Travis County Commissioners Court
September 22, 2009,
Item 4
4.
approve proclamation saluting river city youth foundation on their 25 years of service and proclaim Friday, September 25, 2009 as "river city youth day" in Travis County.
>> mona gonzalez, would you and your supporters come up, please.
and this is in salute of an organization that has done tremendous work in dove springs with the -- with the kids and the families there.
whereas river city youth foundation was established 25 years ago, to provide comprehensive wrap-around services to those who are critically in need of -- in the dove springs community.
and, whereas, river city youth foundation has been able to give low income, high risk youth the opportunities and infrastructure to break the mindset of poverty in literacy and crime in their communities.
and, whereas, river city youth foundation has been instrumental in producing our future professionals for the next millennium.
and, whereas, river city youth foundation will continue to foster positive participation in school, academic achievement, positive self image, personal growth and good citizenship and its participant for many more years to come.
now therefore be it proclaimed that we the Travis County Commissioners court do hereby declare sent 25th, 2009, as -- September 25th, 2009 as river city youth foundation day in Travis County, Texas.
be it further proclaimed that the court salutes river city youth foundation on their 25th anniversary and their commitment to the betterment of our community and the future of our youth.
and I would move approval.
>> second.
>> > good morning.
>> good morning.
>> good morning.
>>
>> [inaudible - no mic]
>> president for river city youth and on behalf of the board, just want to express our sincere appreciation for y'all's support for the last 25 years.
river city has been -- as Commissioner Gomez said, a very safe haven with kids of dove springs.
and it is greatly appreciated your support.
it allows us to -- to meet our mission, which is very simply to -- to help the youth and families live a safe, healthy, and prosperous life and again it is greatly appreciated and now I would like to introduce the founding executive director,
>> [indiscernible]
>> thank you, robert.
>> good morning.
it's an honor to receive this proclamation on behalf of over a quarter of a million people whose lives have been touched by the this grassroots agency since 1983.
indeed it was the Travis County Commissioners court that provided seed funds in 1983 to start river city youth foundation, which at that time was called south Austin youth services.
your investment was matched by the city very quickly the next year and the rest is now history.
it's a rich history of dedicated counseling, mentoring, nutritious meals, career awareness, college preparation, all kinds of wonderful things including the wonderful community events that draw together thousands and thousands of people to celebrate families and community.
two of those wonderful families are with us today.
the garcias and the martinezs.
raise your hands, the garcias?
and the martinezes?
i -- at this time, I really want to introduce I'm going to come back to the families in just a moment.
i have someone to my right, you recognize him.
he is a former city council member, but we know him as bob.
he just lives down the street from river city youth foundation, he and his family have chosen to live their days there.
he is the owner of the old time clock shop, been around for many, many years.
but I'm really, really honored that he took the time to join us here this morning.
bob larson.
>> judge, Commissioners, good morning.
>> good morning.
>> thank you for honoring mona gonzalez in this way.
i'm here today representing my neighbors, the southeast corner alliance of neighbors and the dove springs neighborhood.
about 25 years ago, when I first met mona, she came to our neighborhood and asked to meet with the neighborhood organization.
at that time she was working out of her car.
i remember that truck was full of files that she had on different families.
and my wife and I were honored to have one of those first meetings in our living room, so we will always be proud of having some small -- some small part in launching mona's efforts.
certainly over the last 25 years she has worked tirelessly to improve the conditions in our neighborhood, improve the lot of many of our families and especially working with our youth.
we still have problems in dove springs.
we still have some drug activity, some break-ins.
i hate to imagine how much worse it would be without the efforts of mona gonzalez over the last 25 years.
it's been an honor working with her, although sometimes I feel I work for her, she's a wonderful leader so I don't mind that at all.
but we're hoping she will stick with us.
over the last 25 years mona has had other opportunities, but she felt a strong dedication to our part of town, our senate bills, for that we will be eternally grateful.
thank you so much for honoring her today.
>> thank you.
i would like to return to the most important part of life at river city foundation, that is the children and the families.
as I mentioned over a quarter of a million people have been reached through this grassroots organization, the little engine that could.
today we are joined here by the garcia family and the garcias are an exemplary family whose kids actually started at teenagers in 19836789 they were students at -- in 1983.
they were students at travis high school.
today they are not only proud parents, bulls proud but d grandparents and grade grandparents.
we have impacted intergenerationally, families all over Austin.
she tells me that she learned that charity begins at home.
that's really consistent with our mission at river city.
we empower parents to raise their families.
her kids learned what a lot of other kids learned and that is that community service is a value, it is to be cherished, to be respected.
it's to be done with integrity and purpose.
her kids, she says, stayed out of trouble and pursued positive goals, including education.
raising a strong and healthy family and giving back to their community.
so at our event on Friday, they will be honored.
along with -- along with martinez and his children,
>> [indiscernible], adriana and jr.
they are exemplary parents.
they came from a foreign country.
no one knew english.
they came day in and day out to river city youth foundation.
they were there all the time.
they reaped the benefits of the year round after school program.
not only did they learn english, but today have a good landscaping business and the children are absolutely thriving in school and they are all getting ready for college and careers.
so a new era of services is upon us.
i've been asked are you going retire?
my dear mentor, dear friend, willie kocurek would not have it any other way but to say you do not retire, you refire.
>> [laughter] together, we must scale the problems of poverty.
can't do it alone.
we have to do it together.
we have to revitalize dove springs, we have to do it soon because we're running out of time.
we're going to have this event that I want you to come to, Margaret I know that you are going to be there.
because -- because you are one of our performing acts.
that's right, Commissioner Gomez will be singing with the mariachi band, you need to come on out and celebrate with us, September 25th at the monarch center.
we still have tickets, we're almost sold out.
but to the viewing audience, please contact us, preferably by website, rivercityyouth.org and get your tickets.
we are going to be commemorating, celebrating, laughing, crying, but together we're going to be creating the future that is our theme.
we're going to do it in unity, with purpose and we're going to do it with courage, because without those things we can't do it.
and we'll be celebrating the contributions of those who planted their seeds during their season.
people like a.b.
cantu, mr.
g, roy guerrero, ann richards, willie kocurek, sally ship man, anna cisneros, the list is really long, of all of the people without whom we could not be with you today.
so you are in for a treat, don't miss it.
it's this Friday.
i also wanted to recognize my family, without whom I could not be here today.
this is a -- a ministry for me, you know that, this is something that I do with all my heart.
but I have to have a committed family.
and I've had that.
and today joining me is my mom, la senora gonzalez.
>> [ applause ]
>> she and my family raised me to believe that we could make a difference.
she is a strong, faithful woman, a woman of faith, and she and her group of senoras, the ladies aglow group, for 25 years have been meeting weekly and lifting up this agency in prayer.
so -- so they asked me how to do it and I said on our knees.
and that is the truth.
so -- so to god be the glory for all he has done and for all that he's yet to do.
each of you, this is your season to help, the transfer of power and the transfer of responsibility happens eventually.
this is our season to make a big difference.
and we humbly thank each and every one of you.
>> thank you.
you mentioned a little bit ago about the
>> [indiscernible] folks that wanted to contact you especially with the -- in the event of dealing with your tickets.
you mentioned that website.
could you mention that again and also a telephone number.
just in case persons that are not in the computer world may also be able to contact you.
>> ron, thank you for bringing that up.
it's www.rivercityyouth.org.
and the phone number to call is 440-1111.
it is the same number that we've had for 25 years.
every kid in south Austin and saint john's and dove springs and throughout have memorize ared that number.
i see them at h.e.b.
they say I still know that number, 440-1111.
>> judge, gus pena.
i've known mona for many years, I do say praise god and jesus for everything that she has done.
i met mona when she established the neighborhood protection committee, we were working with kids at risk, I hate that title, unfortunately that's what the government has placed on it.
i was a member of dove springs recreation center advisory board along pan am recreation advisory board.
mona is tireless.
i do thank her parents, but thank god and jesus for giving her to us to improve the quality of life, not only the people in the dove springs area, but also as she mentioned saint john's, central east Austin, where I grew up.
mona, I -- I -- I haven't been able to be here with y'all because I have other things to do, but I know that surrounding you are a good people and we would like to thank her for her assistance to the communities.
not only to the kids and the parents but also people that are homeless, thanksgiving drives, christmas drives, assistance to families.
outreach, her outreach is second to none.
and she deserves these accolades and many more.
again I thank our lord jesus christ for giving the stint, courage and wisdom to -- the strength, courage and wisdom to be helping the kids out there.
improve the quality of life.
i will say, there I will never forget the barbecue benefit when they were building the swimming pool up there.
lucio was only yay high, now of course he's 17, yay tall, we oleander a lot from you, we learned to be more how many bell and modest.
i thank the Commissioners court for the outreach and help that you all have done, may the lord continue to bless you, thank you for everything.
>> thank you.
>> anybody else?
>> thank you, judge, I'm jimmy castro, I wanted to thank a moment to first thank mona gonzalez.
when I first moved to Austin in 1978, I was with the Austin city council of pta's here in Austin.
when we started looking at the dropout program here in Austin, with the Austin independent school district, we checked I discovered that the number one contact that everybody was talking about was check with mona gonzalez.
then later when I joined the what do you call it, Austin independent school district counselor advisory committee, it was the same thing from the school staff.
who should we hear from first about what we should do about youth in Austin.
mona gonzalez.
when I was a volunteer with the hispanic chamber of commerce serving in their education committee, the board and chamber there said first we need to check with mona gonzalez.
about youth at work after school programs and also training for after graduation.
check with mona gonzalez.
when I joined the school to work committee for the greater Austin chamber of commerce, again, everyone there at the table said before we do anything, we need to check with mona gonzalez.
and then later, when Austin city council had their candidate forums, the candidates discovered before they could answer any questions about juvenile youth at risk, they have to check with mona gonzalez.
she was right there at every public hearing in the second row.
i just want to let mona, say thank you for all of your hard work, not only contributions to children, youth in southeast Austin, but all of Austin, including north Austin.
we appreciate it.
and all the parents and families do.
but again congratulations.
on a job well done.
>> [ applause ]
>> I think we can agree jimmy has been very busy going to all of those different groups.
>> okay.
let's -- let's -- this may be a good time to call up number 5.
on number 4 there's a motion and a second, right?
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 1:30 PM
