Agenda - 03-04-1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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a E:3 HSAC Recommendation Re: Planned Parenthood of Orange County Funding Request for the Minority Involvement Project REQUEST: Planned Parenthood of Orange County is requesting a special midyear contribution of $5000 from the County for the Minority Involvement Project (MIP) in subsidized housing communities in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. This money would be applied to a shortfall in funds that would make it possible to complete the project. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND REASON FOR REQUEST: The Minority Involvement Project was planned as a two year project to address the serious problem of unplanned pregnancy among minority teenagers in Orange County. The target populations include youth and parents at Ridgefield and Airport Gardens and a third site in Carrboro. The MIP's focus is on preventing pregnancy by involving low- income, minority youth and parents in programs that increase awareness of consequences of pregnancy, help youth develop life goals, improve parent - child communication, provide information about services, and improve acceptance of services. The Minority Involvement Project has reached 680 adults and youth through programs including individual door -to -door contacts, workshops, "Teen Talk" groups, parent meetings, two community organized health fairs, and a Fall Family Festival at the Hargroves Center. The importance and success of this project has been demonstrated through the involvement and acceptance of youth. and especially parents. The "Positive Force Parents" is an important component of the project and over 50 people (including parents and school personnel invited by parents) attended a fourth meeting in Ridgefield focused on helping youth succeed in school. MIP has provided substantial learning about how to serve the youth and families in the housing projects more effectively. Public events such as the Health Fair promoted acceptance of the agency that resulted in a positive response to subsequent door -to -door contacts. Group sessions with teens required 19 to 20 weeks to establish trust and be productive rather than the seven sessions originally planned. It also became clear that parents were concerned and can be empowered to act on behalf of their teens when their concerns are addressed. Further, the MIP coordinated with other agencies in the community serving these youth and their families such as Parks and Recreation, 4 -H, Chapel Hill Housing, the Chapel Hill- Carrboro Schools, and the Black Cultural Center at UNC. The MIP has promoted the awareness and acceptance of community services and "opened the door" to other agencies that can serve these families. The project has provided effective services to a high risk group of citizens during the first year of operation and has demonstrated a useful model for engaging populations at risk in the county. If the project does not receive sufficient funds to continue, important commitments already made to the youth and parents involved and the local community will not be carried out. The Minority Involvement Project has been funded from January 1990 to the present by a Public Welfare Foundation grant, a Z. Smith Reynolds grant, the Youth Services Task Force, Town of Chapel Hill, and Town of Carrboro. The budget for 1990- 91 FY is $ 51, 440. This budget included a projected deficit of $8,655 that Planned Parenthood of Orange County expected to cover with individual contributions and fundraising. Planned Parenthood had expected they might not receive their full second year $20,000 request from Z. Smith Reynolds, so they budgeted for a reduced amount of $15,000 In late November, the anticipated grant of $15,000 for 1991 from Z. Smith Reynolds was denied. The failure to receive the grant plus the already