07-28-1986 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

journer shelters, and Jobs for Families. The program was funded by Hennepin County, Community Action for Suburban Hennepin, Federal Emergency Management Administration and Minneapolis Com- munity Action Agency. Demand for these services continues to be high, and economic constraints on people who are using the programs seem to be more difficult. West Hennepin Human Services provides coordination and tec,vn,_al assistance to the four emergency ser- vice programs in order to assist the program in being more effective. We continued to provide publicity for local commodities "pod distribution pr Jrams. As part :f our efforts to meet emergency needs we actively parti- cipated in a County task force on emer- gency needs. I �r=7.1". ether activit In cooperation with Northwest Hennepin Human Services Council and South Henne- pin Human Services Council, we spear- headed advocacy for a Community Action Agency for Suburban Hennepin County. Once Community Action for Suburban Hennepin (CASH) was recognized, West Hennepin Human Services organized the efforts to select west Hennepin area representatives to the F— d. 390 low income people voted f 3 slate of 20 candidates for. their _�presen- tatives. ? private sec•-)r r:upresenta- tives were selected from a slate of 22 candidates by a committee of WHHS. Before selection of staff, WHHS sup- plied staff assistance to the CASH Personnel Committee and helped to cr- ganize ?nit.ial -ward meetings. CASH has pro• aed fi .ancial -.ssistance to WHHS for .yelping support our decentral- ized energy assistance services and for our housing coordination project. WHHS ;ills provided CASH with informa- tion on needs of low income people aid senior citizens. Lommunity 0.ction of Subur-n .an !-'ennepia has recently funded a joint projec, of the three suburban human sery -es councils. The project, Housing Re- bources Coordination and Ad%,.jcacy Pro- ject, is a o monL'. t_Lfort funded at. $'9,000. W^at Hennepin staff under the supervision of the three council directors will be responsible: com- pletinq the project. Y' F project t s to lay :he ground work for ca low income housi ,g coordination and advo ac �_iystem in suburban Hennepin County. Goals .nclude rh:•eIopInq recommend- a'.ons to the C-N .S.H. regardinq di- nction and role it should take, .den tifying resources and services which suburban agencies may use, identify- ing and documenting housing need-, and establishing an on -going fcj for addressing the low income hot. .at,g problems in the suburban area. N. :; s.. urban Low Income Advisory Comr..it.r_ee composed ul 30+ individuals repre- senting the low income, housing advo- cacy groups, housing service providers, local housing and redevelopment author- ities, governmental iits and local community groups has been formed to assist in this effort. Tn an effort to un& _;tnad broader human services needs, :'HHS monitors State and Federal human services legi- lation. As part of this, the Board of Directors approved a legislative agenda which provided the basis for advocacy at the -3tate level. This included suppor for main,aining levels of funding fc. economic assistance programs. WHH_ s,-aff has been involved in organizing a statewide conference in May on welfare reform • o deve.-,p proposals for change. The West Hennepin Chemical Abuse Committee it. a new committee which conducted a survey of over 80 c., mical .tealth professional to identify current and gather ideas for better t .ys to prevent chemical abuse. III September 1985 the committee presented its findings and recommenda- tions for further s.;._y,/action to the WHHS Board in a w3,itten report. In an attempt to pull together west suburban area resources the committee recently sponsored a breakfast meeting to discuss its work and r,t the first annual "pioneers it) an- tion" awards to six west sL _ban people who have done outstanding work chemical cr-pendently/abuse prevention. vur S■6` Y RI.R rf •.It.t I^7rid Choin Ni.,mzek Lois Gunderson Pruce Lars,-.., Mary Atin McFarland Ann Rollins Marcy Shapiro Energy Assistance Staff: Born:ce Eichet E. • her Hc•1 1 Kristine Roe Ga�1 Sweet I.tnda Terrell