| 1 | 1 | | 88R31848 BPG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Johnson, West S.R. No. 3 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Resource Center is celebrating its 40th anniversary |
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| 7 | 7 | | in 2023, and this milestone offers a welcome opportunity to |
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| 8 | 8 | | recognize its enduring service to the North Texas LGBTQIA+ |
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| 9 | 9 | | community and all people affected by HIV; and |
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| 10 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Established in 1983 as the Foundation for Human |
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| 11 | 11 | | Understanding, the organization's initial goal was achieving |
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| 12 | 12 | | recognition and equal rights for members of the area gay and lesbian |
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| 13 | 13 | | community; the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in 1985 brought a new |
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| 14 | 14 | | level of urgency, and the group rose to the challenge by creating |
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| 15 | 15 | | the AIDS Resource Center to raise awareness and to offer preventive |
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| 16 | 16 | | education, legal services, emergency funding, and essentials such |
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| 17 | 17 | | as food and clothing; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, The center launched the Nelson-Tebedo Health Clinic |
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| 19 | 19 | | in 1988 to deliver HIV testing, treatment, and clinical drug |
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| 20 | 20 | | trials; in the wake of a fire the following year, the clinic and |
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| 21 | 21 | | food pantry remained on Cedar Springs Road, while the rest of the |
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| 22 | 22 | | organization moved into the former Metropolitan Community Church |
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| 23 | 23 | | site on Reagan Street; the Foundation for Human Understanding |
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| 24 | 24 | | changed its name to Resource Center of Dallas in 1998 and adopted |
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| 25 | 25 | | its present name in 2013; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Today, as a United Way agency, Resource Center |
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| 27 | 27 | | operates the John Thomas LGBT Community Center, named in honor of |
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| 28 | 28 | | its first executive director, and a Health Campus providing |
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| 29 | 29 | | nutritional services, including a food pantry and hot meals, as |
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| 30 | 30 | | well as HIV case management and insurance assistance; the center is |
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| 31 | 31 | | a leader in HIV/AIDS education and services and provides a full |
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| 32 | 32 | | spectrum of STI screenings, treatments, and prevention |
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| 33 | 33 | | information; in addition, the center connects clients with |
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| 34 | 34 | | behavioral, dental, and mental health care; among its numerous |
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| 35 | 35 | | initiatives are GenderBrave, Grupo Orgullo Hispano, Fuse, THRIVE, |
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| 36 | 36 | | United Black Ellument, Women with Pride, and Youth First; moreover, |
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| 37 | 37 | | the center recently broke ground on Oak Lawn Place, an 84-unit |
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| 38 | 38 | | senior housing development; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | WHEREAS, One of the nation's largest LGBTQIA+ community |
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| 40 | 40 | | organizations, Resource Center has a staff of more than 70 members, |
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| 41 | 41 | | assisted by over 1,200 volunteers; more than 62,000 people benefit |
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| 42 | 42 | | from its programs annually; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | WHEREAS, Over the past four decades, Resource Center has |
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| 44 | 44 | | improved the lives of countless North Texas residents, thereby |
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| 45 | 45 | | strengthening families and communities, and it is sure to remain an |
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| 46 | 46 | | essential resource in the years ahead; now, therefore, be it |
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| 47 | 47 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature |
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| 48 | 48 | | hereby congratulate Resource Center on its 40th anniversary and |
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| 49 | 49 | | extend to all those associated with the organization sincere best |
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| 50 | 50 | | wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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| 51 | 51 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 52 | 52 | | prepared for the center as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 53 | 53 | | Senate. |
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