September Minutes

SSDVTF
San Saba Civic Center
September 9, 2008

ACTION ITEMS:

ALL: Those who can, please attend the HOPE NOT DOPE program in Llano, Sept. 16, 7 pm, Llano High School. Contact, AB.

BT: Proceed with VAT design, contact media re October speaker, send reminder re lunch on 24th

GH: Schedule time to discuss options for getting more attorney volunteers with TR

TR: Forward San Angelo Crisis Response Team contact info to BT

Those in attendance were Donna Webb, Danna Smith, Allen Brown, Penny Starks, Lynda Valdez, Melissa Switzer, Betty Lovelle, Lindy Schulz, Tonnie Robbins, Charles Carter, Georgia Harris, and Brenna Troncoso. Chief Ray Riggs was in attendance for the latter half of the LE training.

The meeting was called to order at noon.

Old Business:

-Hard copies of LegalFront distributed.
-GH reported on school supplies and the food pantry.

Agency Up-dates:

-AB will be doing a HOPE NOT DOPE program, sponsored by LADI, at the Llano High School, Tuesday night, Sept. 16, 7 pm. The program is open to students and the community at large. We are hoping to have at least 50 people from San Saba attend.

-Legal Aid of Northwest Texas (TR & CC) report that we desperately need more volunteer attorneys in the area. GH & TR will discuss possible options: Meeting with local attorneys, perhaps contacting the local chapter of the Bar, exploring option for pro se clinics, etc. Also, please make a note of a new legal tool, www.TexasLawHelp.org, which provides free online legal resources to low-income Texans.

-DS, with DSHS, reports that she and others may be called to Austin to help with the critical incident stress management team and hurricane evacuees, particularly children with special needs.

New Business:

-The Teen Dating Task Force , and will have its inaugural meeting Sept. 16, 2008, 430 pm, at the Dove Project. Representatives from Cherokee, Richland Springs, and San Saba will be present. Contact, GH.

-A Visioneering up-date was given with regard to the VAT, SSDVTF Conference, and future speakers:

*The green light was given to proceed with the VAT. BT will do ground work in conjunction with LE. Will meet with president of Lockhart VAT, Mary Beth Nickel, and founder, Judge Jim Gillis. The Lockhart VAT was designated one of the most successful VAT teams in the US. BT has also arranged to speak to Williamson County representatives -- from Georgetown and Round Rock PDs, and others. TR will forward contact info for San Angelo Crisis Response Team. DS, has suggested speaker on grief and suicide, once training schedule is established.

*Conference Committee will meet for lunch, 1 pm, Sept. 24, in San Saba -- location TBA.

*Speaker for October will be Barbara Pearce, former Executive Director of The Georgetown Project. We will announce her talk in the San Saba News & Star and, if possible, on the radio.

-GH reports the Legal Advocacy Network liked our SSDVTF t-shirts and has requested that she order some for the TCFV conference. The SSDVTF will get $1 of every t-shirt sold.

-The business portion of our meeting was followed by a presentation by Officer Brown on the programs he and the SSPD can offer the public re self-defense. The hope is to provide these trainings to victims and others in the area. Special thanks to Legal Aid for serving as both physical and visual aids!