08-10-1992 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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ii-'iM'-- I1-^ ■;■ r j’li. pi- iLmmk WHHS continued to be an advocate for the expansion of Head Start in the suburbs through Staff support of the Suburban Hennepin Head Start Access Committee. A new suburban site opened in Richfield and a site is being considered in the northwest suburbs. WHHS provided assistance to Senator Judy Traub in sponsoring a community meeting on the Learning Readiness Program. One of the most exciting events this year was a conference on May 18, 1992 that WHHS organized and sponsored: ’’Hate Crimes, Racism, Bigotry, Discrimination...T2ckling the Problems on the Front Lines. ‘ Attended by 240 people, the conference had as its keynote Federico Pefla, former Mayor of Denver, Colorado. The conference was partially funded by the Spring Hill Center Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation and was an opportunity for people from suburban Hennepin to understand the eff ;cts of racism in our communities. The conference and the issues raised received v-idespread coverage from suburban media. In June of 1991, WHHS organized the Suburbar Hennepin Anti-Racism Committee. The committee has as its goal to provide leadership in undoing the erfects of racism in suburban communities. The committee has been very acti*e and has focused much of its attention oi* human rights commissions, racial incidents, and community education. In May, 1992, the report "Minnesota Governments: Human Rights and Diversity Sur\ey - Suburban Hennepin Report " was released. The report was co-sponsored by WHHS, the Suburban Hennepin Anti-Racism Committee, and the Lea^e of Minnesota Human Rights Comixiissions. A follow-up report covering the State of Minnesota will be released in August, 1992. The West Hennepin Mental Health Advisory' Committee is composed of consumers of mental health services, providers, and community members. They sponsored a very successful community forum in May for Mental Health Month; are surveying consumers of mental health services on service availability after hospitalization; surveying police departments about dealing with mental health crises; and have developed a speakers bureau. The West Hennepin Mental Health Advisory Committee in conjunction with the other suburban mental health advisory committees sponsored a legislative forum where consumers and family members told their own stories about dealing with mental illness and the system to suburban legislators. The Energy CENTS Coalition was brought together by WHHS in 1988 to address the energy needs of low income Minnesotans. It is a coalition of 34 low-income and energy organizations and is staffed by WHHS. Energy CENTS spearheaded a successful statewde lobbying effort and media campaign to prevent devastating cuts in the federal funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Energy CENTS worked successfully for the expansion of fuel funds in Minnesota and the establishment of a statewide ^el lund. The coalition received a grant from the Headwaters Foundation to do community organizing on low-income energy issues. "wrriiir jf i .5 .!