A listing of providers and events in the area of the Rainier Vista housing development.

Nov 15, 2011

Rainier Valley Service Provider Meeting Minutes 11/15/11

Rainier Valley Service Provider Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
At Providence Gamelin House

Attendance: Naomi Chang, Seattle Housing Authority; Ron Jenkins, Seattle Housing Authority; Alicia Haskins, Rainier Health and Fitness; Minh Nguyen, International Community Health Services; Ba Cam Ma, Providence Gamelin House; Grace Scarella, Nature Consortium; Mariah Pepper, Lettuce Link Solid Ground; Thuy Nguyen, Providence Gamelin House; Sheree Robinson, Bellwether Housing Group; Laura Horan, Neighborhood House; Kate Farmer, Neighborhood House.

Program updates:

Nature Consortium – located at the RV Boys and Girls Club, Nature Consoritum offer youth programming, drumming, hip hop, etc. They will have a visual arts youth program at Rainier Vista Center starting in January on Wednesday (every other Wednesday).

Neighborhood House Rainier Vista Technology Center – Horn of Africa tutoring will use the lab for youth homework. Seattle University nursing students will hold a workshop on Thursday from 4-5pm on finding health resources online. Open lab time M-F and week-end hours. The lab is free for anyone.

SHA community builder – Winter storm preparedness event last week for community at Neighborhood House hosted by SHA and NH and Seattle U. Over 80 people attended. Residents received emergency kits. Seattle U nursing students helped coordinate the event.
Rainier Vista Multicultural Committee will host a Thanksgiving dinner on Wed, November 16th at 6pm at Rainier Vista Center.

Providence Gamelin House – Thanksgiving dinner will be held on Nov 23rd at 2pm, service providers are welcome to attend and promote events or programs. Monthly birthday party is also a good time to talk to residents and promote programs.

Seattle Housing Authority Economic Opportunity program – hiring 3 new staff for Rainier Vista, Family Self sufficiency workers. Economic Opportunity program provides case management for residents and employment assistance for residents.

Seattle Community Farm – wrap up for year, harvesting rest of crop this week. Food justice advocacy, will be writing letter if anyone is interested in joining this work. Applying for a grant this Fall. Outreach workers (bilingual) will be recruited. Farm will gear up again in March. Mariah will be ending her term of service in January. Working with Habitat for Humanity to build covered structures for tables.

Genesee House – no longer Housing Resources Group, now Bellwether Housing, internal name change. Monthly newsletter if you want to email Sheree with items to post at genesee@bellwetherhousing.org. Issue with litter and illegal dumping at dumpster.

Rainier Health and Fitness - $26 a month exercise program and $15 a month exercise class for low income residents. The club is located near Rainier Beach.

2012 planning
The providers talked about issues in the community and what providers could focus on for 2012. Discussion on Governor’s budget cuts and how it will impact residents. What are most important issues and focus on 3-4 topics per quarter for 2012. In January, Providers will meet and choose which topics to work on for 2012. There is a meeting with Homeowners from Rainier Vista Community on Monday, November 21st at 6pm if any providers would like to attend and talk about youth concerns.

Providers discussed following issues:

· Littering issues – community clean up 2nd Saturday of the month for 1-2 hours, encouraging youth to get involved.
· Homeowners/renters – youth issues—teenagers hanging out in park who are littering, bullying, and other activity.
· Develop youth leadership group to help combat littering, bullying and youth issues in community. $ for scholarship (Homeowners).
· Phase 3 – over 100 homes will be completed with Phase 3 of the Rainier Vista project. More residents will need services.
· Welcome Wagon – We had a welcome wagon in community in the past through funding by NH, which is now gone. It would be nice to have a directory or program of services in the community to give to residents. There is a resource directory of service providers that needs to be updated that could be simplified and given to residents. We could give to SHA Management to give to new tenants. Or residents could apply for a grant to get funding for new welcome wagon.
· Bed bugs- this has been an issue in Seattle and some of the rental properties in the area. Work on education of community.
· Health Fair – that was a big hit in 2011 and Seattle U nursing students helped with this project.
· Intergenerational – How to connect seniors and youth together more often.
· Emergency Preparedness – NH and SHA and Seattle U nursing students just sponsored a Emergency Preparedness fair in November so not sure if we want to do another one in 2012?

Next meeting will be in January, Kate will touch base with Boys and Girls Club and see if they can host and will move meeting to 1pm and see if we can get more youth providers to attend.