Welcome everyone. I'm Seema, the Democratic nominee for Congressional District two. thank you so much for being here. I hope you've been safe well and at home as much as possible before we started tonight, I wanted to let you know that if you have any questions, you can type it in in the QEII section on the zoom and if you're on Facebook live, please Email any questions questions to to info info info at at at. SI SI SI Ma MA. Ma MA FRN FRN FRN. TX TX dot dot com. com. as the Co. Provides crisis has been unfolding. I've been so moved to see how the community has come together to be able to help and give help hope to each other and really people are so committed and I we are Houston strong and we're going to get through this together. we have a lot of people who need help and who are really affected by this crisis, so we thought we would bring in leaders in the community who are running organizations and really really projects projects projects that that that offer offer offer offer ways ways ways ways to to to to be be be be be able able able able able to to. to to to help help help help and and and and take take. take take care care care of of of people people. people. and And of of. course, there are many other. Organizations out there tonight we have with us Kim Patel, who's the volunteer recruitment manager and interim volunteer service officer for our Texas Gulf Coast Red Cross region. we have doctor Levant Pandit, who's a full-time staff physician at the VA Hospital here in Houston and an assistant professor in Pomona allergy at Baylor University. We have Melanie Pang, who's the government relations officers at the Houston Food Bank and we have. light food is the senses community engagement coordinator at the end of a public policy priorities thank you so much for taking the time to be with us tonight before I turn on to him I wanted to again remind everybody f you have a question please type it in the Chennai ah section on Zoom or email us at info for see this dot com so came ah I wanted to thank you so much for being here and then wanted to get your on what the red cross is doing and believe about donating blood right now well thank you so much for having me as so the red cross and is still as much of part of the community as we have been before covered our mission if you don't know is to prevent in human suffering during times of emergencies and we do that in two ways we do that by mobilizing the power volunteers and the generosity of our donors and so as we are moving This covered crisis or as we've been in it, I guess for a while now, we continue to respond to disasters every day for the Red Cross disaster is a small as a single-family fire that affects one person because for that person that's a disaster and so we have volunteers in the Houston area out three to four times a day visiting with families making sure that they have a safe place to stay food to eat close to to where where in in their their life life sustaining sustaining medications. medications. We're We're out out. there making sure that the. Immediate emergency needs are met and our challenges that we're having right now is that some of our volunteer work force is no longer able to respond and so definitely looking for community members to step up and engage with us. we are practicing social distancing and using technology and being a virtual. but how do we make sure that if somebody has a House fire that we give them some place to go and that we can continue to take care of them. we also are planning so within what we're doing for Covin is a lot of planning we. Know that after Large-scale disaster like Hurricane Harvey tropical Storm Amanda when people are displaced the Red Cross comes in and we help make sure that they have a safe place to stay and so we're developing what we call Covert strike teams. these are sheltering teams made up of variety of folks who will come in and make sure that we are being able to provide that shelter in this unique unique format in which which we we need need to to be be be able able able to to to provide provide provide those those those services. services. services. we're we're. pretty. Need of folks in the health services capacities to help us to make sure that we are keeping people safe and should we have a situation that we can take care of them When we talk about blood blood is definitely a critical need that we have it's important for all of our health care and so we'd encourage you to visit Red Cross dot org and look for an upcoming blood drives that are out there and to continue to donate so so that that our our patients patients can can have have those those. transfusion. And blood products that they need to stay healthy. I'm gonna go ahead and I will put my contact information into the chat if you would like to find out more about volunteering. those are just a couple of opportunities that we have we are still meeting the needs of our military members and their families people that have been separated across the world trying to reconnect a lot of things that we're doing where we have virtual opportunities where you can help with your community, get involved and make a difference. Need it so I'd encourage you to join us. Thank you. I've been unused sorry we move on to Doctor Panneton. I just wanted to remind everybody to please tag me in your questions in the Q and A section or just email them to us. A doctor Panda. Thank you so much for being here. I wanted to hold on sorry this one off. I just wanted to see what you can tell us about what the VA has been doing and how we can help as a community during these times and in general. Yeah. thank you. Much simmer for having me here the VA Medical Center just to give a little brief background. it's the Michael Bay Medical Center. It's the primary health care provider for more than a hundred thousand veterans in Southeast Texas and you know veterans from around the country referred to the debate VA for very specialized care most all Veight staff. Are affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine as we are a major teaching hospital for that affiliate and most of us are faculty members within Baylor. we also have outstanding excellence in recognition in nursing services allied health programs and so it's a really large facility and we are very much part of the Texas Medical Center Consortium Consortium since since since 1980 1980, 1980, - -. - five. five So so we've been really. we've Involved in the coordinating and strategic planning with the Texas Medical Center for any potential surges, we're actually the last month plus and so our team as part of the pulmonary critical care team many of my colleagues were involved in task forces to plan ahead and I will say the planning process with the Texas Medical Center leadership as well. social distancing and stay-at-home orders instituted by our local and executive leadership has really made a difference. we do have increasing cases at the VA still, but every hospital in the medical Center is starting to plateau. we are still expecting to peak in the next few weeks, but we feel comfortable that we have enough resources staff. I see you beds ventilators PPE, much of which was donated to us, which we're very appreciative by organizations have organizing by you, Sema and other community members that have been really generous. our nurses and ICU teams pharmacists respiratory therapists. we all work together as a team and so we appreciate any continued continued community community support support support support whether whether whether whether it it it it be be. be be through through through. but but also also just just. you know a. Or just a shout out to your community neighborhood members who may be involved in health care and people are involved in health care in so many different ways. It's not just through clinical care, but it's also through home health agencies when folks are starting to be discharged now home after you know, recovering from Kobe infection in the acute hospital phase, so really health care as a team process and we're gonna be all in this for a while. So let's all continue to. Support our health care teams and community members both in patient and outpatient. Thank you so much Doctor Panda I'm gonna ask a Melanie now again. I'm gonna ask everybody. if you have any questions, please put it in the Q and A section or email us at info for Sema for Texas dot com. Melanie we've been raising money for the Food Bank and I was able to go early this weekend. I was really so inspired by the work of everyone and what was happening there so I just really wanted you to see if you could talk about what the Houston Food Bank is doing during during this this time time and and in in general. general and how people. Step up and help you doing this time. Okay, now you're back, okay No no matter we've lost you now we can hear you. Hello. Oh yeah. we can hear not perfect working. Okay great. so sorry I was I was just complaining about how I think I've been on every zoom go to meeting Google chat all throughout the day so so sorry, but basically I just was saying how grateful I am that we're having having these these conversations conversations conversations and and and and that that that that there's there's there's there's such such such such a a a a community community community. community of of of support. support support so so the the. Houston Food Bank. I cannot do its work without its partner agencies. we have about 600 active pantries that deliver food or excuses help help help us get food out to the community on a regular basis even pre covered 19 and so you know as our friends at the Red Cross has said, you know, we're just trying to ramp up and expand an already stretched infrastructure and so we have you know different distribution distribution distribution sites sites sites all all all over over over over Houston, Houston Houston Houston, all all all all of of of of the the the the Harris. Harris Harris Harris County County County region. region region some of them are. Distributing produce truck loaded day we are doing about a hundred 50 percent of our usual output. some days we get as close as doing double what we typically do in a week in a day and so this is a need that we have not seen before I've been working with guys who have been in our warehouse. You You know know doing doing this this for for over over over 10 10 10 years, years, years, and and and they they they they said said said said they've they've they've they've never never never never seen seen seen seen anything anything anything anything. like like like this this. this. so so. tomorrow. Is going to be the second of our mega distributions that we are doing around the community. it will be an energy Park. we anticipate serving about 5000 households which means somewhere between 3005 thousand cars will be lined up and this is not our ideal. we want folks to be able to get groceries groceries on on their their own own to to to be be be able able able to to to afford afford afford. afford their their their own own own meals. meals meals right right to to be be able able to. to choose the food that they. I think it's really important to emphasize that while we are doing this incredibly large scale work no one Organization could possibly fulfill the need that's out there and nor should be in order. we want to right. We want folks to be able to have the the substance and sustainability and stability of their own household in our own income and so one of the things that I also would say is to advocate to your local elected officials and talk about increase. Snap so there's already a push right now to move the minimum up from 15 to $30. I mean that that sounds like a drop in the ocean, but if you think about that, how that could change folks lives on a more regular basis, it's it's actually quite significant jump and for a lot of the seniors that we serve who can't get out to the grocery store. We've modified our distribution model to actually go to home toward home deliveries for for for those those those individuals individuals individuals individuals through through through through our our our our partnership partnership partnership partnership partnership with with with with with crowdsource crowdsource crowdsource crowds. crowdsource Rescue Rescue Rescue. Rescue and and and so so. so you know. Seniors don't wanna find up for snap because they say, oh well it won't be $15 if I include all of my assets right and so there are just a multitude of ways for folks to be able to find food right now. If you go to Houston Food Bank dot org slash covid- 19, you'll see a layered map of all of our pantry agencies, all of our distributions that are happening in the community and you'll be able to see the hours of operation for all of those you can also call our helpline. that's also on our website. Let me just pull it up. Real And if you call our helpline will be able to find the nearest pantry to you so that you won't be driving all over town and wasting gas that gas money. so the helpline number is eight 32369939 zero. you know all the ways that folks can be helpful. Are you know we do have our warehouse, but we're limiting the number of people who can be in there because of safety protocols so another way is doing direct deliveries deliveries to to people's people's homes homes homes using using using your your your own own own vehicle. vehicle. vehicle. So So So. if if you you come come to to the. the. The food Bank and help us sign up through crowdsource rescue you can pick up a box of food drop it off at someone's door. we'll provide you with the phone number to be able to let them know this is their and you'll be doing a great service to the community. donations are always great. We put all of that money into getting more food out the door food donations are something that we're kind of steering away from because it creates more labor in terms of volunteers checking dates to make sure that food is good and repackaging and. What kind of trying to to mitigate some of the challenges that that would bring so the biggest way that you all can help are really just showing up in your own community showing up to volunteer with us through through the direct delivery model and also giving whatever you can. thank you so much. Thank you so much Melanie so if they wanna donate if they wanna be able to help and deliver the food, what is that Organization? If we can put it in the chat, it's crowded, it's crowd. Source. Rescue but actually there is a link if you go to nineteen and you down to the bottom it want to help there is a link that says find out okay we have a question right now for Doctor Panda. How can we continue to support veteran health care after the crisis ends? yeah. thank you for that question cuz it is important right once we get through the cute hospitalization and our numbers go down in the hospital. We still have long-term outcomes increased health care burden, health care utilization and veterans are among the older and more highly affected populations. so there will be an expected increase health care need. That will continue long term certainly anytime you can volunteer and donate, and there is a website that I will put on the chat but you can also go to the Michael Dubai Kii VA Houston Medical Center website and it will guide you also the link there to volunteer sites. There's so many ways to help besides, of course, donating your time at the site in Houston, but also in the community clinics driving vets to. Their appointments after this, they're gonna need a lot of follow up care, picking up delivery of medical equipment, whether it means small oxygen tanks delivery and pick up a small equipment tubing. this soap the there. There is a lot of needs that probably we aren't even meeting now, but that we anticipate will increase with time and it's going to take many many months for all of us to get out of this so that's a really timely question to think about what we're gonna have to. In the future, thank you so much Doctor Pendant this question is full of Melanie. Is it safe to take my child to volunteer with me when I go to the Houston Food Bank. You know going anywhere is a risk, obviously that folks are taking in and personally we are doing a really. I think we're doing a really great job of doing the social distancing we we even have chairs and markers for everywhere that we would like for people to be so that they can continue to maintain that distance, but kids will be kids right and so personally what my recommendation would be is if if there's there's any any way way way that that that you you you might might might be be be able able able to to to to do do do do the the the the driving driving driving driving. opportunity. opportunity. opportunity. I I I think think. think that that that that would would be be. a. A safer way to be able to contribute and and serve without putting more of your family at risk because every every object you might touch right is a potential risk and so we just don't wanna encourage more bodies in the building, then maybe is necessary. I hope that's helpful. That's very helpful. Thank you so much so question for a Kinder ly. What are the rules for blood donors? right now? now? Is Is it it safe? safe? that's that's a. a. question a lot of our for donations have been changed their things like you have to husband last fifty six days since your last blood he must be a good health and currently feeling well I'm sixteen years old and realise the hundred and ten pounds and that there are a few changes I mean I am not expert in them um but you can visit Red Cross blood dot work and then check out the eligibility requirements some of the travel Have been loosened with the FDA's approval so that we can get those blood donations that we've needed but we are it is it's a safe as it's always been we are very very careful so you know, of course, we're not reusing needles. We are socially distancing within the blood drives so keeping space between donors restricting the number of people who can be in there. so, for example, if you're coming in to. Donate blood You come in by yourself. you can't bring your whole family with you. We're screening for temperatures before people walk in. we're asking if you are donating blood that you take your own temperature in the morning, we will take your temperature when you arrive and I'm multiplying to the steps to continue to keep our blood supply safe, but that's always been a priority for us. so yes. Thank you so much now I'm gonna go to Katie. I wanted to just remind everybody to please type in your questions in the Q and A section or just email them to info at Steam for Texas dot com. Katie. I'm so glad you're here to talk about the senses. It is just such an important thing and it's a community service that is critical because we all should be participating participating in in it. it. We're We're home. home home we we we should should should encourage encourage encourage encourage everybody everybody. everybody everybody else else else to to to to be be be. be participating participating participating in in in it. it it because because it's. it's so important. how are area is represented and what kind of resources we get so I'm gonna thank you for being here thank you so much see I am so I work for the summer for public policy independent public policy organisation that vision and other kids for taxes for everyone is healthy well educated in financially secured so getting an accurate counting taxes alliance of their mission because the senses is critical for the future of taxes and for example the sensors determines how many representatives taxes will having Congress the information used in the senses is what is used to draw the During the redistricting process, we know our businesses use the census data to make smart decisions about where they should set up shop, but it's also used by the federal government to allocate funds to Texas for a range of essential federal programs in the state of Texas if we are undercounted by one percent, we will lose 300 million dollars per year for the next 10 years, and this is money coming directly out of our communities. So when we think about the pandemic that our country that are. That our city is experiencing right now many of the resources that folks across Houston or align on during this crisis are directed by census data us when we think about health care our Medicaid Medicare chip or hospital funding at that data and that is used to inform at funding for those programs, our work force assistance or food assistance programs like Snap and Wick. Disability service is senior services again again all all of of these these really really needed needed services services. during this. We're all informed by that sense of state so if you're curious how we are doing in terms of self response in Texas in Houston, so the National Self response rate is almost 50 percent here in Texas, we are currently sitting at 40 - five percent, which means we are currently ranked fortieth in the country. Harris County is also sitting at about 40 - five percent, and so we know that that there there is is is a a a lot lot lot of of of of ground ground ground ground to to to to be be be be covered covered covered covered when when when when when it it it it it comes comes comes comes to to to to getting getting getting out out out the the count count in in our our state in our County. state in our So we know folks across Texas are trying to keep their families and community safe by staying at home or serving the public by providing essential services and responding to the census for yourself for your household is just another way for you to keep your community strong so if you haven't already filled out your census yet, there are three ways to respond you can hop on my 2020 Census dot Gov where you can fill out the senses online. online. we we we say say say it it it takes takes takes about about about 10 10 10 minutes minutes. minutes but but for for me. me personally for my House. Two it took me about three minutes to fill it out if you're uncomfortable filling up the census form online, there's also a phone option, both online and phone. There are 12 different languages available again. The Census Bureau is really pushing folks two or self response to the census and so they wanna make it as accessible as possible over the next few weeks so starting about last Wednesday until the end of the month, if you haven't responded responded yet yet yet to to to the the the senses, senses, senses, they're they're they're actually actually actually going going going to to to be be be. mailing mailing those those. paper questionnaires. Your homes and so if you feel more comfortable filling out the census, the old fashioned way via paper, please know that those are coming. It is at no cost to you to mail those back in. they have the postage on them and so again we know that a lot of those crucial services that our communities are using right now is dependent on this since the state on we wanna make sure that our community can thrive for the next decade and so I highly encourage you to thought the form if you have it and if you have build it out now is the great time to tell your friends families. Community members remind them to fill out the senses take a selfie with your senses form, saying Hey, I completed it make sure you hide your personal information but just through social media channels doing checking calls on loved ones and just sprinkling in a little bit of language about hey, have you filled out the census yet a little bit of outreach and and conversation around the sense is really will go along way for our communities if you are interested in learning more about the census, census, I I highly highly encourage encourage you you to to visit visit Texas Texas. Counts dot org. This is a statewide effort led by my Organization in the State of Texas to help get out the count. if you really want a more information from that, we also have a weekly newsletter that we send out that I'd be happy to get folks signed up for me also do a weekly update on Mondays just to let you know how Texas is is stacking up and and how you can better support the count in Texas. Sorry, I was on YouTube. We have a question. Thank you so much Katie. We have a question Okay. So for those organizations who need donations what items are most needed at this time, So I guess I'll go to Melanie first. Yeah, so we are not hurting for produce. We have lots of that and so actually non-perishables are pretty helpful but this is one of those times where it's extremely hard for us to tell you what we need because tomorrow it will change in six hours from there. It'll change it. It's just a constantly moving target and so you know, typically typically we we we would would would say say say things things things like like like peanut peanut peanut peanut butter butter butter butter and and. and and you you know know things things like. like that. but. We're trying to standardize our boxes so that they are you know more allergy friendly so that they are more friendly to folks who have diabetes and things like that. so our our needs are actually more you know in the room or if you've got a paper goods toilet paper paper towels hand sanitizer that type of stuff our senior communities are always asking for those types of items and as much as we can pair those items with the food we give all the better so. Surprisingly, the Food Bank is asking for non food items. Okay. What about Kimberly? that's a great question and so, of course, donating blood is important thing that you can donate the other thing that we prefer is we actually like financial donations and the reason why we do that is as I mentioned earlier, our number one disaster is responding to home fires and so when we can go out, we like to help our clients by giving them essentially a prepaid debit card based on their needs and that allows them to go and purchase the clothing that they need that fits fits their their style style style that that that fits fits fits their their their personality. personality. personality. personality. That's That's That's That's their. their their their sides sides sides. to to buy buy the. the food that they. Want to eat and so it helps them personalize. it helps them to take some control over their life after they've had the disaster and potentially a total loss of everything that they've owned and so if you can donate financially, that is our preferred method because it gets again our clients the flexibility to reestablish themselves in the way that they see best fit. And then I guess Doctor Pat Oops Doctor Panda. So the VA Medical Center currently we have enough PPE as I mentioned in large part, thanks to the donations of many generous community members and 90 - five mask can 90 - five mask and face Shields recently donated in part due to Sema organizational efforts as well as the organizational efforts of other people in the community. community. so so we we are are okay okay for now For now is because projections are changing and as we all are aware are governor and mayor today I have made some suggestions that that they're gonna maybe be opening up parts of Houston and the rest of the state. in the next couple of weeks, it's kind of in flux so with the changes in social distancing a lot of physicians don't know are projections keep. From late April to early May, if it changes to May, we will definitely need more people if we stay sort of the course for April, we're okay Checks Medical Center so I think anytime you know donations of PPE can come in. We appreciate it. We will never say no to help take care of our veterans that way and then you know meals for our E R staff or ICU staff. A lot of generous Houstonians have already organized organized meal meal trains. trains. trains. We We We thank thank thank thank you you you you very very very very much much much much for for. for for that. that that but but just just. continue. Show us your love really truly, That's all we need. We'll do our job happily then. Thank you so much Doctor Panda so a few questions with regards to the census. Katie is the census only for US citizens. when is the deadline to fill out the sentence and like how scared should people be to fill out the senses? I guess. yeah. that's all great. Yeah. This are they're all great questions and so first and foremost. If you are living in the United States, you get to fill out the form so whether you're a citizen non-citizen non-citizen documented documented documented documented undocumented undocumented. undocumented. undocumented undocumented you you you are are are in in in our our our. communities communities you you deserve deserve to. to count on the form. so so folks folks. should. so even if you're not a citizen please make sure you're filling it out and I think the immigrant population in Texas is almost about a fifth of our population. I think it's 17 percent and so we wanna make sure those folks get counted in terms of security with the senses. I do wanna share the sense of spirit will not be sharing your information with any other agency. They're not gonna share it with the President. They're not gonna share it with ice local law enforcements. you have land floored that information is only used for statistical purposes when we think back to the. Spending in those dollars coming back to our communities and so anyone that does work for the Census Bureau, they actually take an oak and with that oath, they're promising to keep your data confidential and if they share it, they are going to prison for up to five years or paying a $250000 fine. so they take this extremely seriously. and so please know that when you send your data to the Census Bureau, the only they're using it for statistical purposes, they're not sharing it with anybody else in terms of the deadline of. If you can fill it out as soon as possible, that would be great but the deadline there's actually been some conversation and so currently it's August fourteenth but due to covid- 19, the Census Bureau is proposing moving that deadline to October 30 -first, but one thing I do wanna make a point of is April first is a really important day for the census. a lot of people think that's the first day or the last day. you can fill it out. it's actually a reference point. So it's the April first is you're counting the number. In your household and so the further we get away from April first, the harder it is going to be to kind of remember that information and so I highly encourage folks to fill it out as soon as possible. Thank you so much Katie we are we have run out of time, so I wanted to say if we didn't get your questions, please go to our website or email us at info at SI MMA, FORREST XX dot com. We will make sure we can answer your questions. I wanted to thank you all so much for being here. Kimberly Doctor Lebanon Melanie Katie, I know you're also busy and we're we're we're grateful grateful grateful grateful that that that that. you're you're you're here here here and and and and for for. for for all all all the the the work work work that that that you you. you and and your your Organization. Organization is actually doing. and and and. really really To everyone working on the front lines, whether it's health care professionals or anybody who's an essential worker. Thank you again. We could not do it without you all if you're interested to know more or to get more involved again, please Email us. please stay safe Be well and we will see you. we'll send out more information about our next event. Thank you again and good night.