Newsbriefs 10 23 14

New Hope Housing - Newsbriefs

Newsbriefs Volume 18 Issue 8 October 23, 2014

New Hope Housing, Administration Office 8407-E Richmond Highway,

Alexandria, VA 22309 703-799-2293

Rethinking Homelessness since 1977

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 every-

where. 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 pro-

cess 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 home-lessness 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:

[email protected]

“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) gath-ered 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 bed-rooms 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 grocer-ies. 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 vol-unteers 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.

[email protected]

Chocolate cake is the best

meeting interruption!

Happy Birthday Susan Keenan!


Jan Sacharko Gives Kudos To: Reed for working with volunteers at Kennedy this past weekend despite a terrible cold (ditto to Martha!)

Jeff & Eddie for helping stock the truck for Rock & Stroll. And kudos to Alyss for volunteering on a very rainy & cold Rock & Stroll morn-ing!

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.

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 furni-ture 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 first-hand your typical day at work. You all are amazing, hard-working people. THANK YOU!

Samir Suarez Gives Kudos To: Melissa Davis, for taking time to help me find a homeless veteran housing.

Stephanie Sheehan Gives Kudos To: 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 every-thing under wraps, literally!!

Pamela Longshore for holding it down at ACS, especially when it gets hairy, you are awesome!!

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.


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 visi-

tors, 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 ex-

perience 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 inde-

pendently 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 [email protected]

New Hope Housing is proud to be an EOE that values diversity!

mailto:[email protected]


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 employ-

ment 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 experi-

ence 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 assis-

tance. 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 Ser-

vice 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


OCTOBER Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7

Quarterly Mtg.

8 9

PAYDAY

10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23

PAYDAY

24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

Tea

m M

eet

ings

Name Location Dates Times

Next Steps Team Sacramento Drive Every Wed 9:15am

ACS Team ACS Every Wed 2pm

EUKS Team EUKS Every Thu 2pm

Housing 1st and Bridging Affordability MP Conf Rm 4th Tues of each month 2pm

Gartlan, Susan's, Max's, Just Homes Team Susan’s Place 3rd Tues of each month 10am

Mondloch House and Mondloch Place

Team MH Conf Rm Every 1st Wed of each month 11:30am

Community Services Team Admin Every 1st Monday of each month 10am

Name 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

Name Month Day Years Marian Washington October 12 12

Stacey Osborne October 14 6

Darcel Darby October 25 4

Gregory Goettlich October 25 4

Rosetta Langhorne October 1 4

Raymond Heflin October 20 3

LaKesha McGuire October 22 2

Lara Ostapiej October 1 2

Natalie Campos October 8 1

Jocelin Canas October 7 1

Ashley Jennings October 7 1

Clarence Jones October 21 1

Sandra Mensah October 21 1

Donna Pusey October 3 1

Newsbriefs 10 23 14

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