Collaborative Meeting Minutes
April 28, 2011 – 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Lakewood Family Y.M.C.A.
Our Mission:
“The Lakewood Family Collaborative is a group of agencies, organizations and concerned individuals working together to make sure a network of services and supports are available and accessible to children, youth and families.”
2011 Focus – “Building and strengthening relationships in order to increase participation
for the betterment of Lakewood families and the community.”
All were welcomed by Bruce Chamberlin and Mary Hall was welcomed back, thanking Bruce for his leadership.
Collectively, the directors from the 13 Neighborhood Collaboratives agreed to identify the top 3 to 5 challenges facing their communities. The Leadership Team of the Lakewood Family Collaborative felt that this easily could be beneficial in helping our Collab identify possible focus areas for our work in the future. All members/participants of the Lakewood Collab were sent a Survey Monkey asking for their input. A table discussion, held at the April Collab meeting identified critical challenges facing the community. The following is an overview/summary of the combined results of the Survey Monkey and the table discussions:
Challenges Facing the Lakewood Community
1. Economics
- Overall economic state of Federal/State/Local governments
- Economic impact on so many Lakewood Families… significant increase in poverty
- Greater need for financial assistance (food/cash/housing/medical)
- Funding for social/safety resources decreasing as demands are increasing
- Increasing economic development in community is needed to increase tax base
- Increase in neighborhood crime
2. Jobs/Employment
- Insufficient employment opportunities for the unemployed/underemployed
- Very few job opportunities available for older teens and young adults
- Rarely are benefits available with entry level/part time jobs
- Loss of County child care vouchers for some Families will impact ability to maintain employment.
3. Community Building
- Many individuals/families are isolated from “community support”
- Increased diversity (cultural/racial/economic) seen as a negative as opposed to a positive; minimal efforts towards inclusion
- Without inclusion, neighborhood-based problem solving is far less successful
- Without successful neighborhood collaboration, crime prevention efforts are often reduced to fear and blaming
- Without effective community building, there is a greater risk that limited resources will not be maximized
4. Housing
- Increased number of foreclosures/abandoned properties
- Increased number of evictions = family and neighborhood “transiency”
- Properties not maintained…breeding ground for blight
5. Schools
- Loss of significant funding
- Schools needing to effectively address the needs of their increasing diverse population of students/families
- Reduction in most/all extracurricular activities
- Current out of school time/summer time activities seen as inadequate, soon to be reduced even more
6. Other challenges listed but not as frequently
- Inadequate public transportation
- Mental health services for children/youth/adults
- Politics as a “road block” to problem solving
- Effective forward thinking/planning
- Families (structure/values/modeling/support)
- Decrease in tax base…zero growth for this area
Perspectives from City Hall – Mayor Michael Summers stressed the importance of collaboration, stating that if we are going to be successful and reach our goals and aspirations, we will only do it by working together; government has a role, private sector has a role, citizens have a role and social service delivery also. We need to create alignment, create focus and make sure that there are no gaps. He commended us for having the Collaborative. Communities are looking at shared resources. Lakewood is facing reduction by 50% of State revenues and an increase of the commercial activity tax. Questions are where do we end up and how do we deal with it? It is the duty of City Hall to balance the budget and embark on strategies to examine everything, asking how this can be done more effectively. Three looming dates – in the beginning of May Lakewood will get results of income taxes; June 30th is the date when we learn what the State’s final budget decisions will be and end of July we will have a sense of what the property tax revenue will be. In the beginning of August we will see what the challenge is. We need to create focus on what really matters. One of the tolls of this is utilizing GIS. There will be a $1,000 fee to corporate owners or banks who own vacant property that isn’t kept up. There was time for a few questions – Is safety a perception or a reality? The Mayor suggested that they are viewed as the same. There has been an increase in property crimes but a slight decrease in violent crimes. Cameras are being installed in more of the parks and downtown areas of Lakewood. 50% of crimes committed here are by residents. The Mayor thanked the Collab for inviting him and added that he would be happy to come back again.
Collaborative Spotlight & Discussion
Sandi Hoch from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health – spoke on the National Children’s Survey being undertaken by the National Institutes of Health. There are thirteen centers and Cuyahoga County is one of those chosen. Studying how the environment affects children’s health for a 21 year period. Residents in those areas will receive letters letting them know they will be going door-to-door, will be in doctor’s offices, etc. If a person is pregnant or planning to become pregnant, they will be told of the survey and offered the opportunity to be on board. Even if the families move, they can and will be tracked within a 250 mile radius.
Lakewood Collab By-Laws – In Dottie’s absence, Bruce reported that the slate of officers for the Leadership Team which will be in the newsletter and will be voted on in May.
County Corner – Update -CCDCFS
Jillian Driscoll –Applying for the Defending Childhood Initiative is a multi-year, multi-million dollar grant looking at the long-term effects of violence on children. Lakewood will be one of the areas in the study. Next month they will have a clearer understanding implemented. Lead agency will be Witness Victim with Dan Flannery from CWRS, and the Cleveland and Lakewood Police Chiefs.
Kathleen Sullivan – No changes at County; search for a director is almost over and interviews will take place in May.
Committee Reports –
Adoption/Foster Care – Colleen McNamara, Chair
1. May is Foster Parent Month! All the local community Collaboratives in Cuyahoga County are doing events to highlight the need for foster parents.
2. Meet The Trucks – Saturday, June 4th @ Lakewood Park. Watch for the May Lakewood Collaborative eNewsletter for Adoption/Foster Care details at this event!
Job Seekers – Kristine Pagsuyoin, Chair
1. Kristine will be stepping down as chair of this team. Please let Kristine know if you are interested in chairing this committee next year. She will help you get started!
Lakewood School Supplies Initiative – Karen Lee, Chair
1. We are waiting to hear on possible funding from Thrivent Lutheran.
2. We are waiting to hear on funding/goods from Sponsor a Mind Foundation
3. Lakewood Junior Women’s Club has agreed to assist us in fundraising and/or goods collection.
4. PNC Bank has agreed to be a collection site and we are working on stores around town being additional collection sites along with the Y
5. The Chamber of Commerce has included our information in their monthly e-news letter to their members
6. We are at a holding point until we can get a concrete sense of funding or goods donated for the project
Membership/Hospitality – Kristine Pagsuyoin, Chair
1. Deadline for the June Newsletter is May 16th (May 15th is a Sunday)
2. This year the Collab will have an end-of-the year/wrap-up meeting in June. We will be meeting at the Lakewood Women’s Pavilion at Lakewood Park instead of the Lakewood YMCA. Lunch will be served. We will not be a meeting in July and the Kick-off to a new year will be August 2011. Invitation and reminders will go out in May for the June Meeting.
3. If you would like to help plan the June meeting or with the Membership Committee please see or contact Kristine Pagsuyoin. Membership and Hospitality will be separate positions next year. If you are interested in Hospitality, again, see or contact Kristine.
4. Please update your membership information if needed or fill out a membership form. Our goal is to have a Membership Directory to everyone at the June meeting. That way we can all stay in touch over the summer.
ASIA / Drug Free Communities – Dottie Buckon, Chair
1. Operation Medicine Cabinet for medication drop-off is happening this Saturday – see flyer at information table.
2. Human Trafficking Seminar is scheduled, Free CEUs offered – see flyer at information table.
Members were asked to bring to the next meeting their identification of cuts that will happen, how they impact families and how this can be used as a tool.
Next meeting is May 26th at the Lakewood Family Y.M.C.A. 2nd Floor meeting room from 1 – 2:30 p.m.
THANK YOU for building and growing with us!
The Lakewood Family Collaborative
Usually meets the fourth Thursday of each month, 1:00 – 2:30 pm,
at the Lakewood Family YMCA, 16915 Detroit Avenue.
All are welcome and encouraged to attend, so please spread the word!
· “LIKE” us on Facebook – “Lakewood Family Collaborative”
· Check us out on the Observation Deck of the Lakewood Observer
- Follow our monthly eNewsletter – subscribe @ lakewoodfamilycollab@gmail.com
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