Peoples' Self-Help Housing

The Mission of Peoples' Self-Help Housing is to provide affordable housing and programs leading to self-sufficiency for low-income families, seniors, and other special needs groups on California's Central Coast.

Please share this June 2011 newsletter with your family, friends and business associates!

Peoples' Self-Help Housing E-Newsletter

NeighborWorks Clean-Up Day on June 4 Press Conference Announces NeighborWorks Charter Homeless Family Finds a Home in Orcutt Planned Giving Corner: Letter from a Grateful Resident Upcoming Seminars Staff News Self-Help Home Building Updates

Happy Father's Day! Summer is Here!

Neighborhood Clean-Up Day is Saturday, June 4 in Nipomo
Join Us!

In celebration of NeighborWorks Week (June 4-11), Peoples' Self-Help Housing, a newly-chartered NeighborWorks member, is organizing a Neighborhood Clean-Up Day on Sat., June 4, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The effort will clean up the future site of PSHH self-help homes to be built in Nipomo at the corner of North Thompson and Chestnut Streets.

The public is invited to join in the cleanup project! Breakfast and lunch will be served for volunteers. This is an opportunity to work alongside neighbors, promote community pride and spirit, and clean up a neighborhood. The event is funded in part by a grant from NeighborWorks Pacific Division and NeighborWorks America.

Volunteers are requested to bring tools, such as shovels, rakes, brooms, wheelbarrows, and gas-powered weed eaters. Long pants and long sleeves, closed-toed shoes, hat and gloves are recommended.

Reservations are requested by contacting Liz Lopez-Byrnes at (805) 783-4446 or LizL@pshhc.org.

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Press Conference on June 9 Announces
Peoples' Official NeighborWorks Charter!

The public is invited to attend a press conference on Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. that will announce that Peoples' has been awarded a charter by the prestigious NeighborWorks America organization. Speaking at the event will be PSHH Executive Director Jeanette Duncan and U.S. Congresswoman Lois Capps.

Peoples' Self-Help Housing will be joining the 235-member NeighborWorks America organization, the country's preeminent leader in affordable housing and community development. Only 17 organizations are chartered in California. Organizations that comprise the NeighborWorks Network must meet stringent membership criteria and undergo rigorous reviews upon acceptance and every year thereafter to ensure they are delivering the highest-quality and most efficient and effective services to lower-income communities nationwide.

NeighborWorks' network of 235 independent, community-based nonprofits, like Peoples' Self-Help Housing, serve more than 4,500 communities nationwide.

Peoples' will join other NeighborWorks organizations who generated $3.9 billion in public and private investments in 2009 and helped more than 300,000 low- and moderate- income families purchase or improve their homes or secure safe, decent rental housing.

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Homeless Family Now Housed by Peoples

Alondra is happy in her new housing.

Earlier this year the Annual Homeless Count took place all over Santa Barbara and other California counties. Peoples' Supportive Housing Program case worker Alejandra Mahoney, along with other PSHH case workers, helped in that effort in Santa Maria.

During this homeless count, Alejandra met Jorge, a Righetti High School graduate and 60-hour-a-week farm worker, and his wife Daniela. After the family filled out the homeless count survey, they shyly asked if there might be an opportunity to find somewhere for them to live.

They had lost their housing when the landlord lost the house where they were living to foreclosure. Without notice the family was moved out. Jorge, Daniela, daughter Alondra (age 6) and Jorge Jr. (age 1) then had to live in a doubled up, stressful situation with 11 other family members. Jorge slept on the couch and Daniela slept in the laundry room in a tiny bed that took every inch of space.

Our case worker helped the family to apply for affordable housing at Mariposa Townhomes in Orcutt. Two weeks after filling out the homeless count, they were living in their new home. "I feel we are a really a family now with our own place," the father said. Little Alondra loves all the outdoor space; she also attends an after school program on Mondays at Mariposa where she gets to meet other resident children.

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Planned Giving Corner: Letter from a Grateful Tenant

Dear Peoples,

I am giving you a donation for the Youth Education program in memory of my nephew Tom McDermott. I am a firm believer in education and think everything Peoples' is doing for the children is wonderful.

John McDermott, my cousin, also reaches out to help people in need as you do. John went to Harvard on scholarships--his parents could not afford an education such as that.

My family came from a humble background, and we all worked hard for what we have. Our father died when we were young, so we were on our own as far as our education was concerned. My brother Glenn McDermott, who is now very ill, served in World War II and went to Kent State University on the GI Bill. He had a career high up in the banking business. My other nephew Bob McDermott served in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor. He also received his education through the GI Bill.

I am so happy to be spending my final days in safe, comfortable, beautiful, quiet, and friendly facility like Oceanside Gardens. None of my family needs any of my small estate, so I prefer to spend my money here, where it will do some good.

Best wishes,

Eileen McDermott
Oceanside Gardens resident, Morro Bay

Eileen lives happily at Peoples' senior project at Oceanside Gardens in Morro Bay.

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Upcoming Seminars

Foreclosure Prevention Free Seminars
Wed., June 8, 2011
6:00 p.m.
College Park Apartments
648 North G Street
Lompoc

Tues., June 21, 2011
6:00 p.m.
Canyon Creek Apartments
400 Oak Hill Road
Paso Robles

For more information please call (805) 781-3088 x478. 

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Staff News

 
YEEP Educator Lynda Mondragon
from Los Adobes de Maria II.

Santa Maria Youth Educator Lynda Mondragon and her husband are welcoming
the addition of twins in July!

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Self-Help Home Building Updates

Hayward Lumber staff Nick Deluca barbecued hamburgers
for the 29 families building their homes at Terebinth Lane.

At Terebinth Lane in Templeton, all three groups are out of the dirt and are framing now. Group two is aiming to finish and occupy their new homes in August.

At the Oak Leaf Self-Help Homes in Nipomo, the first group of 12 self-help builder applications have been submitted to the lender for approval. We are still accepting applications for the remaining 22 homes. Following is a link to the application on our website:

http://www.pshhc.org/pdf/application_and_information-nipomo.pdf

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