Another issue at the meeting was the allocation of $60,000 in Human Services funds among various local organizations. The board grappled with decisions on how to distribute these funds fairly, considering the diverse scales and focuses of the requesting organizations. While some members suggested prioritizing services such as food scarcity, the consensus was that a methodical approach was necessary to review all the requests and make balanced funding decisions.

The meeting also included updates from several nonprofit organizations seeking support from the Human Services fund. Notable among these were presentations from the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod and the Council of Churches’ Hands of Hope Outreach Center, which outlined their services to the community and the challenges they face due to funding limitations. Also presented were funding requests from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod and Independence House, each detailing their respective programs and their impact on the Yarmouth community.

The Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod emphasized the potential for expanded services with additional funding, including prenatal care, postpartum visits, mental health support, communicable disease surveillance, immunizations, and educational presentations. The Council of Churches’ Hands of Hope Outreach Center illustrated their emergency assistance programs, which provide food and financial aid.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod shared successes of their youth mentoring program, highlighting the 78 kids from Yarmouth matched with mentors and currently serving 36 in the town. Independence House requested $99,500 to aid their comprehensive response programs for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, detailing their collaboration with the Yarmouth Police Department and serving over 1,000 clients in Yarmouth last year.

Discussions about other grant applications included the Family Table Collaborative’s efforts in providing meals to those in need, Behavioral Health Innovators’ Positive Alternative to School Suspension (PASS) program, and a proposal for a recovery school program catering to Yarmouth resident students affected by addiction. Harbor Health Services presented a dental assistance training program aimed at addressing the shortage of dental assistants, with a request for $10,000 to support training at a Cape Cod location. The Aid Support Group of Cape Cod also detailed their services for individuals living with HIV and their harm reduction efforts.

TI Law Services described their support for blind and visually impaired individuals, including various programs and support groups, while the Yarmouth Food Pantry reported its busiest month ever, serving 736 people, with a significant percentage being children.

In other business, the board noted the successful conclusion of the migrant program with the relocation of all participants and the reopening of the Harwich Side Suites to the public. The COVID-19 update showed a decline in positivity rates in Yarmouth, leading to the decision to discontinue regular updates at future meetings due to the changing landscape of COVID-19 testing and reporting.

The meeting was also marked by the introduction of Monique Dy as the newest member of the Board of Health. Additionally, the board recognized the absence of one of their colleagues, Eric, who was on his honeymoon, and discussed scheduling the next meeting for the first Monday in June.