New Hope Housing - Newsbriefs Page 1

Newsbriefs Volume 19 Issue 5 February 27, 2015

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

Alexandria, VA 22309 703-799-2293

Rethinking Homelessness since 1977

The Journey Home– Nicole Dillon, Volunteer and Special Events Coordinator

Going through the home buying process has made

me understand and appreciate the great work that Case

Managers and Housing Locators are doing. I moved to

Northern Virginia in June of 2014 when my fiancé

accepted a job here in Northern Virginia. We decided to

give NOVA a try for one year and if the horror stories we

had heard about the rude people here and the unbearable

traffic were not true, we’d buy a house and begin to grow

some roots here. It has been almost a year, and turns out we

both love our jobs, our coworkers and new friends, and all

the opportunities available to us here.

Having no clue what to expect, we began the home

buying process as first time homebuyers. I grew up in a

small town located between Richmond and Williamsburg. I

lived in Richmond my entire life except for the four years

that I spent attending Roanoke College in the town of Sa-

lem, VA. While Salem operates at a slightly slower pace

than Richmond, I’d say that life between these two cities is

pretty comparable. The current median sales price for a

home in Richmond is a little over $200,000. Growing up,

we always had at least an acre of land on a wooded proper-

ty and there were no HOA fees, condo fees, or

restrictions attached to owning a property.

We were pre-approved for a VA home loan for

about twice that amount and began our search quickly real-

izing how little we could actually afford. For the price we

would be paying for a townhouse in NOVA, we could have

purchased a large home with land and all the bells and

whistles in Richmond. We found homes we liked, but by

the time we'd put in an offer, there was already a contract

or multiple contracts on these homes. We were blown away

by how quickly homes move in Northern

Virginia and it’s not even peak home buying season yet.

We eventually found a home and put in an offer.

Thankfully, our offer was accepted after some negotiation

and we began the journey to home ownership. I use the

word journey to describe this process because buying a

home has been an unexpected roller coaster ride of

emotions.

Mortgage lenders go through your entire life

history with a fine toothed comb. They ask you for all of

your bank statements, your credit card reports, drill you on

your credit history, job history, past tax returns, and more. I

have no criminal background and have a relatively good

credit score. I have never missed a car or rent payment.

Despite my relatively good financial history, the

mortgage lender honed in on my job history. 2014 was an

unusual year for me. I presented them with seven W-2 tax

returns for 2014 and this was a huge red flag. I had many

jobs in 2014, not because I was being fired or just got bored

and liked to job hop, but because, quite frankly, life hap-

pens! I had to write a letter to the lender explaining and

advocating for myself. I was working hard at multiple jobs.

One job I hated, and the others I was forced to leave be-

cause I was moving. This was a humbling experience for

me and it showed me how important it is for us to be an

advocate for our residents. If I, with relatively little other

barriers, had to advocate for myself in order to purchase a

home, I can only imagine the hoops that our residents must

jump through to prove their stability.

This process has given me time to reflect on the

difficulties and challenges that New Hope Housing’s Hous-

ing Locators and Case Managers go through as you try to

build a better life for our residents. You must teach our

residents to be confident and fight for what they want.

When hurdles pop up (like multiple people wanting to rent

a unit and the leasing office trashes the clients application

because there is a red flag) they must take a step back and

then take a running leap over them! And if they trip and

fall, to keep getting up and trying because eventually some-

thing will stick.

I’ve learned from you that many of our residents

had a bad break or they were never taught how to be

financially stable in the first place. You give them the tools

they need to succeed, prep them for what to expect and

teach them how to present themselves when they have to

explain their work and past housing situations. I want to

congratulate and thank each and every one of you that work

directly with residents day in and day out. You all continue

to amaze me with the accomplishments and breakthroughs

that you make for our residents everyday. Thank you for

your hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Your ability

to push through and find solutions for everyone is why

New Hope Housing is such a successful organization. I’d

like for you to take a moment to pat yourself on the back

and remember all of your accomplishments and the smiles

on the faces of all of your residents as they sign leases and

open the door to a better life.

Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church Thursday, March 5th from 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

2001 Sherwood Hall Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306

Join us for an evening celebration of Black Culture. Program will include musical performances, special

resident presentations, and good food!

From Adversity To Triumph, We Shall Overcome!

Black History Month February 2015 in Metro DC

Black History Month is celebrated throughout Metro DC in theatre, dance, music, visual arts and the spoken

word. Check here for arts and culture events commemorating, honoring and focusing on the history and contribu-

tions that Black Americans have made to the United States.

For a listing of more Black History Month Celebration events

in the Washington, DC area visit:

http://culturecapital.com/feature/132/black-history-month-february-2015

In celebration of Black History & Culture

Black Women Discuss Hair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEbRQkr6LSU

View & Share Your Thoughts!

What is Blackface?

http://youtu.be/IPiIyu3rFOY

At this year’s NBA All Star game, Beyoncé rocked a Scooter LaForge custom painted trench coat. Scooter is known for his

pieces that feature caricatures, but critics of this particular artwork note that the big red lips, teeth, and bright eyes are reminiscent of the logo for Coon Chicken Inn—based on the

Sambo art of the first half of the 20th century.

LITERATURE

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

With dazzling candor, legal scholar Michelle Alexander argues that "we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it." By targeting black men through the War on Drugs and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control—relegating millions to a permanent second-class status—even as it formally adheres to the principle of colorblindness.

This training is MANDATORY for all staff who are not certified or need recertification. Please RSVP your attendance with your direct supervisor.

Friday, February 27th 9:00 am—3:30 pm

Aldersgate Church (Guback Hall) 1301 Collingwood Road, Alexandria, VA 22308

Please see below for an easy reference of our Emergency and Inclement Weather

Policy. If you have questions, please see your supervisor.

Section 4.8 Personnel Policy Manual:

Emergency and Inclement Weather Conditions

As a residential, emergency housing agency, New Hope Housing is to remain open and

operating at full staff under any and all conditions. Extra planning and care should be

made by staff to insure they are able to report to work as scheduled when there is

inclement weather. Our residents need us more than ever during times of crisis in the

community. Should an emergency or extreme weather condition exist that results in

the Fairfax County government (not schools) closing, New Hope Housing will operate

under “emergency status”. Under emergency status, residential staff is expected to

report to work as scheduled and will be compensated at a rate of 1.5 times their

normal pay rate for the hours they work during the time frame of the emergency

status. Should an emergency or extreme weather occur after normal business hours

when it is unlikely that Fairfax County government would make a determination about

being open, the Executive Director will inform the executive team whether or not the

agency is considered to be in emergency status.

Should the Governor of Virginia declare a State of Emergency due to an extreme

weather condition or other emergency, all staff is expected to stay where they

are. Staff on site will be required to stay on site and staff at home is required to stay

at home until the state of emergency is lifted and it is determined safe to be on the

roads.

Management staff is expected to check in with their teams to determine how they can

best be supported during any emergency or crisis situation.

Congratulations to Ms. Binn who moved from shelter to housing!

Khristina Koontz- (Case Manager)

New Hope Housing - Newsbriefs Page 11

Tava White sends kudos to:

Ms Ollie- I honestly think I would go crazy these past

2 weeks! These past 2 weeks felt like any and every-

thing that could’ve went wrong did and at times it was

overwhelming, but having a GREAT team player like

Ms. Ollie, definitely made a great difference. Thank

you for your continued commitment and for just play-

ing your part the way that you do!! From accompany-

ing me when dealing with challenging HF situations,

to always willing to just come in when we are short

staff, despite having worked an extended shift the

previous day and inclement weather, I could always

count on you! For assisting our county assigned

contact, advocating for clients, putting together and

delivering meals, cooking dinner for Mondloch house,

and helping out at EUKS!! Just your willingness to

always go above and beyond and I love when you see

a problem you’ll come to me to discuss and also have

a solution for it! These past 2 weeks you have been

my right hand and together we were able to work thru

some challenging situations. I can always count on

you Ms. Ollie & actually learn a lot from you! I need

to know your secret to how you keep going! THANK

YOU!THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Alyss- for being the awesome case manager that you

are! I know this week has been kind of tough with the

facility issues and having to accommodate displaced

residents, but you continued to work in those heels

and meet the needs of your clients! YOU GO GIRL!

Ashley and Chimere for being supportive and great

team players.

Lisa, Marion, Veronica and Clarence for being

dependable and covering shifts!

Zach and Stacey for your continued hard work and

dedication!

Martha Faconer sends kudos to: Jeff and Eddie for their diligence in handling out-

reach and in-kind donations.

Tonya, Susan K., Ollie, Clarence, and Tava for

effortlessly responding to the Mondloch Place crisis.

Ollie Dawson sends kudos to: Zach- Thanks for your teamwork with helping our MP

residents during the incident that happened.

Tava- Thanks for coming in and making sure the resi-

dents were placed in a warm and safe place and for mak-

ing sure I received dry clothes and socks.

Susan K.- Thanks for coming in to help with finding a

new place for our MP residents to go, and for making

sure everything we need was available.

Tonya- Thanks for coming in to make sure our MP resi-

dents were ok after you had just shoveled snow out your

drive way for 2 hours. Thanks for all of your efforts to

find a place for residents to go.

RSS staff at Kennedy for working 7 days a week to keep

our shelter a safe place for residents to stay, and for

handling so many residents due to the extremely cold

weather. All of you ROCK!

Steve L.-Thanks for continuing to make sure I receive all

updated data sheets on new clients.

Millie- Great job on the reports you are doing. Continue

to ask questions.

Pam Michell- Thanks for checking on everyone to see if

we needed anything, and to make sure we could continue

to provide support.

Jan- Thanks for sending the email out about Mondloch

Place needs during the crisis. What a great response!

Thank you so much for making it happen by getting food

and gift cards for residents.

Jo- Thank you for making sure we were all ok and for the

support.

Mike D. –Thank you for checking in on MP and for

offering your help.

Alyss- Thanks for going around helping with the hotel

food runs. It’s a big help!

OPEN POSITIONS

New Hope Housing is currently accepting resumes for the

following job opportunities:

On Call Resident Service Specialists-

Mondloch House/Mondloch Place/Kennedy/ACS 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

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. $13.13 an hour. EOE/ADA that values

diversity.

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 an

hour. EOE/ADA that values diversity.

If interested, please send resume to hr@newhopehousing.org

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

FEBRUARY

Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12

PAYDAY

13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 PAYDAY

27 Staff CPR/First

Aid Training

28

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

Tea

m M

eet

ings

Name Month Day

Shanice Gomire Feb 1

Veronica Letsinger Feb 3

Jo Mullen Feb 4

Nicole Dillon Feb 10

Luis Franco Feb 12

Joseph Gouss Feb 12

Alex SaintFleur Feb 14

Essie Marble Feb 17

Tava White Feb 24

Kevin Coleman Feb 28

Name Month Day Years

Gary Steele Feb 8 10

Troy Skeen Feb 4 1

Stephanie Sheehan-Felix Feb 28 4

Janine Rushing Feb 9 6

Susan Keenan Feb 14 15