The Equity Action Team (EAT) is a coalition of community members and City of Austin staff focused on advancing racial equity in our communities through partnerships with City departments, non-profits, philanthropic entities and community-based groups.
The EAT meetings are dedicated to critical discussions and strategizing on how to best improve the quality of life for most directly impacted communities in Austin. Join the EAT and find more information on the dashboard.
Everyone is welcome to join the EAT! As a member, your responsibility is to attend and bring your community with you. During our meetings, we hear from community members and City staff to understand community needs and City projects and work together to produce better outcomes for all.
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EQUITY OFFICE ANNOUNCEMENTS |
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Meeting Information
We are excited to have you for our in-person January 2025 EAT meeting! Please join us Saturday, January 25th, 2025 from 10:30am to 1:30pm. We'll connect over a meal, and then get our meeting started by 10:15am.
RSVP: bit.ly/JanEAT2025
The January 2025 EAT Meeting will be held at:
Ruiz Branch Library
1600 Grove Blvd.
Meeting Rooms (go inside and rooms are to your left)
Austin, TX 78741
10:30am - 1:30pm
Agenda:
- Children's Defense Fund Presentation about GA-46
- Texas 89th Legislative Session Updates
- Equity Office updates
- We reserve time for community updates, shout-outs, and resource sharing, too!
We look forward to being in community with you. Come as you are, when you can!
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Reunión Eventbrite EAT 25 de enero de 2025 Información de la reunión:
¡Nos da mucho gusto que nos acompañe a nuestra reunión EAT presencial de enero! Por favor acompáñenos el sábado 25 de enero de 2025 de 10:30 am- 1:30 p.m. Conviviremos durante la cena y luego iniciaremos la reunión a las 10:15 am.
RSVP: bit.ly/JanEAT2025
La reunión del EAT de enero se llevará a cabo en:
Biblioteca de Ruiz
1600 Grove Blvd.
Salas de reuniones (ingrese y las salas estarán a su izquierda)
Austin, TX 78741
10:30 am - 1:30pm
Agenda:
- Presentación del Children's Defense Fund sobre GA-46
- Actualizaciones de la 89.a Legislatura de Texas
- Actualizaciones de la Oficina de Equidad
- Además, ¡reservamos tiempo para actualizaciones de la comunidad, reconocimientos e información de recursos!
Se proveerá la cena y habrá opciones para vegetarianos.
Esperamos estar en comunidad con usted. Venta tal y como es, ¡cuando pueda!
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Have something you'd like to share, or want to connect with the Equity Office?
Email us anytime at equity@austintexas.gov
We hope to see you at an EAT meeting in 2025! |
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The 89th Texas Legislature Kicked Off on January 14, 2025
The Texas Legislature convenes every two years, and this session promises to be as impactful as ever. Beginning January 14, 2025, state lawmakers debate and pass legislation that shapes policies affecting education, healthcare, public safety, infrastructure, and many other areas critical to our state and local communities.
Early reports suggest key focuses for this session include property tax reform, school funding, water resource management, and energy grid reliability. Additionally, several controversial bills targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and stricter immigration measures are gaining attention. These proposals could have significant implications for our work as a City department and for the residents we serve.
Our team is actively monitoring the progress of these bills and assessing their potential impact on our programs, policies, and community partnerships. We are committed to advocating for legislation that supports equitable opportunities and strengthens our ability to serve all residents effectively.
Stay tuned for updates throughout the session as we continue to engage in the legislative process and work to ensure the best outcomes for our City.
Wondering what you can do and how you can stay involved?
See below for some resources and ways to look up and keep track of bills being filed.
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What is a Bill? How are they filed and how do they become law?
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You can register an account with the Texas Legislature Online and keep track of bills. You can also look up a specific bill (even without a login). Or, you can set up an account and have an area of interest where you want to see what bills are being filed sent straight to your email. |
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The City of Austin encourages you to prepare for winter weather. Don’t wait for the extreme cold, get ready now!
Anyone seeking a cold weather shelter who does not have the means to pay the fare will still be given a ride.
Cold Weather Shelter Hotline: 512-972-5055
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Todas las personas buscando un albergue nocturno de tiempo frío, hasta los que no puedan pagar el pasaje, se llevaran al albergue.
Llame a la línea directa de albergues nocturnos: 512-972-5055 |
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WHAT'S IN THE NEWSLETTER? |
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Click one of the buttons below to go to that section's content |
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“What the people want is very simple - they want an America as good as its promise.”
― Barbara Jordan
As we come up on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we think it's important to also honor and remember Black folx on a local level, in addition to national leaders and changemakers. In today's newsletter, we honor a person who embodies both...
On this day, January 17th, 1996, almost 20 years ago, we remember the legacy of Barbara Jordan, a remarkable politician and educator who passed away in Austin. Born in Houston in 1936 and raised in the Fourth Ward, Jordan earned her law degree from Boston University in 1959 before returning to her hometown in 1960.
Her political journey began as she registered black voters for the 1960 presidential campaign. Despite facing setbacks in her early attempts for the state senate, she made history in 1967 as the first Black state senator since 1883. Jordan's non-confrontational style earned her respect as a detail-oriented pragmatist among her thirty white male colleagues. In 1973, she made her mark in Congress, representing the Eighteenth Texas District as the first Black woman from a Southern state to do so, and alongside Andrew Young, one of the first two African Americans from the South elected to Congress in the twentieth century. She rose to national prominence during the 1974 Watergate hearings as a member of the House Judiciary Committee. Her eloquence and stature did not go unnoticed; the Democratic party selected her to deliver the keynote address at the 1976 Democratic National Convention, making her the first woman to hold that honor.
After three terms in Congress, Jordan retired from politics in 1979 to take on the Lyndon Baines Johnson Public Service Professorship at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Her extraordinary contributions were recognized with numerous accolades, including induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994.
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For January, we're recommending
"Through personal essays, criticism, interviews, testimonials, poetry, and visual art, this collection expores, as coeditor Cherrie Moraga writes, 'the complex confluence of identities--race, class, gender, sexuality--systemic to women of color oppression and liberation.'" --Back cover summary from Austin Public Library. |
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SURVEYS + COMMUNITY INPUT |
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This Commission will advise council "in the development and implementation of programs designed to serve the poor and the community at large with emphasis on federally funded programs".
🧑🏽🧑🧒🏻 Applications will be accepted for representatives of Low-Income Individuals and families in the following areas:
• St. John
• Colony Park
• Rosewood-Zaragosa/Blackland
• East Austin
• Montopolis
• South Austin
• Dove Springs
For more information about the Community Development Commission, you may contact:
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Carver Vision:
Help Shape the Future of the George Washington Carver Museum,
Cultural & Genealogy Center! Join small group discussions to explore exciting plans for facility expansion, including a new multi-purpose area and enhanced outdoor spaces.
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January 22nd: Austin Light Rail Public Meeting at Baker Center Cafetorium, 4:30pm to 7:30pm
January 25th: Austin Light Rail Public Meeting at Montopolis Rec Center Gymnasium, 2:30pm to 5:30pm
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ECHO's Research and Evaluation department is looking to pursue a research project that explores the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness and what gaps there are in the system. As we're in the early planning stage for developing the scope and overall direction of the project, we're looking to have a listening session with individuals who have lived experience to help us with project planning. The goal of this listening is to take the feedback given to shape the project to be most relevant for folks with these experiences.
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Monday, January 20th, 2025
9:30am on the south steps of the State Capitol for a rally
At the end of the program all will march to Huston-Tillotson University for the MLK Festival
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Join CIMA for the Multilingual Parent Institute on January 23, 2025, at ESC Region 13—a free event focused on bilingualism and multilingual education.
This engaging day includes:
- A keynote by Dr. Xóchitl Rocha, an expert in bilingual education and policy.
- Tools and resources for supporting children’s academic success.
- Opportunities to connect with fellow parents and access local community programs.
Let’s equip families with the knowledge and resources to support their children’s educational journey. Onsite childcare is not available, so please remind families to plan accordingly.
Please contact Ana Segulín if you are interested or have parents interested in joining.
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GRANTS + TRAINING + SERVICES |
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Job Readiness Workshop
Gain skills in problem solving, professionalism, career exploration and more!
FREE 6 Week Program offered at Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center
RSVP to katie.mikulcik@austintexas.gov by January 20th |
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ALLURE ALLIANCE INC.
WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPLY FOR OUR UPCOMING COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER CERTIFICATION COURSE
As Community Health Workers (CHWs), you will play a vital role in bridging the gap between healthcare services and the communities they serve. Your dedication, compassion, and commitment to improving health outcomes will significantly impact the lives of individuals and families.
Throughout this program, you will delve into various topics, from interpersonal skills to advocacy, service coordination, and specialized knowledge of HIV care. Our goal is to equip you with the necessary tools, knowledge, and skills to excel in your role as CHWs and make a positive difference in the lives of those you serve.
Take the first step and embark on this learning journey, which will enhance your dedication and passion for community health and teach you how to empower individuals, promote wellness, and create healthier communities.
We do not want cost to be a barrier to gaining this valuable certification, so we offer scholarships, especially for individuals who reside in the following counties:
Bastrop Caldwell East Williamson Hays
Please see the following link to register, apply for a full scholarship, or
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On August 8, 2024, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued Executive Order GA-46 requiring the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to direct public hospitals and acute care facilities that accept Medicaid and/or CHIP funding to collect demographic information on patients. Under Executive Order GA-46, hospital staff are directed to ask about patients’ immigration status. Moreover, the Order requires HHSC to direct hospitals to collect and report the healthcare costs associated with undocumented patients. Hospitals are to begin collecting this information on November 1, 2024.
Although hospitals are required to ask you for this information, it DOES NOT require you to answer.
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ECHO is requesting applications for the SOAR Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) By-Name List grant from organizations in our Homelessness Response System (HRS) or organizations willing to join the HRS. The funding will also support the overall Permanent Supportive Housing HealthCare Collaborative (PSH HCC). This grant will increase the capacity for organizations to facilitate access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Medicaid, Medicare, for unsheltered people in Travis County using the SOAR model.
Submission deadline: February 17th, 2025 |
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The Julia C. Butridge Gallery is accepting exhibit proposals for the 2026 gallery season! Located at the Dougherty Arts Center, the Julia C. Butridge Gallery is well known for its diverse exhibitions of artists and their work. There is no fee to submit an exhibit proposal, and all related exhibits and events are free and open to the public.
Applications are open through
January 26, 2025.
To submit please visit: doughertyartscenter.submittable.com/submit
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$5,000 Nexus Creative Grant Applications Open January 28- get ready! Applications for the first creative funding opportunity for 2025 open on January 28 at 10 a.m. The Nexus Grant supports emerging artists and small, local organizations for their work producing creative public projects. They provide various resources to assist with the Nexus Grant application.
Register here for an upcoming Information Session on January 21 at 4 p.m. (Virtual) or February 6 at 6 p.m. (In-Person). Learn more at the Nexus website.
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Join the ESB-MACC for a presentation on financial aid for youth programs! Learn about eligibility, benefits, and on-site registration for families. Register for City of Austin camps at reduced costs!
Thursday, January 23rd
Asian American Resource Center (same site as MACC Summer camps 2025)
*Bring a free and Reduced lunch approval letter or report card of your child to the workshop. If you don't have these, they'll help you look at other options. Questions? email katya.guzman@austintexas.gov or call 512-974-3778. |
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Registration Dates
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Fechas de registro
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You know what they say: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second best time is now. Treefolks has several opportunities for you to claim a free tree! Check out their upcoming NeighboWoods tree distribution events below:
- Saturday, 1/25 11AM-2PM | H-E-B Ed Bluestein @HWY I83 | 7112 Ed Bluestein Blvd, Austin, TX 78723
- Saturday, 2/08 11AM-2PM | H-E-B Oaks at Slaughter/IH-35 | 8801 S. Congress, Austin, TX 78745
- Saturday, 2/22 11Am-2PM | H-E-B Rundberg @Lamar | 9414 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78753
TreeFolks’ NeighborWoods Program, in partnership with the City of Austin Government and Austin Energy, provides 5-gallon trees to Austin residents looking to adopt a tree. We hope to see you at a NeighborWoods event!
Click here for more details!
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Grant for Technology Opportunities Program (GTOPs) Now Accepting Applications
The letter of interest period for GTOPs Core funding is open now through January 10, and the grant window opens January 15th to February 12th. This matching grant supports Austin organizations working to expand digital access and provide technology training in underserved communities, with awards ranging from $10,000 to $35,000. Community members passionate about digital equity can also apply to serve as review panelists—stipends are available!
Learn more:
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Austin Energy’s Weatherization Assistance program offers free home energy improvements to eligible renters and homeowners. If your house is more than ten years old and you meet income guidelines, you may qualify.
Free home weatherization can provide:
- Average of 20% savings on summer energy bills.
- A safer, more comfortable, more energy efficient home.
- Cleaner indoor air with less dust and fewer airborne pollutants.
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El programa Weatherization Assistance (Asistencia de Climatización) de Austin Energy ofrece mejoras energéticas gratis en el hogar para los clientes que califican. Si su vivienda tiene más de diez años y usted reúne los requisitos de ingresos, puede calificar.
La climatización de la vivienda puede ofrecer:
- Un promedio del 20% en ahorros en las facturas de electricidad del verano.
- Una casa más segura, más cómoda y más eficiente.
- Aire interior más limpio con menos polvo y menos contaminantes en el aire.
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The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is an annual census of people experiencing homelessness. It is occurring in Austin overnight on January 25 and ECHO is looking for volunteers. The link to the PIT page gives an overview. Essentially, this occurs nationally, and the survey and census is used to inform policy and secure resources. |
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The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of volunteers who help make their communities stronger and healthier during disasters and every day. Volunteers are a part of a local community-based unit that works to improve emergency response capabilities, reduce potential public health risks and vulnerabilities, and build resiliency within a community. They prepare for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, tornadoes, severe winter weather and floods, as well as other emergencies affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks. MRC volunteers also regularly contribute to community preparedness —engaging in activities like health fairs and assisting with community vaccination clinics.
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