August 2014
THE GRAPEVINE Hopewell Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Upward Bound
Volume 210, Issue 8
Monthly Reminders:
Willie Bright, a resident of Thomas Rolfe, has been granted the opportunity to participate in the Upward Bound program at Virginia State University for the next four years. This upcoming high school freshman also participates in HRHA’s Boy Scouts and Karate programs all while maintaining good grades.
Willie Bright and mother Victoria Jackson Upward Bound is one of two federpictured at Virginia State University for ally funded TRiO programs on the Upward Bound Program.
campus of Virginia State University. The purpose of Upward Bound is to generate the skills and motivation necessary for success in education beyond high school among young people from low-income and first generation families who have academic potential but lack adequate secondary support. These students upon graduating from high school are to enter a postsecondary institution and succeed with minimum difficulty. Students served are from the target cities of: Hopewell and Petersburg, and the counties of Dinwiddie, Greensville, Surry, Sussex and the Matoaca district of Chesterfield. “I enjoy it, it’s giving me a lot to learn about college,” said Willie when asked how he feels about the program. At 14 years old, Willie has already begun taking the necessary steps to ensure a successful future. Recently, he was awarded a $500 scholarship and an additional $75 from Carter G. Woodson for a speech he did regarding HRHA’s Boy Scouts program. He was also presented with an award by the Hopewell School Board. Having no limitations, Willie’s goals include going to college to take business and economic classes with hopes of starting his own business. “With the college experience I will be prepared for what’s to come and I feel I will be a step ahead of everyone else.” His mother, Victoria Jackson, said “I’m very blessed and I hope there will be many more blessings in the future. I love him dearly.” Upward Bound has an open enrollment policy with efforts to recruit minority groups and the physically challenged to ensure the “No Child Left Behind Act” is met. New participants selected begin the program in September of each academic year. For qualifications or further information on the program, please contact Resident Services.
Community/Resident Council Meetings: Kippax Place — August 5, 2014 5:30 pm Davisville/Bland Court — August 13, 2014 3:30 pm Piper Square— August 20, 2014 1:00 pm Thomas Rolfe—August 21, 2014 1:00 pm Rental payments are due on the 1st of each month and must be paid at SunTrust Bank by 5:00 p.m. Any payment received after 5:00 p.m. is considered next day and a late fee will be assessed. Laos Outreach Karate Program every Tuesday at Laos Outreach Center. Job Corps Orientations at Hopewell VEC every Thursday at 9:00 am
Employment assistance every Friday from 9:00—1:00 pm. at Piper Square
FSS Program Orientation in the Piper Square community center August 16th at 1:00 p.m.
Inside this issue: HRHA Grievance Procedure
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Job Fair
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National Night Out
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Management Corner
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Making Decisions
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Back to School Supplies Drive 3 Virginia Hurricane Evacuation 3 Management Policy
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Hopewell Receives Nat. Accr. 4 Boy Scouts Family Day
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HRHA Grievance Procedure HRHA has a Grievance Procedure that seeks to assure just and unbiased treatment of all residents and to provide procedures which are not unduly time consuming or complicated. The Authority will take required actions to ensure all grievants with special needs are accommodated to provide access to this Grievance Procedure. Should it become necessary for you to file a grievance, present your grievance personally, either orally or in writing, to the Authority’s Central Management Office or the Management Office where you reside within seven days, after the occurrence giving rise to the grievance. The oral or written presentation should state:
1. That the complaint is being pursued in accordance with the Grievance Procedure. 2. The actual basis of the grievance. 3. The action of relief. A copy of the Grievance Procedure can be found at the Community’s Management Office and at the Authority’s Central Management Office. If you are not satisfied with the resolution of your complaint, you may contact your HRHA Chairmen of the Board of Commissioners at 804-720-2581.
Job Fair
The Progressive Adult Rehabilitation Center, Inc. will be sponsoring a “Ready to Hire Job Fair” on Thursday, August 7, 2014. This event will be held inside Southpark Mall in Colonial Heights from 10:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m. and will consist of over 40 employers with job openings. There will be onsite interviews. Dress for success and be sure to bring your application information, including your resume and photo identification. This job fair is open to the public with various jobs for degree and nondegree holding individuals who are ready to work. For more information please contact Rita Winfield at 804-732-0685 or Cheryl Nici-O’Connell at 804-909-0038.
National Night Out
National Night Out is a yearlong community building campaign that is designed to heighten crime prevention awareness, generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships, and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. This year National Night Out will be held Tuesday, August 5 at Kippax Place, 100 South Kippax Street, starting at 6:30 p.m. There will be plenty of food, games, and prizes for everyone. This is an event you do not want to 2 miss.
Management Corner We would like to thank all of our residents for your cooperation while preparing for REAC Inspections and taking care of our community. The proper procedures were followed when requesting services and everyone complied with the pest control rules. HRHA values the effort all residents have put forward in maintaining a clean and safe living environment.
Making Decisions—Facing The Future The team at Heartland Hospice will be discussing life planning documents and how to prepare your family for the future when dealing with your wishes. Guest speakers will discuss how to plan accordingly and avoid “crisis mode” when making critical planning decisions. If you are ready to begin planning for the future, this is the event for you. This event is free to the public and will take place August 13th starting at 10:00 a.m. at River View on the Appomattox Health and Rehab Center, 201 Eppes Street, Hopewell. There will be refreshments and a drawing for a $50.00 gas card to Wawa for attending. Please RSVP by calling 804-541-1445.
Back to School Supplies Drive River View on the Appomattox Health & Rehab Center is hosting their first “Back to School Supplies Drive” to help children in the community have a successful school year by providing them with the tools they need to learn. Those who bring in $5.00 worth of unopened school supplies between August 4th – 8th and 11 – 15 will be entered into a raffle drawing for a chance to win one of two $50.00 gift cards to Wawa. All donations received will be distributed to Harry E. James, Patrick Copeland and Dupont Elementary Schools in addition to Carter G. Woodson Middle School. th
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Virginia Hurricane Evacuation To evacuate safely, you must start by leaving early. An evacuation will increase traffic on evacuation routes, and your trip will take longer than usual, so be prepared for delays . The sooner you leave, the sooner you will get to your destination and out of harm’s way . By doing this, you will spend less time in traffic. Next, check for road conditions and closures. Road closures and traffic conditions are available by calling 511 or by visiting www.511Virginia.org, where you can also download the free 511 mobile app . The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) also provides this information through Twitter (@VaDOT for statewide and @VaDOTRVA for Richmond) and Facebook updates (www.facebook.com/virginiaDOT). Local radio and television broadcasts have this information, as well as local media websites and social media accounts. If emergency officials order an evacuation, bridges and tunnels should remain open until the evacuation is terminated . It is important for residents to be prepared and ready to evacuate immediately if instructed to do so. Lastly, use caution around bridges and tunnels. Based on weather conditions, many bridges and tunnels may be closed to restrict their use . If a facility is not barricaded, gated or otherwise physically closed to vehicular traffic, this does not mean the bridge or tunnel is safe for passage. For more information on evacuating safely, please visit the website previously mentioned.
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Management Policy HRHA does not discriminate on the basis of disability status in the admission or access to housing or employment in its federally assisted programs and activities. Mrs. Madelyn Madison-Hyde has been designated to coordinate compliance with nondiscrimination requirements contained in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) regulations implementing (Section 504 CFR Part 8, dated June 2, 1988) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. You may contact her at: P.O. Box 1361 Hopewell, VA 23860 (804) 458-5160
Hopewell Receives National Accreditation The Hopewell Downtown Partnership has been designated as an accredited National Main Street Program for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Each year, the National Main Street Center and its partners announce the list of accredited Main Street programs in recognition of their exemplary commitment to historic preservation and community revitalization through the Main Street Four Point Approach. The organization’s performance is annually evaluated by Virginia Main Street, a program of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), which works in partnership with the National Main Street Center to identify local programs that meet ten performance standards. In the past two and half years, since Hopewell became a designated Main Street Community, the Downtown Partnership has been able to help attract and invest nearly $2 Million dollars into the district. This has come in the form of numerous large and small grants, technical assistance, direct property reinvestments, and more. Their scope of work ranges from business recruitment and facilitation of historic rehabs to remarketing and branding the district all in an effort to breathe new life into a once thriving historic downtown. Their recent “Get Your Butts to Broadway” pork butt competition event brought close to a thousand people into downtown Hopewell, while “Ignite Hopewell” awarded $2,500 to new entrepreneurial ideas and projects. Established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1980, the National Main Street Center helps communities of all sizes revitalize their older and historic commercial districts. Working in more than 2,200 towns and urban neighborhoods over the last 34 years, the Main Street program has leveraged more than $59.6 billion in new public and private investment. Participating communities have created 502,728 new jobs and 115,381 new businesses, and rehabilitated more than 246,158 buildings, leveraging an average of $33.28 in new investment for every dollar spent on their Main Street district revitalization efforts.
Boy Scouts Family Day HRHA’s Boy Scouts Program will be having a Family Day on Saturday, August 16 from noon to 4:00 p.m. The event will be held at Camp Albright, 11301 Trents Bridge Rd, Chesterfield, VA. This Family Day is for old and new registrants, and will consist of food, games, hiking, fishing, roasting, various demonstrations in addition to an orientation for parents and guardians. All children must be accompanied by a parent/ guardian. To attend this event, please contact Elder Branford at 804-931-6468 by August 13th.
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Public Housing Staff Hopewell Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Madelyn Madison-Hyde, Public Housing Director – (804) 458-5160
P.O. Box 1361 350 E. Poythress Street Hopewell, VA 23860
Lillian Quintana, Administrative Assistant to the Public Housing Director – (804) 458-5160
Phone (804) 458-5160 Fax (804) 458-3364
Tina Raatz, Housing Manager – (804) 452-1880 ext. 3 Thomas Rolfe Court/Extension & Davisville/Bland Court
Website www.hopewellrha.org
Julie Derr, Assistant Housing Manager – (804) 452-1880 ext. 2 Thomas Rolfe Court/Extension & Davisville/Bland Court
Like our Facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/ Hopewell Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Greg Pe’ay, Housing Manager – (804) 541-0392 ext. 3 Piper Square, Kippax Place & Langston Park Lafonia Thornton, Assistant Housing Manager – (804) 541-0392 ext. 2 Piper Square, Kippax Place & Langston Park Kathryn Thompson, Resident Services Manager – (804) 541-0392 ext. 4 Terence Barber, Resident Services Specialist – (804) 452-1880 ext. 4 Jennifer Campbell, FSS Coordinator — (804) 855-7065 Emergency After Hours – (804) 640-9337
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