S P R I N G
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Elm City Communities/Housing Authority of the City of New Haven
EDITION
The Homefront Creating a Connection with Our Communities and Neighbors
Welcome from the President
Elm City Communities Shifts Operations with COVID-19 Climate to Provide Essential Services Virtual Board Meetings. Resident Interviews via video. Closed Reception Areas. Safety signage and daily deep cleaning. These practices have become the new normal at Elm City Communities as the agency has shifted operations to adapt to the everchanging COVID-19 climate. These changes ensure that the essential business of the agency continues efficiently, that staff and residents remain safe and protected and that useful, preventative information from organizations such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) is available to all. ECC/HANH President Karen DuBois-Walton has been broadcasting weekly via Facebook Live to address changes in agency hours, operations and to advertise partnerships and resources available. “Our priorities are keeping our communities safe and responding to your needs related to housing and loss of income,” she said in a Facebook announcement. CED Director of Programs LaToya McCrea and her team, along with property management, have been managing resident services to provide families not only food bank and pantry items, diapers, but the technology needed to connect (cont’d pg. 5)
Save the Date! Regular Board of Commissioners Meeting
Tues. May 19, 2020
4PM. Open to the public. Streaming live on the Elm City Communities Facebook page.
Memorial Day Mon. May 25, 2020 All offices will be closed in observance of this holiday.
First Day of Summer
Sat. June 20, 2020
As I think about what to write for this edition of The Homefront, thoughts immediately turn to the COVID-19 pandemic that is consuming all of us. While all are impacted, it is important to note that not everyone is impacted equally. For far too many of our families, the impacts of COVID-19 will be longlasting and devastating. The work we are doing is in an effort to lessen the impacts. We do this work together and I am gladdened by the many expressions of sacrifice, compassion and giving that I have observed during this time. While it may at times see overwhelming, it is also important to note that we all play a part in the surviving and thriving that we as a community must experience. A friend shared an excerpt from an interview with Amos Oz, a writer, novelist and journalist. Oz was asked “what can we do now?” Here is his response: “I’ll tell you what I do. I do what I can. The fire, the flames are big and horrific. Every one of us has to choose confronting a big fire. You can run for your life and leave those who cannot run to burn, because unfortunately they cannot run. You can write an angry letter to the editor blaming those who started the fire. But you can also take a bucket of water and pour it on the fire. And if you don’t have a bucket, use a glass or a cup. And if you don’t even have that, use a teaspoon. Every one of us has a teaspoon. Fill it with water and throw it in the fire. The teaspoon is very small and the fire is very large but there are many of us and every one of us has a teaspoon. That’s my simple answer to this question. (cont’d on page 2)