Application to mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending in Pensacola, FL
This Community Newspaper is a weekly publication of Escambia Santa/Rosa Bar Association Page 1 Vol. 15, No. 29 VISIT THE SUMMATION WEEKLY ONLINE: www.esrba.com July 21,2015
4 Pages
90 Works By Josh Newby
When members of the community fall on difficult times, the trauma of losing a job, a house or unexpected medical bills can often leave them feeling lost and unable to take the steps necessary to getting back on their feet. When that happens, various federal, state and local programs are there to help, but the individual may be unaware of the assistance or unable to reach out. Thankfully, 90Works, formerly Families Count, is there to coordinate a variety of resources to help people secure employment, get housing, find a healthcare provider, and move away from dangerous situations, all within just 90 days. “90Works created a social service model that has the vision to help customers move from in -crisis and thriving to safe, stable and thriving,” said Cate Jordan, executive director of the non-profit organization. “And, 90Works values everything it takes to be self-sufficient: housing, income/employment, transportation, health, safety and support.” The outreach’s setup is unique: leveraging their social workers’ ties to the community, 90Works, is a collaborative model that gives its employees a degree of autonomy to weave together solutions from different agencies in the community. “So, our partners include the EscaRosa Coalition on the Homeless, the Veterans Administration (HUD-VASH), Area Housing Commission, CEII, Escambia Community Clinic, and Department of Corrections,” said Jordan. 90Works boasts a 90 percent success rate of getting people self-sufficient within three months. The team also collects data on clients six months and a year after completion of the program, to ensure they are still doing well and turning their life around. One of the main reasons for 90Works’ success is their self-sufficiency model, which takes a holistic approach and focuses on all areas of an individual’s wellbeing, including employment/income, transportation, health, safety, support, and housing, which Jordan considers to be the most challenging problem facing the disadvantaged. “The 90Works’ model is a housing first approach because we believe that without a roof, no one can be expected to be self-sufficient,” said Jordan. “Housing requires an income, and without a shower and a place to stay organized, no one can get up everyday and be present and productive at work.” According to most banking and lending organizations, housing expenses like rent or mortgage should account for about 30 percent of household income. Therefore, for someone making around $12,000 or $13,000 a year, they can afford just $315 per month for housing. It is next to impossible to find apartments to rent for even double that amount. For the extremely poor in Escambia Country, the only option is public housing via the Area Housing Commission, but there is a two-year wait for that. “This leads to serial homelessness because when too much of the income is spent on rent and utilities, households are forced to use emergency assistance repeatedly, don’t have enough money for transportation and work related expenses and even worse, cannot provide for their children, which leads to foster care,” said Jordan. Through relationships with landlords in the community, 90Works to able to convince management in housing complexes and apartment buildings to go out on a limb for the poor among us. 90Works also helps with first month’s rent and deposit. To qualify for this assistance, there are some eligibility requirements. Individuals must be at 30 percent or below the annual median income in Escambia County, which is $42,000. Therefore, a household must make $12,600 or less to qualify. This often includes homeless veterans, high-risk pregnant women and families involved in the child welfare system. Once they have a home, they are able to find work, the next step in the self-sufficiency model. (continued page 3)
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The Summation Weekly
The Summation Weekly
Executive Director Mike Doubek mike@esrba.com Member Services Specialist Michele Kelley michele@esrba.com
Escambia/Santa Rosa Bar Office 216 S. Tarragona Street, Suite B Pensacola, FL 32502 Publisher Escambia/Santa Rosa Bar Association Published Weekly At: 216 S. Tarragona Street, Suite B. Pensacola, Florida 32502 Phone: 850-434-8135 Fax: 850-436-8822 Email: esrba@esrba.com Website: www.esrba.com Office Hours Monday - Thursday 8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Friday 8:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. Application to mail at periodicals Postage Rate is Pending at Pensacola, FL Subscription Rates $20/ year ( All ESRBA Members) $22.50/ year (Escambia/Santa Rosa/ Okaloosa County Non-Members) $27.50/ Year ( Other counties within Florida & All other States NonMembers) Postmaster Send Address Changes To: The Summation Weekly 216 S. Tarragona Street, Suite B Pensacola, Florida 32502
The Summation weekly is locally owned and operated. All rights Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herin is prohbited without written permission from the publisher. Comments and opnions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the ESRBA or the publisher. This newspaper accepts no responsibilty for these opinions. The ESRBA reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsiblity of the indiviudal advertiser. Appearence in this newspaper does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services by Escambia/ Santa Rosa Bar Association.
Page July 21, 2015
The Summation Weekly
90 Works (Continued) “We work with area employers to often get people hired within a day,” said Rachel Reust, marketing director for 90Works. “These employers can put any one of a dozen skills to use.” When customers are housed and have a decent-paying, sustainable job, they attend budgeting life skills classes with counselors who help them spend their money wisely, use proper expense percentages on various needs, and even save up to improve their future lives. After they have a job, 90Works helps customers find reliable transportation needed to get to and from work. The organization was recently given a grant for bicycle packages, which includes a brand-new bike, vest, helmet and pump. 90Works also distributes bus passes in Escambia County. “The bikes are a great asset because Pensacola is getting more bike-friendly and it’s even becoming a thing that those who have cars choose to do,” said Reust. “It helps keep you healthy, active and moving, and of course for our clients gets them where they need to go.” At this point, many clients are back on their feet and enjoying their new, modest lifestyles. But to ensure they do not fall back into poverty or depression, 90Works continues working with them so that unexpected costs do not crop up. For example, the staff at 90Works understands that customers must be healthy in order to work and take care of their families. Therefore, the organization provides advocacy and enrollment in the Florida Marketplace (part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the ACA or Obamacare), Florida KidCare and Access Florida. “We help people understand what plan would work best for them, combined with what we know about what disability or social security benefits they qualify for,” said Reust. 90Works also recently added a personal trainer to their social work team to improve self-esteem and self-awareness via fitness and physical activity for parents and youth. “The personal trainer will actually go into customers’ homes and teach them how to eat healthy on a budget,” said Reust. “All this health and fitness helps with anxiety and stress. For mental health issues, our social workers have counterparts in those fields and speed up facilitation of that process.” For individuals who have been living in unsafe or violent situations, 90Works coordinates with Gulf Coast Kid’s House to provide advocacy in court. Some parents are at risk of losing their children not because of violence, but because the home in which they reside is unsafe. 90Works works with contractors to do minor repairs and educate people on proper home maintenance. They also offer pest control and infestation treatment. The Home Depot Foundation provides financial assistance for structural renovations, as well. As time goes on and clients grow more and more independent, case managers support them while teaching them to become fully autonomous. They follow up, collect data, and follow up some more. Tranessa White is a former client of 90Works and found them to be a great advocate in her time of need. Her seven-year-old son was battling behavioral issues even as she was about to lose her place of residence. She did not have any transportation and had no clue what to do. That is when 90Works stepped in. “I was a single, first-time mom,” said White. “I didn’t know about the resources out there. 90Works gave me the strength and resources I needed to get up on my own again. They gave me bus passes, put me on a voucher program and put my son in a good position for medical help.” ask.
White also reported that her social worker came with her to all appointments and asked questions that she would have never thought to
“They provide good support behind you,” said White. “They push you because they believe in you. They were a greater encouragement to me than I was to myself sometimes.” That was almost a year ago now, and White said she is happy in her job, her home, and how her son is coming along. She is just one of thousands of clients that 90Works has helped. In fact, the organization helps about 2,500 families a year in 11 counties in Northwest Florida. 90Works operates through federal and state funding, grants and some private donations. They are very careful, though, with the money they are given. Just .6 percent of their annual budget is from private donations. In the future, Jordan would like to focus even more on the housing troubles of Northwest Florida, an issue of huge concern to her. “90Works wants to be part of the solution by purchasing and renovating very low-income housing in needy neighborhoods for affordable housing for families that want to become self-sufficient,” said Jordan. “In fact, we dream about homelessness to home ownership so in our rental houses, if families pay rent on time for three years and improve their credit profiles, 90Works will sell the property to the renter and reinvest both the rent and sales proceeds in more affordable housing for Escambia County.” Escambia County is one of the poorest in the state, with many systemic educational, racial and economic issues that need to be addressed. For those who fall victim to the cyclic downturn that it is so easy to get caught in, it is good that organizations like 90Works are there to lend a helpful, non-judgmental hand.
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The Summation Weekly
Beginning July 1st, St. Joseph Catholic Church will offer ESRBA members a $5.00 per month discount on parking at their lot at 134 W. Government Street. Below are available contract options. One year contract Six month contract Monthly contract
$40 per space per month $45 per space per month $50 per space per month
Please call Tommy Williams, St. Joseph Catholic Church Operations Manager, at 4366461 or operations@stjoseph.ptdiocese.org to setup your contract or for additional information.
Interested in advertising in the Summation Weekly? Rates as little has $26.88 for 2 weeks of advertisement space. Email Michele@ESRBA.com or call 850/434-8135for additional information.