Denton Resident Update | Winter 2023

RESIDENT

UPDATE

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tI 's A New Year And New Shelter, Loaded With New Opportunities To Volunteer

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L earn How Birding Comunity Gardening Are Naturally Inclusive and Collaborative

See How We're

CULTIVATING Community Collaborations iW nter 203 cw. ityofdenton.com 1

Facebook.com/cityofdenton Twitter.com/cityofdentontx Instagram.com/cityofdenton YouTube.com/cityofdenton Linkedin.com/company/city-of-denton

SOCIAL SNAPSHOTS www.cityofdenton.com

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City of Denton Core Values | Inclusion, Collaboration, Quality Service, Strategic Focus, Fiscal Responsibility

@YOUR SERVICE

20 23

City Service Updates Holiday Closures and Service Adjustments During holiday closures, there will be no curbside trash, yard waste, recycling, bulk, or home chemical collection. The collection will be delayed one day for the week following each holiday.

For details, visit www.cityofdenton.com.

City Department Directory Contact numbers are available at www.cityofdenton.com/directory.

Award Winning Services DFW Clean Cities’ Gold Fleet Award Awarded for the Fleet Dept’s ongoing efforts to reduce the City’s fleet vehicle emissions.

City Council Priorities Update

Smart Energy Provider Award Awarded by the American Public Power Association for Denton Municipal Electric's efforts to incorporate energy efficiencies and sustainability while providing affordable electric service.

Government Programming Video Awards Received five state-wide awards by the Texas Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors for DentonTV programming.

Savvy Marketing Awards Received two national awards from the City-County Communications Marketing Association for magazine and website design.

Richard R. Lillie Planning Excellence Award Awarded for planning excellence by the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Field Officer of The Year Award Awarded to a Senior Animal Services Officer by the Texas Animal Control Association.

In 2022, City Council approved the Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan and the need for three area plans as part of the implementation process.

Area Plans are action-oriented, with shared visions and common goals developed by collaborating with neighborhood residents, business owners, and stakeholders. They reflect a coordinated approach to influence city land use and development policy and enhance and preserve the community's character.

In 2023, we'll begin the process of seeking community input for the following three plans: → Northeast Denton Area Plan → Southeast Denton Area Plan → Downtown Master Plan Update Learn more at www.discussdenton.com.

The Future is Bright!

Health and Fitness Clubs Best of Denton Award Awarded and voted on readers by the Denton-Record Chronicle for North Lakes Recreation Center.

Parks Professional Awards Awarded two Parks and Recreation Dept. staff by the North Region of the Texas Recreation and Parks Society.

YouTube.com/cityofdenton

Parks Aquatic Professional Awards Awarded the Aquatic Maintenance Professional of the Year and Aquatic Professional of the Year by North TX Aquatics Association.

Hear from City Council and partners as they take stock in the past year's accomplishments and plan for the new year.

City of Denton | www.cityofdenton.com | (940) 349-8200

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CULTIVATING COMMUNITY INPUT

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COLLABORATION

Community Shelter Collaboration

Anyone of us can fall on hard times, lose a job, experience a house fire, or be 1 of 5 Americans overcoming a mental health condition. Support services at the community shelter are available to everyone in Denton, regardless of housing needs. The same kindness applies to the kitchen, where meals are served daily to anyone who needs a nutritious meal.

OUR

JOURNEY 2015 The Mayor’s Housing the Homeless Task

"Our goal for anyone who enters this building is that they have a plan and a path to housing or housing stability." Dani Shaw, Director of Community Services

Force recommended a county-wide leadership team, and United Way of Denton County collaborated with the city to underwrite a countywide collective impact initiative.

The ADA-compliant shelter has four wings: one wing offers an emergency shelter, one wing offers a transitional shelter, one wing has a large commercial kitchen, and one wing is dedicated to programs/services, with a computer lab, meetings rooms, a medical clinic, and two classrooms.

2016 City Council approved the Denton Coun-

Location and Shelter Hours: The shelter is located at 909 North Loop 288, Denton, TX. The day shelter is open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and the emergency (overnight) shelter is open 4 p.m. to 8 a.m.

ty Homelessness Leadership Team, who then launched the Collective Impact Initiative, visualized the potential for a shelter, and coordinated a county-wide Housing Crisis Response System.

2018-19 The City hired two Homeless Outreach Officers and convened an internal team to address the impact of homelessness on City property and to perform street outreach to individuals living outside.

2020 City Council approved the purchase of a

34,000 sq ft property on Loop 288 to be repurposed for a community shelter that is to be managed by Our Daily Bread.

2021 City Council obtained community input to help identify and allocate the $23.29 million in pandemic relief and recovery funds received from the American Rescue Plan Act.

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Our Daily Bread manages the community shelter with daily meals, clothing, shelter, and supportive services that increase access to education, mental health support, employment, and housing assistance.

Community Kitchen: Open daily with the following hours: Breakfast, 8-9 a.m., lunch 11 a.m.-1 p.m., dinner, 5-7 p.m.

Program Services: Available Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., for counseling, case management, and onsite partner agencies.

NEW SEVICR E

O T THE SHTER L Please share the news that beginning Jan. 3, Denton Connect Bus Route 3 will be routed to add service to the new community shelter as part of its regular schedule.

Thank you, DCTA!

City of Denton Core Values | Inclusion, Collaboration, Quality Service, Strategic Focus, Fiscal Responsibility

www.ourdailybreaddenton.org

Leveraging Community Strengths Denton's Comprehensive Plan is deep-rooted in community input and sets forth a vision and plan that guide the City’s growth through the year 2040.

Collaboration | Forged from Community Input

Many elements of the plan are to partner with community-based organizations and support volunteer opportunities by serving in the following capacities: → → → →

Address the needs of unhoused individuals and families.

Address how mental health contributes to homelessness.

Aim to make being unhoused rare, brief, and nonrecurring.

Share volunteer opportunities and help identify needs.

Cultivation | We Work Best When We Work Together

Nonprofit agencies and grassroots organizations are the heart of the community, and cultivating relationships is essential for City staff to leverage expertise & resources to transform how we serve collectively.

Coordination | Examples of How it All Comes Together

Our Daily Bread manages the community shelter and coordinates supportive services. Serve Denton coordinates how to help nonprofits make their services more accessible, and United Way of Denton County coordinates Collective Impact Initiatives and serves as a community hub for online access to nonprofit resources.

What We Say Influences What We Do Words used to categorize people influence public perception and attitudes, eventually impacting policy and practice. For example, the habitual use of "homeless" as a collective noun morphed into a stereotype that undermines self-esteem and progressive change, dehumanizing our community members experiencing homelessness.

In 2022, 'unsheltered', 'unhoused', and 'houseless' were added to dictionary.com to help influence abandonment of othering and dehumanizing language. In Denton, reframing how we speak may seem small but collectively it will advance social change and how we treat one another.

be willing

A larger community shelter means there are more ways in which you can serve based on your area of expertise, availability, and level of comfort. For a detailed list of opportunities to volunteer, please visit www.ourdailybreaddenton.org.

be ready

Be ready to share the “Care Card” found on the back of this Resident Update. Simply tear it off, stash it in your bag or car, and share it next time you see someone in distress, living outside, or in need of help.

be kind

Sincerity is invaluable, and making eye contact with someone you can see is in distress or needs help acknowledges your shared humanity. Being kind and making eye contact is easy and costs absolutely nothing.

be Happy

Personal happiness and compassion are highest when we focus less on ourselves and respond more to the needs of others. If you can't volunteer, consider helping those who can. Making a meaningful effort to help in any way cultivates community and fosters a sense of purpose.

City of Denton | www.cityofdenton.com | (940) 349-8200

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Community Activities and Events Kids Rock Fridays, Jan 13, Feb. 17 and March 2 Denton Civic Center, 7-11 p.m.

To register, visit www.dentonparks.com.

MLK Jr. Day Celebration Monday, Jan. 16 MLK Jr. Rec Center, 3:30-5 p.m.

11 a.m. Flag football at Fred Moore Park 2:30 p.m. The community is invited to join us at Fred Moore Park for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. march to the MLK Jr. Rec Center.

3:30 p.m. The MLK Day program will begin immediately following the arrival of the march at the MLK Jr. Rec Center.

Chinese New Year Celebration Friday, Jan. 20 Denton Senior Center, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Books on Tap, Ages 21+ Let's rant and rave about our favorite books or least favorite tropes. Join us 6:30-8 p.m., at the local bars listed: Tuesday, Jan. 24 | Steve’s Wine Bar Monday, Feb. 20 | Denton County Brewing Co. Monday, March 20 | Lucky Lou's Monday, April 17 | Harvest House My Little Valentine Dance Friday, Feb. 10 | Civic Center, 6-8 p.m.

Adapated Rec Sweetheart Ball Saturday, Feb. 11 | Civic Center, 5-8 p.m.

Senior Valentine Dinner and Dance Tuesday, Feb. 14 ALH Senior Center, 6-9:30 p.m.

Black History Month Celebration Saturday, Feb. 25 MLK Jr. Rec Center, 10 a.m.- noon

DID YOU KNOW? Birding Is The Most Popular Sport In The United States!

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are over 51 million birdwatchers or birders in the US alone, and this number continues to grow. Keep in mind, watching football on TV doesn’t count as a sport!

Birding is Inclusive and is for Everybody!

What makes it so popular is that there’s no single way of birding and according to the folks at Birdability, there is no wrong way to enjoy birds. It’s inclusive, and is for everybody! Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t require binoculars and is considered a recreational sport, as opposed to birdwatching, a more passive activity. The Birdability website provides a map that gives people with disabilities access to a crowdsourced map created by the National Audubon Society in partnership with Birdability. This online map describes the accessibility features of birding locations all over the world. Visit www.birdability.org.

Experience Birding at Clear Creek

Join the City staff, bird enthusiasts, and Scott Kiester, a retired geologist with an M.S. in Environmental Science & certified Texas Master Naturalist, for introductory experiences into the world of birding. Registration is free, visit www.clearcreekdenton.com.

Birding 101 | Migration | Saturday, Feb. 18., 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Birding 101 | Bird Songs | Wednesday, March 15, 6-7:30 p.m.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

If you can’t join us at Clear Creek, you can still take flight from home. The Great Backyard Bird Count engages people of all ages in counting birds to create a snapshot of birds in their area to help scientists understand trends in population. It’s free and easy to do alone or with others.

Step 1: Decide where you will watch birds.

Step 2: Watch birds for 15 min. or more, at least once Feb. 17-20.

Step 3: Count the birds you see or hear however you choose.

Visit www.birdcount.org for details, apps, and options for collecting data.

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City of Denton Core Values | Inclusion, Collaboration, Quality Service, Strategic Focus, Fiscal Responsibility

TING AV CUL COMUNITY Community Gardening is Inherently Inclusive and Collaborative by Nature.

In recent years, the benefits of community gardening have sprouted more research, and there’s no denying the positive impact it has on your social, physical, and spiritual well-being. Coupled with the mental and physical benefits of volunteering, it makes it all the better.

According to researchers, engaging in a mindful-based activity like community gardening will stimulate the brain’s ability consciously tune into surroundings, and cultivate social support while exploring new relationships within and across physical and social barriers. It brings people together from different cultural backgrounds, promotes various types of healthy foods, and fosters the sharing of those foods within the community.

Community gardens like Shiloh Field and Bowling Green are transformative and provide more meaningful opportunities to cultivate community for people and programs that effect positive change and growth.

Shiloh Field Community Garden

Shiloh Field is at 1650 Nottingham Dr. and is considered the largest community garden in the United States by the American Community Garden Association. Fruit and vegetables harvested from Shiloh Field feed Denton County communities and support local nonprofit partners like the Denton Community Food Center and the new community shelter.

Shiloh Field volunteers are invaluable and cultivate the garden and support the community by providing farm-to-table produce.

Bowling Green Community Garden

This community garden is at 2200 Bowling Green St. at Bowling Green Park. Plots will open on Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. for online or in-person registration at the Civic Center. Plots are approximately 15’ x 15’ or 11’ x 13’. For details and rates, please visit www.dentonparks.com.

To volunteer and feed the hungry by gardening, visit www.shilohfield.com.

City of Denton | www.cityofdenton.com | (940) 349-8200

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Community Outreach United Way of Denton County

View their comprehensive directory of Denton County social services that connect people in need to agencies that can help them.

They offer a full resource directory, quick guide, and service map.

To learn about how you can help, visit www.unitedwaydenton.org/get-involved.

Please print this care card and keep it close by to share with someone you believe will benefit.

Community Shelter Care Card Location and Shelter Hours

The shelter is located at 909 N. Loop 288, Denton, TX. The day shelter is open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and the emergency (overnight) shelter is open 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. The community kitchen is open daily with the following hours: Breakfast, 8-9 a.m., lunch 11 a.m.-1 p.m., dinner, 5-7 p.m. Program services are available Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., for counseling, case management, and onsite partner agencies.

Transportation

We can be reached by taking DCTA Route #3 or by using DCTA Go-Zone.

Contact Information

We are always available. Call (940) 514-1007, email info@ourdailybreaddenton.org or visit us online at www.ourdailybreaddenton.org.