Approximately 25 people attended the ESHC General Meeting at the First Methodist Church on King and Riberia. Jimmie Harden opened the meeting at 12:09 and George Gardner gave the invocation.
Visitors introduced themselves including Lisa Duncan from Healthy Families St Johns, Rev Arian Martin from Jesus’ Ministry International, Josh Staton, ESHC worker, Betty Melon, RN and Wildflower Clinic speaker and Maureen Tomasello, observer.
No one from the county per se, St Francis House, Betty Griffin House appeared to be present.
Jimmie noted copies of the ESHC balance sheet were available at the front.
Laurel ran over the minutes from the last ESHC general meeting updating the group on the Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant, mentioned the as yet unknown amount of money coming to SJC from the stimulus and reviewed the point in time survey count. For the first time I can remember the minutes were then approved by the members.
Jean Harden reviewed some correspondence about homeless children statistics from the National Center on Family Homelessness.
Speaker Lynn Baker, RN, gave a presentation on Good Samaritan’s 10 year history in our community and it’s current project of raising 250K for the expansion of the Wildflower Clinic currently operating in West Augustine. They have 170K now and will continue fundraisers like yard sales. Betty Melon, RN, is the clinic coordinator at MLK and Lovett Street. Currently they want to expand services at both clinics which depend on volunteers. They need one medical doctor/nurse practitioner and a nurse per shift. Hours currently are 6-8 PM on Thursday and 9-11 on Saturday, with pap smear clinic on Tuesday by appointment. Call 904.829.1962. Services are first come, first served with SJC residents served first. Patients must be uninsured or cannot get government assistance. The dental crisis is really serious with a current wait list of 11 months! Betty said even Medicaid patients would qualify for dental services. They are seeing a huge increase in demand due to the publicity surrounding their fundraising.
Rev Arian Martin from Jesus’ Ministries International presented a packet detailing their services to the community including free miracles, signs and wonders, healing and deliverance (casting out demons), hospital and nursing home visits, emergency transportation, emergency housing, rental assistance. Six double sided pages of sins they assist with is included in the packet. They are located at 255 W King Street and operation is from 9AM to 5 PM. Website is www.jesusmi.org and phone is 904-377-9351.
Lisa Duncan spoke of the Children Home Society of the Healthy Families program. They provide parenting skills to pregnant women and parents with kids under 3 months. It is a country wide program, free and voluntary and they get most of their clients from referrals through an assessment tool used by other agencies.
Ann reported the 4 new transitional houses are going up on Smith Street and invited anyone to come by and see them. They will be ready by June 1.
Jean Harden reported the NSP funding was to be released today with no word yet on amount for SJC although 25% will be to purchase foreclosed properties to turn over to non profits for low income rental. This was discussed in Tom Crawford’s two prior presentations.
Jean also said the Salvation Army was the only entity interested in distributing the Homelessness prevention funding. She thinks it’s a 3 year grant and introduced Major Vicky to the room.
Jean mentioned the BrAIves Fund, money to get returning veterans hired but has had no word back from local veterans organizations. Upon my questioning, she stated the money will be handled from Jacksonville.
Laurel noted that UNF is still compiling data from the point in time surveys and that this information will be ready next week and she will email it out to members. She also stated training on the HMIS is free to any agency who wants to use it to track services to our homeless and encouraged member agencies to sign up.
Major Vicky, Salvation Army, noted an antique car show and flea market for 6/6/09 at Francis Field to raise money for local food pantries.
Meeting adjourned at 1:06PM
Please remember, these are not minutes, just notes I take for PUSH members to keep up with what our lead agency on homelessness is doing.
- Mary
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