Tuesday, April 15, 2014
ask, then listen.
Some of you will get this, some of you will not. I'm having problems with a relationship, big problems. I prayed for guidance. I went on about my business working in the back yard. We have a lemongrass plant in a pot that was in desperate need of water, so I watered it. The next morning I was on the back porch doing my morning thing and the lemongrass plant was standing up looking happy. I laughed and said thank you. The lesson? Throw some water on it. :) Relationships need to be nurtured, attended to, regular care and occasional pruning. I got it.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
the acceptance speech
Thank you, thank you.
Thank you Palm Beach County. My name is Allan Hendricks and
I am YOUR Equality Florida, Palm Beach County Meet Up Organizer. At least that
is what it says on my business cards.
First off, I would like to thank Equality Florida for bringing
me along on this journey with them. They have been patient with me, supportive
and always willing to give me a fair hearing when I had concerns or
suggestions. That shows confidence and able leadership in my view. I’d like to
thank Stratton for answering the phone many years ago and saying, “Yes, we have
something for you to do.”
The journey has been awesome. I have received and education I did not know I wanted. I have had the chance to meet the most awesome people along the way. I’ve learned organizing, event production; political lobbying and I have had the great fortune to bring a message of hope to LGBT High School students. Just being in the fight has been rewarding. There were times when the journey included complete heartbreak. Loosing the amendment 2 fight by two points and the murder of Ryan Skipper were low points, but on the whole, I would do it all again.
I have had the unique opportunity to be an inside / outsider
within the organization. I feel with that unique experience with Equality
Florida, I need to give you all my findings. Having worked with this
organization for eight years, these are my findings; I have found the
organization and the people within it to be smart. Smart to the level of wise.
I have seen them meet adversity with grace and maturity and a steely spine. They
are energetic, and assertive. They are politically well connected inside of
Florida and nationally. I have found this organization to be excellent stewards
of every dollar that comes into the organization. They have patiently and
persistently built the support base that covers Florida. This foundation is
exactly what we will need to win equality in Florida.
We are doing everything we need to be doing to win, but we
will not win without effort.
Most importantly, I would like to thank Javier, my spouse,
the love of my life for being right beside me the entire time. Javier has been
drug to more city commission meetings, more fund raisers, more rallies, town
halls and pride events than he wanted to. He’s been coerced into more
campaigns, including my own, than he wanted to, been the political widow many
nights and has stood with me through it all and for that I am thankful. Thank
you, I love you, Happy 10th Anniversary.
What a journey it has been. I would not change a thing.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Hunger in Palm Beach County? Who knew?
Florida is one of seven states with a significantly higher
number of households with food insecurity problems than the U.S. national
average.
In Palm Beach County alone, as many as 17 percent of residents -
1 in 6 people - do not know where their next meal will come from. More than
180,000 Palm Beach County residents rely on Food Stamps for survival (a 300%
increase since 2008).
Hunger affects every dimension of a person's life - physical and
mental health, employment, and additionally, for children, school success.
Can we eliminate or at least reduce hunger in Palm Beach County?
Who is Hungry?
The 211 Crisis Helpline has seen a 30% jump in the number of
calls for food over the past 12 months. A survey conducted by
Feeding America reports that fully 17% of Palm Beach County residents are
“food insecure” which means that close to 225,000 are unsure where their next
meal is coming from. (Palm Beach County Food Bank information)
Recent data tells us why hunger in Palm Beach County is today
at record levels:
• More than 2,000 homeless residents
• 190,000+ residents currently receive supplemental nutrition
assistance benefits. This represents nearly a 300% increase
from 2008.
• 57% of Palm Beach county students receive free or
reduced-price lunch.
What Are We Doing About It?
There are more than 100 agencies in Palm Beach County
that help to feed the hungry. These agencies range from small churches that may
distribute a bag of non-perishable food once every three months to larger
organizations that serve hundreds of thousands of meals in one year. These
organizations exist in every municipality within Palm Beach County from Boca
Raton to Tequesta to the western communities of Belle Glade, South Bay, and
Pahokee.
In 2012, the Palm Beach County Food Bank distributed
over 5 million pounds of food to dozens of agencies in Palm Beach County
that serve the hungry; at least 35 million pounds of food is needed each
year.
For a complete list of those organizations that feed the hungry,
please see 211
Palm Beach /Treasure Coast, Inc.
Palm Beach County
16.26 percent of the
Palm Beach County population is food insecure, with 212,530 people not knowing
from where they will get their next meal.
61 percent of the
food insecure population in Palm Beach County qualify based on income for SNAP
(food stamps) and other federal nutrition programs, while 39 percent do not and
often must rely on emergency food assistance programs and need better wages and
employment opportunities to help them meet their basic needs.
$2.97 is the average
price per meal in Palm Beach County.
The food budget
shortfall in Palm Beach County per person per week is $15.96, with a total
shortfall of $102,905,240 or 34,648,229 meals.
23.9
percent of children in Palm Beach County are food insecure, meaning, 64,080
children go to bed hungry.
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