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ENGAGE - Children First/CIS
Advocacy Updates
Children First/Communities In
Schools of Buncombe County
Advocacy Update - April 22, 2008
Thank you for
taking action - the minutes you spend today can multiply
into a lifetime of difference for our children!
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Support funding to prevent juvenile crime - call your
legislators today
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Last year, the NC General Assembly did not allocate
recurring funds for the Juvenile Crime Prevention
Councils. If the General Assembly does not act swiftly,
programs that benefit our public safety and help steer
youth away from crime will loose $23 million in funding
on July 1st. These funds support programs in every NC
county to address the local needs of at-risk and
adjudicated youth.
Take Action: Call
your state legislators and ask them to restore to
recurring funding $23 million to Juvenile Crime
Prevention Councils (JCPCs) and invest an additional $8
million in these programs.
Contact info for
Buncombe County's legislators:
(If you need to
find out who represents you, visit
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us and use the field in the
right hand column "Who Represents Me?" to enter your
zip+4. Don't know your zip+4? Visit
usps.com)
- Senator Martin Nesbitt (District 49)
(919)715-3001 or (828)252-0490
martinn@ncleg.net
- Senator Tom Apodaca (District 48) (919)733-5745
or (828)696-0574
Toma@ncleg.net
- Representative Susan Fisher (District 114)
(919)715-2013 or (828)258-5355
Susanf@ncleg.net
- Representative Bruce Goforth (District 115)
(919)733-5746 or (828)298-6237
Bruceg@ncleg.net
- Representative Charles Thomas (District 116)
(919)715-3012 or (828)681-5516
Charlest@ncleg.net
Talking points:
- Funding distributed in Buncombe County through
the Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils (JCPC)
changes youth's lives and reduces delinquent
behavior and recidivism.
- Prevention programs reduce the need for
sentencing youth to costly detention centers.
- 525 at-risk and adjudicated youth were served by
JCPC-funded programs in Buncombe County during the
2006-07 school year.
- State funding for JCPC programming has not kept
up with inflation or increased need in Buncombe
County. Buncombe County receives about $500,000 a
year and that money leverages additional funds from
local government and private organizations. However,
demand for these JCPC funds exceeds the existing
resources. Additional funds would allow expanding
valuable services in our community.
- JCPC programs' success is well-documented
statewide and funding is needed immediately to
ensure that community programs can operate
uninterrupted into the new state fiscal year (begins
July 1, 2008).
- Investing additional dollars in the JCPCs will
help serve a growing juvenile population in North
Carolina. Dollars spent on JCPCs prevent future
state spending on expensive detention facilities,
jails, and prisons. It is less expensive to pay for
prevention.
Want to learn more about JCPCs? You can read the
Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention's continuation review on JCPCs at
http://www.ncdjjdp.org/news/2008/february/jcpc_cr.html
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A few seats left for 2008 Chlld Watch Tour - Reserve
one today!
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2008 Child Watch
Tour
Friday, May 2, 2008
12:30 - 4:30 PM
Topic: Positive
Alternatives to Youth Gangs and Crime
Reservations
required by April 23rd - call today!
Over the last year, Asheville has experienced a few
high-profile gang-related shootings involving our
community's youth. Asheville's gang activity and
violence predate these recent episodes. However, the
incidents have brought increased community attention to
the issue and increased law enforcement spending. Gangs
are symptoms of larger societal issues and often provide
youth with the respect, belonging, and power that can be
lacking in their homes, communities, and schools. As
community leaders, we must win the competition for our
youths' future in the face of gangs and a myriad of
underlying barriers to our youths' success. To be
successful, we need education and understanding of both
the barriers and successful interventions.
You can take a positive step for our youth by joining us
on Friday, May 2nd for the 12th Annual Child Watch Tour,
"Positive Alternatives to Youth Gangs and Crime," to
explore interventions for youth at-risk of joining gangs
or becoming involved in the criminal justice system. The
tour will visit Asheville Middle School, Caring for
Children's Crossroads Program, and the City of
Asheville's Reid Center. The tour will offer a mix of
speakers, including youth, and interactive exercises to
foster learning and dialogue on this topic.
The tour will be Friday, May 2, from 12:30 to 4:30 PM.
Participants will ride a tour bus to all locations.
Parking and registration will be at New Mt. Olive
Missionary Baptist Church (corner of Livingston and
Herman). Space is limited. Please RSVP to Greg Borom
with Children First at 828-259-9717 or
gregb@ChildrenFirstBC.org. |
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Come meet your legislators and learn about important
issues
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United Way of Buncombe County and 2-1-1 will host their
annual meeting with our state legislative delegation:
Monday, April 28th,
2008
8:45 am to 10:30 am
at AB Tech (Enka
Campus)
Haynes Building
Large Conference Room (2nd floor)
RSVP to Ruth Eaton
at Council on Aging (277-8288) or email
ruthe@coabc.org by Wednesday, April 24th
Presentations will be made on:
- "You can't win if you don't play": Increasing
food stamp enrollment in Western North Carolina; and
- In-home senior care: How government funding can
support quality of life for elderly citizens and
save taxpayer dollars.
Why YOU should attend:
- A chance to meet Buncombe County's legislators
face to face;
- Hear briefings on two important policy issues
impacting hunger and seniors in our county;
- Hear our state legislators outline their
priorities around health and human service issues in
the upcoming short session; and
- Network with other concerned community members
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Early voting and voter registration
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A North Carolina resident who is qualified to vote but
who misses the 25-day deadline for voter registration
may register and vote at a One-Stop Site during the
One-Stop Absentee Voting period. The One-Stop Voting for
the May primary is April 17th through May 3rd.
The process is sometimes referred to as "Same-Day
Registration," but it is important to recognize that it
is not permitted on Election Day itself.
To use this process, a citizen must:
- go to a One-Stop Voting Site in the county of
residence during the One-Stop Absentee Voting period
- fill out a voter registration application, and
- provide proof of residency by showing the
elections official an appropriate form of
identification with the citizen's current name and
current address.
The new registrant may vote ONLY at a One-Stop Absentee
Voting Site in the county of registration during
One-Stop Absentee Voting period and not on Election Day.
For more information on voting, polling places, and
registration visit:
http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/Election/ |
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Contact Information
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Greg Borom, Director of Advocacy and Community
Engagement
Tel: 828.259.9717
Mission: Children
First improves the lives of children, youth, and their
families through advocacy, community collaboration, and
programs.
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