR CRITERIA.
SO ALL OF THE CLIENTS THAT BEEN ON THOSE PROGRAMS, OKAY.
AND THEN IT'S PROBABLY, LET'S CALL IT 2000 OUT OF THE FIVE.
WE, YOU, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU QUALIFY FOR THAT.
THE OTHER THREE, UH, WE CAN PUT ANYBODY ON THAT WE FEEL LIKE NEEDS TO DO THIS.
SO IT'S REALLY SOME MUL PROGRAMS. IF I WAS FROM A DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION, THEY WOULD SAY, NO, EVERYBODY HAS TO MEET ALL THOSE REQUIREMENTS ALL THE TIME.
WE LOOK AT IT AS, WE LOOK AT IT AS OUR, OUR AVERAGE CLIENT IS 65 AND OLDER.
OUR AVERAGE CLIENT LIVES ALONE.
OUR AVERAGE CLIENT HAS, UM, TWO OR THREE CHRONIC CONDITIONS.
THE AVERAGE CLIENT HAS MOBILITY ISSUES.
THE MAJORITY OF THEM DON'T HAVE THEIR OWN CAR AND HAVE TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES.
HOWEVER, THERE MAY BE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE MIX THAT, THAT MAYBE ONLY HAVE ONE OR TWO OF THOSE THINGS.
WE WANT TO BE A PROGRAM THAT IS, HAS THE RESOURCES AND THE ABILITY TO SERVE AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE DOLLARS AND RESOURCES DICTATE THAT.
BUT OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO REALLY LOOK AT HOW DO WE LOOK AT THAT GIANT NUMBER ACROSS THE CITY DES ACROSS THE COUNTY.
HOW DO WE TACKLE THAT? NOT JUST THROUGH HOME DELIVERY, BUT HOW DO WE HELP THE CONGREGATE THEIR SENIOR CENTER PROGRAMS GROW? UH, BEFORE COVID, THEY WERE, THEY WERE STARTING TO DECLINE.
UM, THERE, THEY WENT REAL, THEY WENT PRETTY FAR DOWN DURING COVID, OBVIOUSLY THEY WEREN'T OPEN.
UH, A LOT OF THEM DID HOME DELIVERED MEALS INSTEAD.
SO PEOPLE WOULD DRIVE OVER OR WALK OVER, GET THEIR MEALS, AND THEN GO HOME.
WHEN THEY REOPENED, MAGICALLY NOT AS MANY PEOPLE CAME BACK.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, WITH THEM, WITH A LOT OF THE SENIOR CENTERS, WITH THE COUNTY AND THE INDEPENDENT GROUPS TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE HELP YOU GROW YOUR POPULATION? BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO WALK DOWN THE STREET OR GET ON THE LITTLE BUS THAT BRINGS YOU OVER TO YOUR SENIOR CENTER, GREAT BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING A MEAL AND YOU'RE GETTING SOCIAL INTERACTION, SO FORTH AND SO ON.
WHEN YOU CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE, COME ON TO MEALS.
SO, BUT WE LOOK AT THAT GIANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE, AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE EVERYBODY WITH SERVICES OR GET EVEN CLOSE TO THAT IS A COMBINATION OF HOME CONGREGATE AND THEN A NUMBER.
WE ALSO WORK WITH A NUMBER OF NONPROFIT PARTNERS THAT HAVE THEIR OWN DEAL PROGRAM.
WE HELP THEM MAKE, WE HELP THE GROUP CALL.
UH, THIS IS, UH, COMMISSIONER AUSTIN AGAIN.
UH, BACK IN THE STONE AGE, UH, WHEN I WAS ATTENDING JUNIOR COLLEGE, YOU ALL HAD A ADULT DAYCARE PROGRAM OVER AT LANCASTER KEY SHOPPING CENTER.
IT WAS CALLED THE VNA ADULT DAYCARE PROGRAM.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT LASTED BECAUSE I WAS DOING A WORK STUDY THERE FOR SOCIAL WORK.
UM, AND I'M THINKING IT WAS PROBABLY LIKE IN THE EIGHTIES MAYBE.
SO HAVE THEY THOUGHT ABOUT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT SINCE? 'CAUSE I KNOW OTHER AGENCIES HAVE ADOPTED THAT KIND OF THING.
SO WE, WE'VE REALIZED WE'RE GOOD AT TWO THINGS.
WE'RE GOOD AT MAKING AND DELIVERING MEALS, AND WE'RE GOOD AT PROVIDING END OF LIFE CARE AND HOSPICE CARE.
WHAT WE DO IN THIS INSTANCE IS WE WANNA PARTNER WITH GROUPS LIKE THAT.
SO IF THERE'S A GROUP THAT WANTS TO OPEN AN ADULT DAYCARE PROGRAM, WE WOULD WORK WITH THEM TO MAYBE PROVIDE THE MEALS.
BUT AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE'RE, PART OF OUR STRATEGY IS NOT TO OPEN THINGS, IS TO REALLY CONCENTRATE ON PROVIDING MORE MEALS, PROVIDING MORE
OH, ONE, ONE LAST QUESTION FROM ME IF I COULD.
ARE YOU RESOURCE CONSTRAINED IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO SERVE MORE PEOPLE? OR LIKE, DO YOU HAVE A LONG WAITING LIST NOW TO GET ON ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS AND, AND WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE NEED VERSUS HOW MANY, YOU'RE DOING 6,500 A DAY BETWEEN THE TWO MEALS PROGRAMS? ARE THERE ONLY 6,500 PEOPLE WHO NEED THIS SERVICE? OR, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES, HOW DOES ALL THAT COME TOGETHER? AND HOW, WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS ON HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET TO THE NEXT, HOW DO WE DO ANOTHER 6,500 OR ANOTHER, WHATEVER THE NEED, WHATEVER THE NEED IS?
[01:10:01]
SO I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE PARTS TO IT.ONE, STRATEGICALLY, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH ALL THE SENIOR PROGRAMS AND SENIOR CENTERS THAT WE WORK WITH TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE THAT NEED HOME DELIVERED MEALS.
TWO IS HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO HELP GEN UP THEIR NUMBERS? IF YOU THINK, IF YOU LOOK AT THE COUNTY AND THEN THERE'S 50,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE 60 AND OLDER AT OR BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, AND YOU PEEL AWAY ALL THE ONES THAT WOULD NEVER TAKE IT.
AND THEN YOU REALLY LOOK AT ALL THE CLIENTS WITHIN THAT NEXT LIST, MAYBE IT'S HALF.
SO NOW YOU'RE AT 25,000 AND WE'RE AT 6,500.
THERE'S THE GAP, WE THINK IS THEN HOW DO YOU GET TO THAT? UM, OUR KITCHEN COULD PROBABLY MAKE 15,000.
SO THERE'S THAT, THAT'S ONE RESOURCE GAP.
UM, AND IT COSTS US, UM, LET'S SEE, PER PERSON, $2,500 A NO.
$2,500 A YEAR PER CLIENT TO MAKE MEALS FOR THEM.
SO IT'S GIVING MORE STATE RESOURCES AND OR RAISING DOLLARS.
SO THAT'S PART OF THAT PLUS IS HERE'S OUR KITCHEN'S CAPACITY.
IF WE GOT TO 15,000, I WOULD BE PRETTY HAPPY 'CAUSE I WOULD BE SERVING A LOT MORE PEOPLE.
AND THEN WE WOULD WANT TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE GET TO THE NEXT 10.
AND WE WOULD DO THAT PROBABLY THROUGH A COMBINATION OF PARTNERSHIPS.
OR DO YOU OPEN ANOTHER KITCHEN? WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT BEFORE.
UM, UM, AND BEING ABLE TO SAY, CAN WE HAVE SATELLITE OPERATIONS THAT WOULD MAKE MEALS FOR SAY, CERTAIN REGIONS THAT MAY BE AN OPTION.
AND THAT MAY BE AN OPTION ONCE WE GET TO THE CAPACITY OF THE KITCHEN WE HAVE NOW, UH, TO KIND OF LOOK FORWARD.
NUMBER ONE, IT'S, UH, IDENTIFYING THE PEOPLE THAT WANT THEM.
SO WE'RE, WE HAVE THE, WE'RE BLESSED IN THE ABILITY TO HAVE RESOURCES AND DOLLARS IF YOU COME ONTO SERVICE.
IF WE COULD REFER TO SOMEONE TODAY, PROBABLY BY THURSDAY, THEY'D BE ON SERVICE.
IT ONLY TAKES A COUPLE, TAKES A COUPLE DAYS TO DO THAT.
SO ANYONE ON THE COMMISSION, IF YOU RUN IN FOLKS THAT NEED MEALS OR WANNA RE REFER THEM TO US, PLEASE DO.
'CAUSE WE CAN HAVE IT INTO SERVICE FOR SURE.
BUT IT'S HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU STRATEGICALLY SAY, OKAY, HOW DO WE GET TO 15? AND THEN HOW DO YOU GET TO 25? THAT'S REALLY THE TWO, TWO PARTS STILL.
I REALLY HAVE, I THINK MAYBE TWO QUESTIONS.
YOU INDICATED THAT YOU DO PROVIDE MEALS FOR SOME CENTERS.
NOW WOULD THAT I I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE WELL MED CENTER ON CAMP WISDOM.
AND I KNOW THEY HAVE MEALS EVERY DAY.
NOW, THE, THE, THE SECOND QUESTION WOULD BE, WHERE ARE YOU DELIVERING MEALS? AS YOU INDICATED, UH, DALLAS COUNTY IS A BIG PLACE.
WHERE, ARE YOU DELIVERING THE MAJORITY OF YOUR MEALS? OR ARE YOUR MEALS DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND YOU HAVE AREAS THAT ARE MORE YEAH.
UM, I LIVE IN, I LIVE IN NORTH OAK CLIFF, AND SO I USE THE TERM BELOW THE RIVER A LOT.
MAJORITY OF OUR MEALS ARE DELIVERED BELOW THE RIVER.
UM, THE LARGEST, OUR LARGEST AREA.
AGAIN, WE BREAK IT OUT BY, UH, SENIOR CENTERS AND DROP SITES.
'CAUSE ALL OF OUR MEALS ARE MADE IN OUR KITCHEN ON MOCKINGBIRD.
AND THEN EVERY MORNING THE TRUCKS LEAVE AND THEY TAKE THE MEALS TO THESE DROP SITES.
AND THEN, 'CAUSE IF YOU'RE GONNA DELIVER MEALS IN FAR SOUTH DALLAS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA COME TO MOCKINGBIRD AND THEN TURN AROUND AND DRY BACK.
WE HAVE LOCATIONS WHERE WE BRING COOLERS AND BRING THE MEALS TO THOSE PLAQUES.
UM, PLEASANT GROVE IS OUR LARGEST NUMBER OF MEALS WE SERVE THAT REGION, THAT LITTLE AREA.
EARLIER ON THE SLIDE, YOU SAW THE THING THAT LOOKED LIKE A GIANT AMOEBA WITH ALL THE COLOR.
THOSE ARE THE DIFFERENT DROP SIZE.
SO PLEASANT GROVE HAS THE LARGEST, UM, UH, I'D SAY THE NEXT LARGEST MAYBE, UH, KIND OF SOUTH OF FAIR PARK.
IRVING IS A BIG, IS A BIG LOCATION FOR US.
UM, WE COVER THE ENTIRE COUNTY, BUT THE MAJORITY, PROBABLY 60% OF OUR MEALS SERVED BELOW THE KIND OF TRINITY.
BELOW 30, WOULD IT BE JOHNSON COMMUNITY CENTER GETS MEALS EVERY DAY? IS IS THAT ONE OF YOUR IT MIGHT BE.
WE HAVE 31 THAT WE PROVIDE SERVICES TO.
I YOU PROVIDE ALL THE COUNTY SITES.
19 OF THE, OH, I THINK IT'S 19 COUNTY SITES MEALS FOR THEM.
AND THEN THERE'S 11 OTHER SORT OF INDEPENDENT PROGRAMS, MOSTLY RUN BY CITIES.
UH, BUT, UH, WELL, MET IS ONE, JUBILEE IS ONE RESOURCE CENTER IS ONE.
I REPRESENT THE PORTION OF DALLAS.
SO A LOT OF WHAT YOU'VE SAID APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE COUNTY.
AND SO, UH, ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THERE'S HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF MEALS PROGRAMS. SO THERE'S A MEAL, MEALS ON WHEELS OF COLLIN COUNTY, AND THEY SERVE COL.
THERE'S NO WAITING LIST RIGHT NOW? I DON'T THINK SO.
[01:15:01]
I THINK WE NEED TO WRAP IT UP.NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS TO, UH, DISCUSS AND VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDED FUNDING PRIORITIES MEMO.
IF EVERYONE RECEIVED A COPY OF, UM, I GUESS I'D LIKE TO CALL FOR A RECORD, UH, FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE.
I WOULD MOTION, I WOULD LIKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE IT.
LET ME, UH, I, I HAD, UH, UM, AN EMAIL YESTERDAY, I THINK FROM POLICE THAT POINTED OUT SOME, UH, NITPICKING, UH, ITEMS ON THE, THE COVER LETTER, THE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE.
IT SHOULD BE A LOWERCASE T INSTEAD OF THE CAPITAL T.
UH, AND ON THE THIRD PAGE, UH, SHE SAID, THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
SO I MODIFIED THE LANGUAGE ON THE THIRD BULLET, UM, ON THE, ON PAGE THREE, SO THAT IT WILL READ, UH, BOTH THE INCIDENTS AND THE SEVERITY OF DISABILITIES AMONG THE, AMONG THE OLDER AGE GROUPS ARE.
AND, UH, AND THESE PEOPLE REQUIRE MORE ASSISTANCE WITH BASIC NECESSITY SO THAT THAT WILL BE MODIFIED FOR THE FINAL APPROVAL PLAN.
BUT THAT SAID, IT FLOORS OPEN TO ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPORT AS IT EXISTS.
THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ATTENTION DIRECTED TOWARDS THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY IN THIS REPORT.
AND, UM, ACCORDING TO THE WILLIAMS INSTITUTE OF UCLA, AS WELL AS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE LGBT OLDER ADULT COMMUNITY HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE A COMMUNITY OF GREATEST SOCIAL NEED.
I, FOR THE LIFE OF ME, CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY CONSISTENTLY NOT ENOUGH ATTENTION IS PAID BY THIS COMMISSION TO OLDER ADULTS IN THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU FEEL THAT EVERYBODY IS THE SAME, BUT THEY ARE NOT BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE NEEDS AND THE HISTORICAL, UM, THE HISTORY IN THE LBTQ COMMUNITY AS, UH, THE JMAN THAT WAS TALKING ABOUT THE VNA DETERMINED A LOT OF US DON'T EVEN DO THE MEALS ON WHEELS BECAUSE HISTORICALLY WE HAVE FOUND THAT IT'S HORRIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO OUR HOMES.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA THINK.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I KEEP TRYING TO EXPLAIN, BUT YOU SEEM TO NOT WANT TO BE EDUCATED.
SO WHEN YOU TAKE THIS VOTE FOR THIS TO BE SENT TO CITY COUNCIL, I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW IN ADVANCE THAT I AM GOING TO VOTE NO.
AND THEN I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO ATTACH A MINORITY REPORT TO IT.
LET, LET ME EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS YEAR'S, UH, REPORT VERSUS WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
LAST YEAR WE COVERED A WIDE SPECTRUM OF THINGS, AND I, I KNOW YOU WERE DISSATISFIED LAST YEAR AS WELL WITH WHAT IT WAS.
AND YOU DID A MINORITY REPORT, WHICH IS GREAT.
AND THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE CITY.
UH, IN THIS YEAR'S EVALUATION.
THE TWO BIG THINGS THAT APPROVED IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET THAT WE ASKED FOR WAS A NEW SENIOR LEVEL POSITION IN THE DEPARTMENT TO BEEF UP STAFFING FOR, UH, AND THAT WAS APPROVED.
AND THE OTHER WAS A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS WAS APPROVED FOR, UH, AS CONSULTING ASSISTANCE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGIC PLAN.
NEITHER OF THOSE THINGS HAD HAPPENED YET.
SO BEFORE WE START ASKING FOR A LOT MORE, WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE THE INPUT OF THAT.
AND IN THE SECOND YEAR OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, UH, THERE'S LIMITED OPPORTUNITY TO GET A LOT MORE.
IN FACT, IF YOU READ THE PAPER THE OTHER DAY, THEY'RE ASKING FOR A 6% CUT IN EVERY DEPARTMENT RATHER THAN MORE.
[01:20:01]
SO WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO THIS YEAR IS TO WAIT AND KNOW THAT IN, IN THE L-B-J-Q-T COMMUNITY, I GOT THAT OUT OF WORD.UH, THE, THE OUT, UH, COMMUNITY IS A BIG PART OF WHAT WENT INTO THE, THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND NEEDS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT OF THAT.
AND WE DID MAKE SOME REFERENCE IN HERE, BUT IT'S, RATHER THAN COMING UP WITH A WISHLIST, WE REALLY TRIED TO FOCUS ON A CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEING MADE AND TO, UM, AND THE FOCUS ON BIG ISSUES.
LIKE, WE'RE NOT TOUCHING MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP IN THE WHOLE CITY.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S THAT, BUT YOU'RE CERTAINLY LAST TIME TO DO AN ADDENDUM REPORT.
I WAS MAY HAS QUESTION WAS GOING TO SAY WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
I I, I DIDN'T HEAR THAT AS A WISHLIST.
SHE HAD A CONCERN ABOUT THE, UM, NEEDS OF CERTAIN GROUP OF PEOPLE.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT WAS KIND OF ANSWERED IN THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD HAVE GONE.
AND WITH HER, SHE WAS JUST ASKING ME TO PUT IT DOWN.
NOW I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE STRATEGIST.
SO MUCH MONEY TO COME AND DO WHAT? STRATEGIZE.
I'M SORRY, WHAT, WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT A STRATEGIST? SOMEBODY GONNA COME IN AND STRATEGIZE THEM.
CAN I HEAR SOMEBODY, STRATEGIST, A CONSULTANT IS GOING TO BE HIRED AND SHOULD BE ON BOARD WITHIN THE NEXT 60 DAYS? I THINK WHAT THEY CONSULT TO, AND THAT IS TO HELP DEVELOP, HELP THE DEPARTMENT AND THE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS DEVELOP A, A STRATEGIC PLAN ON HOW BEST TO SERVE SENIORS, ALL SENIORS.
AND THAT TAKES PRIOR IN EVERY ASPECT OF, OF THAT, I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY, I DON'T HAVE ANY AUTHORITY OVER WHAT CONSULTANT DOES SAID, BUT I KNOW THAT A LOT OF INPUT HAS BEEN PUT INTO IT.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT THESE SPECIFIC AREAS BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY'RE UNDERSERVED.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S TRUE IN GENERAL ACROSS THE WHOLE CITY.
JUST SO I DIDN'T MEAN TO TRIVI TRI, TRI TRI.
I, I, IF I'M HEARING CORRECTLY, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE DON'T NEED TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
AND IT'S IN HERE IN A SENTENCE.
SO THE ONLY GROUP POINTED OUT IT'S SPECIFICALLY IN HERE AND I CAN'T FIND THE PAGE NUMBER.
BUT IN ADDITION, THE OUTREACH POSITION SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPROVING AWARENESS OF THE SPECIAL NEEDS IN THE LGBT LGBTQ PLUS SENIOR COMMUNITY AND PROMOTING INCLUSIVITY AND ACCEPTANCE OF THIS GROUP.
THAT IS THE 10,000 FOOT LEVEL STATEMENT THAT COVERS IT FOR THIS PERSON, A NEW FULL-TIME PERSON WHO SHOULD BE MAKING THIS AWARENESS AND THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY NEEDED, THAT'S WHAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY BE DOING TO MAKE SURE THEY BE INCLUDED.
AND I THINK THAT'S A STATEMENT THAT YOU WERE WANTING, RIGHT? NO.
JUST LIKE I AM CONSISTENTLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT MY COMMUNITY IS INCLUDED.
WHEN YOU BRING ON BOARD SOMEBODY WHO DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THOSE NEEDS, THEN IT'S STILL GOING TO BE OVERLOOKED.
AND I AM NOT, PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I AM NOT TRYING TO START THIS WHOLE GROUP.
THAT LED ME TO STOP COMING TO THESE MEETINGS IN PERSON.
I AM JUST TRYING TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I INTEND TO WRITE A MORE DEFINITIVE REPORT IS FINE.
NO, I I, AND THAT'S WHY THE ATTORNEY, CITY ATTORNEY WAS HERE, BUT I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THE MEETING DRAGGED ON AND ON, BUT HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT I WILL BE WRITING THAT REPORT AND WHY I'M WRITING THE REPORT.
I, I THINK I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT.
IS THERE ANY OTHER CONCERNS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE DRAFT? I HESITATE TO SAY THAT I REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE DOCUMENT.
AND AGAIN, I JUST, I'M IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY YOU USE DATA AND SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
AND I, I DO KNOW THAT, I MEAN, I'M ON THE COMMITTEE AND ANYBODY THAT, I MEAN, I KNOW THESE DRAFTS GO OUT AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO RESPOND LONG BEFORE WE BRING THE FINAL DOCUMENT.
AND I AM OPEN TO LOOKING AT ANYTHING THAT ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER
[01:25:01]
WANTS TO SEE INCLUDED.SO, BUT I, BUT I AM PLEASED WITH THIS, SO IF I'M GONNA VOTE YES.
YEAH, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS IS THIS REPORT DID NOT GO OUT TO THE FULL GROUP AS QUICKLY AS I HAD HOPED IT WOULD.
BUT, UH, WE'VE LEARNED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT IF THIS, IF THIS REPORT OR RECOMMENDATIONS MEMO GOES OUT LATER THAN MAY, YOU DON'T GET MUCH TRACTION.
LAST YEAR WE GOT IT OUT IN JUNE AND WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THE DRAFT OF IT WAS SHARED WITH CITY FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE BEFORE IT WAS APPROVED.
SO THEY KIND OF KNEW WHERE WE WERE COMING FROM AND WE DID GET, MAKE A LOT OF PROGRESS LAST YEAR IN TERMS OF WHAT THE CITY SIGNED ON TO HELP US WITH.
UH, SO, UH, WE WANTED TO GET IT DONE IN MAY.
THAT'S WHY IT'S ON THE AGENDA TODAY, RATHER THAN GIVING A MONTH TO REVIEW.
UM, AS, AS A NEWEST MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION.
I HAVE TO ECHO, I THINK THAT THE REPORT IS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL WRITTEN.
UM, UH, THE USAGE OF THE DATA AND THE, THE CLEAR INCREASE IN THE USAGE OF DATA IS VERY EVIDENT.
AND SO I I COMMEND THE GROUP THAT THAT WROTE THIS.
UM, THE QUESTION I HAD, AND IT'S MAINLY MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH, WITH THE WAY THINGS WORK IN IN CITY GOVERNMENT, IS TO SEEING A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION OR FUNDING REQUEST THAT ESSENTIALLY INCLUDES NO NUMBERS.
UM, IS THAT TYPICAL? WELL, THERE'S, WHAT HAPPENS AT THE COMMISSION DEPENDS LARGELY UPON THE FOCUS OF WHOEVER THE CHAIR IS AT ANY POINT IN TIME.
IF YOU GO BACK SIX OR SEVEN YEARS AGO, THE COMMISSION WAS BEFORE I CAME ON IN 2019, I GUESS, UH, THE COMMISSION APPARENTLY SPENT AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME MICRO TRYING TO MICROMANAGE THE SENIOR SERVICES LINE BY LINE BUDGET, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO.
THE ONLY THING WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO IS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL ON SENIOR ISSUE.
UH, AND SO IT STARTED CHANGING UP WHEN JAN HART WAS CHAIR THREE TERMS AGO NOW.
UH, AND SHE WAS DETERMINED TO GET THE FOCUS OF THIS GROUP ONTO CREATING INFORMATION AND, AND A LIST OF PRIORITIES AS OPPOSED TO SPECIFIC BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE, IT'S KIND OF ABOVE THE PAY GRADE OF WHAT, WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE MADE SPECIFIC DOLLAR RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEN LAST YEAR, THE, THE, UH, COUNCIL ACTUALLY AND THE CITY MANAGER ACTUALLY WENT BEYOND WHAT WE ASKED FOR AND, AND CREATED, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A LOT OF PROGRESS IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET COMPARED TO WHAT HAS BEEN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OR TWO, TWO OR THREE BUDGET CYCLES THAT I WAS INVOLVED.
UH, WE DIDN'T EVEN GET ANY NOTICE OR ANY RESPONSE OR MADE NO PROGRESS.
WE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS LAST YEAR.
AND THIS IS REALLY TRYING TO BE THANKFUL FOR THE PROGRESS THAT WE MADE AND ENCOURAGE 'EM TO KEEP GOING AND TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY'RE NEEDED, BUT KNOWING THAT THERE'S A BUNCH OF BUDGET HAWKS LED BY YOUR COUNCIL PERSON, UH, IT'S, IT IS GONNA BE DIFFICULT TO GET ADDITIONAL MONEY.
BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT I THINK REALLY ARE IMPORTANT AND I I, THAT THE OUTREACH POSITION THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR IN THIS, IN THIS MEMO IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT REACHING PEOPLE DOING WHATEVER WE DO NOW.
AND WE KNOW THAT, THAT WE'RE, THERE'S 15% OF SENIORS ARE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.
WE'RE SERVING ABOUT 5%, AND MANY OF THEM ARE NOT BELOW THE POVERTY LINE THAT WE'RE SERVING.
SO THERE'S A HUGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO HAVE NEEDS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THE OUTREACH SESSIONS TO TRY TO GET A BETTER HANDLE ON WHAT ARE THOSE NEEDS AND HOW, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO QUANTIFY IT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE MORE TARGETED.
AND, AND THE CONCEPT BEHIND THAT OUTREACH POSITION IS NOT TO JUST HAVE SOMEBODY GO ATTEND EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING AROUND THE CITY WHERE YOU HAND OUT THINGS FOR THE GOODIE BAGS IN, IN LARGE PART, IT'S DIFFICULT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION IN A LOT OF THOSE THINGS
[01:30:01]
THAT PEOPLE DON'T GET AS MUCH OUT AS WE WOULD HOPE.BUT TO REALLY SEND PEOPLE OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE KNOW THERE ARE CONCENTRATIONS OF BELOW THE POVERTY LINE PEOPLE.
AND THERE, THERE ARE POCKETS LIKE THAT IN EVERY DISTRICT, AND WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF INFORMING PEOPLE WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN ALL OF THOSE DISTRICTS SO THAT WE HOPEFULLY GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE SERVING A MORE SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS, I DO HAVE A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT AT TWO.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME THIS MEETING GONNA ADJOURN, BUT I'M JUST HEARING I DO A LOT OF, UH, SPEAKING AND TALKING AND WE HAVE A VOICE AND IF YOUR VOICE IS NOT HEARD, THEN YOUR VOICE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING I'M STILL WITH, WITH PORTION OF WHAT SHE'S TRYING TO SAY.
SHE DIDN'T SAY THIS WASN'T A GOOD RESEARCH.
YOU, I DIDN'T DO YOU WORK AND PUT TOGETHER SHE HAD A CONCERN ABOUT WHAT SHE WANTED AND I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN ADDRESSED.
AND I DO HAVE A TWO O'CLOCK APPOINTMENT.
BUT I WOULD LIKE HER PUT HER PORSCHE WHERE SHE THERE.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, I'D LIKE TO CALL FOR A VOTE ON THE APPROVAL OF THIS SO THAT WE CAN FORWARD IT TO CITY MANAGEMENT.
WELL, I'M UNDERSTANDING FROM PORSCHE'S IT IS NOT, IT IS NOT COMPLETED YET.
PORS, PORSCHE'S PORSCHE'S REPORT WILL BE AN ADDENDUM TO THIS WHEN SHE SUBMITS IT.
AND I WELCOME HEARING THAT WITH THE WHOLE COMMISSION.
I WOULD LIKE TO READ YOUR REPORT AND OH NO, SHE'LL, SHE'S GONNA SUBMIT IT.
WE'LL, WE'LL ALL GET A COPY OF HER MINORITY REPORT AND UH, WE CAN FORMALLY APPROVE THAT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO APPROVE IT.
NO, DON'T BELIEVE WE DID LAST YEAR.
NO, I WAS JUST, BUT IT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGING MATERIAL THAT GOES OKAY.
DO WE NEED TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE MOTION OR? YEAH, WELL, WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION.
SO, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE, UH, RECOMMENDED APPROVAL DRAFT SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS COMPLETED, SAY AYE.
IF THEY'RE ONLINE OPPOSED, DON'T OPPOSED.
I JUST THINK THAT IF THERE'S GOING TO BE AN AGENDA, IT NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THE ORIGINAL MOTION.
WE DON'T HAVE AMEND DOESN'T HAVE, I SAID IT HAS TO NOT DID THIS.
THIS IS JESSICA SHAW, DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF SENIOR, UH, SORRY, OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE.
UH, I, YOU'RE PROBABLY MIGHT BE AWARE THAT I'M SICK AND SO I'VE CHOSEN TO BE ONLINE RATHER THAN IN PERSON.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, I THINK STEVEN IS HERE WITH US AS WELL FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I DO WANNA CLARIFY THAT WHEN A MEMBER, UM, MAKES A DETERMINATION TO SUBMIT A MINORITY REPORT, IT'S AT THEIR DISCRETION AND IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE REVIEWED OR APPROVED IN ANY WAY, UH, BY THE FULL BODY.
THAT IS SOMETHING COMING FROM THE SPECIFIC MEMBER.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
A MINORITY REPORT IS WHEN A MEMBER, UM, BELIEVES THAT THE, UM, REPORT PRODUCED BY THE BODY OR APPROVED BY THE BODY DOES NOT, UM, FULLY ADDRESS OR ALIGN WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME ASPECT OF WHAT THEY, UM, CONSIDERING THEMSELVES TO BE IN THE MINORITY WHEN IT COMES TO VOTING ON THAT ITEM.
SO IN THIS CASE, THE ITEM IS THE, IS THE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE CONTENTION IS THAT A MEMBER BELIEVES THAT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE ENOUGH FOCUS ON A PARTICULAR AREA, THEREFORE THE MINORITY OPINION IN THAT SHE WOULD NOT BE VOTING IN SUPPORT OF THE ITEM.
SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPORT, SUBMIT HER OWN DOCUMENT, REPORT AS A MINORITY REPORT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF CLARIFY THAT FOR THE FOLKS OUT THERE SINCE THERE SEEM TO BE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH VOTING ON THIS.
AND STEVEN, UM, I KNOW I SAW YOU ON HERE, SO PLEASE CHIME IN AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
UM, PORTIA, WE DON'T NEED TO APPROVE IT APPARENTLY, BUT I HOPE YOU'LL SHARE IT WITH ALL, WITH, WITH THE ENTIRE COMMISSION AS WELL AS THAT IS MY POINT.
I WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY PLACE I I WAS SURE YOU WOULD, BUT OKAY.
YOUR, SO DID WE VOTE? WE DONE? I THINK WE'VE ALREADY VOTED.
UH, THE ONLY PEOPLE I COULDN'T, I COULDN'T SEE ANYBODY ONLINE AS TO WHETHER THEY WERE VOTING YES OR NO, BUT I, IF WE, IF WE HAVE THAT BACK IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM, THAT'S ALL I NEED TO KNOW.
SO I'M ALSO SEEING LUCY, LUCY DID, LUCY, WAS THAT COR, WAS THAT CORRECT? WHAT JUST HAPPENED? OKAY, WE'RE DONE.
UM, JESSICA, WHILE WE HAVE YOU, I KNOW YOU WERE GOING TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE TODAY ON, UH, CURRENT STATUS OF THE CONSULTING PROPOSAL
[01:35:01]
AS WELL AS THE NEW EMPLOYEE.COULD YOU DO THAT? SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, JESSICA SHAW, DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE REGARDING THE CONSULTING PROPOSAL, UM, THAT'S IN THE PROCUREMENT OFFICE BEING HANDLED TO PROCURE THE CONSULTANT.
I BELIEVE IT'S BEING ADVERTISED AS OF THIS WEEK.
SO THERE SHOULD BE, UM, SOME EVALUATION AND WORK DONE TO MAKE THAT SELECTION, UM, NEXT MONTH.
AND THEN WE'LL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH GETTING THAT, UM, ADVANCING.
AS FAR AS THE AGE-FRIENDLY OFFICER, UH, WE ARE VERY EXCITED THAT WE HAVE MADE A HIRE IN THAT POSITION.
UH, THAT PERSON'S START DATE, UH, UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT ALLOW THEM TO, UH, TO BE ABLE TO BE WITH US HERE, UM, FOR THIS MEETING.
BUT, UH, OUR H FRIENDLY OFFICER IS ACTUALLY COMING TO US, UH, FROM AUSTIN, UH, WHERE SHE'S PREVIOUSLY, UM, SUPPORTED H FRIENDLY WORK THERE, UM, AND IS RELOCATING, UH, TO DALLAS, UH, WITH HER FAMILY.
SO, UM, WE JUST REALLY LUCKED OUT IN HAVING THIS AMAZING RESOURCE COME OUR DIRECTION.
UH, SHE'S INCREDIBLY WELL CONNECTED AND SMART AND KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THE AGE-FRIENDLY WORK.
SHE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT, UH, SENIOR SERVICES WORK AND JUST AGE COMMU, AGING FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES.
UH, IN GENERAL, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE HER.
I CAN'T WAIT TO INTRODUCE HER TO YOU ALL, UH, FORMALLY NEXT MONTH IN THE COMMISSION MEETING.
AND THEN OF COURSE, I'M SURE SHE'LL HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, UH, GETTING OUT TO GET TO KNOW EACH AND ONE, EACH ONE OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY OR AS YOU, AS YOU WISH.
I MEAN, I GUESS IF YOU DON'T WANNA BE WITH HER, THAT'S YOUR PREROGATIVE, BUT, UM, SHE'LL, I KNOW SHE'LL BE EAGER TO GET TO KNOW ANYONE WHO WANTS TO MEET WITH HER, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED, UM, ABOUT THAT.
AND I, I REALLY WISH THAT WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN HER STARTED IN TIME TO BE HERE.
BUT, UM, SO THAT'S A QUICK UPDATE AND I'LL GET A BIO AND EVERYTHING SENT OUT TO YOU AS SOON AS SHE'S OFFICIALLY ON BOARD.
COMMISSIONER KARP, UH, HAD LEFT THE MEETING BEFORE WE VOTED, SO WAS THERE A QUORUM? YES, THERE WAS.
I I HAVE A QUESTION RE REGARDING THE CONSULTANT, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING THE CONSULTANT AND, AND THAT, AND THAT QUESTION.
A QUESTION IS TO THE BODY OR AND OR THE PERSON THAT JUST LEFT THE SCREEN, UH, WHAT CRITERIA IS BEING UTILIZED FOR THE SELECTION PROCESS OF THE CONSULTANT AND ALSO, UH, IS THAT GOING OUT AS AN RFP SPECIFICALLY? UH, I WANT TO BE AWARE THAT THE DALLAS FORT WORTH MINORITY FIRE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IS INCLUDED IN THAT SOLICITATION.
SO THAT PROCESS IS GOING OUT AS A COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION.
I BELIEVE IT IS SPECIFICALLY IN RFP.
IT'S BEING MANAGED BY OUR OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES CONSISTENT WITH STATE AND CITY REGULATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO CONTRACTING AND PROCUREMENT.
UM, THE, UH, PROPOSALS, UH, WE'LL SUBMIT, UH, WE PUT TOGETHER A HOST OF A LIST OF A LOT OF THE INFORMATION, UH, BASED ON WHAT WAS INCLUDED OR WHAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN THESE SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSION MEETINGS, AS WELL AS WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN LAST YEAR'S FUNDING PRIORITIES REPORT, UM, AND SOME BASIC DEMOGRAPHICS DATA, UM, AND PUT TOGETHER, UH, THIS SET OF, UH, KIND OF EXPECTATIONS OR GOALS OF WHAT WE WERE SEEKING.
AS FAR AS EVALUATORS, IT, IT'S A MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL PANEL OF EVALUATORS.
THERE'LL BE, I BELIEVE IT'S A PANEL OF FOUR OR MAYBE FIVE, UM, EVALUATORS FOR MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY THAT HAVE EXPERIENCE, UM, WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING AND WORKING WITH CONSULTANTS.
UM, AND THEY WILL EVALUATE PROPOSALS RECEIVED, THEY WILL SCORE THEM, AND THEN THE HIGHEST SCORING PROPOSAL IS GENERALLY RECOMMENDED BY THE OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES, UH, FOR THE, AS THE, UM, AS THE INDI THE ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD WIN THAT CONTRACT.
UH, THERE IS A, UH, BUSINESS, A MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES COMPONENT OF SOLICITATIONS AND PROCUREMENT THAT'S ALSO MANAGED THROUGH OUR PROCUREMENT OFFICE BY WAY OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS CENTER, UM, WHICH HAPPENS DURING THAT EVALUATION PROCESS WHEREBY THEY WILL EVALUATE WITH AN EYE ON, UM, COMPONENTS RELATED TO MINORITY BUSINESS AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES.
UM, AND THERE IS A SEPARATE SCORING COMPONENT THAT'S FACTORED IN THAT HELPS TO DETERMINE THE OVERALL SCORE FOR THE PROCUREMENT OFFICE TO RECOMMEND THE SELECTED CONTRACTOR.
DOES THAT ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION? YEAH, IT ACTUALLY DOES.
AND SO, AS FOR THE SPECIFIC ENTITY YOU MENTIONED, I DIDN'T HAVE, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME ONE SEC.
THAT ENTITY THAT, SORRY, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO TAKE DOWN THE, THE NAME OF THE ORG, BUT IF YOU ME AN EMAIL DALLAS DALLAS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
DALLAS FORT WORTH MINORITY SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.
THE FOLKS IN THE DE AND I DEPARTMENT WILL KNOW EXACTLY WHO RUNS.
YEAH, I'M SURE THAT THAT'S PROBABLY LIKE ALREADY ON THAT LIST, BUT I WILL, I WILL, UH, RUN THAT UP TO THE, I WILL SEND THAT OVER TO PROCUREMENT, MAKE
[01:40:01]
SURE THAT THAT, UM, ORGANIZATION IS, IS INCLUDED IN THE AWARENESS.IKA, ARE YOU, UH, YOU'RE DOING THE REPORT FROM SENIOR SERVICES? YES.
IKA NORMAN, I'M THE SUPERVISOR WITH THE SENIOR SERVICES PROGRAM I'M ON.
SO, UM, THESE, UM, REPORTS HAVE BEEN PRETTY BRIEF AS WE TEND TO DO AT THE VERY LAST, BUT I WANTED TO QUICKLY LOOK AT SOME OF THE NUMBERS THIS TIME.
UM, WE'VE BEEN, UM, REALLY FOCUSING ON OUR OUTREACH OVER THE PAST SOME MONTHS AND WE HAVE, UM, EXCEEDED ALREADY OUR ANNUAL GOAL FOR OUR OUTREACH EVENTS.
WE'VE HAD, UH, ALMOST CLOSE TO 700 UNDUPLICATED OUTREACH ATTENDEES.
UH, AND SO WE ARE VERY PROUD ON THAT.
OUR CALL VOLUME, UM, HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT LESS PERHAPS THAN LAST YEAR.
UH, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, UH, APRIL NUMBERS THAT ARE HALF FROM LAST YEAR, UH, IT, THIS DOES NOT CONSIDER THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CALLS THAT WE'VE GOT.
SO WE HAD ALL OVER 130 CALLS, BUT WE'VE HAD ACTUAL A LOT OF CALLS FROM OUT OF CITY RESIDENTS AND SENIORS.
SO, UM, WHETHER IT'S OUT OF CITY OF DALLAS OR WHETHER IT IS, UM, UNDER 60 OR, UM, ANOTHER DUPLICATE WHO'S, WHO'S CALLED US EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
SO TOTAL CALL VOLUME IS NOT ALWAYS SHOWN HERE.
UM, REGARDING THE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM, I WANTED TO MENTION, UM, THE UNIQUE WRITERS HAVE CONTINUED TO INCREASE AND IT'S THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS HAVE STAYED QUITE THE SAME.
UM, AND THEY'VE HAD A STEADY, STEADY INCREASE OF, OF NEW CUSTOMERS.
AND THIS IS THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE ACROSS THE BOARD USAGE THROUGH IN EVERY DISTRICT.
SO WE HAVE A HIGH NUMBER IN EACH DISTRICT REGARDING THE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM WITH YOU AND I, UH, THEY HAVE ALREADY MET THEIR ANNUAL TARGET AND AS I SPOKE TO THEM, THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY TAKING ANY MORE REFERRALS FOR THE YEAR.
SO THEY, THEY'RE WORKING ON WITH THE SENIORS THEY HAVE CURRENTLY.
UM, WITH THE DENTAL PROGRAM, I WANTED TO MENTION THE CONTRACT WAS JUST RENEWED, SO THAT'S WHY THE NUMBERS ARE LOW ON THIS CHART THAT YOU CAN SEE.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, REGARDING THE ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM, UM, THE NUMBERS ARE SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN LAST YEAR, BUT AGAIN, FOR OCTOBER THERE WERE NO, NO SERVICES PROVIDED.
SO THAT'S ALSO CAUSING A LOWER NUMBERS ON THE CHARTS.
AND WHY WERE THERE NO SERVICES IN OCTOBER? THERE WAS A SHORT LAPSE IN THE CONTRACTS.
UH, THERE, THERE WOULD'VE BEEN SERVICES PROVIDED BY, UH, SENIOR SOURCE, SENIOR SOURCE WHO RUNS THE PROGRAM.
BUT THERE WERE NO NUMBERS, THERE WERE NO BILLABLE CLIENTS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS THAT WE PAID FOR.
AMERICA, I NOTICED THAT, UM, IN THAT CHART ON THE SENIOR, UM, OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM, THAT OUR YEAR TO DATE, UH, PERCENTAGE ON IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE HAS DROPPED FROM 84 TO 63.
AS WELL AS THE PERCENTAGE OF COMPLAINTS RESOLVED IS DROPPED FROM 95 TO 51 MM-HMM.
SO WE CAN CERTAINLY REVIEW THAT FURTHER BACK.
UM, WHEN YOU MENTIONED THAT, AND I MADE A COMMENT EARLIER, I DUNNO IF I TALKED TO YOU SOMEWHAT EARLIER TODAY ABOUT JUST GETTING THE AGENDA AND, AND THE INFORMATION, THE MEETING, THE, THE LATENESS OF RECEIVING THAT DATA THAT YOU RECEIVED.
IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR REASON WHY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR YOU TO GET THAT DATA? SO OUR, UH, PARTNERS ARE GIVEN TILL THE 15TH TO PROVIDE US THE MONTH, THE NUMBERS FOR THE MONTH.
SOMETIMES THERE ARE CERTAIN DELAYS WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN I WILL RECEIVE THEM FROM OUR CONTRACT TEAM.
UM, SO THE REPORT TENDS TO BE, UM, CLOSER TO THE, THE SAC MEETING AS WE ARE USUALLY AROUND THE THIRD WEEK OF EACH, UM, MONTH.
[01:45:02]
UM, AND I, WE DID SPOKE EARLIER TODAY ABOUT THE, THE US SENDING THE CON THE, THE MATERIALS FOR THE MEETING.IT TENDS TO BE THAT WE TRY TO MAKE IT TO THAT THURSDAY, BUT SOMETIMES IT ENDS UP BEING THE FRIDAY, SO IT DOESN'T GET TOO MANY DAYS TO REVIEW, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS.
UM, SO CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE CAN SEE IF WE CAN MAKE THAT IN ANY WAY EARLIER IN THE WEEK.
BUT, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE AGENDA APPROVAL PROCESS IS, IS IT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT TIME CONSUMING SOMETIMES, SO WE CAN'T MAKE A GUARANTEE.
WELL, WELL, I WANNA JUST CLARIFY THIS.
UM, SOME OF YOU FACILIT YOU DON'T NOT CIRCLE RICHARD SCHOOL BOARD SIX YEARS.
SO THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A LEGAL TIMELINE IN TERMS OF THE WAY THINGS HAD TO BE DONE.
NOW IS, IS THE CITY NOT REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THOSE INFORMATIONS BASED UPON THOSE LEGALITIES? MAYBE THE CITY ATTORNEY OR A PERSON CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME IF, IF I'M GETTING IT ON A FRIDAY AND THE MEETING IS ON A MONDAY, UH, AND YOU JUST INDICATED IN YOUR CITY EMPLOYEE THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO REVIEW THE DATA, HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME AS A VOLUNTEER TO REVIEW THE DATA IN TIMELY, IN A TIMELY MANNER FOR THE MEETING? SO I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK.
WE NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT MR. CHAIR AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLARIFIED.
I, I THINKS JUST TOO SHORT OF A TIMELINE.
I, I THINK THAT THE, IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE PROVIDING NUMBERS ON EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE DOING IN THEIR DEPARTMENT.
THEY'VE GOT OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS THAT THEY HAVE TO GET THE INFORMATION FROM.
AND SO I THINK THAT THE HISTORICALLY, HOW THIS HAS PLAYED OUT IS SOMETIMES WE'RE A MONTH BEHIND ON WHAT DATA WE HAVE.
SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A MEETING LATE IN THE MONTH, WE'RE PROBABLY UP TO DATE WITH IT.
AND I, I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN A CONTINUING PROBLEM, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S MATERIAL TO WHAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
I, I THINK THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS AS THEY COME IN AND IF THERE'S A BIG HICCUP IN THOSE NUMBERS, WE SHOULD BE ASKING QUESTIONS OR THEY SHOULD BE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT 'EM.
BUT WE'RE NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF HAVING THINGS READY IN TIME FOR THIS MONTH'S MEETING WHEN THE CONTRACTUAL DEADLINE FOR THE VENDOR TO PROVIDE IT IS THE 15TH.
AND, YOU KNOW, TODAY'S THE 20TH AND IT INCLUDED THE WEEKEND IN BETWEEN.
IT'S UNLIKELY THAT IT, IT, IT IS NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM, BUT IT EVENTUALLY WE CATCH UP, WE DO GET GOOD NUMBERS FOR THE QUARTERS AND FOR THE END OF THE YEAR AND IT IS BETTER THAN IT WAS.
UH, THEY DIDN'T USED TO HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING
SO IT'S, SOMETIMES IT'S ONLY PART OF WHAT WE DO.
SOMETIMES OUR MEETING IS LATER.
THIS MEETING IS FAIRLY EARLY IN.
THIS'LL BE MY LAST QUESTION FOR TODAY.
UH, WE HAVE AN OLDER AMERICANS MONTH EVENT THAT DART PUT ON.
DID ANYONE GO TO IT? DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY FEEDBACK OR FROM YOUR OFFICES WHERE YOU, WERE YOU GUYS THERE? YES, SO WE WERE THERE.
THIS, DESPITE THE RAIN, IT WAS A REALLY HEAVY RAIN DAY.
BUT YES, WE, WE HAD OUR ENTIRE TEAM OVER THERE.
UNFORTUNATELY, I, I DIDN'T MAKE IT OVER THERE, BUT, UM, ALL THREE OF OUR CASEWORKERS WERE THERE AND, AND SHARED SOME PICTURES THAT WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU AS WELL.
IT WAS VERY, VERY PACKED BUT WELL ATTENDED EVENT.
MY SENIOR WEST CITY ENJOYED, I ATTENDED
ANY OTHER, UH, JUST IN TERMS OF EVENTS, THE SENIOR SOURCE DID A PRESENTATION AT THE LAKEWOOD LIBRARY ON PLANNING FOR MOVING INTO FACILITIES AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE TO MOVE OUTTA YOUR HOUSE, I'M SORRY, I FORGOT.
I GOT LIKE TRACED IT AND I SHOULD KNOW.
I MEAN, IT WAS VERY POORLY ATTENDED AND I'M SORRY THAT, BUT, UH, IT WAS PRESENTED BY THE SENIOR SOURCE, THE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM WAS DISCUSSED AND UH, I'M GONNA WATCH FOR THOSE THINGS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THEY GET MORE PUBLICITY.
'CAUSE IT WAS VERY WELL VERY GOOD.
UH, SEVERAL OF US ATTENDED THE, UH, ORGANIZATION'S MOTHER'S DAY LUNCHEON AND IT WAS VERY NICE AND VERY WELL ATTENDED AS WELL.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS COULD KIND TO BRING THIS UP OR NOT, BUT HAVE WE, OR WILL WE, UH, RECEIVE ANY KIND OF INFORMATION FROM, UH, WAS IT HOMELESS SOLUTIONS OR IN THE ANY HOMELESSNESS
[01:50:01]
PROGRAM? WE, WE COULD HAVE THEM PRESENT AT ONE OF OUR MEETINGS.IT'S, UH, BECAUSE I'M JUST WONDERING IF SENIORS ARE RECEIVING ANY SERVICES ARE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT OTHERS ARE RECEIVING.
I JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE, UM, AN INCIDENT THE PAST, I GUESS OVER, OVER THE PAST MONTH OR SO WITH A SENIOR PERSON THAT WAS UNSHELTERED AND IT'S, IT JUST DIDN'T SEEM AS, SO, UH, SHE WAS BEING SERVICED OR GETTING THE HELP THAT SHE NEEDED AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER SHE WAS DECLINING IT OR WHAT, BUT I JUST, I I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING MORE AND MORE SENIORS THAT ARE UNSHELTERED.
WE, UH, WE, I'M SURE THAT PETER BROSKI WOULD HAVE EXTENDED INVITATION AND HE CHAIRS THE COALITION WOULD BE HAPPY TO COME AND BRIEF US ON THE CURRENT STATUS OF THAT.
AND I CAN LET HIM KNOW IN ADVANCE THAT WE, HE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE PORTION OF THE POPULATION THAT, THAT OUR SENIORS, THE LAST TIME I HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH HIM WAS MAYBE A YEAR OR TWO AGO WHEN THEY DID THE ANNUAL, UH, ASSESSMENT AND THEY ISSUED A REPORT RECENTLY.
I THINK, UH, WE CAN TRY TO GET THAT AS WELL.
I KNOW THERE WAS A MEETING THAT WAS HAVE BEEN HELD LAST WEEK THAT I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND, BUT IT WAS CANCELED.
SO ANYWAY, I'LL, I'LL CALL HIM AND, UH, SEE IF I CAN GET HIM ON THE SCHEDULE, BUT I DOUBT THAT WE'LL GET HIM NEXT MONTH.
BUT, UH, CERTAINLY BY THE, UH, AUGUST MEETING, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET SOMETHING ORGANIZED ON THAT.
JESSICA, DOESN'T THE CITY OF DALLAS HAVE AN OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS? I DO.
MR. VIRGIL IS THE FIRST CHAIR OF PERSON OR WHATEVER OVER THERE.
THEY HAVE COME TO OUR, UM, COMMUNITY COALITION MEETINGS OF SOME REPRESENTATIVES AND TALKED TO US ABOUT SOME OF THEIR SOLUTIONS AND OFFERED, UM, UH, RESOLUTIONS AND, UM, I KNOW THEY'D BE MORE THAN WILLING TO COME TO OUR COMMISSIONER'S MEETING TO TALK TO US.
I'LL GET THAT, I'LL GET THAT ON THE LIST OF THINGS TO TRY AND GET SET UP FOR THE, PROBABLY FOR THE AUGUST MEETING.
AND, AND THE, THERE IS A, THERE IS A, THE, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS A HOUSING AND HOMELESS COMMITTEE AND YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND SEE THE, YOU CAN WATCH THE MEETINGS OR GO ONLINE.
AS I SAID, THE ONE LAST WEEK WAS CANCELED, BUT THE PERSON THAT WORKS WITH THE CITY IS, I CAN'T THINK OF HIS FIRST NAME RIGHT NOW, BUT HIS LAST NAME IS VIRGIL AND I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM.
UH, BUT UH, I STILL THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD REALLY GET.
ANYTHING ELSE, ANYBODY? I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
I WILL SECOND IT ALL IN FAVOR OUT THE DOOR.