Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2, student aid organization Backpack Friends and Pflugerville ISD are teaming up to collect backpacks and school supplies for Pflugerville students who need them. Drop off your donations of backpacks, markers, crayons, construction paper, notebooks, pencils, erasers or other school supplies through Monday at one of these fire stations: 203 E. Pecan St., 15300 Bratton Lane, 2301 Kelly Lane, 911 Pflugerville Parkway or 1541 Pflugerville Loop. The supplies will be handed out on Aug. 1 at the 2023 Back to School Pfair, according to a news release.

A name like KittyPalooza begs explanation. So, here it is: The Austin Animal Center on Tuesday announced its 14th annual musical festival-themed adoption event for foster kittens. “You may see old favorites like Simon & Purr-funkle, Meowrah Carey and The Notorious C.A.T., and some of the hottest artists like Kitty Minaj, Mike Pawsner and Purrell Williams,” reads a news release that we couldn’t resist quoting. All kittens at the event will be spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated, and adoption fees will be waived. KittyPalooza will take place from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Austin Animal Center (7201 Levander Loop). Get more info at the city’s website.

Austin Public Health will provide free vaccines and boosters at a series of clinics focused on reaching the immigrant community. The events will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on July 13 and 28 and Aug. 10 and 25, all days at Gustavo “Gus” L. García Recreation Center (1201 E. Rundberg Lane). Vaccines will be available for Covid-19, Mpox, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, HPV, pneumococcal (PCV20) and Tdap for anyone 19 and older. “Anyone can attend and receive their vaccinations regardless of immigration status. No ID, citizenship or medical insurance is needed,” according to a news release.

If you have a creative project a-brewin’, hope is on the horizon. The Austin Economic Development Department is launching the Nexus Grant, intended to support local artists and arts organizations. Recipients will get $5,000 grants for their creative public projects. Applications are now open and close at 5 p.m. on Aug. 15. “Eligible applicants must have a minimum one-year history of cultural or arts programming in the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area – which includes Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties,” according to a news release. Get more info and learn how to apply at austintexas.gov/nexus.

Get your Lorax on at a Tree Smart Brown Bag Lunch & Learn on July 19, where experts from the city’s Community Tree Preservation Division will teach attendees about Austin’s tree ordinance and ways to protect the urban forest. The event is free to attend and will take place from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Permitting and Development Center (6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive), Room 1406. There will be snacks (but you can bring a lunch, too). “The presentation will focus mainly on information that affects permit holders and professionals who work in development and landscaping,” according to a news release. Space is limited; you can register here.

The city on Tuesday will host an event intended to showcase the work of the Homeless Services Organizational Capacity Building Initiative and honor the work of organizations serving the city’s unhoused population. The initiative has given grants to 21 nonprofit groups, with an emphasis on expanding service to those experiencing homelessness, improving equity in service and supporting minority-led organizations that provide service to the community. Tuesday’s event is the culmination of a 10-week program facilitated by Blue Sky Partners and city staff and, according to a news release from the city, “provides an opportunity for the organizations to forge new connections, share their success, and celebrate with the broader community.” The event is free and open to the public. More information and RSVP can be found here. “This event will provide an opportunity for our partner organizations who have supported people experiencing homelessness to be honored for their services,” said Homeless Strategy Division Policy & Engagement Unit Manager Gary Pollack in a statement. “Many of the organizations represented at this event have not been previously funded by the city of Austin, and through this initiative and community event we’re excited to bring a spotlight to their important work.”

Austin Public Health, the Asian American Resource Center and the Austin Asian Community Health Initiative are teaming up to host a community health fair. The event, which will offer free health services, food, school supplies and a play area for kids, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 22 at 8401 Cameron Road. The fair is free and open to the public, no insurance or citizenship required. Covid-19, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, HPV, pneumococcal and Tdap vaccines will be available. There also will be screenings for diabetes (after a three-hour fast) and cholesterol (after an eight-hour fast), as well as blood pressure and eye testing. Pashto, Dari, Nepali, Vietnamese and Arabic language services will be available.

Feel a nagging desire to get more tech savvy? APL Innovate, Austin Public Library’s “digital makerspace for collaboration and creation,” will hold an open house from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Central Library. “We are providing community access to state-of-the-art computer hardware and software to create digital content such as podcasts, videos, 3D renderings, music, and more,” an event announcement reads. All ages welcome; find the Innovation Lounge on the fifth floor.

As a way of remembering O. Henry
Austin has jokingly honored his legacy
Puns weren’t enough
(This rhyme is tough)
So now we’ve expanded to poetry

That’s right. The city’s O. Henry Museum is branching all the way out to limericks with its latest contest, the Lone Star Limericks online writing competition, which is free and open to the public. Submissions, which can be in video, image or text, are open July 1-22 here. What is the contest, exactly? Per the city: “Pay tribute to this great city and state’s people, places, sights, and sounds by immortalizing (or gently mocking) them in verse! Your limerick can reference anything about Texas or Austin – your favorite (or least favorite) Texas person, city or state park, wildflower, animal, road trip experience, (barbecue) joint, I-35 exit, debilitating allergen – the sky’s the limit! Just keep it short and snappy, and family-friendly!”

The public will be able to view and vote on their favorite limericks July 23-31, with winners announced on Aug. 1.

The city is now is taking feedback on the well-publicized, ongoing expansion of Austin’s airport, giving travelers an official place to channel their frustrations and delight with air travel these days. The official survey on the expansion now known as “Journey with AUS” is intended to help guide those working on the project. According to a news release from airport information officials, “Survey responses will be used to create passenger profiles that capture the typical AUS traveler. These passenger profiles will help inform design standards, which will be used to design and eventually build the midfield concourse.” In addition to the online survey, in-person surveys will be conducted at the airport today. The online survey is open to anyone that has traveled through Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in 2023 and until July 7.

The city will hold the Fair Chance Hiring Job Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Greater Mount Zion Church (4301 Tannehill Lane). “This job and resource fair will provide individuals with multiple opportunities to meet face-to-face with representatives from public agencies, private employers, temporary staffing agencies, and community resource organizations committed to hiring and assisting individuals from all backgrounds,” according to a news release from the city. The event description specifically emphasizes opportunities for people who are veterans, senior citizens, justice-involved and/or living with disabilities. There will be an opening ceremony at 11:05 a.m. Visit the city’s website for more info.

Are you a community organizer or do you run an organization that serves racially and economically diverse Austinites? According to the city’s website, you can apply for an Office of Resilience program awarding “minigrants” of up to $3,000. The funds are meant to support needs like preparedness training, supplies and workforce development. “We recognize that Office of Resilience and the City of Austin need to partner with members of the community that represent the diverse backgrounds and needs of our community in order to discover, enhance and uplift the most appropriate means to support robust and thriving families, households, and neighborhoods,” according to the website. The deadline to apply is Aug. 4. Distribution will be first come, first served. Apply at the city’s application portal.