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Dear Neighbor,
I want to ensure you’re aware of a new process the Board of Supervisors will be piloting starting January 2025 to provide additional opportunities for the public to weigh in on policy proposals, also known as motions, before they come to our Tuesday Public Hearing meetings for a vote.
Residents will have two weeks before motions are scheduled to be voted on to learn more about the motion and share feedback at one of the five county cluster meetings (Operations, Community Services, Family and Social Services, Health and Mental Health Services, and Public Safety); these meetings are held on Wednesdays in-person and virtually. You can get more info on county cluster meetings here: ceo.lacounty.gov/agendas
We often hear from constituents about how a motion can be placed on the Board agenda on a Friday and voted on a Tuesday, leaving little time for a thoughtful review or response from even a fraction of our 10 million residents. I put forward this pilot, with the support of the Board, to use our existing cluster meetings to provide an opportunity for meaningful dialogue with our constituents and county departments that leads to better policies and outcomes for our residents.
I look forward to sharing more about this new process in the new year, in the meantime, check out this LAist article, which provides more insight.
Sincerely,
Holly J. Mitchell
Supervisor, Second District
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Team Mitchell wishes you a wonderful holiday season. To all who celebrate, have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy Kwanzaa.
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 Mitchell Memo Content
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Addressing Homelessness – Safe RV Parking Lot Site |
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It was a joy to sit and break bread with residents participating in the County's first Safe Parking Lot for RVs, a pilot program in my district to get unhoused residents living in RVs into permanent housing and their RVs off the streets.
We are using an existing County lot that will be the site of permanent housing in a few years; until then, this space provides 14 spots for our unhoused neighbors to legally park their RVs in a safe environment and access to wraparound services to help transition them into permanent housing so this site can serve more people.
Thank you to the County's Homelessness Initiative and Pathway Home team and our community partners, End Homelessness CA, for providing onsite resources for residents to take hot showers and A Step to Freedom for providing housing navigation services. Check out Spectrum News 1's coverage here to learn more about this program.
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Racial Justice Learning Exchange on Restorative Justice |
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We closed out this year’s 2nd District Racial Justice Learning Exchange series with a powerful discussion on Restorative Justice - a community led and collaborative process that emphasizes healing, repair, and accountability. Thank you, California Conference for Equality and Justice, Centinela Youth Services, Healing Dialogue and Action, LA County Department of Youth Development, and the LA County Probation Department for facilitating our group discussions.
A special thank you to Martin Haro and Lynn Williams for sharing their restorative justice journeys with us. To stay informed on upcoming RJLE events, sign-up here.
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Giving Back to Families with the Department of Public Social Services |
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Each year, Team Mitchell participates in the County Department of Public Social Services' Adopt-A-Family program to help families in the 2nd District with their holiday wish lists. Seeing the smiles we can help create during this season of giving is always rewarding. Last year, over 800 residents donated gifts to 1,200 families.
To learn more about how you can join us in giving back, visit https://dpss.lacounty.gov/en/community/volunteer.html
Watch 2nd District Performers at the 65th Annual County Holiday Celebration
 Check out this preview of the Victory Dancers, the talented youth group from our Crenshaw community, who will perform at the 65th Annual LA County Holiday Celebration on Christmas Eve! Don't miss their powerful performance and others at the Music Center LA on Tuesday, December 24, starting at 3:00 pm. You can watch the show live on PBS SoCal or stream it at https://www.pbssocal.org/.
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Volunteer for the Greater LA Homeless Count
Volunteers are needed for the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count happening January 21-23, 2025. Join our office and thousands of residents for this critical effort to capture the number of Angelenos experiencing homelessness. This data collection is important because it directly impacts how resources and services are allocated to those most in need. Sign-up here to volunteer https://count.lahsa.org.
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CARE Court helps adults experiencing severe, untreated mental illnesses by developing a plan to provide services tailored to their needs. For more information, visit https://www.lacourt.org/care/. Residents and family members can also access other LA County Department of Mental Health programs, services, and resources here, by calling the 24/7 Help Line at (800) 854-7771, or calling/texting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. |
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LA COUNTY LAUNCHES MEDICAL DEBT RELIEF PROGRAM FOR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS
LA Public Health has launched the Medical Debt Relief Program to help low-income Los Angeles County residents with unpaid medical bills. Residents who qualify will receive a letter from LA County and Undue Medical Debt notifying them of their cancelled debt.
Learn more about the program here: https://bit.ly/4gfNOpM
Access additional resources here: https://bit.ly/3VLImD3
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MUSIC CENTER ANNOUNCES 2025 TEACHING ARTIST TRAINING PROGRAM FOR K-12 EDUCATORS
The Music Center is offering its renowned Teaching Artist Training program at the start of 2025, providing K-12 educators with the tools to refine their work helping to educate the next generation of artists. This 10-week course includes in-person sessions, optional virtual support, individualized coaching, and a focus on lesson design and arts integration. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/3hmjOiX
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ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY HOLIDAY GRANTS
Small businesses and nonprofits in L.A. County can receive up to $5,000 in funding through the new Economic Opportunity Holiday Grant Program! Powered by PACE in LA and the American Rescue Plan Act, this grant supports organizations still recovering from the pandemic. Applications are open until December 31st. Visit bit.ly/SmallBusinessGrants2025 to check eligibility, apply, and access resources.
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LOS ANGELES HOMELESS SERVICES AUTHORITY WINTER SHELTERS NOW OPEN
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s Winter Shelter Program (WSP) is now open throughout LA County from November 1 - March 31 ! The Winter Shelter Program is held annually to protect people homelessness during Los Angeles's colder months. Winter Shelters are located all across the County, and will be operating 24 hours a day. For more information about the Winter Shelter Program, visit http://lasha.org/winter-shelter or call 211.
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To access additional information on upcoming community resources and events related to education, health, housing, workforce development and more click here.
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65TH ANNUAL LA COUNTY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION
Tuesday, December 24 | 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Various Locations
Celebrate the holiday season with the 65th Annual LA County Holiday Celebration! Enjoy live music and dance performances at the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion or stream the event live on PBS SoCal.
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2ND DISTRICT RJLE EVENT: COMMUNITY BOOK DISCUSSION & FINANCIAL LITERACY RESOURCE FAIR
Friday, January 24 | 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
LA Southwest College
Little Theatre
1600 W Imperial Hwy
Los Angeles, CA 90047
Join the Office of Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell for a panel and resource fair on financial literacy. We'll discuss and examine how building generational wealth and advancing equity is key to empowering our communities. There will also be vendors offering tools and resources to support your financial success!
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Board of Supervisors Public Meeting Updates
The Board of Supervisors (BOS) meets every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m., except on Tuesdays following a Monday holiday when meetings begin at 1:00 p.m. The next meeting is on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. All public Board meetings can be viewed live at: http://bos.lacounty.gov/Board-Meeting/Live-Broadcast.
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We encourage you to share this newsletter with your neighbors! If you aren’t already subscribed to the Mitchell Memo Newsletter, sign up here.
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