Newsbriefs Rethinking Homelessness since 1977
New Hope Housing, Administration Office 8407-E Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA 22309 703-799-2293
Volume 22 Issue 23
June 6, 2017
Dear NHH Staff, I have received notification from the City of Alexandria Purchasing Office of their intention to contract with Volunteers of America Chesapeake for the operation of the Alexandria Community Shelter, effective July 1, 2017. Unfortunately, at this time I have no other information. I will be meeting with the contracting office along with Jessica Lurz and Clara Roberson from the Office of Community Services on Monday afternoon for a debrief which I hope will answer questions about why our proposal was not successful along with the plan for and timing of the transition. I have spoken with the President and CEO of VOA Chesapeake, Russ Snyder, who is open to interviewing interested NHH staff for the positions VOA is establishing at ACS. He and I will be meeting in the near future tor work out more details for the least disruptive, most successful transition. New Hope Housing will continue to provide some homeless services in the City of Alexandria. We will still operate the Alexandria Vet House, provide support services in the TRAILS program, and continue our HUD funded housing first apartment program in Alexandria. To the best of my knowledge, we will continue to provide housing location and community case management services in FY 2018 with state funds. I met with ACS staff today. I recognize that this is a difficult time for staff, especially those of you at ACS who are facing the unknown. I heard expressions of sadness, loss, uncertainty, anger, frustration, and resolve today. Every staff member at ACS has made significant contributions to the residents who have come through those doors and has much to offer people who find themselves homeless or otherwise in difficult situations. I was moved by the sense of teamwork among the ACS staff and their commitment to NHH as well as to the residents they have served. Given your skills, gifts, and commitment, I believe there is place for each and every one of you to continue to make a lasting impact. We at New Hope Housing will do our best to accommodate staff interested in remaining with New Hope Housing, in accordance with our RIF policy. Current job vacancies are listed in Newsbriefs and we will continue to update you if additional openings occur. Anyone currently on call/part time or fulltime as an RSS at ACS is welcome to cross train at our other sites and should inform Jeff Lisanick at 703-799-0200 or jlisanick@newhopehousing.org of that interest. I will continue to provide information about the reason for the decision to not award the ACS contract to us and on transition plans as I learn them. Meanwhile, my door, as always, is open. I am particularly grateful to and proud of our ACS staff who have worked tirelessly to provide safe shelter, an environment of dignity and respect, and services that have helpful hundreds of individuals and families build a better future over the past 7 years. Please continue to support each other during this transition. Thanks to each of you for your continued commitment to ending homelessness. Pam
Pam Michell Executive Director New Hope Housing, Inc.
Article Courtesy of: www.linkedin.com and written by: Ban Weston
10 Tips for Dealing with Change Positively in Your workplace “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” H.P. Lovecraft Lovecraft wrote those words in the 1920s and they are still relevant today – specially in the workplace. Many of us look forward to changes at work and we often have conversations with our colleagues about how things should be different, yet when things do change we are often terrified and feel uncomfortable. Change is inevitable and necessary these days in order for businesses and organizations to survive and thrive. Sometimes change can be imposed on us and with that may come changes to our immediate boss, team, work priorities and even changes to our role. So we must learn to overcome fear and embrace the changes ahead.
Why Do We Fear and Resist Change so Much? We fear change at work for a variety of reasons. These fears are often associated with fear of failure, fear of success, fear of rejection, fear of criticism and fear of the unknown. The growing research in neuroscience is proving the belief that “we are creatures of habit” to be very true. We like “Certainty.” Certainty brings with it clarity and predictability, ambiguity which can often come with change activates a threat circuitry in the brain.
This can trigger powerful effects on our body and our emotions – which we sometime refer to as “stress.” David Rock, author of the “Handbook of Neuroleadership” explains that uncertainty registers as an error, gap, or tension in the brain: something that must be corrected before one can feel comfortable again. That is why people crave certainty. Not knowing what will happen next can be profoundly debilitating because it requires extra neural energy. This can diminish memory, undermine performance, and disengage people from the present. Dr. Tamar Chansky, author of “Freeing Yourself from Anxiety” says changes at work are among the top life stressors that one can experience. “How we thrive is through routine and predictability. It gives us a sense of control. When there are big changes, we are suddenly thrown into a state of uncertainty.” “Reorganizations, changes in management and changes in job responsibilities all can set off alarm bells as they may signal that one’s job is at stake. New management sets off a lot of different anxieties. Will I like my boss? Will my boss like me? Will I be valued for what I do? Will I have a say in decisions? Do I have to start from square one proving my worth, or will I be respected.” However, change does not always have to culminate in fear and anxiety. How well organizations handle the process of change and transition and how much we perceive we have control and influence over the change is the key to managing the fear of change. Therefore, it is perfectly normal to feel fear and be unsettled with change; it is a normal human behavior when we don't feel totally in control and certain about the future. The unhealthy part occurs with inappropriate and unhelpful responses. Fighting change, presenting a negative attitude or ignoring its meaning. Intelligent, mature and driven employees will manage their fear and look for avenues to adjust to change and thrive in the new environment.
10 Tips for Overcoming Your Fear of Change at Work 1. Acknowledge the change. The most important thing to do when change is happening in the
workplace is to acknowledge it. Recognising and accepting change is one of the first steps towards managing it. 2. Face your fears. When you fear change take some time out for yourself.
Writing down these fears in an objective form can stop you dwelling on them. Go through each fear and write down what you would do if that fear came to pass. Knowing you have a back up plan can really help to defuse the emotional anxiety. 3. Confront your feelings and seek support. Face your feelings about fear and the transition you
are going through, especially when the change is imposed and beyond your control. Change could mean that you have to cope with a loss of co-workers, team, and a project that you really care about. You don't have to act as a victim, even when you are not in control. The best thing to do is to accept your feelings and then reach out to close colleagues, partner, loved ones and talk to them about what you are feeling. 4. Stop the fearful thoughts and replace them with something positive. Fear can come from cre-
ating negative thoughts and scenarios in your head about what the future holds. How you are describing the change to yourself? What you see to be the negative aspects of the change? What impact it has on you and your life? The moment you become fearful and have negative thoughts, stop them in their tracks and turn them into something positive. Ask yourself questions. In the past when I handled change really well what did I do? How did I handle it? What actions did take that really worked for me? How did I deal with the change in my communication with others? How did I manage my mental health? Which personal attributes did I use to turn things into positive? Was I patient? Rational? etc. 5. Be flexible and embracing of change. Instead of hiding from your fear and creating defenses to
keep it away from you, be open and flexible to taking on new challenges and tasks. Chansky says to approach change with an open attitude of learning. “Even if you don't like something new in the system, if you are flexible, people will want to work with you, and there is a greater chance of change. If you “rage against the machine, so to speak, no one is going to rush to have your back.”
10 Tips for Overcoming Your Fear of Change at Work 6.
Be part of the change. Adopt an attitude of anticipation and excitement. Welcome change as an opportunity. Get involved in new committees and work teams. Be an influencer and driver of change. That way you will feel empowered and less fearful. See the positive in the way forward.
7. Communication, communication and more communication. Communication is always important and especially when you face change. Part of the fear of change is the unknown. If the organization is not communicating change effectively, make it your business to be proactive in finding out more about what the change involves. Don’t sit back. Talk to your boss, your boss’s boss and your co-workers to get their understanding. Don't make these sessions negative. In stead ask constructive questions to find out meaningful information to help you understand better. Be aware that sometimes when talking to co-works news can be distorted and can be mixed with rumor. 8. Reduce Stress and anxiety. In times of stress caused by change we may feel tired and un energised. This is the time we need to focus on being strong, fit, healthy and resilient. To be resili ent you need to be clam and in control so that you are able to make good, clear and rational deci sions. Focus on your exercise and nutrition, breath deeply and smile. This doesn’t have to be ex tensive; 20-30 minutes of meditation; yoga or even walking to clear your head is sufficient.
9. Have a sense of meaning. Take time to take stock of how valuable you are to the organization. Acknowledge your successes and the valuable skills and attributes you offer the organization. This is perhaps the time to make your self more valuable. Research tells us that valuable employees typically get through changes unscathed, or even better than before. 10. Continue to do your work and see the big picture. It is easy during times of reorganization to sit back and see what will happen tomorrow. It is easy to have that attitude as in some cases the work you are doing might change. However, remember that till you have a new direction you need to focus on achieving your designated goals and tasks. Remember that a great positive atti tude should impress a future boss. The bottom line is, change is inevitable for all organizations today, so you’ll need to overcome your fear of it. Change can be frightening and disruptive. However, with the right attitude, outlook and actions, you can find opportunities in that change.
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newhopehousing Mondloch
From left– Donna Pusey (2016 Employee of the Year), Steven Lonon (Oct. 2016 EOQ), Lance Flowers (Jan. 2017 EOQ) and Paul Kola (Apr. 2017 EOQ)
PSH Residents (Mondloch Place and Mondloch House) Go To Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture
SUSAN’S PLACE
Mondloch Place & Mondloch House
Summer Fun Day Friday, June 23, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Burke Lake Park—Shelter A 7315 Ox Rd. Fairfax Station, VA 22039
New Hope Housing is looking for staff who have a competitive spirit, possess good sportsmanship, and who want to have TONS of FUN! If you fit this description, please join our kickball team! All skill levels are welcome to participate and you can invite your family and friends to play. The “Safe at Home” kickball tournament will be on Saturday, August 5th in Long Bridge Park (Arlington, VA). I want to form a solid team and would like to begin practices in June. Last year’s team made it to the second to last round; and we want to keep that momentum going! If you are interested please contact LaKesha McGuire at lmcguire@newhopehousing.org
LaKesha McGuire Sends Kudos to:
Stacey Osborne sends Kudos to:
Clarence Jones, Michael Byrd, and Simajah Jackson for allowing me to crash the MP & MH Memorial Day BBQ. I enjoyed myself, the food was delicious, and I appreciate the hospitality. Job well done on the grill C.J. Byrd, sorry for your loss. I had a great time beating you in Spades!
Heath Thayer for the clean up in room 1. You did an awesome job !
Ellen Shepard sends Kudos to: Super duper Kudos to RSS staff Patricia EdmundsCaples for throwing a fun-filled Memorial Day cookout at Susan's Place.
Adora Payne sends Kudos to: Ollie for answering her cell and helping me out with HHP program questions while on vacation!! So grateful! Melissa and Shanice for taking time out of their busy days to help me get acclimated at EUKS. Donna, Tony and Anthony D. for their hard work all the time. Christian for his time and assistance with an outreach client last week.
Kenny Smith sends Kudos to: Shaun Dean and LaKesha for always being helpful and professional. Roxanne, Martha and all the RSS Staff for making sure our clients had a wonderful holiday cookout. CJ, Denae, Heath and Stacey for the life skills classes at MH and MP. Ollie for always willing to lend a helping hand. Nicole and Sami for all that you guys do and for helping us get the items needed for our life skills classes.
Chavon Bell sends Kudos to: Luke and Artisha have been doing an exceptional job managing and maintaining the Sustain/Diversion clients. Hats off to both of you for wearing several hats and patiently working out the kinks of the program. Luke has always been amazing with following through with his assigned duties. He keeps us going. Artisha, you have transitioned into this position and you have done an exceptional job. Working with the CSB has been interesting. It’s funny to hear your stories. Keep going both of you!
Lance, Akira, Samir, and our boss Latasha! Thank you for welcoming me and Samir. We are a hardworking team! Sharina, thank you for keeping our clients in line! We appreciate you! Shawn V., thank you for having the financial answers.
New Hope Housing - Newsbriefs
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Board Meeting
Team Meetings
Name
Location ACS EUKS
ACS Team EUKS Team
PAYDAY
Dates
Times 2pm 10:30am
Every Wed Every Thu
PSH Team– Singles (Fairfax)
Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday Rotating Locations of each month
10:00am
PSH Team– Families & Singles (Arlington and Alexandria)
Every 2nd and 4th Monday Rotating Locations of each month
10:00am
Name Month Day Richard Honesty June 1 Dominic Crentsil June 2 Samantha Vaughn June 5 Tanisha Lockerman June 12 Arnita Latimer June 15 Ollie Dawson June 18 Shawn Valentine June 19 Patricia Edmonds-Caples June 20 Diewenn Motley June 24 Steven Lonon June 25 Adora Payne June 30
Name Michael Byrd Yvette Roberts Tekalegn Guddeta Jan-Michael Sacharko Shannon Williams
Month
Day
Years
June June June June June
28 26 17 17 22
10 2 2 3 2