20200410-04b: MOW Support Letter — original pdf

Recommendation

COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission Recommendation Number: (20200410-04b): The Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission supports the amendment to the Parks and Recreation Department contract with Meals on Wheels and More to provide meals for the Senior Program at the Asian American Resource Center (AARC). Description of Recommendation WHEREAS, the City Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) provides meals as part of their Senior Programs at many City Recreation Centers, Neighborhood Centers and Cultural Centers, and WHEREAS, PARD has contracted with Meals on Wheels and More to provide meals to most Senior Programs, but not the Asian American Resource Center which provided culturally appropriate meals for Asian seniors through other vendors, and WHEREAS, Meals on Wheels and More has agreed to provide vegetarian meals and other meals specifically designed to meet the needs of Asian Americans, and WHEREAS, the AARC Oversight Working Group reviewed and supported the planned changes, and WHEREAS, PARD and AARC staff briefed the Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission (AAQoL) in December 2019 about the plan to modify the food service portion of the AARC Senior Program; WHEREAS, the contract with Meals on Wheels and More must be amended to reflect the additional services at the Asian American Resource Center. Supports an increase in the City budget for up to $50,000 for canvassing, media, and the need to NOW, THEREFORE: BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ASIAN AMERICAN QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISION: recognize ethnic subgroups among the AAPI population; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: the City of Austin to pursue the efforts of the 2020 Census that produces data representative of the AAPI Community and other minority communities. Date of Approval: April 10, 2020 The Asian American Quality of Life Commission strongly encourages and endorses the efforts by Record of the vote: Moved by Commissioner Cobalis, Seconded by Commissioner Yoshida. Unanimous on a 11-0 vote (Commissioner Chen, DasGupta, Saxena, Sethi, Yang, Patil, Huang, Stanton, and Radhakrishnan) Absent: Commissioners Chao, Wang, Conte, and Patel Attest: