Jul AUGSep 171999 20002001 1             captures             17 Aug 00 - 17 Aug           00CloseHelp    NEWS BRIEF      Spring       1999
"Support services offered at             Neighborhood Networks centers empower residents to take control of             their futures and build independent, self-sufficient             lives." 
            - HUD SecretaryAndrew Cuomo             Get Involved in Neighborhood Networks
To             learn how you can participate in Neighborhood Networks efforts             nationally and in your local community, contact the Neighborhood             Networks Information Center toll-free at (888) 312-2743 or visit             the website at http://web.archive.org/web/20000817024405/http://www.hud.gov/nnw/nnwindex.html.             
Support Services at       Neighborhood Networks Centers Bolster Employability and Improve       Lives       One-on-one after-school tutoring at the Jackie             Robinson Computer Learning Center in San Francisco helps             students excel.
Neighborhood Networks centers offer       a wide array of support services to help residents boost their job       prospects and improve the quality of their lives. The menu of services       varies from center to center. Nearly all of the approximately 460       Neighborhood Networks centers nationwide offer training in basic skills       and computer competencies, along with help writing resumes and scouring       job listings. After that, variety is the byword.       

The range of services offered is usually determined by a       consensus of the property owner, management agent and the residents, says       Charles Famuliner, Neighborhood Networks' National Field Director. "What's       most appropriate for North Wilkesboro, NC," he says, "may not work in       Keosauqua, IA or Kahoka, MO." The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban       Development (HUD) encourages centers to use resident surveys in       determining their services. Support services are typically provided       through partnerships with other federal agencies, local service providers       and nonprofit agencies.       

Child Care and Health Care       

Child care is among the most frequently re-quested       assistance. "The bulk of the residents of our low-income apartment       complexes are single mothers with children," says Famuliner. "So child       care is a resounding need, even just to attend training programs at the       centers." Quite a few centers have established child care on site. Others       have forged partnerships with schools and organizations, such as Head       Start, to offer child care slots for free or at reduced cost to       Neighborhood Networks families.       

A growing number of Neighborhood Networks centers offer       some form of health screenings, wellness programs and information on       ailments ranging from diabetes to AIDS prevention. Many centers use       computer technology to access health care information from the Internet.       

Seniors and Youth Programs       

Because older residents comprise the majority at about 25       percent of the Neighborhood Networks properties, programs for seniors       proliferate. Some centers focus on drawing seniors out of their       apartments; others help elders develop computer skills, surf the Internet       or send e-mail to grandchildren and other distant family. Health       screenings and classes in nutrition, yoga and physical fitness are also       favorites.       

Continued on page 3 
Jobs in Cyberspace:A Denver Demonstration
The Neighborhood Networks initiative is forming an       alliance with a new telecommunications demonstration project in Denver       that will provide training for jobs in cyberspace. Demonstration       participants will receive training to become switch installation       technicians in residential, commercial or central office settings.       

 The demonstration is based on a model developed by Capital       Commitment, Inc., a Washington, DC-based job training program that       provides telecommunications training to low-income individuals. The       demonstration will be run by The Enterprise Foundation, the Denver Urban       League and the Community College of Denver, who plan to begin training       students early in 1999.       

Low-income residents across the Denver metropolitan area       are eligible. Outreach and referral will be coordinated by the Denver       Urban League, which will work with Neighborhood Networks centers and other       community-based providers and housing authority staff to spread the word       about this unique training opportunity. Minimum requirements for the       Denver program - to be called Comprotech - include an 8th grade reading       and math proficiency level.       

Danny Perry, asset building project assistant in The       Enterprise Foundation's Denver office, believes the project has the       "potential for unlimited opportunities" for Neighborhood Networks center       graduates.       

Capital Commitment, which recently opened a new program       center in Atlanta, has expressed interest in providing training to       Neighborhood Networks center participants in Washington, DC and Atlanta.       

For more information about Neighborhood Networks       participation in the demonstration, please contact Neighborhood Networks       staff Carole Norris at (415) 507-7154.       
Center News       LineWhat's Happening 1, 2, 3 Years       After Opening       Technology promotoes teamwork at the Jackie Robinson             Computer Learning Center in San         Francisco.
Several Neighborhood Networks centers around the nation       will have anniversaries in March. Following is a sample of the       Neighborhood Networks centers nationwide with one-, two- and three-year       birthdays. Celebrating its first birthday is the Jackie Robinson       Computer Learning Center in San Francisco, CA. During the year the       center has served more than 115 children and 52 adults and recently opened       an additional center in Bay View/Hunter's Point. Madonna Homes Computer       Learning Center in Toledo, OH, is also a year old. That center       recently graduated four basic computing classes. Completing its first year       is Pilgrim Place in Houston, TX, which recently graduated a 92-year       old resident from its basic computing course. One of the center's first       graduating students now works as an instructor at the center. In       Louisville, KY, the two-year-old       
Donna Hargrove surfs the Internet with help from             instructor Versie Hadnot at Pilgrim Place in Houston,             TX.Americana Community Center,       Inc. got corporations to sponsor a Thanksgiving dinner celebration that       fed nearly 500 people, including many immigrants and refugees. Now       approaching its third birthday, the Packer Computer Learning Center in       Madison, WI, is especially proud of its Adobe Photoshop classes. Young       people who completed the course are selling logos, video productions and       animation, and are being hired by the local school district to teach the       graphics program to high school teachers. To learn more about center       activities, call the Neighborhood Networks Information Center toll-free       at (888) 312-2743 or visit the Neighborhood Networks website at http://web.archive.org/web/20000817024405/http://www.hud.gov/nnw/nnwindex.html.       
Many centers sponsor programs for school-aged children.       Homework clubs are especially popular, as are field trips and classes in       computers, arts and crafts, sports and dance. At the Martin Luther King,       Jr. Apartments in Seattle, children can also attend a special       summer youth program. A year after the center's homework club started,       participating students" grade point average had gone up from 2.6 to 2.85.       

A few centers sponsor intergenerational programs linking       seniors and kids. Residents of the Arizona Retirement Home in       Scottsdale have mentored at-risk children in Phoenix via the       Internet. Seniors read stories that the children post, write helpful       comments or interact in a chat room.       
Youth Graduation at D-Bug Computer Camp - In Las             Cruches, NM, teens at the Valley Neighborhood Center have             helped revitalize their 66-unit housing development and surrounding             community. Through "Teens Meeting Teens," the young people organize             activities including clean-ups, food distribution and drug abuse             presentations. For more information, please contact the Valley             Neighborhood Center directly at (505)       526-5541.Jobs and       Entrepreneurship       
Some centers sponsor comprehensive jobs programs to help       residents get a leg up in the marketplace. In addition to computer skills,       these programs teach on-the-job skills such as time management, dressing       for success and how to succeed in a job interview. Quite a few centers       have formed partnerships with local universities to supply college       students who work with residents to strengthen basic job skills. In       Pasco, WA, the Tri-Cities Vista Terrace complex operates a       'little red schoolhouse' in its laundry room, with licensed instructors       from the Pasco school district.       

Some centers supply transportation - mostly vanpools - to       help residents get to work. "If the apartment complex isn't on a bus line,       which many aren't, residents can be pretty isolated," Famuliner says.       "Most don't have their own transportation and rely on family and friends."       

The Operation P.E.A.C.E. (Positive Education Always       Creates Elevation) Reach Out Center in Atlanta uses vans from a       nearby church. In Texas, the Pinewood Park housing community is developing       a partnership with Al Myers Ford to provide transportation to and from       work for participants in the center's welfare-to-work program.       

A few centers have cut out commute time altogether by       launching their own enterprises. Many Neighborhood Networks residents are       operating home-based businesses, including thrift shops, arts and crafts       businesses, catering firms and temporary services. Residents of the       Villa D'Ames Learning Center in Louisiana make greeting       cards, fliers and business cards, press t-shirts, fashion tote bags and       print church programs. This year, a $10,000 grant from the National       Council for Jewish Women enabled the center to buy a color printer,       scanner and a digital camera.       

Some centers target services to help immigrants adapt. At       the YWCA Apartments in San Francisco's Chinatown, for       example, residents can take computer classes in Chinese, Russian or       English. The most popular class is Quickcode, a Chinese character       word-processing software that allows the computer to pronounce words from       a Chinese/English dictionary.       

Navajo Culture at Rio Puerco Acres       

In Ft. Defiance, AZ, the Rio Puerco       Computerized Neighborhood Network Center offers a wide range of       programs, including computer literacy, job training, parenting and drug       rehabilitation. But the most popular offerings are those which teach       residents about their own Navajo culture. A favorite course - Changing       Woman - brings together single mothers to build problem-solving       skills. According to course leader Shirlee Yellowfeather, "the women often       don't realize that they have the drive to improve their lives until they       join the group." Center Director Stewart Calnimptewa, a 21-year police       veteran, has helped the residents develop crime watch patrols and has       improved relations with gangs, one of which Calnimptewa recently hired to       create a Navajo mural. The center also sponsors dances, social events and       a newsletter.       

Operation P.E.A.C.E.       

Young residents at the Bedford Pines Apartments in       Atlanta are learning how to run their own businesses. This past       summer, 15 teens started a small clothing store in the basement.       

Continued on page 4 

"The kids have something positive to look forward to and       earn money the right way," says Youth Coordinator Yvonne McBride.       

Run by the nonprofit Operation P.E.A.C.E., the Bedford       Pines center has an unusually impressive array of support services. In       addition to job training and basic skills courses, residents who graduate       from the center's General Equivalency Degree (G.E.D.) program can attend       nearby Georgia State University, thanks to Georgia's Hope Scholarships       program. The most sought-after Operation P.E.A.C.E. programs are those for       Bedford Pines" children. This past summer, about 50 kids lined up at the       center's doors as early as 7:00 a.m. for a full day of arts, sports and       learning. During the school year, kids arrive at the center immediately       after school to do homework, play games and work on computers. To make       sure that kids are advancing in school, staff conferences are held with       teachers, and report cards are monitored.       

Wheatland Terrace       

The Wheatland Community Learning Center (WCLC) in       Dallas serves about 2,000 residents at five HUD-assisted and/or       -insured properties. Residents use the center to access G.E.D. courses,       job training and placement services and classes in computers, life skills       and business etiquette. Four full-time employees work at the center, as       well as one part-time AmeriCorps volunteer who conducts an after-school       program. Local nonprofits are active at the center, too, including Girls,       Inc. and the Child and Family Guidance Center. Nearby South Port School       provides free child care spaces for participants in the Wheatland center       programs. Polk-Wisdom Library, a nearby branch of the Dallas Public       Library, helped organize the center's library. And film students at       Mountain View Community College created a marketing video.       

Job training at WCLC emphasizes working in a real office       setting. Students are required to dress in business casual attire and       attend a business etiquette course which equips them with business       survival skills and protocols. All students are required to take a life       skills course, which focuses on personal growth and development. Steven       Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is one of the       reading requirements for that class.       

"WCLC's goal is to graduate students who not only have       the skills necessary to become self-sufficient," says WCLC Executive       Director Kim Williams, "but the self-confidence and determination to       remain self-sufficient."       

For more information on support services at       Neighborhood Networks centers, call the Neighborhood Networks       Information Center toll-free at (888) 312-2743 or visit the       Neighborhood Networks website at http://web.archive.org/web/20000817024405/http://www.hud.gov/nnw/nnwindex.html.       
NewswatchA December story in the             San Francisco Chronicle highlighted the grand opening of the             Neighborhood Networks center at the Prince Hall Apartments.             This new San Francisco center plans to open a travel agency             operated by residents. In December, Baltimore's City Paper             ran a story about the Pedestal Gardens Neighborhood Networks             Computer Training Center. The story featured Dolores Pitts, a             computer facilitator who helps residents develop skills and find             jobs. Neighborhood Networks center coordinators who want help to             generate news coverage should contact Neighborhood Networks staff             Bill Weger at (703) 934-3208 or Lucinda Flowers at (703) 218-2621.           Property Owner and Manager Share Vision of       Neighborhood Networks PotentialAn apartment owner in Chicago       and a property manager in Minneapolis share a vision of what can be       accomplished with a strong commitment to Neighborhood Networks.       Karen Chemotti (right) expands her computer skills with             the encouragement of Seward East Advantage Center staff in             Minneapolis."We thought this would       be a wonderful idea for children to improve their computer skills and for       adults to learn those skills," says Loretta Orme, a partner of the       Illinois Parkway Gardens Associates, owner of the Parkway Gardens complex       in Chicago. A Neighborhood Networks center grand opening at the 694-unit       development is scheduled for Spring 1999.       
Orme predicts that the center and a corresponding       resident activities program will help residents access better jobs and       opportunities. She envisions the center as a place where "children can       practice skills learned in school on computers not available in their       homes."       

Ultimately, the Neighborhood Networks center is "for the       benefit of the residents, not our gain," Orme continues. "It is about       trying to improve the lives of the people who live at Parkway Gardens.       Hopefully some will be able to move up and out."       

For Joe Errigo, president of CommonBond Communities,       which operates the Seward East Advantage Center in Minneapolis,       Neighborhood Networks offers tangible benefits. The Seward East Advantage       Center serves 813 residents. CommonBond, a 27-year-old nonprofit       organization that joined the Neighborhood Networks initiative in January       1998, began operating on-site computer and resource learning centers even       before HUD launched Neighborhood Networks.       

"We have people moving into full-time jobs with benefits,       and we have people who have become homeowners," says Errigo. "Kids are       improving school performance through our mentor program." One of the most       important impacts of the program, he says, is that "folks are seeing their       neighbors succeed."       

Errigo believes Neigh-borhood Networks rep- resents an       opportunity to broaden the definition of affordable housing. "It's more       than bricks and mortar," he says. "Affordable housing is a stepping stone       to self-sufficiency." For Errigo, and other apartment managers and owners       nationwide, Neighborhood Networks is becoming a key tool in HUD's arsenal       to address urban problems.       

Property owners and managers who want to learn more about       Neighborhood Networks can contact Neighborhood Networks staff Janet       Maccubbin toll-free at (888) 312-2743 or visit the Neighborhood Networks       website at http://web.archive.org/web/20000817024405/http://www.hud.gov/nnw/nnwindex.html.       

HUD Neighborhood Networks NEWS       BRIEF

Written by: Jessica del Rosario, Jennifer Eddy, Ruth Fisher,       Dena Patterson, Abby Sosland, Carol Steinbach, Bill WegerEditorial       Board: Lucinda Flowers, Jerry Garcia, Vivian Guilfoy, Susan Guthrie,       Carole Norris, Steve Seuser, Ayana Shepherd, Carol Steinbach, Debby Volk,       Bill WegerManaging Editor: Jennifer EddyLayout: ICF       GraphicsOriginal Design: Ruder Finn

Neighborhood Networks News Briefis published quarterly by the       Government Printing Office (GPO) through the U.S. Department of Housing       and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Multifamily Housing. It is       distributed to the public, HUD field offices and Neighborhood Networks       centers. For additional copies, please call the Neighborhood       Networks Information Center toll-free at (888) 312-2743.   
Save the                   Date:1999 National                   NeighborhoodNetworks Conference
Watch for information on the 1999 national Neighborhood                   Networks conference, which will be held on August 24-26 in                   Kansas City, Missouri. 
January Center             OpeningsThese are among the Neighborhood             Networks centers that opened their doors in January             1999:Lilac Plaza, Spokane, Washington, January 7,             1999Beth Haven, Hannibal, Missouri, January 12, 1999Wasatch             Manor, Salt Lake City, Utah, January 13, 1999Chancery Place,             Seattle, Washington, January 14, 1999Emerson Place Apartments,             Kearney, Nebraska, January 22, 1999Columbian Village, Columbus,             Nebraska, January 22, 1999The Josephinum, Seattle, Washington,             January 28, 1999 San Antonio HUD Office Holds Free                   Welfare-to-Work Small Business Seminar - HUD Senior                   Community Builder Cindy Leon (left) and Henry Cardenas                   (right), Chief of Economic Development of the U.S. Small                   Business Administrtion (SBA) in San Antonio, TX, joined a                   group of about 100 at a welfare-to-work seminar held in San                   Antonio. The free seminar described initiatives such as                   Neighborhood Networks that help welfare recipients achieve                   self-sufficiency. In addition to HUD and SBA, program sponsors                   included the U.S. Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue                   Service and the Texas Workforce Commission, among                   others.       Visit       our website at http://web.archive.org/web/20000817024405/http://www.hud.gov/nnw/nnwindex.htmlHome | About Neighborhood Networks | What's New | PublicationsLocations & Information | Online Networking | Other Resources | GuestbookLast modified on: 04/26/00 Visitors : 171 Since 04/11/00