Good Shepherd Blogging

CULTIVATING OUR EFFORTS

2010-03-08T11:00:00.002-05:00

by Daphne

It appears that spring has finally arrived. Weather forecasts call for temperatures near 60, the sun is shining and birds are singing. At moments like this, many homeowners find our thoughts turning to gardening. Here are our suggestions for what to plant:

Five rows of peas: Perseverance; Purpose; Preparedness; Planning; and Progress.

Two rows of squash: Squash desperation and despair and Squash the cycle of homelessness.

Three rows of lettuce: Let us provide sound counsel; Let us empower those in need; and let us be moved to help when and where possible.

Four rows of turnips: Turn up with a positive attitude; Turn up with new ideas; Turn up with determination; and Turn up with an eye on the goal.

And if you’re like us, you probably have some stray, unlabeled seeds. They may very well be seeds of change and seeds of hope. Plant them, too.

May your gardens and our efforts flourish!

Women Have It Tough

2010-02-25T08:27:00.000-05:00

NPR has a short audio piece online, called "Black Women Evicted at Higher Rates". The findings of the noted research are actually not as simple as the title implies, but the message is basically that low-income workers in the service industry are regularly facing homelessness.

Housing needs to be on the nation's agenda as a social issue. No matter how well a family like this is able to budget, they cannot maintain housing stability when they are paying 80% or more of their income towards rent.

Of course, this is not surprising to the supporters of Good Shepherd Housing. As Shannon tweeted just yesterday, "Tabulated client statistics today. 47% of all people helped by GSH are kids. Of the adults, 3/4 are women."

Nearly 75% of our adult clients are women. What do you think is going on?

Mt Vernon Supervisor, Gerry Hyland's Virtual Bus Tour Now Online

2010-02-25T07:58:00.000-05:00

The Supervisor's office put together this awesome two-part "Virtual Bus Tour" of the Mt. Vernon Community for last week's 23rd Annual Town Meeting.

If you LIVE, WORK or DRIVE THROUGH the area you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Part 1
Part 2

Feeling Blessed and Getting Ready

2010-02-10T17:54:00.003-05:00

I just finished reading a blog post by Terri Lee Freeman from the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region. Wow, did she put this storm in perspective! I am one blessed person, when a huge snowstorm means that my routine is altered, but in the big picture, my life goes on fairly routinely.

Many of the clients we serve, however, have a different reality. As she points out, getting food and shelter has extra wrinkles. And, I anticipate that we will see the impact of this storm for several weeks, as people seek help from our Emergency Services program only after their paychecks are reduced because of lost hours. Utility bills they won't be able to fully pay, eviction notices issued when they come up short on the rent. Many of the people coming to us work in service sector, and in retail, where part-time hours mean limited to no benefits. No work = no pay.

We have been seeing more requests than every for emergency financial help. When I get into the office later this week, I'll be talking with our staff about how to maximize our resources to meet this coming demand. It is certainly coming.

2010-02-02T10:31:00.004-05:00

*GUEST POSTING* - John Monahan is a longtime GSH supporter that has helped our clients with their taxes. Spread the word about this valuable, free community resource.

TAX TIME

February 2010 begins annual tax filing season and many of Good Shepherd Housing’s clients may be worrying and wondering if they will get a refund, or owe money to the Federal Government or State of Virginia.

You may have heard about some of the well-publicized changes for the 2009 tax year using Government incentives to buy a car or a house. But you may not have heard about less publicized changes to assist taxpayers with low or moderate incomes. For example, significant changes have been made to increase the amount of earned income credit, and education credit; taxes on unemployment compensation have been reduced.

Let’s take an example using a divorced mother who is raising three young children in her household. Assume that she had an income in 2009 of $35,000, and had zero dollars withheld from her paycheck, for either Federal or State income taxes. She might be tempted to think there was no need to file taxes, but she would be wrong. This working mother would owe Virginia approximately $1,000, but she would receive a refund from the Federal Government of almost $4,000. The worst thing that she could do would be, to not file taxes. Not only would she owe Virginia and accumulate penalties and interest in future years – but she would miss out on her Federal refund.

Taxes are complicated, particularly for those with low and moderate incomes who are entitled to credits. So how do you avoid the worry of preparing taxes? The nice thing is that there is a volunteer site nearby where you can get your taxes prepared and filed electronically for free. If you are due a refund from either the Federal Government or Virginia, you will generally receive it within a week.

The closest AARP volunteer site is the Sherwood Regional Library. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10:15AM - 2:00PM, and Monday through Wednesday 4:00 PM- 7:00 PM. It will be open from Feb 1, 2010 to April 15, 2010.

Be sure to bring Social Security cards to identify yourself and all dependents. In addition be sure to bring all W-2’s, all 1099 Forms (for Pensions, Social Security Recipients or contractors), dependant care information, and any other tax related paperwork (for example vehicle taxes, bank interest). Also bring last year’s return. If you forgot to file taxes in previous years, the AARP site can do your back taxes for 2006, 2007, and 2008.

In my opinion there is absolutely no reason why every GSH client shouldn’t get their taxes done at Sherwood Regional Library. The tax volunteers have had extensive training, and your chances of a mistake are minimal. There is no need to make an appointment – just show up with your documentation. If you come early you can avoid a long wait to get your taxes prepared. See you there.

Blog Power

2010-01-22T13:18:00.001-05:00

Because we enjoy keeping you up to date on our activities and progress, we’ve been blogging since before it was fashionable -- when it was unclear if blogs were “just a phase” or if they really had staying power. We recently learned that not only are our posts a source of information, they are also an inspiration for the professionals at our neighborhood non-profits. At a development professionals’ networking meeting, a colleague said that from reading our blog, she was motivated to start one for her organization.

It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Indeed we are flattered and we are delighted to be such a good shepherd in this endeavor.

Appreciating Our Volunteers

2010-01-22T10:17:00.002-05:00

My role as Executive Director doesn't include a lot of direct client contact. This morning was the exception that proved that rule.

A middle-aged man in a raincoat came in asking for one of our staff, who was out at a meeting. I recognized the man's name as an Emergency Services client with an eviction scheduled for today at noon. He came to pick up a check from us, so that the sheriff wouldn't come and put him out. And, he was justifiably anxious and forceful.

My exchange with the man gave me a fuller appreciation for the role of our front-desk volunteers. They greet clients in crisis via telephone and in person for a few hours at a time. Wow - that is not easy, and to do it with a calm, friendly demeanor takes effort. My hat goes off to each of them!

The Great Unbanked

2010-01-22T08:42:00.004-05:00

Last week a tenant came into the office to pay her utility bill. Certainly there's nothing unusual in that, I thought. Then she proceeded to take out a money clip filled with four one hundred dollar bills. Now that was different and unusual! I then repeated our policy line—which I repeat regularly to our tenants—that Good Shepherd cannot take cash, only a money order.

No problem, she replied. I'll drive over to the 7-11 or Shopper's to get the money orders. While I'm at it, she said, putting her hand in her pocket and removing another money clip, "I can get money orders for this amount." In the second money clip, which was substantially larger than the first, was her rent payment for 3 months. The amount of legal tender (many crisp Ben Franklins) was in the thousands of dollars.

Needless to say, she is a conscientious and resourceful tenant. At the same time, she is "unbanked"— that is, whether by choice or not, she has opted not to hold cash within a bank account.

It is not uncommon for our clients to be without a checking, savings or other transactional bank accounts. I've seen others like her walk around with wads of cash to pay their creditors. In other words, they will travel to Comcast or Dominion Power offices and do what she did in our office: pay their bills with the cash carried on them.

The costs of paying bills this way are high. For example, I count in there the transactions costs of simply getting to all these creditors. There are, as well, the real points and dollars scooped up by check cashing operations.

Some estimate that one in four US households is "unbanked." No doubt many of these households can't get accounts for legal or documentation reasons. Many others fear garnishments from paychecks deposited into bank accounts or—equally likely—the large minimum account balance fees charged on small balances. These are real fears and hard dollar losses.

At the same time, some of these households may be well-served by a bank account. Our unbanked clients can gain a measure of peace-of-mind by having a place to deposit their money. They will also discover that online bill payments have truly become cheaper and more convenient. (Good Shepherd has arrangements with a couple of clients by which they pay their rents online with us). Through a bank account, they can also get access to secured debit cards for bill payment.

Perhaps one day our client’s “walking around” money will become a thing of the past.

Would you like fries with that?

2009-12-30T11:21:00.002-05:00

Our good friends at Roy Rogers are offering a deal to you and GSH! See the coupon above? For every coupon used, Todd Restaurants will make a donation to a local charity. You can't beat that! Also, the expiration date has been extended to January 31. So, go early and go often!

Announcing the 2009-10 Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington -- and the new Catalogue website!

2009-12-28T15:25:00.002-05:00

Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services is proud to be part of the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington. Each year some 200-250 organizations survive a rigorous vetting process and are selected, according to Catalogue President, Barbara Harman, as "one of the best small charities in the Washington, DC region." This year a panel of ninety expert reviewers from area foundations, corporate giving programs, the DC government, and local non-profit organizations participated in the annual review process. Each year 68 new nonprofits are featured, and all 375 organizations (including ours!) can be viewed online at the Catalogue's new website, http://www.cfp-dc.org -- where donations can also be made.

Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services has been part of the Catalogue family since 2006. The Catalogue has enabled us to reach out to individuals in the region who would otherwise not hear our story. The Catalogue also provides us with a stamp of approval, and donors tell us that they appreciate the good housekeeping seal that the Catalogue provides.

Since its inception in 2003, the Catalogue has helped raise over $9.6 million dollars for local non-profit organizations. The new print Catalogue is now available (you can request one online: they're free), and the Catalogue's exciting new website went live on November 16th. It includes a gift registry and gift cards, a section especially for kids, and even a “donate now/decide later” fund that lets donors give and make their choices later. Links on nonprofit profile pages connect donors with volunteer opportunities, events, news, videos, and more.

Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services is also proud to be called "one of the best," and we hope you'll view our profile online at http://www/cfp-dc.org (then search us by name) and help spread the word about the Catalogue so that together we can deepen the culture of giving in our nation's capital.

Yum!

2009-12-23T14:25:00.002-05:00

The office smells great! Turkey, smashed potatoes, pies, cranberry sauce...

La Prima Catering was kind enough to donate complete holiday meals to many of GSH's clients. These are families who would otherwise not have had a delicious dinner with all the trimmings and they are very grateful.

Maybe it is just me, but it seems that our supporters have been extra generous this holiday season. We have received more toys, gift cards, meals and clothing than I can ever remember in my seven years at GSH. I am amazed and thankful for the generosity shown to our clients.

Happy Holidays!

Volunteer Luncheon

2009-12-11T14:00:00.002-05:00

GSH is lucky to have a large crew of very dedicated volunteers. Recently we had a luncheon for some of those volunteers at the Mt. Vernon Inn. It was a great way to get together and say thank you for all the hard work they do. From answering phones and stuffing envelopes to helping to inspect our apartment units. There is no way we could accomplish our mission without the help of our volunteers. Thank You!

One of the Blogs of the Week!

2009-12-10T14:29:00.000-05:00

Good Shepherd Blogging has been named one of the 'Member Blogs of the Week' at the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington. Thanks for the recognition!

You can follow their Executive Director, Chuck Bean, on or and .

Check out the full list of highlighted blogs below...

MEMBER BLOGS OF THE WEEK

CrisisLink

Dance Place

DC Appleseed

DC Fiscal Policy Institute

DC Vote

Fairfax Library Foundation

Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services

Goodwill of Greater Washington

Guidestar

Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund

Coats for Kids

2009-12-09T13:32:00.001-05:00

A big thank you goes out to Captain I Willie F. Bailey, and the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. Thanks to their efforts hundreds of coats have been donated to children in need in the area. A fire truck bay at the Richmond Highway Penn Daw Station was lined with tables filled with coats for area children. The Progressive Firefighters of Fairfax County help to prepare and distribute the coats to schools and social service agencies in the area. Just in time. Snow is forecast for this weekend!

Shop Until You Drop

2009-12-04T13:50:00.004-05:00

Do some of your holiday shopping this Saturday night at Ten Thousand Villages! Suggest it to your friends as well! Customers who purchase goods at Ten Thousand Villages — a non-profit, fair trade organization located at 915 King St. in Old Town, Alexandria — are actually “giving twice.” Not only will you find unique handmade items for your loved ones, but you will help provide much-needed income to Third World artisans.

On December 5th, from 6pm - 8pm the store will donate 20 percent of your purchase price to Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services.

If you absolutely cannot attend, but still want to help out, you can phone in your order and pay by credit card. Your purchase will be credited to the GSH event. You will need to give the store the 7-digit product number for each item (found at tenthousandvillages.com).

Thank you for your support!

Thanks, Weichert agents!

2009-12-02T10:58:00.002-05:00

Kudos to Weichert Mt. Vernon agents for continuing their tradition of helping others during the holiday season! With ringleaders like Heidi (broker) and Joyce (all around go-getter and big GSH supporter), you all make a positive difference in our community. Thank you!

A Little Help from HomeAID!

2009-11-18T18:12:00.002-05:00

Collaboration is key to our work at Good Shepherd Housing. (In fact, we embody these principles in our mission statement.) I can point to a recent, and very successful, example of collaboration in our partnership with HomeAID Northern Virginia, a nonprofit organization supported by the local homebuilding community and dedicated to renovating homeless shelters and homes.

Some years back, Good Shepherd purchased two 30-year-old townhouse units in Lorton. Since then, both of these have provided safe and suitable housing to our client families. At the same time, the units were beginning to show their age—especially in the roofs for both units and in the exterior fencing and interior railings at one of the units.

HomeAID Northern Virginia was able to help us with needed renovations for these units. Through its alliance with John Darvish Contruction, an Ashburn-based roofing contractor, we were able to have the two roofs replaced over a period of two days.

In addition, another HomeAID participant, CarrHomes, a Fairfax-based home builder, replaced the interior stair and guard railings, making both extra secure for our tenants. CarrHomes also helped to replace an exterior fence, which had been in much disrepair for some time. Take a look at the photo of our spanking new fence!

Finally, Piedmont Energy Analysis conducted an energy audit on the two units. We hope to take its recommendations on energy efficiency to the next level by replacing the windows with thicker and stronger glass.

It was through the efforts and generosity of HomeAID Northern Virginia— through what was a great collaborative effort with its home builders and contractors—that our tenants have better and more fit accomodations. We thank them for their work. We can only hope that future partnerships with nonprofit organizations like HomeAID Northern Virginia will materialize.

Applauding the Catalogue

2009-11-17T19:15:00.003-05:00

I attend many events every month. After so many, it gets difficult for any given one to stand out over time. And then there is the Catalogue for Philanthropy's annual launch event - - wow!

Yesterday their launch of the new 2009/2010 Catalogue put a bounce in my step for the rest of the day. In less than two hours they introduced a new website, shared firsthand experiences from young people in a mentoring program AND taught us how to dance. The Catalogue folks know how to get things done!

Somehow they also manage to continue innovating and introducing new and fresh ways to think about and promote philanthropy. Their new website is a great example of how they spotlight small, quality nonprofits and introduce them to an otherwise unreachable audience. Check it out!

2009-10-22T09:11:00.000-05:00

Join the Team!

This has been a incredible year of growth here at GSHFS. We hired our new Director of Housing, David Levine, only a few months ago and he has already made an incredible impact.

Now we are looking for two new members for our team and family. A Housing Locator Program Coordinator and Assistant.

Thanks to Fairfax County's Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH) and the Federal Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) we will be coordinating the new County-wide Housing Locator Program, a part of the County's rapid re-housing strategy for homeless individuals and families.

So apply now or tell a friend. The deadline is next Friday, October 30.

Art at the Center

2009-10-14T13:56:00.002-05:00

This weekend Art at the Center hosted a community art event for families supported by Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services. Children and families gathered at the studio to create artwork around the theme of dreams for their home and community.

The Gala theme for our 2010 Gala on April 17 is “Dreams Do Come True: Good Shepherd Housing Transforming Lives.” Artwork created from the weekend event will be used for publicity for the Gala.

Two Sides of Homelessness

2009-10-02T15:15:00.002-05:00

by: David Levine

Yesterday was a special, but maybe not so special, day at Good Shepherd. It was the first of the month. As if by cue, the phones rang off the hook. People were calling for help with a rent payment or utility bill. They knew the first of the month is when we are flush with assistance money—if only for a week or so, until the money allocated for the month runs out.

We know the statistics are grim for our community. Not a day passes where we don’t read about our deteriorating social condition—that the national poverty rate is at its highest level in 11 years; that 1 in 4 children in Washington, DC, live in poverty; or that nearly 7 percent of Virginians received food stamps last year.

These statistics show one side of the issue. For want of a better word, these statistics tell us the “demand-side” of the problem. They say more people are in need, often a very dire need for food and shelter. It is what we know is true. You only need to visit the Good Shepherd office on the first day of the month.

On the flip side, these statistics don’t depict the “supply-side” of the problem. The supply-side tells us how much affordable housing has been created. The supply-side numbers say we are solving homelessness by providing the needy with housing.

Here again, the statistics look grim. According to one housing provider, since 2003, 3 million units of affordable housing have been lost to condominium conversions or market-rate rental upgrades. Part of the problem has been the loss of profits at banks and at the two housing government-sponsored agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These entities used to play a large role in the creation of affordable housing (mainly through their purchases of low-income tax credits). Part of it, too, may be NIMBYism and severe local budget constraints.

Whatever the reason, at a time when need is growing, it is clear additional affordable housing resources are not growing in sync with the need. At Good Shepherd we do are best to increase the affordable rental housing stock—but we are just one part of the answer to addressing the need.

My Head Just Can't Process This

2009-09-21T15:09:00.003-05:00

Maybe with time the following article will seem less startling in its characterization of US consumer debt. But for now, consider me a bit rattled by the statistics given in the opening few paragraphs.

This fits (nicely?) with the realities we see from our pipeline of folks applying for housing from our ABC Program.

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/moneyinvesting/credit/debt/5-debt-driving-habits-avoid?page=1

If there is some pearl of wisdom or perspective you see here, please let me know.

Thanks,

Shannon

2009-09-04T12:55:00.004-05:00

Emergency shelters, transitional housing, and economic crisis, oh my!

We have a Guest Blogger from Bethany House today: Jennifer Wassermann, Development Associate, Bethany House of Northern Virginia

In a world where 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence¹and 1 in 4 Fairfax County families cite domestic violence as their reason for homelessness², it is no wonder emergency shelters like Bethany House of Northern Virginia (BHNV) are perpetually full and in need of more space to serve families in crisis

The economic crisis that is facing the nation severely impacted the transitional housing and affordable housing markets. More families on the brink of homelessness placed a greater demand on transitional housing programs - a demand the transitional housing programs were not fully prepared to meet. As a result, there existed significant waiting lists for families hoping to move into transitional housing units. The consequence for BHNV was we were unable to move our families into transitional housing units (like Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services) in the expected time frame. BHNV made the decision to hold onto our families until space became available rather than risk the families becoming homeless. BHNV's emergency shelters remained at capacity throughout the year, nevertheless, BHNV was able to serve fewer families overall.

BHNV works together with organizations like Good Shepherd Housing to meet the needs of people in crisis and help them rebuild their lives. During this time, collaboration between nonprofits continues to be crucial. BHNV provides services for four to six months and prepares families for the next step, but without nonprofits like Good Shepherd Housing our families won’t have anywhere to step toward the future. Emergency shelter and transitional housing go hand in hand.

As much needed funds are poured into transitional housing, let’s not forget about the emergency shelters who prepare families for transitional housing. Victims of domestic violence do not plan to be victims and need time to recover from the trauma before jumping into transitional housing. Just as our bodies need rest and food, so it is with meeting the needs of families in crisis. Emergency shelters will always be needed just like transitional housing programs will always be needed – both are vital.

BHNV provides safe housing and comprehensive support services to women and children who are homeless and destitute as a result of domestic violence. BHNV was started over 30 years again by Doris Ward who saw the struggles faced by victims of abuse: a long wait through courts, limited resources, and a lack of safe shelter. You can visit the website at www.bhnv.org or the blog at www.bhnv.wordpress.com.

¹2005 CDC Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey

2 Point in Time Survey, prepared by the Community Planning Group of the Continuum of Care, Fairfax County, Fairfax/Falls Church, Virginia, March 31, 2008.

What I've learned at Good Shepherd Housing...So far!

2009-08-18T08:09:00.003-05:00

I can safely say I've become a seasoned veteran at Good Shepherd! Although I joined GSH just a little over 3 weeks ago, I have met a number of our clients. It has been a rewarding and eye-opening experience. Many are people who have experienced catastrophic events - job loss, chronic health problems, or the death of a family breadwinner. As a result of these or other difficult events, many of these people have witnessed the same outcome, the loss of steady income and housing. If nothing else, I learned from my work here at GSH that the precariousness of life is real.

I thought about one person whom GSH helped. An MBA degree holder, she was an Army veteran injured in the first Iraqi war, the Desert Storm campaign. After the war, she developed many health issues, including several related to her vision, and was soon unable to hold down a job. So a difficult spiral followed, where she had mounting medical bills and falling income. It is a story sadly repeated time and again. Nearly ten percent of all Virginians, some 739,000 people, live below the federal poverty line. That number measures the size of the problem. At the same time, this number never really tells you how they got there in the first place.

Chinese Shoes

2009-08-11T17:04:00.009-05:00

by: Shannon

I was in Shanghai a few months ago and left the hotel one night to explore the neighborhood and find dinner. A few blocks down there was a shoe store that fascinated me. It was smaller than the walk-in closet I had in my first condo. So, I went in.

I offered a shaky, "Ni hao" (hello) and the owner responded in kind. From there, the nodding and pointing began.

We worked so hard to understand one another, and eventually he pulled out the selection of shoes in my size. I came in just because of curiosity, but now it was too fun to walk away empty handed. I bought a pair. I knew full well that despite the look, they weren't leather. I didn't care. They were a bargain, considering our shared laughter and entertaining style of communication.

Fast forward a few months.

I'm wearing those shoes today. While I love the story and memory behind them, I can't sit with my leg crossed, because the shoe is too close to my nose - - the faux leather seems to give off some sort of chemical fumes.

Now, I am faced with the dilemma of enjoying my Chinese shoes or living fume free.