The Human Services Advisory Commission voted Jan. 9 to approve its 2024 annual report and received a director’s report on department activities and priorities for 2025.

Commissioners approved the annual report in a roll-call vote. Staff said the Human Services Advisory Commission met 16 times in 2024 and received one public comment. The report spotlighted a range of presentations and priorities, including the Blue Zones Project presentation, the camping-in-public-places code amendment and homelessness prevention work.

In the director’s report, Human Services leadership announced the hire of Jessica Rapp as a human services manager and provided holiday-program metrics: the department’s ‘‘Adopt a Senior’’ program recorded 351 participants and 228 donors, and ‘‘Adopt a Family’’ served 237 families with 162 donors; staff estimated in-kind and monetary support at roughly $75,000 for Adopt a Senior and $156,000 for Adopt a Family (estimates provided by staff).

On the food bank expansion, staff said a 30-gallon water heater arrived and was installed at the McCallops warehouse site and that a county inspection is scheduled, after which food storage operations can begin moving from Vista Del Camino to the warehouse. Staff said satellite food distribution will continue at human services centers.

Other items in the director’s report included the annual point-in-time count scheduled for Jan. 28 (6 a.m. to noon) and an update that the Community House will host day-relief services at South Scottsdale Presbyterian Church on a month-to-month lease with Impact Church; Impact Church agreed to provide a 60-day notice if that arrangement ends. Staff also noted English-as-a-Second-Language classes at Paiute Neighborhood Center have roughly 17 participants this month and thanked the Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors for a $1,000 donation to the career center.

Motion and vote: Commission moved and seconded approval of the Human Services Advisory Commission 2024 annual report; the roll-call vote recorded "yes" from chair and commissioners present and the motion carried.

Why this matters: The report and director’s updates reflect operational milestones — staff additions, food-bank readiness inspections, volunteer-led holiday assistance — and set the commission’s agenda for 2025, including implementing the department strategic plan and addressing homelessness and senior services.