Meeting Transcript

Uh agenda item number one authorized amendment and budget change of municipal age agency funding contract for the 2025 Hope Initiative Summer Jobs Program. Yes, sir. Um we are as you just read the uh community neighborhood services is uh asking authorization to amend their budget uh and to make budget changes uh with uh giving the mayor the ability to execute a contract uh for an amended budget for temporary emergency services hope summer job program uh funding is already in place you won't need to have funding that was furnished by the city board of edit okay any questions all in favor thank you thank you number two speech turn the clock over minute we just speak you're about to get how you gonna get good afternoon miss morgan is handing out some Norman since he is officially and not officially here and then come on this side so we just want to kind of come in and give you an update of at this point the program is ended and just to tell you a little bit about how the program went which we think favorably well we had 45 students I think we initially sent in information to Mr. Howell we had over 300 applicants yeah and so this was the largest that we've had we made sure to partner with the chamber of commerce and all the students that were of age or older we sent them through the chambers program to ask them to apply for jobs through there we also met with students to ask um what is your plan so those students that had graduated from Tuscosa City Schools that's one of the programs that we have is you should have a plan so just kind of going back through them a lot of them did have plans they just was as they would say I'm not ready right I just graduated I didn't think this all the way through you know so this helped a lot of them to level set about life and reality and so we were able this year when you look through the stats um to be very purposely diversified as much as we could you will see those the breakdowns but what was kind of inspirational for us we kind of had a few more work sites added we had participating schools added we made sure to have um home school we had students that were there was two that I think that were in private schools so we had a very diverse population while still focusing on as Mr. Howard would say our primary goal is to assist students that are in the Hope initiative going back to students that were in certain neighborhoods that really needed the extra lift so we've given you some of the stats that the students had this year we did something totally different which Ms. Morgan wanted to do it it turned out okay we didn't hurt anybody's kid and we brought them all back instead of taking them we every year we've taken their somewhere educational this year we did something fun and we took them and which was amazing to the park the what is Alabama Splash Park it's still amazing how many students that we think that's just a 35 minute ride up the road have not even been there. They were well mannered no problems it it went off without an issue the only issue is somebody got on a ride lost their glasses um didn't know that when you own those rides there goes again a learning experience you gotta take those things off but just for us to see students that are not exposed to the things that we take for granted sure that's just up the road we had one student that um and I always try to wordsmith this was probably the highlight we had a student that DHR had to remove from their caregiver because of this program this child was not eating was not being receiving food their social and emotional care was zero and it it was sort of during the time when everything that was going on up the road with those children that were found DHR be immediately removed though that particular youth and they were made aware because you they were they were made aware because our program and the work site recognized there were red flags everywhere this child had not been in school probably the last three years and the person was actually presenting a document for home school so you would not have known and the person actually which helps us to kind of always think through these things was actually getting up coming to work you would not have known that this was a person that was in distress so that just goes to show there are young people that are out there that are afraid to speak up she just got very comfortable with her work And the person was actually presenting a document for homeschool. So you would not have known. And the person actually, which helps us to kind of always think through these things, was actually getting up, coming to work. You would not have known that this was a person that was in distress. So that just goes to show there are young people that are out there that are afraid to speak up. She just got very comfortable with her work site, and they recognize there were some bad signs. And first thing when they called me and said this is one of your hope students, I literally died that day because I was like not the student that I'm thinking of. I could see their face. Because no matter what, we saved one child from a torturous scene and us being on the TV that night. Thank you guys. So I thank y'all for that. So they she they were saying that she was homeschooled, is that what the the facade was? That's all blessed, bless your heart. Sad. Yep. She okay now? Is it they fine? I didn't say he, she, they well, the day by day, I guess, right? And so at this point, we don't have any connections, but I will say that um that particular youth is receiving services and also has been offered a job. That's very huge. Making sure things are going in the right direction. Bless that heart. So we tried a few things this year, won't be trying those things. We tried to do online uh time sheets, disaster did not work. Uh I thought the kids could upload and scan back. Yeah, it takes a little bit more effort. They they are technology geeks, but not when it comes to that. So, you know, those that was the biggest complaint that we had for a minute, which was why would you adults do that? And I'm like, well, I just thought it would be better. And they had to figure out technology and how to do a timesheet electronic. I just forgot these were high school students and they weren't quite ready for that one. Right. Thank you all for all you do. We got a great program and it's making a difference, so we appreciate that. Definitely. Absolutely. Any other questions? How much? Thank y'all. Thank you, Morgan. Any other questions or concerns? Mr. Bush beach is happy about the favorite.