New Hope Housing - Newsbriefs
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Newsbriefs
New Hope Housing, Administration Office 8407-E Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA 22309 703-799-2293
Rethinking Homelessness since 1977
Volume 18 Issue 9
October 23, 2014
Fall Is Here! How To Enjoy The Season Autumn tends to be the winding down from the heat and thrills of summer. Fall lends its hand to a time of reflection, appreciation of nature and the beautiful that is autumn. Fall symbolizes harvest and foliage. This list will help you make the very most of both. Pick Apples From a Local Orchard Visit a local orchard for the quintessential apple picking experience. The benefit of orchards is that you can hand pick your apples and take them home with you. This then opens the door to many a possibility; especially for those who are handy in the way of baking and the kitchen in general but I will get to that later in this list. Making Fresh Apple Cider Now that you have gathered the hand picked fresh apples, what better way to enjoy the occasion then with freshly homemade cider. The great thing about freshly made cider is that it can be enjoyed both warm and chilled depending on your personal preference. Either way it is the perfect finish to a fun day out at your local orchard. Pumpkin Picking Picking pumpkins to celebrate the arrival of autumn really should be a national holiday. The most identifiable aspect of fall is the orange and user-friendly pumpkin. The pumpkin has a history of being a multifaceted addition to hearth and home around the world. The best part of pumpkin picking happens to be when you take the pumpkin home. Whether you use the pumpkin to decorate the perfect Halloween occasion or the perfect pumpkin pie recipe there is nothing like taking that cart drawn ride through a pumpkin patch in search of the pumpkin just right for you. For those who are determined to use your pumpkin in the culinary way the pumpkin makes for delicious pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin bread. The recipe for pumpkin are endless. Camping in a Scenic Park Setting Camping is a wonderful way to both explore and enjoy the autumn foliage and turning of the leaves up close and personal. Most camp sights are in reach and affordable. You may have to bundle up at night as the evening tends to be much cooler at this time of the year. Relaxing in front an open-air fire with a few marshmallows toasting is a peaceful way to welcome in the autumn season with style. It also makes for a romantic experience for those camping out with a certain special someone. You may be advised to book ahead if you are after a cabin setting experience just to be on the safe side. Nature Walks The wonderful thing about nature walks in the fall is that nature is truly at its most beautiful. The rustling of leaves everywhere is bound to stir up more than just the wind on your excursion. The changing of the leaves in every color of the rainbow will be a grand vision to take in. Bringing a camera is almost a prerequisite. You would want to recapture the beauty of your excursion over and over again as the very next day the leaves would have yet again changed on autumn’s way toward winter. Raking up a Big Pile of Leaves then Jumping In Them! As the autumn season progresses, the inevitable is that the fallen leaves remain fallen everywhere. We have all at some time or another had the duty of raking up the leaves. There is no reason why this cannot be another fun activity to bring out the kid in all of us. While the process of raking does entail bagging the piles and piles of gathered leaves, just before bagging them have fun with them. Throwing leaves at a friend like a snowball fight is a terrific way to enjoy autumn with childlike excitement. But most of all, do not forget to breathe in the clean and fresh fall air while you take in the enjoyment of your autumn season in 2013. Article courtesy of: Venere Travel.com (Keisha Coggins)
WELCOME NEW On Call Residential Service Specialist (ACS)
Helen Berhane BIO Helen Berhane was born in Khartoum, Sudan and has lived in the states since 1987. Helen received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Since 2005 Helen has worked and volunteered with children and adults who have suffered emotional and intellectual disabilities. Helen has seen first hand the effects of poverty and homelessness on children and adults while volunteering at Jeremiah Program for single mothers. Since then Helen has been called to help individuals who have endured traumatic experiences become independent, healthy, and rehabilitated adults. In her spare time, Helen enjoys being a caregiver and a Aunt to 8 beautiful nieces and nephews.
Interesting Facts About Me 1. I have some psychic abilities 2. I was once chased by a cow 3. I became an Auntie at 9 years old
Out of Poverty Fall 2014 Class Graduation November 17, 2014 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm Aldersgate Church (Wesley Hall) 1301 Collingwood Road Alexandria, VA 22307 RSVP attendance to: lmcguire@newhopehousing.org “Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life, it’s about what you inspire others to do.”
On Saturday, October 4th, more than 40 volunteers from Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU) gathered as early as 6:30 am on a chilly morning at Susan’s Place in Arlington. They were volunteering as part of a Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church (AFF) project – one of 60 home repair projects they perform every year. Earlier this year this group worked at Max’s Place. Julie Hill, a Supervisor for NFCU and Chair of the Board for Rebuilding Together-AFF, was onsite greeting and motivating volunteers. The volunteers performed such tasks as painting several bedrooms and offices, setting a bed and pouring concrete to expand the driveway, replacing carpet, and yard work. They also put new shelves in the pantry and then stocked it with donated groceries. They were excited to be working with New Hope Housing again and Reed is looking forward to setting up a project with them in April. Latasha and Jessica were also onsite to share what we do with the volunteers.
This past weekend, on Saturday, October 18th, a dozen volunteers from the Ft. Belvoir Chapel Sunday Group joined Reed, Martha, and Jan at Kennedy Shelter for another big work project. This group supplied breakfast and lunch from Chick-Fil-A for all the residents. They also sorted and reorganized the pantry, cleaned out areas behind Kennedy to build a new shed, and built new shelves inside “Macy’s,” the storage building in front of Kennedy. If you haven’t been inside Macy’s – check it out – new shelves! Reed also arranged for a new pre-fabricated shed to be donated and delivered by Home Depot. It took a forklift to get it onto the delivery truck. All it took was gravity and ingenuity from the volunteers to get it off the truck! Big thanks to everyone who participated in these projects – we’ve got more coming!
Do you want to get in shape? Are you looking for a workout challenge? Do you want a healthier lifestyle? If you answered yes to any of these questions then the New Hope Housing “Get Fit Challenge” is for YOU! If you’d like to sign up for a chance to be the Biggest Loser at New Hope, contact LaKesha McGuire for more details. lmcguire@newhopehousing.org
Happy Birthday Susan Keenan!
Chocolate cake is the best meeting interruption!
New Hope Housing - Newsbriefs
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Jan Sacharko Gives Kudos To:
Samir Suarez Gives Kudos To:
Reed for working with volunteers at Kennedy this past weekend despite a terrible cold (ditto to Martha!)
Melissa Davis, for taking time to help me find a homeless veteran housing.
Jeff & Eddie for helping stock the truck for Rock & Stroll. And kudos to Alyss for volunteering on a very rainy & cold Rock & Stroll morning!
Stephanie Sheehan Gives Kudos To:
Alyss, Tava, and Ollie for a great job giving a tour of Mondloch Place to guests from The Washington Post.
Martha Faconer Gives Kudos To: Reed, Jeff, and Eddie for doing an emergency clean out on a unit. Donna, for doing a great job working with the food pantry. Jan thanks for helping build shelves at Kennedy. Reed thank you so much for helping with the shed at Kennedy.
Natalie, I can always count on you for a favor and to ensure we have coverage if needed!! :o) Stacie, Natalie, Eden, Yvonne for putting together an AMAZING shower, you all are the best, thank you for all the hard work that went into planning, decorating, spreading the word, and ensuring everything came together!! Stacie, I loved the baby shower games, and so did Martin! I took everything home and let him play as well. Janine for ensuring the family room was ready and keeping everything under wraps, literally!! Pamela Longshore for holding it down at ACS, especially when it gets hairy, you are awesome!!
Reed Livers Gives Kudos To: Martha, Jeff and Eddie for all the hard work to prepare for the volunteer event at Kennedy this past weekend. Jan for spending all day Saturday helping the crew from Ft. Belvoir build shelves in the storage building at Kennedy. Jessica Higham, Latasha Younger, and Martha Mickens for their help with relocating a client back to Susan’s Place when his unit got flooded. Jeff and Eddie for the enormous effort to remove his furniture and belongings.
Chimere Stanley Gives Kudos To: Tava, Ashley, Alyss, Ollie, and Zach for being great team players and working together to reach the common goal! You guys ROCK!
Tava White Gives Kudos To: Special Kudos to Alyss for stepping up and helping move a couple into a Housing First unit !!!! Special Kudos to Ollie for always stepping up during crunch time and for her willingness to do whatever needs to be done, and for having GREAT patience with challenging MP clients. Sheila, Veronica, Clarence and Rosetta for covering shifts & Kudos to Tonya for just being AWSOME! Mondloch Team Rocks!!
Jessica Higham Gives Kudos To: Reed, Eddie, Jeff, and the men from Kennedy who helped with the Just Homes client’s apartment. Thank you for being so humble and helpful during such a grotesque situation. I appreciate you all and the hard work you do each and every day. I know a lot of people do not get to see what you all do on a daily basis, and I now have an even deeper respect and appreciation for you after witnessing firsthand your typical day at work. You all are amazing, hard-working people. THANK YOU!
Ollie Dawson Gives Kudos To: Zach for having great Team Spirit, for being very supportive, and for having patience with one of our challenging clients. Tava your fast emergency response to crisis and for providing a safe and healthy place for our clients to come together as a community. Luis for your understanding, determination, and outstanding job with Out of Poverty training. Stacey for being positive and working even when you don’t feel so well. Keep moving and strong! Roscoe for always being able to help out with last minute schedule changes and for being a great team player. You Rock! Alex for your continued support with the food baskets and the help with preparations. Thanks for always taking care of our clients while keeping a smile on your face. Donna for always having a smile and a great attitude. It’s always great working with you. Anthony for your willingness to help me with heavy items and assisting staff whenever you can. LaKesha, thanks for continuing to go above and beyond your job duties, and for going out of your way to find answers to my questions.
New Hope Housing - Newsbriefs
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OPEN POSITIONS New Hope Housing is currently accepting resumes for the following job opportunities:
On Call Resident Service Specialists-Mondloch House and Mondloch Place Responsibilities include monitoring the shelter, answering the phones, greeting visitors, and most importantly interacting in a positive manner with our residents. $13.13 an hour. Must be flexible, dependable, and have the ability to work with a diversified group of individuals. A High School diploma or GED is necessary, and previous experience with the homeless/mentally ill a plus. Successful candidates will be called to duty when we are short staffed. Hours are flexible, not scheduled, and you must be willing to cover shifts at a moment’s notice. EOE On-Call Residential Service Specialist for Susan’s Place and Max’s Place On-Call Residential Services Specialist (RSS) for chronically homeless adults with substance abuse/mental illness/or co-occurring disorders located in Arlington and Falls Church Virginia. Must be able to establish rapport and build trust with residents and be comfortable working in a program with few rules. Need to be flexible and have an ability to handle crisis situations. RSS will assist Outreach Counselors with leading life skills groups/activities, cooking and cleaning with residents and general upkeep of the house. RSS monitors residents medication. Must be able to work well independently and must be reliable. Provides On-call coverage. Must have a valid driver’s license and BA in behavioral science or related field. Experience can be substituted for education. BSW preferred. Two years experience with homeless adults, adults with mental illness or substance abusers. Counseling and crisis intervention skills. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Salary is $13.13 hr.
If interested, please send resume to hr@newhopehousing.org New Hope Housing is proud to be an EOE that values diversity!
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OPEN POSITIONS New Hope Housing is currently accepting resumes for the following job opportunities: EMPLOYMENT LIAISON-Full Time As a member of the Community Services Team you will be responsible for establishing and maintaining activities to develop, identify, and secure job openings for clients of New Hope Housing Programs at appropriate employment sites throughout our area. Refers clients to employers and conducts necessary follow-up when placed in positions to ensure job success and stability. Monitors job performance on the job and provides oversight when job performance is not satisfactory; works with clients closely to enhance job performance and gain necessary job skills or reviews other employment options; maintains contact with employers during the residents employment and reports results to appropriate staff; may drive residents to interviews, job fairs, and other organizations; prepares forms and reports related to placement activities; tracks participant activity and progress data. Assists residents in assessing their job skills for positions; schedules individuals for the Career Scope, TABE, and all other employment related assessment(s) at the local Skill Source/ Job Link ; schedules clients for job mentoring groups, assists in interviewing, job application procedures, resume writing, interview preparation and job retention skills and attitudes; provides job search/career information workshops and presentations. BA/BS degree in business, marketing, education, human services, or a related field is required. Supervisory experience working with volunteers is a plus. Experience in working with homeless and/or mentally ill adults. Excellent communication skills (verbal and written), solid Microsoft Office experience, experience with social networks, flexible as some evenings may be required. Valid driver’s license, personal vehicle and ability to be insured required. Bilingual preferred. $40,000 annually. EOE/ADA Case Manager Full Time– Next Steps Family Program Reporting to the Director of Family Programs, the Case Manager will provide the support services needed to ensure that program participants succeed in securing and retaining their housing. Emp-hasis is placed on regular home visits and utilizing programs and benefits designed to increase income, financial stability, and quality of life. Will be responsible for assessing participants to determine eligibility for both prevention and rapid re-housing assistance. Will work closely with the Housing Locator in identifying suitable housing for program participants. Must be able to develop a Housing Services Plan with each household; meeting with households as often as needed, at least on a monthly basis to ensure that the participants are working towards the goals stated in their Housing Service Plan, such as paying rent on time, maintaining the terms of their lease, maintaining employment and taking care of their financial obligations by maintaining a budget. Bachelor’s Degree in a social services field required. Must be a self-starter, have excellent written and oral communication skills as well as excellent interpersonal and organizational skills. Ability to work with persons with serious mental illness and/or substance addiction is critical. Empathy, patience, and persistence are fundamental characteristic required for this position. Knowledge of Word, Excel, and Homeless Management Information System databases is required. Candidate must have a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, and willingness to use their personal vehicle to perform work related duties. $40,000 annual
New Hope Housing - Newsbriefs
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Mon
5
Tues
6
7
OCTOBER
Quarterly Mtg.
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
8
9
10
11
PAYDAY
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
PAYDAY 26
27
28
29
Team Meetings
Name
30
Location Sacramento Drive Every Wed ACS Every Wed EUKS Every Thu
Next Steps Team ACS Team EUKS Team Housing 1st and Bridging Affordability Gartlan, Susan's, Max's, Just Homes Team Mondloch House and Mondloch Place Team Community Services Team
Month
Day
Sara Simone
October
3
Sheila Keahey
October
7
Gregory Goettlich
October
19
Christina Trotter
October
20
Anthony Johnson
October
21
Susan Keenan
October
23
Dates
MP Conf Rm Susan’s Place
4th Tues of each month 3rd Tues of each month
MH Conf Rm
Every 1st Wed of each month
Admin
Name
31
Times 9:15am 2pm 2pm 2pm 10am 11:30am
Every 1st Monday of each month
10am
Name
Month
Day
Years
Marian Washington Stacey Osborne Darcel Darby Gregory Goettlich Rosetta Langhorne Raymond Heflin LaKesha McGuire Lara Ostapiej Natalie Campos Jocelin Canas Ashley Jennings Clarence Jones Sandra Mensah Donna Pusey
October October October October October October October October October October October October October October
12 14 25 25 1 20 22 1 8 7 7 21 21 3
12 6 4 4 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1