Help for the homeless during the bitter cold

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District 4

Newsletter

Council Member Jeff Blubaugh

Poll: Celebrating New Year's Eve

How do you plan to celebrate New Year's Eve?

Entertaining at home

Select

Going out on the town

Select

Going to a private party

Select

It's just another night

Select

Results from the November 23, 2022 poll

Question: What is the #1 cause of home fires in the winter months?

Unattended candles - 16%
Dirty chimneys - 13%
Overloaded extension cords - 18%
Unattended cooking - 21%
Burning leaves and yard waste - 11%
Dryer lint - 12%
Other - 9%

The U.S. Fire Administration identifies cooking as the leading cause of house fires and injuries all year long, including throughout the winter months. More people are cooking indoors more often during cold weather. Prevention is key to keeping a safe home:

Never leave the kitchen or hot appliances unattended while cooking.
Keep paper products, towels, potholders and other flammable materials away from the stove.
Clean your stove and oven often to avoid grease build up.
Keep children and pets at least 3 feet away from the stove while food is being prepared.

How to help the homeless

According to the United Way Point in Time Count, over 600 people are homeless in Wichita-Sedgwick County on any given night. This does not include those with housing insecurities staying in hotels or with friends or family.

Councilman Blubaugh recently met with the President and CEO of HumanKind Ministries, LaTasha St. Arnault, along with Greer Cowley, HumanKind's Director of Donor Relations and Community Engagement. We were able to tour several of their facilities and learn more about their monumental mission. According to Ms. St. Arnault, no one is ever turned away from their emergency winter shelters.

HumanKind Ministries manages and staffs seven (7) various shelters and affordable housing options for those who are experiencing homelessness. In addition, HumanKind has accommodations for clients who have pets. Their emergency winter shelters prepare and serve meals, can provide clothing, and have nursing stations. Another site boasts counselors, caseworkers, and classrooms to assist with employment and housing opportunities.

There are various ways in which to help those experiencing homelessness or poverty: make a monetary donation, give the gift of your time by volunteering, or donate coats, winter accessories, non-perishable foods, personal hygiene products, or new and handmade blankets. Items can be dropped off at the Administration Office located at 829 N Market St., Monday thru Friday, 8:30 am - 5pm. You can also simply donate directly via the HumanKind website.

If you shop at Dillon's or online at Amazon, you can support HumanKind with a percentage of your purchases by selecting HK as your chosen charity.

HOT (Homeless Outreach Team) are always nearby

Pet kennels are provided to those who have pets if staying at The Inn on east Central.

Warm beds are provided, including those with children.

Free dump coupon still available!

Eisenhower National Airport once again offers a 25% holiday discount in the Park & Ride Shuttle lot this year. This holidays discount will be given to all parking patrons who enter the Park & Ride Lot between November 18th and January 1st. The normal undiscounted parking rate is $8.00 per day. We’ve offered holiday discounts in past years, and it has been very well received by our customers. This is a way for us to give back during the holidays and say thank you to those who use ICT.

Dispose of your live tree and gain free mulch

Join our District 4 Advisory Board meetings

The Wichita District 4 Advisory Board meets monthly to weigh in on current Zoning and other cases presented by the Wichita-Sedgwick County Planning Department, as well as discussions and presentations by various other departments. The January meeting will be held at the Alford Branch Library, 3447 S Meridian, 6:30 pm, January 9, 2023. Or you can continue to join us via Zoom or Facebook Live. To join in on the meeting, the Zoom link is posted on each month's agenda that you can find on Councilman Blubaugh's page via Wichita.gov

Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP)

The LIEAP season is just around the corner. The application period will be from Tuesday, January 3, 2023, through Friday, March 30, 2023. For more information please check the following link - http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/ees/Pages/EnergyAssistance.aspx

Eviction Resolution Program

If you are behind on rent or have received an eviction notice from your landlord, take action as soon as possible! Staff at the Eviction Resolution Program can help explain the court process and connect you with community programs and services that may be able to help. This could include mediation, which is a chance for a tenant and landlord to work with a neutral party to reach an agreement.

Preparing your teen for employment

The Greater Wichita YMCA is offering a FREE job prep program for students who will be looking for employment next year. The enrollment deadline is January 23 and spots are limited. Classes begin February 6 and students will attend once a week for 12 weeks to qualify for summer employment. USD259 buses will be available for students who attend Job Prep at one of the listed high schools. For more information and how to enroll, click HERE!

New classes, events, and schedules

to ward off those winter blues

Registration for winter classes is now open! Click the link below to view the guide online or to enroll in programs. Hard copies of the guide will be available on December 2nd at Wichita Recreation Centers, Wichita Public Libraries, City Hall, CityArts, and various food and retail locations. Winter classes start the first week in January. Make sure to register before then online here.

Saving lives from accidental overdose

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), 107,375 people in the United States died of drug overdoses and drug poisonings in the 12-month period ending in January 2022. A staggering 67 percent of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Some of these deaths were attributed to fentanyl mixed with other illicit drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, with many users unaware they were actually taking fentanyl. Only two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose; it’s particularly dangerous for someone who does not have a tolerance to opioids.

Sedgwick County is on track to see almost five times more people die this year than previous years from drug overdose. Recently, over the Thanksgiving weekend, at least 3 people died from suspected fentanyl poisoning. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) offers 10 strategies to prevent your young person from using drugs. Please take this seriously and start talking with your kids, grandkids, neighbors, and anyone who will listen.

Where can I find.....?

To find out when a street sweeper will be visiting your neighborhood, street closures, water outages, public parks in other parts of the City, and more, just add this link to your "favorites".