By Mary Alice Murphy

Because of the absence of Grant County Community Health Council Co-Chairwoman Priscilla Lucero, who usually leads the meeting, Co-Chairwoman Terry Anderson, facilitated the meeting.

She introduced the new health council members and asked them to give a brief overview of their goals for their participation.

Marilyn Alcorn, representing the seniors sector, said her goal was to form partnerships to work on issues that intermingle. "I want to find relationships and create collaborative efforts."

Alicia Edwards, representing the food security and community resiliency sector, said she has been doing food security work for about six years, and "I feel like we are going backward. We are seeing more people coming for food. I want to work with the health council to reverse the trend and address the issues leading to food insecurity."

Silver Regional Sexual Assault Support Services Director Joanie Connor, representing the interpersonal violence sector, said SASS has been perceived as anti-men. "We are not anti-anyone. We are pro-positive relationships."

Silver Consolidated Schools Superintendent Lon Streib, representing Silver Schools, said he hopes the school district can be of service to the health council and community. "We have more than 3,000 students and 400 employees. As an organization, we can focus on issues."

Anderson had the written sector reports that had been submitted in a pile in front of her. She randomly chose which sector would speak next. The first reports and conversations around them follow.

Bob Reese, representing the Ministerial Alliance, said he has concerns about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) proposed changes to the requirements. "People have articulated that the 20 hours of week might be a problem. Those who are homeless have a terribly hard time finding a job, especially with jobs still few and far between. Funds are being reduced, but the needs continue. I believe this issue fits in with the Family Resiliency priority."

Edwards said the Emergency Food Assistances Program (TEFAP), better known as commodities, has received a 50 percent cut two years in a row. "There are significantly less commodities, while we are seeing 100 percent increase in numbers we are serving. TEFAP comes into the state on a formula basis. We've been trying to impress on Roadrunner Food Bank that in the rural areas it is harder for people to get to a grocery store. It may seem reasonable to require someone to work 20 hours a week, but then their other benefits get cut. It's not a simple issue. A lot of studies on SNAP numbers show an impact on the community. It is pretty well substantiated that every dollar of SNAP creates $1.83 in benefits; every dollar cut means a loss of 83 cents of economic development. It's not as easy as saying one has to work 20 hours a week."

She said she thought it was "pretty obvious we are not having an economic recovery. I think it's the wrong thing to cut SNAP."

Alcorn asked what if a person lives 20 miles out of town. "The change is presuming that person has a vehicle, which they can afford to pay insurance and fuel for. That is a cost of working the 20 hours. There are no buses in a lot of our areas. We don't live in Albuquerque where you can go down to the corner and hop a bus."

Edwards pointed out that a basket of groceries that costs $50 in Albuquerque cost $85 in a rural area. "Those 20 hours of work are probably at a minimum wage job. There are a lot of broad-brush efforts out of Albuquerque and Santa Fe that don't take rural areas into account."

This author is a health council member, representing the media sector. She said people talk often about a lack of communication among agencies and entities. She said she would like the Grant County Beat to be the hub of communications, and requested that news releases be sent to her. She said people would have to read newspapers or online news to receive the information. She also said the Gale Moore memorial edition of the Glenwood Gazette was expected to be out later this week, and that an interested person was contemplating continuing publication of the Gazette.

Mary Stoecker, representing the public health sector, in a comment to the media sector, gave kudos to the Silver City Daily Press team, which took over the Press, after its brief demise. "The Daily Press is doing a good job. I hope someone can keep the Gazette going, too."

Bonnie Zelinko, representing work force, said all of the reports given before have work force links. "All sectors impact the work force and vice versa. We are seeing an uptick in those coming in looking for jobs. Many can't just relocate. I worry more about the underemployed who have to get two or three part-time jobs. The part that is good is when we give an interest assessment and someone says: 'Wow, I can do that.' Many of those who come in also have to work on interview and résumé building skills, as well as computer skills. Friday mornings we have a class: 'Are You Afraid of the Mouse?' We also partner with the public library on classes."

"The four priorities also are connected to work force," Zelinko said. "Call me at 538-3737 for information on work force issues."

She said bullying and domestic violence impact the work force, as does sexual harassment in the work place. "We have resources to address both. With substance abuse, we have a problem with many people not being able to pass a drug test. With disabilities, hiring people with disabilities is an opportunity and a challenge."

Tony Trujillo of the mining sector asked what the unemployment rate is.

Zelinko replied that it is 7.8 percent. "It has been inching higher, but I don't have the latest report yet."

Trujillo asked why it was trending upward. Zelinko said it can change by the week. "I can tell by how many people are coming into the office. What worries me is that it does not take into account those who have dropped out of the work force. And I look at about 23 percent who are underemployed."

Trujillo asked if the underemployed can file a claim. "They can put in a claim based on what they were making," Zelinko said.

"Back to SNAP and having to pass a drug test," Alcorn said, "what will be the response if they are working on getting a job and can't pass a drug test? We have people with issues."

Zelinko said her office is there to assist people with their issues.

Edwards asked how the underemployment rate trends. Zelinko said it varies between 20 percent and 23 percent. She pointed out that a lot of minimum wage jobholders could not handle the costs of food, gas and rent going up.

Mike Trujillo of the financial sector said in his report that it appears the economy is slowly coming out of the Great Recession. "We are focused on 2015. The loan demand is soft, but there is a pent-up demand for cars, so loans have been happening there. Real estate interest rates are really low, at 3.5 percent for a 15-year loan and 4.5 percent for 30-year or 40-year loans." He received surprised questions about 40-year loans, to which he replied they were being done.

"New construction is still pretty much nonexistent," Mike Trujillo said. "Few purchases are going on. House prices have edged up, but it's still a buyer's market. It's not the same as five years ago. The economy hasn't really recovered."

Jim Helgert of the substance abuse sector reported he got together with agencies to work on the 101 Things for Youth to Do in Grant County program this past summer. He said he is trying to bring the substance abuse curriculum together at Western New Mexico University. "The field is predicted to grow by 25 percent over the next few years, so we need to put graduates to work in the field."

The rest of the reports and the meeting will be covered in a subsequent article.