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Reminder: Council Meeting is Tonight.
From: Shiva Bidar-Sielaff <[log in to unmask]> 10/14/03 10:18AM
>>>
Dear colleagues,
PLEASE come to the City Common-Council public hearing on the budget
scheduled for October 21 at 6:30pm at the City-County Building-
Council
Chambers. You will have to be there right at 6:30pm to register to
speak or you will not be able to do so. We need to support the
conitnuation of services at South Madison Health and Family
Center-Harambee
Why?
As you may remember, a few months ago we talked to all of you about
the struggles we are facing in continuing the valuable services that
are
offered at South Madison Health and Family Center-Harambee. We
presented this as being a crucial issue for the Latino community to the
Mayor when he came to La Sup in August. However, the Mayor's office did
not meet with us regarding this issue before making a decision on the
2004 City Budget. The Mayor's proposed budget eliminates the two
Coordinating Office positions for Harambee. The Coordinating Office is a
key to the day to day operations of the Center, the members of the
Corrdinating Office are the ones that interface with the clients that
walk into the Center, they answer their questions and direct them to the
appropriate services. The Mayor's
proposed budget gives the Harambee board $62,000 to hire an Executive
Director in return for eliminating the Coordinating Office positions.
We feel that eliminating completely the Harambee Corrdinating Office
would be the equivalent of dismantling the Center since that office
provides
the daily support to our community. An Executive Director would be
management position that will not be intreacting directly with
clients.
We would like to propose that the City continue funding one
Coordinating Office position while also giving the Harambe Board $62,
000 to hire an Executive Director. This will provide a transition period
during which the Executive Director can do fundraising, ensure the
financial
self-sustainability of Harambee and, at that time, the City can stop
providing the staff support for the Coordinating Office.
We are attaching a document that gives you all the information that we
feel you need to better understand the situation we are facing.
PLEASE read this document!
We absolutely need all of you to get involved and ensure that we can
continue with the mission of Harambee.
Please contact Teresa or Shiva to let us are planning to come to the
Public Hearing on October 21 at 6:30pm
Muchas gracias! Esperamos que nos apoyen en esta lucha!
Teresa Tellez-Giron y Shiva Bidar-Sielaff
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Counter-proposal to Mayor's Proposed Budget
Background
* The South Madison Health and Family Center-Harambee (SMHFC) opened in
1994. It is as a public-private collaborative partnership consisting of
seven partner agencies:
Dane County Parent Council, Inc.
Family Enhancement Early Childhood Center
Madison Community Health Center
Madison Public Library
Madison Department of Public Health
Dane County Division of Public Health
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Inc
SMHFC's mission: SMHFC is a center which provides community-based,
culturally sensitive, comprehensive and coordinated health and
educational services to serve, promote and support healthy, independent
families and individuals.
SMHFC-Harambee has been extremely successful and has become the place
where many Madison residents receive a vast range of health and family
support services. It is a community wide resource for services to
children and their families.
Understanding the huge positive impact of such center in improving the
quality of life for city residents, the City of Madison has been
supporting SMHFC-Harambee since its inception by:
Providing the staff for the SMHFC Coordinating Office though the Public
health Department's budget:
Community Health Coordinator (Salary with benefits: $63, 809)
Clerk Typist (Salary with benefits: $45,276)
Public Health Clinic Aide- Bilingual (position has been vacant since
2000)
Negotiating and holding the lease for the SMHFC building
The City offset the cost of the above-mentioned contributions through
the Community Integrated Service System grant from 1994 to 1999.
The City of Madison's support has been essential in ensuring the
viability and enormous success of the center. The Department of Public
Health 1999 Annual Report identified SMHFC as one of the city's
"essential [public health] services"
2004 Mayor's Proposed Operating Budget
Elimination of funding for the Community Health Coordinator and Clerk
Typist positions at the South Madison Health and Family Center/Harambee
effective June 1, 2004. Related savings of $62,178 are restored to
SMHFC/Harambee for purposes of hiring an Executive Director.
Elimination of funding for a vacant Public Health Clinic Aide position
assigned to the South Madison Health and Family Center-Harambee
These positions are the positions held by the SMHFC-Harambee
Coordinating Office.
The Role of SMHFC's Coordinating Office
About 300-400 clients come to the center on a daily basis. The
Coordinating Office is a key element of the Center since it runs its
day-to-day operations.
Purpose of the Coordinating Office :
Clearinghouse and resource for collaboration
Oversight of center events
Outreach to consumers and the community
Coordinate with Councils and Board
Physical facilities manager
Some of the responsibilities of the Coordinating Office are:
Serves as the main information desk for the center, a central reception
hub, directing clients to the services they need (in person and
over-the-phone)
Coordinates and provides transportation services
Coordinates and provides interpretation and translation services
Manages building
Facilitates center-wide events such as the Community Baby Shower,
Healthy Babies Fair, Latino Health Fair, the Red cross Bloodmobile, the
Lenscrafters Vision van, Play Time Productions
Performs center-wide administrative tasks such as maintaining Center
records, mail distribution and delivery, ensure cleanliness of common
wait area throughout the day, faxing, copying, security.
A Viable Long Term Solution: Transition Plan
SMHFC Board' s Goals
To ensure the long term sustainability of the Center and its mission by
1. enhancing the Center's fundraising capabilities
2. improving the existing links and sharing of services amongst partner
agencies
3. increasing community awareness of the Center
4. being the guardian of the Center's mission
The Transition Plan: Phasing out the MDPH's Direct Funding and
Oversight of the Coordinating Office
May 2003: Hiring an Executive Director. The main duties of the ED will
be:
Fundraising
Overseeing the Center's finances
Strengthening collaboration
Public relations
Community outreach
July 2003-November 2003: Meetings between the City, the SMHFC Board and
ED to have meaningful dialogue during this transition period and discuss
the 2005 City budget.
March 2004: Start transitioning Coordinating Office function from MDPH
to SMHFC-Harambee
June 1, 2005: SMHFC Board assume full oversight of Coordinating Office
Specific 2004 City of Madison Budget Request
$62, 178 to hire an Executive Director.
Allow a transition period by funding one coordinating office employee
until end of 2004 with a commitment to have a meaningful dialogue with
the SMHFC Board when preparing the 2005 City budget to allow for a
transition period.
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