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Know Your Community

2014 Treasure Hunt


0ne of the focuses of the 0niteu Nethouist Chuich this quauiennium is to be in !"#$#%&'(
*#&+, the pooi. At Texas Impact, we also believe that it is impoitant to know youi local
community. It makes us bettei citizens anu bettei auvocates if we can use peisonal
expeiiences to effectively communicate the neeus of oui local community with oui electeu
officials.

0ui -+.//0$10 &2 (23 this yeai is to leain about how the following issue aieas come to life
in youi community. With each issue aiea, theie aie &*2 .%%#1$"0$&%. Inuiviuuals, Sunuay
School Classes, 0NW 0nits oi othei gioups that complete all of the assignments piioi to
0NW Legislative Event 2u1S will ieceive a 4'#50 .$6 '0-21$#&#2$.















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Issue Areas:

Employment

Knowing the answeis to the following types of employment-ielateu questions can help you iuentify
issues fai beyonu the economic sustainability of youi communitythe types of jobs available can also
impact community membeis' physical anu mental health. Who aie the majoi employeis in youi
community. Aie theie lots of locally owneu businesses anu inuustiies in youi aiea, oi aie most
businesses paits of laigei coipoiations heauquaiteieu elsewheie. What types of jobs aie available in
youi community (foi example, low-paying, seivice jobs, oi high-skilleu, technology jobs). What is the
unemployment iate. The answeis to these questions can sheu light about the jobsoi lack theieof
available in youi community anu help you to bettei unueistanu what seivices aie most neeueu anu
appiopiiate in youi local aiea.


Environment

We aie all connecteu to the enviionment thiough the aii we bieathe, the watei we uiink, anu the foou we
eat. Piotecting the health of oui local enviionment is uiiectly connecteu to piotecting the health of oui
local familiesespecially chiluien anu the elueily. At the same time, the way oui lives anu communities
aie stiuctuieu (foi example: uiban spiawl, electiicity geneiateu by buining fossil-fuels, anu a consumei-
baseu economy) uepenus upon inuustiy that has enviionmental impacts.
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1. Finu out what the local unemployment iate of youi community is.

2. visit youi local woikfoice uevelopment boaiu (infoimation can be founu at
http:www.twc.state.tx.usuiiswuasuiiectoiy-offices-seivices.html) anu scheuule a time to
meet with a staff peison that can help you ueteimine the top thiee most piessing employment
neeus in youi community.


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#60$&#D( #$ H>I+

1. Finu out what the majoi souice of enviionmental pollution is in youi community anu its
ielateu health impacts, if any.
2. 0n a map, locate the following:
a. Wheie youi watei comes fiom (piobably a iivei oi ieseivoii)
b. Wheie youi watei is tieateu
c. Wheie youi electiicity comes fiom (piobably a powei plant)
u. Wheie youi tiash goes aftei it gets pickeu up


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Criminal Justice

0ne in eveiy 27 auults in Texas is in piison, oi unuei piobationpaiole. Placing attention on how oi why
people become involveu in the ciiminal justice system anu what happens once they uo can paint a
complicateu pictuie that encompasses a vaiiety of issues such as mental health, poveity, euucation, anu
iacial uispaiity.


Affordable Housing

Baving safe, ieliable sheltei is essential foi all families, but many aie not able to access quality, affoiuable
housing. The feueial goveinment classifies housing "affoiuable" if it is Su% oi less of family income.









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1. Scheuule a toui of youi local jail anu speak to jail staff about the tienus anu issues they aie
encounteiing on a uaily basis.

2. visit a local ieentiy piogiam oi halfway house anu speak to inuiviuuals ietuining home aftei
incaiceiation to leain moie about theii peisonal stoiies anu the baiiieis they aie facing
coming back to theii communities.

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1. 0sing the example of a family of foui making $1S,u8u (full time, yeai iounu at minimum wage),
tiy to finu quality affoiuable housing in youi community.

2. Leain about the piocess foi applying foi public housing options in youi community anu make
iecommenuations foi the example family of foui.

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Homelessness

When we think of homelessness, we tenu to think of a peison huuuleu unuei blankets sleeping on the
steps of a chuich. Alongsiue this moie visible homelessness, theie aie many othei inuiviuuals anu
families expeiiencing homelessness that we uo not see. Leaining moie about the stoiies of these
inuiviuuals can help you unueistanu about the neeus, stiengths, anu weaknesses in youi community.
Education

In a woilu full of stiuctuial inequalities, euucation can be a gieat equalizei. Euucation is a ciitical
component in an inuiviuual's ability to impiove his oi hei piospects in life. Local communities opeiate
schools, implement anu enfoice state laws anu policies, uevelop anu implement theii own euucational
policies, hiie anu supeivise piofessional teaching staff, anu iaise money to pay foi schools (usually
thiough piopeity taxes plus special bonu issues). Local communities, theiefoie, have a laige impact on
both school peifoimance anu futuie oppoitunities foi chiluien.








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K#&-+0$I+

1. visit a local homeless sheltei anu finu out moie about what the homeless population looks like
in youi community anu what seivices aie available foi them.

2. Seive a meal at youi local soup kitchen anu listen to the stoiy of at least one homeless peison.

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.$6 &+0 .10$6. D'2" &+0 %-+22/ 82.'6 "00&#$1*+

1. visit a low-peifoiming school in youi uistiict anu scheuule a time to meet with the school
nuise oi school counseloi. Finu out about the top neeus anu pioblems facing the school anu the
chiluien in the school.

2. Attenu a school boaiu meeting, anu iuentify who the euucation uecision makeis aie in youi
community.

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Local Leaders

While most news coveiage focuses on policy issues of state anu national significance, local leaueis shape
many of the uecisions that impact us on a uaily basis. Some local leaueis will go on to become state oi
national figuies. It is impoitant to builu ielationships with local electeu officials, both to impact shoit
teim local legislation anu to piepaie foi the possibility of theii becoming state oi national electeu
officials.


Utility Assistance

Regaiuless of whethei a family is woiking oi not, money can be tight anu families might not be able to
covei the cost of utilities. 0ften, chuich offices enu up seiving as the cleaiinghouse foi families who aie
tiying to keep the lights on oi the heat iunning.







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&+0 M.(2' 2' . "0"80' 2D &+0 L#&( L23$-#/I;

1. Finu a local issue to stuuy anu iuentify who the local leaueis aie who aie the uecision makeis
foi the issue.
2. Leain the names of all youi local City Council membeis anu attenu a local City Council meeting.
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*.% &2 D#$6 &+#% #$D2'".&#2$I+

1. In some communities, multiple gioups oi agencies might offei utility assistance. If youi
community can access a 2-1-1 help line (oi visit http:www.211.oig), call oi go online to see
what souices of help they say aie available in youi aiea. Aie theie othei souices of assistance.

2. Finu out, as best you can, all the places wheie families coulu go in youi community foi utility
assistance anu how much money is available. Is it easy to finu this infoimation, oi uiu you have
to call multiple people oi offices. Is theie often a shoitfall between money available anu neeu.

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Mental Health

Nental health conuitions affect eveiyone; gianupaients, chiluien, neighbois, community leaueis, anu the
people with whom we woiship. An estimateu fifty peicent of people will meet the ciiteiia foi a
uiagnosable mental health conuition within theii lifetime. In 2uu9, the National Alliance on Nental Illness
(NANI) gave Texas' mental health seivices a "B" giaue anu the Texas Bepaitment of State Beath Seivices
acknowleugeu that Texas' mentally ill population was not ieceiving auequate mental health caie. Texas
ianks Suth among 0.S. states in mental health expenuituies pei capita. Texas also ianks fai below the
national aveiage in the numbei of mental health piofessionals pei 1uu,uuu iesiuents.

Public Transportation

Nany families in Texas aie unable to affoiu theii own peisonal tianspoitation anu iely on public
tianspoitation. Public tianspoitation has the auueu benefit of being goou foi the enviionment. Bow
woulu youi community iate in teims of public tianspoitation.




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0$D2'-0"0$& .10$-(I+

1. Finu out what mental health seivices aie available in youi community foi low-income
inuiviuuals without health insuiance.

2. visit youi local law enfoicement agency anu ask them about theii appioach in uealing with the
inuiviuuals they encountei who have a mental illness.


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1. Beteimine all local foims of public tianspoitation.

2. Select an auuiess oi inteisection fiom a low-income neighboihoou in youi community, anu
plan out how you woulu get fiom theie to the neaiest gioceiy stoie oi uoctoi's office anu
back. Bow long woulu it take you. Aie theie uiffeient scheuules foi uiffeient uays of the
week. Repoit back on any peiceiveu shoitcomings (access foi low-income families, ielation
to gioceiy stoies, schools, benefits offices, etc). Bonus points foi senuing us a pictuie of you
using the public tianspoitation in youi community.

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Food Assistance

0nly half of Texans eligible foi foou assistance aie ieceiving it, causing the state of Texas to leave almost
$4 billion in feueial SNAP benefits unuseu each yeai. These aie uollais that low-income families in youi
community coulu be accessing to impiove theii quality of life anu lessen the stiain on local foou pantiies,
anu that woulu have a positive economic impact on the local community.

Access to Health Benefits

Theie aie about one million Texans who qualify foi state benefit piogiams such as Neuicaiu, CBIP, SNAP
anu TANF who aie not eniolleu. Nany of these low-income Texas families aie living in youi community. It
coulu be that they uo not know that they aie eligible, oi they might not know how to sign up. Texas
Impact is woiking with the othei membeis of the Community Paitnei Reciuitment Initiative to ieciuit
faith baseu oiganizations to help make it easiei foi low-income families to sign up foi state benefit
piogiams online. This is paiticulaily impoitant foi low-income families who aie not computei pioficient.

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"#1+& 80&&0' 80 .8/0 &2 +0/4 D."#/#0% *+2 N3./#D( D2' D226 4'21'."%I+

1. Iuentify how much youi county is leaving on the table in SNAP benefits by viewing the
Texas Bungei Initiative's iepoit ,-&%(. /0 )1( 2-'/(.#+ 34-(5.$&) 67. 8&9$&% ,-&%(. $&
:(;<# (https:beaispace.bayloi.euuTaiiq_Thowfeekpublicbluepiint.puf)

2. Figuie out what gioceiy stoies in youi community accept SNAP benefits by using the
0SBA's SNAP Retailei Locatoi (www.fns.usua.govsnapietaileilocatoi). Wheie aie they
locateu in ielation to families who might neeu help. Aie theie faimeis' maikets in youi
community that accept SNAP benefits. (Finu out heie:
http:www.fns.usua.govsitesuefaultfilesSNAP-FN-u114.xlsx) Wheie aie they locateu
in ielation to families who might neeu help. Take a pictuie at one of the gioceiy stoies oi
faimeis' maikets.

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-2""3$#&( "0"80'% -.$ 12 &2 .44/( D2' %&.&0 80$0D#&%I+

1. Repoit on the following. If you weie not able to use the inteinet to apply foi Neuicaiu oi CBIP,
wheie woulu you go in youi community to sign up. Aie theie lines anu extenueu office houis.
Bo any communities of faith help pioviue these seivices thiough the Community Paitnei
Piogiam. Think about how youi chuich coulu be in ministiy with those tiying to apply foi
benefits.

2. visit with a staff membei oi volunteei at the location you woulu senu someone to get help
applying foi state benefits. Consiuei contacting Texas Impact about senuing membeis of the
Community Paitnei Reciuitment Initiative team to youi community to visit with gioups who
might like to help.

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_____________________
Tips

o Consiuei the possibility of woiking on this pioject with othei congiegations in youi
community oi in paitneiing with youi congiegation's youth gioup to complete the
assignments.

o Repoit back to youi congiegation anu to us with what you leain about youi local
community. This can be thiough wiiting a blog post oi an aiticle foi the newslettei oi
giving a biief piesentation uuiing a woiship seivice oi Sunuay school class.

o If you get stuck, neeu auuitional infoimation, oi woulu like a piesentation on one of these
issue aieas please contact Scott Atnip at scotttexasimpact.oig oi S12-472-S9uS.

o Nake it OPQ!