[00:00:03]
YOU LEAVING? ALL RIGHT, MAYOR.UH, WE WILL BEGIN, UH, OUR CEREMONIAL AGENDA.
AND THERE IS REALLY ONLY ONE ITEM ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING FOR CEREMONIALS, UH, CITY COUNCIL HAS RECONVENED FROM ITS EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE WILL RECONVENE THE EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE SESSION TOMORROW AFTER THE BUSINESS PORTION OF OUR AGENDA.
THIS EVENING, UM, IS THE FIRST OF OUR AWARD CEREMONY FOR THE COMPASSIONATE SAN ANTONIO AWARDS.
WE KICKED OFF A PROGRAM TO HONOR SAN ANTONIO AREA RESIDENTS WHO DEMONSTRATES SAN ANTONIO'S COMPASSIONATE AS A VALUES.
THE PURPOSE OF THE COMPASSIONATE SAN ANTONIO AWARD IS TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS WHO SERVE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH ACTS OF KINDNESS AND COMPASSION, MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
RESIDENTS WHO HAVE PERFORMED GOOD DEEDS AND HAVE IMPACTED THE LIVES OF OTHERS IN A POSITIVE WAY WILL BE RECOGNIZED.
AND OF COURSE, THERE IS A NOMINATION FORM ON THE SAN ANTONIO.GOV WEBSITE IN WHICH THE NOMINEES WERE, UH, SUBMITTED.
SO WE HAVE NINE FOLKS THAT WE'RE GOING TO AWARD TONIGHT, UH, WHO WERE SUBMITTED.
AND WE'RE GONNA CALL UP ONE AT A TIME AND AF AFTER, UH, I ANNOUNCE THE PERSON, WE'LL TAKE SOME PICTURES, WE'LL INVITE THE FAMILY MEMBERS TO COME UP AS WELL, TO TAKE SOME ADDITIONAL PICTURES, AND THEN WE'LL GO, UH, DOWN THE LIST.
THE FIRST NOMINEE IS JUANITA JANIE CASTILLO, NOMINATED BY HER DAUGHTER FOR HER STRONG FAITH AND COMMITMENT TO SELFLESS, COMPASSIONATE EFFORTS, MOST NOTABLY WITH THE ST.
VINCENT DEPAUL ORGANIZATION, WHO PROVIDES RESOURCES FOR OUR CITY'S LESS FORTUNATE RESIDENTS.
MS. CASTILLO EMBODIES COMPASSION ON A DAILY BASIS.
WELL, I JUST WANTED TO THANK MY DAUGHTER AND, UH, FOR NOMINATING ME, AND, UH, I'M REALLY HUMBLED.
BRITTANY, HE SAYS HE'S GONNA SUPPORT YOU NOW AND NEVER.
OUR SECOND AWARDEE IS JESSICA CRAVEN.
IN 2015, MS. CRAVEN FOUNDED THE NONPROFIT BENJAMIN'S RIGHT HAND, WHICH PROVIDES EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL, AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO FAMILIES MOURNING THE LOSS OF A CHILD.
SHE HELPED LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES IN THEIR TIME OF NEED.
WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE HERE.
WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE HERE IN FRONT OF SUCH AMAZING PEOPLE IN OUR CITY, UM, ALONG WITH OTHERS THAT ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND IMPACTING OTHER LIVES.
UM, I WANNA GIVE ALL THE GLORY AND ALL THE HONOR TO GOD.
UM, WITHOUT HIM, I WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE.
I WANNA THANK, UM, SOME OF MY FAMILIES THAT I'VE HELPED, UM, THAT CAME OUT HERE TODAY, UM, TO STAND BY ME.
UM, I WANT TO THANK ANNETTE FOR NOMINATING ME, AND MAY GOD BLESS Y'ALL FAMILY MEMBERS.
[00:05:01]
IF I CAN HAVE ALL MY FAMILY, LIKE EVERYBODY THAT CAME, I LOVE YOUR SHIRT.OUR THIRD AWARDEE IS MS. VERONICA HAYWOOD.
MS. HAYWOOD IS THE CO-FOUNDER OF LATCHED SA, A NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO PROMOTING AWARENESS OF BREASTFEEDING AND SUPPORTING HEALTHY BEGINNINGS FOR MOTHERS AND BABIES.
MS. HAYWOOD USES HER OWN TIME AND RESOURCES TO PROMOTE HEALTH EQUITY FOR FAMILIES OF LOWER INCOME LEVELS.
I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND JUST CONGRATULATING ME ON CONTINUING TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY.
I AM SO THANKFUL FOR MY DEAR FRIEND CODA FOR NOW, FOR NOMINATING ME.
IT'S FRIENDS LIKE HER THAT REALLY KEEP ME MOTIVATED TO BE THE CHANGE THAT I WANNA SEE IN MY COMMUNITY.
OUR FOURTH AUTHORITY IS SISTER DENISE LAROCK, A HIGHLY REGARDED MEMBER OF THE SAN ANTONIO'S CATHOLIC COMMUNITY.
SISTER LAROCK COORDINATES THE BUS, THE BUS STATION MINISTRY OF THE INTERFAITH WELCOME COALITION.
SISTER LAROCK HAS IMPACTED THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS OF REFUGEE FAMILIES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS.
IT HAS INSPIRED COUNTLESS VOLUNTEERS WITH THE IMPACT SHE MAKES EVERY DAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SISTER LAROCK.
SPECIAL THANKS TO MY FAN CLUB FROM I W C
DO YOU WANNA BRING IT TO YEAH.
OUR NEXT AWARDEE IS ERIC MACIAS.
[00:10:01]
LEADER AND ADVOCATE IN THE L G B T Q COMMUNITY IN SAN ANTONIO.AS PART OF THE BE HUMAN CAMPAIGN, HE SELFLESSLY RESPONDS TO MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF OTHERS BY PROVIDING SAFE SPACES AND FACILITATING SUPPORT GROUPS.
AND CONGRATULATIONS MR. MACIAS.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
THANK YOU TO BRAD FOR THE NOMINATION.
IT'S VERY, VERY HEARTWARMING TO KNOW THAT THE L G B T COMMUNITY HAS A PLACE TO BE AUTHENTIC AND OUR GENUINE SELVES.
OUR NEXT AWARDEE IS SUZANNE MARTINEZ, AN AMAZING PROFESSOR AND ADVOCATE FOR HER STUDENTS, MO MOST NOTABLY IN THE AREAS OF L G B T Q AND IMMIGRATION RIGHTS MS. MARTINEZ HAS MADE AND CONTINUES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN COUNTLESS LIVES WITH HER KIND AND NON GENTLE, NON-JUDGMENTAL SUPPORT AND LOVE.
CONGRATULATIONS, MS. MARTINEZ.
OUR NEXT AWARDEE IS CARMEN RAMIREZ MEDINA.
MS. MEDINA WAS NOMINATED AND, AND WHEN HER, HER NOMINEE OR NOMINEE LEARNED ABOUT HER HEROIC ACTIONS LAST MONTH, MS. MEDINA IS AN SS A I S D BUS DRIVER WHO DEMONSTRATED SELFLESS COURAGE BY SPRINGING INTO ACTION TO STOP A DOG ATTACK ON A CHILD, AND BRINGING THE CHILD TO SAFETY.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, MS. MEDINA, UH, I WAS SITTING NEXT TO MY WIFE ON THE COUCH WATCHING THE CAAT STORY WHEN YOUR, UH, STORY CAME UP.
AND THAT'S HOW, UH, IT WAS REALLY MY WIFE WHO SAID, WE HAVE TO NOMINATE MS. MEDINA.
SO CONGRATULATIONS FOR ALL YOUR COURAGE AND WORK MS. MEDINA.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY I'M HONORED TO BE SURROUNDED BY AMAZING PEOPLE LIKE THIS.
UH, I DIDN'T EXPECT TO BE, UM, RECOGNIZED FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE DONE, UH, JUST FROM THE HEART AUTOMATICALLY.
AND, UH, AND MY HEAVENLY FATHER PUTS ME EXACTLY WHERE HE NEEDS ME.
THANK MOVED BY YOUR STORY MUCH.
[00:15:02]
DID HE HAVE FAMILY? YES.SHE BRING THE STUDENT UP ONE DAY.
HOW YOU DOING, SIR? NICE TO MEET YOU.
THANKS Y'ALL FOR THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OUR NEXT AWARDEE IS CHRISTINE ORTEGA, A NATIONALLY CELEBRATED EXPERT IN EDUCATION, CULTURE, BUSINESS AND LATINO CULTURE WHO SERVES AS A MENTOR TO OTHER YOUNG LEADERS.
WE'RE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE A ROLE IN, UH, WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE A ROLE MODEL OF MS. ORTEGA'S CALIBER IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, THROUGH RECENT D N A TESTING, I, I LEARNED THAT MY FAMILY HAS BEEN IN SAN ANTONIO AND THIS REGION OF THE UNITED STATES FOR LITERALLY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
SO TODAY, AS I RECEIVE THIS AWARD, IT REALLY FEELS LIKE A REFLECTION AND A CONNECTION TO ALL THOSE VALUES FROM MY, MY ANCESTORS TO MY FAMILY, TO MY FRIENDS, AND, YOU KNOW, TO, TO THIS BODY WHO, WHO DOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND CREATES THIS AWARD.
AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THE VALUES THAT ARE FROM THIS COMMUNITY AND REALLY THAT ALLOW ME TO DO THE WORK THAT HELPS OTHER GROUPS, BOTH HERE IN TEXAS, IN THE UNITED STATES, AND NOW INTERNATIONALLY.
SO, THANK YOU FOR THE HONOR AND THANK YOU MAYOR.
THANK I JUST YOU THE THANK YOU.
I HAVE AND FRIENDS THAT COME UP.
ISN'T MY MOM, MAYOR BERG? MY SISTERS AND MY COWORKER.
TURN, TURN AWAY FOR LIKE TWO SECONDS.
AND ON THE CUT, TURN BACK AND SMILES AT ME.
SO EVERYBODY LOOK BACK HERE WHEN SHE SAYS THREE SMILE.
WHAT IS THAT CALLED? IT IS FOR NEW YORK.
ALRIGHT, OUR FINAL AWARDEE THIS EVENING IS PETER ROBINSON.
MR. ROBINSON WAS NOMINATED FOR GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND TO BE A WONDERFUL NEIGHBOR.
MR. ROBINSON USES HIS OWN RESOURCES TO TAKE CARE OF LAWNS AND PURCHASE BIRD BATHS AND BIRD FEED FOR NEIGHBORS WHO MAY NOT HAVE THE MEANS.
CONGRATULATIONS FOR BEING A GREAT NEIGHBOR, MR. ROBINSON.
I'M MY DEAR NEIGHBOR FOR NOMINATING ME AND ALL MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS THAT HELP ME TOO WELL, UH, KEEPING THE NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION MY BROTHER BOBBY.
BOBBY AND MY, AND MY RIGHT HAND MAN.
[00:20:08]
I THINK HERE.YEAH, WE HAVE AMAN HIS OWN THANK YOU.
AND WE'LL NOW RECOGNIZE COMMENTS FROM THE DIAZ.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, THANK YOU ALL.
UH, AND WHAT I JUST SAID RIGHT NOW ON THE D WAS, THIS MAKES MY HEART HAPPY.
THIS MAKES ME SO PROUD OF OUR CITY.
AND, UM, YOU ARE CITIZENS AND YOU ALL, AND YOUR WORK AND YOUR COMPASSION THAT YOU EXERCISE EVERY SINGLE DAY TO YOUR NEIGHBORS, TO, UM, PEOPLE IN NEED, TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IT MOTIVATES ME AND IT ENCOURAGES ME TO CONTINUE TO MOVE ON AND DO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY HEART HAPPY.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS, UH, OVER AND OVER.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN SANYA.
I I WANNA SAY WELCOME TO OUR COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME, OR IF YOU COME HERE VERY OFTEN, UH, WE ON THE COUNCIL, WE COME HERE ONCE A WEEK, BUT THIS IS REALLY THE PEOPLE'S CHAMBER.
AND THE, THE IDEA IN THE SPIRIT OF IT BEING THE PEOPLE'S CHAMBER, IS THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY COME HERE WHO ARE FROM SAN ANTONIO.
AND THE FACT THAT, UH, WE GOT TO SHARE IN YOUR STORIES, YOUR EFFORTS, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK OF SISTER LA ROCK AND, AND THE STORIES JUST LIKE THAT.
THESE ARE GIANTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THE CAPACITY AND THE HEIGHT OF THIS CEILING, UH, I'M SURPRISED, REALLY FITS IN CAPACITY TO THE, TO THE, UH, STORIES AND THE INVOLVEMENT AND THE POWERFUL EVEN AS NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, UH, LEADERS, UH, THE THE KIND OF COURAGE AND STORY THAT YOU PUT INTO SAN ANTONIO EVERY DAY.
AND SO, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT, BECAUSE IN MANY CASES, WHAT WE DO IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE SCROLL THROUGH NEWS FEEDS, WE READ HEADLINES, AND THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS THE MOST EXCITING OR THE MOST ENCOURAGING OF UPDATES.
UH, BUT TODAY YOU REALLY DID A, A, A GREAT SERVICE IN REMINDING US HERE AT THE COUNCIL, UH, WHAT IT MEANS.
LIKE, WHAT IT MEANS TO GET TO SEE REGULAR SAN ANTONIANS DOING AMAZING WORK, AND PROBABLY NOT BEING RECOGNIZED AS MUCH AS YOU NEED TO BE.
BUT, UH, WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT YOU SPENT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME DOING THAT WITH US HERE TODAY.
COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN SHIRLEY GONZALEZ.
UM, AND, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR ALLOWING US TO BRING, UH, EVERYONE FORWARD AND GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICLY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GOOD THAT YOU DO, UH, IN THIS CITY.
UH, LIKE MY COLLEAGUES, UM, WE, UH, ARE OFTEN, WE DON'T GET TO HEAR ENOUGH ABOUT THE ACTS OF KINDNESS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS, UH, THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING EVERY DAY AND IN EVERY WALK OF LIFE.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO COME DOWN.
I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY TO GET DOWNTOWN FOR SOME OF YOU AND FIND PARKING AND ALL THAT.
SO, I, I THINK IT WAS A, A GREAT EXPERIENCE, I HOPE, UH, FOR YOU ALL.
AND GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THIS CITY.
I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR SETTING A GREAT EXAMPLE FOR ALL OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, BEING A COMPASSIONATE CITIZEN IS, IS SO IMPORTANT TO, TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE'VE ADOPTED THAT MANTRA AS COMPASSIONATE CITY.
AND SO, UH, WITH THAT, I JUST WANNA SAY ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU.
WE'RE REALLY, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR COMPASSION IS TRULY, TRULY APPRECIATED.
YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY I GO HOME AND MY CHILDREN GREET ME BECAUSE I'VE ASKED THEM TO GREET ME THIS WAY, UH, BECAUSE I GREET 'EM THE SAME WAY.
I SAY, TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD, SOMETHING GOOD THAT HAPPENED TO YOU TODAY.
AND TOO OFTEN I TELL MY CHILDREN, OH, YOU KNOW, TODAY WAS A ROUGH DAY.
THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CAME TO CITY HALL AND THEY'RE FIGHTING AND COMPLAINING.
AND, UH, AND VERY RARELY DOES ANYBODY EVER START A CONVERSATION WITH A COUNCILMAN WITH THE WORDS, I'VE GOT GOOD NEWS.
UM, BUT TODAY I'M SO EXCITED I GET TO GO HOME AND TELL MAX AND SOPHIA, THEN I GOT TO MEET SOME HEROES,
[00:25:01]
UM, AND SOME REAL SAN ANTONIANS WHO JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, DO THE RIGHT THING.AND, UM, I I'M SO PROUD TO BE YOUR NEIGHBOR.
FOLKS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO.
GOD BLESS YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT YOU REALLY REPRESENT THE BEST OF US, THE BEST OF SAN ANTONIO.
IF YOU EVER HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STEP UP AS YOU HAVE BEEN, PLEASE CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND REMIND YOUR NEIGHBORS WE'RE ALL PART OF THE SAME COMMUNITY, AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO BE AS INVOLVED AS AND AS COMMITTED AS YOU ARE.
AND I JUST WANT TO CLOSE BY SAYING THANK YOU, UH, TO A FEW PEOPLE.
I FIRST WANT TO THANK, UM, SARAH MCCLARIN IN MY OFFICE, WHO REALLY HELPED COORDINATE, UM, THIS WHAT IS NOW A CITYWIDE PROGRAM TO RECOGNIZE COMPASSION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, HAVE STILL REFER BACK TO THE VERY FIRST MEETING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAD JUNE 21ST, 2017.
UH, IT WAS NOTABLE BECAUSE THAT THIS COUNCIL ON THAT DAY CHOSE TO SUPPORT A RESOLUTION, UH, IN SUPPORT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD.
THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENED THAT WAS NOTABLE THAT DAY IS THAT WE ALSO CHOSE TO, UH, ADOPT THE CITY'S CHARTER FOR COMPASSION, WHICH I THINK IS STILL FOUNDATIONAL.
A, A A A SOMETHING THAT DRIVES THIS CITY, UH, EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK.
UH, AND IT'S THE, AND IT'S MANIFEST IN THIS AWARD TONIGHT.
UM, THERE IS ONE ORGANIZATION IN TOWN THAT HAS BEEN ON THIS AGENDA FOR THE LAST DECADE AND FINALLY SAW IT COME TO FRUITION ON THAT DAY.
AND THAT IS THE PEACE INITIATIVE.
AND I KNOW THERE'S MANY PEOPLE IN THE PEACE INITIATIVE THAT ARE, ARE HERE TONIGHT.
UM, I HOPE THIS MAKES YOU VERY PROUD.
UH, THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT ARE DOING THIS SORT OF PROGRAM.
I'M FINALLY, I'M GLAD THAT IT'S FINALLY COME HOME TO SAN ANTONIO, AND IT'S A RECOGNITION OF WHAT THAT CHARTER MEANT.
THAT COMPASSIONATE ESSAY IS NOT JUST A HASHTAG, IT'S NOT JUST A SLOGAN.
IT'S A VALUE THAT WE GET TO LIVE OUT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND IT RANGES FROM THE VERY STUNNING ACTS OF KINDNESS THAT WE SAW FROM MS. MEDINA TO THE VERY SIMPLE ACT OF BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR LIKE MR. ROBINSON EXEMPLIFIED TONIGHT.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GO HOME AND THINK ABOUT THOSE KINDNESS, UH, THOSE ACTS OF KINDNESS THAT YOU SEE ON A, ON A DAILY BASIS.
DON'T HESITATE TO CALL OUT ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS FOR BEING ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT DEMONSTRATES THAT.
GO TO THE SAN ANTONIO.GOV WEBSITE AND NOMINATE SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, UH, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN SPEND ENOUGH TIME, UM, LAUDING THE WORK OF NEIGHBORS, JUST LIKE THE ONES YOU SAW TONIGHT FOR BEING KIND AND COMPASSIONATE AND GREAT SAN ANTONIO.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU TONIGHT FOR HELPING US KICK OFF THIS VERY VALUABLE PROGRAM.