February 2010 Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky The New Year Starts Off With 2010 Legislative Event!
Frankfort, Kentucky State Capitol
Legislative Event By: Penny Young, Executive Director
HHCK staff, board and members started off the new year by hosting a Legislative Luncheon on January 13th, 2010 at the Capitol Annex cafeteria. As the new Executive Director of HHCK, this was my first official legislative event. I had no idea what to expect, nor did I have experience in this area to rely. Fortunately, lack of experience didn’t hamper me or HHCK’s new VISTA member, Sarah Larsen. We went full steam ahead with planning and executing HHCK’s event. We sent out personal invitations to all members of the House and Senate, prepared a one-page handout describing our platform, invited groups who were taking the lead on each of our legislative priorities, and relied on staff at the cafeteria to pick the menu. We arrived Wednesday morning with all our handouts, signup sheets, signs and HHCK support badges in hand. All was well until another group of very organized representatives appeared from the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCYCS), who 1
also had worked hard to arrange a luncheon of their own that day. Much to the surprise of the cafeteria scheduler, he had double booked our events. We thus learned our first lesson in scheduling an event at the Capitol Annex cafeteria: don’t use acronyms. Rather than either group conceding to reschedule, however, we agreed to share space for our events and make the best of the situation. We would like to extend a big thanks to KCTCS for their cooperation. From our perspective, this little glitch might have been a blessing for HHCK. The two groups together perhaps brought in more legislators than we would have alone. The turnout surpassed my expectations. We had over seventy individuals sign in, though the actual turnout was even higher, as we noticed a number of hurried legislators slip past us without signing in. But never fear. Although they went around several of us to get lunch, our staff and members were ready to engage them in deep conversation once they arrived at their tables to partake in the tasty, well prepared lunch. (continued on Page 5) Notice to HHCK Members: We would like to highlight the events and happenings of our members throughout the year. If you have an inspiring story of a family you have recently served and would like to share it with others in the state, or if you have a special event you want to publicize, please contact Sarah Larsen, at slarsen@hhck.org or at 502223-1834 x 1118.
Check out our updated website! www.hhck.org
Inside this Issue: AmeriCorps Members’ Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Projects Updates on: Sophia Jannace Rachel Harrod Carrie Stith-Webster Member Activities: Volunteers of America (KY) Jefferson Street Baptist Center ED’s Corner Updates on: Sarah Larsen Gina Chamberlain 2010 HHCK Membership Organizations 2010 HHCK Board Members
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - AmeriCorps Members Go the Extra Mile!
Jason Richmond of the Matthew 25 Aids Clinic created and presented a vision board to represent his dreams in honor of the day. Margaret Whalen (pictured above) and Travis Webb (not pictured), both of the Central Kentucky Community Action Center, spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day working with children at Baby Tender, a day care in her community. The two AmeriCorps members organized a craft day at Baby Tender and were able to talk to the children about why it is important to help other people. Margaret commented: “I had such as great time getting to hear what the kids said. Some of the answers were funny!” Billie Mallory (not pictured) of the Simon House partnered with Kentucky State University to bring together care packages for our soldiers abroad in Afghanistan. These packages, pictured to the right, included gifts as well as personal notes of encouragement from the volunteers.
What Sophia’s Been Up To This Month
Rachel’s Recent Activities
With the start of the new year, Build Corps has set its sights on promoting new forms of communication for the program and within the community. This month Sophia Jannace, AmeriCorps Member Coordinator, in conjunction with HHCK staff, has worked on developing communication outlets with Skype conference calls. These calls are free to the public and would provide a different option for communication that is streamlined and affordable. More plans on Skype conference calls will be made public in the next few weeks.
Rachel Harrod, Build Corps Program Assistant, has been hard at work forging connections with the employment offices of colleges in the areas where we currently have part-time openings, including Covington and Lexington. Though this is just one avenue for recruiting potential new members, we hope that building relationships with colleges and universities will help us expand our program’s visibility amongst a segment of the population that will likely be particularly interested in the opportunity to serve their communities and earn an education award of several thousand dollars.
Sophia has also made many visits to the AmeriCorps members throughout the state. She is pleased to report that Donna Damron at the Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program, Jeff Griffin at Lexington Habitat for Humanity, Sara Baumann at the Kentucky Equal Justice Center, Heather Gordon at Lifeskills, Sherry Brown at Shepherd’s Shelter, and new members Sam Young and Lindsey Peterson at the Lexington Rescue Mission are all doing well at their respective sites. She anticipates visiting more sites in the future.
In addition, Rachel has accompanied Carrie on visits to see Jessica Burton and Tim Howard at Habitat for Humanity of Metro Louisville, Nina Bosken at the Center for Independent Living Options, Ted Kizziar at Shelter of Hope, and Amanda Johnson at Doves of Gateway. Rachel also traveled with Sophia to visit Sherry Brown at Shepherd’s Shelter and to attend the Bowling Green Community Connect, organized by Heather Gordon of Lifeskills. All three HHCK AmeriCorps staff members participated in the MLK Day of Service activity organized by Janssen Willhoit of Lexington Rescue Mission.
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Sophia (left) and Rachel (right) work to clean Booker T. Washington School for MLK Day.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - AmeriCorps Members! (Continued)
Janssen Willhoit of Lexington Rescue Mission planned and organized an MLK Day of Service project for the Douglass Park neighborhood. Twenty-nine volunteers came out for this event to clean the gymnasium and an adjoining classroom at Booker T. Washington Primary School. Janssen’s press release attracted the attention of 27 WKYT and 36 WTVQ television stations.
The teen group supervised by Diana Bennett of Partnership Housing in Owsley County proudly shows off the pillows they have sown for kids throughout Kentucky who will be served by the Build -A-Bed event in May. Diana reported: “The girls were so excited knowing that the pillows where going to children that didn’t have beds or pillows. They saw the importance of doing community service to help out the world and to try and make it a better place to live.”
AmeriCorps Program Director, Carrie Stith-Webster As Director of HHCK’s AmeriCorps program, Carrie Stith-Webster is responsible for the overall success of our 52 Build Corps members. Members are serving in a variety of settings: homeless and domestic violence shelters; at various Habitats for Humanity; at community action agencies; at organizations serving individuals with disabilities and HIV; and at many other non-profits. The goal of the Build Corps program is to help vulnerable Kentuckians obtain safe, secure, affordable housing for themselves and their families. Carrie has traveled to Paducah, Mayfield, Franklin, Somerset, Richmond, Lexington, Louisville, Covington, Erlanger, Morehead and Ashland visiting Build Corps members and their service sites, providing training and support to members and their sites. Although not even half way into the current project year, Carrie and her staff are already planning for 2010-2011. Soon, Build Corps will begin accepting applications for service sites for the coming year. Please check our website at hhck.org for current information. A volunteer for many years for a number of different organizations, Carrie feels strongly that everyone has something to contribute to make the world a better place. For Carrie, the AmeriCorps logo sums it up: “Your world. Your chance to make it better.” 3
Carrie hard at work cleaning up Booker T. Washington on MLK Day.
HHCK Membership Organization Updates Volunteers of America of Kentucky Volunteers of America of Kentucky’s Family Housing Program in Lexington has been named the recipient of the 2009 Annie E. Casey Foundation Family Strengthening Award, an honor bestowed each year to one best-practices program working every day to help families living in poverty. The Lexington Family Housing Program is a scattered-site, neighborhood-based transitional housing program designed to serve homeless families and their children. While in the program, families and case managers collaborate to create a service plan to reach goals related to employment, increasing financial stability, financial literacy, and parenting and self-help skills. Nine out of ten families who complete this program were able to secure and sustain their own permanent housing and 100% of the families had stable or improved income upon exit. The award brings a check for $20,000 into the local community that will be used to continue client services and provide training to other organizations across the nation. The award comes at a time when homelessness is on a national rise. Central Kentucky has seen a large increase in the number of families facing homelessness for the first time. Volunteers of America of Kentucky is presently leading an ongoing campaign to raise funds to increase services to homeless families and their children. Volunteers of America of Kentucky is one of the Commonwealth’s most diversified and largest nonprofit service organizations, creating positive change in the lives of individuals and communities through a ministry of service. Since 1896, Volunteers of America has provided support to the most vulnerable individuals in the Commonwealth and has expanded to offer services in Southern Indiana, West Virginia, and Tennessee.
HOMELESS: Telling Our Own Stories Art Gallery Exhibition at Georgetown College Georgetown College is currently hosting an art exhibition crafted by and with people who are homeless. HOMELESS: Telling Our Own Stories is an art exhibition created by Jesse Eubanks from Louisville’s Jefferson Street Baptist Center and Michael Winters, Director of Louisville’s The 930 Art Center. The exhibit provides a chance to view the artwork and engage in two discussion events about homelessness and related social concerns. The show is at the Anne Wright Wilson Fine Arts Gallery at Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky and starts Thursday, January 21, and runs through Friday, February 19, 2010. It is open Monday through Friday, 12 - 4:30 p.m. and by appointment at (502) 863-8399. On Thursday, January 28, 2010, a reception and discussion will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Guests will learn from cocurator Jesse Eubanks about the making of the exhibition. Georgetown College Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology Dr. Steve Pavey will also comment on the "Plunge to Poverty" simulation undertaken by several Georgetown College students, faculty, and staff in November 2009. In addition, a panel discussion will be held on Thursday, February 18, 2010, at 5 p.m.. Throughout the duration of the exhibition, visitors are encouraged to bring donations of non-perishable food to the art gallery. Donations will support AMEN House and God's Pantry. The exhibition has been praised by newspapers, arts and culture agencies, and other foundations and centers. Commentary focuses on both the nature of the work as well as the awareness that the exhibition generates. The Times Picayune (New Orleans) named the exhibition, "A side of homelessness not seen before." Velocity Weekly called it "a disturbing journey that will leave an impression on those who step into it." The Courier-Journal remarked that the exhibition has "unforgettable narratives....lively works...installation pieces with powerful formats." For more information, e-mail the Art Galleries at Georgetown College at: galleries@georgetowncollege.edu or visit their website: http://www.jeffersonstreet.org/ 4
Continued from Page 1—Legislative Event In order to prepare for the event, the HHCK Advocacy Committee—comprised of Cathy Hinko, Tom Carew, Marlene Gordon, John Johnson, Shana Goggins, Kip Bowmar and David Christianson—reviewed numerous issues we considered highlighting at the event. While all the issues discussed were of importance to our mission, the committee felt that four needed our immediate support and attention: the pay day lending cap bill to cap interest rate at 36%; the identification cards for homeless individuals bill being introduced by Senator Gerald Neal; the state earned income tax credit bill being introduced by Representative Jim Wayne; and an energy efficiency bill being drafted for introduction based on the recommendations of the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance (KySEA). The sponsor of the energy bill will be announced shortly. HHCK will be watching progress of these bills and will keep members apprised as events unfold. HHCK made contact with some new legislators and reconnected with legislators already familiar with HHCK’s mission. Overall, the staff, board and members who attended felt the event was a tremendous success. Our work, however, is far from over. HHCK will continue to advocate for these bills and others that might arise which could effect our constituents as the session goes forward. It was also evident that many of our current legislators had not heard of HHCK and the work that our members do across the state. We hope our conversations will be remembered as votes are cast on these bills, but we are certain that HHCK’s presence in our state has been elevated to a new level. HHCK would like to thank all of its members who attended the event to show their support for these critical measures. The Advocacy Committee will be meeting again on February 8. If you have issues that need discussion, please contact me or a member of the committee to make sure your issue gets on the agenda.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S CORNER
HHCK Staff:
By Sarah Larsen
Penny Young Executive Director
Penny Young, HHCK Executive Director, has been extremely busy since our last report. She was recently voted onto the Board of Central Kentucky Homeless and Housing Initiative (CKHHI) and will be attending monthly meetings in Lexington to keep apprised of housing issues in the Lexington service area. She has been asked to participate on the Governor’s Re-entry Task Force being staffed by the Department of Corrections and she recently attended the inaugural meeting of the group. Housing accessibility has been documented to be one of the most important issues related to offender recidivism. This issue has a direct impact on many of HHCK’s shelter members, as many newly released inmates have no alternative but to seek out immediate housing solutions in a shelter. More information on this issue will be shared as the task force progresses. Penny attended a meeting of the Kentucky Equal Justice Center Housing Committee in Lexington on December 22, 2009. The Center discussed a number of issues as follows: increased bed bugs in our public housing projects; the need for tenant rights for mobile home owners who rent space; the stringent credit screening practices that are causing rejection of clients in a central Kentucky PHA office; ways to help clients access LIHEAP funds; and how can we get out the word to homeowners with delinquent taxes that third-parties can purchase their taxes and do have the power to collect and even foreclose. HHCK will continue to participate with the group to identify important housing issues from the perspective of legal services performed across the state. On January 7, 2010, she attended a workshop at the Capitol Annex hosted by the staff of the Legislative Research Commission for new lobbyists. Here Penny gathered new information about ways to keep up with new bills and follow them through the legislative system. Along with keeping HHCK staff informed of her new findings she also is in the beginning stages of planning the 2010 Annual Summit HHCK will host in Lexington at the Embassy Suites on May 10 and 11, 2010. Stay tuned for more information about the Summit in upcoming newsletters. Please contact us if you have suggestions for Summit workshops. 5
Carrie Stith-Webster AmeriCorps Program Director Michelle Singer Financial & Contract Manager Gina Chamberlain Technical Assistance Specialist Sophia Jannace AmeriCorps Member Coordinator Rachel Harrod AmeriCorps Program Assistant Sarah Larsen Outreach & Communications
HHCK WELCOMES NEW VISTA MEMBER Sarah Larsen joined the HHCK team on November 17th, 2009. We were fortunate to find Sarah through our AmeriCorps Build Corps website. A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in Psychology, she is a VISTA in partnership with the Kentucky Domestic Violence Association in Frankfort. Sarah stays busy updating HHCK’s website and creating and updating a Facebook page for HHCK. Sarah also organizes and updates HHCK’s Board Members’ notebooks. Sarah attended her Pre-Service Orientation in Atlanta, Georgia before reporting to HHCK in Frankfort. During this conference Sarah was given an overview of the AmeriCorps VISTA program and provided with multiple resources. Sarah is learning how to navigate Microsoft Publisher and various other technical applications online. She is enjoying her journey with HHCK and is ready to embark on what the future holds for her with this organization.
HHCK CHDO Technical Assistance and Training What’s new in the realm of Affordable Housing Development? Our Community Housing Development Organization expert and trainer, Gina Chamberlain has the scoop! HHCK continues to provide technical assistance to CHDOs throughout Kentucky. Currently we are working with two groups on their various organizations’ needs, including transition planning for their Executive Directors. If your organization has not discussed transition planning for your key staff, Gina strongly encourages you to consider it. Transition planning involves an organizational assessment that typically results in a stronger organizational structure that can survive through the planned and unplanned staffing transitions. Additionally, HHCK has been working to develop training and/or resources for nonprofits on the recent lending regulation changes on RESPA, Regulation Z and the SAFE Act. Many have found a need for training that is specific to the work that CHDOs and other nonprofits do in housing development and homeownership programs as they are often playing several roles throughout the home buying process. If your organization is not aware of these recent changes, or if you would like additional training, please contact Gina Chamberlain at gchamberlain@hhck.org. If your organization is in need of technical assistance or training, please contact Gina Chamberlain and we will do our best to meet your needs. HHCK’s Technical Assistance is funded through a grant from HUD.
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Current HHCK MEMBERS Appalachian Apostolate/Christian Community Center (Vanceburg) Barren River Area Safe Space (Brass), Inc. (Bowling Green) Beattyville Housing & Development Corporation, Inc. (Beattyville) Bell Whitley Community Action Agency (Pineville) Center for Independent Living Options (Covington) Christian Shelter for the Homeless (London) Clark County Community Services (Winchester) Coalition of Committed Christians (Frankfort) Community Action Council (Lexington) Community Action Kentucky (Frankfort) Community Action of Southern Kentucky (Bowling Green) Community Housing, Inc. (Winchester) Community Ventures Corporation (Lexington) Daniel Boone Community Action Agency (Manchester) Disability Determination Services (Frankfort) Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati (Cincinnati) Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises (Berea) Foothills Community Action Partnership (Richmond) Fountain Avenue United Methodist Church (Paducah) Franklin County Women's Shelter (Frankfort) Frontier Housing (Morehead) Gateway Homeless Coalition (Morehead) Green River Area Housing Corporation (Owensboro) Green River Ministries (Campbellsville) Habitat for Humanity of Madison & Clark County (Richmond) Habitat for Humanity of Metro Louisville (Louisville) Habitat for Humanity of Owensboro-Daviess County, Inc. (Owensboro) Hazard Perry County Community Ministries (Hazard) Heartland Cares, Inc. (Paducah) Homes, Inc. (Whitesburg) Hope Center, Inc. (Lexington) Housing Development Alliance, Inc. (Hazard) Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky, Inc. (Covington) Kentucky Communities Economic Opportunities Council (KCEOC) Community Action Partnership (Barbourville) Kentucky Domestic Violence Association (Frankfort)
Kentucky Equal Justice Center (Lexington) Kentucky Habitat for Humanity (Louisville) Kentucky Housing Corporation (Frankfort) Kentucky Mountain Housing Development Corporation, Inc. (Manchester) Kriss Lowry & Associates, Inc. (Corinth) Lake Cumberland MH/MR Board, Inc./ADANTA (Somerset) Lexington Habitat for Humanity (Lexington) Lexington Rescue Mission (Lexington) LexLinc (Lexington) Lifeskill, Inc. (Bowling Green) Links, Inc. (Prestonsburg) Matthew 25 (Henderson) McCreary County CHDO (Whitley City) Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center (Paducah) Metropolitan Housing Coalition (Louisville) Midtown Alliance of Neighbors, c/o Fountain Avenue United Methodist Church (Paducah) Morehead Area Habitat for Humanity (Morehead) Northern Kentucky Area Development District (Florence) Paducah Cooperative Ministry (Paducah) Partnership Housing, Inc. (Booneville) People’s Self Help Housing (Vanceburg) Phoenix Health Center (Louisville) Purchase Area Development District (Mayfield) Red Bird Mission (Beverly) Resources Education Assistance for Community Housing (REACH), Inc (Lexington) Safe Harbor (Ashland) Shelter of Hope, Inc. (Ashland) Shepherd's Shelter, Inc. (Shepherdsville) Simpson County Habitat for Humanity (Franklin) St. James Place (Lexington) St. John Center (Louisville) Stephanie Sweeney & Associates (Cincinnati) The Caring Place (London) The Healing Place (Louisville) The Housing Partnership, Inc. (Frankfort) Transitions, Inc. (Bellevue) United Ministries (Erlanger) United Way of the Bluegrass (Lexington) Volunteers of America of Kentucky (Louisville) Welcome House of Northern Kentucky (Covington)
2010 Membership Drive is now underway. If you would like to be a 2010 member of HHCK, please check our website for membership information. In addition to payment by check, we will accept membership fees on-line through PayPal. 7
2010 HHCK BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Officers for 2010: Cyndee Burton, Co- Chair of the Board Dave Kreher, Co-Chair of the Board Kip Bowmar, Treasurer of the Board Adrienne Bush, Secretary of the Board
Matthew 25 Aids Services People’s Self-Help Housing, Inc. Community Action Kentucky Hazard Perry County Community Ministries
Wanda Bertram George Breathitt Nancy C. Calix Tom Carew Rachel Smith Childress Deloris Cornelius
LexLinc American Housing Development Kentucky State University Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises, Inc. Lexington Habitat for Humanity Kentucky Communities Economic Opportunities Council (KCEOC) Green River Ministries St. James Place Resources Education Assistance for Community Housing (REACH) Graduate Student at EKU The Coalition for the Homeless Metropolitan Housing Coalition Louisville Legal Aid Society Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises, Inc. Kentucky Department of Veteran’s Affairs Kentucky Domestic Violence Association Phoenix Health Center Foothills Community Action Partnership Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati Fountain Avenue United Methodist Church Welcome House of Northern Kentucky, Inc.
Misty Curry Bill Embry Chris Ford Shana Goggins Marlene Gordon Cathy Hinko John Johnson Pam Johnson Pat McKiernan Mary O’Doherty Andy Patterson Sandra Anez Powell Judy Rose Gregory Waldrop Linda M. Young
Working together to eliminate the threat of homelessness and fulfill the promise of affordable housing for all Kentuckians.
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