WEBVTT 00:00:00.290 --> 00:00:08.088 - Good evening, everybody. I would like to call tonight Sophia Travis Grant Committee meeting to order. 00:00:08.088 --> 00:00:16.574 - Today is Wednesday, May 13th. I want to know for the record we have all except for Councilmember Trent Decker. 00:00:16.738 --> 00:00:23.986 - That is here, but I'm going to have Since we this is one of the favorite parts. I really talks about 00:00:23.986 --> 00:00:31.234 - the most wonderful time of the year, which is this part So we before we get started There's some new 00:00:31.234 --> 00:00:39.055 - faces that are here and I'd like to introduce Our our folks that are up here that are part of the committee. 00:00:39.055 --> 00:00:41.854 - So committee team. Thank you very much 00:00:42.050 --> 00:00:48.134 - If you would like to start and I'll start down here first and just say your name and how long you've 00:00:48.134 --> 00:00:54.217 - been on the committee. Hello, my name is Liz final I'm County Council at large and I've been on this 00:00:54.217 --> 00:01:00.663 - committee. This is my second year. So it's only been six months since we've been here because we rearrange 00:01:00.663 --> 00:01:06.746 - the time but it's my second year. I'm happy to be here and hear all of you tonight. Good evening. My 00:01:06.746 --> 00:01:11.806 - name is Katie Hopkins and I've been on this committee for two months, three months. 00:01:11.970 --> 00:01:19.540 - I'm the newbie. I'm also Jennifer Crossley. I've been on council for five years, and each of those five 00:01:19.540 --> 00:01:27.183 - years I've been very fortunate and blessed to be a part of Sophia Travis Grant Committee. Hi, Robertson. 00:01:27.183 --> 00:01:34.680 - This is my second year being part of the Sophia Travis Grant Committee, and I'm really looking forward 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:38.174 - to getting this year started. Thank you. Great. 00:01:38.306 --> 00:01:46.438 - So it's the moment that you all have been waiting for. Don't be nervous. You can all take a deep breath. 00:01:46.438 --> 00:01:54.183 - There's no questions that will be asked of us. All of y'all will have three minutes to present your 00:01:54.183 --> 00:02:01.928 - case. And for those that are not the newbies, welcome back. Just to let you all know, has everybody 00:02:01.928 --> 00:02:06.110 - had a chance to sign in? I believe so. Maybe not. OK. 00:02:06.338 --> 00:02:13.550 - So Michelle, I think maybe, oh, okay, it's back there, okay. We have copies. She's keeping the original. 00:02:13.550 --> 00:02:20.555 - Perfect. She'll update it as they. Oh, this is awesome. Okay, look at us, go team go. Okay, so if you 00:02:20.555 --> 00:02:27.424 - have not signed in already, you can see Ms. Lehua that is in the back, hello, and she will help you 00:02:27.424 --> 00:02:34.910 - get all signed in. All right, and so next up, I'll ask for our vice chair, Ms. Julie, to go ahead and start. 00:02:36.258 --> 00:02:42.695 - I'd like to welcome all the applicants today to tonight's Sophia Travis Grant applicant presentation. 00:02:42.695 --> 00:02:49.005 - If you have not already, please everybody sign in. I see some people coming in through the back, so 00:02:49.005 --> 00:02:55.441 - please be sure to sign into the sheet. I would like to say that the agencies, in order to be eligible 00:02:55.441 --> 00:03:01.310 - for the Sophia Travis Grant, all agencies must be a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization. 00:03:01.442 --> 00:03:09.432 - grants in these primary areas that are eligible for support, and that would include food, nutrition, 00:03:09.432 --> 00:03:17.421 - security, shelter, and health, transportation assistance, climate change, emergency shortages, first 00:03:17.421 --> 00:03:25.806 - responders, veterans assistance, excellence in government, youth enrichment opportunities. The evaluation 00:03:25.806 --> 00:03:30.078 - of the criteria of the applications, we ask that they 00:03:30.210 --> 00:03:36.696 - the completion of all required reports from the previous Sophia Travis Grant Cycle Awards. We'd like 00:03:36.696 --> 00:03:43.311 - to have those done and sent to us if you've received the Sophia Travis Grant in the past. The projects 00:03:43.311 --> 00:03:49.862 - that you are gonna present tonight, they must be primarily for Monroe County residents. The extent to 00:03:49.862 --> 00:03:56.926 - which the dollar amount sought to accomplish the stated goals of the projects, we need to know like how much. 00:03:57.218 --> 00:04:04.571 - and the extent to which the funds sought will leverage additional funds or assistance. Okay, I think 00:04:04.571 --> 00:04:12.215 - we're ready for Jennifer. Yay, okay. So again, everybody should, it's no different from year after year, 00:04:12.215 --> 00:04:20.077 - but again, for our first time folks that are just joining in, everybody should have received the guidelines 00:04:20.077 --> 00:04:25.246 - on how the presentations today will work. Did everybody receive those? 00:04:25.474 --> 00:04:32.783 - Okay, I see thumbs up and heads nodding, so cool. Okay, so again, as I mentioned before, each person 00:04:32.783 --> 00:04:40.020 - will have three minutes. Again, if you are virtually as well, you will also be presented with three 00:04:40.020 --> 00:04:47.256 - minutes. TSD will have the timers on the TV monitors, and then for those in Teamland, you'll see it 00:04:47.256 --> 00:04:48.414 - in your screen. 00:04:49.122 --> 00:04:56.050 - and your virtual world there. So you'll have up to three minutes to speak. And then once you are winding 00:04:56.050 --> 00:05:02.647 - down on your presentation, you'll have a 30-second flash. That will happen. Oh, they are displaying 00:05:02.647 --> 00:05:08.981 - that for you already. So you can see that there. And then after you are done, you can just end. 00:05:08.981 --> 00:05:12.478 - That's it. Again, as I mentioned before, there is no 00:05:12.930 --> 00:05:20.385 - questions. So three minutes is your time to shine and let us know why you are here and what you are 00:05:20.385 --> 00:05:28.064 - seeking. And that's it. All right. Excuse me. Do you want us to do a 30 second bell? Yeah, I think so. 00:05:28.064 --> 00:05:35.519 - So just as people can know to wrap it up, because as they're paying attention to us, they might not 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:42.750 - be able to see the monitor. So you'll hear this little ding right here. So very fun and festive. 00:05:42.882 --> 00:05:50.437 - All right. And so since everybody knows their order of presentation, you can just start to just roll 00:05:50.437 --> 00:05:57.992 - on up after the next person is, you know, wrapping up so you can have a seat here on the bench here. 00:05:57.992 --> 00:06:05.771 - But again, all of our presentations that are here again, you just go ahead and start. And it looks like 00:06:05.771 --> 00:06:10.334 - first up on our presentation list is Hoosier Trails Council. 00:06:24.994 --> 00:06:30.986 - afternoon my name is Rod Cates I'm here representing Hoosier Trails Council Scouting America. I want 00:06:30.986 --> 00:06:37.156 - to thank you for your time and since my time is short I want to get started right away. The application 00:06:37.156 --> 00:06:43.148 - I submitted requests funding to help us establish a Cub Scout pack here in Monroe County. With a Cub 00:06:43.148 --> 00:06:49.437 - Scout program comes many benefits I want to focus on those real quick and tell you that they are benefits 00:06:49.437 --> 00:06:54.302 - associated with youth, youth development, family engagement and community impact. 00:06:54.466 --> 00:07:00.739 - Let's start with youth development. First of all, this program builds confidence, leadership, teamwork, 00:07:00.739 --> 00:07:07.012 - skills through fun and engaging activities. The Scouts will be encouraged to work on healthy lifestyles 00:07:07.012 --> 00:07:13.104 - and outdoor exploration. It supports character development through the Scout Oath and Art Law, which 00:07:13.104 --> 00:07:19.678 - is on our application, promotes STEM learning, creativity, and problem solving, teaches Scouts to set goals, 00:07:19.938 --> 00:07:26.345 - put in the time to reach them and be rewarded for having done so. And finally, provides a safe and positive 00:07:26.345 --> 00:07:32.574 - environment for friendship and growth. Now, family engagement is equally important. As a family program, 00:07:32.574 --> 00:07:38.744 - it creates opportunities for quality family time. We all need time with our families. And it encourages 00:07:38.744 --> 00:07:45.151 - parent involvement in those activities and adventures these Scouts are taking. It strengthens communication 00:07:45.151 --> 00:07:48.414 - and shared experiences, resulting in being supportive, 00:07:48.642 --> 00:07:55.882 - relationships among families in our community, and finally, it helps parents provide opportunities to 00:07:55.882 --> 00:08:03.194 - model positive values and leadership. Finally, Cub Scouts participate in service projects that improve 00:08:03.194 --> 00:08:10.363 - neighborhoods and local areas. They also develop future leaders committed to community service. They 00:08:10.363 --> 00:08:14.622 - will learn citizenship, responsibility, and helping others. 00:08:14.850 --> 00:08:21.595 - It strengthens partnerships with our schools and our organizations and our community. And the communities 00:08:21.595 --> 00:08:28.022 - benefit from engaged, respectful, and service-minded youth. Speaking of service-minded youth, I have 00:08:28.022 --> 00:08:34.577 - a Cub Scout pack down at Lakeview Elementary here in Bloomington. They do something called Get Out and 00:08:34.577 --> 00:08:41.385 - Scout. For the second year in a row, a group returned from their scouts to a local cemetery for meaningful 00:08:41.385 --> 00:08:43.358 - headstone restoration project. 00:08:43.490 --> 00:08:49.767 - Armed with water, soap, brushes, the Scouts worked in pairs to scrub away years of built-up dirt and 00:08:49.767 --> 00:08:56.107 - grime. The kids loved the hands-on task, finding it both challenging and deeply satisfying to see the 00:08:56.107 --> 00:09:02.446 - immediate transformation of the stones. This service project teaches the importance of honoring local 00:09:02.446 --> 00:09:08.723 - history and respecting those who came before us. It's become a proud annual tradition for that pack, 00:09:08.723 --> 00:09:11.582 - and they have plans to do it again this year. 00:09:12.226 --> 00:09:22.028 - I'm here to request 4500 to help us establish a Cub Scout pack that we can benefit families, youth, 00:09:22.028 --> 00:09:32.320 - and have a community impact with leadership in the future. Thank you very much. Thank you. Look at that. 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:39.966 - Everybody giving support. I love it. All right. Next up is Susie's place. Hi. 00:09:40.642 --> 00:09:47.587 - My name is Caitlin Pratt. I am one of the forensic interviewers with Suzy's Place Child Advocacy Center. 00:09:47.587 --> 00:09:54.466 - We are a nonprofit organization that works with children who have been the victims of abuse or neglect. 00:09:54.466 --> 00:10:01.478 - This includes sex abuse, physical abuse, witness to violence, neglect, or other types of crimes involving 00:10:01.478 --> 00:10:05.182 - children. We work in coordination with law enforcement, 00:10:05.282 --> 00:10:14.248 - local prosecutor's office, DCS, and medical to provide services in response to these children who are 00:10:14.248 --> 00:10:16.446 - the victims of violence. 00:10:17.410 --> 00:10:25.129 - Suzy's Place has recently launched an internship program, and we're asking for $5,000 that would go 00:10:25.129 --> 00:10:33.311 - towards both the master's level intern that would come to our center to work with the families to provide 00:10:33.311 --> 00:10:41.415 - advocacy services and support. And then it would go towards the oversight that's required for a master's 00:10:41.415 --> 00:10:43.422 - level social work intern. 00:10:44.322 --> 00:10:50.488 - Suzy's Place has three locations, Terre Haute, Avon, and Bloomington. And Bloomington is by far one 00:10:50.488 --> 00:10:56.715 - of our busiest and most impactful centers that we see. They have the highest numbers and some of the 00:10:56.715 --> 00:11:03.313 - worst crimes that happens to children out of all of our Suzy's Place locations. Having additional master's 00:11:03.313 --> 00:11:09.602 - level intern at our center would not only create a connection with the social work programs for folks 00:11:09.602 --> 00:11:14.288 - that are wanting to go into that social work field and get that experience, 00:11:14.288 --> 00:11:21.815 - experience and ability to work with kids but it also provides us the ability to have more hands on direct 00:11:21.815 --> 00:11:29.413 - service to the children and families that we see. They would be doing things like helping schedule medical 00:11:29.413 --> 00:11:36.726 - exams for emergency acute. They would contact families and connect them with services to the community 00:11:36.726 --> 00:11:43.614 - in Monroe County and just be there as that support as they navigate the criminal justice system. 00:11:44.386 --> 00:11:53.180 - I also want to say thank you. You guys have given us money before for a medical suite. It's done so 00:11:53.180 --> 00:12:02.062 - much for the kids that we see. So I do want to end with that. So thank you for your time. Thank you. 00:12:02.062 --> 00:12:11.296 - Next, we had tandem. But is there a member of tandem? And they're not online as well. So we have artists 00:12:11.296 --> 00:12:13.758 - adjacent. Artists adjacent. 00:12:14.114 --> 00:12:23.692 - and then followed up with CASA, or followed by CASA. Hi, everybody. My name is Susan Hingall, also known 00:12:23.692 --> 00:12:25.790 - as Gus. Thank you all. 00:12:26.466 --> 00:12:32.316 - In Monroe County, young people face real barriers to participating in live music, not because of lack 00:12:32.316 --> 00:12:37.994 - of talent, but because most venues are age-restricted, costly, and not designed for substance-free 00:12:37.994 --> 00:12:43.787 - participation. Artist Adjacent was created to address that gap by building inclusive, all-ages music 00:12:43.787 --> 00:12:49.694 - experiences where youth and adults create together. As I said, my name is Gus, and I'm the founder and 00:12:49.694 --> 00:12:52.734 - executive director of Artist Adjacent, Incorporated. 00:12:53.058 --> 00:13:00.301 - The proposed project is a multi-generational all ages live music performance series used ages 13 to 00:13:00.301 --> 00:13:04.574 - 20 are often limited to rehearsals or classroom practices. 00:13:04.930 --> 00:13:12.418 - with few chances to perform for a real audience. At the same time, many adults are seeking more meaningful 00:13:12.418 --> 00:13:19.766 - community-centered ways to engage with live music. This project meets both needs by creating accessible, 00:13:19.766 --> 00:13:26.764 - substance-free events that invite young people and adults into shared creative space as performers, 00:13:26.764 --> 00:13:32.222 - collaborators, and leaders. Each event pairs youth performers and experienced 00:13:32.674 --> 00:13:39.243 - adult artist mentors. Youth participate not only on stage, but throughout the production process, taking 00:13:39.243 --> 00:13:45.937 - on roles such as management, promotion, photography, sound, lighting, and coordination. Events are planned 00:13:45.937 --> 00:13:52.256 - through facilitated co-design sessions, giving youth real creative decision-making power while being 00:13:52.256 --> 00:13:57.886 - supported by artists who model professional practice and ensure safety and accessibility. 00:13:59.234 --> 00:14:05.139 - Sophia Travis grant funds would directly support program and performance costs, including artists and 00:14:05.139 --> 00:14:11.045 - mentor stipends venue rental liability insurance and promotion. These funds are intentionally focused 00:14:11.045 --> 00:14:15.966 - on fair compensation and removing financial barriers so youth can fully participate. 00:14:16.226 --> 00:14:23.390 - We evaluate impact through participation data, attendance, youth roles, surveys, and post-event reflection 00:14:23.390 --> 00:14:30.689 - sessions. This allows us to refine a reproducible model that supports long-term sustainability and continued 00:14:30.689 --> 00:14:37.585 - community engagement. This project is about equity, access, and visibility, ensuring young artists are 00:14:37.585 --> 00:14:43.678 - not just present in Bloomington's art ecosystem, but actively shaping it alongside adults. 00:14:44.002 --> 00:14:55.785 - Thank you for your time and for supporting opportunities that allow young people to participate as creators, 00:14:55.785 --> 00:15:06.703 - collaborators, and leaders. Thank you. Hello, my name is Lynn Card and this is Beth Krause and we're 00:15:06.703 --> 00:15:09.406 - from Monroe County CASA. 00:15:10.050 --> 00:15:16.769 - Thank you so much for the opportunity for us to present to you tonight. Both Beth and I have completed 00:15:16.769 --> 00:15:23.553 - the Trainers Program of Stop It Now, which is to deliver to the community the Circle of Safety Program. 00:15:23.553 --> 00:15:30.077 - As reflected in the grant, Stop It Now is a national leader in sexual abuse prevention. The Circles 00:15:30.077 --> 00:15:35.230 - of Safety Program is evidence-based and empowers participants as active agents 00:15:35.586 --> 00:15:41.989 - in prevention by giving them skills to identify risks and build skills to protect children before harm 00:15:41.989 --> 00:15:48.515 - occurs. For those of us at CASA, we see the backend of the trauma from sexual abuse and the major impact 00:15:48.515 --> 00:15:54.918 - on the kids and the families. We get the fact as our trained and supported volunteers are representing 00:15:54.918 --> 00:16:01.196 - the best interests of the kids from our community that are now involved with the Department of Child 00:16:01.196 --> 00:16:04.926 - Services. Our work is to make sure kids are getting to safe 00:16:05.090 --> 00:16:11.716 - permanent homes as quickly as possible, whether that be back with family or in another setting. What 00:16:11.716 --> 00:16:18.277 - we hope to do going forward is lend hand to this community to prevent kids from becoming victims of 00:16:18.277 --> 00:16:25.035 - sexual abuse and to build a safe, protective community. Circles of Safety Training is an intensive six 00:16:25.035 --> 00:16:32.055 - hours of programming designed to build skills and improve protective factors in our community. Our program 00:16:32.055 --> 00:16:34.942 - also utilizes pre and post training testing 00:16:35.202 --> 00:16:41.843 - to ensure that learning is happening and that we can truly gauge this change. We addressed some stats 00:16:41.843 --> 00:16:48.484 - in our application, but would also like to share that nationally, 28% of teenagers are victims of sex 00:16:48.484 --> 00:16:54.995 - abuse, either in person or online. If you consider that Monroe County has approximately 10,000 kids 00:16:54.995 --> 00:17:01.635 - of teenage years, that would mean 2,800 of our children are victims. Already in 2026, there have been 00:17:01.635 --> 00:17:03.198 - 60 reports of child sex 00:17:03.362 --> 00:17:12.368 - abuse in Monroe County, with seven of those reports having enough evidence to support substantiations. 00:17:12.368 --> 00:17:21.286 - We are asking in the amount of $2522 and 94 cents in order to deliver programming to recognize risks, 00:17:21.286 --> 00:17:24.958 - respond effectively and protect children. 00:17:32.578 --> 00:17:45.119 - We have somebody from Girls Rock. Okay. Reset the timer, please. Great. Hi, I'm Carrie Albright. I'm 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:53.438 - the outreach coordinator and volunteer for Girls Rock Bloomington. 00:17:54.306 --> 00:18:00.641 - The mission of Girls Rock Bloomington is to empower girls, transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive 00:18:00.641 --> 00:18:06.915 - youth through music education, after school programming, workshops, an annual summer camp, and positive 00:18:06.915 --> 00:18:13.250 - mentorship. In real terms, GRB is a safe, creative space for young people to find comfort through music, 00:18:13.250 --> 00:18:15.422 - collaboration, and self-expression. 00:18:16.098 --> 00:18:21.570 - Bloomington's long been known as a mecca for creators. From the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival 00:18:21.570 --> 00:18:27.097 - and various ongoing performance series and venues to a number of recording studios and record labels 00:18:27.097 --> 00:18:32.623 - rooted in our community, we know Monroe County serves and supports the magic that comes with musical 00:18:32.623 --> 00:18:38.150 - creativity. Girls Rock Bloomington offers a unique opportunity within this umbrella in that not only 00:18:38.150 --> 00:18:43.731 - does it specifically serve young people, and we're talking third graders, middle schoolers, even some 00:18:43.731 --> 00:18:44.990 - high school age youth, 00:18:45.154 --> 00:18:51.416 - but it's built around the understanding that historically, opportunities have not been offered equally 00:18:51.416 --> 00:18:57.557 - to everyone. Through GRB, campers experience creative expression, acceptance, and encouragement, and 00:18:57.557 --> 00:19:03.819 - growth in a safe and inclusive environment that welcomes all underserved identities. Through our BIPOC 00:19:03.819 --> 00:19:09.716 - Community Fund, no questions asked opportunities are available to youth who've been historically 00:19:09.716 --> 00:19:11.966 - underrepresented or under supported. 00:19:12.738 --> 00:19:18.602 - The role of music in our nonprofit is an intentional central focus. According to the American Psychiatric 00:19:18.602 --> 00:19:24.687 - Association, music supports emotional regulation and expression, stress and anxiety reduction, self-discovery 00:19:24.687 --> 00:19:30.385 - and identity, and social connection and belonging. And as our society continues to navigate the mental 00:19:30.385 --> 00:19:36.028 - health crisis, Girls Rock offers programming intentionally built for girls and trans, non-binary, and 00:19:36.028 --> 00:19:41.726 - gender expansive youth to participate in activities geared towards strengthening their own well-being. 00:19:41.890 --> 00:19:50.013 - According to the Trevor Project, LGBTQ youth representing depressive symptoms climbed from 48% in 2023 00:19:50.013 --> 00:19:57.978 - to 54% in 2025. During that same period, suicidal ideation in LGBTQ plus youth grew from 41% to 47%. 00:19:57.978 --> 00:20:06.258 - Transgender and non-binary youth reported the poorest mental health outcomes and represented the highest 00:20:06.258 --> 00:20:07.678 - risk for suicide. 00:20:07.938 --> 00:20:14.223 - mental health support must be a community level effort. Girls Rock takes this role very seriously and 00:20:14.223 --> 00:20:20.507 - demonstrates our commitment to this issue through our programs. In the last five years, we've doubled 00:20:20.507 --> 00:20:26.854 - from a summer camp of 25 campers to over 50 for this upcoming summer. The GRB community keeps growing. 00:20:26.854 --> 00:20:33.138 - As we watch campers age out of the program, we see them leaving with renewed and reinforced senses of 00:20:33.138 --> 00:20:34.494 - self and possibility. 00:20:34.882 --> 00:20:40.411 - Girls Rock is more than just an opportunity for young people to make music together. Yes, it is that. 00:20:40.411 --> 00:20:46.048 - But at its core, Girls Rock is a community, a space, a safe place where you're accepted and celebrated, 00:20:46.048 --> 00:20:49.246 - however and whoever you are. Thank you so much. Thank you. 00:21:03.650 --> 00:21:11.367 - followed by the Chamber of Commerce. I'm not certain if Pathways is here, but if Pathways isn't, then 00:21:11.367 --> 00:21:18.932 - it's First Christian Church. Then we'll wait for the timer to restart. All right. Thank you, Sylvia 00:21:18.932 --> 00:21:25.438 - Travis Committee, for your consideration and all the impactful community initiatives. 00:21:25.570 --> 00:21:31.318 - throughout Monroe County that you support. I'm Christopher Emgy from the Greater Bloomington Chamber 00:21:31.318 --> 00:21:37.009 - of Commerce Foundation, our successful program or the feel good portion of the chamber. The success 00:21:37.009 --> 00:21:42.757 - school serves as a bridge between the business community and K-12 local education agencies, creating 00:21:42.757 --> 00:21:48.278 - real world learning opportunities that help students understand careers, workplace expectations, 00:21:48.278 --> 00:21:51.294 - opportunities available right here in Monroe County. 00:21:51.458 --> 00:21:58.514 - Today, this success school facilitates 33 programs events annually, more than 4,300 student interactions, 00:21:58.514 --> 00:22:05.503 - engagement with over 600 volunteers from the business community, and we partner directly with both MCCSC 00:22:05.503 --> 00:22:12.626 - and RBB. Career Cruise has become the culmination of all the work that the success school does. Throughout 00:22:12.626 --> 00:22:18.750 - the school year, students are exposed to entrepreneurship, financial literacy, soft skills, 00:22:18.850 --> 00:22:25.150 - career awareness, workplace learning opportunities. The Career Cruise brings all of those together in 00:22:25.150 --> 00:22:31.512 - one large-scale hands-on experience with over 50 local businesses interacting with approximately 1,200 00:22:31.512 --> 00:22:37.750 - students in seventh and eighth grade from across the county. What makes Career Cruise unique is it's 00:22:37.750 --> 00:22:44.606 - not passive seminar or a lecture. Students rotate through a theme to port the call with their passport in hand 00:22:44.706 --> 00:22:50.262 - engaging directly with employers through a guided conversation, hands-on activities that make career 00:22:50.262 --> 00:22:56.258 - exploration approachable and memorable. The event also creates meaningful value for participating businesses 00:22:56.258 --> 00:23:01.814 - and volunteers. They look forward to this every year. Employers consistently tell us that they enjoy 00:23:01.814 --> 00:23:07.865 - the opportunity to engage with students at this age level. It strengthens their connections to the community, 00:23:07.865 --> 00:23:09.790 - reinforces pride in the workplace. 00:23:09.890 --> 00:23:15.697 - creates a meaningful employee volunteer experience and supports morale and retention within the workplace. 00:23:15.697 --> 00:23:21.179 - Now, recent changes within Indiana's diploma requirements place a much larger emphasis on work-based 00:23:21.179 --> 00:23:26.823 - learning, internships, apprenticeships, and Career Connect experience. The Career Crew serves as a part 00:23:26.823 --> 00:23:32.630 - of that continuum as an opportunity for that early entry port to the pipeline, helping students understand 00:23:32.630 --> 00:23:36.158 - the opportunities available to them before they start making big 00:23:36.482 --> 00:23:42.169 - decisions with high school pathways and future careers. Now the $4,000 Sophia Travis grant helps us 00:23:42.169 --> 00:23:48.255 - continue scaling this effort by supporting infrastructure needed to host an event this large of magnitude. 00:23:48.255 --> 00:23:53.999 - This includes venue costs, event setup, student engagement materials, immersive learning environment 00:23:53.999 --> 00:23:59.687 - to get that seafaring look that we all like and helps make that experience effective and memorable. 00:23:59.687 --> 00:24:05.374 - Most importantly, career crews reinforces message we believe is critical to Monroe County's future. 00:24:05.986 --> 00:24:11.348 - meaningful careers are here. There are opportunities here. There is a future here for young people in 00:24:11.348 --> 00:24:16.920 - our community to stay or if they do leave to come back. So thank you for your consideration and continued 00:24:16.920 --> 00:24:20.126 - support for youth enrichment opportunities in Monroe County. 00:24:35.362 --> 00:24:41.313 - Good evening. I'm Katie Broadfoot. I'm the executive director at Pathways. I wanted to thank you for 00:24:41.313 --> 00:24:47.323 - the opportunity to share more about Pathways and our My First Library program. And I know you've seen 00:24:47.323 --> 00:24:52.862 - our application, so you know that our request is for books for this My First Library program. 00:24:52.994 --> 00:24:59.130 - I want to use this time to acknowledge something really important, and that is that while this program 00:24:59.130 --> 00:25:05.385 - is centered on books and early literacy, what I'm really talking about tonight is something a lot bigger 00:25:05.385 --> 00:25:08.542 - than that. I'm talking about how opportunity begins. 00:25:09.186 --> 00:25:15.258 - At Pathways, we serve families who are doing a lot of things right. They're working. They're showing 00:25:15.258 --> 00:25:21.331 - up. They're trying to build stable lives. But a lot of them are caught in that weird income range in 00:25:21.331 --> 00:25:27.403 - between where social services cut off and true self-sufficiency begins. And for many of the children 00:25:27.403 --> 00:25:33.596 - that are in our care, access to books is not a given. It's not a small gap either. It's a foundational 00:25:33.596 --> 00:25:36.542 - one. And that's where my first library comes in. 00:25:37.282 --> 00:25:42.995 - Each month, a child at our Compass Early Learning Center doesn't just receive a book. They experience 00:25:42.995 --> 00:25:48.708 - someone sitting down with them to read that book to them, to show them that stories matter, that they 00:25:48.708 --> 00:25:54.421 - matter. And then they get to take that book home, often becoming one of the only books in that entire 00:25:54.421 --> 00:26:00.134 - household. What happens next, though, is where the real impact is. The book becomes a nightly routine 00:26:00.134 --> 00:26:01.086 - for that family. 00:26:01.314 --> 00:26:07.441 - It becomes a moment of connection between child and parent. And it becomes practice of language, of 00:26:07.441 --> 00:26:13.752 - vocabulary, of imagination. All of those things compound and build quietly over time. And those small, 00:26:13.752 --> 00:26:19.940 - consistent moments, that is exactly what research and experience tells us lead to things like school 00:26:19.940 --> 00:26:25.822 - readiness, confidence, and long-term success. And I want to be clear about something else, too. 00:26:26.594 --> 00:26:32.321 - Pathways as an organization is deeply aligned with the priorities that this committee cares about, even 00:26:32.321 --> 00:26:35.294 - though this request seems like it's just about books. 00:26:35.554 --> 00:26:41.303 - Every day through the Compass Early Learning Center and our Family Resource Center, we are advancing 00:26:41.303 --> 00:26:47.281 - early learning, we're strengthening families, and we're supporting long-term economic mobility for local 00:26:47.281 --> 00:26:53.144 - families. My first library is how we go further with that. It's not the only thing we do, and in fact, 00:26:53.144 --> 00:26:58.893 - it's just a small thing that we do, but it's one of the many ways that we're ensuring we're not just 00:26:58.893 --> 00:27:02.878 - meeting basic standards, we're creating a meaningful, lasting impact. 00:27:03.522 --> 00:27:09.203 - For the past three years, this program has been sustained through partnership and generosity, but as 00:27:09.203 --> 00:27:15.053 - costs have risen, we've reached a point where continuing at the same level requires additional support, 00:27:15.053 --> 00:27:20.734 - and that is what our request is for, to be able to continue and sustain at the quality level that we 00:27:20.734 --> 00:27:24.446 - believe is very important for our children. Thank you. Thank you. 00:27:35.170 --> 00:27:41.052 - Hi there. My name is Matt Gargiulo and I serve as an associate pastor at First Christian Church Disciples 00:27:41.052 --> 00:27:41.662 - of Christ. 00:27:41.730 --> 00:27:47.456 - For two centuries, First Christian Church has served as a welcoming presence at the corner of Kirkwood 00:27:47.456 --> 00:27:53.071 - and Washington downtown Bloomington. Our location right by the Monroe County Public Library downtown 00:27:53.071 --> 00:27:58.742 - is in many unhoused neighbors, places us, we believe, right at the center of the community's response 00:27:58.742 --> 00:28:04.469 - to homelessness, food insecurity, and social isolation. We have a weekly welcome table breakfast every 00:28:04.469 --> 00:28:10.362 - Sunday morning from eight to nine thirty in the morning. We believe that it is one of the most consistent 00:28:10.362 --> 00:28:11.696 - ministries that we have 00:28:11.696 --> 00:28:17.677 - and appreciate your partnership in the past and ask for that again to provide dependable nourishment 00:28:17.677 --> 00:28:23.717 - during a time on Sunday mornings when few other food resources are available. Every Sunday morning at 00:28:23.717 --> 00:28:30.113 - First Christian Church we welcome between 100 and 125 neighbors, most of whom are unhoused and experiencing 00:28:30.113 --> 00:28:32.126 - a combination of food insecurity, 00:28:32.706 --> 00:28:38.771 - to the welcome table breakfast in our Great Hall. And the meal meets the immediate physical needs while 00:28:38.771 --> 00:28:44.719 - offering hospitality, compassion, and connections to community resources. And we have a team of up to 00:28:44.719 --> 00:28:50.842 - 30 volunteers on a rotation that prepare and serve a free breakfast. It's a simple continental breakfast 00:28:50.842 --> 00:28:52.766 - with milk, juice, cereal, fruit, 00:28:52.834 --> 00:28:59.297 - coffee, and hard-boiled eggs as our protein source. And many guests arrive carrying their belongings 00:28:59.297 --> 00:29:05.952 - after sleeping outside or in temporary shelter. Others are seniors on fixed incomes or individuals that 00:29:05.952 --> 00:29:12.991 - live on this economic margins or just neighbors navigating mental health challenges. Often it's a combination 00:29:12.991 --> 00:29:19.582 - of all of the above. Regardless of the circumstance, every person is welcomed with dignity and warmth. 00:29:19.682 --> 00:29:25.502 - we want to make sure that that is true. Because we've learned that many of our neighbors do not have 00:29:25.502 --> 00:29:31.265 - other options for meal programs on Sundays, we also have added to-go lunch sacks that have a simple 00:29:31.265 --> 00:29:37.373 - sandwich that ensure guests have food for the remainder of the day. And we believe that the Sophia Travis 00:29:37.373 --> 00:29:43.136 - Community Services Grant aligns directly with the Welcome Tables focus on food security, nutrition, 00:29:43.136 --> 00:29:49.014 - and shelter and health. Rising grocery costs and increased community need, we've had up to 180 in the 00:29:49.014 --> 00:29:49.648 - past year. 00:29:49.648 --> 00:29:56.360 - on a given week, really on top of the increased grocery costs for our protein source in particular, 00:29:56.360 --> 00:30:03.207 - really require more financial resources at a time that also our number of guests continue to grow. So 00:30:03.207 --> 00:30:10.121 - a grant of 7,500 will support the purchase of these core food items on a weekly basis that make up the 00:30:10.121 --> 00:30:16.833 - majority of what we do. Support from the Sophia Travis Community Services Grant, it strengthens our 00:30:16.833 --> 00:30:19.518 - ability to continue to be this reliable 00:30:19.682 --> 00:30:25.153 - neighbors and presence in our community. It ensures that hundreds of Bloomington residents and many 00:30:25.153 --> 00:30:30.679 - facing daily uncertainty can rely Sunday mornings continue to be a place that they're fed, respected 00:30:30.679 --> 00:30:36.424 - and reminded that they're not alone and appreciate your opportunity to partner to provide that welcoming 00:30:36.424 --> 00:30:38.558 - presence for our neighbors. Thank you. 00:30:54.882 --> 00:31:00.796 - Good evening. My name is Devin May. I am one of the founders and executive directors of Blooming Arts 00:31:00.796 --> 00:31:07.000 - Theater Company. And I thank you for the opportunity to share our mission today. Blooming Arts was created 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:12.915 - to inspire and empower the next generation of performers through exceptional pre-professional musical 00:31:12.915 --> 00:31:18.829 - theater training and performance opportunities for youth in the greater Bloomington area. Our mission 00:31:18.829 --> 00:31:22.366 - is to give passionate young performers the kind of rigorous, 00:31:22.498 --> 00:31:29.114 - collaborative and creative challenging experiences that prepare them not only for college theater programs 00:31:29.114 --> 00:31:35.235 - and professional careers, but for all aspects in life. Through theater, students build confidence, 00:31:35.235 --> 00:31:39.934 - discipline, leadership, empathy, and the ability to work as part of a team. 00:31:40.642 --> 00:31:46.773 - We launched our first programming in June of 2025 at the IU Theater building with a workshop called 00:31:46.773 --> 00:31:53.026 - Ace the Audition. Students learned foundational audition skills, received professional headshots, and 00:31:53.026 --> 00:31:59.524 - participated in master classes with industry professionals. We followed that up with Curtains Up Broadway 00:31:59.524 --> 00:32:01.854 - Bound Cabaret, an immersive week-long 00:32:01.954 --> 00:32:08.020 - intensive that culminated in a public performance. Last fall we coached two local high schoolers through 00:32:08.020 --> 00:32:13.854 - their college auditions and both were accepted into highly competitive musical theater BFA programs. 00:32:14.242 --> 00:32:20.869 - This summer marks an exciting milestone for us as we produce our first fully staged musical, Once Upon 00:32:20.869 --> 00:32:27.561 - a Mattress, at the Buskirk Chumlee Theater. Students aged 13 through 19 will participate in a four week 00:32:27.561 --> 00:32:34.317 - conservatory style rehearsal process, led entirely by professional directors, choreographers, designers, 00:32:34.317 --> 00:32:41.138 - music directors, and stage managers with decades of industry experience. What makes Blooming Arts special 00:32:41.138 --> 00:32:43.454 - is our commitment to accessibility. 00:32:43.650 --> 00:32:49.214 - While our programs are tuition-based, every student who requests scholarship assistance receives it. 00:32:49.314 --> 00:32:55.171 - For this summer's production alone, we have provided over $3,500 in scholarship support because we believe 00:32:55.171 --> 00:33:01.028 - financial circumstances should not prevent young artists from pursuing their passions. Donors and sponsors 00:33:01.028 --> 00:33:06.666 - play a critical role in making that commitment possible. Every individual donor is acknowledged in our 00:33:06.666 --> 00:33:12.304 - printed program. Major donors and grant funders are recognized in curtain speeches at each performance 00:33:12.304 --> 00:33:18.270 - and receive complimentary tickets to the production. We want our supporters to know that they are truly part 00:33:18.498 --> 00:33:24.757 - of the impact that these students are experiencing. Blooming Arts is about more than just putting on 00:33:24.757 --> 00:33:31.140 - a show, it's about creating a space where young people feel challenged, supported, and inspired, where 00:33:31.140 --> 00:33:37.585 - they can discover their artistic voices, develop professional skills, and experience the transformative 00:33:37.585 --> 00:33:44.030 - power of the arts. Thank you very much for your consideration. Have a good evening. You too, thank you. 00:34:01.442 --> 00:34:10.727 - Hello, everyone. My name is Teresa Kang. I'm the president of Pathways to Class Cultural Understanding, 00:34:10.727 --> 00:34:20.369 - an organization dedicated to promoting class cultural awareness through education and community engagement. 00:34:20.369 --> 00:34:29.118 - We provide mentoring workshops, cultural programs, and conferences that help students, educators, 00:34:29.250 --> 00:34:39.402 - and communities develop intercultural understanding and meaningful global connections. Today, I'm excited 00:34:39.402 --> 00:34:49.076 - to introduce Breaching Borders, a visual dialogue on global youth perspectives, a two-day exhibition 00:34:49.076 --> 00:34:58.366 - and workshop program to be hosted at Molo County History Center in December. The exhibition will 00:34:58.818 --> 00:35:09.606 - showcase student-created artwork, writing, and multimedia project from both the United States and South 00:35:09.606 --> 00:35:20.291 - Korea. These work will explore themes such as identity, shared humanity, and historical understanding. 00:35:20.291 --> 00:35:28.382 - Beyond viewing the exhibition, participants will engage in interactive guided 00:35:28.610 --> 00:35:38.681 - tangible activities that encourage reflection on cultural similarities and differences, while helping 00:35:38.681 --> 00:35:49.047 - them connect global perspectives to their own lived experiences. Funding for this project will primarily 00:35:49.047 --> 00:35:55.070 - support exhibition materials facility and equipment renters. 00:35:55.426 --> 00:36:06.219 - present and travel expenses. Through both in person and virtual participation, we expect to reach more 00:36:06.219 --> 00:36:16.278 - than 100 students, educators, and community members. This initiative supports youth development 00:36:16.278 --> 00:36:20.574 - by strengthening critical thinking where 00:36:20.738 --> 00:36:30.135 - young people can better understand and appreciate comprehensive perspectives in our interconnected world. 00:36:30.135 --> 00:36:39.001 - We would greatly appreciate your support in helping bring this meaningful educational experience to 00:36:39.001 --> 00:36:45.118 - our community. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you. 00:36:59.202 --> 00:37:05.617 - My name is Heather Bland and I'm the executive director of New Leaf New Life. Thank you so much for 00:37:05.617 --> 00:37:12.032 - your time and consideration. And it's also an honor to be here with other people who are doing work 00:37:12.032 --> 00:37:18.575 - in our community. Something that I love about New Leaf New Life is we have so many community partners 00:37:18.575 --> 00:37:24.798 - working together to resolve the issues that are happening in our community and in Monroe County. 00:37:25.250 --> 00:37:32.598 - We are seeking funding for rent support and transportation for our mentees. We saw 3443 mentees. Our 00:37:32.598 --> 00:37:40.528 - mentees are people who are coming from incarceration, who are coming from substance use treatment, suffering 00:37:40.528 --> 00:37:47.876 - from mental health challenges, or have recently become unhoused. We collaborate with other agencies, 00:37:47.876 --> 00:37:54.206 - but what we're seeking is rent support to help people get connected with sober living. 00:37:56.578 --> 00:38:05.069 - We were able to assist 140 community members with sober living last year. And just to give a little 00:38:05.069 --> 00:38:13.984 - context, in the state of Indiana in 2025, the recidivism rate was 38%. That's up 16% since 2022. Mentees 00:38:13.984 --> 00:38:22.814 - in our program, for the last year who have gained housing support from us, the recidivism rate is 5.97. 00:38:24.322 --> 00:38:31.842 - For mentees in our program that have taken part in our resource coordination, such as getting jobs, 00:38:31.842 --> 00:38:39.438 - transportation, the percentage in April was 12.6%. The amount of people we're serving is increasing, 00:38:39.438 --> 00:38:47.183 - and the recidivism rate for our program is decreasing. So that means what we're doing is working. With 00:38:47.183 --> 00:38:53.726 - the rising crises in our community with now criminalization of being unhoused in July, 00:38:53.826 --> 00:39:00.727 - and uncertainty with what is going to happen with those folks that are in the jail right now, it is 00:39:00.727 --> 00:39:07.628 - crucial that we are able to continue doing what we're doing. This first quarter, we have met almost 00:39:07.628 --> 00:39:14.668 - two thirds of the amount of mentees that we met in the entire year last year. I'm gonna share a quick 00:39:14.668 --> 00:39:21.569 - story. A woman who was incarcerated, she had nothing left but the breath in her lungs and some hope 00:39:21.569 --> 00:39:23.294 - for something different. 00:39:23.522 --> 00:39:30.420 - Someone asked her, what would you do if there were no barriers in your life? And she said, help people. 00:39:30.420 --> 00:39:37.251 - When she was released, she was released to an agency in Bloomington. She got help through New Leaf New 00:39:37.251 --> 00:39:44.281 - Life. Services were coordinated. And eight years later, I stand in front of you as the executive director 00:39:44.281 --> 00:39:48.990 - of New Leaf New Life. These programs do work. Thank you for your time. 00:39:54.754 --> 00:40:03.330 - supposed to make us cry up here just FYI please okay um all right um anybody from girls ain't nope okay 00:40:03.330 --> 00:40:11.577 - um next up we got oh i'm so sorry okay oh okay so no with girls need we got middle way house coming 00:40:11.577 --> 00:40:16.030 - up next and who's your speed in the hungry after that 00:40:18.178 --> 00:40:24.143 - All right. Hi, I'm Megan Betts, CEO at Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, and one of the partners benefiting 00:40:24.143 --> 00:40:30.050 - from this collaborative proposal. I'm thankful to be here with so many groups who will be receiving 00:40:30.050 --> 00:40:36.074 - CPR training. I'm sorry. Who did you say you were with? I'm with a collaborative proposal that Middle 00:40:36.074 --> 00:40:42.217 - Way House put forward. They couldn't be here, so I'm presenting a couple of times tonight. So I'm sorry 00:40:42.217 --> 00:40:47.710 - to interrupt. No, that's OK. So is this the Middle Way House collaborative for CPR training? 00:40:48.322 --> 00:40:56.281 - Yeah. It's number 14. Number 14. All right. I'm just making sure. Who is the bond? And I'm not like, 00:40:56.281 --> 00:41:03.688 - wait. It's OK. Sorry. Can we get her to her timer to restart, please? I apologize. You're OK. 00:41:03.688 --> 00:41:12.199 - You're OK. OK. All right. Hi. I'm president at Mother Hubbard's Cupboard and one of the partners benefiting 00:41:12.199 --> 00:41:14.878 - from this collaborative proposal. 00:41:14.978 --> 00:41:20.065 - I'm thankful to be here with so many of the groups who would be receiving CPR training alongside us 00:41:20.065 --> 00:41:22.558 - so that we can build a safer community together. 00:41:22.818 --> 00:41:29.519 - Most nonprofit organizations cannot afford to have a CPR instructor on staff or pay to maintain employees 00:41:29.519 --> 00:41:36.093 - certification Yet those we serve are often those who with the most significant and complex health needs 00:41:36.093 --> 00:41:42.477 - This collaborative effort ensures that 10 local nonprofits will have training space and courses that 00:41:42.477 --> 00:41:49.178 - no single agency could maintain on their own removes costs as a barrier to say removing cost as a barrier 00:41:49.178 --> 00:41:51.390 - to safety and community health and 00:41:51.618 --> 00:41:58.303 - CPR B-Town will provide American Heart Association certified CPR and first aid courses to staff and 00:41:58.303 --> 00:42:04.387 - volunteers at the following organizations. And with this house, Bloomington Creative Glass 00:42:04.387 --> 00:42:11.473 - Center, Bloomington Montessori School, Lotus, Middleway House, Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, PALS, or Person 00:42:11.473 --> 00:42:16.286 - and Animal Learning Services, Tandem, Wonder Lab, and Windfall Dancers. 00:42:16.674 --> 00:42:22.241 - Each of these agencies plays a vital role in our community, collectively reaching over 50,000 people 00:42:22.241 --> 00:42:27.972 - in Monroe County. By providing this training, you'll help organizations protect their staff, volunteers 00:42:27.972 --> 00:42:33.594 - and communities each day. I can speak from experience, having been trained through this program twice 00:42:33.594 --> 00:42:39.161 - and having used those skills in our pantry. When a loose dog bit two of our staff, they were able to 00:42:39.161 --> 00:42:42.302 - follow steps to sterilize wounds and get to urgent care. 00:42:42.466 --> 00:42:48.004 - When a shopper fell in our parking lot, I was able to gather the appropriate supplies, dispatch other 00:42:48.004 --> 00:42:53.433 - team members to get help and mitigate a bleeding wound without elevating stress. We are better able 00:42:53.433 --> 00:42:59.296 - to care for each other because of this collaboration. With your support through the Sophia Travis Community 00:42:59.296 --> 00:43:04.779 - Service Grant, we can ensure that every organization has access to life saving education and that no 00:43:04.779 --> 00:43:10.100 - nonprofit in Monroe County has to choose between funding its mission and keeping its people safe. 00:43:10.100 --> 00:43:11.294 - Thank you. Thank you. 00:43:23.586 --> 00:43:31.141 - Hi, my name is Susie Jordan. I'm the executive director at Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry. Our offices 00:43:31.141 --> 00:43:38.922 - are based in DeKalb County, but this partnership and the collaboration that we have applied along with 00:43:38.922 --> 00:43:47.006 - the Monroe 4-H Fair and their program is purely Monroe County, which we're very proud of. Our organization 00:43:47.006 --> 00:43:49.726 - has a presence in over 58 counties. 00:43:49.858 --> 00:43:57.414 - but in the past three years since I have taken over, the collaboration with the 4-H fair here in Monroe 00:43:57.414 --> 00:44:04.680 - County is continuing to grow and prosper. Four of our partners are going to be presenting to you in 00:44:04.680 --> 00:44:12.164 - some form tonight. Those are the recipient agencies of the work, excuse me, of the 4-H members and the 00:44:12.164 --> 00:44:18.558 - livestock that they have taken from very small to no market weight and are now donating 00:44:18.978 --> 00:44:27.978 - those animals in for members of your community to have meat protein. So how this works is when the kids 00:44:27.978 --> 00:44:36.892 - have their fair on July 4th as we're celebrating 250 years, these kids are involved from the start day 00:44:36.892 --> 00:44:46.152 - in and day out to raise their animals where their cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, those are all then purchased 00:44:46.152 --> 00:44:47.710 - for the recipient 00:44:47.938 --> 00:44:56.445 - child's fund, but then the businesses that purchase those animals can donate them right back in. Our 00:44:56.445 --> 00:45:04.446 - organization will collaborate with the Sophia Travis award to make sure that those animals are 00:45:04.546 --> 00:45:12.241 - harvested through rice processing, which is a Monroe County-owned business, even though it's not in 00:45:12.241 --> 00:45:20.243 - your county. And then that meat will be processed and then given right back to organizations that serve 00:45:20.243 --> 00:45:27.246 - the various needs, whether it's a food pantry, a meal program, people who are just getting 00:45:27.246 --> 00:45:32.478 - out of incarceration, possibly someone who needs meals, gets their, 00:45:32.834 --> 00:45:41.709 - produce and things from the food pantries, but that meat protein is missing. So the children and the 00:45:41.709 --> 00:45:50.672 - families in your own community are producing livestock that will feed your neighbors in need. So this 00:45:50.672 --> 00:45:59.986 - is truly our tagline, which is from farm and field to freezer and fork. Our grant request is for $15,000. 00:45:59.986 --> 00:46:02.622 - That is a very large request. 00:46:02.722 --> 00:46:14.567 - But for that, over 30,000 meals will be available, whether it's with pasta, a hamburger, a chili, spaghetti, 00:46:14.567 --> 00:46:24.999 - all those things we love to have with meat protein. Tonight, together, we can make that happen. 00:46:24.999 --> 00:46:32.606 - Thank you. Thank you. Do we have anybody here from Community Kitchen? 00:46:34.050 --> 00:46:48.839 - Okay, and then I think I saw Marilyn from courage to change Hello, I'm Marilyn the co-founder executive 00:46:48.839 --> 00:47:00.926 - director of courage to change sober living We are thank you for letting us be a part 00:47:02.210 --> 00:47:10.315 - We are asking for two different individual things within one grant. The first is welcome home backpacks. 00:47:10.315 --> 00:47:18.421 - These kits include a backpack, hygiene supplies, towels, sheets, pillows, and a phone charger. The items 00:47:18.421 --> 00:47:25.214 - when first moving into our residence and take these items with them when they graduate. 00:47:25.314 --> 00:47:32.343 - These items are the most requested by residents when moving into our homes and help to make our folks 00:47:32.343 --> 00:47:39.303 - feel welcome and provide comfort. Meet immediate needs and feel supported by Courage to Change. They 00:47:39.303 --> 00:47:46.263 - promote personal wellness and foster healthy habits, which are very critical. Something as simple as 00:47:46.263 --> 00:47:52.190 - a welcome home kit when first coming to Courage to Change can make a huge difference. 00:47:52.834 --> 00:48:01.337 - Welcome home kids, which may seem like a small thing to many, makes a big impact on our residents. Many 00:48:01.337 --> 00:48:09.512 - of who come to us and their items are in trash bags or they have nothing at all. So it really helps 00:48:09.512 --> 00:48:17.851 - them as far as living in comfort. The other thing we're asking for is drug tests. We are certified by 00:48:17.851 --> 00:48:21.694 - the Indiana Affiliation of Recovery Residences 00:48:21.794 --> 00:48:29.512 - And not only is drug testing of our residents a requirement of INARR, but also a requirement of courage 00:48:29.512 --> 00:48:37.081 - to change for residents who choose to live in sober living environments. Our case managers administer 00:48:37.081 --> 00:48:44.798 - random drug testing to each in our houses. Sober living houses promote recovery by providing structure, 00:48:44.798 --> 00:48:48.286 - accountability, and recovery support services. 00:48:49.090 --> 00:49:07.388 - So random drug screens are a part of this process and a very important part. Thank you very much for 00:49:07.388 --> 00:49:16.446 - your time. Thank you. Anybody from harmony. Okay. 00:49:16.834 --> 00:49:23.793 - I'm Wes Sturtevant, and I'm a teacher in the high school at Harmony. I teach media arts. At one of our 00:49:23.793 --> 00:49:30.752 - school performances last year, a mostly non-verbal student stepped onto our stage and performed a song 00:49:30.752 --> 00:49:37.576 - from the musical Chicago. And it brought down the house. It was an amazing performance. But what was 00:49:37.576 --> 00:49:44.805 - even more powerful for a lot of us in the audience was that many of the people in that audience, including 00:49:44.805 --> 00:49:46.494 - the students' classmates 00:49:46.594 --> 00:49:54.688 - and faculty at the school had never heard this student's voice, either singing or speaking. The performance 00:49:54.688 --> 00:50:02.483 - space at Harmony gives every student a place to step up, take the stage, and have their voice be heard. 00:50:02.483 --> 00:50:10.203 - Harmony's been an independent, not-for-profit, K through 12 school in Bloomington since 1974. Over 76% 00:50:10.203 --> 00:50:13.950 - of our students live right here in Monroe County. 00:50:14.082 --> 00:50:21.682 - 45% qualify for free or reduced lunch. But our performance space aren't just for students. They're shared 00:50:21.682 --> 00:50:29.211 - community infrastructure. In the past year, community groups have used Harmony for more than 350 events. 00:50:29.211 --> 00:50:36.524 - We're asking the Sophia Travis Grant Committee to help us complete an audio system upgrade that we've 00:50:36.524 --> 00:50:43.838 - already begun. In the past year, Harmony has invested in new microphones and a modern mixing console. 00:50:44.066 --> 00:50:50.686 - What we need to finish the project is amplified speakers, monitors, and an iPad that sort of acts as 00:50:50.686 --> 00:50:57.502 - a brain and controls the whole thing. This would be a one-time capital investment of about $8,170. It's 00:50:57.502 --> 00:51:04.581 - not needing ongoing operational support, and it would leverage your dollars in three ways. Harmony provides 00:51:04.581 --> 00:51:11.659 - the venue, the utilities, and the staff. I'm training the students to use the audio gear and the equipment, 00:51:11.659 --> 00:51:13.822 - which then will serve the school 00:51:14.050 --> 00:51:21.481 - and community events in the space for years to come. Again, that's 20 Harmony events, but over 350 on 00:51:21.481 --> 00:51:29.131 - average community events a year. And it alleviates the cost that our community partners currently absorb 00:51:29.131 --> 00:51:36.926 - when they want to hold an event at Harmony. A recent example, on May 3rd, WFHB hosted its 50th anniversary 00:51:36.926 --> 00:51:43.774 - concert in our gym. But they had to arrange for their own sound equipment because ours wasn't 00:51:43.938 --> 00:51:49.933 - up to the standards that were needed. And this is one of the gaps that this grant could close in our 00:51:49.933 --> 00:51:56.106 - community. Live performance, especially music, is a part of the fabric of Monroe County. Harmony's long 00:51:56.106 --> 00:52:02.101 - been a part of that. You may remember Rhinos, the beloved all-ages music club from the 90s. I know I 00:52:02.101 --> 00:52:08.274 - certainly do. Rhinos gave a generation of Bloomington youth, including me, some of our first live music 00:52:08.274 --> 00:52:13.022 - experiences. There's audience members, production crew members, and performers. 00:52:13.282 --> 00:52:25.856 - And there are live performance venues in town, but very few that aren't 21 and up. With your support, 00:52:25.856 --> 00:52:38.800 - Harmony can keep the tradition of live performance going for the next generation of Monroe County youth. 00:52:38.800 --> 00:52:42.622 - Thanks. Thank you. How's that? 00:52:43.394 --> 00:52:48.704 - Hi, everybody. My name is Adam Hamill. I'm the director of community engagement at Stone Belt, where 00:52:48.704 --> 00:52:53.593 - it is our mission and partnership with the community to prepare, empower, and support adults 00:52:53.593 --> 00:52:58.955 - with developmental disabilities and their families to participate fully in the life of the community. 00:52:58.955 --> 00:53:04.423 - Stone Belt started in 1959 before children with disabilities were afforded a free and public education. 00:53:04.423 --> 00:53:09.680 - That was nine families who were just trying to do something better for their children than what was 00:53:09.680 --> 00:53:13.150 - currently being offered, which was either institutionalization or 00:53:13.378 --> 00:53:19.882 - having to stay at home. Now we provide supports to over 1300 people throughout south central Indiana 00:53:19.882 --> 00:53:26.450 - and have about 450 staff through Bedford, Columbus and Bloomington. Around 350 of those staff members 00:53:26.450 --> 00:53:33.276 - reside and work here in Bloomington and while day to day we are helping people to build individual living 00:53:33.276 --> 00:53:38.814 - skills, we also have to focus on the health and safety of the individuals we support. 00:53:39.170 --> 00:53:44.936 - Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience significantly higher rates of 00:53:44.936 --> 00:53:50.985 - chronic health conditions, including epilepsy, respiratory issues, cardiovascular conditions, and mobility 00:53:50.985 --> 00:53:57.090 - limitations than those who are neurotypical. Many also have communication challenges that make it difficult 00:53:57.090 --> 00:54:03.252 - to report symptoms or seek help during a medical crisis. As a result, emergencies such as choking, seizures, 00:54:03.252 --> 00:54:07.774 - cardiac events, or injuries can quickly escalate without immediate and properly 00:54:08.162 --> 00:54:14.691 - intervention. Direct support professionals or DSPs are often the first and in many cases the only responders 00:54:14.691 --> 00:54:20.800 - in these situations. At Stone Belt, staff provide care in homes, workplaces, community settings where 00:54:20.800 --> 00:54:27.089 - emergency medical services may not be immediately available. The ability of staff to recognize symptoms, 00:54:27.089 --> 00:54:33.438 - respond quickly and administer CPR or first aid is critical to preventing serious injury or loss of life. 00:54:34.626 --> 00:54:40.499 - The state of Indiana requires CPR and first aid certification for all Stone Belt staff. While Stone 00:54:40.499 --> 00:54:46.549 - Belt is funded primarily through Medicaid reimbursement, about 95% of our funding comes from that. All 00:54:46.549 --> 00:54:52.716 - that is for direct reimbursement of support services that we are providing that then goes back to paying 00:54:52.716 --> 00:54:58.589 - our staff. We do not get reimbursed for any training and we have to use the funding that we have to 00:54:58.589 --> 00:55:04.286 - provide that training and purchase the certification and the equipment in order to provide that. 00:55:05.378 --> 00:55:11.417 - So without external funding, these necessary expenses must be absorbed by the organization, placing 00:55:11.417 --> 00:55:17.515 - strain on limited resources intended for direct supports. The initiative that we are requesting from 00:55:17.515 --> 00:55:23.675 - the Sophia Travis Grant Commission is to address that gap by ensuring that all new staff are properly 00:55:23.675 --> 00:55:29.713 - trained before working directly with the individuals they will support and that current trained and 00:55:29.713 --> 00:55:34.846 - current staff maintain their American Heart Association first aid CPR certification. 00:55:36.066 --> 00:55:49.290 - Thank you very much. Thank you council members for your time tonight. I'm Jason Anderson. I'm the executive 00:55:49.290 --> 00:56:01.656 - editor of limestone post magazine. This is Emily Reynolds and Noel her husky Schneider our marketing 00:56:01.656 --> 00:56:04.350 - and development team. 00:56:04.898 --> 00:56:10.212 - Limestone Media publishes Limestone Post, which is an independent nonprofit magazine and an organization 00:56:10.212 --> 00:56:15.679 - created to inform residents in Bloomington and the surrounding communities about the interests and concerns 00:56:15.679 --> 00:56:20.740 - that affect them. Our mission is to serve our community through thoughtful, in-depth journalism and 00:56:20.740 --> 00:56:26.257 - cultural storytelling, thereby helping readers to understand the issues shaping our region and the solutions 00:56:26.257 --> 00:56:31.774 - emerging to address them. We are committed to journalistic integrity, transparency, and literary excellence. 00:56:31.938 --> 00:56:38.348 - Our motto is to inform, engage, and inspire. Our contributors are local writers, photographers, and 00:56:38.348 --> 00:56:44.950 - videographers who represent and reveal our community's ethnic, social, and cultural diversity. And all 00:56:44.950 --> 00:56:50.014 - of our content is free online forever at limestonepost.org. Over the 12 months 00:56:50.114 --> 00:56:55.602 - 12-month grant period Limestone Post proposes to research, write, and publish four in-depth articles 00:56:55.602 --> 00:57:01.525 - about how the actions of Monroe County's government, businesses, and citizens are impacting our environment, 00:57:01.525 --> 00:57:07.068 - both locally and globally. The purpose of these articles is to inform local citizens about the issues 00:57:07.068 --> 00:57:12.774 - our community is facing with regard to climate change, to showcase what's being done about these issues, 00:57:12.774 --> 00:57:18.316 - and to encourage greater citizen participation in the process as the impact of climate change becomes 00:57:18.316 --> 00:57:19.838 - more significant over time. 00:57:20.482 --> 00:57:27.203 - We're requesting $1,400 in funding from this community service grant to produce four stories. Two of 00:57:27.203 --> 00:57:33.990 - these stories will focus on local eco-villages, intentional communities, organic gardens, places like 00:57:33.990 --> 00:57:40.644 - the FarmStop, Bethel Lane FarmStop, and the FarmStop that facilitate local commerce and sustainable 00:57:40.644 --> 00:57:43.838 - practices with environmentally friendly models. 00:57:44.098 --> 00:57:50.479 - Another story will focus on climate change issues in Monroe County, placed within a state, national, 00:57:50.479 --> 00:57:56.923 - and even global context. We will explore climate change planning within and throughout Monroe County, 00:57:56.923 --> 00:58:03.431 - measuring effectiveness in reducing greenhouse gases, which met the 2025 goal of reduction by 28%, and 00:58:03.431 --> 00:58:09.686 - identifying initiatives and strategies implemented by local governments, businesses, and citizens. 00:58:09.686 --> 00:58:11.518 - And lastly, the final story, 00:58:11.714 --> 00:58:18.372 - We'll be sharing three to five examples of projects or activities that government, businesses or individuals 00:58:18.372 --> 00:58:24.970 - are doing to mitigate the impact of climate change locally, including farmer assistance programs, improving 00:58:24.970 --> 00:58:29.246 - stormwater infrastructure, and extreme weather preparedness programs. 00:58:29.858 --> 00:58:36.151 - Sorry, that threw me off. This article will describe what still needs to be done and highlight additional 00:58:36.151 --> 00:58:42.146 - ways that government, businesses, and individuals can create a thriving, eco-friendly environment in 00:58:42.146 --> 00:58:48.498 - Monroe County. Additionally, we will supplement the 1400 with funding from within to promote these stories 00:58:48.498 --> 00:58:54.494 - on social media, in our newsletter, and in other media platforms. Thank you very much for your time. 00:59:10.754 --> 00:59:16.047 - Good afternoon. Thank you for having me here today. My name is Wendy jerk Miller and I'm the grants 00:59:16.047 --> 00:59:21.658 - and impact director for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington. This year the club is requesting funding 00:59:21.658 --> 00:59:27.163 - to support the provision of summer field trips and experiential learning opportunities for club members 00:59:27.163 --> 00:59:32.933 - at the Ellisville Ferguson Cresmont and Lincoln Street clubs. The proposed project will benefit an estimated 00:59:32.933 --> 00:59:38.014 - 225 youth ages five to 18 in Monroe County who will attend full day summer programming in 2026. 00:59:38.210 --> 00:59:43.892 - Grant funds, if awarded, will go towards costs associated with outsourced transportation, fuel and vehicle 00:59:43.892 --> 00:59:49.256 - maintenance, admission and ticket fees, staff support to maintain a smaller one to eight ratio while 00:59:49.256 --> 00:59:54.142 - in the community, and water and healthy snack options while members are away from the club. 00:59:55.074 --> 01:00:00.642 - Field trips are an essential component of the summer camp experience, offering the opportunity for members 01:00:00.642 --> 01:00:06.211 - to get outdoors, explore their community, boost levels of confidence and independence, develop new skills, 01:00:06.211 --> 01:00:11.675 - and participate in hands-on learning, which has been shown to improve future academic outcomes. In fact, 01:00:11.675 --> 01:00:16.879 - research shows that students who participate in field trips have higher test scores, perform better 01:00:16.879 --> 01:00:20.158 - in class, and have increased cultural consciousness over time. 01:00:20.962 --> 01:00:26.190 - Field trips also bolster critical thinking skills by allowing students to touch, feel, and listen, which 01:00:26.190 --> 01:00:31.169 - promotes higher levels of engagement and understanding of the topics being studied. Importantly, by 01:00:31.169 --> 01:00:34.654 - offering experiential learning opportunities to summer camp attendees 01:00:34.978 --> 01:00:39.826 - The Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington is able to help level the playing field by giving financially 01:00:39.826 --> 01:00:44.627 - in need youth equal opportunities to experience things outside the classroom that their families may 01:00:44.627 --> 01:00:49.523 - not be able to afford. This is in alignment with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America's national vision 01:00:49.523 --> 01:00:54.467 - to ensure that who you are, where you come from, or the circumstances that surround you don't determine 01:00:54.467 --> 01:00:56.606 - your access to experiences or opportunities. 01:00:57.378 --> 01:01:03.228 - Certainly many of the families utilizing clubs for after school programs face significant barriers to 01:01:03.228 --> 01:01:09.079 - accessing quality child care during the summer months. In 2025, over 500 households we serve reported 01:01:09.079 --> 01:01:14.872 - annual incomes of $40,000 or less. Nearly 1100 members qualified for free or reduced price lunch and 01:01:14.872 --> 01:01:17.854 - over 800 members lived in single parent households. 01:01:17.954 --> 01:01:24.009 - In addition to this, a recent survey of Indiana families found that 88% of households consider child 01:01:24.009 --> 01:01:27.486 - care to be too expensive and 35% cannot afford it at all. 01:01:27.554 --> 01:01:32.367 - In an effort to keep the clubs as accessible as possible, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington charges 01:01:32.367 --> 01:01:36.952 - a nominal $20 annual membership fee and offers scholarship options for families who cannot afford to 01:01:36.952 --> 01:01:41.811 - pay the full cost of summer or break-date camps, including no-cost options for youth who reside in Section 01:01:41.811 --> 01:01:46.396 - 8 households and for those participating in our summer learning labs programming. We anticipate that 01:01:46.396 --> 01:01:51.254 - this initiative will positively contribute to our members' emotional well-being, their success as students 01:01:51.254 --> 01:01:56.022 - and lifelong learners, and their overall enjoyment of the summer camp experience, giving working parents 01:01:56.022 --> 01:01:57.520 - and caregivers the peace of mind 01:01:57.520 --> 01:02:06.101 - associated with knowing their child has a safe place to play, learn, and grow when they need to be at 01:02:06.101 --> 01:02:14.513 - their jobs or attend school. Thank you for investing in our local youth or your support of the Boys 01:02:14.513 --> 01:02:22.505 - and Girls Clubs of Bloomington over the years and for your consideration of our request today. 01:02:22.505 --> 01:02:25.534 - Thank you. Hello. My name is Darby. 01:02:25.666 --> 01:02:31.530 - We are here with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Big Brothers Big Sisters is requesting support to bring our 01:02:31.530 --> 01:02:37.509 - Big and Little Adventure Connected project to Monroe County. This is a $35,000 project that would expand 01:02:37.509 --> 01:02:43.202 - our mentoring tool that we've already seen work successfully in Jefferson County through our Mentor 01:02:43.202 --> 01:02:48.896 - Up initiative. This project includes an enhanced printed adventure book for Bigs and Littles, which 01:02:48.896 --> 01:02:51.230 - we're passing around for you all to see. 01:02:51.490 --> 01:02:57.536 - I dropped the pen, to use together during their first year, along with a digital companion that will 01:02:57.536 --> 01:03:03.761 - support ongoing connection among youth mentors, caregivers, schools, and our staff. The book gives each 01:03:03.761 --> 01:03:09.867 - match a shared starting point with guided activities, conversation prompts about school, friendships, 01:03:09.867 --> 01:03:16.272 - feelings, goals, and everyday life. The digital companion adds secure check-ins, goal tracking, messaging, 01:03:16.272 --> 01:03:20.702 - and stronger communication so we can support our youth more consistently. 01:03:20.834 --> 01:03:26.275 - This matters because year to date, our agency has served 504 individuals through matches across our 01:03:26.275 --> 01:03:31.716 - service region. But we currently have 200 individuals on our wait list. As the school year ends and 01:03:31.716 --> 01:03:37.266 - summer begins, we expect enrollments and referrals to increase, which will likely grow that wait list 01:03:37.266 --> 01:03:43.088 - even more. This project will help us better support our current and incoming participants by strengthening 01:03:43.088 --> 01:03:48.529 - relationships, improving communication, and giving families clearer view of their child's mentoring 01:03:48.529 --> 01:03:49.182 - experience. 01:03:49.282 --> 01:03:54.614 - Overall, the budget will cover book refinement and production, app development, first-year hosting and 01:03:54.614 --> 01:03:59.946 - maintenance, mentor and family training, and evaluation. Support from the grant would help us to fully 01:03:59.946 --> 01:04:05.279 - launch this work in Monroe County and ensure our youth have access to these mentoring experiences that 01:04:05.279 --> 01:04:10.456 - are intentional, connective, and supportive. I've brought Christina here, a member of our team, and 01:04:10.456 --> 01:04:15.943 - she'll share a few words about her own experience as a big in our site-based program and how she believes 01:04:15.943 --> 01:04:18.014 - this project could benefit our matches. 01:04:21.410 --> 01:04:28.806 - Hi, I'm Christina Keller and I'm with Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana. I started working 01:04:28.806 --> 01:04:35.788 - for the agency in January of 2025 and not long after that I became a big. It's truly been one of the 01:04:35.788 --> 01:04:42.769 - most meaningful things I've ever done. My little Ria, she's an only child and her father's often out 01:04:42.769 --> 01:04:48.990 - of the country. So she's super energetic, she's fun, she loves doing crafts and she loves 01:04:49.602 --> 01:04:56.566 - K-pop demon hunters, which I've learned way more about than I ever thought I would. I usually visit 01:04:56.566 --> 01:05:03.669 - Rhea during my lunch break, and we get an hour together every week. That's why I'm real excited about 01:05:03.669 --> 01:05:08.126 - this grant. This adventure book will give us guided activities. 01:05:08.290 --> 01:05:15.317 - keep our time intentional, and just make the most out of our time together. So I believe it'll help 01:05:15.317 --> 01:05:22.414 - deepen our connection and make every visit really count. So thank you so much for considering us for 01:05:22.414 --> 01:05:24.030 - this grant. Thank you. 01:05:43.682 --> 01:05:49.556 - Hello, my name is Sarah Wyatt Swanson and I'm here tonight representing the Auxiliary to the Boys and 01:05:49.556 --> 01:05:55.891 - Girls Clubs of Bloomington. Thank you for having me. The Auxiliary to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington 01:05:55.891 --> 01:06:01.939 - is a non-profit all-volunteer organization with a mission to help foster a safe and positive environment 01:06:01.939 --> 01:06:07.698 - for local youth. The Auxiliary has been quietly working behind the scenes for over 50 years to make 01:06:07.698 --> 01:06:11.038 - a difference in the lives of children and their families. 01:06:11.234 --> 01:06:17.404 - Providing weekly meals at the Cresmont Club and supporting club events like Thanksgiving dinner, 01:06:17.404 --> 01:06:23.955 - awards night, spring fling, and holiday market are on our annual agenda. According to Feeding America, 01:06:23.955 --> 01:06:30.443 - one in five children in the US are going hungry. Research shows that children experiencing hunger are 01:06:30.443 --> 01:06:37.758 - more likely to have trouble focusing and learning, have increased health issues, and are developmentally impacted. 01:06:38.050 --> 01:06:45.219 - To help combat hunger in Bloomington, members of the auxiliary prepare and serve a hot meal every Friday 01:06:45.219 --> 01:06:52.592 - of the school year to the children at the Steve and Connie Ferguson Crescent Club, which is the Bloomington 01:06:52.592 --> 01:06:59.761 - Club with the highest number of families with a household income less than $40,000. Throughout 36 weeks, 01:06:59.761 --> 01:07:06.110 - approximately 3,600 children go home impacted for the weekend by the Crescent special snack. 01:07:07.266 --> 01:07:13.769 - Though it is referred to as a snack, we ensure it includes a hot protein and nutritious sides, including 01:07:13.769 --> 01:07:20.085 - fresh fruits and vegetables. And we strive to provide enough food so that leftovers can be taken home 01:07:20.085 --> 01:07:24.606 - by club members, 80 to 120 of whom are served every Friday after school. 01:07:25.666 --> 01:07:32.134 - Each auxiliary volunteer is responsible for preparing and purchasing the food items that we serve. We 01:07:32.134 --> 01:07:38.792 - allow $400 in reimbursement for each meal, but many volunteers spend their own money in order to relieve 01:07:38.792 --> 01:07:45.514 - stress on our limited budget as food prices continue to increase. Our Lee Cresmont Special Snack provides 01:07:45.514 --> 01:07:50.270 - reliable nutritional benefits to some of our most vulnerable young people. 01:07:51.074 --> 01:08:04.530 - We are requesting $2,000, which would fund approximately five weeks of meals through the purchase of 01:08:04.530 --> 01:08:17.054 - groceries, prepared foods, and serving supplies. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. 01:08:17.154 --> 01:08:22.561 - Hi, my name is Danielle Long and I'm the production manager and social media manager and a performer 01:08:22.561 --> 01:08:27.914 - in Reimagining Opera for Kids, also known as ROC, which is a nonprofit community arts and education 01:08:27.914 --> 01:08:30.270 - organization based in Bloomington, Indiana. 01:08:30.370 --> 01:08:36.486 - We will be having our 20th anniversary this coming year. So since 2007, Rock has been introducing children 01:08:36.486 --> 01:08:42.202 - in the Bloomington community to opera through engaging first experiences. Rock operas are specially 01:08:42.202 --> 01:08:48.260 - commissioned, composed, and designed to appeal to young audiences and have been enthusiastically received 01:08:48.260 --> 01:08:54.319 - in many of our area elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as public libraries, homeschool groups, 01:08:54.319 --> 01:08:59.006 - hospitals, care facilities, and community centers. You name it, we've sung there. 01:08:59.202 --> 01:09:05.920 - So we are asking the Sophia Travis Grant Commission to award $1,000 to help us with costs for our 2027 01:09:05.920 --> 01:09:12.442 - production, which will all be in Spanish with English narration. It's a great way to introduce kids 01:09:12.442 --> 01:09:19.029 - to live music performance and another language as well. There's a lot of dual curriculums in Spanish 01:09:19.029 --> 01:09:24.638 - in the area, and we would like to help out with that. So re-imagining opera for kids. 01:09:24.738 --> 01:09:30.151 - is very special to me personally as a professional opera singer. It has given me so much confidence. 01:09:30.151 --> 01:09:35.619 - I suffered from extreme performance anxiety before I sang with this group. And once I started singing 01:09:35.619 --> 01:09:41.193 - with this group, I realized there's no time to be scared when you're singing for 200 screaming children 01:09:41.193 --> 01:09:46.553 - in a gymnasium. It's also incredibly special to see children realize what music can be for the very 01:09:46.553 --> 01:09:52.288 - first time. We specialize in, well, all of our performances are free. They are all completely free because 01:09:52.288 --> 01:09:54.110 - accessibility is our main tenant. 01:09:54.242 --> 01:09:59.966 - And so we specialize in serving underserved rural populations. We've been to Monroe County, obviously 01:09:59.966 --> 01:10:05.914 - here. But we've also been to Davies County, Shelby County, Owen County, Spencer County, and Orange County 01:10:05.914 --> 01:10:11.526 - as well this year. We collaborate with the IU Center for Rural Engagement as well. So we really try 01:10:11.526 --> 01:10:17.362 - to make sure we reach as many people as we can. We've reached about 7,000 students this year. And we've 01:10:17.362 --> 01:10:23.142 - had 30 performances. Two years ago, we only had nine performances. So we're growing a lot. And we also 01:10:23.142 --> 01:10:24.208 - only had about six 01:10:24.208 --> 01:10:30.136 - performers two years ago and during my tenure we have grown our roster to 40 performers so and it's 01:10:30.136 --> 01:10:36.478 - all volunteer based we are all giving our time for this but yeah it's just very special to see a child who 01:10:36.706 --> 01:10:42.790 - otherwise might not have had access to any kind of classical music tradition or live music at all, realize 01:10:42.790 --> 01:10:48.817 - what music can be when they sing and dance with us and when they hear something like a violin or a string 01:10:48.817 --> 01:10:54.788 - bass play. And it's a great way to engage students who otherwise might not be engaged in school. I can't 01:10:54.788 --> 01:11:00.531 - tell you the number of times I brought up a student who seemed uninterested and made them dance with 01:11:00.531 --> 01:11:06.672 - me. And it sticks with them. They recognize all of us in grocery stores and libraries around the community. 01:11:06.672 --> 01:11:15.115 - Anywhere we go, kids recognize us and they remember. So it's really impactful for them. And it's really 01:11:15.115 --> 01:11:23.558 - special to see them start to love music for the first time. So thank you. Thank you. Do we have anybody 01:11:23.558 --> 01:11:32.894 - that came in late from Catholic charities? OK, how about Center for Sustainability, Center for Sustainable Living? 01:11:39.906 --> 01:11:47.018 - My name is Evie Barbeau, and today I'm here representing Partisan Gardens Greenhouse, which is a community 01:11:47.018 --> 01:11:53.931 - high tunnel underneath the Center for Sustainable Living framework. So we are a high tunnel and growing 01:11:53.931 --> 01:12:00.645 - space in the Waterman neighborhood, which is one of the historically underrepresented or underserved 01:12:00.645 --> 01:12:03.902 - neighborhoods in Bloomington. It's where I live. 01:12:03.970 --> 01:12:11.785 - And we are working on our third season of growing. All of our food that we produce is distributed for 01:12:11.785 --> 01:12:19.753 - free, primarily in the neighborhood. We work with other organizations in the neighborhood. We work with 01:12:19.753 --> 01:12:28.028 - our neighbors. So last year, we produced over hundreds of pounds of produce using socially and ecologically 01:12:28.028 --> 01:12:29.790 - responsible practices. 01:12:30.018 --> 01:12:36.050 - And we are 100% volunteer run. So this is an opportunity for folks who have a little bit more growing 01:12:36.050 --> 01:12:42.082 - experience to come to the space, but also to bring in a lot of our neighbors and folks who don't have 01:12:42.082 --> 01:12:48.115 - any experience growing their own food to learn how to cultivate the soil, grow food for themselves in 01:12:48.115 --> 01:12:49.534 - their own neighborhood. 01:12:49.762 --> 01:12:56.780 - One thing that's been incredible for me as someone who lives in the neighborhood and cultivate that 01:12:56.780 --> 01:13:04.359 - space is the incredible demand of my neighbors every time I walk out like this spring, one of my neighbors, 01:13:04.359 --> 01:13:07.166 - whether they're a kid or an older folk. 01:13:07.298 --> 01:13:13.950 - come up to me and they're like, what are you growing this year? And I jot that down. I ask them what 01:13:13.950 --> 01:13:20.733 - they want to see grown, and I make sure that we're growing plenty of that. So for a space that is very 01:13:20.733 --> 01:13:27.319 - low income with no access to public space or green space, as well as high levels of food insecurity 01:13:27.319 --> 01:13:34.037 - and many children and older folks with disability and mobility limitations, this space can be a space 01:13:34.037 --> 01:13:37.264 - to gather, meet one another, and learn together. 01:13:37.264 --> 01:13:45.112 - as well as cultivate food security and real food sovereignty from grassroots, true grassroots sources. 01:13:45.112 --> 01:13:52.350 - So we are coming to Sophia Travis to request funding for two main projects that are focused on 01:13:52.418 --> 01:13:58.607 - increasing accessibility to the space, as well as making sure that it is safe and healthy for everybody 01:13:58.607 --> 01:14:04.974 - involved. So first is soil testing. Three years ago, we did some preliminary soil tests, but we're seeking 01:14:04.974 --> 01:14:11.342 - funds for PCB testing because of proximity to potential contamination sites. We've been trying to mitigate 01:14:11.342 --> 01:14:13.246 - that with bringing in soil, but 01:14:13.346 --> 01:14:19.780 - We need help. It's cross prohibited to do that testing. And then second is installing safety features 01:14:19.780 --> 01:14:26.466 - around the remnant basement on the site. So making sure that we can start bringing in more organizations, 01:14:26.466 --> 01:14:33.278 - more folks, more young kids, making sure that that space is safe for them. So I'm really excited about what 01:14:33.346 --> 01:14:44.283 - investing in these two specific projects will do for collaboration, bringing more people into the space 01:14:44.283 --> 01:14:55.115 - and hosting cultural events and just having that beauty in that neighborhood, so thank you. Thank you. 01:14:55.115 --> 01:15:01.214 - Have anybody from PALS? Lots of tall people here tonight. 01:15:01.570 --> 01:15:08.144 - So my name is Christine Herring. I'm the executive director of PALS. And for many of you, I'm sure you 01:15:08.144 --> 01:15:14.782 - heard last year we were hit by a devastating tornado. And I'm very pleased to announce we are one month 01:15:14.782 --> 01:15:21.229 - away from opening our state of the art facility. It will increase accessibility and we'll be able to 01:15:21.229 --> 01:15:26.782 - double the number of people we serve in the community. So I just wanted to share that. 01:15:27.554 --> 01:15:34.578 - At PALS, we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to discover their strengths, 01:15:34.578 --> 01:15:42.131 - build confidence, and see a future of possibility. That belief is the foundation of Stable Futures, 01:15:42.131 --> 01:15:46.814 - our new after-school workforce and skill development program. 01:15:46.946 --> 01:15:53.372 - This program was created after identifying a critical need through our partnership with JD AI affiliated 01:15:53.372 --> 01:15:59.738 - equipped programming, which is a youth program we have here in the county. We saw youth who needed more 01:15:59.738 --> 01:16:06.470 - than supervision after school. They needed structure, mentorship, encouragement, and meaningful opportunities 01:16:06.470 --> 01:16:11.550 - to succeed. We even have mentorships for youth interested in becoming instructors. 01:16:12.226 --> 01:16:19.474 - Stable futures will serve Monroe County youth referred, these are high school students, referred by 01:16:19.474 --> 01:16:26.940 - school counselors, particularly students facing academic, social, emotional, or engagement challenges. 01:16:26.940 --> 01:16:34.261 - Three meetings each week, students will be transported to PALS for homework support, mentorship, and 01:16:34.261 --> 01:16:40.350 - hands-on workforce experience in areas such as agriculture, equine care, education, 01:16:40.482 --> 01:16:47.231 - business operations, and event planning. What makes this program unique is the environment. Through 01:16:47.231 --> 01:16:54.318 - experiential learning alongside horses and caring adults, youth will build responsibility, communication 01:16:54.318 --> 01:17:01.135 - skills, teamwork, confidence, and job readiness in a safe and supportive setting. Our goal is not to 01:17:01.135 --> 01:17:08.222 - simply provide after-school care. Our goal is to help young people build a stable future for themselves. 01:17:08.418 --> 01:17:19.735 - With a total pilot cost of just $7,500, this program has the potential to create lasting impact for 01:17:19.735 --> 01:17:31.166 - approximately 30 Monroe County youth and their families. Thank you very much for your consideration. 01:17:40.450 --> 01:17:46.841 - I'm Stephanie Shelton with Cancer Support Community. For those of you who don't know, we're a nonprofit 01:17:46.841 --> 01:17:53.047 - that provides free support and resources to anyone impacted by cancer. I'd like to remind folks that 01:17:53.047 --> 01:17:59.438 - this also includes family members, caregivers, friends, not just patients and survivors. So please tell 01:17:59.438 --> 01:18:02.142 - everyone you know that we are here to help. 01:18:02.530 --> 01:18:09.035 - One of the main things that I wanted to talk to you about today, in our application, we're requesting 01:18:09.035 --> 01:18:15.604 - funds for what we call our Patient Assistance Fund. This is one of our most critical support programs, 01:18:15.604 --> 01:18:22.364 - and it is direct, immediate financial assistance and relief in the categories of food and transportation, 01:18:22.364 --> 01:18:28.741 - specifically for cancer patients who are in active treatment cycles and who qualify to meet 300% or 01:18:28.741 --> 01:18:30.846 - below of federal poverty income. 01:18:32.290 --> 01:18:39.444 - I'm sure we've all felt the impact of the increases in gas costs and food recently. I feel like I've 01:18:39.444 --> 01:18:46.527 - been repeating this for the last two to three years. The point being, this is not going away. So as 01:18:46.527 --> 01:18:54.814 - long as we can, we want to provide $150 of immediate gift cards in food or transportation per the patient's request. 01:18:55.106 --> 01:19:00.959 - to help ease that burden so that they can get the healthy, nutritious food that they need and they can 01:19:00.959 --> 01:19:06.925 - get back and forth to their treatments and other appointments and screenings and things like that during 01:19:06.925 --> 01:19:10.334 - that most critical time of their health medical treatments. 01:19:11.746 --> 01:19:17.909 - I think that we can all relate to someone who's had cancer and been through that. We do offer other 01:19:17.909 --> 01:19:24.072 - programs such as counseling, support groups, nutrition and exercise classes, professional education 01:19:24.072 --> 01:19:30.174 - presentations in partnership with physicians in the IU School of Medicine, and social connections. 01:19:30.242 --> 01:19:37.402 - This immediate financial relief bridges that gap towards that healthy outcome. One of the things that 01:19:37.402 --> 01:19:44.491 - has come up a lot lately in research is financial toxicity. This refers to patients who have to make 01:19:44.491 --> 01:19:51.721 - decisions between getting their treatment and putting food on the table for their family or purchasing 01:19:51.721 --> 01:19:57.758 - their medications for their treatments. So you're more likely to see patients who are 01:19:57.954 --> 01:20:04.224 - stretching their medication out to make it last longer or skipping screenings and health appointments 01:20:04.224 --> 01:20:10.495 - just to try to get by. This program helps ease that burden and solve some of those things for people, 01:20:10.495 --> 01:20:16.827 - which then results in better actual health outcomes. So it's not just about that immediate, it's about 01:20:16.827 --> 01:20:18.302 - the long-term gain too. 01:20:20.130 --> 01:20:29.907 - I'd like to just end right there. If anyone has any questions, I'm happy to answer. But we're grateful 01:20:29.907 --> 01:20:39.494 - for your consideration and any support that you're willing to offer. Thank you. Hello, everybody. My 01:20:39.494 --> 01:20:48.702 - name is Wyatt Lawson. I'm the executive director of the Community Justice and Mitigation Center. 01:20:48.770 --> 01:20:55.225 - or CGM. CGM just celebrated our 30 years in Monroe County this past year, so we've been serving in mediation 01:20:55.225 --> 01:21:01.147 - services, restorative justice, and education in Monroe County for over 30 years, which is exciting. 01:21:01.147 --> 01:21:07.306 - But at the ground basis of what we do is we deal in conflict. So we help folks through hard situations. 01:21:07.306 --> 01:21:13.347 - We help folks learn how to handle conflict better, how to be mediators, and just kind of how to focus 01:21:13.347 --> 01:21:18.736 - on building a more fair community that learns from hard situations instead of raises them. 01:21:18.736 --> 01:21:25.150 - to things that can result in court time or loss or whatever that may be. 01:21:25.538 --> 01:21:30.930 - In 2019, we started our work within the Eviction Prevention Project, which is a group of nonprofits 01:21:30.930 --> 01:21:36.376 - in the court systems that help people who are facing a housing crisis kind of work through the court 01:21:36.376 --> 01:21:41.768 - side of that. So we entered that in 2019 and are still participating in that program. And actually, 01:21:41.768 --> 01:21:47.215 - about 80% of the clients that we see yearly are a landlord-tenant relationship. So it really is kind 01:21:47.215 --> 01:21:52.661 - of the pinnacle of what we are doing. We're helping folks figure out a better way forward as they're 01:21:52.661 --> 01:21:54.494 - facing some type of housing case. 01:21:55.362 --> 01:22:00.804 - So last year, we served over 500 Monroe County residents through our eviction prevention work and our 01:22:00.804 --> 01:22:06.352 - eviction mediation services. And people are often dealing with a lot of different things in that space. 01:22:06.352 --> 01:22:11.793 - Housing stability being the first one, but it often results in a communication breakdown or something 01:22:11.793 --> 01:22:17.181 - that's happened in their personal life that they're having a hard time navigating, whether resources 01:22:17.181 --> 01:22:19.422 - or working with their specific landlords. 01:22:19.906 --> 01:22:25.368 - Mediation or what we do within that space is anyone who is facing an initial eviction hearing gets the 01:22:25.368 --> 01:22:30.777 - opportunity to do two very specific things before they talk to the judge. They get the opportunity to 01:22:30.777 --> 01:22:36.292 - speak to a free legal lawyer attorney that provides free limited scope legal advice. And then they have 01:22:36.292 --> 01:22:41.595 - the opportunity to mediate their case before it goes to the judge. And of course, that's when C jam 01:22:41.595 --> 01:22:44.830 - kind of hops in. So for anyone facing that initial eviction, 01:22:44.898 --> 01:22:50.655 - We get an opportunity to slow things down just a little bit and help them have a dialogue between their 01:22:50.655 --> 01:22:56.413 - landlord and the tenant, ask questions about what's going on, what are some reasonable solutions moving 01:22:56.413 --> 01:22:59.070 - forward, maybe what some of those barriers are. 01:22:59.618 --> 01:23:05.758 - And what we tend to see is folks working on maybe it's past due rent and figuring out a way to pay that 01:23:05.758 --> 01:23:11.721 - back in a timeline that works for their landlord, but also is realistic for them. Sometimes it means 01:23:11.721 --> 01:23:18.097 - a voluntary vacate, which is them voluntarily leaving the unit that they're renting and avoids an eviction. 01:23:18.097 --> 01:23:20.222 - So it makes things easier for them. 01:23:20.514 --> 01:23:25.199 - At the pinnacle, it's just us slowing things down. And this grant specifically is gonna help us support 01:23:25.199 --> 01:23:29.524 - the people who make that work happen, which is our volunteers. All of our mediations are served 01:23:29.524 --> 01:23:34.210 - by volunteers, and this allows us to invest in not only the training, but the recruitment and retention 01:23:34.210 --> 01:23:39.076 - of those volunteers. So whether that's speeding up that process or looking in other spaces. So I appreciate 01:23:39.076 --> 01:23:43.806 - the opportunity to share that with you all this evening, and thank you for the consideration. Thank you. 01:23:51.522 --> 01:23:57.810 - way down. Hi, I again am Megan Betts, CEO at Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, also known as The Hub. 01:23:57.810 --> 01:24:04.429 - Thank you, Council, for investing in social services in our community and for hearing from me twice 01:24:04.429 --> 01:24:11.180 - this evening. The Hub is a community food resource center that increases access to nutritious food in 01:24:11.180 --> 01:24:14.622 - ways that cultivate dignity, agency, and community. 01:24:14.786 --> 01:24:20.101 - Well, I have often come to this room to seek support for components of our pantry program And while 01:24:20.101 --> 01:24:25.789 - we are best known for operating among the largest pantries in our region I am here this evening requesting 01:24:25.789 --> 01:24:31.211 - support for our program so that wrap around our pantry Ensuring that we are a place where individuals 01:24:31.211 --> 01:24:35.038 - can build skills competence and relationships to thrive in community. I 01:24:35.330 --> 01:24:41.739 - This year the hub is requesting just over eight thousand dollars that would be used to purchase supplies 01:24:41.739 --> 01:24:48.026 - needed for our free kitchen programs These supplies include groceries team-building supplies like food 01:24:48.026 --> 01:24:54.374 - themed games Spanish Spanish translation of our promotional materials and handouts and more glass mason 01:24:54.374 --> 01:24:57.182 - jars than you would probably ever suspect and 01:24:57.954 --> 01:25:04.821 - In 2025, our pantry served just under 117,000 duplicated individuals, a double digit increase 01:25:04.821 --> 01:25:12.639 - over individuals served in 2024. While the number of individuals we serve rises, some things are constant. 01:25:12.639 --> 01:25:20.456 - Our patrons are clear that they do not need to be taught how or what to eat. They are resource constrained 01:25:20.456 --> 01:25:24.766 - in time and kitchen equipment, but often not in knowledge. 01:25:25.282 --> 01:25:31.008 - They want to learn from each other in the kitchen to grow relationships, find joy, and play with new 01:25:31.008 --> 01:25:36.734 - ideas and recipes. They are curious, enthusiastic eaters, and adventurous cooks. That is why so many 01:25:36.734 --> 01:25:39.966 - of our workshops are taught by members of our community. 01:25:40.738 --> 01:25:46.788 - Each month we host at least four free hands-on educational workshops in our kitchen classroom. Topics 01:25:46.788 --> 01:25:52.720 - are identified by community members as they share what they would like to learn or what skills they 01:25:52.720 --> 01:25:59.007 - have to contribute. We enjoy a range of one-off workshops like cake pops, easy casseroles, and Venezuelan 01:25:59.007 --> 01:26:04.286 - empanadas, but also a series of workshops like Wanda's introduction to southern cooking, 01:26:04.354 --> 01:26:11.140 - So far, Wanda has taught us things like corn pwn, hot water cornbread, and homemade barbecue sauce. 01:26:11.140 --> 01:26:18.129 - Our most popular recurring series are workshops on canning, food preservation, and fermentation, which 01:26:18.129 --> 01:26:21.726 - takes the form of sourdough, or kombucha, or yogurt. 01:26:21.954 --> 01:26:28.269 - We're thankful that separate funding enables us to pay our educators $100 per 90-minute workshop. Your 01:26:28.269 --> 01:26:34.400 - support would ensure these workshops are stocked with adequate supplies for all individuals to join 01:26:34.400 --> 01:26:40.408 - in and the supplies for them to take home starter to continue making their own yogurt, sourdough, 01:26:40.408 --> 01:26:46.661 - or kombucha. Thank you for working with us to build community food security and for doing it in a way 01:26:46.661 --> 01:26:51.198 - that equally cultivates joy and connection. Have a good night. Thank you. 01:27:02.946 --> 01:27:11.333 - Good evening. My name is Gina Lovell. I'm the administrative director for Amethyst House, a Bloomington-based 01:27:11.333 --> 01:27:19.338 - nonprofit agency that serves individuals with substance abuse disorders. And we've been in the community 01:27:19.338 --> 01:27:28.030 - since 1980. Our services include residential and outpatient treatment, emphasizing a foundation towards recovery. 01:27:28.418 --> 01:27:38.543 - We have two residential locations here in Monroe County, one for men and one for women. This year we 01:27:38.543 --> 01:27:48.768 - are requesting 8,000, which will cover 15% of our residential food budget for both houses. We provide 01:27:48.768 --> 01:27:56.286 - three meals a day for up to 31 residents at any one time, 365 days a year. 01:27:56.642 --> 01:28:05.883 - meals are a cornerstone of recovery, enhancing both mental and physical health. Every resident in our 01:28:05.883 --> 01:28:15.034 - care receives three healthy meals each day during their 90-day stay, ensuring that they can focus on 01:28:15.034 --> 01:28:24.638 - healing without the stress of food insecurity. The current daily average costs is $81 for the men's house 01:28:24.738 --> 01:28:32.090 - and 60 at the women's house for a total of $141 per day. This is approximately 5% increase from last 01:28:32.090 --> 01:28:39.370 - year's costs. Like many of us in Monroe County, we have felt firsthand how the dollar doesn't go as 01:28:39.370 --> 01:28:47.013 - far in the grocery store these days. We receive additional supplements from our friends at Hoosier Hills 01:28:47.013 --> 01:28:52.254 - Food Bank and funding from the Division of Mental Health and Addiction. 01:28:53.890 --> 01:29:01.875 - The requested cost of $8,000 will stabilize our budget during this period of rising costs. Our goals 01:29:01.875 --> 01:29:10.019 - align with the Sophia Travis Green's vision of health, food, nutrition, security, and shelter. We want 01:29:10.019 --> 01:29:18.084 - the utmost quality for our residents to enrich Monroe County community members through a transitional 01:29:18.084 --> 01:29:19.902 - period in their lives. 01:29:21.314 --> 01:29:28.700 - Covering food costs through this grant will help us keep residential fees affordable while still providing 01:29:28.700 --> 01:29:35.741 - the highest quality care and nourishment to those working hard to transform their lives. On behalf of 01:29:35.741 --> 01:29:42.713 - Amethyst House, thank you for considering this request and supporting the wellbeing of our community 01:29:42.713 --> 01:29:44.094 - members. Thank you. 01:29:53.826 --> 01:30:02.686 - middle way pantry seven nine two seven nine I think us closet so sister's closet is up next 01:30:14.594 --> 01:30:20.814 - Good evening. My name is Sandy Keller. I'm the executive director of my sister's closet in Monroe County. 01:30:20.814 --> 01:30:26.683 - We provide resources and tools and training for women who are hoping to become more self-sufficient 01:30:26.683 --> 01:30:32.610 - and eventually move out of poverty. To date we have served over 4,000 community residents and 85% of 01:30:32.610 --> 01:30:38.595 - those women report that they've been able to find better employment with benefits while going through 01:30:38.595 --> 01:30:39.358 - our program. 01:30:39.426 --> 01:30:47.476 - such as our financial wellness programming that Sophia's Travis is invested in that has been very successful 01:30:47.476 --> 01:30:48.510 - for us we are 01:30:48.610 --> 01:30:55.629 - asking for funds to complete our security and safety system that will be at our new location at 1204 01:30:55.629 --> 01:31:02.857 - West 2nd Street. We anticipate that we will start the renovation on this project in August of this year 01:31:02.857 --> 01:31:10.015 - and we will use these funds to be able to complete the remaining things that we will need to have such 01:31:10.015 --> 01:31:12.030 - as a motion detector system, 01:31:12.418 --> 01:31:20.192 - doorbell where we can see who is on the other side. It will be a course in security, 24 months worth 01:31:20.192 --> 01:31:28.044 - of monitoring services for the building, and also we will be replacing the commercial door locks that 01:31:28.044 --> 01:31:30.430 - are on the building right now. 01:31:30.498 --> 01:31:37.330 - base is going to be used by both women and their children and some of our workshops will be happening 01:31:37.330 --> 01:31:44.229 - in the evening. This is extremely important for them to feel safe in our space. We have several people 01:31:44.229 --> 01:31:45.502 - that come into our 01:31:45.602 --> 01:31:55.269 - organization, not just as clients, which is generally about 250 a year, but we also have several volunteers 01:31:55.269 --> 01:32:04.489 - over 450 a year and several community members that come in to use My Sister's Closet as an alternative 01:32:04.489 --> 01:32:13.619 - to supplement their clothing resources and their professional clothing. In our application last year, 01:32:13.619 --> 01:32:15.230 - we said that over 01:32:15.394 --> 01:32:20.414 - 200 people who would be in the community besides our clients would be benefiting from this. 01:32:20.482 --> 01:32:27.705 - but actually that was incorrect. Traffic studies are informing us that more than likely 38,000 people 01:32:27.705 --> 01:32:35.211 - will come into our space in a given year. So a lot of people will be benefiting from the security system. 01:32:35.211 --> 01:32:42.505 - My sister's closet is extremely grateful for the opportunity to be able to present tonight and for the 01:32:42.505 --> 01:32:46.046 - funds that we've received from the Sophia Travis. 01:32:46.114 --> 01:32:56.358 - grant in the past, and we're very grateful for your help. Thank you very much, and have a good evening. 01:32:56.358 --> 01:33:06.799 - Thank you, you too. Okay, so next up is Bloomington Cooperative Living, followed by Wonder Lab. Hi there, 01:33:06.799 --> 01:33:14.974 - my name is Annalise Kane, and I'm the membership coordinator from BCL. Let me just 01:33:15.138 --> 01:33:23.104 - So BCL is a housing co-op in Bloomington with five houses with 75 units of housing. We are democratically 01:33:23.104 --> 01:33:30.694 - owned, governed, and operated by our member residents. BCL focuses on communal living for low income 01:33:30.694 --> 01:33:38.434 - residents. We are in the process of acquiring a new property which will add 10 additional units in the 01:33:38.434 --> 01:33:39.486 - coming years. 01:33:39.586 --> 01:33:47.224 - The City of Bloomington's consolidated plan showed that there is a gap of 7,000 housing units for household 01:33:47.224 --> 01:33:49.982 - earnings, 0 to 50% AMI in Bloomington. 01:33:50.082 --> 01:33:57.074 - BCL is a small but growing solution to Bloomington's housing affordability issues. Our model provides 01:33:57.074 --> 01:34:03.929 - low income residents with dignity, autonomy, affordability, and social community. And this model is 01:34:03.929 --> 01:34:11.263 - a permanent solution for deep affordability. BCL is outside of market forces and due to democratic control 01:34:11.263 --> 01:34:15.582 - by members will never become unaffordable. So outreach in BCL. 01:34:15.970 --> 01:34:21.739 - Thus far, BCL has conducted outreach via word of mouth, flyering, and tabling. These efforts have served 01:34:21.739 --> 01:34:27.234 - us well as we have grown slowly over the years, but relying on these forms of outreach are not best 01:34:27.234 --> 01:34:32.893 - practice. These forms of outreach limit us to adding new members from the social groups of the current 01:34:32.893 --> 01:34:38.663 - membership of BCL. We know that this does not spread the word about housing opportunities at BCL amongst 01:34:38.663 --> 01:34:44.542 - all low-income Bloomington residents, so we need to use forms of outreach that cut across social networks. 01:34:44.674 --> 01:34:52.886 - Digital outreach can do just that by advertising cooperative housing to all low-income Bloomington residents. 01:34:52.886 --> 01:35:00.425 - So BCL is requesting $1,500 in funding to purchase digital ads for the 27-28 member shipping season, 01:35:00.425 --> 01:35:03.934 - which it would last from March to May of 2027. 01:35:04.066 --> 01:35:09.991 - This funding would complement a request for funding from the City of Bloomington Jack Hopkins grant 01:35:09.991 --> 01:35:16.034 - program, which if fully funded would provide $3,000 for digital advertisement management services and 01:35:16.034 --> 01:35:22.136 - $3,500 for digital advertising. The $1,500 from Sophia Travis would increase the impact of the digital 01:35:22.136 --> 01:35:28.298 - advertisements without increasing the cost in advertisement management services. These ads would inform 01:35:28.298 --> 01:35:33.630 - residents of Monroe County that cooperative housing is an alternative that is affordable. 01:35:35.778 --> 01:35:42.289 - This is a one-time ad spend, but it will have a lasting impact on the community and BCL. By filling 01:35:42.289 --> 01:35:48.996 - rooms in BCL, this ad spend will increase BCL's internal labor capacity as well as our rental revenue. 01:35:48.996 --> 01:35:55.507 - This increase in our resources can support further outreach in future years. The ad spend will also 01:35:55.507 --> 01:36:02.018 - advertise cooperative housing as an alternative, connecting with the many other cooperative housing 01:36:02.018 --> 01:36:03.646 - projects in Bloomington. 01:36:03.714 --> 01:36:15.197 - due to BCL's collaborative nature, the impact of this ad spend can stretch beyond BCL itself and to 01:36:15.197 --> 01:36:24.958 - other housing projects in the community. Thank you so much. Thank you. Good evening. 01:36:25.922 --> 01:36:31.361 - My name is Leslie Kosenko, and I'm the director of philanthropy for Wonderlab. Thank you for the opportunity 01:36:31.361 --> 01:36:36.350 - to speak in front of you tonight. I'd like to start with a story about a person who grew up through 01:36:36.350 --> 01:36:41.639 - Wonderlab. Quote, I was a teenage volunteer when I was on the square in the early 2000s, and later joined 01:36:41.639 --> 01:36:46.679 - as a member, as a parent, with my son when he was two. He ended up being a wonder camper, and now he 01:36:46.679 --> 01:36:48.126 - hopes to be a herpetologist. 01:36:48.386 --> 01:36:54.175 - We now have a crusted gecko that he adores. I've been bringing him to Wonder Lab even longer. He loves 01:36:54.175 --> 01:37:00.077 - the Thanksgiving dinosaur events. My younger son, who has been a member since birth, grew up in Sprout's 01:37:00.077 --> 01:37:05.867 - place. While this is a lovely story and it shows the impact of Wonder Lab, not every family can afford 01:37:05.867 --> 01:37:11.600 - the luxury of attending Wonder Lab and paying the admission cost, and that's why I'm here to speak to 01:37:11.600 --> 01:37:15.422 - you today. Wonder Lab is seeking support for social service visits, 01:37:15.586 --> 01:37:22.861 - from, believe it or not, 11 of the people that spoke here tonight and 13 more social service agencies. 01:37:22.861 --> 01:37:30.135 - We provide free admission and free group visits depending on what organization that you are. Not every 01:37:30.135 --> 01:37:32.254 - family has the opportunity to 01:37:32.610 --> 01:37:38.831 - come to wonder lab but as part of our connection to the community fund, which we call the CDC fund. 01:37:38.831 --> 01:37:45.301 - This ensures that every single child that has can have access to wonder lab, regardless of your income, 01:37:45.301 --> 01:37:47.230 - regardless of your background. 01:37:47.778 --> 01:37:54.427 - We provide free group visits and a mission for qualifying, and we do have a strict qualifying process. 01:37:54.427 --> 01:38:01.012 - It's whether you're on Medicaid, on SNAP, on free school lunch, there is a strict policy for how that 01:38:01.012 --> 01:38:07.532 - we qualify these organizations. But in every case, the goal is the same, to make science accessible, 01:38:07.532 --> 01:38:14.246 - welcoming, and meaningful for all. The request matters because access to informal STEM is not for every 01:38:14.246 --> 01:38:17.022 - child. Not every child is receiving access 01:38:17.122 --> 01:38:24.581 - to STEM. Many of the families served by local social service agencies are facing economic challenges. 01:38:24.581 --> 01:38:32.114 - And some children growing up don't have the regular opportunities to explore science in engaging ways. 01:38:32.114 --> 01:38:39.573 - We believe that this should not stand in the way of a child's chance to explore. So we are here until 01:38:39.573 --> 01:38:41.182 - we financially cannot 01:38:41.826 --> 01:38:48.472 - to provide camp scholarships and free access for people that deserve it. Wonderlab serves a community 01:38:48.472 --> 01:38:55.052 - where the need is real and growing. In Monroe County, almost 15% of kids under the age of 18 live in 01:38:55.052 --> 01:39:01.568 - poverty. The number is even higher for kids under age five. Wonderlab serves kids up to age 12, for 01:39:01.568 --> 01:39:08.148 - the most part, with nearly 40% of Wonderlab's visitors and members saying that they visit our museum 01:39:08.148 --> 01:39:10.494 - to supplement their STEM education. 01:39:11.394 --> 01:39:19.069 - Now, this may not seem like a lot, but $9,000 actually serves almost 900 children. This is a huge amount 01:39:19.069 --> 01:39:26.526 - of kids for Monroe County. We're also applying for the Jack Hopkins grant, and with both of these two 01:39:26.526 --> 01:39:33.470 - grants, we can get to the total of $20,000 for kids to access WonderLab. Thank you. Thank you. 01:39:45.090 --> 01:39:50.947 - Good evening, everyone. My name is Gavin Everett, and I am the CEO of Community Culture, a local nonprofit 01:39:50.947 --> 01:39:56.749 - focused on improving food accessibility through community agriculture, partnerships, and volunteer-driven 01:39:56.749 --> 01:40:02.277 - growing spaces. Over the past year, Community Culture has continued building partnerships with local 01:40:02.277 --> 01:40:08.243 - organizations and nonprofits, including the Community Kitchen of Monroe County, Pantry 279, Mother Hubbard's 01:40:08.243 --> 01:40:09.502 - Cupboard, to help grow 01:40:09.954 --> 01:40:15.688 - and donate fresh produce directly back into our community. One of our largest projects is Bob's Garden, 01:40:15.688 --> 01:40:21.422 - a 7,500 square foot donated garden space that is being developed into a long-term food oasis for Monroe 01:40:21.422 --> 01:40:27.266 - County. Last year, with support from the Sophia Travis Community Service Grant Program, Community Culture 01:40:27.266 --> 01:40:33.110 - was able to begin the foundational infrastructure for this site through the installation of raised garden 01:40:33.110 --> 01:40:39.230 - beds. That investment helped us move this project from an idea into a functioning and growing community space. 01:40:40.642 --> 01:40:46.456 - Since then, we've continued developing the site through volunteer work days, large-scale mulching and 01:40:46.456 --> 01:40:52.555 - soil preparation, and expanded community involvement. We've had volunteers come together to help transform 01:40:52.555 --> 01:40:58.483 - the property into a productive growing space that will support local food nonprofits for years to come. 01:40:58.483 --> 01:41:04.183 - This year, we are seeking funding of $4,800 to help complete the next phase of development at Bob's 01:41:04.183 --> 01:41:09.598 - Garden. The primary focus of this phase is the construction of an open-air educational shelter 01:41:09.922 --> 01:41:15.687 - a rainwater collection system utilizing IBC water storage totes, and the development of a composting 01:41:15.687 --> 01:41:21.566 - area to support long-term soil health and sustainability. This infrastructure serves several important 01:41:21.566 --> 01:41:27.616 - purposes. The shelter will provide a gathering and educational space for volunteers and community members 01:41:27.616 --> 01:41:31.326 - while also offering protection during work days and programming. 01:41:33.730 --> 01:41:39.568 - The rainwater collection system will improve sustainability by reducing dependence on municipal water 01:41:39.568 --> 01:41:45.348 - during the growing season. The composting area will help divert organic material from existing waste 01:41:45.348 --> 01:41:51.357 - systems while creating nutrient-rich compost that can be returned directly back into the food production 01:41:51.357 --> 01:41:57.309 - at the site. Together, these systems help create a more environmentally responsible and self-sustaining 01:41:57.309 --> 01:41:59.198 - model for community agriculture. 01:41:59.298 --> 01:42:05.491 - Importantly, this project continues to rely heavily on volunteer labor, donated materials, and community 01:42:05.491 --> 01:42:11.567 - partnerships, allowing us to maximize the impact of every dollar received. The long-term goal of Bob's 01:42:11.567 --> 01:42:17.701 - Garden is not simply to grow food, but to create a replicable model for community-supported agriculture 01:42:17.701 --> 01:42:22.302 - that reduces barriers to fresh produce while strengthening local connections. 01:42:23.714 --> 01:42:29.981 - Every improvement we make increases our ability to consistently grow and donate healthy food directly 01:42:29.981 --> 01:42:36.186 - back into our community free of charge. We look to demonstrate how small-scale community agriculture 01:42:36.186 --> 01:42:42.514 - can simultaneously support food access, environmental sustainability, and stronger local partnerships. 01:42:42.514 --> 01:42:48.350 - We are incredibly grateful for the support this committee has already shown community culture. 01:42:48.578 --> 01:42:56.801 - Your previous help turned an empty space into an active growing site, and the next phase helps us ensure 01:42:56.801 --> 01:43:04.475 - the lasting community resource for many years to come. Thank you for your time and consideration. 01:43:04.475 --> 01:43:10.270 - Thank you. Anybody from First Presbyterian Church? Oh, I see you walking. 01:43:18.242 --> 01:43:24.655 - Hello my name is Dan Caldwell and this is Annette Briggs Hill and we are with the Bloomington Severe 01:43:24.655 --> 01:43:31.005 - Winter Emergency Shelter which is a joint ministry of a number of downtown churches including First 01:43:31.005 --> 01:43:37.418 - Presbyterian Church which is our sponsoring organization for this grant. Our mission is to provide a 01:43:37.418 --> 01:43:43.768 - warm safe place to sleep for people who might not have any shelter during severe winter weather. We 01:43:43.768 --> 01:43:47.070 - serve the most vulnerable members of our community. 01:43:47.234 --> 01:43:53.597 - by being welcoming, compassionate, and treating every guest with dignity and respect. We are a low barrier 01:43:53.597 --> 01:43:59.663 - shelter, yet we prioritize safety for our guests and our volunteers. While our main goal is providing 01:43:59.663 --> 01:44:05.669 - shelter, we know that if we can make people more comfortable, they're more likely to use our shelter 01:44:05.669 --> 01:44:11.913 - and less likely to risk sleeping in the cold. So we offer warm beverages, snacks, frequently warm meals. 01:44:11.913 --> 01:44:15.422 - We always make sure to have plenty of cup of soup on hand. 01:44:15.586 --> 01:44:23.363 - as well as warm winter gear, socks, hats, gloves, hand warmers, clean clothing, all for the purpose 01:44:23.363 --> 01:44:31.451 - of keeping people safe so we can prevent cold weather injuries and death, which we have been successful 01:44:31.451 --> 01:44:35.806 - in doing for the last two winters that we've been open. 01:44:37.442 --> 01:44:44.031 - We as we're called is able to provide a safe and comfortable shelter experience for our guests at an 01:44:44.031 --> 01:44:50.620 - extremely cost effective rate because we are a volunteer driven and donation supported organization. 01:44:50.620 --> 01:44:57.274 - This past season we were able to open the shelter 57 nights when the weather got cold enough and that 01:44:57.274 --> 01:44:59.166 - serves 34 guests each night. 01:44:59.426 --> 01:45:06.856 - We served a total of 256 unique guests this past winter. We were able to do this because we had 230 01:45:06.856 --> 01:45:14.509 - unique volunteers who volunteered around 4000 total hours this past winter. We also had two paid staff 01:45:14.509 --> 01:45:19.710 - coordinators, but again 80% of all hours worked were volunteer hours. 01:45:19.810 --> 01:45:26.554 - We were also able to do this because of the generosity of First Christian Church, First United Methodist 01:45:26.554 --> 01:45:33.235 - Church, and First Presbyterian Church who donated their spaces. And Wheeler Mission was generous enough 01:45:33.235 --> 01:45:39.786 - to donate laundry services. And this means that what would have otherwise cost over $60 per night per 01:45:39.786 --> 01:45:45.246 - guest cost us around $11 per night per guest. And so Annette will take it from here. 01:45:46.178 --> 01:45:52.105 - Just for our last minute I want to just emphasize that our entire financial budget is devoted to the 01:45:52.105 --> 01:45:57.974 - purchase of supplies for and for paying to part-time workers who are trained in shelter supervision 01:45:57.974 --> 01:46:03.842 - and they provide continuity of care to our guests and train support to our army army of volunteers. 01:46:03.842 --> 01:46:08.478 - Our youngest volunteers are about 10 years old and the oldest are in their 80s 01:46:08.546 --> 01:46:14.631 - They are church people, community members, IU professors, students, doctors, lawyers, and stay-at-home 01:46:14.631 --> 01:46:20.598 - parents. Because of their dedication, again, as far as we know, nobody died of cold weather exposure 01:46:20.598 --> 01:46:26.506 - in Bloomington over the last two years since we've been open. We consider it a privilege to be part 01:46:26.506 --> 01:46:32.709 - of this lifesaving work, and we're here to ask for financial partnership in making that true for another 01:46:32.709 --> 01:46:36.254 - winter season. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. 01:46:42.178 --> 01:46:55.232 - El Centro Humano. Thank you for having me today. Well, El Centro Humano Latino is a grassroots 01:46:55.232 --> 01:47:08.286 - community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to serving Latino residents in Monroe County. 01:47:08.546 --> 01:47:15.960 - The organization provides an accessible and culturally responsive space where community members, particularly 01:47:15.960 --> 01:47:22.700 - Spanish-speaking individuals, can obtain information, access to critical resources, and participate 01:47:22.700 --> 01:47:29.508 - in community events. El Centro also works to improve communication and collaboration between service 01:47:29.508 --> 01:47:31.934 - providers and the Latino community. 01:47:33.154 --> 01:47:39.958 - Of these efforts, the organization supports community integration, reduce barriers to services, and 01:47:39.958 --> 01:47:47.171 - encourage meaningful civic engagement with the broader Bloomington and Monroe community. Latino residents 01:47:47.171 --> 01:47:54.111 - in Monroe County face significant financial challenges driven by the rising cost of living, a lack of 01:47:54.111 --> 01:47:58.398 - affordable housing, and inconsistent employment opportunities. 01:47:58.978 --> 01:48:06.406 - Many jobs or most of jobs for our community are in food service, maintenance, cleaning, construction, 01:48:06.406 --> 01:48:14.126 - and temporary labor. They are low paying and often depend on the academic calendar and seasonal workforce 01:48:14.126 --> 01:48:21.481 - demands tied to the university. So this is gonna be a hard season for us, summer and all the breaks. 01:48:21.481 --> 01:48:26.142 - Although most community members are hardworking and dependable, 01:48:26.338 --> 01:48:33.461 - fluctuation in work hours and income make it difficult to consistently cover rent and utility costs. 01:48:33.461 --> 01:48:40.795 - During periods of reduced employment, families are disproportionately affected, and many face eviction, 01:48:40.795 --> 01:48:48.481 - utility shutoffs, and housing instability. These challenges place stress on our families, disrupt children's 01:48:48.481 --> 01:48:53.982 - education, and limit opportunities for long-term economic advance. This grant 01:48:54.082 --> 01:49:01.190 - will support a rental and utility system program designed to provide short-term financial relief to 01:49:01.190 --> 01:49:08.370 - Latino households in Monroe County. Experience temporary economic hardship. One of the things that I 01:49:08.370 --> 01:49:15.621 - really enjoy to hear was about the project of Wonderlab. That is one of the things that our community 01:49:15.621 --> 01:49:23.582 - members or families miss to have access because they can't afford to pay for places like that. Now you have to, 01:49:23.746 --> 01:49:33.820 - prioritize the rent, the utilities. Even when we can help a community with not a high amount, it's very 01:49:33.820 --> 01:49:43.507 - helpful for our community to have just a partial payment of this rent. Thank you for having me here 01:49:43.507 --> 01:49:51.934 - today and for consider our proposal for this grant. Thank you. Next up is Sabra Mesta. 01:50:05.890 --> 01:50:13.848 - Good evening. Thank you to the Sophia Travis Grant Committee for the opportunity to speak with you tonight. 01:50:13.848 --> 01:50:21.437 - My name is Robert Frew, and I represent the Sober Mesa Foundation and the Incubator Project at the new 01:50:21.437 --> 01:50:29.027 - Daisy Garden Community Farm. Over the past several years, we have demonstrated that underutilized land 01:50:29.027 --> 01:50:33.374 - can be transformed into productive farmland that nourishes 01:50:33.570 --> 01:50:41.488 - both people and the community around us. We started Sober Mesa Farm in 2013, and what was once a pasture 01:50:41.488 --> 01:50:49.030 - that was depleted is now actively producing thousands of pounds of healthy food for local families. 01:50:49.030 --> 01:50:56.948 - We know how to build soil, grow food, organize volunteers, and create meaningful agricultural education. 01:50:56.948 --> 01:51:03.358 - Now we're bringing that same experience and momentum to Daisy Garden Community Farm. 01:51:03.778 --> 01:51:11.094 - This project is really more about growing vegetables and fruit. It's about creating pathways for people 01:51:11.094 --> 01:51:18.269 - to learn practical skills, participate in the local food system, and contribute to their community in 01:51:18.269 --> 01:51:25.514 - meaningful ways. Some of the same individuals and families who currently rely on food pantries are now 01:51:25.514 --> 01:51:33.182 - learning how to grow food, preserve harvest, and participate in an act of reciprocity instead of dependency. 01:51:34.530 --> 01:51:41.668 - Already we have tilled land, built raised beds, started ceilings, planted, and launched educational 01:51:41.668 --> 01:51:48.877 - programming. We are teaching people skills that can support future employment, entrepreneurship, and 01:51:48.877 --> 01:51:56.230 - food security. The equipment that we are requesting tonight in the grant will help us to take the next 01:51:56.230 --> 01:51:59.870 - step in building a truly sustainable food project. 01:52:00.098 --> 01:52:07.980 - Specifically, we are seeking support for commercial dehydrating and freeze-drying equipment, packaging 01:52:07.980 --> 01:52:15.709 - supplies, a farm stand, tent, tables, chairs, and food preparation equipment. These tools will allow 01:52:15.709 --> 01:52:23.667 - us to create shelf-stable value-added products from the produce we grow, reducing waste, extending food 01:52:23.667 --> 01:52:27.646 - availability, and creating potential income streams 01:52:27.746 --> 01:52:34.961 - for the project and the participating growers. This is about building something unique for the city 01:52:34.961 --> 01:52:42.752 - of Bloomington, a farm incubator that combines agriculture, education, food preservation, entrepreneurship, 01:52:42.752 --> 01:52:45.566 - and community engagement in one space. 01:52:46.338 --> 01:52:55.102 - With your support, Daisy garden community farm can become a long term community asset that not only 01:52:55.102 --> 01:53:04.128 - feeds people that teaches them how to feed themselves and others for years to come. Thank you for your 01:53:04.128 --> 01:53:08.510 - time. Thank you. You have any ready for families? 01:53:20.322 --> 01:53:25.788 - Hello, my name is Chase Teckenton. I'm working for families. I'll be your closer this evening and I'll 01:53:25.788 --> 01:53:31.200 - be I'll be brief because I know your cup runneth over. As you all are aware, our community has a lack 01:53:31.200 --> 01:53:36.719 - of affordable child care, a lack of affordable housing, put together families with children, especially 01:53:36.719 --> 01:53:42.025 - children too young to be latchkey kids struggle to find decent affordable child care that lets them 01:53:42.025 --> 01:53:46.270 - work enough hours to afford rent and the other things that their families need. 01:53:46.594 --> 01:53:51.936 - Today in Monroe County, anywhere between 30 and 40% of the individuals who are experiencing homelessness, 01:53:51.936 --> 01:53:57.278 - sleeping outside or in shelter are members of a household with children. And I think those two statistics 01:53:57.278 --> 01:54:02.318 - speak to the way these two issues are intertwined. Families in our community need childcare so they 01:54:02.318 --> 01:54:07.509 - can work and keep their housing. And when childcare is missing, we see people lose the other two, they 01:54:07.509 --> 01:54:13.053 - lose their income and housing. Families in our overnight shelter do three simple things. They find childcare, 01:54:13.053 --> 01:54:15.774 - they find income, and they move into a place to live. 01:54:15.970 --> 01:54:21.398 - All year long, we address the need for child care for kids birth to five through our early learning 01:54:21.398 --> 01:54:26.880 - center. But then every summer when school is out, we have a 10-week gap where families have an acute 01:54:26.880 --> 01:54:32.634 - need for that child care. And by the time they get to shelter, they're going through a pretty big crisis. 01:54:32.634 --> 01:54:38.171 - It's too late to enroll in the full-day camps that would provide the hours that they need, and people 01:54:38.171 --> 01:54:39.582 - really struggle to afford 01:54:39.746 --> 01:54:45.914 - to piece together or afford the other childcare options that are out there. That's why for five years, 01:54:45.914 --> 01:54:51.903 - New Hope has hosted a free day-long summer camp for families in shelter who are working. Last year, 01:54:51.903 --> 01:54:57.952 - one family came, dad worked nights, mom worked days. When summer came and school was out, they faced 01:54:57.952 --> 01:55:04.060 - that hard choice. Could mom keep working or are they gonna lose half their income and stay in shelter 01:55:04.060 --> 01:55:09.630 - longer? But they enrolled in summer camp. They moved out into a lease just a few weeks later 01:55:09.858 --> 01:55:15.402 - Summer camp is pretty straightforward. We employ three staffers. They run camp Monday through Friday, 01:55:15.402 --> 01:55:20.838 - 9 to 4.30. Children 6 to 17 can enroll. It's usually a little younger group. The teens are too cool 01:55:20.838 --> 01:55:26.654 - for it. But kids get two meals a day and a snack to compensate for the gap in school lunch for the summer, 01:55:26.654 --> 01:55:30.078 - which is a big boost for the families. And they spend the day. 01:55:30.242 --> 01:55:35.373 - telling the counselors where they want to go next. We have great partners for these experiences, like 01:55:35.373 --> 01:55:40.454 - Community Kitchen, providing food, Wonder Lab, as you already heard about, City Parks and Pools, all 01:55:40.454 --> 01:55:45.837 - offering great experiences for kids all summer long. And Sophia Travis-Smones will cover the team leader's 01:55:45.837 --> 01:55:51.119 - salary, as well as the food, admissions, supply costs for the camp, for the experiences that the campers 01:55:51.119 --> 01:55:55.294 - are gonna have. The other two counselors are covered by a different private grant. 01:55:55.618 --> 01:56:02.769 - Every year our community comes around and through the generosity of our whole community in our county 01:56:02.769 --> 01:56:09.991 - They come around homelessness and child care with generosity and vision Thanks to that new hope houses 01:56:09.991 --> 01:56:17.353 - more than 82 percent of families into leases Compared to a state average of just 32 percent and no child 01:56:17.353 --> 01:56:24.574 - sleeps outside in our community. So thank you guys for your continued support Thank you That concludes 01:56:24.738 --> 01:56:31.469 - all of our presentations. And I'm going to look to Michelle, because it looks like we have our scoring 01:56:31.469 --> 01:56:38.462 - card sheets that are in front of us. So Michelle, what would you like to tell us about our scoring sheets? 01:56:57.346 --> 01:57:08.884 - I just wanted to bring to your attention, we kind of revamped it a little bit, so there was some difficulties 01:57:08.884 --> 01:57:19.688 - that we went through last year with the formula. So we have gone through, tweaked the information, and 01:57:19.688 --> 01:57:25.982 - so you will, the beginning of this information is the same. 01:57:26.530 --> 01:57:37.910 - the agency, the project. So what I want to bring your attention to is this section right here, it's 01:57:37.910 --> 01:57:49.746 - the proposed committee awards. What I need for you to make sure is when you assign an amount, and we'll 01:57:49.746 --> 01:57:54.526 - just do Councillor Crossley here, you can 01:57:54.786 --> 01:58:04.841 - just type in, we're just gonna say $500. And then when you send that to us, we're going to put those 01:58:04.841 --> 01:58:14.796 - amounts in. I just need you to know that if maybe Ms. Robertson might not want to give, don't leave 01:58:14.796 --> 01:58:21.566 - it blank. It has to have at least a zero in it. And that is because 01:58:22.274 --> 01:58:31.438 - When we go over here to this max and the minimum, the formula is set up to average over five totals, 01:58:31.438 --> 01:58:40.784 - not four. So when you leave it blank, it's still out there looking for it. So I need that to be filled 01:58:40.784 --> 01:58:50.130 - in. Also at the bottom, there was a problem with the formulas, and we've got that working out. So what 01:58:50.130 --> 01:58:52.126 - you're looking for is 01:58:52.418 --> 01:59:05.340 - Let's just say 190,000. You want to see a green dot down here. So you have used up that whole 190 and 01:59:05.340 --> 01:59:17.502 - that it is green. If you overspend, so it's going to throw it. You've spent too much, you know. 01:59:17.826 --> 01:59:25.662 - So just make sure that you're checking your bottom totals. I know that some people didn't complete the 01:59:25.662 --> 01:59:33.270 - entire amount and then during the meeting, you know, you kind of tweaked your totals. But if you go 01:59:33.270 --> 01:59:41.182 - ahead and assign an amount, even if it's a zero, then we can always tweak that during the live meeting. 01:59:43.298 --> 01:59:52.628 - There was a lot of confusion with some of the rounding and things that happened last year. There was 01:59:52.628 --> 02:00:02.143 - an additional formula within this. So we kind of removed that and then there was something funky going 02:00:02.143 --> 02:00:11.565 - on here. So what we can do then is this is being averaged to the nearest $10. And so like if somebody 02:00:11.565 --> 02:00:12.766 - puts in 230, 02:00:13.122 --> 02:00:20.483 - you know, it's going to round it. So here the average is 243, 240. And if that's what the committee 02:00:20.483 --> 02:00:27.917 - decides, we are going to input 240. So whatever the committee decides at the end is going to in this 02:00:27.917 --> 02:00:35.278 - column here, the green column is what will be recommended to the. I think I've got all the formulas 02:00:35.278 --> 02:00:39.326 - worked out and everything tweaked out for you. So, um, 02:00:39.522 --> 02:00:47.614 - But if there's any questions, don't hesitate to give me or Lehua a call. Miss Katie here, this is your 02:00:47.614 --> 02:00:55.550 - first time, so yeah, feel free to call if something, just kind of look. This is active, where can we 02:00:55.550 --> 02:01:03.563 - access it? I sent each one of you an individual copy for you to use, and then we need this sent in to 02:01:03.563 --> 02:01:07.806 - us. What was that date, Lehua? The 20th? Oh, I think. 02:01:08.994 --> 02:01:23.453 - Yeah, I think it was the 21st. Yeah, so we need those by the 21st so that we can have all of that information 02:01:23.453 --> 02:01:34.494 - for you by that council or by that meeting on the 29th. No, we're having a meeting. 02:01:35.618 --> 02:01:42.950 - There's a committee meeting coming up. I just can't remember the date. And we will have all of that 02:01:42.950 --> 02:01:50.501 - information together for you. And that's when we'll tweak this to how what you want recommended. Okay. 02:01:50.501 --> 02:01:57.246 - Okay. Does anybody have any questions for Michelle? The meeting is the 29th at one o'clock. 02:02:04.738 --> 02:02:12.043 - So that's all I needed. I just wanted to kind of quickly go over it. And then if anybody has any questions, 02:02:12.043 --> 02:02:19.009 - give me a call. Check your email. You should have all that information in your email. OK. Does anybody 02:02:19.009 --> 02:02:25.908 - have, before we adjourn, does any committee members have any questions or comments after? I'm excited 02:02:25.908 --> 02:02:32.943 - again. Yeah. Great work. Yeah. I loved all the presentations. They were very informative, and it really 02:02:32.943 --> 02:02:33.822 - helps. Yeah. 02:02:33.986 --> 02:02:40.944 - Makes me proud to be living here. You know, I was sitting here thinking about like, I feel like we're 02:02:40.944 --> 02:02:47.834 - back again in this lovely room because we were here last night. And so it's a stark contrast of last 02:02:47.834 --> 02:02:54.928 - night. And honestly, like a couple of times, I kind of felt myself welling up just a little bit because 02:02:54.928 --> 02:02:59.294 - of everything that's going on and what we think is going wrong. 02:03:00.354 --> 02:03:06.586 - community members showed up tonight and showed us what is happening and what we are doing right. So 02:03:06.586 --> 02:03:13.068 - I really appreciated that and I think I needed that for my soul today. So with that being said, I thank 02:03:13.068 --> 02:03:19.363 - y'all so much. Thank you all for our community, for coming out and we got some work to do and we are 02:03:19.363 --> 02:03:20.734 - adjourned. Thank you.