Human Services Advisory Commission

 Meeting Minutes
March 13, 2007
7:30 - 9:20 PM
Glenview Mansion

Re:  Call Meeting to Order/ Introductions

Sarah Duffy called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.

Re:  Approve January 9 Meeting Minutes

David L’Heureux moved that the minutes be approved.  Tim Stranges seconded the motion.  The minutes were approved unanimously.

Re:  Hunger in Montgomery County
       Guest:  Amy Gabala, Executive Director, Manna Food Center 

Amy began her remarks by saying that hunger is a hidden, though prevalent problem in Montgomery County.  One of every four children in Montgomery County Public Schools is at risk of hunger.  The reason is economic.  By way of example she described a typical young couple with both husband and wife employed having a combined income of $40,000 annually.  Their rent is $1,200 monthly.  With bills such as medical insurance and a car payment, they have approximately $100 to spend on food each month.  The problem becomes even more acute for seniors and others living on fixed incomes.

Manna provides 70 pounds of food once a month to referred families.  The amount is intended to feed a family of four for 3-5 days.  Manna also provides food to shelters and other organizations.  One third of the distributed food comes from community food drives.  Three trucks also go to 27 different stores every morning to pick up fresh fruits, vegetables, yoghurt, etc.  Manna also gets food from the USDA surplus food program.

Amy said that Manna now has a new program called “Smart Sacks,” which is now in six county schools.  Through this program children take home a backpack of food (healthful snacks, juice boxes, etc.) for the weekend.  Children needing this program are identified by school counselors. Eventually, Manna hopes to bring the program to every school in the county.  The Smart Sacks program is very popular with donors.

David L’Heureux asked if more information about Manna could be put in Rockville Reports or run on Rockville Cable.  Mary Lou Jacobs said that the December insert to Rockville Reports would be the appropriate place.  She added that running a banner beneath the screen on Rockville cable might be a good place to advertise food drives. 

Amy said that information on Manna has now been translated into Chinese.  They are also beginning to see a French-speaking African population.  The site on Lofstrand Lane in Rockville where there is a warehouse is still Manna’s primary site.  Other satellite sites are located in Gaithersburg, Colesville and Wheaton. 

Sarah Duffy asked what the Human Services Advisory Commission could do to help Manna.  Amy said that anything they could do to help get the word out would be appreciated.  Michelle Beadle said that, in the past, she has dropped off bags of diapers and wondered if Manna has other non-food needs.  Amy said they distribute toiletries and paper products when they have them.  Their greatest need is always cereal, peanut butter, pasta and rice.

Re: Community Services Needs Assessment
      Guest:  Burt Hall, Director of Recreation & Parks

Burt Hall opened the discussion by asking Sarah Gicale to walk Commission members through the document.  Sarah explained that when Community Services was reorganized into a division within the Department of Recreation and Parks last year, staff was asked to complete a needs assessment that would provide the basis of a work plan for the new division.  As Metis Associates had recently completed an assessment of all human service needs in Rockville, it was decided to focus this new assessment on areas of need where the City has traditionally provided direct services. 

Sarah related that the process used in creating the document was to first review earlier needs assessments of human services in Rockville.  These are compared in an appendix.  Secondly, she and Cynthia Bangali, the Community Services Program Coordinator, conducted a series of 120 interviews with Montgomery County Public Schools personnel, City of Rockville staff, Rockville residents (both parents and teens) and Caregiver representatives.  Each interview was summarized in a written document.  Once the interviews were completed, the identified needs were pasted into a separate document.  The three areas of need around which the document is organized grew out of this list.  These areas are:

• Services to At-risk Youth
• Outreach to Minority Communities, and
• Self-sufficiency for Low-income Residents

Sarah explained that many people, when interviewed, not only identified needs but wanted to offer solutions, so that a list of strategies, immediate and longer term, followed naturally for each area of need. 

Burt told Commission members that the Community Services Division has started to implement many of these strategies.  He asked for members’ input on the priorities and recommendations contained in the needs assessment.  Sarah Duffy asked if there are actions the Division can take that have multiple outcomes.  Burt responded that recently a new position for Latino Outreach Worker was created which will work across all three areas of need.  Mary Lou added that another good example occurred when Cynthia Bangali, who works with the College Gardens Mentoring Program, called every parent with a child in the program to ask if there were any other problems with which the Division could help.

Burt then said that another area where the Division is making more progress is with Information and Referral.  Frequently, residents coming in to apply for emergency assistance have additional problems.  Alfred Thompson is able to help them with referrals for other programs and/or services.  Last summer, during the extremely hot weather, he became aware of many residents needing air conditioners.  The City advertised for people to donate air conditioners that they were no longer using and Alfred picked them up and delivered them to residents’ homes.  Jim Miller, the new counselor, is doing the same thing.  He makes a real effort to get beyond the immediate problem including making home visits where indicated.

Eric Wang asked if the City of Rockville has after-school programs to help those schools in Rockville with the highest percentage of children using the Free and Reduced-price Meal System.  Eric believes that programming for this population should include reading books at least 30 minutes/day.  Burt responded that the City does have after school programming at the Twinbrook and Lincoln Park Recreation Centers with transportation provided from Twinbrook and Meadow Hall elementary schools and also at Fallsmead and Ritchie Park Elementary Schools.  Programming includes a healthy snack, a physical education component, and homework time monitored by regular staff who are not educators but can help with school work.  He said they would like to expand to Beall Elementary but have not been able to get funding.  Tim Stranges commented that this is in addition to the Linkages to Learning Program at Maryvale Elementary School which works with the entire family, not just the child. 

Mary Lou said that one goal of Achiever’s, the Division’s most recent youth development program, is to make youth aware of work and career options.  Most of the youth who attend this program at the Lincoln Park Community Center are from low-income families.

Burt said that recently he and Mary Lou have begun to meet on a quarterly basis with Community Ministries of Rockville (CMR).  Mark Poletunov, CMR’s Executive Director, has agreed to work on involving more churches in the Holiday Drive.  In addition they will be meeting quarterly with Rockville Housing Enterprises.

Tim asked regarding the adequacy of Rockville Emergency Assistance Program funds for the remainder of FY 07.  Mary Lou said that the City probably has the opposite problem at the moment with unspent money.  She met last week with Agnes Saenz and Monica Mendoza from CMR and also spoke with Lorraine Schack from the Senior Center about this issue.  REAP has very few Latino and Asian applicants so she will be trying additional publicity.  There is concern about large utility bills once the weather permits utility companies to discontinue service.

Burt then told Commission members that the Recreation Fund recently added a low-income benefit according to the recommendation made by the Commission.

David L’Heureux suggested putting out a publication focused on people in need.  Mary Lou suggested using a newsletter format, which Community Services started two years ago.

Re:  Updating Commission Brochure

Mary Lou told Commission members that she and Sarah Gicale recently met with staff in Graphics to come up with a format for the Division’s brochures.  She asked if a few members would be interested in updating the Commission’s brochure.  David, Agnes, Tom and Sarah Duffy all volunteered.
  
Re:  Plan Agenda for Next Meeting (April 10, 2007)

• Commission brochure 
• Community Services Division resource materials/brochures
• Meeting to include the potluck supper starting at 7 p.m.

Re:  New Business

Eric said he thought that the population served by Community Services could use life skills management.  Mary Lou said that at their May meeting the Commission might like to hear from Alfred Thompson regarding the workshops he is conducting. 

Tim wanted members to know that Ann Reiss has decided not to seek reappointment so that there is now a new vacancy on the Commission; also the Mayor and Council had confirmed Sarah as chairperson.

Re:  Adjourn

David moved that the meeting be adjourned.  Tom seconded the motion.  The meeting was adjourned at 9:25 p.m.  The next meeting of the Human Services Advisory Commission will be held Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. in the Glenview Mansion Dining Room.