Housing Highlights Volume 5, Issue 7
WHA Newsletter
Housing Highlights Volume 5, Issue 7
Housing Highlights
For Residents of Washington Housing Authority
Volume 5, Issue 7 April-June 2022INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1 It's Coming!
2 A Message from the ED
3 AHOY Chair Exercise Class
4 New Housing Manager, FSS & Ross
5 Torch Scholarship
6 W.I.S.H & Homeownership
7 Upcoming Projects
8 College and Career Day
9 FOOD
10 KIDS' CORNER
11 FYIGet your teams ready for another 3 on 3 on 9th
Basketball Tournament! More information will be
available soon!
Check out our website to view pics from last year's game.
www.washingtonhousingauthority.org and click "Gallery".Help Keep Our Kids Safe!
Please be mindful of this while traveling in
residential areas.
A Message from the Executive Director
A Message from the ED
We've all heard the saying "April showers bring May flowers."
Well, for the flowers to bloom, seeds must be planted. So, I ask
you...what seeds are you planting? At WHA we are planting
seeds of self-sufficiency, digital literacy, community advocacy,
community partnerships, homeownership, and scholarship.
Over the last 2.5 years we have been working on planting these
seeds to assist you...our residents. Now we need your help to take
these programs and others to the next level. We need you to
participate in the Resident Advisory Board. We need your voices
at the table to discuss upgrades to your community, programs that
would benefit you and your families and partnerships you would like for us to promote in the future.
Our programs and initiatives cannot be successful without YOU!
If you are interested in representing your community on the Resident Advisory Board, please contact Ms. Kimberly Grimes at 252-644-2396.
Enthusiastically,
Vanessa L. Dunn
AHOY Chair Exercise
AHOY CHAIR EXERCISE
Every Thursday at 11am in the Lobby of East Haven Apartments
Begins Thursday, April 7th
Looking for an exercise class that is fun, simple,
and enjoyable to participate in?
Join Jane P. at 11am in the lobby for AHOY
(Adding Health on Years) chair exercise.
30 minutes of basic, range of motion exercises to
keep your body limber, strengthen your
muscles, and sharpen your mind.
Sponsored by: Grace Martin Harwell Senior Center ~ 310 W. Main St.,
Washington, NC 27889
252-975-9368 ~ Facebook: @GMHSeniorcenter ~ Questions?
Please call us!
Housing Manager, FSS Coordinator and ROSS Coordinator
Housing Manager
My name is Towanna Williams, and I am your new Housing Manager. I am from Kinston, NC and have been in property management for approximately thirteen years. I look forward to serving you in this position. As your Housing Manager, I want you to know that I am committed to assisting you. I will be at Eastern Village (Central Office) on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I will be at East Haven on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Feel free to email me at twilliams@wha-nc.org or call me at 252-644-2367(East Haven)/252-644-6112(Eastern Village/Central Office).FSS Coordinator
My name is Kimberly Grimes, your new Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS)
Coordinator, and I have joined the Washington Housing Authority family. I am excited to bring my case and project management experience to housing where it can benefit each one of you. This is a massive transition from the Washington Police-Fire Services. However, I am excited to help as many people as possible.
For those of you who may know me, I grew up in housing and understand firsthand some of the challenges one can face. But I believe that with hard work comes undeniable success. I look forward to serving you and helping you reach your potential goals, such as homeownership. Feel free to reach out to me at 252-644-2396 or email me at kgrimes@wha-nc.orgROSS Coordinator
My name is Alecia Rhoe. I am the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Coordinator of Washington Housing Authority. I am someone who loves to see community elevate and am elated to be in a position where I am able to work with an amazing team to be sure that our residents reach their highest heights. As someone who has worked in public housing before, I count it an honor to say that I have worked with great tenants in eastern North Carolina in the past and look forward to working with you to reach self-sufficiency, whether it is related to acquiring a degree or certification, employment, an understanding of financial literacy, or creating stable, living conditions. If you're interested in learning more about the ROSS program, please contact me at 252-644-6055 or you may email me at alecia@wha-nc.org
TORCH Scholarship
The Torch Scholarship program was created to provide post-secondary educational, financial assistance for graduating high school seniors currently residing in the following communities:
• Clifton Meadows
• Eastern Village
• Eastern Village Annex
• Oakcrest
• Old Fort
• Westbrooke
Seniors participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) are also eligible to apply. Torch Scholarships will be awarded annually to up to 2 graduating high school seniors attending a university, community college or technical school on a full-time or part-time basis. Qualified applicants must complete an application,
which includes an essay on long-term goals, and provide a letter of recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, or staff person (that is not a member of the Torch Scholarship Committee) and a copy of a recent transcript (unofficial transcripts are accepted). Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 to be eligible for
consideration.
The WHA Torch Scholarship Committee will review and score all Torch applications , and the applicants with the highest scores will receive an award of at least $1,000.00 each that will be sent directly to the school that the recipient will be attending. Torch Scholarship winners will be recognized at an award ceremony by July 2022.
WISH and Homeownership Counseling
Washington Initiative to Support Homeownership (WISH)
It is everyone's dream to own their own home someday and we at the Washington Housing Authority would like to help make that dream become a reality. How? You may ask. Well, the Washington Housing Authority has partnered with the City of Washington to create the Washington Initiative to Support Homeownership (WISH) program. This program is designed to help our tenants leave behind the days of paying rent and move forward to homeownership.
It may seem like a hard and difficult goal to achieve but it's not.
Like everything, there are a few guidelines but it's nothing that can't be done without the guidance of our Family Self-Sufficiency Coordinator. If you choose to participate in this program, you will have the opportunity to repair your credit, receive down payment assistance, and so much more.
This is a wonderful partnership with the City of Washington, and we look forward to assisting you in the Washington Initiative to Support Homeownership (WISH).Homeownership Counseling
Do you desire to own your own home?
Home ownership is an attainable goal for so many people, yet "Where do I start?" or even "How can I own a home?" seem to be burning questions. WHA has partnered with Greenville Housing Authority to connect our residents to the best resources to help them work towards home ownership. GHA's home ownership program addresses everything from credit counseling to savings to the entirety of home buying process. Housing counseling services available include homebuyer preparation, homebuyer workshops, mortgage default
counseling, debt management, loss mitigation, fair housing assistance, renter assistance, and building and repairing your credit. Tenants may request more information by contacting GHA's certified housing counselors: Tomeka Edwards (252-329-4036) and/or Kimberly White (252-329-4056).
Upcoming Projects
Upcoming Community Improvement Projects
• Roof replacement at Oakcrest
• Sliding glass door replacement at East Haven
• HVAC replacement at East Haven
Upcoming Events
• Resident Advisory Board Meeting will be Wednesday, April 20th @ Old Fort Community Center @ 12pm. We need representatives from all areas to be in attendance.
• May 5, 2022: Pest control for Eastern Village, Eastern Village Annex, and Westbrooke
• Public Housing Inspections will be resuming June 1, 2022
• June 2, 2022: Pest control for East Haven and Oak Crest
• July 7, 2022: Pest control for Clifton Meadows and Old Fort
• July 15, 2022: "Knowledge Is Wealth Event". There will be a collaboration of organizations coming together to share with the community updates and new available resources. Location, date, and time will be announced later.
• National Night Out will be Tuesday, August 2, 2022, @ Beebe Memorial Park from 6-8pm.
• Fall GED/Computer Literacy Course. Interested tenants are encouraged to call ROSS Coordinator, Alecia Rhoe at: 252-644-6055 or email alecia@wha-nc.org to register. This will be a 96-hour course. Location, dates, and times will be available later.
College and Career Day
College and Career Day
Recipes
SAUSAGE & CABBAGE SKILLET
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
4 fully cooked
sausages, sliced into
circles 1/4 inch thick
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 small head of
cabbage, shredded
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add sliced sausage. Sauté, flipping sausage frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes or until sausage slices have some browning. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil to skillet with the garlic. Sauté for 1 minute or until garlic starts to get that golden color.
3. Add shredded cabbage, salt, pepper, and crushed red
pepper flakes (optional). Stir. Let cook, stirring occasionally,
until cabbage is close to tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Add sausage back to pan and stir until combined with cabbage. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until sausage is warmed and cabbage is tender. Taste and add more salt if desired.Oreo Cheesecake Bars
1 (16.5-oz.) log refrigerated
chocolate chip cookie dough
(such as Pillsbury)
20 Oreo cookies, plus more
for topping
2 (8-oz.) blocks cream
cheese, softened
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
Warm caramel, for drizzling
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line an 8"-x-8" baking dish with parchment paper with a 2" overhang. Press cookie dough into bottom of baking dish.
2. Top with a single layer of Oreos, breaking them up to fit, if necessary, and set aside.
3. Make cheesecake layer: In a medium bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until
smooth. Beat in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt until fully combined. Pour over Oreo layer and smooth top.
4. Top with broken Oreo pieces and bake until the center is only slightly jiggly, 30 to 35 minutes.
5. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
6. Remove cheesecake bar from baking dish and slice.
7. Drizzle with warm caramel before serving.
Kids' Corner
Color by numbers
Animals you can find on a farm
Words in this puzzle may be found by reading from left to right. Find all six words from the word list and circle them in the puzzle. Have fun!Cow
Pig
Cat
Dog
Sheep
Goat
Word Search
copyright 2005 the kidzpage.comCan you fill in the missing alphabet letters in the correct order?
Information
Upcoming Board Meetings
- January 27 - Central Office
- February 24 - Central Office
- March 24 - Central Office
- April 28 - Central Office
- May 26 - Central Office
- June 23 - Central Office
- July 28 - Central Office
- August 25 - Central Office
- September 22 - Central Office
- October 27 - Central Office
- November 24 - TBD
- December 22 - TBD
Dates are subject to change due to weather or holidays.
2022 Holiday Closings
January 17, 2022- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 21, 2022- President's Day
April 15, 2022- Good Friday
May 30, 2022- Memorial Day
July 4, 2022- Independence Day
September 5, 2022- Labor Day
October 10, 2022- Columbus Day
November 11, 2022- Veteran's Day
November 24-November 25, 2022-
Thanksgiving Day & Day After
December 23-December 26, 2022- Christmas BreakWHA Online Payments
Step 1: Visit www.washingtonhousingauthority.org
Step 2: Click Pay Online
Step 3: Sign up for your account
Step 4: Log into your account, Tenant "Make Payment"
All online payments will charge a $2.00 convenience fee.
Email Confirmation will serve as your receipt of paymentEmployment Opportunities
- Part-time Maintenance Mechanic 1
- Maintenance Mechanic 1
Apply on indeed.com
If your vehicle is towed from "No Parking" zones, you may contact George Stokes of Stokes Towing and Recovery, to make arrangements to pick it up. He can be reached at 910-770-2194.
WHA Phone Number
252-946-0061
Website
www.washingtonhousingauthority.org
City of Washington
Non-Emergency Number
252-946-1444