Quality of Life Conference Savannah, GA July 14, 2011, 8:30am Housing Authority of the City of Asheville Gene Bell, Chief Executive Officer

Housing Authority of the City of Asheville This is a group of educational programs that we have in our authority. We feel we must improve the educational opportunities of our youth that live in public housing. “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead

I Have A Dream Asheville Mission The Mission of the "I Have a Dream" Foundation is to motivate and empower children from low-income communities to reach their education and career goals by providing a long-term program of mentoring, tutoring and enrichment and tuition assistance for higher education. ihadasheville.org/

I Have A Dream Asheville Funding Source: Philanthropists Program: 30 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students living in Pisgah View Public Housing Community. These "Dreamers" will receive a year-round program of academic, cultural and social activities from elementary school through high school followed by tuition assistance for higher education. In School Daily After School Programming Summer Program

Youthful HAND & Hillcrest Enrichment Programs Vision Statement Building Strong Children by ensuring that children are born healthy; nurtured by informed parents/caregivers; have access to quality preschool, day care, and after- school care; and are provided with character development to reach their potential. Funding Source: non-profit, United Way Program: 30 students involved in afterschool safe haven program and enrichment summer camp

Weed-n-Seed Mission Weed and Seed, a community-based strategy sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), is an innovative, comprehensive multiagency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention, and community revitalization. Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO) oversees the Weed and Seed initiative. ojp.gov/ccdo/ws/

Funding Source: U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Program: To improve quality of life by ‘weeding’ out crime and ‘seeding’ positive community change through resident leadership and creation of sustainable partnerships. The program has four components Law enforcement, Community Policing, Prevention/Intervention/Treatment, Neighborhood Restoration. Weed-n-Seed

Children 1 st : Project March, AmeriCorps VISTA Mission Children First/Communities In Schools (CIS) of Buncombe County’s mission is to improve the lives of children, youth and their families through community collaborations, advocacy and programs. As a not-for-profit organization we advocate for Buncombe County’s children while providing innovative programs for vulnerable children, and engaging the community in creating a better future for all children. childrenfirstbc.org/

Funding Source: non-profit, United Way Program: Project MARCH Learning Centers that provides a safe haven afterschool for 60 at-risk elementary school aged youth (living in two public housing complexes and a section 8 apartment complex) to receive homework help, a healthy snack, enrichment activities and also includes parent involvement. AmeriCorps VISTA members spend one year in full-time service to address the needs of low-income communities. All projects focus on building permanent infrastructure in organizations to help them more effectively bring individuals and communities out of poverty. Children 1 st : Project March, AmeriCorps VISTA

Asheville GreenWorks Mission Asheville GreenWorks, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, is a volunteer-based organization working to achieve a clean and green Asheville and Buncombe County through community organizing, educating and environmental stewardship. ashevillegreenworks.org/

Funding Source: non-profit, Private Sustainers, Grants Program: With more than 900 members and hundreds of volunteers, we engage the community in grassroots projects like tree planting, cleanups, anti-litter and recycling education, creation and maintenance of green spaces, playground enhancement, neighborhood beautification and care and preservation of Asheville’s trees. Asheville GreenWorks

Asheville Green Opportunities Mission Green Opportunities (GO) is an Asheville-based, community-based development organization dedicated to improving lives, communities and the health of the planet through innovative green collar job training and placement programs. greenopportunities.org/

Funding Source: non-profit, Government Grants Program: Our flagship program, the GO Training Team is a paid job training and placement program designed to prepare low-income, unemployed young adults (ages 16-24) for living wage, green collar jobs. The GO Weatherization Assistance training team is a paid apprenticeship program designed to further prepare GO graduates for clean energy careers while improving the efficiency of houses in target Asheville neighborhoods. Asheville Green Opportunities

Read to Succeed Mission Read to Suceed is an exciting community partnership created to promote literacy for underachieving children inspired by WNC for Change, activist group for President Barack Obama. Funding Source: Non-profit, Grant funded Program: The objective is to work with Asheville schools, local volunteers and area agencies to provide a strong reading foundation for children in grades 1-3.

Upfront Sports Management Mission The purpose of the camp is to help each child ‚ achieve his or her best, in a way that is uplifting and fun. Program: The Hi-Five Camp will focus on developing the fundamentals of basketball knowledge, team play, and fitness. Upfront Management is dedicated to providing quality basketball training to community youth. Each year the organization offers scholarships to low-income Asheville youth.

Delta House After school and summer program for public housing youth. Tutors are from Delta House members, Asheville City School teachers, Warren Wilson and UNCA students.

Summer-loss Prevention Program Asheville City Schools along with other organizations supply youth of public housing with reading materials to continue their education throughout the summer. This effort is to lessen the academic loss of children that do not have educational opportunities during the summer through travel and other exposures. Studies have proven that low income children gain and retain during the school year but their primary loss is during the summer months with their peers.

PVA Peace Garden Mission Pisgah View Community Peace Garden (PVCPG) is the visionary work of Robert White who created a community garden in the public housing area of Pisgah View in West Asheville, NC. Program: PVCPG is continuing to grow as an organization that will seek to provide fresh local organic food to the community. In addition, the organization will strive to make this food available to elderly, disabled and homeless populations through its social programs. PVCPG has established educational programs to help schools, churches and youth groups learn about the importance of local sustainable agriculture.

We strongly encourage Housing Authorities to promote tutorial programs with various agencies to assist our children to become more successful in classrooms. “It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” –Frederick Douglas Housing Authority of the City of Asheville

Housing Authority of the City of Asheville 165 S. French Broad Avenue Asheville, NC