The Latest News from TPA

City of Emeryville Receives $190,000 Grant and Opens Family Resource and Wellness Center

On March 26, 2013, the Emery Unified School District held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of the Family Resource and Wellness Center, located in Emeryville. The ceremony was attended by local partners that made the project possible, including: Emeryville Mayor Kurt Brinkman, Emery Unified School Board Members Josh Simon and Miguel Dwin, and Superintendent DebbraLindo, as well as staff and students of Emery Unified.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was the culmination of years of effort planning to finalize the Family Resource and Wellness Center. In 2009, Townsend Public Affairs worked closely with the School District and Congress Member Barbara Lee to secure a $190,000 federal appropriation to help facilitate the establishment of the Center. Since then, Wellness and Food Services Director, Juliette Dunn, and staff have worked to develop targeted programs and establish partnerships within the community to ensure the successful opening of the Center.

The operating center will serve as partner in the National Effective Parenting Initiative and work closely with the Emeryville Center for Community Life. The Family Resource and Wellness Center will also house the Emeryville Council of Family Service Providers, which will offer Emeryville residents access and referrals to area health and social services.

City of Tulare Receives $124,000 Grant for Fire Department

Townsend Public Affairs was successful in assisting the City of Tulare win a $123,600 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The City is located in one of the largest agricultural areas in the world, and is home to the world’s largest agriculture exposition, which attracts over 100,000 visitors per year. The Tulare Fire Department (TFD) protects the lives and property of the citizens of Tulare from the ravages of fire, exposure to hazardous materials and other perils, including disaster preparedness. TFD plans to purchase industry-standard monitors/defibrillators that are necessary to providing adequate fire safety and emergency services to the community.

AFG grants provide funding to assist fire departments in obtaining critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources. This funding could not have come at a more perfect time as the City continues to face increasing budget reductions and a growing service population.

Orange County Conservation Corps

Townsend Public Affairs is proud to highlight a new client, the Orange County Conservation Corp (OCCC). The OCCC is a non-profit institution that serves young, at-risk adults through workforce development, training and educational initiatives that build self-sufficiency and benefit the community through conservation-related projects. The OCCC recently expanded its reach by opening a charter school in Fullerton, providing Corps Members with an opportunity to obtain a GED and continue on whether it be vocational training or higher education.

The OCCC is affiliated with the broader California Association of Local Conservation Corps, The Corps Network (formally NASCC), and other youth service organizations. Funding is provided through the California Department of Conservation as well as individual and corporate contributions, grants, contracts and entrepreneurial projects.

We are excited to work with the OCCC to seek funding for its programs and priorities and broaden the public awareness of its efforts. To learn more, you can visit their website, http://www.occcorps.org/

City of Oakland Receives $7.8 Million Grant for Fire Department

Townsend Public Affairs is proud to announce the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded the City of Oakland a $7.8 million grant from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. This vital funding will allow the Oakland Fire Department to hire 24 firefighters to address the growing demand for public safety services in the City.

“This highly competitive funding is critical to improving public safety and ensuring 24-hour staff coverage by hiring new and laid-off Oakland firefighters,” said Congress member Barbara Lee. “As Oakland and our nation continue to recover from the greatest economic downturn since the great depression, federal investments in public sector hiring are critical to moving our economy forward.”

Oakland—the eighth largest city in California with a population of approximately 390,000 residents will greatly benefit from the SAFER program seeing as it provides funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase the number of trained, “front line” firefighters available in their communities. TPA worked closely with the Mayor, her office, and the Oakland Fire Department to submit the application to ensure it would match the goals and priorities of FEMA. Once submitted, TPA led the efforts to successfully advocate on behalf of the City and was part of the team to secure these much needed funds.

Orange County Great Park Receives $45,000 Grant for Transit Service

Townsend Public Affairs assisted the Orange County Great Park, in partnership with the City of Irvine, to apply and secure $45,000 in funding to provide shuttle service to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon and XPO.

The funding helped to provide continuous, dedicated shuttle service from the Irvine Transportation Center to the Great Park on two consecutive weekends of the major international event and competition: October 5 and 6, and October 12 and 13 of 2013. Many visitors will utilize the iShuttle as the Irvine Transportation Center represents the second busiest train station in Orange County and serves as a hub for many regional and local bus routes. With the iShuttle service, Southern California residents throughout the region were able to easily get to the Solar Decathlon without an automobile. In addition, the project aligns with the goals of AQMD to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing vehicle traffic in and around the Great Park.

Working with City of Irvine and Orange County Great Park staff, Townsend Public Affairs identified this funding opportunity, crafted and submitted the application, and then assisted with the necessary advocacy to secure funding.

For more information on the 2013 Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, please visit here.

City of Fullerton Wins Gang Reduction Funding Worth $1 Million

In an effort to minimize gang activity and crime in the City of Fullerton, a collaborative effort was put forth by the City, community-based organizations, schools and local law enforcement. As one component of these efforts, the City applied for a California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) grant.

With Townsend Public Affairs efforts and advocacy, the City was successfully awarded the 2012/14 CalGRIP grant. Fullerton was the only city in Orange County to be awarded this grant. They were fully funded for $500,000 with a $500,000 match, making it a $1 million project.

The overarching project goal is to continue the City’s work to reduce the ever-rising number of intergenerational gang members and to continue building on the momentum generated by the focused approach to suppress, intervene and prevent gang violence.