Commission highlights youth outreach, town hall on attendance April 10 and fair housing summit April 29

The commission discussed several upcoming community engagement events focused on youth and housing during its March 27 meeting.

Commissioner Ted McCreary and others described a Moving In Faith town hall set for April 10 at the C. K. Newsom Center from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The town hall will concentrate on student attendance with some material on the school‑to‑prison pipeline; commissioners were told a more comprehensive report on the school pipeline will be provided to commission members after the meeting. The organizer asked attendees to preregister and said the event will include giveaways (bicycles and $200 in gas cards in $20 increments) and other information for parents and students.

Commissioners also discussed targeted youth outreach such as attending middle‑school and elementary events, bringing young people to commission meetings to increase civic awareness, and inviting formerly incarcerated youth who have completed re‑entry programs to speak as role models.

A community partner announced a free father‑son luncheon on June 14 hosted with Memorial CDC; organizers said the event will be free for up to 240 attendees and is intended to provide mentoring and support for boys without fathers or with limited family support.

Separately, the commission announced a Fair Housing Summit on Tuesday, April 29, at Old National Events Plaza from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The summit is free and will include lunch; announced speakers are Jeffrey P. May, Stella Adams and attorney Michael D. Mitchell. The Southwest Indiana Association of Realtors is listed as a sponsor. Organizers said the summit will include national fair‑housing experts and local housing resources and that registration information will be shared with commissioners.

Commissioners framed the youth events and the fair‑housing summit as connected to longer‑term goals around attendance, mentoring and policies that affect marginalized residents.