H.R. No. 1254 R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, Consuelo Mendez Middle School in the Austin Independent School District is hosting Dove Springs Community Family Health Day on March 31, 2011; and WHEREAS, The Dove Springs community in southeast Austin is a dense and heavily populated working class neighborhood that is seeing a resurgence after a period in which gang violence was a problem; Family Health Day is being held to encourage participants to learn more about available resources that promote the health, education, and well-being of area children and their families; and WHEREAS, The Mendez Community/School Alliance, under the leadership of The Austin Project, is bringing together a number of important community groups to host this exciting event; The Austin Project, a local nonprofit organization that identifies needs and gaps in services and works to strengthen families, improve education, and promote early literacy, developed the Family Resource Center at Consuelo Mendez Middle School to provide assistance to families who need to obtain affordable housing, health insurance, emergency health care, employment, legal aid, and adult education and to facilitate parent involvement in the school and community; and WHEREAS, Among other groups participating in Family Health Day are Communities in Schools of Central Texas, which focuses on keeping children in school until they graduate, the Coordinated Approach To Child Health Program, which promotes healthy behavioral changes, and the 78744 Community Youth Development Program, which emphasizes youth leadership and crime prevention; and WHEREAS, Additional participants in the event are the Veritas Educational Foundation, a faith-based nonprofit, and the River City Youth Foundation, which seeks to mobilize the community against street crime by addressing such issues as substance abuse and community development; moreover, the Community Health Initiative Unit of the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department and the Austin ISD Parent Support Office will take part in the day's activities; and WHEREAS, Children are the Lone Star State's most precious resource, and by working to ensure the well-being of all young people in the community, these worthy organizations are helping to bring about a brighter future for Austin and all of Texas; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby recognize March 31, 2011, as Dove Springs Community Family Health Day at Consuelo Mendez Middle School and extend to all participants sincere best wishes for an informative and successful event; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the Mendez Community/School Alliance as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Rodriguez ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1254 was adopted by the House on May 19, 2011, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House