[Call to Order]
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JUST TURNED IT OFF. GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS IS THE EQUITY COMMUNITY. FIRST HOUSING, HEALTH AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE. AND WE ARE ABOUT READY TO START. COUNCILMAN OWEN AND WE GET READY TO START. THANK YOU. OKAY. AUTHOR. AND SAME TIME WE CAN START. THANK YOU. OKAY WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THINGS JUST. OH, FIRST. OH WELL, LET ME, CALL OFF THE MEMBERS. I'M COUNCILWOMAN
[Roll Call]
BARBARA SHANKER. I'M THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE WITH ME AS VICE CHAIR. COUNCILMAN STUART BENSON, COUNCILWOMAN TAMMY HAWKINS WILL MIGHT BE HERE. SHE'S NOT SURE, BUT WE'LL WAIT.AND SEE, COUNCILMAN JECOREY ARTHUR, COUNCILMAN ANDREW OWENS, COUNCILMAN. DAN. SAM.
COUNCILWOMAN RONI PARKER'S ON THE SCREEN. AND COUNCILWOMAN BETSY ROY. OKAY TODAY WE'RE GOING TO START OFF A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE COUNCILMAN ARTHUR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK JUST A LITTLE BIT ON HIS ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE. SO WE PROBABLY WILL BE TAKING IT, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DID WE READ THE NOTICE OR THE LEGISLATION INTO THE RECORD? YES. THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO CRS 61.826 AND COUNCIL RULE FIVE. A READ IN FULL. A MOTION. TO. CALL IT. YEAH. 01012 FOR AN ORDINANCE
[2. O-101-24 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 112.30 OF THE LOUISVILLE METRO CODE OF ORDINANCES (“LMCO”) PROHIBITING THE CITY OR ITS VENDORS FROM ENGAGING IN CERTAIN HIRING POLICIES AND PRACTICES REGARDING HOUSING STATUS. 6/12/24 Equity, Community Affairs, Housing, Health and Education Committee Held 5/29/24 Equity, Community Affairs, Housing, Health and Education Committee Held Action Required By: November 2024 Sponsors: Jecorey Arthur (I-4) ]
AMENDING SECTION 112.3 OF THE LOUISVILLE METRO CODE OF ORDINANCES AE PROHIBITING THE CITY OR ITS VENDORS FROM ENGAGING IN CERTAIN HIRING POLICIES AND PRACTICES REGARDING HOUSING STATUS. READ AND FULL MOTION. THANK YOU. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. THANK YOU.OKAY. COREY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIRWOMAN. LIKE YOU SAID, I'D LIKE TO AT LEAST START THE DISCUSSION TODAY, COLLECT QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, AND THEN TABLE IT FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
THIS ORDINANCE AMENDS OUR BAN THE BOX LAW THAT HELPS PREVENT PEOPLE FROM BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BASED ON THEIR CRIMINAL RECORD. WHEN APPLYING FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT JOBS. MY HOPE IS TO EXPAND THE PROTECTIONS TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED GET JOBS. THE ORIGINAL AMENDMENT FILED WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE ADDRESS FIELD ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT APPLICATIONS TO BE OPTIONAL UNTIL LATER IN THE HIRING PROCESS, BUT AFTER TALKING WITH THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION, GLEE, THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS, AND MANY OTHERS, WE REALIZED THAT WOULDN'T WORK. SO WE PROPOSED A NEW AMENDMENT THAT WOULD ALLOW APPLICANTS TO USE A SHELTER, ADDRESS OR ADDRESSES FROM HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS IN PLACE OF A PERMANENT HOUSING ADDRESS. THE AMENDMENT IS IN THE SYSTEM, AND I'D LIKE TO MOTION THAT IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU, CHAIRWOMAN, JUST SO THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MOST RECENT VERSION OF THIS LEGISLATION.
SECOND. WE'VE HAD A MOTION A SECOND. SO NOW WE'RE READY TO TABLE IT, WHAT? SO IF WE COULD VOTE ON THAT AMENDMENT JUST SO WE HAVE THE RECENT VERSION, I'LL SAY SOME REMARKS. AND THEN IF PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS, THEY CAN EITHER EMAIL ME OR THEY CAN ASK THEM NOW AND THEN WE CAN QUICKLY TABLE IT. OKAY. SO LET ME ASK THIS. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THAT WHY WOULDN'T WE JUST GO AHEAD AND WORK THROUGH THE WHOLE ORDI WE PRETTY MUCH DONE HIT THE FIRST PART OF IT. ARE WE STILL GOING TO NEED MORE INFORMATION BEFORE. SO YOU CAN JUST GO AHEAD AND TABLE IT.
OKAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS. WOULDN'T WE JUST DO THAT WHEN WE READ THE WHOLE ORDINANCE. WE'LL BRING, YOU KNOW BRING OUT A TABLE. SO I WOULD NEED TO TAKE BACK MY MOTION CORRECT. YEAH. HE'S GOING TO TABLE IT RIGHT NOW. WELL HE'S GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS, BUT I'M ASKING ONCE THEY GET THE AMENDMENT BY SUBSTITUTION IN FRONT RIGHT. AND TALK AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, THAT'S WHAT HE'S ASKING RATHER THAN ASKING ABOUT THE OLD VERSION OF THE OLD VERSION. IT'S NOT. ON THE SECOND, WE JUST MOTION OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE NEED TO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE MOTION ON THE AMENDMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DO IT ON HERE. WE JUST DO A VOICE VOTE RIGHT? YEAH. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED? OKAY, OKAY.
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AND I'LL BE REAL QUICK. JUST. I'M SURE MANY PEOPLE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE STANDING ON THE SIDE OF THE STREETS HOLDING SIGNS, SOME OF THOSE SIGNS SAY GOD BLESS. SOME SAY ANYTHING HELPS. SOME OF THOSE SIGNS SAY WE'LL WORK FOR FOOD. I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN OUR SHELTER SYSTEM, AND I'VE MET PEOPLE WHO ARE EMPLOYED, AND THEY TOLD ME THEY ONLY GOT EMPLOYED BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO USE A SHELTER AS AN ADDRESS ON THEIR JOB APPLICATIONS. I'VE ALSO MET PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE SHELTER AMENITIES, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET HIRED BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO HAVE AN ADDRESS. WHEN THEY APPLY FOR JOBS, IT'S KIND OF CRAZY CONSIDERING THAT SOME PEOPLE CAN'T GET HOUSING BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET EMPLOYED AND SOME PEOPLE CAN'T GET EMPLOYED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET HOUSING. THIS ORDINANCE TRIES TO ADDRESS THAT. WE KNOW THAT METRO GOVERNMENT HAS PLENTY OF JOB OPENINGS. WE ALSO KNOW, BASED ON RESEARCH, THAT MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE CHRONICALLY UNHOUSED DO NOT HAVE INCOME. AND THIS IS THE BIGGEST BARRIER TO HOUSING. THERE ARE A FEW LOCAL SHELTERS THAT DO ALLOW PEOPLE TO USE THEIR ADDRESSES WHEN APPLYING FOR JOBS. BUT IF WE CODIFY THIS PRACTICE, WE ACCEPT THAT AS METRO GOVERNMENT, WE ENCOURAGE OTHER SHELTERS TO DO THE SAME. AND WE'RE ALSO ENCOURAGING PRIVATE EMPLOYERS TO ACCEPT IT AS WELL. SO THIS LEGISLATION IS HOPEFULLY SOMETHING THAT THE COMMITTEE CAN ACCEPT. AND I'M OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. IF WE WANT TO HAVE A FEW AND THEN WE CAN TABLE IT. WE HAVE COUNCILMAN OWEN, SO, SO THE ORDINANCE WOULD BASICALLY CODIFIES IT TO THE POINT WHERE METRO GOVERNMENT ALLOWS AN APPLICATION FROM SOMEBODY TO USE A SHELTER ADDRESS, AND THEN WE HOPE THAT OTHERS FOLLOW ALONG THAT MODEL THAT WE CREATE. IS THAT WHAT I KIND OF HEARD HEARD YOU SAYING? YES OKAY, I THINK IT'S A I THINK IT'S A REALLY EXCELLENT IDEA, AND I APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING IT TOGETHER. THANKS. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? HEARING NONE. OH, COUNCILWOMAN PARKER, I WAS LOOKING BECAUSE HE HAD, COUNCILWOMAN HOPKINS NAME ON HER AND I. AND I DIDN'T SEE HER, BUT IT'S UP THERE, SO SHE'S, COUNCILMEMBER HOPKINS TURNED HER CAMERA SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED.COUNCILWOMAN HOPKINS, CAN YOU TURN ON YOUR CAMERA? SO MAYBE SHE'LL TURN IT ON IN A MINUTE, COUNCILWOMAN MARILYN PARKER. YES. I HAD A QUESTION FOR, COUNCILMAN ARTHUR. AS FAR AS.
AND WE MAY HAVE ASKED THIS BEFORE, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE ANSWER WAS. WHAT EXACTLY IS THE DEFINITION OF A VENDOR, I MEAN, SPECIFICALLY, IS THAT ANYBODY THAT'S ON OUR LIST OF THAT, WE MAKE PURCHASES FROM IF IT'S LIKE, SAY, WE BUY PAPER FROM, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN VENDOR, WOULD THIS APPLY TO, WOULD HOW FAR IS THE REACH? I GUESS IS A BETTER WAY TO ASK IT.
AS FAR AS VENDORS ARE CONCERNED. SO THE ORDINANCE AS IS, DOES APPLY TO VENDORS AND THERE'S A LIST OF EXEMPTIONS THAT ARE ALSO IN THAT ORDINANCE AS WELL. THIS WOULD APPLY TO VENDORS. THE LEGISLATION THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU SAYS $2,500 OF A THRESHOLD. BUT WE REALIZE THAT WAS ACTUALLY A MISTAKE, AND WE WANT TO BUMP IT UP TO WHAT THE PRACTICE ACTUALLY IS, WHICH IS A $5,000 THRESHOLD. SO IF WE'RE DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU, IT'S OVER. THAT $5,000. IT WOULD APPLY JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL BAN THE BOX LAW DOES. NOW OKAY. THANK YOU. ALSO, JUST ADD REAL QUICK THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH GLEE ON THIS LEGISLATION. AND THEY WERE SUPPORTIVE AND THEY OFFERED SOME, SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT WE DID MAKE. SO WE DO HAVE SUPPORT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES.
OKAY NO MORE QUESTIONS. OKAY YOU READY TO TABLE? YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO THERE ARE TWO SMALL CHANGES THAT WE WILL BE MAKING BEFORE NEXT COMMITTEE. BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOTION TO TABLE. ALL IN FAVOR OF TABLE. I THE MOTION TO TABLE. I'LL JUST SEE. WHERE WE NEED EMOTIONS.
TABLED A MOTION TO TABLE. OKAY OKAY, COUNCILWOMAN HAWKINS IS HERE NOW. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN
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HAWKINS. OKAY. WE HAVE, OH. IT'S TABLED, ISN'T IT? OH, OKAY. WELL, YOU GUYS ARE TALKING, AND SO I CAN HEAR YOU TALKING ON THIS SIDE, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT. OKAY,[1. ID 24-0425 SHIRLEY’S WAY: Mike Mulrooney, Shirley’s Way; James Linton, Community Connections; Patrick Bissig, Life Church Louisville; and Ashley Dearinger, I Would Rather Be Reading]
OKAY, WE HAVE SEVERAL, DIFFERENT, SPEAKERS ON THE AGENDA, AND, I WANT, MR. COUNCILWOMAN SAM, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOUR FIRST ONE? HI THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M PLEASED TO INTRODUCE, A GROUP FROM, SHIRLEY'S WAY. MIKE MULROONEY, I DON'T WANT TO STEAL THEIR THUNDER, BUT, I WANT LOUISVILLE TO KNOW HOW MUCH, BENEVOLENT WORK THEY'RE DOING FOR THE PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. AND, WITHOUT SAYING ANY MORE, I WOULD LIKE, MIKE MAROON IF HE'D COME UP AND TURN YOUR MIC ON AND ADDRESS THE FOLKS ABOUT WHAT SHIRLEY'S WAY IS ABOUT, WHAT WHAT BROUGHT IT ABOUT. AND WHAT YOU HOPE TO DO IN THE FUTURE. THANKS, MIKE. DID YOU GET HIS NAME? AM I WORKING? YEP I'M USUALLY LOUD ENOUGH ANYWAY, SO MY NAME IS MIKE MULROONEY. I'M THE FOUNDER OF SHIRLEY'S WAY IN MORGANTOWN THAT STARTED HELPING HELPING PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK WITH CANCER ON BEHALF OF MY MOTHER, SHIRLEY, IT WAS A PROMISE I MADE TO HER WHEN SHE DIED. THE ORIGINAL GOAL WAS TO HELP PEOPLE WHO WERE SICK WITH CANCER AND LOCAL KIDS PROGRAMS. SINCE CHARITABLE GAMING, WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR REACH IN THE COMMUNITY AND AS OF NOW, BECAUSE OF CHARITABLE GAMING, WE HAVE GIVEN AWAY OVER $2 MILLION. IN 2024 ALONE AND PROJECTED TO GIVE AWAY OVER 5 MILLION BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR. CHARITABLE GAMING MACHINES ARE LICENSED VIA THE STATE OF KENTUCKY, AND REVENUE IS HELPING CHANGE OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. AS THE POOL OF MONEY GREW FROM CHARITABLE GAMING, WE MODIFIED OUR BYLAWS AND ARTICLES TO EXPAND OUR REACH AND IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY. WE FELT IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.CURRENTLY, WE DO A LOT OF WORK FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK, PRIMARILY WITH CANCER KIDS PROGRAMS, SCHOOLS, LITTLE LEAGUES, ART PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS. THE ELDERLY. AND NOW WE ARE LOOKING INTO HELPING PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED. WE WANT TO IMPACT OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY SOME WAY. WHEN WE STARTED SHIRLEY'S WAY, WE BECAME SELLING T SHIRTS AND TRYING TO CREATE EVENTS AND BEG PEOPLE TO ATTEND. FINDING A WEEKEND IN LOUISVILLE THAT DOESN'T ALREADY HAVE A GALA, A5K, A MUSIC EVENT. A BALL GAME IS VERY DIFFICULT. I DON'T RUN IN THE CIRCLES OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO WRITE LARGE CHECKS. I ONLY KNOW ABOUT THREE PEOPLE THAT I BELIEVE ARE MILLIONAIRES, BUT THEY HAVE NEVER MADE A DONATION TO THE CAUSE. THE PEOPLE WHO DONATE AND PARTICIPATE ARE PEOPLE WHO WORK 2 TO 3 JOBS, AND THOSE FOLKS ALWAYS PITCH IN TO HELP RAISING MONEY. AND THEY ALWAYS LOVE TO PARTICIPATE, BUT THEY TYPICALLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO HELP OU, BUT THEY LOVE DOING OTHER THINGS TO HELP OUT. SO RAISING MONEY IS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS I'VE EVER TRIED TO DO. CHARITIES BEG FOR MONEY DAILY BY HOLDING YARD SALES. THEY BEG FOR DONATIONS. THEY PUT IN HOURS AND HOURS OF WORK TO BARELY MAKE 2 TO $300 RESTAURANT DAYS. I'M SURE SOME CHARITIES BENEFIT FROM RESTAURANT DAYS, BUT WE SEE THEM ALL THE TIME. 10% TO THE CHARITY. IF YOU GET A TON OF PEOPLE TO SHOW UP AT THE RESTAURANT, THEY DON'T GIVE PERCENTAGES ON DRINKS. JUST THE FOOD AND DRINKS IS WHERE THE MONEY IS AT. BUT DRINKS ARE NEVER INCLUDED. WE SPENT WEEKS AND WEEKS TALKING UP OUR FIRST RESTAURANT DAY AT ORANGE LEAF.
WHEN WE STARTED SHIRLEY'S WAY, I WAS CONVINCED WE WERE GOING TO MAKE ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AFTER BEGGING PEOPLE TO SHOW UP AT ORANGE LEAF, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO GET ICE CREAM. WE MADE $60 THAT DAY, SO THE RESTAURANT DAYS ARE GREAT FOR THE RESTAURANTS, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOOD FOR THE CHARITIES. CHARITIES HOLD EVENTS AND PRAY PEOPLE SHOW UP. THE LATEST CRAZE NOW IS CORNHOLE TOURNAMENTS. THERE'S NOT MUCH MONEY TO BE MADE IN THESE THINGS, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T PAY A HIGH ENOUGH PURSE FOR SOMEBODY TO WIN, THE PLAYERS WON'T SHOW UP. AND OFTEN THESE ARE HELD AT RESTAURANTS AND AGAIN, THE RESTAURANTS MAKE ALL THE MONEY. I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE SAY WE'RE HOLDING A CHARITY EVENT. WHO PLAYS IN A BAND FOR FREE? WHO CAN CATER FOR FREE? WE ARE IN A WORLD WHERE GOOD BANDS WON'T PLAY FOR FREE IN THE CATERERS. THE GOOD ONES CHARGE FULL PRICE AND GETTING A VENUE TO HOLD AN EVENT THESE DAYS FOR FREE. LIKE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT PEOPLE KNOW THEIR WORTH AND THE GOOD ONES WILL NOT DO IT FOR FREE. IF A BAND PLAYS FOR FREE, THEY WON'T TALK ABOUT IT, PROMOTE IT, OR LET PEOPLE KNOW THEY'RE PLAYING. AND I DON'T BLAME THEM. AGAIN THEY KNOW THEIR WORTH. I HAD A CATERER ONE TIME THAT WAS GOING TO CATER FOR US, HE SAID. IF I SHOW UP, IT'S $2,000. I SAID, THEN DON'T SHOW UP. LUCKILY, I
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FOUND ANOTHER CATERER. SHE HAPPENED TO BE A FRIEND OF MINE AND SHE HELPED ME OUT, BUT SHE SAID I CAN ONLY DO IT THIS ONE TIME. SO LUCKILY SHE BAILED US OUT. PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY DO NOT DONATE LIKE THEY USED TO. VERY WEALTHY POTENTIAL DONORS ALWAYS ASK WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME? I HAVE INSURANCE AGENTS DAILY CALL ME HEY, IF PEOPLE CALL AND SAY SHIRLEY'S WAY, WE'LL GIVE YOU $5. I HAVE CAR DEALERS SAY, HEY, IF YOU SEND SOMEBODY AND MENTION SHIRLEY'S WAY, I'LL GIVE YOU $100. I'VE NEVER SEEN A PENNY FROM THOSE PEOPLE, AND I'M NOT GOING TO CALL THEM AND HOUND THEM OVER IT. THEY KNOW WHAT THEY TOLD ME. BUT AGAIN, EVEN SO, THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY TO SAVE THE WORLD AND HAVE AND FIX THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIX. YOU HOLD A RAFFLE, YOU HAVE GAMES, PEOPLE SHOW UP LEFT AND RIGHT. THEY HAVE A BALL. THEY ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. CHARITIES ARE EXPECTED TO FIX THE PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD AND BEG FOR MONEY. DO IT ALL WITH VOLUNTEERS BY HOLDING BAKE SALES, GALAS, RESTAURANT DAYS, ATTENDING EVENTS AND HANDING OUT BROCHURES. WE ARE OFTEN GIVEN EQUIPMENT, TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT, COMPUTERS, BROKEN CHAIRS, TABLES AND SAY, WE'RE GIVING THIS FOR YOUR MISSION TO HELP OUT. EVEN THOUGH HALF THE STUFF DOESN'T WORK. CHARITIES CANNOT SUSTAIN THIS, BUT THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS. IT'S GETTING WORSE AND WORSE. WE CANNOT FIX THE PROBLEMS IN OUR COMMUNITY. WITH $100 CHECKS AND $60 RESTAURANT DAYS, I WATCH TEAMS BEG FOR PEOPLE TO COME OUT TO BOWLING EVENTS, VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTS.THE TEAMS MAKE VERY LITTLE. THE BOWLING VENUES, THE VOLLEYBALL COURTS. THEY ABSOLUTELY LOVE THESE THINGS BECAUSE IT BRINGS TONS OF PEOPLE TO THEIR BUSINES. IT TAKES SO MUCH TIME AND ENERGY TO PLAN AND HOST AN EVENT AND PRAY PEOPLE SHOW UP. I TELL OUR PEOPLE IT'S SHIRLEY'S WAY ALL THE TIME, LET'S HAVE AN EVENT. BUT THE HARDEST THING IN THE WORLD IS HOPING PEOPLE SHOW UP.
THE WORST THING IS PLANNING AN EVENT AND TEN PEOPLE SHOW UP. CURRENTLY WATCHING THE CHURCH IN THE SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY MINISTRIES BEG PEOPLE TO RENT BOOTHS AND PURCHASE TABLES TO SET UP YARD SALES. AND I GUARANTEE YOU ALL THAT WORK AND EFFORT WILL ONLY MAKE THEM ABOUT $500. CHARITIES CALL ASKING WEEKLY. HOW DO I GET INVOLVED IN CHARITABLE GAMING? WE SEE WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING FOR THE COMMUNITY. HOW CAN WE PARTAKE IN THAT? BECAUSE CHARITABLE GAMING CAN FIX THIS PROBLEM. BEFORE WE STARTED SHIRLEY'S WAY, I WAS ASKED TO VISIT A RATHER LARGE CANCER CHARITY IN TOWN FOR ADVICE ON HOW TO GET STARTED. THEY TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THAT I WOULD NEVER RAISE ENOUGH MONEY TO HELP. ALL IN NEED. AND IF YOU CAN'T HELP ALL, WHY WOULD YOU EVEN TRY TO HELP ONE? THAT WAS WHAT THEY TOLD ME. THEY TOLD ME THAT TO NOT SET THIS UP CHARITY, BECAUSE IT NOT SET THIS CHARITY UP. BECAUSE IT WOULD FAIL. CHARITABLE GAMING HAS PROVEN THAT WRONG. AND HONESTLY, THEY WERE RIGHT. IF IT WASN'T FOR CHARITABLE GAMING, I'D HAVE THROWN IN THE TOWEL A LONG TIME AGO. CHARITABLE GAMING. IT'S A WIN WIN WIN FOR EVERYONE. IT'S A WIN FOR THE CHARITY. IT PROVIDES INCREDIBLE FUNDS TO HELP WITH THEIR MISSION. AS I STATED, YOU CANNOT HOLD A RESTAURANT DAY OR SELL COOKIES AND GENERATE THE REVENUE YOU NEED TO HIT THE MISSIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO D. THE RESTAURANT DAYS ONLY BENEFIT THE RESTAURANT. IT'S ANOTHER WIN BECAUSE THE LOCAL BUSINESS AS THE LAW IS WRITTEN RIGHT NOW, THE CURRENT LAW ALLOWS FOR THE CHARITY TO RENT FLOOR SPACE IN BUSINESSES. THIS IS ALL BLESSED BY THE STATE. THIS IS HOW IT WORKS. THE STATE OF KENTUCKY ALLOWS CHARITIES TO RENT FLOOR SPACE, TO PUT GAMING MACHINES IN THOSE LOCATIONS, AND IT BENEFITS THE BUSINESS. WE'VE GOT A COUPLE LOCATIONS THAT SAID, IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE RENT THAT WE PAY TO PUT OUR CHARITABLE GAMING MACHINES ON THEIR FLOOR, THEY'D HAVE CLOSED UP A LONG TIME AGO, AND IT'S A WIN FOR THE PLAYER. OUR GAMES PROVIDE LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT FOR PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE WHO PLAY OUR GAMES GO TO THEIR LOCAL BAR AND RESTAURANT DAILY, WEEKLY, AND IT GIVES THEM SOMETHING TO DO WHILE THEY'RE THERE. WE OFTEN HAVE PEOPLE SAY, IF I'M GOING TO PLAY, I MIGHT AS WELL DO IT FOR A GOOD CAUSE. THEY TELL US THAT ALL THE TIME.
THESE PEOPLE DO NOT AND WILL NOT TRAVEL OUTSIDE THEIR ZIP CODE. THEY WANT TO GO DOWN THE STREET, HAVE A FEW BEERS WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND PLAY SOME GAMES. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DRIVE ACROSS TOWN OR ACROSS THE BRIDGE TO PLAY GAMES. OUR PLAYERS ARE A TOTAL, TOTAL DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC BECAUSE THEY LIKE TO STAY CLOSE TO THEIR HOME. THEY HAVE NO DESIRE TO DRIVE ACROSS TOWN. WITH THAT SAID, HERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE HAVE FUNDED THIS YEAR ALONE. LIKE I SAID, WE'VE GIVEN AWAY $2 MILLION ALREADY IN 2024 FOR A TOTAL OF 4 MILLION SINCE WE STARTED IN 2013. SO A TOTAL OF $4 MILLION, 2 MILLION OF IT WAS GIVEN IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2024 BECAUSE OF CHARITABLE GAMING THIS YEAR, BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK LOST FUNDING. THEY CUT 14 SCHOOLS FROM THEIR PROGRAM. WE PICKED THOSE SCHOOLS UP DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. WE FED 2300 KIDS EVERY FRIDAY, PLUS SOME KIDS FROM SHAWNEE AND SOUTHERN HIGH SCHOOL. MANY OF YOU PROBABLY AREN'T AWARE, BUT I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF THE GUYS THAT WAS RUNNING A KID
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HOME FROM PRACTICE. THE KID DIDN'T WANT TO GO WITH THE ADULT BECAUSE THE KID WAS LIVING IN A HOMELESS SHELTER. HE PLAYED BASKETBALL FOR SHAWNEE AND HAD NO FOOD AND HAD NO HOME TO GO TO. SO WE STARTED DROP SHIPPING FOOD TO SHAWNEE AND SOUTHERN FOR THE KIDS THAT ARE THERE FOR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. A LOT OF THESE KIDS EAT AT 1030 IN THE MORNING. THEY GET A VERY SMALL MEAL AT SCHOOL AND THEY DON'T EAT AGAIN. IF THEY EAT AGAIN WHEN THEY GET HOME, BECAUSE OFTEN THERE'S NO FOOD THERE. SO 2300 KIDS DURING THE SCHOOL LAST YEAR AT A COST OF ABOUT $15,000 A WEEK, WE RECENTLY MADE A $40,000 DONATION TO PRP FIRE CRUSADE FOR CHILDREN TO PUSH THEM OVER. THEIR GOAL, WE PARTNERED WITH THE PRATHER FOUNDATION FOR A BABY BOX AND HIKES POINT, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO ANOTHER ONE ON STONE STREET ROAD AT A COST OF $25,000 A PIECE. WE'RE HELPING AN ELDERLY MAN WHO WAS SICK, SOMEONE IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD CALLED CODE ENFORCEMENT ON HIM. HE HAS NO MONEY TO FIX THE ISSUES. HE'S OLD. MANY CHURCHES WERE CONTACTED AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD HELP. THEY NEVER RETURNED THE PHONE CALLS. WHEN IT COME TO FIXING THE PROBLEM. SO WE'RE HELPING HIM. WE HAVE SPONSORED MAJOR EVENTS EQUIPMENT FOR FAIRDALE. FAIRDALE. LITTLE LEAGUE, PRAIRIE VILLAGE, VALLEY SPORTS, BEECHMONT BOUGHT THEM EQUIPMENT AND THE RESOURCES THEY NEED FOR THESE KIDS AND HAVE CURRENTLY SPENT OVER $120,000 TO HELP THESE LITTLE LEAGUES. AND THESE KIDS. WE RECENTLY BOUGHT EXODUS MINISTRIES. HE JUST SENT ME A TEXT, A COMMERCIAL OVEN AND REFRIGERATOR TO HELP WITH THEIR MISSION TO FEED PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNGRY, HUNGRY, AND ARE UNHOUSED. WE COVERED THE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL CHESS TEAM THAT WENT TO THE NATIONALS AND WON THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT. THEY HAD NO FUNDING TO EVEN GO ON THIS TRIP.PREP SOCCER FIELD LIGHTING. WE'RE COVERING LIGHTS TO PUT FIELD SOCCER LIGHTING ON THE SOCCER FIELD SO THEY CAN HAVE LARGE TOURNAMENTS AND GAMES, $15,000 TO SAVE A MAN'S LIFE WHO NEEDED A LUNG TRANSPLANT. BUT THE HOSPITAL WOULDN'T DO IT TILL HE COULD PROVE HE HAD THE FUNDS TO STAY CLOSE TO THE HOSPITAL FOR FOUR WEEKS. WE ARE CURRENTLY SPENDING OVER 20,000 A WEEK WITH LIFE CHURCH OF LOUISVILLE DROPPING FOOD OFF AT LOCATIONS INCLUDING, WELL, 20,000 A WEEK AND DROPPING FOOD OFF AT LIFE CHURCH, FAIRDALE PARK, DUVALLE NEWBURGH AREA TO HELP FEED KIDS AND THE ELDERLY. AND THE ONE OF THE LAST FEW THINGS WE'VE DONE WHILE ALIVE. I GOT A FEW MORE, WE JUST PURCHASED MANY. YOU MAY KNOW THIS, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF KIDS SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR IN TODAY'S WORLD, AND I KNOW THEY HUNGRY. THEY HAVE NO PLACE TO SLEEP. WE DID A PROGRAM THROUGH LIFE CHURCH. THEY VETTED THE PEOPLE. WE WERE GOING TO GIVE AWAY 20 BEDS. WE ENDED UP BUYING 89 BEDS. AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE DROP SHIPPED TO LIFE CHURCH FROM BEDS TO GO ON DIXIE HIGHWAY.
DENNIS GAVE US AN AT COST PRICE, SO WE ENDED UP BUYING 89 BEDS AT $25,000 TO PUT THESE KIDS ON A BED. WE'RE GIVING AWAY WINDOW UNITS. WE'RE BUYING THEM BY THE PALLET FULL BY THE END OF THIS MONTH, WE HAVE GIVEN AWAY 50 WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER AIR CONDITIONER UNITS TO PEOPLE IN NEED. WE RECENTLY PAID FOR TWO BUSSES, ONE FOR SOUTHERN AND ONE FOR WAGNER, AND WE'RE GOING TO REMODEL THEM. THESE KIDS WANT TO HELP. THESE KIDS WANTED THESE BUSSES AND THEY'RE GOING TO START HAVING BUS DRIVERS. ONCE THEY'RE REMODELED TO TAKE THEM INTO IMPOVERISHED NEIGHBORHOODS, TO FEED THE HUNGRY PRISONERS OF HOPE. WE JUST GAVE $30,000 FOR SECURITY AND HELPING THEM HELP PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INCARCERATED AND RELEASED AND HAVE NOWHERE TO GO, FAIRDALE CELEBRATE RECOVERY, HELPING PEOPLE GET BACK AND FORTH. HELP THEM WITH THE VAN. SHOP WITH A COP, LMPD AND $25,000 RECENTLY TO HAVE HELP. HAPPY HOMES CHARITY WHOSE BOX TRUCK DIED AND THEY TAKE USED FURNITURE TO PEOPLE IN NEED, TYPICALLY PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM PRISON. THEY HAVE AN APARTMENT, BUT THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SLEEP ON OR SIT ON. SO THAT'S WHERE CHARITABLE GAMING MONEY IS GOING. I CANNOT ENCOURAGE YOU ENOUGH AND BEG YOU TO ALLOW ENTERTAINMENT TO CONTINUE IN C1 LOCATIONS. I DO KNOW THAT THERE IS ALREADY ENTERTAINMENT IN THESE LOCATIONS. I'VE BROUGHT IT UP BEFORE. THE KENTUCKY LOTTERY IS ALLOWED TO HAVE LOTTERY MACHINES EVERYWHERE. GOOD FOR THEM. NOT MAD AT THEM. THEY DO AMAZING THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE'RE JUST ASKING TO BE GIVEN THE SAME ABILITY TO DO ENTERTAINMENT TO KEEP RAISING MONEY, TO PUMP BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY AND LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD SO WE CAN HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY HAVE. THANK YOU. SO MUCH. CAN I ASK HOW MANY, A DIFFERENT AREAS DO YOU HAVE THE MACHINES IN? WE'VE GOT MACHINES IN 40 LOCATIONS IN LOUISVILLE. SOUTH END. WE HAVE THEM ON BROADWAY, PORTLAND, LINDEN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT NEW NEW DIRECTIONS IS CONSIDERED.
THAT'S WESTPORT ROAD AREA. BARDSTOWN ROAD, PRESTON. WE'VE GOT THEM SEVERAL PLACES. WHAT
[00:25:04]
HAPPENED IS WHEN WE FIGURED OUT HOW WE CAN DO THIS LEGALLY THROUGH THE STATE, WE HAD PEOPLE CALLING US LEFT AND RIGHT, BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE PLACES HAD SOME OF THE OLD GAMES THAT WERE MADE ILLEGAL LAST YEAR. AND WE PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY AND HELP THEM OUT WITH OUR GAMING MACHINES. SO IT'S BEEN A GREAT WIN FOR BUSINESSES AND US. OKAY, I ASK THAT BECAUSE I KNOW OUT IN THE NEWBERRY AREA, IT STARTED OUT WITH A COUPLE OF THEM, AND I THINK THE STATE OR SOMEBODY MADE THEM TAKE THEM OUT. SO I DON'T THINK THEY'RE OUT THERE ANYMORE. WELL, THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, MICROPHONE GOT LOUD ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE. SO THERE WAS GAMES THAT WERE POPPING UP EVERYWHERE ILLEGALLY ACROSS THE STATE. THEY WERE CALLED GRAY GAMES OR SKILL GAMES. NO TAXES. PEOPLE WERE MAKING MONEY LEFT AND RIGHT, PUTTING IT IN THEIR POCKET. AND WHEN THE STATE MADE THOSE ILLEGAL, THAT'S WHEN WE FOUND LEGALLY A WAY TO PUT OUR CHARITABLE GAMES. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ANY OTHER GAMES, JUST CHARITABLE GAMES, WHICH IS LICENSED THROUGH THE STATE, IN THESE LOCATIONS. AND THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. SO YES, OURS ARE PERFECTLY LEGAL, LICENSED THROUGH THE STATE. THEY COME OUT, THEY DO INSPECTIONS, THEY WALK AROUND. THEY'RE CONSTANTLY 2 OR 3 TIMES A QUARTER. THEY'LL COME TO OUR LOCATIONS AND JUST DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S HANDLED PROPERLY. BUT EVERYTHING DONE ON THE CHARITABLE SIDE IS DIGITAL. SO EVERYTHING THAT IS PUT IN THE MACHINE IS MATCHED UP WITH REPORTS THAT WE PRINT REPORTS OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS HANDLED APPROPRIATELY. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I THINK I'M A COUNCIL MEMBER.I'M SORRY. OKAY. FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS ON FINDING A FORMULA TO GET MONEY IN. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR BUYING AIR CONDITIONERS. I HEARD IT WAS 20. NOW IT'S 50.
YEAH, WELL, WE'VE GIVEN SEVERAL TO FAIRDALE, WE'VE TAKEN SOME TO JEN. CARE FOR THE ELDERLY, BUT BY THE END OF THIS MONTH, IT WILL BE 50. DEFINITELY. WE'RE ORDERING TEN AND 15 AT A TIME THROUGH AMAZON TO BRING IN AND JUST HANDING THEM OUT TO PEOPLE. SO YEAH, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THERE IS AN UNMET NEED THERE. IT IS. THE THING IS, I I'VE GOT A HEART FOR GIVING. AND I KNOW PEOPLE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT I THINK OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO HELP CHANGE OUR COMMUNITY DAILY. AND I JUST HAPPEN TO BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA ONE DAY, AND I SAW PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE ELDERLY THAT THEIR AIR CONDITIONERS WERE GOING OUT. AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S A GREAT THING TO DO. WE STARTED DOING SOME RESEARCH, FOUND OUT SOME BEST PRICES ON WINDOW AC UNITS, AND WE JUST STARTED BUYING THEM AND HANDING THEM OUT TO PEOPLE IN THE OKAY. HAVE YOU ALL CONSIDERED I'M LISTENING TO IT. YOU GOT MONEY GOING HERE AND HERE, HERE, HERE. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED YOU STARTED OUT VERY NARROW AND NOW YOU'VE GOTTEN EXTREMELY BROAD, ARE YOU CONSIDERING FOCUSING MORE ON A SMALLER REACH AND TRYING TO GO DEEPER INTO IT? WE'RE KIND OF OPEN TO ANYTHING. WHAT'S HAPPENED IS WHEN THE GAMING STARTED TAKING OFF, PEOPLE STARTED LIKING OUR GAMES. WE CREATED A POOL FULL OF MONEY. AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, ALL EVERYBODY THAT WE'RE HELPING WHO IS SICK WITH CANCER, WE'RE NOT TURNING ANYBODY AWAY. WE WENT A TIME OF ONLY BEING ABLE TO GIVE $200 GAS CARDS TO PEOPLE TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO TREATMENTS, TO PAYING $1,500 MORTGAGES FOR PEOPLE. AND IT'S A DIFFERENT BALL GAME. THIS YEAR. OUR GOAL WAS TO GIVE AWAY $100,000 A MONTH. WE'RE AT AVERAGING ABOUT $300,000 A MONTH RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S JUST TRULY NEED THAT. WE FIND, WE SAY WE WON'T HELP ANYBODY UNLESS THEY'RE TRULY BOOTS ON THE GROUND. TRULY DOING STUFF IN THE COMMUNITY. AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE SUPPORT. SO WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO GO TO A MODEL OF SETTING HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GOING TO GIVE AWAY A MONTH AND TAKE GRANTS OR APPLICATIONS. NOTHING VERY DIFFICULT, BUT THAT WAY WE KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE SET, AND AS LONG AS IT'S MEETING THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS IN OUR ORIGINAL GOAL OF KIDS AND PEOPLE WITH CANCERS TAKING CARE OF, WE'RE LOOKING FOR OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN, HAWKIN.
THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN, SHANKLIN, I WANT TO FIRST TOUCH ON, WHAT YOU SAID. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU, SECONDLY, I WANT TO SAY, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT MY COLLEAGUE MEANT WHEN SHE SAID NARROWED DOWN, SHE'LL HAVE TO CORRECT ME ON THAT, BUT, I WANT TO SAY WHAT YOU'RE DOING SPEAKS VOLUME, I NEED TO KNOW, WHAT BARRIERS DO YOU NEED REMOVED, IS IT JUST TO ASSURE THAT GAMING CONTINUES? BECAUSE FOR ME, THAT WOULD BE A SMALL ASK. WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT COME IN FRONT OF US AND ASK US, FOR MONEY TO DO THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE ALREADY DOING. RIGHT, SO I CONSIDER YOU A PARTNER ALREADY, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY NEEDS THAT ARE NEEDED, AND IT LOOKS AS IF YOU'VE YOU ARE, YOU ARE BOOTS TO THE GROUND. YOU'RE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND YOU HAVE A BROAD REACH. AND I THINK THAT YOUR REACH, IS PROBABLY EVEN BROADER
[00:30:02]
THAN SOME OF OURS, WE HAVE SO MANY CONSTITUENTS, AND, THERE IS JUST NO WAY, YOU KNOW, WE SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO SAY. I SAY I NEVER DROPPED THE BALL, AND I TRY NOT TO, BUT WITH THAT ALSO BEING SAID, I JUST GOT A CALL A SPADE, A SPADE. YOU KNOW, I WANT TO HELP EVERYBODY, BUT I DON'T EVEN WITH, YOU KNOW, IN METRO GOVERNMENT, THE FUNDING THAT WE GET IN OUR OFFICES, IS JUST NOT ABLE TO HELP EVERYBODY. YEAH. SO WE, YOU KNOW, SO WE LOSE YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HELP EVERYBODY. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE IF THE ASK IS SMALL OR IF IT'S BIG AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT THE, THE RANGE YOU'RE GOING FROM THE SMALLEST. I HEARD YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT LITTLE LEAGUE, AND EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL KNOWS THAT THE, THE YOUTH IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART. AND FOR YOU TO SAY, YOU KNOW, EQUIPMENT IS EXPENSIVE. I KNOW THAT WE HELPED FUND, SOME OF THE AFL TEAMS, BUT I KNOW THAT FARDALE ISN'T IN THAT LEAGUE. BUT, YOU SEE, YOU TOUCH THEM, AND YOU WAS ABLE TO HELP THEM, EVEN THOUGH THAT THEY'RE NOT IN THAT LEAGUE, AS FAR AS CANCER PATIENTS, JUST AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THE YOUR FOOD RESOURCE, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT DO. SO I WANT TO SAY THAT, I WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF THAT BECAUSE IT'S, THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING, ALL ACROSS THE CITY. I'M, I'M HEARING BASICALLY, AND, WE CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE, AND I'M STILL LEARNING, BUT IT LOOKS AS IF YOUR CALLS IS PHENOMENAL. AND, THANK YOU. AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE REMOVING, SO MANY BARRIERS. YOU'RE REMOVING A LOT OF BARRIERS AND YOU'RE GIVING OUT A LOT OF RESOURCES. THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE THE NEED, YOU ADDRESS IT, AND, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. AND IT SPEAKS VOLUME. AND I'M GLAD YOU CAME IN TODAY, TO GIVE ME A LITTLE CLARITY, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN A LITTLE CLOUDINESS WITH EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHAT THIS GAMING LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, BUT BUT I DON'T I DON'T SEE, YOU KNOW, I SEE THE LOTTERY SPONSORING SOME THINGS, BUT I DEFINITELY DON'T SEE THE LOTTERY SPONSORING THE YOUTH. TEAMS DOING THINGS LIKE THAT. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT ONE THING IS. BUT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET WHEN YOU SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, BOOTS TO THE GROUND, I USE THAT A LOT, TOO. YOU HAVE TO BE BOOTS TO THE GROUND IN ORDER TO SEE SOME OF THE SMALL NEEDS THAT SOMETIMES ARE OVERLOOKED. SO I, I WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU WITH, ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING, IN SOME OF THESE UNDERSERVED, AREAS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE THAT YOU'RE ALREADY IN TUNE TO. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.AND, WHATEVER I CAN DO FROM DISTRICT ONE TO SUPPORT THE CAUSE, AND TO REMOVE ANY BARRIERS THAT YOU ARE HAVING. I DEFINITELY WANT TO BE A VESSEL FOR THAT. AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN HOPKINS, YOU KNOW, THE ANSWER TO YOUR INITIAL QUESTION IS THE BIG THING RIGHT NOW, THERE'S TWO THINGS, ENTERTAINMENT. AND SEE, ONE, WE UNKNOWINGLY HAVE MACHINES AND SEE ONE LOCATIONS AND DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS A PROBLEM UNTIL A FEW MONTHS AGO, SO ONE, WE HAVE TO MODIFY THAT AND THEN, WE HAVE OTHER THINGS GOING ON THAT WE'LL COME BACK TO AND ASK FOR HELP.
BUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S THE BIGGEST ISSUE RIGHT NOW, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ENTERTAINMENT IS STILL ALLOWED AND SEE ONE. YOU KNOW, THE I SAID THIS THE OTHER DAY, THE ONE THING WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND, I WAS ONE OF THOSE KIDS THAT, MY PARENTS, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THE FREE CHEESE LINE.
RICE DIDN'T KNOW WHY I WAS THERE. MY DAD WOULD BE LAID OFF THREE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. HE WAS A PLUMBER. AND I SAW WHAT IT'S LIKE. IT'S HUMBLING TO STAND THERE AND HAVE SOMEONE HAND YOU FOOD. I WAS ONE OF THOSE KIDS THAT COULDN'T PLAY FOOTBALL WHEN I WAS A KID, AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY COME DOWN TO IT. MY PARENTS DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR FOOTBALL EQUIPMENT, SO THE HEAD COACH AT WESTERN HIGH SCHOOL FOUND OUT AND DONATED EQUIPMENT, AND I COULD PLAY IN MY EIGHTH GRADE YEAR, BUT THE POINT IS, IF WE DON'T KEEP KIDS ACTIVE, IF WE DON'T KEEP THEM IN ACTIVITIES, SPORTS, MUSIC, ARTS, ALL THEY'RE GOING TO KNOW IS WHAT HAPPENS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD IF WE DON'T GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO GET OUTSIDE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND SEE WHAT OTHER THINGS IN THE WORLD EXIST, THEN WE'RE FAILING THEM AS WELL. SO AGAIN, KIDS HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF OUR OUR, OUR THING. BUT THE WAY IT'S MORPHED CHARITABLE GAMING HAS BEEN THE NUCLEUS OF OUR GIVE. AND WHEN WE WERE ALREADY TAKING CARE OF OUR PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK WITH CANCER AND THE KIDS PROGRAMS, WE STARTED LOOKING FOR THE OTHER WAYS TO IMPACT THE COMMUNITY VIA
[00:35:01]
AIR CONDITIONERS. WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO SOME HUGE SCHOOL BACK, BACK, BACK. BACK TO SCHOOL DAYS FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES. KELLY AND I WERE TALKING THE OTHER DAY. SHE HAD A LADY CRYING BECAUSE HER SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR HER KIDS WAS $70. $70 MIGHT NOT BE A LOT TO YOU, BUT THAT MIGHT BE A DECISION BETWEEN FOOD FOR HER FAMILY AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES. FOR THE KIDS, $70 WAS THE IMPACT THAT IT HAD AND PUT THIS WOMAN IN TEARS. BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE TO TAKE THE BURDEN OFF THESE PARENTS AND THESE KIDS, TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN THEIR LIFE. SO THANK YOU. I WANT TO SAY THANKS TO COUNCILMAN DAN SIMES BECAUSE HE INTRODUCED ME TO YOU AND I DO A FOOD PANTRY EVERY SECOND MONDAY OF THE MONTH. SO WE WERE LOW ON CEREAL FOR THE KIDS. AND HE SAID, WELL, I'LL TALK TO MIKE. AND, I THINK IT WAS YESTERDAY. THEY CAME OUT WITH A TRUCK HIT SYRIA. THEY HAD A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING IN THERE. AND SO OUR KIDS HAVE FOOD THAT THEY CAN JUST GO HOME AND EAT AND DON'T HAVE TO COOK THESE DIFFERENT THINGS, THAT THEY CAN OPEN UP LITTLE CANS OF MACARONI CHEESE AND ALL OF THAT, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL MAMA GET HOME FROM WORK. THEY CAN BREAKFAST BARS IF THEY DON'T HAVE BREAKFAST, THEY CAN JUST GO IN THERE AND GET THEM A BAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO OUT IN THE NEWBURGH AREA, WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE IT'S A BIG PLUS BECAUSE I ALWAYS WANTED THE KIDS TO HELP SYRIA OR SOMETHING IN THE MORNING BEFORE THEY GO TO THE DAY CAMPS AND DAYCARES. SO THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE THAT. I REMEMBER TALKING TO YOU LAST WEEK, AND THEN IT WAS I WHEN I WALKED UP AND SAW YOU HERE AS THE CHAIR OF THE MEETINGS. SO I'M THINKING, I HOPE THE FOOD SHOWED UP. OH IT DID. AND WE WERE SO THANKFUL. SO GLAD TO HELP. OKAY. THANK YOU. WELL, WE HAVE, WHAT, THREE MORE SPEAKERS? YEAH. THREE MORE. NEXT WE HAVE JAMES LINTON. CAN I SWITCH IT UP AND HAVE ASHLEY COME UP FIRST? JAMES, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? SHE'S GOT A MEETING GO TO DOWN THE STREET AND THAT'S OKAY. ASHLEY CAN COME UP FIRST. NO PROBLEM. THANKS. HELLO? OKAY.GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF WITH YOUR LAST NAME TO. THANK YOU.
YES, MY NAME IS ASHLEY DERRINGE. I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER AT. I WOULD RATHER BE READING. THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY, IF YOU'RE NOT SOME OF YOU I KNOW HAVE WORKED AND COLLABORATED WITH, I WOULD RATHER BE READING IN YOUR DISTRICTS. AND SOME OF YOU, WE ARE A LITTLE BIT NEWER, BUT I WOULD RATHER BE READING IS A NONPROFIT AFTER SCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAM. WE ARE ON A MISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT LOUISVILLE IS A LITERATE CITY, IS A LITERATE CITY, AND THAT ALL CHILDREN, NO MATTER WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD THEY LIVE IN, ZIP CODE OR POVERTY LEVEL RACE, GENDER EVERY SINGLE CHILD SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY LITERACY INSTRUCTION. LITERACY OPENS THE DOORS TO OPPORTUNITY AND IT CAN ELEVATE THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN IN OUR CITY. AND WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY OF THE THINGS, ALL THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE ALREADY COVERED HERE TODAY, ARE ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE BARRIERS TO IF A KID CAN TRULY FOCUS ON THE ABILITY TO LEARN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THEIR INTERESTS AND HOBBIES ARE, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE. IF THEY ARE THINKING CONSTANTLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOOD INSECURITIES AND HOUSING AND JUST ALL THE DIFFERENT TRAUMAS THAT ARE OUT THERE. I WOULD RATHER BE READIN.
STARTED IN 2018, I WAS A TEACHER AT JACOBS ELEMENTARY FOR TEN YEARS. I ALSO DID WORK AT MCFERRIN ELEMENTARY, AND I LEFT THE DISTRICT AS A TRAUMA INFORMED CARE TRAINER.
ORGANIZATIONS STARTED BY TAKING OUR LITERACY CERTIFICATION AND WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TRAUMA INFORMED CARE AND THOSE TWO MODELS AND PUTTING THEM TOGETHER AND SAYING, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ALL KNOW IN THIS ROOM THAT RELATIONSHIPS ARE AT THE HEART OF ALL THE WORK THAT WE DO. IF RELATIONSHIPS ARE NOT PUT FIRST WITH THE KIDS, WE SERVE, THEN NO, NO ORGANIZATION.
WHETHER IT'S SHIRLEY'S WAY OR OUTER, THE B READING IS GOING TO HAVE THE IMPACT FROM THAT BOOTS ON THE GROUND WORK. BEING IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, NOT GROWING UP WITH CONNECTIONS, NOT GOING TO THE RIGHT HIGH SCHOOL OR, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING ANY BUSINESS BACKGROUND. WHEN I LEFT THE DISTRICT TO START, I WOULD RATHER BE READING. MUCH LIKE MIKE, I DID NOT HAVE A FOUNDATION TO GO TO. I DID NOT HAVE A BUSINESS TO ASK, CAN YOU BE A CORPORATE PARTNER, NO ACCESS TO FEDERAL MONEY, THINGS LIKE THAT. EVERYTHING WAS FUNDRAISING AND FUNDRAISING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY WAY WE COULD GET KIDS TO OUR PROGRAMS FOR FREE, BUT ALSO, I HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO THROW A FUNDRAISER. I'M A TEACHER BY HEART, AND WHAT MIKE SAID JUST REALLY HIT HOME BECAUSE OUR FIRST NIGHT WAS A TRIVIA NIGHT, AND THEN IT'S PARTICIPATING IN GIVE FOR GOOD LOUISVILLE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY WE RAISE, WE STICK TO ONE THING. ALL KIDS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO LITERACY INSTRUCTION. NO PARENT SHOULD HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THEIR CHILD TO GO TO SCHOOL. WHEN THE BELL RINGS AT 345, OR WHAT? AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM. THEY'RE GOING TO ATTEND, AND EVERY
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SINGLE CHILD SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE WHATEVER IT IS THEY WANT TO BE WHEN THEY GROW UP AND BE EXPOSED TO THOSE OPPORTUNITIES SO THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR INTERESTS ARE. AT OUR FIRST PROGRAM, WE SERVED NINE KIDS IN EVERY KID THAT LEFT OUR SUMMER CAMP MADE A YEAR'S WORTH OF GROWTH, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE WORKED WITH KIDS. 1 TO 1 YEARS WORTH OF GROWTH WAS GREAT, BUT WHEN YOU SEND FIFTH GRADERS TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND A SECOND GRADE LEVEL BECAUSE THEY CAME TO YOU ON A FIRST GRADE LEVEL, THAT IS JUST NOT ENOUGH. WE IMMEDIATELY HAD TO COME UP WITH A PLAN OF HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO HAVE SUMMER CAMPS YEAR AFTER YEAR, AND THEN EVENTUALLY, HOW DO WE HAVE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS? SO THAT WAY WE CAN KEEP IN TOUCH WITH OUR FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. IN 2024, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A PARTNERSHIP. AT THIS POINT.WE'RE THREE YEARS IN WITH LOUISVILLE PARKS AND REC, WHERE WE RUN OUR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS FREE OF CHARGE, AND SEVEN COMMUNITY CENTERS ALL ACROSS THE CITY. AND WE'RE IN FIVE JCPS SCHOOLS. WE SERVE 300 KIDS IN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND WE HAD A REGULAR ATTENDANCE OF OUR CAMPS THAT JUST WRAPPED UP LAST FRIDAY, A 440 STUDENTS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM COMING TO SCHOOL WITH HIGHLY QUALIFIED OR CAMPS WITH HIGHLY QUALIFIED ADULTS, HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS, 1 TO 1 READING INSTRUCTION, ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT. THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH MARTIN AND MUIR FOOD ON THE WEEKENDS AND SNACKS AT CAMP. BUT THEY'RE WELCOME TO TAKE HOME INTRODUCTIONS TO HEALTH CARE FIELDS. AVIATION FIELD TRIPS TO CHURCHILL DOWNS, BOTANICAL GARDENS, IF YOU NAME IT. WE HAVE TRULY GOTTEN THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED AND SAID EVERY EVERY CHILD DESERVES THIS OPPORTUNITY AND WILL YOU COME ON BOARD WITH US TO MAKE IT HAPPEN? WE ARE NO STRANGER TO METRO COUNCIL. WE HAVE YOUR ALL SUPPORT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE EAF FUNDING. IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. BUT SHIRLEY'S WAY IS A HUGE PART OF THAT VILLAGE. SHIRLEY'S WAY OF OUR 300 KIDS FOOTED THE BILL FOR 97. I DID THE COUNT RIGHT BEFORE I LEFT OUR OFFICE. THEY PAID FOR 97 KIDS IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR TO ATTEND OUR PROGRAM FOR FREE. THAT IS AN INVALUABLE SERVICE THAT I KNOW THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN IF CHARITABLE GAMING WAS NOT ALLOWED IN C1 LOCATIONS, I HAD A WHOLE THING WRITTEN OUT AND I THINK I'VE TOUCHED MOST OF THE POINTS, BUT I THINK JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT QUESTIONS I'VE HEARD YOU ALL ASK SO FAR AND WHAT I'VE HEARD MIKE SPEAK TO.
IF THERE IS A FUNDRAISER OUT THERE, WE'VE DONE IT. IF THERE IS A GRANT OUT THERE, WE HAVE WRITTEN IT. WE HAVE A GOLF SCRAMBLE COMING UP IN MAY OR I'M SORRY, IN OCTOBER. WE REALLY MET SOME GREAT PEOPLE. WE GOT SOME NEW VOLUNTEERS, WE GOT SOME NEW BUSINESSES THAT, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATED THE LAST YEAR. THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING AGAIN. WE'RE ANTICIPATING RAISING $6,000 AFTER THE GOLF SCRAMBLE. I'LL TELL YOU, WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST GIFT FOR GOOD LOUISVILLE CAMPAIGNS IN THIS ENTIRE CITY. WE WIN 4 TO 5 STRATEGIC PRIZES EVERY SINGLE YEAR BECAUSE WE HAVE A BOOTS ON THE GROUND GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS THAT GO OUT, HIT THE STREETS AND RAISE MONEY. WE WILL RAISE $25,000. THAT GIFT FOR GOOD. LOUISVILLE THAT WILL HELP PAY FOR OUR FALL PROGRAMS. OUR CHRISTMAS FUNDRAISER LIGHTS ON MAIN. SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF IT. IT'S AT THE FRAZIER HISTORY MUSEUM. WE HAVE 100 CHRISTMAS TREES DECORATED BY 100 BUSINESSES, AND EVERY SINGLE CHRISTMAS TREE IS A PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE PARTNERS AND THE BUSINESSES IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO SUPPORT OUR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. IN THE SPRING.
WE WILL HAVE A NET REVENUE OF $20,000 FROM LIGHTS ON MAIN THIS YEAR. WE ARE SO APPRECIATIVE OF EVERY SINGLE BUSINESS, EVERY SINGLE VOLUNTEER, AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO SUPPORTS OUR FUNDRAISERS. BUT CHARITABLE GAMING HAS ALREADY TO DATE, GIVEN US $61,000. THIS YEAR, AND THEY HAVE CONTINUED TO INVEST AND PROMISE TO MAKE THAT INVESTMENT AS LONG AS CHARITABLE GAMING IS ALLOWED. IF ENTERTAINMENT IS CUT FROM C1, BUSINESSES, HALF OF THEIR LOCATIONS ARE GONE, WHICH MEANS HALF OF OUR FUNDING IS GONE AND THAT'S THE WRONG DIRECTION.
WE'VE IMPACTED 4000 KIDS IN THE SIX YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN AROUND, BUT IT'S IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. THERE'S AN IDENTIFIED 10,000 MORE WHO NEED OUR SUPPORT. SO CUTTING C1 ENTERTAINMENT IS NOT THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND LIKE MISS HAWKINS SAID, QUITE FRANKLY, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR CITY WHO CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN OTHER THAN CHARITABLE GAMING. AND SHIRLEY'S WAY. SO I ASK YOU ALL, OH, AND THE LAST THING THE RELATIONSHIPS PIECE I DIDN'T KNOW MIKE UNTIL
[00:45:02]
OR KELLY OR MARY UNTIL LAST FAL. WHAT HE SAID PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY KEPT SAYING, YOU'RE INVESTING IN KIDS. HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT I WOULD RATHER BE READING. HE REACHED OUT TO US ON FACEBOOK, A COLD DM, AND WE SAT RIGHT HERE AT A COFFEE SHOP ON MAIN STREET. I TOLD HIM WHAT WE'RE DOING. THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THAT SOMEONE FROM SHIRLEY'S WAY HAS BEEN OUT TO A SITE, OUT TO OUR OFFICE, THEY WILL FUND ADMIN COSTS. YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND A GRANT TO. I SAY I NEED TO FUND AN ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION OF A PROGRAM DIRECTOR. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I EXPLAINED TO HAVE 300 KIDS SPREAD ACROSS THE CITY OF LOUISVILLE, I HAVE TO HAVE A POINT PERSON. PEOPLE DON'T LIKE FUNDING ADMIN FEES, BUT SHIRLEY'S WAY GETS IT AND THEY IT'S ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP. AND NOT ONLY DO THEY COME TO SEE US, BUT THEY INVITE US TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING. I'VE BEEN TO THE GAME. I'VE BEEN TO THE C1 LOCATIONS. I WAS THERE LAST MONDAY AND I WAS TALKING TO THE PEOPLE PLAYING THE GAMES. HALF OF THEM DON'T KNOW THAT THEY PROVIDED FOOD TO A FOOD PANTRY OR AFTER SCHOOL CHILD CARE, TO A KID AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER, OR AN AIR CONDITIONER TO AN ELDERLY PERSON. BUT THEY SAY, I KNOW THAT SHIRLEY'S WAY DOES GOOD WORK, AND IF I'M GOING TO DONATE MY MONEY ANYWHERE, THIS IS THIS IS HOW I'M GOING TO DO IT. SO IT'S A WIN WIN. AND I JUST HOPE THAT YOU ALL CONSIDER REMOVING THAT BARRIER OF C1 LOCATIONS IN ENTERTAINMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. QUESTION. OKAY. WE HAVE TWO MORE. MR. JAMES LINTON. THANK YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, DOCTOR SHANKLAND, AND OUR FINE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, FORGIVE MY ATTIRE TODAY. WE JUST HAD, COMMUNITY EVENT WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO FEED 350 PEOPLE AND GIVE AWAY TEN OF THOSE AIR CONDITIONERS THAT MIKE FORGOT HE GAVE US. SO. SO YOU NEED TO ADD THOSE TO THE LIST AS WELL. SO, WHAT WHAT AN HONOR. IT IS TO SERVE. MOST OF YOU KNOW, US FROM HAVING OUR DIVERSITY BREAKFAST THE LAST 15 YEARS, WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION WELL BEFORE BREONNA TAYLOR AND EVERYBODY ELSE GOT THE NOTICE, WE STARTED DOING THAT ON 18TH AND MUHAMMAD ALI SOME 26 YEARS AGO, WHEN WE STARTED THE COFFEE HOUSE ART GALLERY IN THE BOOKSTORE, AND THE SANDWICH SHOP ON THE CORNER OF 18TH AND MUHAMMAD ALI CALLED EXPRESSIONS OF YOUTH. AND WE HAVE SINCE BEEN, TRYING TO CHANGE THE CULTURE OF NEIGHBORHOODS ALL AROUND THE CITY SINCE THEN, I'D LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, FOR SOME WHO MAY NOT KNOW, WE STARTED A FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAM, FOR CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13 AND 17. AND OUR GOAL WAS TO TEACH THEM HOW TO, MANAGE MONEY, SAVE, INVEST, AND JUST REALLY PREPARE THEM FOR THE FUTURE. WE START THE COURSES OUT WITH VOLUNTEERS AND EXPERTS WHO COME IN FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY BY TEACHING, BANKING 101 HOW HOW TO HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU YOU KNEW THIS, BUT THERE ARE SOME FAMILIES WHO DON'T HAVE BANK ACCOUNTS. THERE'S SOME FAMILIES WHO DON'T HAVE, CHECKING ACCOUNTS. SOME FAMILIES DON'T HAVE A REGULAR DEBIT CARD, AND THEY LIVE FROM CHECK CASHING PLACE TO CHECK CASHING PLACE. SO WE'RE VERY DESPERATELY TRYING TO BREAK THAT CHAIN WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE BY ALLOWING THEM TO COMPLETE A, EIGHT WEEK COURSE. IT'S EVERY SATURDAY FROM 8 A.M. TO 12.WE'VE GRADUATED TWO CLASSES. WE TAUGHT THEM ABOUT BANKING. 101. AND AT THE END OF THE COURSE, WE PROVIDE THEM WITH A BANK ACCOUNT SO THEY'RE ABLE TO MANAGE MONEY, SAVE FUNDS. WE TEACH THEM ABOUT READING COMPREHENSION, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT ALL OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE READING. IF YOU CANNOT READ, YOU ARE HANDICAPPED FROM THE START. THE REASON THIS FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAM WAS STARTED, THERE'S FIVE, GYMNASIUMS AROUND OUR BUILDING IN PORTLAND. WE'RE HOUSED IN A SCHOOL BUILDING AT THE DOLPH ANGER BUILDING, WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR 12 YEARS, SO BUILDING THE GIL HOLLAND OWNS, AT 2500 MONTGOMERY STREET, AND THERE'S FIVE GYMNASIUMS, I MEAN, ONE OF THE GYMS WATCHING THIS KID DUNK THE BASKETBALL. AND I', I'M LIKE, GUYS, THIS THIS GUY IS A FREAK OF NATURE WHO IS HE? ONE OF THE COACHES GOES, WELL, HE'S NOT GOING TO GO VERY FAR BECAUSE HE CAN'T READ AND WRITE. HE'S IN THE EIGHTH GRADE. THEY'VE BEEN PASSING HIM ALONG BECAUSE HE'S AN ATHLETE. I SAID, WELL, YOU MIND IF I TALK TO THAT? THE YOUNG MAN? SO I TALKED TO THE YOUNG MAN. I SAID, LET'S CALL YOUR MOM OR YOUR DAD AND GET TO KNOW THEM AND SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY, TO HELP YOU. SO WE WROTE THIS FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAM, AND WE INCLUDED READING IN THIS PROGRAM, READING COMPREHENSION, WE BRING IN TUTORS. SO EVERYBODY IS GIVING GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW TO READ, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE READING
[00:50:05]
AND THEN WHATEVER. OTHER THINGS THAT, YOU MAY NEED SOME ADDITIONAL HELP WITH THESE, THESE VOLUNTEER TEACHERS AND PROFESSORS WHO ARE WORKING ALONGSIDE WITH COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS GROUP AND OUR BUILDING WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THOSE THINGS. WE ALSO TEACH KIDS HOW TO MANAGE MONEY, HOW TO INVEST. THEY PLAY THE STOCK MARKET FOR EIGHT WEEKS, PREPARING FOR ADULTHOOD. CREDIT VERSUS BORROWING, THE IMPORTANCE OF RENTING VERSUS HOME OWNERSHIP. DIFFERENT TYPES OF INSURANCE, DIFFERENT TYPES OF TAXES. WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO GIVE THEM ALL THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL, TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. NOW, ALONG THE WAY, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE BREAKFAST, PROVIDE LUNCH FOR THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE, WE HAVE SOME TRANSPORTATION ISSUES ALONG THE WAY. AND I AM JUST SO GLAD THAT, SHIRLEY'S WAY HAD SAW THE NEED TO JUMP IN AND JUST BE AVAILABLE SO WE COULD CONTINUE TO BLESS THESE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. OUR GOAL WAS WHEN WE STARTED THIS CLASS WAS JUST TO TRY TO GET 30 YOUNG PEOPLE, JUST 30 YOUNG PEOPLE. I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A WAITING LIST OF OVER 210 KIDS ON THE LIST RIGHT NOW, AND WE'VE ALREADY GRADUATED TWO CLASSES, SO NOBODY ELSE IS TEACHING FINANCIAL LITERACY. NOBODY ELSE IS TEACHING KIDS THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING MONEY, SAVING MONEY, HOLDING ON TO MONEY THAT THEY HAVE, APPS ON THEIR PHONE AND THEY JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND. MOM AND DAD HAS TO PUT THAT MONEY ON YOUR APP FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND BUY WHAT YOU NEED TO BUY. SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO TEACH THEM IS IF YOU HAVE $300, INSTEAD OF PAYING $300 FOR A PAIR OF TENNIS SHOES, PAY $100 FOR THE PAIR OF TENNIS SHOES, PUT $100 UP FOR A RAINY DAY AND INVEST $100. IT'S NOT WHERE YOU ARE. FRIDAY NIGHT.NEXT WEEK, IT'S WHERE YOU WILL BE ON FRIDAY NIGHT 20 YEARS FROM NOW. WE ALSO, STILL DO. WE WERE THE GROUP THAT GAVE AWAY THE, 8,000 POUNDS OF CHICKEN WHERE THE GROUP THAT, ADOPTS 100 FAMILIES EVERY YEAR FOR CHRISTMAS, WE'RE ALSO THE GROUP THAT GIVES AWAY A THOUSAND TURKEYS. WE GAVE AWAY 1200 BACKPACKS LAST YEAR. WE'RE GETTING READY TO, WITH THE HELP OF SHIRLEY'S WAY ON AUGUST 4TH, GIVE AWAY MORE AIR CONDITIONERS AND ANOTHER THOUSAND BACKPACKS.
SO WE NEED EVERYBODY. AND SHIRLEY SHIRLEY'S WAY CANNOT CONTINUE TO CARRY THE LOAD FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. WE NEED OTHER PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO DO THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING. YOU KNOW, I WAS OUTRAGED WHEN I HEARD THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD POSSIBLY BE LOSING SOME OF THEIR GAMING.
LISTEN, WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING UNDER OUR POWER TO MAKE SURE THAT SHIRLEY'S WAY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY WE LIVE IN. I DON'T BELIEVE YOU UNDERSTAND THE ARMS THAT THEY HAVE. THEY'RE LIKE OCTOPUS. THEY'RE ALL OVER THE CITY. THEY'RE TOUCHING EVERYBODY. THEY'RE BLESSING EVERYBODY. YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW MIKE IN THE WHOLE GROUP. MARY AND EVERYBODY, THEY REACHED OUT TO COMMUNITY CONNECTION AND SAID, YOU GUYS ARE DOING DOING A GREAT JOB. DO YOU NEED ANYTHING? I SAID, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY. WE'RE BROKE. WE NEED SOME HELP. AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW, HE WAS ASKING ME TO MEET HIM AT JERRY'S ON ON POPLAR LEVEL ROAD AND WROTE A CHECK THE SAME DAY. I DON'T MEET VERY MANY PEOPLE LIKE THAT. I JUST I JUST DON'T MEET PEOPLE LIKE THAT. HE HAS A GIVING SPIRIT. HE HAS A KIND HEART AND HE BELIEVES THAT IT'S HIS DUTY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES. SO COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS GROUP IS VERY HAPPY AND GLAD TO BE A PARTNER WITH SHIRLEY SHIRLEY'S WAY. WE WILL CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY. WE'VE BEEN OUT THERE 28 YEARS IN THIS COMMUNITY TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE BE BETTER, TRYING TO CHANGE THE CULTURE, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT STARTS AT HOME WITH THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. IT STARTS IN THE HOUSE. NOW, I KNOW YOU, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY SCHOOLS SHOULD DO IT. CHURCH SHOULD DO IT, EVERYBODY SHOULD DO IT. BUT IT STARTS IN THE HOUSE. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS GOING BACK AND CHANGING THE MINDSETS OF THE PARENTS, BECAUSE WHY ARE WE TEACHING THE KIDS? WE'RE ALSO HAVING A SECONDARY CLASS NEXT DOOR AND A DIFFERENT CLASSROOM FOR THE PARENTS. BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW MONEY WORKS, IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU SHOULD HAVE A CHECKING AND SAVINGS ACCOUNT. IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BAD CREDIT AND GOOD CREDIT, AND HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT YOU ALONG YOUR WAY, THEN WE'RE TRYING. WE'RE TRYING TO RETRAIN THE MINDSET OF EVERYBODY. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, MIKE, I WANT TO THANK YOU, IF NOBODY ELSE SAYS IT, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, NOT JUST FOR A COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS GROUP, BUT FOR ALL THE OTHER GROUPS. YOU DIDN'T MENTION FOR ALL THAT. BECAUSE WHEN YOU WHEN YOU'RE GIVING AWAY THAT KIND OF MONEY AND PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE
[00:55:06]
BEING CHANGED, AND WE'RE GIVING AWAY MORE AIR CONDITIONERS ON AUGUST 4TH, YOU KNOW, SENIOR CITIZENS, WE DO FOOD BOXES EVERY THURSDAY AT OUR BUILDING, 50 FOOD BOXES. WE'RE NOT EVEN A FOOD PANTRY. WE STARTED BACK DURING COVID. I SAID, LOOK, GUYS, WE GOT A LITTLE MONEY. I TOLD OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WE GOT A LITTLE MONEY. SO WE'RE GOING TO FEED PEOPLE EVERY THURSDAY UNTIL WE CAN'T DO IT. SO WHAT? SHIRLEY'S WAY AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE HELPING US, YOU KNOW, ALONG THE WAY WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO I NEED YOU GUYS TO DO WHAT YOU CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT SHIRLEY'S WAY CAN CONTINUE TO BE A VESSEL IN THIS COMMUNIT. AND THEY CAN'T CONTINUE TO REACH OUT AND HELP OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS GROU. ANY QUESTIONS? ANYBODY THANK YOU. AND WE ALWAYS NEED VOLUNTEERS. WE ALWAYS NEED WE ALWAYS NEED SPEAKERS. WE ALWAYS NEED PEOPLE TO COME AND TOUCH AND SPEAK TO OUR YOUNG WOMEN. THE GIRLS ARE ROUGHER THAN THE GUYS. SO WE NEED WOMEN. WE NEED WOMEN, WE HAD I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH MEN, SO WE NEED NEED SOME WOMEN TO COME DOWN AND VOLUNTEER. AND MIKE'S GOING TO FIND ME SOME FEMALES TO COME DOWN AND SPEAK. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GETTING, THE CONGRESSMAN INVOLVED. MARTIN MCGARVEY. AND, MAN, I JUST CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH BECAUSE, THIS LAST GRADUATION CLASS, IT WAS A MOTHER. AND WE HAVE THE VIDEO, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE RELEASING ON DON G SHOW NEXT WEEK, SHE SAID WE SAVED HER DAUGHTER'S LIFE. SHE SAID OUR DAUGHTER WAS IN THE GANG AND ALL SHE KNEW THAT ONE DAY SHE WAS GOING TO GET A PHONE CALL. THAT SHE'S GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO THE FUNERAL HOME. AND HER DAUGHTER IS NOW READING. SHE HAS A, A LOVE FOR DESIGNING. AND, WE'RE TRYING TO GET HER INTO DESIGN SCHOOL, SO WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THESE KIDS JUST TO BE GREAT. AND WHATEVER THEY WHATEVER THEIR PASSION IS, WE WANT TO PUT THEM IN FRONT OF PEOPLE WHO CAN LEAD THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE FEW MINUTES. AND DOCTOR SHANKLIN, IT'S ALWAYS AN HONOR TO SEE YOU. AND, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO IN THE NEWBURGH COMMUNITY AND TELL YOUR MOM I SAID HI. I WILL DO, COUNCILWOMAN HAWKINS HAS SOME, QUICK COMMENT.COUNCILWOMAN HAWKINS, HOW YOU DOING? BECAUSE WE HAVE. SOMEONE ELSE HAS TO SPEAK GERMAN. YES, MA'AM. YES, MA'AM, I HEAR YOU. I'M FANTASTIC. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. GOOD, GOOD, GOOD, I WANT TO TAP IN ON. I KNOW ME, AND, COUNCILWOMAN SHANKLIN, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE REALLY BEEN, HAVING SOME DEEP CONVERSATIONS, JUST ABOUT HOW THESE PASTORS, YOU KNOW, AND SOME OF THESE CHURCHES, HOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO PUT, A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPECTATIONS ON THEM BECAUSE YOU'LL BE SURPRISED. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT COME IN FRONT OF METRO COUNCIL.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, I KNOW SHE CAN GIVE US STORIES OF, YOU KNOW, OF WAY MORE PEOPLE COMING IN FRONT OF COUNCIL. ASKING FOR FUNDING AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING REMOVED ANY BARRIERS THAT, OUR COMMUNITY HAS, YOU KNOW, ME, I'M, YOU KNOW, I, I LOOK FOR HER FOR A LOT OF GUIDANCE ON A LOT OF THINGS. AND, ONE OF THE THINGS WAS, IS, YOU KNOW, CHURCHES. AND YOU SPOKE ON THAT HOW, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CHURCHES ASK FOR FUNDING, YOU KNOW, AND JUST A LOT OF PEOPLE COME IN FRONT OF METRO COUNCIL AND, AND, AND ASK FOR FUNDING TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING AND YOU'RE NOT EVEN ASKING FOR FUNDING. SO, YET ANYWAY, SO IT'S YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST ASKING TO, ASSIST IN MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO STILL DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING. AND ALSO A LOT OF THE, NFE PROCESS, FOR SOME OF THE SMALLER NONPROFITS THAT ARE OUT HERE THAT ARE BOOTS TO THE GROUND, THEY REALLY CAN'T EVEN GET THROUGH THE PAPERWORK, EVEN TO BE ABLE TO GET THE FUNDING THAT, SOME OF US ARE EVEN WILLING OR WANTING TO GIVE IF THEY CAN'T GET THROUGH THE PAPERWORK, THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T THEY CAN'T USE US AS A RESOURCE. SO, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT MIKE IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, PARTNERING WITH NONPROFITS TO DO, TO DO SOME OF THIS WORK AS WELL, AND NOT HAVING SUCH SEVERE PAPERWORK AND STUFF LIKE THAT FOR THEM, TO GET THROUGH THAT RED TAPE, BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO BEEN AN ISSUE. SO, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP. IT REALLY SOLIDIFIES, ME AND COUNCILWOMAN HAWKINS. I MEAN, ME AND COUNCILWOMAN SHANKLIN'S CONVERSATIONS, JUST ABOUT A LOT
[01:00:04]
OF THESE CHURCHES AND JUST ABOUT DIFFERENT PEOPLE COMING IN FRONT OF, YOU KNOW, METRO COUNCIL ASKING FOR FUNDING, BUT TO REMOVE A BARRIER. I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB, WAY MORE THAN, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT TO BE, YOU KNOW, WHO'S DOING THIS AND WHO'S DOING THAT, BUT YOU GUYS ARE TOUCHING EVERYTHING, TOUCHING EVERYBODY, AND ALSO HELPING US ALREADY BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I WASN'T EVEN ABLE TO GIVE OUT AIR CONDITIONERS. I GOT PROBABLY A LIST OF 60 SENIORS THAT NEED, AIR CONDITIONERS. AND I'M TRYING TO WORK OUT SOMETHING NOW. SO, SO JUST THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY DOING THAT IS ALSO A VESSEL FOR US. AND JUST SOME OF THE STUFF THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND STUFF THAT WE WANT TO DO, BUT SOME OF THESE NONPROFITS JUST CAN'T GET THROUGH THE PAPERWORK FOR US TO. YEAH. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND AGAIN, DISTRICT ONE IS HERE AND WILL BE A SUPPORT, A SUPPORT FOR WHATEVER YOU GUYS NEED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, AS USUAL, FOR ALWAYS BEING, BEHIND THE SCENES, HELPING AND DOING GREAT WORK, I GAVE THE CHURCHES A CHALLENGE ALMOST 15 YEARS AGO, AND THAT WAS IF YOU WOULD OCCUPY THE SPACE WHERE YOUR CHURCH IS ONE BLOCK IN EVERY DIRECTION, WE COULD CHANGE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS OVERNIGHT. SO WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN IS WE HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, YOURSELF, DOCTOR SHANKLIN AND MIKE. WE ALL GET TOGETHER WITH, LIKE, MINDS, AND WE AND WE TOUCH AND AGREE AND SAY, GOD'S GOING TO GIVE US THE WISDOM, THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE KNOW HOW AND THE FUNDING BECAUSE OF SHIRLEY WAY AND GET OUT THERE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE OURSELVES. SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER AND WORK CLOSELY AND TRY TO, CHANGE THE NEIGHBORHOODS ONE STREET AT A TIME. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. AND I JUST WANT TO COMMENT ON WHAT COUNCILWOMAN HAWKINS SAID.YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT SOME OF THE BIBLE. ONE C THREES CAN CANNOT DO THE PAPERWORK. I HAVE 11 PEOPLE THAT'S GOING TO THE OLYMPICS AND THEY CANNOT EVEN GET THE PAPERWORK DONE IN THE OLYMPICS. IS COMING UP AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T BEEN. AND I WAS JUST GOING TO GIVE THEM FIVE, $5,000. AND I'M STILL TRYING TO GET THAT PAPERWORK, WHICH THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO, AND WE CAN'T DO IT FOR THEM. SO I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT BECAUSE THAT IS SO TRUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I HAVE TO LEAVE. I LEFT MY FOOD TRUCK DOWN IN PORTLAND AS WE WERE FEEDING. I WANT TO GO BACK AND GET IT BEFORE SOMEBODY RELIEVES ME OF IT. SO SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT. GOD BLESS. I USED TO LIVE IN PORTLAND, SO THE LAST SPEAKER WE HAVE IS PATRICK BISE.
YEAH. IF I GOT YOUR NAME WRONG, LET ME RIGHT. I DID OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU GOT IT RIGHT. SO THANK YOU DOCTOR SHANKLAND, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. MY NAME IS PATRICK BISIG. I AM THE PASTOR AT LIFE CHURCH LOUISVILLE, BUT I AM ALSO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LOUISVILLE DREAM CENTER.
THE LOUISVILLE DREAM CENTER'S PURPOSE IS TO REACH PEOPLE AT THE POINT OF THEIR NEED. AND ONE OF THE WE'VE GOT. IT'S A MULTIFACETED, VOLUNTEER DRIVEN ORGANIZATION AND SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE AS A KENTUCKIANA WORKS PROGRAM. I LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE WHO ARE UNHOUSED OR UNDEREMPLOYED FIND SOLID EMPLOYMENT, AND ONE OF OUR TRACKS HAS BEEN IS TO HELP PEOPLE, WHO FIT THOSE INTO THOSE CATEGORIES FIND GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT. AND WE'VE PARTNERED WITH SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS AND EMPLOYERS DOWN TO RIVERPORT AND WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL TO DO THAT. WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL HOMELESS INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING INTERFAITH BASED TUTORING PROGRAMS THAT TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY IN LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. BUT OUR PRIMARY THING THAT WE'VE BEEN MOST SUCCESSFUL IN IS WE ARE A DARE TO CARE PARTNER, AND WE'VE BEEN A DARE TO CARE ORGANIZATION PARTNER ORGANIZATION SINCE. FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS AND 12 YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN FOOD PANTRY OF THE YEAR. IN 2014 AND AGAIN IN 2020. IN 2020, WE DISTRIBUTED 1.5 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD, THROUGH COVID. MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE THE ELDERLY AND CHILDREN. WHAT WE'RE FINDING NOW, THOUGH, IS ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT I MADE BEFORE, WE CAME INTO SESSION WAS AND I THINK I MADE THIS TO, COUNCILMAN SIMAS. WE'RE SEEING THE QUALITY OF VEHICLE THAT PULLS IN FOR FOOD GET BETTER BY THE WEEK, WHICH IS LETTING US KNOW THAT ECONOMIC HARDSHIP IS REACHING EVERYBODY. AND SO WORKING WITH DARE TO CARE HAS NOT GIVEN US ENOUGH FOOD BY FAR. AND SO WHEN
[01:05:01]
BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK FULL PULLED BACK FROM 14 SCHOOLS, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MIKE MULROONEY AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING. AND MIKE SAYS, I HAVE THE FUNDING. I DON'T HAVE THE DISTRIBUTION. I SAID, WELL, IF YOU'VE GOT THE DISTRIBUTION, I'VE GOT ARE THE FUNDING WE CAN PROVIDE, THE DISTRIBUTION WE HAVE 40 VOLUNTEERS WHO SERVE WITH US EVERY WEEK. AND SINCE SCHOOL HAS ENDED, WE HAVE DISTRIBUTED ALMOST 12,000 MEALS PER WEEK.THAT THAT BREAKS DOWN TO 200 PLUS FAMILIES PER WEEK. A THOUSAND PLUS KIDS PER WEEK. AND TODAY WE REACHED OUT TO OUR DISTRIBUTION PARTNER AT SYSCO AND I JUST ASKED, I SAID, WHAT DOES THAT EQUATE INTO DOLLARS? AND SHE SAID, WE HAVE BUILD SHIRLEY'S. WE $82,961.09 JUST SINCE SCHOOL LET OUT IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. AND THAT'S ALL BEEN FUNDED THROUGH SHIRLEY'S WAY CHARITABLE GAMING. WE ARE ALSO NEXT THURSDAY. WE'RE DISTRIBUTING 89 BEDS, 1000 BACKPACKS FILLED WITH NOT ONLY FOOD, BUT SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO, WELL DESERVING CHILDREN. AND I WANT TO ADDRESS SOMETHING THAT WAS MENTIONED TO ME ON MONDAY. WE SIT DOWN WITH, 30 OR SO, FAMILY RESOURCE FOLKS FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS THE FRISKY FROM STONE STREET ELEMENTARY. HE SAID, WHO SAID THAT A HUNGRY CHILD IS A CHILD WHO'S NOT LEARNING. AND IF WE CAN HELP A CHILD GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP AS WELL AS PUT FOOD IN THEIR STOMACHS, THEN THEY'RE MORE APT TO LEARN. AND THE OTHER BENEFIT THAT I HAVE BY COMING TO THIS MEETING IS THAT I AM A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF PRAIRIE VILLAGE. I'M AROUND THE CORNER FROM ONE OF THEIR, C ONE LOCATIONS WHERE THEY HAVE CHARITABLE GAMING IN THAT BLOCK. WE HAVE FOUR ABANDONED BUILDINGS, INCLUDING THE ONE THAT NOW SHIRLEY'S WAY IS OCCUPYING, AND THEY ARE FIXING UP THAT BUILDING, AND THEY HAVE ENTERED THAT BUILDING AND THEY'RE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB. BUT TO ANSWER A QUESTION THAT YOU ASKED AND THE ANSWER AND TO, GO TO A QUESTION THAT YOU ASKED ABOUT BROADENING AND DEEPENING WHAT SHIRLEY'S WAY DOES. MIKE'S JOB IS NOT TO DEEPEN WHAT WE DO. MIKE'S JOB IS A VISIONARY, BUT WHAT MIKE DOES IS HE DEPENDS ON GUYS LIKE MYSELF, FOLKS LIKE ASHLEY, FOLKS LIKE JAMES, TO COME TO HIM AND SAY, WE'RE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, YOU FIND THE RESOURCES, LET US DEEPEN WHAT YOU DO. SO I TAKE IT AS IT'S MY JOB TO GO TO MIKE AND SAY, MIKE, THIS IS THIS IS WHERE THE NEED IS. WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN? HOW CAN WE GET INTO THESE COMMUNITIES AND SO WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE GRASSROOTS FOLKS. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR CHARITABLE GAMING, AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT NOW HAVE THE FUEL TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO. AND LET'S MAKE A DIFFERENCE, NOT ONLY IN NEWBURGH AND NOT ONLY IN PRESTON, BUT IN VALLEY STATION, WHERE WE'RE LOCATED. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. I TOLD I WAS TOLD I HAD THREE MINUTES AND I'M STICKING TO THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY QUESTION? ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN STEIN. THANK YOU. CHAIRWOMAN. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I WANTED TO ASK MR. MULRONEY IS, COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TAX FEES YOU PAY, LICENSING FEES YOU PAY TO THE CITY TO OPERATE THIS ORGANIZATION? WE DON'T PAY THE FEES TO THE CITY, BUT THE STATE, THE GAMING FEE. OFF OF WHAT WE PAY TO THE STATE LAST QUARTER WAS A LITTLE OVER 200,000. THIS QUARTER IS $333,000. WE HAVE TO PAY TO THE DEPARTMENT.
CHARITABLE GAMING, THE STATE OF KENTUCKY, THAT'S ALL BASED ON CASH IN AND CASH REPLAY. SO THEY'RE TAKING A HUGE CHUNK, AND THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S PART OF IT, BUT WE'RE ALSO GIVING AWAY, OVER 2 MILLION THIS YEAR. AND SO THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT 330,000 A MONTH THAT WE'VE PUMPED BACK IN THE COMMUNITY SINCE 2024 BECAUSE OF GAMING. YEAH THANK YOU. AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK, OUR CHAIRWOMAN AGAIN FOR ALLOWING THIS THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ORGANIZATION, I'VE REALIZED HERE IN METRO GOVERNMENT IN MY SHORT TIME HERE THAT WE CANNOT SUPPLY THE NEED FOR THE FOLKS THAT CHARITABLE GAMING IS SUPPLYING FOR, AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT THEM, I HOPE WE'LL DO SO. AND THANK YOU AGAIN, CHAIRWOMAN, FOR ALLOWING THIS. THANK THANK YOU, MR. MARONEY, FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING FOR THOSE THAT THAT WE CANNOT HELP. OKAY THANK YOU. WE'VE LEARNED A
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VALUABLE LESSON. YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT, SHIRLEY WAYNE TILL I MET UP WITH COUNCILMAN SAM, BUT I. I SEE FOR MYSELF ALL THE THINGS YOU'VE DONE. JUST LIKE THE FOOD THAT YOU BROUGHT OUT TO THE NEWBURGH COMMUNITY TO SORT OF KIDS WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT DURING THE DAY BECAUSE I REMEMBER WE HAD A YOUNG MAN AT NEWBURGH MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND SOME OF THE KIDS HANG OUT IN FRONT OF THE, THE GYM AND GET IN TROUBLE. AND HE WOULD GO EVERY DAY. BUT HE WAS A REAL GOOD STUDENT. BUT HE'D BE OUT THERE CAUSING PROBLEMS. AND THE TEACHER BROUGHT HIM IN AND ASKED HIM, SAID, WHY ARE YOU OVER THERE EVERY DAY WHEN YOU'RE SO SMART AND YOU NEED TO BE OVER THERE GETTING IN TROUBLE? AND HE SAID, THE REASON WHY I CAN'T GO HOME BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING TO EAT. AND SO HE SAID, SO I JUST HANG OUT OVER HERE. SO SHE CALLED ME AND OF COURSE I HAD THAT FOOD BANK AND SHE SAID, IS ANY WAY YOU CAN GET SOME FOOD FOR THE FAMILY. SO I WENT TO THE CHURCH AND MADE A BIG BOX, AND I NEVER SAW HIM, DIDN'T WANT TO SEE HIM, GAVE IT TO THE COUNSELOR AND THEY TOOK IT TO HIS HOUSE AND GAVE IT TO HIS MOM. WE PUT A HAM IN THERE AND A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING SO HE COULD MAKE SANDWICHES. SO WE DON'T KNOW WHY OUR KIDS ARE OUT THERE DOING THINGS THAT THEY DO IN A LOT OF TIMES IT COMES FROM HOME. THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME THING EVERYBODY ELSE HAS, AND THEY TOO EMBARRASSED TO TELL ANYBODY. AND SO THEY USED TO HANG AROUND AFTER SCHOOL AND GET IN TROUBLE. SO I'VE SEEN IT FIRSTHAND. SO IT MEANS A LOT.AND, AND I MET UP WITH, WITH, DAN, IT MEANT A LOT FOR HIM TO SAY, HEY, DO YOU NEED SOMETHING FOR YOUR KIDS? AND SO NOW WE HAVE THE THEY CAN JUST POP OPEN THE CAN AND GET RAVIOLI, POP OPEN THE CAN AND GET MACARONI AND CHEESE AND BREAKFAST FOOD. SO AND I DO GET DIRTY CARROTS, SO I GET MILK. WE GAVE OUT MILK LAST WEEK FOR DIRTY CARE. SO IT MEANS A LOT. AND I SEE HOW THE KIDS IN THE NEWBURGH AREA ARE. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. THANK EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. THAT'S FROM FROM OUR WHOLE COMMITTEE. WE'RE FROM METRO COUNCIL, SO IT MEANS A LOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I THINK YOU KNOW A LOT. EVERYBODY HERE I THINK PROBABLY HAS A GOOD LIFE. I WOULD SAY A LOT OF US. AND I'M, I'M ASSUMING. BUT I'D SAY A LOT OF US PROBABLY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FOOD OR WHERE WE'RE GOING TO LIVE. LISTEN TO WHAT YOU SAID. IT'S HEARTBREAKING FOR PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST NEED A SECOND CHANCE IN LIFE AND TO SEE THESE KIDS, BREAKS MY HEART THAT THE SHAWNEE KID JUST REALLY TORE ME UP, TO KNOW. AND I WASN'T AWARE.
YOU KNOW, MY WIFE RETIRED FROM JC. SHE COME HOME AND TELL ME STORIES ABOUT ALL THE TIMES ABOUT KIDS THAT SHE KNOWS HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY MOLESTED, THAT HAVE NO FOOD ONE OF THE LAST YEARS, FOR SHE BEFORE SHE RETIRED, SHE HAD A REALLY GOOD KID. AMAZING KID. GREAT GRADES.
NEVER CAUSED ANY TROUBLE. THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL HE THREW A FIT, CRIED, WOULDN'T GET ON THE BUS, WAS FIGHTING THEM. THEY HAD TO CALL SECURITY TO RESTRAIN THIS KID. HE REFUSED TO GET ON THE BUS AND THEY FINALLY GOT HIM IN A CORNER AND SAID, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU'VE HADN'T ACTED LIKE THIS ALL YEAR. HE SAID, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. I HAVE NO FOOD AT HOME. WHEN I GET ON THAT BUS FOR SUMMER BREAK, I HAVE NOTHING TO EAT AND HE'S CONSTANTLY BEGGING FOR FOOD.
WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE THAT, FOLKS. WE REALLY DO. AND THE CHARITABLE GAMING IS THE ROUTE TO DO THAT.
AND I'M OKAY WITH THAT. BUT WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, BECAUSE IF THAT KID, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS THAT KID'S GOING TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE WRONG PEOPLE.
HE'S GOING TO GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE THAT GOT CASH IN THEIR POCKETS, AND HE'S GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT CASH IN THEIR POCKETS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO START MAKING THE WRONG CHOICES. IF WE DON'T GET IN FRONT OF IT, MAKE SURE THEY'RE FED AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE EDUCATED. SO THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE'RE PUSHING FOR NOW. WELL, WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND THAT'S FROM ALL OF US. AND, I KNOW WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING IN AND A FEW THAT MEAN WHAT THEY SAID ANOTHER WEEK OR TWO THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE ELSE, THAT YOU BRING IT IN. SO IT'S A GOOD EDUCATION AND WE APPRECIATE IT. SO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO WITH NOTHING ELSE ON THE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.