Boc Joint Planning & Zoning - workshop

Okay, citizens of Douglas County, thank you for your patience as the Board of Commissioners and I engaged in executive session. Board of Commissioners, do we have a motion to come out of executive session?

So moved. Second.

We have a motion and a second. Any discussion? We have a motion and a second. Please indicate by raising your right hand. Yeah, okay, a full unanimous vote in the motion carries. All right. We will begin the meeting. I yield the floor to you, Madam Clerk.

We have a presentation this afternoon and Angela fairies will be coming up going over some presentation guidelines.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair, Vice Chair, Commissioners, and County Administration. The next item on today's agenda is the presentation of community service program funding requests. As part of the county's community service program process, organizations submitted applications during the public application period. The county staff reviewed each application to determine eligibility and evaluated all eligible requests using the board approved scoring criteria. Today's presentations provides each applicant with an opportunity to tell us about their organization, the services they provide to the Douglas County community, and how the requested funding would support those efforts. These presentations are intended to provide the board with additional information as it considers each funding request. Once all presentations have been completed, the board will review the staff recommendations along with the information shared today before making funding decisions at a future meeting. We sincerely appreciate each organization's participation in this process and thank them for the important work they do to serve our community. To ensure each applicant has an equal opportunity to present, we respectfully ask that each presenter remain within the presentation time of 3 minutes at this time we will look we will begin our first presenter which is Douglas County Chamber of Commerce Inc welcome

Very quickly, I'm sorry. I have one housekeeping issue. We have a 31st presentation. Central Baptist Church provided proof that they submitted their presentation. However, we didn't receive it last week. I guess the firewall blocked it. So but we have that today. So I just wanted to let you guys know I'm working on a roster for Commissioner Mitchell and Commissioner. I'll be right there with that.

Three minutes. Here we go, y'all. I know I know I get to be the guinea pig will get afternoon, madam chair commissioners, Sarah Ray president CEO of the Douglas County Chamber and I'm here to present to you our grant program application who we are we are the Chamber of Commerce so we are our mission is to promote an inclusive business community that collaboratively drives economic growth. sustainability and innovation for a lasting positive impact on the douglas region we serve over 5 000 businesses and entrepreneurs which about 90 of those are small businesses existing in future employers young professionals 21 to 45 are those who are arranged that we go by about 33 of douglas county's population community and rising leaders, youth leaders, women, minority, and veteran-owned businesses, and community partners and nonprofits. So Douglas County's continued growth requires investments in leadership development, entrepreneurship, workforce readiness, and small business support to ensure long-term economic competitiveness. Yay, the slides are moving. So our funding we bucketed into four areas that the funding will support with this leadership and community engagement Which includes our leadership Douglas and youth leadership Douglas program expansion increasing our participation or increasing participation in community leadership Opportunities that we could grow to more than that Also, small business support and growth. This includes our Douglas County Small Business Summit, which takes place this August. It's a two-day small business summit. Entrepreneurial innovation hub research and development, so funding to figure out what that would look like here in Douglas. Business education and the business hospital, which is a partnership that we have through another organization to help our businesses know their business health. Access to capital resources and mentorship programs. For young professional advancement, this includes leadership development, mentorship, board readiness, and community engagement. And lastly, the proposed is the creation of a chamber foundation strategic plan. Our chamber foundation is under our chamber umbrella, but it houses all of our leadership programs now. So we've never had a strategic plan, so we'll be looking at doing our first comprehensive foundation strategic plan. long-term workforce and leadership sustainability and then below you see the success measures again if you go into the application there's a lot more detail but high-level success measures include participation growth leadership placements small business engagement new partnerships business resource utilization stakeholder satisfaction We manage our funds very well through our budget, through financial controls, our monthly financial reporting, the quarterly required reporting that we've done with that, and we have a long-standing relationship with the county in regards to how we manage funds. We've had this grant since 22, and prior to that, we received hotel-motel tax for the past 15 years. Supporting your strategic plan in the four areas, prosperity includes business attraction and vitality leadership development, trust and transparency in how we report and engagement through civic leadership and young professional engagement. And lastly, you have a high level breakdown of the budget funding. Our request is $100,000 and you can see primarily a lot of that goes to 75% goes to small business and you can see below all of the details on where that programming will be budgeted for in areas like events and marketing.

Thank you.

Say half of what you think you need to say. Half.

Any questions? Whew.

If this is really a listening period for the Board of Commissioners, certainly I will yield the floor if there are some questions. Any questions, Board? But I believe we know that we bring in all ears. That's why I forgot my glasses. Thank you, Dionne, for bringing my glasses, but we're listening today, so just want to thank you for your presentation. Great. Okay, Commissioner Kenna-Jones, you have the floor.

So I was the most interested in the small business and entrepreneurial support. Would this provide an opportunity for small businesses in the community to be able to get the support of the chamber without having additional fees? Or is this in addition to they would have to have a membership with the chamber?

That's a very good question. So the short answer is we have an introductory level membership, which means that anybody can join the chamber for free. They do get limited resources with that, but it does allow them to engage in any of these opportunities. They might just have, they'll do the free membership, but they might pay a little bit extra to come to something. So it's more of an a la carte membership option. So yes, this would allow them to opt into that free membership. And then as you guys are aware, with the paying membership within the chamber, there are enhanced benefits and perks. But this would allow, and anybody can join the chamber as of now. Thank you.

Yes. Thank you so much, Commissioner Kenna-Jones. Any other questions before we? All right. Thank you. Madam Clerk, you have the floor.

All right. Let's see if I can be at that time.

All right. Good afternoon. Thank you, Madam Chair, Board of Commissioners, County administration, citizens for allowing me to be here today. My name is Emily Lightner, executive director for the Culture Arts Council, and we are proud to partner partnered with the Ducks County for over three decades, working alongside the county to improve the quality of life of our residents. We serve individuals of all ages, backgrounds from preschool to students experiencing arts for the first time to seniors seeking lifelong learning and community connection. Our work directly supports the county's strategic priorities by investing in youth, tourism, creating vibrant community spaces, and this grant is simply funding an organization. It's investing in a stronger, healthier, and more connected Douglas County. We believe that every public dollar should produce measurable results, which is why we carefully track participation, financial performance, partnerships, and community impact. Over the past year, we strengthened our financial position, expanded educational programming, and continue to grow community engagement. Thousands of residents participate in our exhibits, programs, and events. We've also leveraged county support to secure additional grants, sponsorships, memberships, and private donations, multiplying the impact of the county's investment. We recognize that every dollar entrusted to us is a taxpayer dollar, and we take that responsibility very seriously. Our board of directors and financial committee provides financial oversight, budgets are closely monitored, and we maintain strong internal financial controls to ensure transparency and accountability. The comparison here shows that our continued commitment to operating efficiently while expanding services to meet community needs and showcases the FY24, FY25, and the FY26 differences. Our programs directly support the county's goals of enhancing quality of life, fostering community engagement, strengthening education, and promoting economic development. The arts are also an economic engine. Research consistently shows that for every dollar invested in the arts, communities see additional spending at nearby businesses. As you've seen, request is much more about supporting the arts. It's about investing in economic development, education, tourism, community engagement, and quality of life. Today, we respectfully request $100,000 in grant funding. The budget chart before you illustrates each exactly funds of a high level how it would be allocated across our core program areas. One thing that makes Douglas County unique is its partnership with the Cultural Arts Council. In many communities across Georgia, arts and cultural programming is managed directly by a government, requiring additional staff, operational costs, programming expenses, and administrative oversight. Here in Douglas County, we're fortunate enough to have a different model, one built on partnership. By investing in the CAC as an independent nonprofit, the county leverages established organization with the flexibility to pursue grants, private partnerships, recruit volunteers, and raise contributions, and respond quickly to community needs. That means county dollars are multiplied rather than simply spent. i'll leave you with one final thought studies consistently show that people don't choose where to live or invest based solely on roads and infrastructure they choose communities that offer experiences culture and a high quality of life on behalf of our board of directors staff volunteers artists and thousands of residents we serve every day thank you for your continued partnership and for our great request i was so close

All right, thank you so much for the presentation. Board of Commissioners, we have any questions? No questions? Thank you.

All right, thank you.

You have to come to the microphone, please.

Next we'll have Cool Kids Book Club. All right, we'll move on to the next one.

Next, we have Sharehouse.

Good afternoon, Madam Chairman and Commissioners, and thank you for the opportunity to be here to talk about our program and services.

Good afternoon.

First of all, who do we serve? Of course we serve, being a domestic violence shelter, we serve survivors and individuals that are impacted by domestic violence. To determine what the needs are in this community, we actually look at the data that we have collected to show that there is a drastic need for these services within Douglas County. Some examples of show how your funding over the past several years has impacted the community is that we have presented and actually have provided more than 495,000 services to individuals within this community. We have provided more than 62,900 units of legal advocacy services. We have provided more than 27,000 transitional housing bed nights and over 38,000 permanent housing supported bed nights as well. Our specific metrics generally deal with the individuals themselves and the number of calls that we receive through our crisis line, the number of bed-night services that we provide through our emergency shelter, transitional, and also our rapid rehousing program. And of course, with our teen center, we look at the impact of our services related to the children and the youth that participate in that program. For quantifiable results to be measured in 2026, we will still look at some of the things that we normally measure, which is shelter, supports, crisis line, calls that we receive in, and also the number of survivors that we provide services to as well. Alignment with the county priorities and looking at this, our strategic goals, strengthening families and supports within the county, reducing the impact of trauma and family violence, creating safer communities through prevention and awareness, increase access to stable housing, and invest in long-term solutions that improve outcomes for survivors of domestic violence. What is the community impact? We improve public safety, we provide stronger healthy families, we provide stable housing and financial security, youth success and breaking the cycle of abuse, and stronger community partnerships. And of course our priorities really align with the county's as well. I will request, I went too far there, I will request is for $150,000 and the cost effectiveness really is to help us to provide the ongoing services for the families that we serve. And we are very much aware of how to manage funds. Our auditors have presented that all of our funding at 91.7% goes directly to provide services and programming to the victims that we serve. We monitor by an external CPA, we have regular audits, and of course this information is always financially presented to our monthly board meetings as well. We are asking for $150,000 to support our youth program, to provide rental assistance, which is definitely good for clients. And thank you.

Any questions?

Yes, Madam Chair. I just wanted to get your name. Teresa Smith. Teresa Smith. Thank you very much. Yes, thank you. Thank you.

Okay. Moving right along.

Next is Life Tools Pantry.

Good afternoon, Commissioners, Madam Chair, I'm Frank Smith and I'm with the pantry. Thank you so much for this opportunity. Recently, Feeding America study revealed people were most vulnerable and food insecure over the weekends. That's why since the pantry's been open for 25 years, we have focused our Douglas County focus to ensure that our residents have access to healthy, nutritious food, especially on the weekends. Our impact over 2025, we distributed over 862,000 pounds of nutritious food to 17,000 households or 53,000 individuals, an average of 37.5 pounds of food per household visit. In August 2026, we hope to, through July 2027, It is estimated that we will impact 32% more people in our area than we did in 2025. That means we'll distribute 1.2 million pounds of food. We'll distribute to 25,000 plus households or 79,000 plus individuals. And that will increase food per household to 50 pounds from 37 and a half pounds. Our budget in 2025 for income was $391,000, and our expenses we budgeted was $295,000. As you can see, the actuals is 297 for income and 293 for expenses, so we're very fiscal and frugal in how we spend your money, taxpayers' money, and the donors' money. Our financial controls and fiscal responsibility, monthly we have an accounting department that reconciles all of our books Quarterly, our Life Tool Board reviews our financials and approves them. And then annually, Capon and Kraus, the largest non-profit accounting firm, performs an audit of all of our books. Fiscal responsibility for us means ethical and effective financial management to ensure sustainability, legal compliance, and the faithful use of donor funds. Live Healthy Douglas County Improvement Plan talks about reducing food insecurity and increasing healthy food options by having improved food access, making it easier for all residents to obtain nutritious, culturally appropriate food. We do that with enabling residents to make informed decisions. The pantry priorities are Douglas County residents, Douglas County residents, Douglas County residents, and childhood insecurity in the county, and veterans and unhoused in the county. Our community impact is food supplies at levels that will meet the growing needs due to the federal programs. And our two-fold process or project is to renovate our roof, And to restock our food sources. Thank you very much. Okay.

Commissioner Mitchell? Yeah, I just wanted to- Mr. Smith, if you could- I'm sorry, Mr. Smith.

What was your request? 50,000. 50,000, okay, I missed that, okay. Okay, thank you.

Any questions? Thank you so much, Commissioner. Thank you. Any questions for Mr. Smith? Thank you, thank you.

Number six is their youth.

Right here.

Good afternoon Madam Commissioner and all commissioners. I'm Teresa Harris Garvin and I am the founder and executive director of their youth. I'm also a licensed professional counselor here in Douglas County. But before becoming a therapist, I was a teenager who lost my mom a week before starting 10th grade. Like many young people experiencing loss, I struggled to find where I belong. Thankfully, caring adults, a principal, a counselor, a mentor, believed in me before I even believed in myself. Their youth exists because someone invested in me before I became another statistic. Today I sit across from adults every single week who are healing from wounds that began in childhood. I created their youth because I wanted today's young people to have exactly what I did, someone who believed in them early enough to change the course of their life. Through leadership, mentorship, and social emotional learning, we help Douglas County middle schoolers discover their potential before crisis defines their future. Several months ago, oh sorry, I apologize. Well, let me give you a moment. But several months ago we submitted this grant with a vision, and today that vision is becoming a reality. We've completed a successful after school pilot program, launched a summer leadership program, and we've grown from five students on day one to nine students today. We measure participation, feedback, assessments, and student growth because accountability matters as much as impact. And like we heard, we know that these are taxpayer dollars, and so every dollar will be managed with transparency, board oversight, accountability, and full compliance with county requirements. When I read Douglas Upward 2030, I saw their youth in every page. We're not bringing you all a separate vision, we're helping you advance the one that you've already set. So here's how investment will expand our impact. will go to secure permanent location for their youth support staff expand programming and provide the resources needed to serve more douglas county youth years ago someone chose to invest in a hurting team that investment changed my life and today i have the privilege of paying that forward every child deserves someone who believes in them before the world tells them who they are and today you're not simply um Considering a grant request, you're considering an investment in the next generation of Douglas County leaders. I hope you'll partner with us in transforming today's youth into tomorrow's leader. Thank you.

Okay. Any questions? Any questions?

Any questions for?

What was your request again?

14,000. Thank you.

Mm-hm.

Number seven is Perfect Peaches Cat Rescue.

Good afternoon commissioners, Madam Chair. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Stacy Glover. I'm here with Joan McGuire and we're representing Perfect Peaches. We are an all volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to improving animal welfare in Douglas County. We support Douglas County animal services and residents by reducing the number of unwanted cats and kittens entering and staying in the shelter system. Every person involved with Perfect Peaches is a volunteer, over 60 of us. We maintain a rescue house, clean up after the kitties, foster, rehabilitate, do adoptions. We do community education and assistance, all in an effort to reduce overpopulation and education and assistance. perfect beaches is proud of our successful partnership with douglas county animal services through the partnership we have helped thousands of lives while providing meaningful support to our county shelter system since 2015 we've assisted more than 7 500 cats and kittens and in 2025 alone we've done over 644 cats and kittens a single unspaid female cat can contribute to exponential growth In just a few short years, so every animal we help represents fewer animals placing pressure on, I'm sorry, shelter capacity and resources. We are requesting 15,000 in grant funding to provide over 200 spay and neuter surgeries for cat center care. Because we are an all volunteer organization, these funds will go directly to approved programs and create measurable results for Douglas County residents and animals. Each surgery represents fewer unwanted kittens, fewer shelter intakes, and a stronger community approach to animal welfare. Oops, we want. We want to help Douglas County Animal Services continue the shift from crisis response to prevention. And in turn, that will help maintain and expand local infrastructure for a safer, healthier, and more sustainable approach to animal welfare in our community.

I don't know why it doesn't go to the next slide.

By helping Douglas County residents, we can help educate and empower them to be part of the solution too, and maybe we can even get some new volunteers. We are proud to support Douglas County, honored to partner with Douglas County Animal Services and West Georgia Spay and Neuter Clinic, and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue to expand the impact we make together. Thank you for your consideration and for your willingness to support programs like ours and the others in this room.

Thank you so much. Any questions? Thank you. Thank you.

Next we will have Douglas CSB. Mm-hm.

Good afternoon, Madam Chairman, commissioners, and county leadership. I'm Reggie Carter, and I represent the One Community Health Solution, and I thank you for the opportunity to present today. Our request is centered around one clear mission, strengthening families, supporting youth, and expanding access to critical community resources in Douglas County. Through One Community Health Solution, we are focused on four key pillars, home, health, purpose, and community. We serve families and individuals across Douglas County with special focus on low income and underserved populations, youth, parents, veterans, and senior citizens. Our service initiative provides more than just facilities. There are community access points where families can find help, youth can find direction, parents can find support, and residents can find hope. Our One Family Resource Center, which has served over 8,000 residents of Douglas County and over 300 families, 300 families, creates a central hub for affordable housing support, domestic violence resources, parenting education, healthy eating and fitness programs, workforce development, small business support, and satellite location for juvenile courts and even a county voting precinct. Our Youth Innovation Center, which has served over 200 youth since its inception, will provide a safe space for educational programs for at-risk youth and young adults. We will measure our success through clear outcomes. The number of youth served, families, individuals and veterans served, attendance and participation, class completions, pre and post testing, family engagements, surveys, referrals for behavioral health services, and referrals for residential housing. We also understand the importance of financial responsibility. Our plan includes transparent line item budgeting, monthly receipts and expense documentation, finance department oversight, approval processes, periodic internal reviews, and self-audits. Our work directly aligns with Douglas County's priorities by creating safe environments, addressing housing and economic needs, improving quality of life, expanding behavioral health services, and strengthening community partnerships. Today we are respectfully requesting $300,000. This includes $242,000 for lease payments and utilities for the One Family Resource Center, and $50,000 for the Youth Innovation Center sprinkler system and maintenance needs. This investment will help us shape character, build futures, and provide meaningful support for the residents of Douglas County. Thank you for your time, consideration, and your continued commitment to our community.

Any questions for? Thank you. Thank you.

Next we will have Beyond the Front Porch.

Good afternoon. My name is Cassia Polk. I'm the founder and executive director of Beyond the Front Porch. First I want to start by thanking you for this incredible opportunity to present to you why Beyond the Front Porch should be awarded this grant. Since 2012, Beyond the Front Porch has provided more than 150 free educational field trips for over 5,000 Douglas County students kindergarten through 12th grade and families by removing barriers to access educational, cultural, historical, and STEM experiences by offering free transportation, free admission, and meals. to these activities each month. Approximately 97% of our participants qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. We measure success of our program in several ways, including participation, attendance, surveys, repeat engagement with outcomes demonstrating increased educational exposure, stronger family involvement, and continued community demand. Grant funds will be managed through board oversight, established financial controls, documented expenditures, and sound accounting processes. Funding will support, of course, transportation, admissions, and meals. Beyond the Front Porch advances Douglas County priorities by promoting lifelong learning vitality, removing barriers to access participation, expanding educational and career exposure prosperity, and strengthening community partnerships, which is engagement. A $10,000 investment will provide transportation, admission, and meals for approximately a maximum of 50 Douglas County students and family members for three different educational field trips, one to the Majestic Caverns in Childersburg, Alabama, to the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and lastly to Zoo Atlanta in our very own Atlanta, Georgia. Beyond the Front Porch will fund the remaining project costs through community support. Together, we can remove barriers to learning and we can inspire the next generation through education and exploration. Thank you for your consideration.

Okay, any questions for the commissioners?

What was the request? Did I miss the request? 10,000. Oh, 10,000. Okay. Thank you.

Our next presenter is Sweetwater Mission.

I haven't given a presentation in 13 years, so all of you have my sympathy. I'm Linda Vann with Sweetwater Mission, who's operated in Austell, Georgia since 1968. Our mission is to provide residents in Cobb, Douglas, Paulding, and Southeast Fulton with basic necessities like food and clothing, and also to transform lives through workforce development.

Thank you.

Now I hope you can hear me. The target population in Douglas County that we want to reach are those that are disadvantaged, vulnerable, and certainly most of them are on public assistance. This is the target group for our classes. Excuse me one moment. The need is for a local trade school accessible to participants that live in Douglas County and a skilled workforce to keep suburban region functional. The trade school providing skilled workers to meet the demand and connect residents with sustainable career paths. We decided to do this program by partnering with Construction Ready. They have a 20-day class that provides classroom and hands-on learning, and students will be able to obtain eight industry certifications at the end of the class and have a job fair with construction companies' employers to hire at that point. And our performance metrics is that 95% of the people that are trained, that's the completion rate, 80% employment retention after 30 days, 70% employment retention after 60 days, and 100% employees are guaranteed. Employed graduates earn $18 to $18.50 per hour. And of course this will increase industry certifications in Douglas County. Employment outcomes will be improved and we will have long term economic mobility. It takes $100 for one class with construction ready. 50,000 would be 42% of that class and we are asking for grants for other people to complete the class. The training, delivery, and certification fees would be 82,000. Participation support and food support would be 13,000. And administration would be 5,000. On financial controls, the fiscal responsibility, we have monthly reports to our board, we have monthly budget reviews with an accountant, and we have line item budgets. The financial duties will be split between Sweetwater Mission and Construction Ready.

Thank you. Any questions for we have a question.

I'm sorry like I said 13 years is one time.

Is the construction ready the same company that's working with the data centers to also help students get the skills to be able to go and work in the data centers in Douglas County. Yes, thank you.

Metro they're actually they're Georgia wide in helping with these classes.

Thank you.

Mr. Braxton, you have the floor.

All right. Thank you. So I notice in one of your statistics where you were saying 100% and then 90% I think in the first 30 days and 80% and 70%, I was just curious where are those employees going? Are they going to

different organization are they getting out of the trade I'm just curious what's happening with the with the retention 80% in the first three days will stay with the organization that they're hired and then of course it's time goes by at 60 days I think it reduces to 70% 95% of the students that start start the classes will graduate and 100% of the graduates that are hired will earn that 18 to 1850 per hour

Yeah, I'm just curious what happens in the next 30 days to 60 days. Do we track where they go?

Sometimes people, I think it's like everyone, they take a job and maybe after 30 days decide this isn't what I really thought I would do. And then for other reasons too, maybe their location has changed and over 60 days that drops another 10%. Okay.

All right. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Madam Chair, I yield the floor back to you.

Anyone else?

Thank you so much.

Thank you for your time today. I appreciate it.

You're welcome.

Angela. Our next presenter is Never Alone Clubhouse.

Good afternoon, Board of Directors. I have exactly three minutes with you today. And during those three minutes, someone in the United States will lose their life to a drug overdose. That's the reality that our communities continue to face every single day. The encouraging news is that these deaths are not inevitable. Communities that invest in prevention, education, recovery support, and life saving trainings are seeing measurable progress. That's exactly what this $20,000 investment will help us do here in Douglas County. My name is Jocelyn Wallace and I serve as the executive director of the Never Alone Clubhouse. Every day we walk alongside individuals and families whose lives have been impacted by substance use. Last year alone, we had the opportunity to serve 838 Douglas County residents through more than 20,000 individual engagements, 11,500 community engagements, and we partnered with courts, healthcare systems, first responders, employers, and other community organizations. Because recovery is not one organization's responsibility, it takes an entire community. This request is to strengthen what is already working. Your investment will provide a county-wide recovery prevention summit, overdose awareness, and life-saving trainings. Recovery-friendly workplace training that equip employers to recognize the signs of substance use, reduce stigma, support employees in recovery, and connect people to help before workplace challenges become crises. along with family recovery education and together these efforts will reach more than 250 additional Douglas County residents. These initiatives directly support Douglas County priorities by creating healthier residents, stronger families, safer communities, and a stronger workforce. We recognize that every public dollar carries responsibility. For over five years, we've demonstrated that responsible stewardship as a DBHTD-designated addiction recovery support center with outsourced bookkeeping, CPA oversight, board-approved financial controls, transparent reporting to our board of directors and our funding partners, as well as an annual external audit. Commissioners, this is more than a request for $20,000. It is an investment in prevention, an investment in families, an investment in hope, and an investment in Douglas County where more people have the opportunity to recover, rebuild, and give back to the community they call home. When I began speaking, I shared that someone in America would lose their life to a drug overdose during these three minutes. We can't change what happens elsewhere, but today we can change what happens next in Douglas County. Thank you so much for your time, your service, and your consideration, if there's any questions.

Any questions for.

Thank you so much. Our next presenter is Douglas County show.

Get the new madam chair and commissioners County administration, thank you for the opportunity to present today. The Douglas County Shelter serves homeless single women and women with children. Between 2020 and 2024, the child poverty rate in Douglas County was 14.6%. Many homeless families are led by single mothers, highlighting the economic challenges facing women with children in Douglas County. Rising housing costs and financial hardship continue to make stable housing difficult to obtain. Our program addresses these challenges by helping participants secure housing, employment, healthcare, and other essential resources that support long-term stability and community well-being. The shelter measures success through clear outcome-based performance metrics. Each resident receives an individualized service plan designed to meet her specific goals and needs. Through ongoing case management, we monitor progress in housing stability, employment, connections to community resources, and successful program completion. The measurable outcomes demonstrate accountability while helping families build a path towards independence. The shelter will use the requested funds to support both shelter operations and essential program services. We maintain strong financial oversight through fiscal management, compliance monitoring, grant reporting, and contract administration to ensure transparency and accountability. These practices allows us to maximize every dollar invested while enabling our staff to focus on providing safe housing and supportive services for our residents. Douglas County Shelter advances the county's priorities by promoting prosperity, vitality, and trust. We provide temporary housing while helping women and children move towards independence through housing support, case management, and community partnership. By strengthening families and connecting them with critical resources, we help advance Douglas County's vision of a thriving, healthy, and resilient community. The requested funding of $10,000 is strategically divided between housing operations and program support. 58% will maintain a safe, secure shelter through utilities and insurance, while 42% will support case management and essential program supplies. This balanced investment provides immediate housing security alongside the personalized support families need to achieve lasting self-sufficiency, maximizing the impact of every dollar. thank you for the opportunity to present our commitment to serving douglas county most vulnerable residents any questions forward yes commissioner baxton you have the floor yes just want to get your name natasha bailey thank you so much thank you madam chair you'll floor back to you okay all right moving right along our next presenter is um real women helping women and youth

Hello Madam Chair, Vice Chair, and Board of Commissioners. My name is Lakisa Armour, and I am a Director of Real Women Helping Women and Youth. We have served Douglas County for the last seven years through our NICE Youth Program, which stands for Network, Inspire, Connect, and Encourage. We provide free leadership, mentoring, wellness, and life skill programs for youth ages five through 18. Our surveys consistently show that youth want more in person opportunities to learn, connect, and build confidence. which is exactly what this grant will help us provide. Our program strengthens protective factors that research shows reduce risky behaviors and improve youth outcomes. By investing in leadership, confidence, and healthy decision making, we're helping Douglas County's youth thrive while strengthening the community as a whole.

And as you can see, we, I'm sorry, my name is Zakia Ahmad. As you can see, we try to service 25 to 35 youth on site and in our virtual sessions. And 80% of the youth have reported an increase in confidence and self-awareness. And 75% have identified new coping communication and leadership skills.

And this investment allows to expand our reach by increasing participation and offering more in-person experiences that youth have specifically requested. Our organization also contributing $4,000 towards the program, demonstrating our commitment to shared investment and long-term sustainability. The average cost is just $30 to $35 per youth per event, making this a highly cost-effective investment in Douglas County's future.

Yes, with the ask of $5,080, it will double our participant occupancy and convert the virtual sessions to more in-person sessions with the youth has asked for.

And every dollar directly benefits youth programming because we are a volunteer led organization. Grant funds are invested in participant experiences, not salaries. Financial records are received monthly within board oversight to ensure accountability and transparency. Every event includes measurable outcomes. We evaluate participation, confidence, communication, skills, leadership development, and parent feedback. Data collected after each event is reviewed quarterly as well with our board and used to improve future programming.

And we would like to note that 60% of our parents have reported improved behavior amongst the youth.

Oh, and our request is $5,080. Oh! Sorry. Any questions for the commissioners? Have any questions?

No questions. Thank you. All right.

Next is party with a purpose. Thank you.

all right good afternoon madam chair board of chair board of commissions hello and thank you for the opportunity to present on behalf of party for a purpose i'd like to thank my vice president mr jerry williams for joining me today when we talk about party for a purpose targeting demographics we're not talking about numbers on a spreadsheet we're talking about our neighbors people whose lives intersect with ours through schools churches community events and our community partners These experiences are how we identify those in need, and they are the foundation of the work at hand. Our needs assessment begins with the simple but powerful act of listening. We listen to those closest to the struggle, parents, teachers, social workers, and the families themselves. Our focus is clear, meeting the essential needs to build stability across the food and securities, utility and housing support, and clothing assistance. Measurable outcomes. Our methodology is straightforward and accountable. We track the number of families served, the number of direct deliverables provided through housing, nutrition, and health and wellness support, and the outcomes from each event and outreach touchpoint. Every data point represents a real person, a real household, a real step towards stability. These are fundamental pillars of our lives. The fund management will go through internal controls that includes a controlled operation methodology to safeguard the program and its funding, a reporting structure that is reliable and timely and done all under compliance standards. The oversight alignment, our goal is to provide clothing to 20 individuals, food assistance for up to 40 people, and housing and utility support for up to 20 families. Our priority is simple and urgent. Reach those nearing or already in crisis, especially families facing imminent displacement. By focusing on essential needs, we're not just offering support, we're helping stabilize the lives of our neighbors and protect the most vulnerable in our community. Fund utilization and tracking will occur with us delivering line item transparency to you for clear spending trends through our monthly and quarterly reports due to you. When you invest in Party for a Purpose, you will receive clear data and accountable stewardship. I'm Letitia Rushin, president of Party for a Purpose. Thank you for this opportunity.

Thank you so much. Our next presenter is vision 21.

Good afternoon, madam chair, commissioners and staff. I'm Bernard Coleman and I'm with Vision 21 Concepts Inc. Vision 21 addresses one of Douglas County's most pressing public health issues, safety challenges, housing instability among adult men experience homelessness with more than 15,000 residents lacking the financial resources to secure stable housing. The need in both urgent Growing our program provides a structured transitional environment where men can stabilize excess services and begin rebuilding their lives right here in Douglas County. Vision 21 benchmarks give the board a clear documented picture of the return on their investment. When a man secures employment, connects to health care, and moves into stable housing, Douglas County is no longer bearing the repeated cost of crisis intervention. That is the broader fiscal and community value that this program delivers. Vision 21 measures outcomes by whether men leave there better equipped for self-sufficiency than when they arrive. Vision 21 is committed to managing every grant dollar with transparency and accountability. Funding will be invested in housing operations and direct participant services to maximize program impact. Through established financial controls, routine budget monitoring, and compliance with grant requirements, we ensure responsible stewardship of public funds while maintaining our focus, helping participants achieve housing stability. Supporting Vision 21 directly advances Douglas County's strategic priorities of prosperity, vitality, and trust by exceeding the access to temporary housing and supportive services that promote long-term stability. The work we do together strengthens neighborhoods and promotes self-sufficiency, reflecting a shared commitment to ensure that every Douglas County citizen has a viable path toward dignity and independence. The requested funding of $10,000 is allocated entirely to direct client services that produce measurable results. Each expenditure is designed to address a specific barrier that, left unmet, will prevent a man from moving forward. When basic needs are constant and men have the skills and means to pursue employment, the path of too permanent housing becomes achievable. This is not overhead, this is intervention and it works. Thank you for your consideration of our $10,000 funding request and for the opportunity to continue to strengthen lives in Douglas County. Thank you.

Any questions, board? Thank you so much for your presentation.

All right, our next presenter is CE Mitchell Services Foundation.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair, Vice Chair, and Douglas County Commissioners. My name is Alexis Bridges Matajemu. I am the executive director and founder of C.E. Mitchell Services Foundation. Our primary goal is to close the academic opportunity gap in Douglas County. We would want to target 80 students, K through 12, that experience economic hardship, housing instability, or frequent school transitions, limited access to tutoring, technology, and enrichment, and academic risk in reading, math, and course subjects. So, based on the data we found, 24.7% of residents are under the age of 18, 14.6% of those students are in poverty, and the median gross rent is $1,570. Why this matters? Academic disruption widens learning gaps, the cost and transportation barriers limit support, and Douglas County School Systems maintains McKinney-Vento services for students that face homelessness. So our measurable outcomes. Our model tracks growth from intake to final assessment. We are striving for 90% that will demonstrate measurable reading and or math improvement. 90% of those students will show increased engagement and academic confidence. 85% of parents caregivers will report improved academic stability and through our past performance on average 1.5 grade level gains happen after 12 weeks and over 95% parent satisfaction and current after school support. Our baseline assessment, students will come in and receive that. They would receive an individual learning plan. At that point, there's a midpoint progress review. Attendance would be, it would be based on attendance and parent survey satisfaction and final academic financial support. So our academic outcomes pair with STEM instruction, AI coding, and financial literacy. So not only will we provide academic after-school tutoring, but also STEM instruction and AI coding and financial literacy. We are seeking, or requesting, I'm sorry, a $25,000 request, and our cycle would be quarter one, intake baseline, quarter two would be progress reviews, final outcome, and then the physical report to Douglas County. And of course, our priorities with prosperity, vitality, participation, trust, and engagement is important. And our... okay sorry i ran out of time you can have your last sentence i believe you were in the middle of a sentence just oh okay well i will say this most important thing um how our funds will be used to uh uh twice a week would be 60 to 90 minute sessions small group instruction with one instructor up to four students individual intervention plans literacy workshops STEM financial literacy instruction and modules, and monthly progress report updates to parents and families. Any questions, board?

Do you receive any funding from the school system?

For Douglas County, no. We have serviced Metro Atlanta area. In fact, Parks and Recreation, since 2024, we have serviced and provided financial literacy and after-school tutoring and STEM instruction. Okay, any other questions?

When you said Parks and Recreation, Douglas Parks and Recreation?

No, in Atlanta. Oh, in Atlanta. But we are in Douglas County on Highway 5. That is where our main location is, where we would love to service Douglas County. Well, we actually do at Lithia Springs Methodist Church. We do have after-school tutoring there and coding and financial literacy. Okay.

Okay, you know the question for all right, thank you so much okay, thank you nation.

Moving right along our next presenter is stepping stone foundation.

Can you guys hear me okay? Yes.

All right, good afternoon, Madam Chair, Vice Chair, Board of Commissioners, and County Administrators. Thank you for allowing the Stepping Stones Foundation to share how we invest in Douglas County. My name is Marcus Harley, and I have the privilege of serving as president. Our motto is simple, turning moments into a movement. We develop young leaders through mentorship, scholarships, talent development, community service. By connecting youth with positive role models and meaningful opportunities, they help prepare them for success beyond high school and for lives of service within the community. Our success is measured by outcomes. Since our founding, we've awarded more than $145,000 in scholarships, supported 280 scholarship recipients, served 52 youth through the image mentoring program, and contributed over 1,000 volunteer hours back to our community. One of our proudest accomplishments is this year's graduating class from the image mentoring program. We have three that have selected a post-secondary pathway, our current, Mentee of the Year Preston will serve our country through military service. Our past Mentee of the Year Anthony will be a freshman at Savannah State University. And Glendon will have a career in culinary arts. Their journeys reflect the impact that consistent mentorship, leadership development, community service has on a young person and their future. We also recognize The responsibility that comes from managing public funds, the foundation operates under a board approved budget with executive committee financial oversight, transparent reporting, and grant compliance practices. Our volunteer driven model and community partnerships allows us to maximize every investment while keeping our focus directly impacted on Douglas County youth. Our work directly supports Douglas County's priorities by expanding educational opportunities, connecting youth with positive mentors, developing leadership skills, encouraging community service, and preparing young people for college, careers, military service, and the workforce. If awarded funding, and the ask is for $10,000, the resources will be invested according to our board approved allocation model. 30% goes to our image mentoring program, 30% goes to our Step Up Your Legacy scholarship campaign, 25% to our talent hunt program and community service initiatives, and then we have 15% which goes to our social action plans. This model ensures that every dollar is invested strategically, transparently, and in direct support of Douglas County's mission. At the Stepping Stones Foundation, we believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to have that next step towards success. An investment in our youth is an investment for the future of Douglas County. Together, we turn moments into a movement. Thank you. Any questions?

Any questions for Mr. Hartley? Yes, ma'am. Commissioner Kenner-Jones, you have the floor.

I noticed on one of your slides that you say you do four community service events.

what are those so in the past year we've done planning with the trees we do our monthly food pantry that serves the county as well as we do we've helped the mcrc with its community garden amongst other things

And I presume that this is a program that's focused on helping increase graduation rates, things like that?

Yes, ma'am, absolutely.

Thank you.

So to that regard, all of our mentees, we're at a 100% graduation rate. What we're working towards now is following them beyond high school, whatever post-secondary option they choose, make sure that they have the support there.

Okay, thank you so much. Commissioner Jones any other questions. All right, thank you.

Our next presenter is reached back.

Thank you very much for this opportunity, Madam Chair and commissioners. My name is Daphne Simmons, and I am the founder and executive director of Reach Back. This is- Hi, I'm Faith Bush.

And I am Sybil Bennett, working with the program through Gore.

This is an example of our work, which is collaboration. So what we do at Reach Back, we focus on entrepreneurship and career development. What we want to ask you, what's 30 minutes traveled west and 30 minutes traveled east have in common? small business development centers, training where Douglasville aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners go. Recently, my son was on an important panel here in Douglas County, and he was asked, do you have any questions? And the question he asked, what would you do, the one thing you would do to improve Douglas County? Well, the adults that were actually judging at that time were two adults who said, who were not members of our county, they were from another county, said they would improve youth programming because their county has more youth programming. Well, our research shows that whether that was true or not, Entrepreneurship and career development for youth and young adults is needed in Douglas County. Did I suppose to hit something? What we are proposing is to drive community economic development with data-driven models. Our outcome is to strengthen entrepreneurship capacity, increase community collaboration with our entrepreneurs, and improve workforce readiness and data informed throughout our county. What we plan to do is strengthen our think tank here in Douglas County, which right now we have Douglas Core, who is our leader. And we want to strengthen that particular think tank to 50, as well as train individuals and organizations in that think tank and community collective impact. We also want to recruit 30 youth and young adults in Douglas County and train them in real world experiences on this project to help us with the data collection and engage 20 businesses.

and you finish your sentence of the said on a particular sentence correct.

Yes. So any questions from some.

Commission Mitchell, you know the semis semis how long have you been a part of reach back how long this has been 5 years 5 years.

OK.

Thank you.

OK.

All right, our next presenter is Midway Community Resource Center.

Good afternoon. My name is Darlene Sheridan. I'm the director of the Midway Community Resource Center. Our request supports two connected initiatives, Food for the Soul and Midway Community Garden. Both are designed to improve access to healthy food and promote wellness. Our programs serve Douglas County residents experiencing food insecurity, including low to moderate income households, returning citizens rebuilding their lives, and individuals seeking healthier food options. While food insecurity remains its challenge, so does limited access to fresh produce and nutrition wellness education. These programs address both needs by providing healthy food, while teaching practical skills that encourage long term healthy Living. Grant funding will update 19 raised garden beds with cinder blocks, fencing, irrigation soil, compost, plant seeds, and secure tool storage. These improvements would expand gardening opportunities, increase access to fresh produce, and support community distribution. Success will be measured by garden participation, pounds of produce harvested, and participant growth in gardening knowledge and skills. Food for the Soul extends the impact of the garden by transforming fresh produce into balanced, health-focused, plant-forward community meals. Grant funding will support wholesome food items, kitchen supplies, food literacy, and nutrition education. Success will be measured by meals served, workshop participation, volunteer engagement, and increased knowledge of healthy eating. We provide monthly financial reporting, monitor expenditures against the approved budget, maintain detailed financial documentation, and provide oversight to executive leadership and our board of directors. Every grant dollar will be tracked and used for its intended purpose. This proposal directly supports the county public health priority by creating opportunities for residents to improve their overall well-being. Together, these programs strengthen community wellness, promote self-sufficiency, and foster meaningful connections among Douglas County residents. At Midway Community Resource Center, we believe strong communication Communities began by giving people the tools, knowledge, and opportunity to nourish themselves and their family. This grant adds up to $25,000, does more than build a garden or provide meals. It cultivates hopes, strengthens families, builds stronger neighborhoods, and contributes to a driving That was can you have that's what would create last and benefits for one for our community for years to come. Thank you for your time your consideration and your investment in our community.

Thank you, the share any questions. Thank you. Next presenter is mud made men.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair and the commissioners. My name is Christine Furby. I'm here with Mud Made Men Incorporated, a 501c3 nonprofit with our founder and CEO, Michael Furby, who is a veteran himself. Stable neighborhoods are the goal for Douglas Upward 2030 plan, and that's exactly what we do for our veterans. We're honored to serve disabled senior veterans here in Douglas County. The need is real. The county is home to over 12,000 veterans and our disabled senior veterans, most of whom are on a fixed income, are priced out of regular homes. Mudmaid has two dedicated houses in Douglasville ready for them. When a veteran moves in, we furnish his home and help cover in his moving costs until his benefits arrive so he can settle in with dignity. Here's what your support makes possible. Our metrics, both homes are fully furnished and all eight veterans are supported. Our method, mud made logs what each veteran receives monthly. And of course the result, we're proud to commit all of this and deliver it within the grant year with reports to the county staff quarterly. Mud Made treats every dollar with respect and care, with easy to read and see records and receipts for everything we spend. We run lean also, the money goes straight to our veterans and not to overhead. We report to the county each quarter as well. What Mud Made Does lives right inside the Douglas 2030 Upward Plan. To advance the county's priorities, we focus on two of them, but all four of them as well, including prosperity, stable neighborhoods, and economic self-sufficiency for our veterans and seniors. Vitality, their health, dignity, and the support of quality of life. And that plan of Douglas Upward 2030 commits to the continued support of the community services provider program. We're here to help make that real. We're built for this, veteran founded and led with over six years of experience in serving our veteran community. Our full request is for $27,380, covering both homes for all eight veterans, with $13,690 to fully furnish one home supporting four veterans. But at scales, even $5,000 lets Mudd Maid start furnishing a home, a bed, a kitchen, the basics, and we can build from there. Whatever you're able to give, we'll put straight to work for our veterans. Thank you for considering us and we'd be truly honored to serve our veterans here in Douglas. One Douglas forward together.

Okay. Any questions? Board of Commissioners? Are you located here the show your organization.

Yes, ma'am.

Yes. The mission.

All right, thank you and then in regards to since the 6 years have been up and running and you going through financial accounting are saying and provide documentation of so is that the federal level state level local levels.

Yes, so we do present all of our receipts and accounting through our own process. This would be our first grant to be received, but we do keep all records, all receipts. We file our taxes every year, so that would be included in the quarterly reporting. So we have served our veterans for over six years. Douglas County, this is our first initiative within the county. But all events in the past or initiatives have been fully reported to all stakeholders. None of which have been government, but they have been smaller organizations that have partnered with us. So reporting has been shared previously.

Thank you. Madam Chair, you have the floor back to you.

You mentioned this is your first initiative here in Douglas. Those two homes are here in Douglas?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, any other questions for? All right, thank you. Thank you.

Okay, moving right along. Our next presenter is Children's Voice Casa.

All right, good afternoon, Board of Commissioners. Thank you for this opportunity to present today. I am Dr. Lafayette Young, CEO of Children's Voice Casa. We've been around for nearly 25 plus years supporting children and families navigating the foster care system. We are committed to serving children that have experienced neglect and abuse. Most of our children, 75% of children, coming to the foster care system due to neglect. We are proud of the progress Children's Voice CASA has made over the past year through our funding. So our funding sources are BOCA, Georgia CASA, PISA, National CASA. They continue to support us for program sustainability, but we're seeking to support more children within the foster care system, specifically in Douglas County. Right now we support around 77, 66 children in foster care and there are 133 within Douglas County. And we seek to support older youth around the ages of 14 to 18 to have expanded support for that particular vulnerable population. who are often not ready for adulthood. We also seek to support the parents that are navigating the foster care system. Children's Voices is committed to responsible stewardship of every dollar entrusted to us. Currently, we undergo annual independent audits, monthly financial reports, board financial oversight, expense tracking, payroll documentation, all of the things that most of our organizations utilize to demonstrate transparency and accountability. Our goals are related to affiliate growth and expansion. quality volunteer advocacy, evidence informed practices. We consider our organization to be a trauma informed organization, also practicing cultural humility to support all vulnerable populations experiencing the foster care system. our strategic priorities closely aligned with the goals of douglas county we are focused on expanding volunteer recruitment providing ongoing training and support strengthening board and staff development and again delivering delivering evidence informed advocacy if awarded funding our request of 150 000 will directly strengthen children's voice casa's ability to serve all of our children in douglas county funds will support volunteer recruitment training engagement program operations community outreach technology data systems and youth focus initiatives this investment allow us to recruit and supervise more volunteers again to strengthen our advocacy services so again thank you for your time we appreciate the opportunity to partner with douglas county to produce more sustainable outcomes for children navigating the foster care system i want any questions for

Commissioner keno Jones.

So with the causes and that was kind of understand most of them are volunteers.

So what exactly would you be using the funding for so our funding will go towards volunteer recruitment training and engagement so they have to undergo 40 hours of training. Also court observation. We do community service projects with our partners. We offer hygiene products and we want to increase some of the resources that we can offer to our children such as laptops and hygiene products and other things. Also training and continuing education. We want to allow for them to engage in our webinars that we want to produce for them. They have to do 12 hours of continuing education. They can read books, they can go to other, but we want to offer that ourselves as well. Technology and our data system, so that's where we house any donor information, all volunteer. uh demographics and we have to report all those things not only on a monthly basis but quarterly service to all of our partners and we have to pay for those systems so they really help us with that uh and then again we want to expand our services uh for that population around 14 to 18 to really prepare them for college prepare them for life as you all know at 18 We are not ready to navigate the world system, if you will. But unfortunately, within the foster care system at 18, that is it, one and done, as it relates to foster care.

And do you guys receive any of the 4E or 4B funding from the state?

I'm not sure about that, 4A or 4B. The only state funds, we do receive state funds from DFACS, but no county funds.

Thank you so much for your presentation. Okay, next is Angels in Progress Academy.

All right, we'll move right along. Come back to them. Next is a gift of love service.

good afternoon to all of you I'm very nervous I've not done this before so bear with me my name is Brenda Kirk we're with the gift of love services we've been in the community for over thirty years now we are the backpack food program is probably what you know us by we provide food for three hundred five hundred students each year we have twenty two schools this is not the right thing We have 22 schools that we work with on a regular basis and my first slideshow, there it is, my first slideshow shows which schools we work with and how many were there for the 25-26 school year. and we are asking for $10,000 and it will go, we have decided, we have five programs with our program, but we've decided to use the money totally for the food because our budget for food is 42,000 on this year's budget and we know it's gonna probably take more because the price has increased on groceries. And we serve a lot of children each week. We provide them a breakfast, lunch, and snack for every day that they're out of school, which is weekends and holidays. The holidays, that's the nine days that they're out for the different events. I think there's five of them. And they're out for Christmas 17 days. So it requires a lot of food. The breakdown, like I said, we're going to do only food for you guys. And that way we can... show you exactly where it goes by receipts. We're gonna do a spreadsheet and show you each receipt that we buy food so that you can see where it goes and it's just easier to track for you guys to see that we're using it appropriately. Like I said, we've been in the community for 30 years. There's only one paid employee and you're looking at her. Everybody else is volunteer. We're very small, but we're mighty. and we do more than just the food, but like I said for this presentation, we're doing food only. The way we measure things, our counselors in the schools that we work with are the ones that give us the names. We don't know the students. A lot of times we don't even get to see them. But the way we measure it is to be able to provide for each school whatever they send us. So anyway, we measure it by what the counselors say they need and then we try to provide for each child. There has been times in the past that we did have to cap the amount of children because we had so many coming in. but we try not to do that. That's why I'm here to try to get extra funds from what we normally get so that we can make sure that we can cover the needs for this school year. And of course the fund usage. We do individual breakfast, lunches and snacks. We do a macaroni and cheese to help with the dinner and we provide that each weekend. All right.

Thank you. I heard weekend, that was a period, so thank you. Thank you. Any questions for Ms. Kerr?

Okay, thank you. All right, Ms. Kerr. I appreciate that. Thank you.

All right, our next presenter is Good Samaritan Center.

Good afternoon, I'm Michael Sizemore with the Good Samaritan Center. We're requesting funds for a project that we are collaborating with the Never Alone Clubhouse. We're calling it Grace on Grady, reaching the community. Good Samaritan provides food for anyone experiencing any level of food insecurity, but for this project, our target demographic will be unhoused individuals and families experiencing food insecurity and those needing a safe private place to clean up. Our needs assessment comes through the current Cobb Douglas Public Health Community Health Assessment, needing access to healthy food, household items which help stabilize families. Good Samaritan, Douglas County focus, every month we serve about 2,300 families. Most of the people taking advantage of this expansion will be on foot. We'll track measure success by tracking the usage of the showers, tracking the number of breakfast, lunch, dinners, snacks we serve. We'll also be able to keep basic demographic tracking data for unhoused individuals. We'll do this through the same database that we've been tracking food distribution for a decade. Our financial controls, the executive director manages the organization, reporting to the board of directors. The treasurer audits the accounts every month. Good Samaritan has been a 501 registered with the state of Georgia since 1986. Most of the funds we're requesting will go directly toward the construction of this expansion project. A kitchen, two bathrooms with showers, and a laundry room. The pie charts really just show how much more expensive food has been to any food pantry with total expenditures from 25 to 26 going from 18 to 30%. The alignment with county priorities is pretty good for the unhoused individuals in the county. Stabilize the neighborhood by letting people have somewhere to clean up, to gain changing amenities where you can get hot food, a hot shower, clean clothes. It shows a serious investment from the county into this community, and the data collection could be a goldmine just showing exactly who is unhoused in Douglas County. We will use the funds primarily for construction costs, appliances, a walk-in freezer, and thank you.

All right. Any questions for Mr. Sizemore? Mr. McKenna-Jones, you have the floor.

How close to the bus line is your proposed building site?

About half a block. There is a bus stop on Fairburn Road and we're about half a block in.

Thank you, ma'am.

It's close, yeah.

I yield back, ma'am, chair. Thank you.

Any other questions for the board? All right. Thank you, Mr. Sussman.

All right, moving right along. Our next presentation is next, Jen Douglas.

Good afternoon madam chair and the Douglas County commissioners. My name is John Foster and we're with Next Gen Douglas Incorporated. We're here to present our after school and summer AI and STEM training program. Our target demographics are 80 middle and high school students, mostly African American from Douglas County District 3. There's a clear need for AI and STEM training for this demographic group to pursue high income paying jobs and the increase on the overall 20% high school graduation rate of our adult population. The goals for our program are primarily to increase STEM and AI knowledge, improve problem solving and critical thinking skills, increase awareness of STEM and AI career pathways, uh... going on program we will measure uh... progress by pre and post program assessments progress-based performance evaluation and instruction observation and progress reports the overall budget of next year for two thousand twenty six is right at a hundred and forty thousand dollars we partner with tranquil Amy church where the outreach arm a tranquil Amy church and most of our expenditures are in the areas of salaries facilities and equipment we handle our fiscal responsibility through several board approved fiscal policies including monthly board reviews annual audits and quick book accounting This slide talks about how we map our next-gen Douglas strategic goals with the overall goals of Douglas County. We looked at the Douglas upward 2025 to 2030 strategic plan. And our program that we're presenting today maps into the participation area and then the sub areas of access and barriers so we map quite nicely in the 2025 30 strategic plan. Our line item budget. for our request is $25,000 for the CSP from the CSP program. We have a matching $10,000 from next gen and the matching $10,000 from other foundation. We have no overhead in this. This would be used for teacher stipend and student assistance and equipment. We're asking at this time that the next 10 representatives that are here with me will stand so they can be recognized. And we thank you for this opportunity. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Any questions for Kenna Jones, you have the floor.

You said that target population was district three. So is it only residents that live there would be eligible for this program?

No, any participants will be eligible.

Thank you and show you back. Thank you for clarifying.

Madam chair because that was my.

You mentioned was it 25,000 as you're you're asked and you also get monies is that also from CSP as well or.

Now the 25,000 request is from CSP okay, we're having matching funds coming in from next Jan. And we have foundational for support for another 10,000.

And your ask here is 25 as well, correct? Yes, sir. Okay. Okay. Just want to make sure I got the numbers right. Thank you. All right. Thank you so much. Thank you for the opportunity.

Have a good day.

All right. Thank you. All right.

All right. Our next presenter is Rebrand Institute of Tech Equity. Right.

Good afternoon, commissioners. Nice to see you guys. Got three minutes on my clock. I'm waiting for my timer. Thank you so much. My name is Kayla Life, and I am the founder of the Rebrand Institute of Tech Equity, also known as RITE. We have been serving Douglas County for about a year, but serving Atlanta as a whole for about 10 years. This is our third initiative with Douglas County and presenting to you C3 Culture Code Camp. This summer, we invited 30 students to come in and learn technology and at their level. We understand that technology is a little bit nuanced. It's become a little scary for people. So what we want to do is showcase they can do whatever they're passionate about and apply technology to it. They were able to participate in four different tracks this summer. Hoops and Code, Beats and Bytes, Move and Make, and Create and Share, where they were able to learn basketball technology, music technology, dance tech, and content creation. because these are our new creators. We are seeking to actually expand our program. We have two new tracks that we're launching in the fall. We're taking up all of that little out of school time that kids have and giving them something to do. Those fall breaks, those February break and the summer break, we're actually introducing a new track called Glow Up, which is beauty technology, and we're introducing Flavor Lab, which is food tech. Again, we're strictly wanting to show kids they can do whatever they're passionate about. You don't have to be an engineer, but you can use technology to get better. How do we measure our outcomes? Our kids are using AI at a practical level. What we're learning and seeing through our program is that they want to use this more, right? They want to be able to do it in ways that make sense for them. So we're showing them how to do that through our program. We have increased their digital literacy level through our partners like Cool Kids Read, who you hear about from today. and through some other strategic partners that helped us to reach this point. We also take in not just our kindergartners through our eighth graders, but we also have a track for our junior technology instructors. This year, we had two junior technology instructors. They were seniors in high school and a sophomore in college. They came back to teach how to use AI, and we also put them in their own leadership track where they learned entrepreneurship, business etiquette, and career exploration. How do we manage our funds? Very simple, we have all the AI software that's out there. We've also built our own personal called Crystal OS that helps us not only to track the budget, but track our programmatic outcomes and impact of report that we will provide to anyone that asks for it. We also have our financial oversight with our board chair, Shoshana Cabral, as well as our CFO, Shantanique Shepherd, who manages all of our funds. We are requesting $50,000 for this program and how this makes sense for Douglas County is that we looked at our strategic priorities and say how can we maximize this for this particular area and making sure that everyone is engaged in technology in ways that make sense for them. Our funding, most of it is going to go to, oh, cut me off. Most of it is going to go towards our staffing. We wanna make sure that everyone is paid. Our junior tech instructors also get paid. So they're not just kicking it with us for the summer, they're earning as they're learning.

All right, any questions forward? Okay, no questions. Thank you. Thank you.

Our next presenter is the Gold Star Scholarship Foundation.

Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Good morning. Good afternoon. My name is Richard Randolph, and I represent the Gold Star Foundation. I'm sorry. Good afternoon, Madam Chair, Vice Chair, and commissioners and citizens of Douglas County. I represent the Gold Star Foundation today. We are seeking to expand our program. Our mission is to strengthen Douglas County by investing in its youth. One of our primary purposes is to support the educational scholarship and mentoring initiatives of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated Rope Highlanders Chapter. through partnership. As we evaluated the needs within Douglas County, we identified three significant gaps. Limited access to college scholarship, a shortage of youth educational and leadership programming, a critical need for positive male role models and mentors. Our response has been to create programs to prepare young people for college, careers, leadership, and community service. We want to expand this. We ultimately, our goal is to strengthen Douglas County's future workforce and long-term economic vitality by developing educated, engaged, and service-minded young leaders while supporting the county's strategic vision for community prosperity. What measurable outcomes? The Gold Star Foundation is committed to delivering an exceptional return on philanthropy through our core areas. Exposure, our second annual Alpha Leadership Conference. Guidance, our third cohort of the First Fair Rose Mentoring Academy. Capital, through annual college scholarships. Since our inception, we have given over $25,000 in scholarship. How do we measure our success? 100% high school graduation rate, 100% college acceptance rate of our seniors, 70% of increase in student leadership participation at their respective high schools, and more than $500 community service completed in Douglas County during the past year. These measurable outcomes demonstrate that our investment extends beyond individual students. It strengthens families, develops future leaders, and holds a more engaged community. How do we manage our funds? The Gold Star Foundation maintains rigorous financial controls and institutional transparency. No single individual has complete control over any financial transactions from beginning to end. Our financial management includes active board oversight, written financial policies, cash receipt control, disbursements control, bank account management, of monthly financial reporting and the IRS compliance and donor transparency. Most importantly, we maximize every dollar invested. Our funding priorities are 66.7% directly towards scholarship, 13.3% toward mentor initiatives, 13.3% to a leadership development and 6.7% to an educational program. We align with the Gold Star Alliance with Douglas County by expanding educational opportunities, developing workforce readiness, increasing youth leadership and civic engagement, building stronger communities and improving their long-term economic vitality. I thank you for your time and your patience. Any questions?

Okay, thank you so much. Do we have any questions for Mr. Randolph? Any questions? No questions. Thank you.

All right, our next presenter is the Music Education Group.

Let's raise this up a little bit. All right. Good afternoon, everyone. Madam Chairperson, Board of Commissioners, my name is James Caldwell. I'm Executive Director of the Music Education Group. Our mission is to teach students life skills and career development through music, film, and digital media. The organization was founded by music industry executive Rick Ross, not the rapper, but industry executive.

Let me toss that in there for you.

Who do we serve? Our programs are currently delivered in 30 middle and high schools in Metro Atlanta, Fulton County, Cobb County, and DeKalb County schools. We're looking forward to expanding out here to Douglas County. Majority of our programs, again, are delivered in middle and high schools, but we also serve as 19 to 25 year olds through our paid internship program. Approximately 80% of our young people come from low to moderate income households. and a majority receive free and reduced lunch. From a needs assessment perspective, our organization bridges the gap between education and industry needs for workforce development. We create state-of-the-art training facilities with industry-aligned curriculum, which supports Georgia Department of Education's music and audio technology career pathways, which again is one of the fastest growing career pathways amongst high schoolers in the state. We also provide professional development for music educators for Douglas County Focus. We'd like to deliver programming in Jesse Davis Park and Hunter Park, and we're currently piloting a podcast program in your new Youth Innovation Lab. Metrics include the number of youth that will serve, a number of creative workforce sessions delivered, a number of career exploration activities, a number of completed student projects and showcases, and more importantly, the number of young people receiving professional certifications. Methodology would include participant registration and attendance tracking, pre-post-career awareness surveys, mentor and instructor observations, and program evaluations on their final programs. Our overall quantifiable results would include an increased number of youth engaged in positive skills-building activities and improved career readiness and awareness of creative service industry opportunities. How will the funds be managed of our $850,000 budget? 14% supports operations, 15% administrative, and 71%, which the vast majority goes directly to support our youth workforce development programs. Financial controls are managed by our chief executive officer with monthly CPA review. projects take a specific expense tracking and board and executive director oversight fiscal responsibility of funds are limited to approve program activities timely vendor and staff payments and require financial funder and required funder financial and narrative reporting uh... from an alignment to county priorities perspective uh... douglas county strategic goals in recreation facilities and programs and economic development uh... we expected a So our programs will expand access to arts and cultural programming, support youth safety, wellness, and positive development, and build a creative workforce pathways for your local residents.

All right, any questions for me? Yes. Okay, Commissioner Mitchell. What's your request?

Okay, I'm sorry about that.

Our request is for $75,000, and it will go mostly to help build out the infrastructure of your current facilities.

And you said you mentioned something about Jesse Davis Park that you guys...

Yes, so we would like to deliver programs at Jesse Davis Park, but we're specifically right now piloting a program in your new Youth Innovation Lab. Okay. And that was supported by a grant that we received earlier from Amazon, ChangeX.

So you're working out of the CSB facilities? Yes.

Okay, okay.

Good enough. Thank you. Thank you. All right, you're back, Madam Chair. Okay.

All right, thank you. All right, moving right along. The next presenter is Watch Light Pathways.

Good afternoon, chairwoman, commissioners, and county staff and administration. My name is Judy Achism. I am the executive director of Watch Light Pathways, and our Lights on Youth initiative is designed to serve the at-risk Douglas County youth, ages 14 to 18, who are facing high stress, disengagement, and limited support systems. We address this through a structured model of a two 14 week cohort per year, serving 20 to 30 youth annually by focusing on early prevention, emotional wellness, and workforce exposure. We strengthen vital protective factors before higher risk behaviors can develop. And we track every single one of these factors by measuring our performance targets, Specifically, our annual performance targets are an 80% completion rate, a 75% improvement in emotional regulation, a 70% increase in career awareness, and an 80% increase in positive peer relationships. We measure these targets through pre and post program assessments attendance tracking, and facilitator observations. These continuous tracking ensures that we report on meaningful long-term change. A level of rigorous accountability that extends directly into how we manage our organization's finances. To safeguard these public funds, our board handles budget approval, our executive director handles our finance compliance, and our program director runs daily operations. We protect every dollar through rigid separation of duties, conflict of interest safeguards, and meticulous expense documentation. While this would be our first county grant, as we are a new organization, we already practice these strict fiscal standards with our fundraising revenues. Our established infrastructure is fully equipped to provide immediate transparency, ensuring that the county resources are optimized to drive Douglas County's high strategic priorities. Our Lights on Youth directly supports the county's focus on public safety, emotional wellness, and economic development. What sets us apart is our vehicle for change. We don't just teach music, film, and digital media for fun. We use these creative arts to teach entrepreneurship, branding, and professional conduct. By transforming their creative passions into tangible career readiness, and substance and crime prevention. We ensure that Douglas County youth are equipped for long-term workforce success. So we'll look at how our budget and grant funds will achieve these outcomes. The budget goes directly into the community. The vast majority of this funding is dedicated to program staffing, facilitation, and equipping our lights lab with the industry-ready tools youth need to succeed. The remainder sustains essential operations, outreach, and evaluation to guarantee the measurable outcomes we promised. Every dollar was intentionally budgeted to maximize direct services. Thank you.

Any questions for her?

Almost there. All right, our next. All right, thank you. Our next presenter is Feed Douglas Cooperative.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair and Commissioners. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I am Reverend Edward Richardson, co-pastor of the Love Christian Center, located at 3500 Georgia Highway 5, where the beautiful Reverend Dr. Lasanya Richardson is the senior pastor. Today I stand to speak for the Feed Douglas Cooperative. Feed Douglas Cooperative is a partnership of seven charitable food organizations operating 11 food distribution sites throughout Douglas County. Together we serve more than 18,000 residents, including over 7,400 children who experience food insecurity. We also assist approximately 5,000 hardworking families who earn too much to qualify for federal food assistance, but who still struggle to provide consistent meals for their families. Simply put, our mission is to ensure that every neighbor in Douglas County has access to nutritious food and the dignity that comes with knowing their next meal is within reach. With your investment, Fee Douglas Cooperative will distribute approximately 25,000 pounds of food while serving an estimated 4,500 household visits across Douglas County. Because every member organization already reports food distribution data through the Atlanta Community Food Bank, we have proven accountability system already in place. We can accurately measure results, monitor performance, and provide the county with clear reports demonstrating the impact of every dollar invested. We are committed to complete transparency and responsible stewardship of public funds. Crossroads Church will serve as the cooperative's fiscal agent, ensuring funds are distributed fairly based on each organization's documented service volume. Monthly financial reporting, oversight, and performance tracking will ensure every dollar is properly managed and produces measurable benefits for Douglas County residents. Supporting Feed Douglas Cooperative directly advances the goals of Douglas Forward 2025 by promoting economic prosperity, improving public health, and strengthening community partnerships. Collectively, our member organizations invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in Douglas County every year while distributing more than 3 million pounds of food. Today, we respectfully request $100,000 investment. That investment translates to approximately $22 per household. Thank you very much.

Any questions for Pastor Richardson for the commission? No questions.

Thank you.

Mm-hm. Okay we're going to go back to.

Angels in progress, come up.

while we're waiting for the commissioners it has come to my attention we had 3 additional applicants come in as well with their I hope to have the power point presentations and certainly want to give them an opportunity because this is our listening session since we're moving quickly we had 3 additional people that came in I guess I'm not sure the right problem here to power.

Right now chair of some say that we have the following presentation. Materials weren't uploaded but we're going to give them an opportunity and I'm going to turn it over to our intern I've been to to loaded and get them up and ready.

Yeah, what's the name of the organization so we can.

I have been slated at number 31. We have an organization, Brothers Brunch, present. However, they do not have a presentation. We have Scene Generation, Symmetry Lens, and Douglasville Tiger Clubs.

So we have... Could you look at this once again, please? Central Baptist Church.

We have Central Baptist Church Community Housing, Douglasville Tiger Clubs, Symmetry Lens, and the STEAM Generation.

Madam Chair. So which one of those that didn't you say didn't have a presentation? I think you said.

Brothers Brunch Foundation did not have a presentation for here for today. But they are in the building.

I was going to say, but do they, they don't, it's not a requirement. It would be suggested that they have a presentation or is that a requirement that.

I believe the policy is a required presentation.

Required a presentation.

May I get 33 again, please?

Steam generation.

Sorry, 33 was symmetry lens, and then 34 was the steam generation. Okay.

Are we ready to move.

Yes, we can before with central Baptist Church.

All right central Baptist Church.

Yes.

Yes. If you could just once you start speaking, tell us who you are. Okay.

Good afternoon, Chairman, Commissioners, and members of the Review Committee. My name is Chris Walls, and it is an honor to represent Central Baptist Church of Douglasville. I want to begin with a picture. Imagine an 82-year-old grandmother, her poor steps are weakening, and every time she leaves home, she is afraid one bad fall could change her life. Or imagine a resident using a wheelchair who cannot safely enter or exit their own home without help. That is who this grant is about. Today we are requesting a $25,000 community impact grant, not simply to repair homes, but to restore safety, preserve independence, and improve quality of life for Douglas County residents. I'll go to the next one. Since 2015, Central Baptist Church Community Housing Repair Ministry has served Douglas County residents through wheelchair ramps, porch and deck repairs, exterior painting, and other critical home repairs. We primarily serve seniors, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and families experiencing financial hardship, people who want to remain safely in their homes but cannot complete these repairs on their own. This grant also supports our partnership with World Changers, allowing volunteers to come into Douglas County and serve the residents directly. Many homeowners are not asking for cosmetic upgrades. They are asking for safety, access, and dignity. Some cannot climb unselfish steps, some have porches or decks that are no longer secure, and others are elderly, disabled, or financially limited. Referrals come from Douglas County Senior Services, non-profit partnerships, and the public. That means the need is already being seen across this community. Our goal is simple, help residents remain safe, independent, and stable in their own homes while improving accessibility and reducing preventable hazards. This project produces clear, measurable results. These are not just numbers on a slide. Each completed project represents a resident who can move more safely, a family member who receives needed support, and a homeowner that becomes more secure and accessible for their home. Every dollar invested in materials is multiplied by hundreds of donated volunteer labor hours. Every grant dollar will purchase materials only. The request includes 9,000 for wheelchair ramp materials, 6,000 for exterior painting materials, 9,000 for porch and dead replacement materials, and 1,000 for nonprofit project supplies. And because the volunteer labor is donated, the county is not paying for labor. That makes this an extremely cost-effective investment. The grant buys the materials, and the volunteers turn those materials into completed repairs for Douglas County residents. This project strengthens neighborhoods, improves accessibility, and supports the seniors. So therefore, this request is more than a request for building materials. It is an investment in the people.

Thank you. Any questions for Mr. Walts? Any questions?

No questions. Thank you. Mm-hmm.

Next on the list is symmetry lens.

Good afternoon, everyone.

I appreciate you for taking the time to listen to my pitch on today. My name is Emmanuel Laylaw. I'm a graduate of Morehouse College. I'm also an alumnus of Lydia Springs High School, class of 2016. And it's a pleasure to speak with you all today. So the community service project that we'll be applying for Symmetry Lens is a youth center public art program that'll be rooted here in Douglas County. And the goal is to do two cohorts over two separate seasons, engaging 30 to 40 young people. As a product of Douglas County, I can speak to my experience attending a dual degree program at West Georgia Tech and being unable to complete it due to a circumstance at home. But when I look back now with hindsight, if I would have known that there would have been movie studios built 10 years in the future, I may have been able to stay a bit more committed to that program instead of finding other things to do with my time. As someone that's received multiple grants from the National Black Arts Festival, Fulton County Arts and Culture, and things of that nature, I would like to serve as a catalyst for some of the youth in the area to see a vision as to where they could be in the future if they lean into the arts and culture. As I mentioned before, our goal is to engage 30 to 40 youth across two to three sites. In addition, we would like to create two public permanent installations. Through several relationships I've been able to build throughout my professional career, we will avail different resources and things of that nature to make these initiatives possible. The way that we'll go about managing funds is by establishing a dedicated bank account, also by utilizing QuickBooks training. Our account specialist recently just attended a training with the University of Georgia's SBDC. In addition, we plan to ensure that we have compliance for all of our program activities. And in terms of the leadership for the program, myself, I will direct the program, whereas we plan to hire a part-time coordinator. who will handle data logistics and participant communications, whether that be with the youth and their families. So with that being said, we're asking for $20,500. And with personnel being the largest investment, I will say that A big proponent and takeaway from this program is to be able to leverage the experiences of my fellow Douglas County alum that have been able to be successful in the music and arts entertainment industry and getting them to be able to come back and pour it back into the community. But it's difficult to do that without payments and stipends and things of that nature. And the way that this program aligns with Douglas County's strategic vision for the next five years is advancing arts participation and building economic opportunity through community vitality. Thank you so much.

All right. Thank you. Any questions more? No questions. Thank you. Thank you.

Our next presentation is the STEAM Generation.

STEAM Generation.

Good afternoon, chairwomen and commissioners. My name is Maureen Myrie, the president and CEO of the STEAM Generation. For 11 years, TSG has brought hands-on out-of-school time enrichment, STEAM enrichment, directly to Douglas County communities, to schools, parks, and neighborhood venues. We are a Georgia-based nonprofit with a simple but powerful mission to advance pre-K through high school educational experiences by providing innovation, out of school time science, technology, engineering, art integration, and mathematics programming to students who need it the most. We offer 15 different disciplines in engineering. Our mobile delivery model means we go where families are, reducing the barriers to participation. Today, we are requesting $15,000 from the Douglas County Board of Commissioners to implement STEAM Pathways, a six model program that will serve a minimum of 125 unduplicated Douglas County youth in 2026. Every dollar requested goes directly to young people in this community. The need in Douglas County is documented and urgent. Census track 800.03, where our primary program sites are located, has a poverty rate of 34.1%. More than three times the county average. Nearly half of the children under 18 in this community live in poverty. Paid enrichment is simply out of reach for most families here. TSG removes every barrier. We bring programming directly to where families are. Our outcomes are specific and verified. We target 80% of participating youth showing measurable STEM skills from pre and post assessments to 75% demonstrating increased interest in STEAM career pathways. Every school age participant receives both assessments. TSG maintains full attendance logs, outcome data, and family engagement records for county reporting. TSD directly advances Douglas County priorities around youth development, economic mobility, and equity. STEAM occupations projects to grow over at more than four times the rate of non-STEAM jobs with a median wage income of over $100,000. Access to the pipeline starts now. On the fiscal side, myself as the CEO, focus on compliance. A dedicated CPA tracks our spending and program activity, and we are committed to program reporting. TSG, here's exactly how we would spend our funding. $15,000 will be used to provide school break camps, after school programs, and workshops. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other questions? Any questions?

Okay, no questions. Okay, that concludes here, so now we're gonna switch up. We've got cool kids in our last,

Okay. Cool kids. You can come on down. Thank you.

Okay. Okay.

Great afternoon, beautiful faces. I am Angel Nathan, and I am the founder of Cool Kids Read Book Club. Cool Kids Read Book Club is not your average book club. We are all about making literacy come to life. So our students, they are not only learning literacy and reading through hands-on experiences, but also the background of being dyslexia specialists, a reading specialist, and we're implementing the standards. So who do we serve? We serve students through Douglas County, elementary through high school students, students performing at below our grade level, students who just simply love reading, students who are at risk for summer reading loss, families seeking affordable literacy enrichment, and of course, schools and organizations who are enhancing the youth. Our literacy model, very simple. We assess, teach, practice, apply, and measure. So what does that look like in an actual classroom setting? We do pre-assessment, small group reading, guided reading. After we do our pre-assessments, of course, we do our measurable outcomes through post-assessments, reading growth, student engagement, reading confidence, student attendance, and parent surveys. And my favorite, having the students speak for their self, for their love, a cool kids read book club. Financial stewardship and accountability. When awarded funding, Cool Kids Read Book Club will implement the following financial controls. Business bank accounts, approved budget, monthly expense tracking, receipts and documentation, financial reports, program evaluations, and grant reporting. Although Cool Kids Read Book Club have been in business for the last five years, we are a newly organization as a nonprofit. community impact douglas county priorities versus cool kids read responsibilities douglas county priority education youth development family engagement academic success and community partnerships that's where cool kids read covers those responsibilities so from education we're able to increase literacy enrichment out of school after school programs literacy nights reading interventions and my favorite school and non-profit gatherings investing in literacy will increase douglas county investment literacy educators student books curriculum supplies assessments and parent engagement when we make that investment into douglas county communities then cool kids read is able to have students with home libraries track reading growth hands-on lessons measurable outcomes events and literacy nights in the community and i'm able to pay educators to deliver effective ELA standards and all the activities. We partner with other people in the community based off the book that we're reading. So if we're reading a book that takes place and the main characters are cutting hair, we partner with our local barber shops and our students cut hair as well. So whatever the students are doing in the book, our students do it in real life.

Thank you.

Yes, so basically I was just saying whatever we're reading in the book, we make sure our students in Cool Kids Read Book Club have the opportunity to do that in real life. Whether it's a fishing field trip, partner with local cosmetology schools, bakeries, whatever's taking place in the book, they're doing it in real life. thank you thank you for the commissioners yeah commissioner mitchell what was their request what was the request i apologize the request is 20 20 to 50 000. 20 000 to 50 000. okay so what's your request 50 000. okay thank you you're welcome all right

Okay. I want to thank you to all the participants who participated. This concludes our presentation and I will yield it back to Madam Chair.

Thank you so much, Executive Assistant, to the County Administrator. Thank you so much. Let me start by saying my heart is touched immensely by the significant contributions and vested interests in Douglas County from the underserved perspective and those are in need. I did everything I could to keep them crying because of all the great work that's being done here to support the citizens of Douglas County. I want to assure you that this was a very progressive project for the Board of Commissioners and all five of us were interested in hearing what you had to say today. Rather than looking at a piece of paper, you have set the tone for our perspectives. But today we won't make any decisions on the floor because we have to go and huddle like a football team and put our heads together. And to just make it clear, there's only so much funding out there that we can perhaps provide. But we listen to each one of you all, we listen to your perspectives, and certainly we will report back momentarily. But I will yield the floor to the. uh vice chair and then just on across the district one commissioner two and three commissioners if they had some words to add but again thank you again for coming out this was really uh great uh for me to hear today and uh i yield the floor to you vice chair i'll just be quick i just want to say thank you for your presentations because looking on some of these sheets in regards to your organization's name it doesn't really tell us a lot

So, I greatly appreciate you coming out and explaining what you do. It gives us a better insight when we're trying to plan how to distribute these funds. And thank you for taking the time to come out and present in front of us. And I'll yield to Commissioner Mitchell.

I'll just ditto what you said. I mean, it just makes sense. I'm glad to see and hear from those of you who are making the request and kind of what you're doing. And we can kind of put a face with the name, with an organization, with all that good stuff. So, Job well done. I appreciate the time. Thank you again.

I just would echo my fellow commissioners but in addition to you all coming out I do want to say thank you for your patience in this progress we know that it has been a very long and drawn-out process just like it's the first time for most of you applying for funds like this is the Board of Commissioners first time trying to implement a program and so we're learning I hope that we can get a little bit more of a streamlined process the next time around, maybe have the presentations closer to the application process and things like that. So we will definitely work to make this better the next time around. A lot of you in the audience, I'm looking out at the faces, I know most of you have other full-time jobs that you took off from today to come and be here. participate in this program and so I do want to thank you for putting aside things that you have to do to come and tell us what you're passionate about and what you want to do for the community we don't take that lightly and we definitely will make sure that the process is better moving forward but we do appreciate your patience and good luck to all of you thank you

COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER KENNA-JOHNSON, COMMISSIONER OF DISTRICT 3, COMMISSIONER MARTIN.

WELL, THANK YOU, MA'AM CHAIR, AND I JUST WANT TO FIRST START OFF BY THANKING MY FELLOW BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE I KNEW THAT THIS WAS A REQUIREMENT AS WE WERE PUTTING TOGETHER THE RIGOR AND THE VETTING FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS. SO I DO WANT TO THANK THEM FOR BEING A PART OF THIS AND ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN HEARING FROM EACH ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY BOARDS ORGANIZATIONS AND NONPROFITS THAT WERE HERE TODAY SO FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM AND THEN ADDITIONALLY OUR STAFF And our staff has spent a lot of time going through pouring through applications making recommendations that came forth to the board for us to review and putting this process together where we could actually hear from you because I think it is very important that not only do we see in the community, but we know more about what you're doing for the community and how you point back into those that you serve. so for that i also thank you for taking your time out taking time out of your day jobs family time and being here because this was very very critical as we make the decisions moving forward with the limited amount of resources and funds that we have available in the 2026 csp process so i do have further questions but as far as comments at this time i'm sure i'll go ahead and hear the floor back to you and say thank you

Thank you so much Commissioner Braxton and certainly last but certainly not least want to give honor and respect to Dr. David Corbin who's our county administrator who drove the process along with our chief of staff and our assistant county administrator Tiffany Stewart Stanley and certainly our grants manager. Jill, where are you? Oh, you're in the back. And then the entire, I know you had a select team that helped look through these, some of our managing directors, and I don't have all their names before me, but want to just express my deep appreciation, and also on behalf of the Board of Commissioners, for all the hard work. This was a tremendous amount. work and an undertaking that's never been done here in the county and we certainly want to make sure I'm telling you today this was amazing just to hear the love that that's being poured into our citizens that really makes a difference to me because I was just kind of okay okay I saw some tissues right to the right of me. I almost came and grabbed that box, but I thought I would just compose myself. But again, thank you all for coming out today, sharing what you do in the community and how you make a big difference. And you will hear from us very soon. Chief of Staff, I know you are running things. Do you have anything to say?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to thank everyone for coming in, doing such a great job with their presentations. I will compile the information that was presented today, and I will work with Ms. Hopson and Ms. Ferris to present some information to the county administrator, and then we will get with the board very shortly to give you all information as to how we move forward the next couple days.

Okay. County Administrator, out of respect, do you have a few words?

I think you have all said it wonderfully well.

okay thank you but again thank you all everybody to come out board of commissioners do we have anything else to come before this body today okay we do have our voting meeting tomorrow our legislative voting meeting tomorrow morning at 10 a.m and would love to see all of y'all here or those you could join us uh online online uh and if not for the commissioners do we have a motion to adjourn so moved second We have a motion and a second on the floor to adjourn. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion? We have a motion and a second. All in favor, please cast your votes. I can't tell you what to say. But I know what you're going to say. We have a 5-0 unanimous vote to adjourn, and the meeting is adjourned. Thank you so much, and have a great day. And thank you all again for coming out.