The end
of the calendar year. Day 366 of 366 (it’s a Leap Year, remember). In our
personal lives, we often think about where we've been and where we’re going at
the end of the year. The new year brings about resolutions and the hope of
things being better, different or continuing in the same capacity. For
businesses and organizations, this usually occurs around the fiscal year (July
to June). However, in this post, we’re going to take a look at what
Neighborhood Housing Services of South Buffalo accomplished in 2012.
Cooling Program
We were
lucky enough to receive funding for 73 cooling units to be installed. We were
decreased for budgetary reasons to 49, but we ended up accomplishing 127! That
is a huge number that we are extremely proud of. Every home that received an
air conditioner or box fan also had the opportunity to apply for
weatherization. We tested every electrical outlet to make sure it was grounded
for the device they were receiving, ensuring the safety of the homeowners.
Workshops and Counseling
We had
a full slate of educational workshops this year, all free to the attendees. We hosted
workshops on Foreclosure, the Psychology of Spending, Home Ownership, and Radon
Awareness. The radon workshops were hosted through a partnership with Erie
County Environmental Educator Frank Scarpinato. We also continued our amazing
counseling program with Pam Tait-Kwiatkowski. She counsels people on a
one-on-one basis, in addition to the workshops, to help them with foreclosure
issues. She was able to help several clients retain their homes. Pam also
counsels clients on an individual basis on home buying, mortgages, and
financial management.
Our
weatherization program had an amazing and successful year. We were able to weatherize
310 properties (204 homes and 1,395 rental units) through the end of October,
making them safer and healthier for the families who live there. We worked
through our waiting list and were in a very fortunate position of taking on
more applications. We established a Quality Assurance Program, where our
clients sent us wonderful feedback that we take to heart and truly appreciate
their kind words.
We were
lucky to have our VISTAs, Heidi and Kelley work with us this year. Each one
brought different experiences to the table. Heidi redesigned our website and
improved our social media campaigns, while Kelley filmed and produced several videos
for us over the summer to showcase what our organization does.
