Thanks to the DoSeum for the wonderful “love is my superpower” photo. Every Wednesday we publish a Compassionate San Antonio news roundup. You can use the hashtag #compassionateSA too! For real time updates, sign up for our Twitter feed, @compassionNET1.


Found on Kens 5, 18 January, 2018
People Who Make SA Great: DreamWeek founder Shokare Nakpodia
He calls the 3-week summit of ideas a perfect fit for the Alamo City. “It’s a place where tolerance, diversity and equality is celebrated.”


Found on KSAT 12, 17 January, 2018
Meals on Wheels took steps in 2017 to prepare for ice storm
Meals on Wheels drivers and volunteers delivered emergency meal packs containing dry foods for seniors to store in their pantries in case winter weather would prevent future deliveries.


Seen on Fox News, 17 January, 2018
RMYA Centro Seguro drop in center for homeless and sex trafficked children
Roy Maas Youth Alternatives provides a 24 hour drop in center for young people ages 11-17 in need of a safe place due to homelessness, runaway, unsafe living conditions, or falling victims to sex traffickers.


Seen on Univision 41, 17 January, 2018
Univision San Antonio ofrece una línea de atención para resolver dudas sobre DACA [Univision San Antonio offers a hotline to answer questions about DACA]
Expertos están presentes en este banco de llamadas donde responden las dudas del auditorio sobre el programa DACA.[Experts are present in this call bank where the audience’s questions about the DACA program are answered.]


Seen on KENS 5, 17 January, 2018
Real Men Wear Gowns: The importance of donating blood
“People generally want to respond to disasters, natural or man-made disasters, but we need a continuous pipeline to always have blood available for all that need it.”


Read in the Express-News, 18 January, 2018
Hispanic babies die at a higher rate in two San Antonio ZIP codes
Two adjacent ZIP codes on the East Side — 78203 and 78220 — had rates among Hispanics of 16.0 and 11.6 deaths per 1,000 births, respectively.The overall infant mortality rate in Texas was 5.8 deaths per 1,000 births.

Also on Texas Public Radio, 23 January, 2018
Why Are More Hispanic Infants Dying Before Their First Year In San Antonio’s East Side?
Infant mortality is a common indicator for public health analysis and can be used to gauge disparities and target issues within communities.


Seen on KSAT 12, 18 January, 2018
Bexar County continues to support organization helping grandparents
“We have gotten custody order for these grandparents,” Sakai said. “This has opened up access to food stamps, government assistance, basic necessity for children.”


Seen in the Express-News, 19 January, 2018
S.A. rabbi to deliver prayer before Congress
Rabbi Mara Nathan: “My prayer is for our leaders to see the humanity in every person and that every person is worthy of blessing.”

Also seen on Kens 5, 19 January, 2018
SA rabbi invited to deliver invocation on Capitol Hill on Friday
“That every single person has a small piece of holiness in them and, so often, we feel divided. We look at people who look different than us or have different beliefs than us, we separate ourselves and demonize them. But the truth is, we have more in common than is different.”


Seen on KENS 5, 19 January, 2018
San Antonio steps up to help family cover funeral of teen killed in crash
Kayla’s grandma: “San Antonio is awesome. You don’t know how many people are out there with a big heart.”


Seen on FOLO Media, 19 January, 2018
Like San Pedro Creek, these apartments are being renovated — and its residents are worried
Mayor Nirenberg: “Understanding that the challenges of growth and development are complex, we expect the [Housing Policy] Task Force to deliver a set of compassionate policy recommendations that would help us ensure that affordable housing stock exists throughout our city and that our residents can age in place.”


Seen on KSAT 12, 19 January, 2018
SA 2020 releases 2017 impact report, shows improvements in community goals
City makes gains in high school graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy.

Also seen in the Rivard Report, 19 January, 2018
SA2020 Gives San Antonio Its Report Card; Santikos Gives SA2020 $400,000
Another new element of the impact report this year is the de-aggregation of some citywide data by Council district.

Also read in the Express-News, 19 January, 2018
San Antonio continues to improve on community goals set in 2010
Mayor Ron Nirenberg heaped praise on SA2020, saying it has enjoyed continued success and sustainability because it’s rooted in community that simultaneously guides a city-wide vision and also holds up a mirror to the community, “talking about the things we’re doing right, but also reminding us that we’ve got a long way to go.”

Also seen on Univision 41, 19 January, 2018
Presentan los resultados del año del proyecto San Antonio 2020 [Annual results of the San Antonio 2020 project ]
Este proyecto inició en el 2010 y está dirigido a mejorar la ciudad en distintos rubros involucrando a la comunidad. [This project started in 2010 and is aimed at involving the community in improving the city in different areas.]


Seen on the UTSA web site, 19 January, 2018
UTSA opens new Dreamers Center to meet escalating needs of DACA students
The Dreamers Center will assist undocumented UTSA students with services ranging from legal to financial to emotional.

Also seen on Fox 29, 22 January, 2018
UTSA to open resource center aimed at helping Dreamers
UTSA will set up a formal agreement with the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Educationa and Legal Services (RAICES) to help DACA students.

Also seen on Telemundo 60, 23 January, 2018
UTSA abre centro de ayuda para soñadores [UTSA opens help center for DREAMers]
El centro es el primero de su tipo en una universidad de Estados Unidos. [The center is the first of its kind in a US university]


Seen on KENS 5, January 19, 2018
New homes in a new price range
Habitat for Humanity CEO Natalie Griffith said there is a real need for new homes for people who make too much money for traditional assistance programs, but not enough to qualify for a higher-end home.


Found on the SaludAmerica web site, 19 January, 2018
Building A Trauma-Informed Care Network in South Texas
Trauma experts from across Texas and the United States are convening in San Antonio, Texas to provide a variety of trauma-informed workshops to build a network of Trauma-Informed Care in South Texas.


Found on the SaludAmerica Web site, 14 November, 2018
The State of Latino Early Childhood Development: A Research Review
Research conducted at UT Health San Antonio!


Read in the Express-News, 19 January, 2018
Alamo Heights High School innovates for special ed inclusion
First in Texas to be recognized in a national competition that rewards schools that successfully integrate students with intellectual disabilities with their peers, to create a more inclusive, less segregated campus environment.


Seen on KENS 5, 20 January, 2018
Big Lou’s gives away free pizza with blood donation
“At the end it matters about helping each other out and trying to impact someone’s life in a positive way,” Lujan said.


See in the Express-News Faith section, 21 January, 2018
Joshua Build project
More than 150 volunteers from seven Presbyterian churches participated in the Joshua Build project, where the walls for entire houses are built in one afternoon.


Found in the Rivard Report, 20 January, 2018
Locally Owned African American Network to Debut ‘300 Voices’
“If you’re singing a 300-year-old song, you’d better include all of those voices in the choir.”


Seen on KENS 5, 20 January, 2018
USAA offering no-interest payroll advance loans to military members during shutdown
In addition, USAA is offering a number of other solutions, such as special payment arrangements, to help members who find themselves in financial distress due to a disruption in federal payments.


Seen on Spectrum News, 19 January, 2018
SAPD reaching out to teenagers through new program
Chief McManus: “It’s all about putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. Looking at police from the police point of view and looking at youth from the youth point of view.”

Also seen on Univision 49, 20 January, 2018
Departamento de policía de San Antonio busca alejar a los jóvenes de la delincuencia [San Antonio Police Department seeks to remove young people from crime]
Debido a los recientes asesinatos de jóvenes, la policía anunció un programa de acercamiento en escuelas. [Due to the recent murders of young people, the police announced a program of rapprochement in schools.]


Found in the Rivard Report, 21 January, 2018
Senseless Delay on DACA Decision Harms Students and Schools
This is not about politics, and it should not be controversial; it is in everyone’s best interest to finally resolve this and quickly approve a path to citizenship for immigrants brought to our country as children.


Seen on Lily Casura’s blog on Medium, 21 January, 2018
Moving On: Why Poverty Means You Move More, and Why That Matters
“If you’re moving that much you can start missing those milestones, such as moving by the third grade, which is so important for a student’s chance of graduating high school.”


Read in the Express-News, 22 January, 2018
Cooking the food of the world, right here in S.A.
“Food really does help cross those cultural boundaries that keep us apart.”


Heard on Texas Public Radio, 22 January, 2018
Non-profit Agency Looking To Solve San Antonio’s West Side ‘Bike Desert’ Problem
“With the equity lens,” said Rodriguez, “you realize there are areas of town where there is a need, yet there is no service there.”


Seen on Fox 29, 22 January, 2018
Red Cross Honors “Everyday Heroes”
“It is through the generosity of our donors and volunteers that we are able to respond to disasters and help make our community safer.”


Seen on the Black Video Network, 21 January, 2018
Community stakeholders showed up to open the new Medical Clinic on the eastside
“You don’t lose anything by giving back. It’s added on to you.”

Also read in the Express-News, 22 January, 2018
New health care center opens on East Side
University Health Center officials said the facility complements the aim of the Eastside Promise Zone, that everyone, no matter their ZIP code, has access to prosperity and opportunity.


Read in the Express-News (editorial) 22 January, 2018
Rapid transit corridors could transform this community
This is one of the most important long-term issues facing San Antonio. It’s one that touches on quality of life, economic development, economic segregation and sprawl.


Read in the Express-News, 23 January, 2018
Maps show how segregated San Antonio-area schools are
Schools across America are as segregated now as they were 50 years ago, based largely on how school boundaries are set up, an investigation by Vox found.


 Found on the Haven for Hope Twitter feed, 23 January, 2018
Thanks to the city’s Faith-Based Initiative & Church of Latter Day Saints(LDS), Haven for Hope received 35,000 lbs. of blankets, coats, jackets & more, shipped from Utah.


Found on the Salud America! Web site, 23 January, 2018
Sports Advocate Opens the Gates for Families to Play at School Parks
“Access to safe places to play is a huge problem and it’s too big for any one group or government department to solve by themselves.”


Seen on KSAT 12, 23 January, 2018
New law in action: Extra school food landing in kids’ hands instead of trash
“It was hard because kids would ask, ‘Do you mind if I can have this for my friends?’ And many times we’d have to tell them no,” said Kittiya Johnson, principal at Cody Elementary.


Seen on KENS 5, 24 January, 2018
The dangers of divorce and domestic violence
Former Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau has publicly spoken out about the domestic violence she endured and considers herself one of the lucky ones.


Seen in the Express-News, 23 January, 2018
Med Center projects aimed at bikes, pedestrians
District 8 Councilman Pelaez: “A walkable city builds community.”


COMPASSIONATE SAN ANTONIO . .

. . . is a grassroots movement that promotes, supports and celebrates San Antonio’s commitment to be a world-class compassionate city: one where the civic government, the religious and volunteer organizations, the businesses, the community and its educational institutions come together to recognize the importance and value of compassion in the life of a city and by doing so create an ethos of compassion and a safety net for its most vulnerable citizens. #compassionateSA

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