No Limits Community Outreach, Inc.

c/o Lauren Arroyo or Emily Shuttlesworth

2801 Palmer Highway

Texas City, Texas  77590

No Limits Community Outreach, Inc, is applying for a grant to:

1)       Address a community need of disaster preparedness

2)      Provide a county-wide (Galveston County) event commemorating 9/11 and honoring emergency personnel

3)      Provide youth with an opportunity to lead and promote an event that starts on 9/09/11 and ends on 9/11/11.  A community-wide emergency supply distribution will take place through 9/18/11.  See No Limits Community Outreach, Inc. website:  http://www.nolimitscommunityoutreach.org/Welcome.html.

 4)     9/09/11-09/18/11 Adopt a low-income  apartment complex in Galveston County and distribute emergency/disaster packages to disadvantaged residents who do not have the means (money, transportation) to purchase emergency supplies.

For the 10^th anniversary of 9/11, The No Limits Community Outreach, Inc. youth-led group would like to bring the Galveston County emergency personnel together to raise awareness of the community need for disaster preparedness; provide a county-wide event commemorating 9/11 and provide on-going community education and outreach activities relative to disaster preparedness through 9/11.  This will include participation of almost 50 emergency personnel agencies throughout Galveston County.

On September 13, 2008, Galveston County experienced the death and devastation of Hurricane Ike.  Over 195 deaths were contributed to this violent storm as it affected several geographical areas.  In Galveston County, over 100,000 homes were flooded.  Some people barely escaped death by climbing on roofs, tree tops and punching holes in their roofs.  The City of Galveston was declared “uninhabitable” as 940 people were rescued from rising water and 2000 were rescued after the storm. Galveston County has been referred to as “Hurricane Alley”, so there is a community need to educate the community about disaster preparedness.

On Friday, September 09, 2011, the youth would like to host a:  “ 9/11 Kick Off Event” providing a red, white and blue memorial balloon release to honor the victims of 9/11.  On Saturday, September 10, 2011, the youth would like to host an appreciation brunch honoring emergency personnel throughout Galveston County.  (See the list below for law enforcement, hospitals and fire departments) to be invited to participate to receive awards of recognition providing emergency services to the public.  The youth will provide an interpretative dance commemorating the 10^th anniversary of 9/11.  (See similar performance on:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS1ytJWiYJw).  The Saturday event is exclusively for the emergency personnel and the youth.  On Sunday, the youth would like to host an event promoting:  CommUNITY UNITY.  This would be open to the entire community and the families of emergency personnel.  Various community organizations will have tables set up to distribute information to the community raising awareness about disaster preparedness and emergency relief.  Some of the organizations include the Red Cross, United Way, Galveston County Police Departments, Galveston County Fire Departments and Galveston County Hospitals and other community-based and faith-based organizations that provide community outreach services.  This event will serve as both a free educational outreach fair and a free family-center fun fair, providing moon walks, helicopter rides and refreshments.

Over the 3-day period we anticipate having over 300 volunteers, over 250 emergency personnel participants from various Galveston County organizations and over 2500 community participants/attendees. 

The youth and adult volunteers who participate in this project will learn the value of promoting “Unity in the CommUNITY.”  We will collect sign-in sheets to track volunteers, account for program participation and document program attendance.  Residents receiving emergency/disaster supplies will have a sign-in sheet acknowledging that they received emergency/disaster kits.  We will document all measurable outcomes.

The youth will promote the event via providing a news release.  The youth will also provide a radio announcement.  They will wear t-shirts as they serve as human billboards raising awareness about being prepared for a disaster.  The youth will also purchase a billboard to be used all-year long encouraging the community to educate themselves on disaster preparedness.

Amount of request:  $75,000.00 for a 3-day 9/11 event.

List of participants to be invited:

GALVESTON COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES               

Galveston County Fire Departments