January 2009 HTNA Meeting Minutes

January 13th 2009

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Hoffman Neighborhood Association Meeting
January 13th, 2009
5:30 pm-7:30pm
Pleasant Zion Missionary Baptist Church
3327 Toledano St

Attendance:

Local Residents: 11
NDF: 2
Speakers: 6
Other: 1
Total: 20

Opened with a prayer led by Chaplain Ralph Morris

Agenda

: Hoffman Reaches Out to the Youth!

-Kedila Family Learning Center
-Youth Empowerment Project
-Covenant House Youth Counseling
-NFL YET Center

Announcements and Update from last meeting:

Ralph Morris

: Martin Luther King Day March: January 15

, 10am from A.L. Davis Park

-Also January 28

Officer Nicola Cotton Memorial: 10am Israelite Baptist

Church

Brigida Reid

: 1

HTNA meeting of the New Year, everyone welcome!

- Introduces Dorian Hastings of CCRA

Dorian Hastings

: Central City Renaissance Alliance

-CCRA quarterly meeting is 2-4pm, Saturday January 17

-Glenda Spears is new Community Organizer for CCRA

-Neighborhood Partnership Network is looking on stories and content from local
neighborhood associations. HTNA may want to put something together so people know
of their works

Michael Heaney

: Talked to I-Witness Central City, an organization that helps document

neighborhood stories. They are interested in coming to our next meeting, is HTNA
interested in having them? (consensus is yes)

Brigida Reid

: We have focused tonights meeting on the youth, please take the

information with you from tonight and share it with the rest of the community. We also
plan to have another youth focused event in the near future

Renata Johnson from NFL YET Center:

located at 1140 S. Broad St

NFL YET offers a variety of youth activities at its facility for a range of ages

-The Center is open Mon-Fri, 3-7pm for ages 6-18

-Activities include basketball, games room, computer room, art, education and

career help, after school study

-Summer hours are 7:30am-6pm

Renata:

NFL YET is looking to recruit youth from the Hoffman area, it is close by and

has a lot to offer. A year membership is only $5

Covenant House Youth Outreach: 611 North Rampart St

Brigida:

Please welcome Lacordia and Christine of the Outreach Team

Lacordia

: Youth outreach focuses on at risk and homeless youth 16-21

-Usually focuses on a specific area and looks for both males and females, females

can bring children

Christine:

Due to funding cuts amount of beds available has been reduced to 16 from 32.

-Homeless assistance also has training programs

-White Dove Landscaping is a 6 week training program

-Café at 1515 Poydras has food service training program

Youth Rebuild Program: Gives training and construction certification while offering a
stipend to pay expenses

Covenant Youth Bank Program: 80% of income is saved while room and board are
provided

Transitional Apartment Program: 30% of income regardless of level, apartment is
furnished and applicable until 22 yrs of age

Mental Health Counseling: Available up to age 24

Drop in Medical Center: Free primary medical care up to age 24

Kedila Family Learning Center: 1917 Martin Luther King Blvd

Michael Madej, Program Director

Michael:

Thanks for having us, very interested in meeting with the community

-Kedila Family Learning Center focuses on Youthbuild Grant for job training in
rebuilding

-Youth ages 16-24

-Assists in GED and completing HS

-Also has trade skills/construction component

-1 week classroom to 1 week on the jobsite training ratio

-Counseling is available to participants

-Durrell Reid (resident) is currently enrolled

Resident Question: What is different about the Youthbuild Certifications from the
different organizations?

-Michael Madej from Kedila:

Each organization chooses a focus to offer

certification in, Kedila offers construction because it felt that was where there was the
most interest and opportunities for graduates to seek employment

Youth Empowerment Project: 1604 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd
-Intensive case management teamed with job placement and out of school education

-Helps re-integrate juveniles after time spent incarcerated for better re-adjustment

NOPLAY: Educational branch of YEP

-Adult education/GED/Out of School education

-200 students enrolled, 22 have received GED so far

-Does assessment of reading and math skills to develop a tailored education plan

-Literacy classes for low reading levels

-Fast Track 12 week managed classes for GED after reading levels have progressed
-30-45% of students are court involved

-Involved in a diversion program

-Others are referrals from court system

August Collins: Director of Youth Advocacy

Youth Advocacy works with formerly incarcerated teams through job search,

counseling, violence prevention, substance abuse

-We hold a Young Mens Discussion group to hear the concerns within the

community and give it a voice

Brigida

: Would Urban Impact like to share their youth activities?

Urban Impact: 1529 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd

Michael Robinson, Director of Community Development

-Tuesdays we are holding the Junior High School Youth Group between 6-8pm
-Thursdays we hold High School Youth Group between 6-8pm
-Fridays and Saturdays have open court basketball from 7-11pm

Resident Question: Does Urban Impact do tutoring?
-Urban Impact has also been working with Kipp Central City Academy with after school
tutoring on Tuesdays
-Urban Impact’s Castle Rock School has a small setting for those who have had problems
in a standard educational setting as well

-
Resident Question: Is there transportation provided to get to any of the youth resources
discussed?

-Covenant House provides bus tokens
-YEP provides transportation to 90% of the required events (court/diversion etc)
-Kedila’s Youthbuild provides stipend for students expenses like transport
-NFL YET: we have a 15 passenger van for transportation, let us know

Brigida Reid:

Would NDF like to update HTNA on its latest efforts in Hoffman?

Neighborhood Development Foundation

: Kim Washington

-Successful groundbreaking December 5

for new 1

time homeowner site

-Starting construction by the end of the month

-Looking for potential homeowners in the area who are current renters

-17 additional sites eventually, with soft 2

mortages attached to ease financing

Michael Robinson of Urban Impact:

Urban Impact is also breaking ground on 2 new sites

in the neighborhood

-We do built to fit, so we can match what gets built to your level of financing and

choice

Brigida

: Any other announcements or related issues?

Louis Harding:

Has started a scholarship book stipend program

-Targets HS students going to college with a $600 award for books

-Requires 300 word essay, due the end of March

-Must be accepted to a college/trade school

-Currently working with 2 students

-Award day is April 17

, Marcus Garvey Square day

Resident Question:What about any resources for younger children?
-Rev. Kenneth Thompson: A $10,000 playground is going in at Pleasant Zion Missionary
Baptist Church lawn. It will be open to all children

Resident Question: What about record expungement for youth and those who have paid
their due to society?

-YEP:

Getting a clean record has been an issue even for older professionals and

contractors. City contracts are denied to felons no matter when the crime. YEP is working
on Clean Slate initiatives to help the problem.

Resident Question:We need signs of healthy improvements for the kids, where are they?
-Working with NORD, have had some successes like getting pool open last summer in
Taylor Park

Louis Harding

: Working on a booster club for the park

Brigida:

HTNA is working on another Youth Night, possibly in the park for later in the

spring. Thank you for coming and joining us in our efforts.

Concluded with a prayer

Next meeting:

February 10, 2009

Topics and Speakers: History of Hoffman, I-Witness Central City

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