Celebrating AmeriCorps Week

Debbie Wise, NeighborWorks AmeriCorps
VISTA program manager

Every day in communities across America, AmeriCorps members are making a powerful impact on the most critical issues facing our nation. Whether building stronger, healthier communities, rebuilding after disasters, preserving the environment, or enhancing relationships among neighbors that lead to positive community change, AmeriCorps members are getting things done. Since 1994, more than 775,000 AmeriCorps members have given one billion hours of service, mobilizing tens of millions of volunteers, and improving the lives of countless citizens.

NeighborWorks America is proud of its 84 AmeriCorps VISTA members serving at 44 NeighborWorks organizations across 28 states. Their hard work, commitment, and dedication to their project sites and communities often go on quietly and without fanfare. This week we celebrate and share their stories. And, most of all, we thank them for their service.

In support of AmeriCorps Week, the NeighborWorks VISTA Program has encouraged VISTA members serving at NeighborWorks organizations to assist their communities through acts of service. This year, some planned AmeriCorps Week activities include:

Family Services, Inc.
North Charleston, South Carolina

A VISTA named Jessica paints a D.C. park bench

AmeriCorps VISTA member Sarah Cornwall is helping out with a Financial Literacy workshop. The topic will be on student loans.  Sarah will be a guest speaker, presenting on AmeriCorps and the opportunities it offers including the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.

Community HousingWorks
Escondido, California

Natalie Kessler and Kelly Kean will talk  with teen residents of Community HousingWorks affordable housing complexes.  They will share their experiences as AmeriCorps VISTAs and present on other post high school/college volunteer career opportunities like Teach for America and CityCorps. 

Homeport
Columbus, Ohio

AmeriCorps VISTA member Becky Neubauer is cleaning up and planting bulbs at the local community center and taking part in a cultural competency and community team building trainings.

NHS of South Florida
Miami, Florida

AmeriCorps VISTA members Victoria Fear and Ryan Shedd will be participating in NHSSF’s 9^th Annual Community Paint and Beautification Day, They’ll be assisting homeowners with limited incomes improve their homes by providing exterior painting and light landscape restoration. NHSSF’s goal is to empower homeowners and build community pride through this neighborhood beautification project. In 2012, 12 homes were improved with the assistance of more than 300 volunteers!

“We are proud to be part of AmeriCorps and grateful for the AmeriCorps members who are getting things done right here in our community,” said Arden Shank, President and CEO of the Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida.  “AmeriCorps members have made a tremendous impact in our community, allowing us to extend our services and better carry out our mission.”  

AmeriCorps Week takes place March 9-17, 2013. Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag: #ACweek

Fulfilling the Dream of Homeownership in Paradise

This blog is part of our 35th Anniversary Celebration series, highlighting NeighborWorks member organizations which are celebrating milestone years marking either their membership in the network or their incorporation as an organization.

By Brittany Hutson, NeighborWorks
America Public Relations fellow

Hawaii is known for its tranquil waters and natural beauty, but the state is also one of the most expensive places to live and buy a home. For 10 years, Hawai‘i HomeOwnership Center (HHOC), based in Honolulu, has been a resource for providing education, information, and support for first-time homeowners. Since the average income does not mirror the high cost of living in the state, HHOC’s services are particularly helpful to low and moderate income households. The organization has assisted more than 930 families become first-time home buyers and this year, HHOC anticipates assisting their 1,000th homeowner.

Hawaii was not immune to the effects of the global economic crisis; HHOC had to develop new strategies to assist their clients. “We never thought that we’d see foreclosures on a high level since real estate has always been a finite commodity in our state,” says HHOC Executive Director Dennis Oshiro. “We have been compelled to deal with the rising number of families in danger of losing their homes dues to financial hardships, as well as educate the public about avoiding modification scams.”

Maria Stewart and Matthew Kriegler attended a Hawaii HomeOwnwership
Center orientation and thought, “homeownership is for other people.” 
They signed up anyway and realized homeownership was
possible. Now they enjoy meals in their own backyard.

After noticing a growing need from homeowners that wanted assistance in resolving their mortgage situation, HHOC added a foreclosure prevention counseling program in February 2009. Instead of hiring new staff, HHOC’s counselors were trained and became certified as foreclosure counselors. Since the foreclosure prevention program’s implementation, over 750 families have been assisted by HHOC. Although lower interest rates have helped create a sellers’ market, rising sales prices and tight credit restrictions for low down payment buyers have made it challenging for low and moderate income buyers to purchase homes, says Oshiro. “In the last four years, more of our clientele have been long-term clients that require additional support to purchase a home.”

For years, Mary Ellen Farias has kept her receipts in a zip lock bag as part of
her system for tracking expenses. Now Farias is a homeowner.
She says, “I did it for my son.”

Oshiro recalls a story about a client, whom he calls ”Keone”, who was able to purchase a home for his wife and four children after completing HHOC’s homebuyer education classes. Keone and his wife were both employed but could not afford to rent a home. The family alternated living with their friends and family members for at least a year. Keone and his wife took HHOC’s online education classes—through which they learned about money management, getting a mortgage, shopping for a home, and credit—and attended counseling sessions.

Oshiro recalls his staff commenting, “Keone was like a sponge soaking up every bit of information at his meetings. He is the only client we know of that read the entire 1-1/2 inch textbook from cover to cover!” Keone and his family now live in a home of their own. “Keone’s open attitude towards learning and his enthusiasm of working towards his dream of homeownership reflects what we have seen in many clients after they are equipped to make homeownership possible,” says Oshiro.

Oshiro says being a part of the NeighborWorks network has allowed HHOC to “operate at a high-level on behalf of our clients” because of the funding and technical assistance NeighborWorks provides. 

Learn more about HHOC at http://www.hihomeownership.org.

Dorothy Richardson: An African-American Leader

Dorothy Richardson

As we recognize Black History Month, it is a good time to reflect on the history of African-American leaders within the history of NeighborWorks America.  In fact, the very existence of our organization is due in large part to an African-American homemaker named Dorothy Richardson. 

Richardson’s Pittsburgh neighborhood was in decline, partially due to redlining policies that prevented most banks from lending to her and her neighborhoods. At the time, in the 1960s, most cities tried to solve blight by demolishing neighborhoods, but Richardson knew that she and others were willing to fix their homes if they could get loans.

Richardson and supporters in front of a home
that would be rehabilitated instead of torn down

Together Dorothy Richardson, along with her neighbors, city bankers and government officials  convinced 16 financial institutions to make conventional loans in the community; a local foundation capitalized a revolving loan fund. They named the resulting organization Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. and it became a model for organizations nationwide 

Richardson is credited with introducing a new model of community development, one that emphasized cross-sector partnership and ground-up solutions for struggling communities.  During the 1970s and 1980s, Richardson remained a prominent figure by educating and inspiring community leaders throughout the country. She assisted them with establishing their own resident-led organizations, which led to the creation of what would be called the NeighborWorks America network. In 1978, Congress later institutionalized the network by establishing the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, now known as NeighborWorks America.

Mural of Dorothy Richardson by artist at NeighborWorks
affiliate Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation

Today NeighborWorks America supports a network of more than 235 nonprofits, located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Our network members serve low- and moderate- income individuals and families of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, including African-Americans.

In 2012, NeighborWorks organizations served more than 11,000 African-American individuals with homeownership counseling, foreclosure counseling, refinancing, reverse mortgages, and rehab services. NeighborWorks organizations also served nearly 30,000 African American–headed rental households. Together, the NeighborWorks network helps residents to build stronger communities, achieve and maintain homeownership and support the creation and preservation of affordable rental homes.

In honor of Richardson’s life work, NeighborWorks America created the Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership in 1992. Each year, the award honors seven community leaders from around the country for their outstanding contributions to their communities. Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. in Pittsburgh, now known as NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania, created the Dorothy Richardson Legacy Award in 2008 to recognize outstanding contributions by dedicated volunteers and long-serving board members.

To learn more about Dorothy Richardson and NeighborWorks America, watch this video: http://ow.ly/i4ssk
To learn more about the 2012 Dorothy Richardson Award winners, visit: nw.org/drawards 

Hope Enterprise Corporation: Building Financial Wealth in the Mississippi Delta Region

This blog is part of our 35th Anniversary Celebration series, highlighting NeighborWorks member organizations which are celebrating milestone years marking either their membership in the network or their incorporation as an organization.

By Brittany Hutson, NeighborWorks
America Public Relations fellow

This year, Hope Enterprise Corporation (HOPE), a community development financial institution (CDFI), marks 20 years of providing support and assistance for small business owners and homeowners in economically distressed areas of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Based in Jackson, Mississippi, HOPE has grown from providing financing and technical assistance to small business owners to investing in other focus areas such as housing, healthcare, and community development. In 2002, HOPE further expanded the scope of their services by becoming the primary sponsor of Hope Credit Union.

Hope Credit Union was organized in 1995 by members of Anderson United Methodist Church to provide access to financial services to low-income residents in Jackson, Mississippi. Nearly two years ago, Bancorp South, the largest bank in Mississippi announced plans to close 23 branches. Nine of those were in communities where Bancorp South was the only bank.  According to Executive Director William Bynum, “It left a lot of families without access to financial services.”  Utica, a small rural town near Jackson, Mississippi, was particularly affected by the bank closures; so, local leaders invited the Hope Credit Union to establish a local branch that would be run by Utica residents.  According to Bynum, similar bank deserts have emerged throughout the Mississippi Delta region. “Opening that branch [in Utica] addressed a critical need for that community,” he says. “[We were] able to work with [them] and help them recover and essentially create their own financial institution.” The credit union offers business and mortgage lending, as well as basic financial services.

A housewarming celebration for the first two families moving into
homes in the new Radiant Blossoms development in New Orleans

HOPE and Hope Credit Union have also been resources for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Those affected had access to services like small business and housing recovery, and could open accounts to receive recovery funds.  In the wake of the disaster, HOPE joined with NeighborWorks and other collaborators to create Home Again, a home rebuilding effort. HOPE and NeighborWorks also partnered to develop a financial curriculum to help homeowners on the Gulf Coast develop recovery plans. “People needed help navigating all the confusion,” says Bynum.  “We counseled about 10,000 people who received roughly $600 million for housing recovery needs.”

Bynum is proud that HOPE has been able to help people respond to devastating events like Hurricane Katrina and the recent economic downturn. “We’ve been able to survive, navigate, and provide services to thousands of people; it’s a great feeling.” Part of their ability to survive and expand is due to their interest in partnerships, like NeighborWorks. “NeighborWorks has been at the front of the line as a critical partner by providing capital and technical support,” says Bynum. “They are proactive and creative, and have been wonderful to work with.”

Learn more about HOPE at http://www.hope-ec.org/

35 Years of Preserving and Rehabilitating New York’s Rural Communities

This blog is part of our 35th Anniversary Celebration series, highlighting NeighborWorks member organizations which are celebrating milestone years marking either their membership in the network or their incorporation as an organization. Last month, Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corporation celebrated their 35th year since incorporation. 

By Brittany Hutson, NeighborWorks
America Public Relations fellow

For 35 years, the Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corporation (CHRIC), located in Mayville, New York, has rehabbed thousands of homes in Chautauqua County. Chautauqua is a low-income rural county situated in southwestern New York. The county has a population of over 126,000 and is a tourist area that offers grape vineyards, wine trails, ski resorts, and fishing in Chautauqua Lake. According to Staci Bemis, housing rehab coordinator for CHRIC, Chautauqua County holds the oldest housing stock in the country, and this has presented a bevy of rehab projects for the organization. CHRIC’s achievements include the completion of nearly 2,700 homes from 1990 to 2011, an approximate value of $25.5 million in housing rehab funds. This was accomplished in spite of the various challenges brought on by the recent recession, such as decreasing housing values, job losses and population loss.

Though rehabilitation is the organization’s largest line of business, CHRIC also offers foreclosure and homeownership counseling, lending, and has been involved in historic preservation and downtown community development projects, including a five-year rehabilitation project on a lighthouse situated on Lake Erie in the city of Dunkirk.

A property before rehabilitation

After CHRIC performed rehab work

CHRIC’s dedication to rehabilitation has made a difference in the lives of numerous local families. For example, the organization received a home through donation in 1998. The home was one of CHRIC’s rehab projects and in 2008, the organization was able to place a family of eight in the home after counseling through CHRIC’s Home Buyers Club. “This was a family who really had been experiencing pretty severe housing needs,” says Jim Goodling, executive director from late 2011 to January 2013. He also recalls assisting a family in which the father worked full time as a janitor and the mother stayed at home to tend to her two mentally and physically disabled girls. Through their counseling program, CHRIC helped the family become homeowners and reduce their monthly expenditures. “That’s indicative of the kind of work that we do.”

CHRIC’s rehabilitation service is in high demand these days and it has been challenging to keep up with requests. “There are nearly 465 families on our waiting list,” says Goodling. “We can address only a small part of those requests in any given year.” Funding is one of the biggest constraints. However, Goodling believes that being a charter member of NeighborWorks has been helpful to CHRIC. Funding from NeighborWorks, along with other federal sources and state contributions, has enabled CHRIC to undertake its “buy, rehab, and sell” housing program. Funding has also provided a basis for their loan and mortgage programs.

Learn more about CHRIC at http://www.chric.org/