Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
Honoring the Mendota School Community PUPs (Peers Uplifting Peers) for their work to investigate and bring awareness and action to the issues surrounding homelessness in Madison.
Body
WHEREAS, in September 2015 Mendota School teacher Debra Minahan initiated the Community PUPs program in order to engage students in social justice work; and,
WHEREAS, eighteen 4th and 5th grade Mendota School scholar-leaders chose to participate in the Thursday afternoon program seeking to make a difference in their community; and,
WHEREAS, the Community PUPs engaged in a deep and extensive process of brainstorming, discussing, debating and identifying the biggest need they saw in the community; and,
WHEREAS, the Community PUPs collectively decided that homelessness is a compelling and urgent problem in Madison; and,
WHEREAS, the Community PUPs interviewed various homeless service providers from the community and conducted research into the issue; and,
WHEREAS, the Community PUPs produced charts, posters, reports and wrote and produced a skit and a rap on the topic of homelessness; and,
WHEREAS, the Community PUPs participated in the Homeless Services Consortium Charrette on updating of the Community Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness in Dane County held at the Lakeview Lutheran Church on March 9, 2016, asking poignant questions and contributing a valuable perspective to the process; and,
WHEREAS, the Community PUPs brainstormed, developed, administered and analyzed the data from a community survey on how the Mendota School building can be used after hours by the neighborhood when it becomes one of Madison’s first Community Schools next year; and,
WHEREAS, the Community PUPs are supporting the establishment of a food, clothing and toiletries bank at their school in the upcoming year,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Common Council of Madison honor the 2015-2016 Mendota School Community PUPs for their empathy...
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