Posted on April 20, 2010
I have asked Alison Jones-Nassar, VSH’s Volunteer Program Coordinator, to write this week’s blog. Thanks, Alice
Affordable Housing Awareness Week was launched on Monday morning with a symposium at the Jepson Alumni Center focused on issues surrounding the topic of affordable housing. The first speaker looked around the room, filled primarily by housing awareness advocates, and asked, “Why should we learn about housing affordability?” And indeed, the events scheduled throughout this week are designed to answer that very question. Ultimately, I think the answer to that question depends on another question. Does everyone deserve a safe and stable place to live?
Affordable housing is not an abstract issue for me. It is not something that I only think about during business hours. My family lives in an affordable rental community with income qualifications in Chesterfield. Living in this community has made it possible for my children to attend quality public schools and receive an excellent education.
We have lived in the same building with many of the same neighbors for six years, and so I can feel secure knowing someone is watching out for my kids when they let themselves in after school. The grounds are well-kept and the buildings are well-maintained. And we have easy access to libraries, fitness centers, and many other services and activities that most people would consider necessary for a decent quality of life. More communities like this are desperately needed.
Just last week I drove through a neighborhood across town where clusters of grown men stood together on street corners and small children played among spilled garbage cans and strewn glass. Yards were abandoned, windows were broken, and cracked gates hung off hinges. I was astonished to see entire houses collapsing from years of structural neglect. For too many people, especially single parent families, this is what “affordable housing” really means: unsafe drug-infested neighborhoods, poor schools, and a lack of even basic services.
Does everyone deserve a safe and stable place to live? For me the answer is a resounding yes. I believe that all mothers, not just me, want safe neighborhoods and good schools and places to play for their children. Everyone, not just people in award-winning Chesterfield, wants decent transportation systems and convenient grocery stores with fresh produce and jobs that pay the rent.
So … Why should we learn about housing affordability? Because when you get right down to it, the issues that surround the subject of affordable housing are issues that lie at the very heart of the concepts of fairness and equality on which this country was supposedly founded and to which we all supposedly subscribe.
Affordable Housing Awareness Week was designed to help ordinary people not only understand more about housing affordability, but to take action. This week, fifteen area non-profits including Virginia Supportive Housing are welcoming community volunteers who would like to build, paint, rake, weed, plant, clean and make a visible difference in the community we all call home. It’s a great opportunity to volunteer and it’s also a great opportunity to learn. Because we can’t afford to be ignorant about affordable housing issues any more.
Posted on March 30, 2010
National Volunteer Week is an annual event that celebrates ordinary people doing extraordinary things to improve communities across the nation. This year, National Volunteer Week will take place during the week of April 18 – 24, and the theme is Celebrating People in Action. This event gives organizations that mobilize volunteer resources a great opportunity to recognize and honor their contributions, and Virginia Supportive Housing is proud to join this celebration.
Virginia Supportive Housing offers many opportunities for volunteers and volunteer groups to experience service that is both meaningful and rewarding. On Saturday, March 27, Team Hope demonstrated that volunteers with a commitment to service can not only MEET but EXCEED expectations and produce excellent results!
Team leader Steve Hoehn has a knack for projects that involve construction and repair and he “loves to do this stuff all the time!” Steve regularly recruits friends from his congregation at Hope Church for volunteer construction opportunities and recent projects include rebuilding a deck for Elder Homes and constructing dressers for the CARITAS Furniture Bank. In April, several team members will participate in the Pittsburg Project, a project that provides home repairs for elderly & disabled residents in low-income areas of Pittsburg.
Last Saturday afternoon, Virginia Supportive Housing was the lucky recipient of Team Hope’s giving spirit and technical expertise as they gathered at New Clay House, one of VSH’s Richmond properties, to rebuild a collapsing gate for an upcoming property inspection. Performing under less than ideal conditions (the crisp breeze made working in the late afternoon shade of the building decidedly chilly), the team worked together, applying problem-solving skills and complementing each others’ abilities to complete the project in less than six hours. Steve said of his experience on Saturday: “Virginia Supportive Housing has a great track record [and] it’s an awesome cause. We are really happy to help!”
People in Action are what National Volunteer Week is all about, and it’s also what Virginia Supportive Housing is all about. Homelessness is a problem that affects everyone in our community, and at VSH we believe that everyone can be a part of the solution. To find out more about how YOU can be a part of our proven, permanent solutions to homelessness, contact the volunteer program coordinator at 804-836-1061 or [email protected].
Posted on January 19, 2010
For thousands of citizens across the city, state, and country, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is not just a day off. It’s an opportunity to honor Dr. King’s legacy as one of our nation’s greatest social justice advocates by engaging in a day of community service.
On Monday, January 18, fourteen Richmonders of diverse ages and backgrounds chose to celebrate the day by participating in a service project coordinated by Virginia Supportive Housing.
There are lots of ways that volunteers support the mission of Virginia Supportive Housing. MLK Day volunteers spruced up one of VSH’s nine Richmond properties by painting a second-floor corridor. Volunteers also participate in many other projects such as landscaping, serving meals, teaching basic computer skills, collecting non-perishable food items, helping new residents move in, and providing administrative support at the VSH headquarters.
Dr. King believed in the power of service to strengthen communities and achieve common goals. If you believe in the goal of ending the problem of homelessness in our community, then consider giving your time to VSH’s volunteer program. When you volunteer for Virginia Supportive Housing, you serve an organization that transforms lives, transforms communities, and provides permanent solutions to homelessness.
Posted on December 8, 2009
What makes a volunteer experience meaningful? A feeling of connection to the community? A sense of contributing to a cause you feel passionate about? An awareness that your action is a real response to a real need?
At Virginia Supportive Housing, we seek to transform the lives of our community’s homeless population by providing permanent housing and support services, and volunteers can play a critical role in that mission. A variety of opportunities are available at VSH for both individuals and groups that promote meaningful connection, engagement, and action.
Whether you are landscaping one of our affordable housing properties, collecting food & toiletry items, assembling move-in packages, or helping to serve a holiday meal to our clients (see the photos on our Facebook page!), VSH is a place where volunteers can transform and be transformed by their service.
Ready to be transformed? To apply or find out more, contact the volunteer coordinator at 804-836-1061 or [email protected].
