# Presentation: 497487

## The Alabama Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Montgomery, AlabamaFebruary 8, 2006

**The Alabama Governor’s Office ****of ****Faith-Based and Community Initiatives ****Montgomery, Alabama****February 8, 2006**

**Notes:**

 Welcome to the In-State Policy Academy: Improving Access to Mainstream Services for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness.

 Help to guide the Governor’s Statewide Interagency Council on Homelessness

 Introduce yourself

 I wanted to take this opportunity to:
		- give you an overview of the GFBCI, 
		- explain our role with The Council
		- express what we hope to accomplish as we work together on 	  this important issue

- 	*The mission of the GFBCI is to build the capacity of individuals and organizations to serve and transform the communities in which they live and to serve as a bridge between government and community. *

**Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives**

## The GFBCI Works to:

- 	Increase an ethic of service and volunteerism in the State of Alabama.
- 	Increase the capacity of faith and community-based organizations within the state to better compete for funding opportunities.
- 	Increase collaboration among the people and organizations that are trying to meet the greatest need of our state.

## The Primary Functions of the GFBCI: 

- Provide education about the Faith-Based Initiative in Alabama
- Alabama State Service Commission (AmeriCorps)
- 	State AmeriCorps Programs
- 	Planning Grants
- Citizen Corps Program

## The Primary Functions of the GFBCI: 

- Volunteer and Donation Management for the State Emergency Support Function #14
- Grants Management of Hurricane Ivan Relief funds
- Alabama VISTA Disaster Response and Recovery Project
- Lead agency for the Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness

## Governor’s Statewide Interagency Council on Homelessness

*Work completed to date:*
**Policy Academy, April 2005 **
- Homeless Families with Children
**Executive Order #31**

*(Camellia, State Flower of Alabama**)*

**Notes:**
 In April of 2005 Alabama participated in a Policy Academy in Houston Texas

 Policy Academy focused on the largest growing homelessness segment: Families with Children.

 The work in Houston helped lead to the creation of a coordinated effort in Alabama to end homelessness.

 Gov Riley signed Executive Order #31

## Governor Riley Signs Executive Order 31

**Governor Riley Signs Executive Order 31**

- Creates *Governor’s Statewide Interagency Council on Homelessness*
- Requires the development of the *State of Alabama Homeless Action Plan to End Homelessness*

**Notes:**
 Governor Bob Riley signed Executive Order 31 on August 11, 2005 creating the Governor’s Statewide Interagency Council on Homelessness.  

 The Council was formed, in part,  to develop and implement a 10-year plan to prevent and end homelessness in Alabama.

 Is a collaboration among government agencies, the private sector, and service provider networks.  

 I am pleased that the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives has been designated the lead agency on this important effort. 

## Role of the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

**Role of the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives**

**Executive Director of GFBCI is to Chair the Council**
**GFBCI will provide staff assistance to the Council**
**	**
** ****Creation of AmeriCorps VISTA program**

**Notes:**
 Gov. Riley was unique in the nation by making the lead agency of the Governor’s Statewide Interagency Council on Homelessness a faith-based agency.  

 Recognition of the hard-work and dedication of faith-based groups

 As the lead agency the GFBCI is to act as the co-chair and provide staff and administrative support to the council.

 In order to best serve the needs of the Council our office has started an AmeriCorps VITSA program.

## AmeriCorps VISTA Program

**AmeriCorps VISTA Program**

**Alabama Disaster Response and Recovery Team**
**Two AmeriCorps VISTA members to work full time with the Council****	**

**Notes:**
 Created the Alabama Disaster Response and Recovery Team to address the needs of our state to respond and prepare for natural disasters.  

 The Team is comprised of AmeriCorp VISTA members  who serve in our state for one year.

 Effectively doubled the size of the office and increased our ability to serve the people of Alabama.

 Of the eight member team, two of the VISTA members are assigned to serve full-time with the Council and to support the goals of the Council.

 The AmeriCorp VISTA program will continue in our office for at least another three years.

## Future of the Council

**Future of the Council**

**	**
**In-State Policy Academy - Feb.  8-10, 2006**
**	**
**Full Council Meeting – March, 2006**
**	**
**Creation of initial ten-year plan - June 30, ****	****2006**
**Submit Annual Report – September 1, 2006**

**Notes:**
With the help of the AmeriCorps VISTA members we are ready to move forward with the goals of the Council.

Today marks our first in-state policy academy in Alabama.  
   build relationships between key stakeholders in the state 
  create an action plan 
  create ideas to develop a strategy

 On March there will be the first full meeting of Council as they we act on the work that we will do today.

 And by the end of June we will have together an initial  ten-year plan to end homelessness in Alabama.

 A lot of work to do.  But I am confident that working together we can get this important work done.

## Homelessness and Natural Disasters

**Homelessness and Natural Disasters**

**Saw the compassion of the people of Alabama**
**What can be accomplished when working together **
**Opportunity to create a plan with natural disasters in-mind**

**Notes:**
 Natural disasters  have created a delay in the activities of this Council as members worked to address the needs created by Hurricane Katrina.  

 As this region as seen, natural disasters tend to exacerbate the causes of homelessness.  

 Council was created 18 days before Katrina made landfall

 Unique opportunity to be the first state in the region to create a plan to end homelessness with the perspective of how natural disasters affect us.  

 With Hurricane Katrina we saw unimaginable destruction but we also witnessed the great compassion of the people of Alabama 

 In addition to natural disaster homelessness is also caused by small scale  disasters -- house fire, domestic abuse, mental health problems, and drug and alcohol abuse.

 If we can harness this same energy and collaboration as we saw with the Katrina disaster response to help those who are homeless because of a smaller disasters we can truly end homelessness in Alabama.  Only by working together can be end homelessness in this state

**Sydney Hoffman, Interim Executive Director**
**Lisa Castaldo, Program Officer**
** **
**The Governor’s Office of Faith-Based **
**and Community Initiatives**
**100 N. Union St., Suite 134**
**Montgomery, AL 36130**
**334-242-7110**
**www.servealabama.gov**