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 May 2011 newsletter with your family, friends and business associates!

Peoples' Self-Help Housing E-Newsletter

El Patio Hotel Opens in Ventura! Knitted Dolls Help Youth Education Casas las Granadas in Wins Planning Award Planned Giving Corner: IRA Gift Upcoming Seminars Staff Additions Self-Help Home Building Updates

Happy Mother's Day! Happy Memorial Day!

Celebration Opening of El Patio Hotel in Ventura Thrills the Community

PSHH Board President Carolyn Johnson, Executive Director Jeanette Duncan,
Ventura City Councilwoman Christy Weir, Santa Barbara Nak & Trust's Randy Weiss
and Chamber Ambassadors at the El Patio Hotel's Ribbon Cutting on April 28, 2011

Over 125 supporters joined together at the Grand Opening of the El Patio Hotel, 167 Palm Street in downtown Ventura for the ribbon-cutting, celebration, tours and lunch. Residents Gary and Linda shared their stories of homelessness prior to moving to the hotel.

Guests marvelled at the careful renovation of the 1927 Spanish Colonial-style hotel, colorful courtyard, and the attractive furnishings in 41 rooms and common lobby area.

Sponsors to Adopt-A-Room raised $14,000 to pay for new beds, sheets, blanket, pillow, towels, dishes, and toiletries for each resident room. Multiple-room sponsors included Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, Montecito Bank & Trust, Alliance for Mental Illness, and Immaculate Heart Social Assistance Fund, Community, as well as individuals and businesses. You can still donate $350 to Adopt a Room on-line at www.pshhc.org/donate, email monicas@pshhc.org, or call (805) 962-5152 x220.

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Volunteer Knits to Help Youth Program

Lulu Bennett is a PathPoint volunteer in the Youth Education Enhancement Program at Canyon Creek Apartments in Paso Robles. She is an amazing knitter and makes these beautiful colorful dolls. She feels her gift is to give back to the community, so she wants to sell them to help YEEP. The dolls take Lulu 25-30 hours to make and have amazing detail like little purses and buttons. She now has six beautiful multi cultural dolls and will make more. If you would like to order a doll for $100 call Kim Gaspar, YEEP Educator, at (805) 226-0136 or donate on-line at www.pshhc.org/donate and designate 'doll'.

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Peoples' Santa Barbara Project Casas las Granadas Wins Awards!

PSHH Casas de las Granadas 12-unit affordable apartments in Santa Barbara won the American Planning Association's (APA) Outstanding Planning and Neighborhood Planning Awards in the Central Coast Section.

The APS rewards outstanding achievement in the planning field and honors innovative plans and projects. Peoples' Casas project will automatically be nominated for State Awards which are announced in the Fall. Project architect was Detty Peikert AIA and landscape architect was Katie O. Reilly.  

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Your IRA Gift Can Benefit Charity

Gloria retired after forty years as a teacher. She had volunteered for several years with her favorite charity. Since Gloria did not need all of her IRA income, she decided to make a gift of $2,000 from her IRA to reflect her support.

"My pension had benefited from the recent stock market rebound. I had more IRA income than I needed to cover my living expenses. I saw all of the good my charity had accomplished over the years and wanted to give something back," stated Gloria.

She called the gift planner and learned of a simple and easy method to make a gift to benefit the organization. Now that she was over age 70½, she had the option of rolling over up to $100,000 from her IRA to charity without paying any taxes.

Gloria contacted her IRA custodian and requested a transfer of her $2,000 required distribution from her IRA directly to the charity. "It was very easy to make an IRA charitable gift. The part I like best is that I could help my favorite charity with my required distribution."

The name above is representative of a typical donor. Call your tax advisor or Rochelle Rose CFRE in Peoples' Development Department at (805) 962-5152 x227 to discuss your IRA gift.

Good news: The IRA charitable rollover has been extended to December 31, 2011  

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Upcoming Seminars

Foreclosure Prevention Free Seminar
Tues., May 10, 2011
6 p.m.
PSHH Office
3533 Empleo Street
San Luis Obispo

Wed., May 11, 2011
6 p.m.
Rabobank
615 W. Tefft Street
Nipomo

Free First Time Homebuyer Seminar
Wed., May 25, 2011
6 p.m.
Dahlia Court Apartments
1300 Dahlia Street
Carpinteria

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

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Staff Additions

Welcome New Staffers:

Antonia Cisneros
Keyholder, Ladera Apts.
Santa Barbara

Maria 'Lupe' Serna
Janitor, Mariposa and College Park Apts.
Lompoc

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Self-Help Home Building Updates

Solar Installation in Nipomo Nonprofit solar installer GRID Alternatives celebrated a collaboration with PSHH by flipping the switch on newly installed solar electric systems on several self-help homes in Nipomo.

"GRID Alternatives is proud to be working with Peoples' to support families in our own community who have very limited financial resoures," said Steven Fernandez, GRID Alternatives Regional Director.

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