New Year’s resolutions and nostalgia could be a national pastime. Like many other Americans, a couple of weeks ago you probably spent plenty of time thinking about the upcoming year – envisioning your goals, longing for the warmth of summer, marveling at how time flies. You also may have spent some time reflecting on last year: what surprises did you face, and what did you achieve?
And, let’s be honest, you probably haven’t been thinking about, “What did NHS of South Buffalo do in 2011?” Much of the work we do is quiet, yet powerful, which is why we want to take this opportunity to share our stories with you.
Weatherization Assistance Program
Around the country many other organizations have been slow to get their Weatherization Assistance Programs going. Some ran into problems managing their budgets or figuring out their time lines
That didn’t happen in Buffalo. We have had an amazing year, not only passing our ambitious goal of weatherizing 762 units*, but also completing much of the work on almost 600 additional projects. Whew! When our weatherization crew sets their mind to something, they get it done!
*For some perspective, our previous record for weatherization was 328 units in 2007!
Counseling Programs
On a more personal note, our counseling programs have also seen a busy year. In the last year we increased the number of home improvement loans provided, and the number of clients rose over 66%. While it is hard to see so many people struggling, we are happy that they are seeking help and proud to be doing our best to help them keep their homes.
World Changers Volunteers
One of our favorite parts of the year is the week in mid-summer when we host a group of young volunteers from around the country through a group called World Changers. Hundreds of students worked on repairing and renovating homes in Buffalo. We hosted some of them to work on seventeen projects in the area. To see some of work they did, check out our album on Facebook.
Revolving Loan Program
Although it's by no means new, the revolving loan program got an injection of money last year and has plenty of funds available for home rehab projects. If your home needs major repairs like a new roof or plumbing then now is a great time to apply for up to $20,000 in loans and grants.
Community Surveys
Your ideas about the community are more than important to us -- your input drives program development and problem solving. We love hearing from you at any time, and on any subject! To get a better idea of what residents identify as the most important issues we spent a lot of time last year developing and distributing surveys. It's an ongoing effort, so we're always learning.
In September we also got a chance to spend some time surveying employees in the newly restored Larkin District.
Recycle Bins
You may not know this, but you can pick up a recycle bin for your home here at our office. For free. While at first free recycle bins may sound less impressive than completely weatherizing homes or helping people avoid foreclosure, in 2011 we gave out a whopping 2,261 recycle bins.
Other
We contributed our experience and training to the Old First Ward in the development and monitoring of seventeen rehab projects and were involved in two projects with HOME. In addition, we provided funding for two commercial facade projects last year and hope to do many more in the coming year.
Did we achieve everything we aimed to do last year? Well, like anyone else we sometimes fell short and sometimes exceeded expectations. What is important is that we are dreaming even bigger for 2012. This is to you, and all those who make our community a better place. Happy New Year!
And, let’s be honest, you probably haven’t been thinking about, “What did NHS of South Buffalo do in 2011?” Much of the work we do is quiet, yet powerful, which is why we want to take this opportunity to share our stories with you.
Weatherization Assistance Program
Around the country many other organizations have been slow to get their Weatherization Assistance Programs going. Some ran into problems managing their budgets or figuring out their time lines
That didn’t happen in Buffalo. We have had an amazing year, not only passing our ambitious goal of weatherizing 762 units*, but also completing much of the work on almost 600 additional projects. Whew! When our weatherization crew sets their mind to something, they get it done!
*For some perspective, our previous record for weatherization was 328 units in 2007!
Counseling Programs
On a more personal note, our counseling programs have also seen a busy year. In the last year we increased the number of home improvement loans provided, and the number of clients rose over 66%. While it is hard to see so many people struggling, we are happy that they are seeking help and proud to be doing our best to help them keep their homes.
World Changers Volunteers
One of our favorite parts of the year is the week in mid-summer when we host a group of young volunteers from around the country through a group called World Changers. Hundreds of students worked on repairing and renovating homes in Buffalo. We hosted some of them to work on seventeen projects in the area. To see some of work they did, check out our album on Facebook.
Revolving Loan Program
Although it's by no means new, the revolving loan program got an injection of money last year and has plenty of funds available for home rehab projects. If your home needs major repairs like a new roof or plumbing then now is a great time to apply for up to $20,000 in loans and grants.
Community Surveys
Your ideas about the community are more than important to us -- your input drives program development and problem solving. We love hearing from you at any time, and on any subject! To get a better idea of what residents identify as the most important issues we spent a lot of time last year developing and distributing surveys. It's an ongoing effort, so we're always learning.
In September we also got a chance to spend some time surveying employees in the newly restored Larkin District.
Recycle Bins
You may not know this, but you can pick up a recycle bin for your home here at our office. For free. While at first free recycle bins may sound less impressive than completely weatherizing homes or helping people avoid foreclosure, in 2011 we gave out a whopping 2,261 recycle bins.
Other
We contributed our experience and training to the Old First Ward in the development and monitoring of seventeen rehab projects and were involved in two projects with HOME. In addition, we provided funding for two commercial facade projects last year and hope to do many more in the coming year.
Did we achieve everything we aimed to do last year? Well, like anyone else we sometimes fell short and sometimes exceeded expectations. What is important is that we are dreaming even bigger for 2012. This is to you, and all those who make our community a better place. Happy New Year!
Want more details on our programs? Send ideas and questions to outreach@nhssouthbuffalo.org.
