El Reflejo Fall/Winter 2014

A publication of the Edinburg Housing Authority.

EL REFLEJO V o l u m e

RODOLFO “RUDY” RAMIREZ Executive Director

BOARD OF MEMBERS 2015 J OE RODRIGUEZ CHAIRMAN

ARMANDO BARRERA VICE-CHAIRMAN

“ED” GONZALEZ COMMISSIONER

CRIS TORRES COMMISSIONER

JUAN GUZMAN RESIDENT COMMISSIONER

Main Office Ciro Trevino Administration Building 910 S. Sugar Rd. Edinburg, Texas, 78539 Mon.—Thurs.

8:00 a.m.—5:30 p.m.

Friday 8 a.m.—12:00 p.m.

2 ,

I s s u e

3 7

F a l l / W i n t e r

2 0 1 4

EHA’s 2nd Annual Toy Drive Makes Christmas Shine for More than 500 Kids

T

his was a very special Christmas for more than 500 kids living in housing thanks to the great success of the Edinburg Housing Authority‟s second annual toy drive held early morning on Sat., December 20, 2014.

With hard work and dedication, EHA distributed hundreds of gifts to children living in Albores Courts, El Jardin, Lantana, La Posada and Viviendas Manuel L. Ramirez.

While EHA‟s 2013 toy

EHA delivers toys through its 5 developments.

drive was also a success, this year the organization collected more toys due to more donation boxes placed throughout the city. Some of the Edin-

burg gift drop sites included: The Edinburg Police Department, Edinburg City Hall, Edinburg Library, Edinburg Chamber of Commerce and the Edinburg Walgreens and Bealls Department Store.

According to EHA‟s Executive Director, Rodolfo “Rudy” Ramirez, the toy drive was possible thanks to the hard work and dedication of his staff, EHA‟s community partners and the Blue Santa helpers with the Edinburg Police Department.

Youth Leadership Association Donates Toys to Immigrant Refugee Children Before going off for the Christmas break Wed. December 24, 2014, members of the Youth Leadership Association traveled to give Christmas toys to the dozens of immigrant refugee children housed temporarily at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen, Texas.

Happy to donate the surplus of toys from EHA‟s toy drive, Executive Director Rodolfo “Rudy Ramirez drove the twelve EHA students to the church.

EHA Youth Leadership Group students with Sister Pimentel at Sacred Heart Church.

“It felt great to bring happiness to those kids,” he expressed.

Continued on Page 2.

Page 2

Continued from the first page...

“It was a really great experience to give back to the community.”

Gladys Sanchez, 16 El Jardin Resident

The group was welcomed by Sister Norma Pimentel, the executive director of the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley and one of the champions leading the humanitarian efforts to help alleviate the recent border crisis.

back.

children.

“It was a really great experience to give back to the community,” shared 16 year-old Gladys Sanchez.

For the supervisor, the hardships of the children hit home due to similar struggles her husband, who originates from El Salvador, faced to live in the United States.

“We‟re very fortunate to have members of the community like the Edinburg Housing Authority help during these times,” said Sister PiOther EHA staff members mentel. like Supervisor Liz HernanEHA students also felt dez felt moved and deeply joy and learned valua- touched by the immigrant ble lessons by giving

“Seeing their little faces touched my heart incredibly,” shared Hernandez.

“Especially one little girl I heard who cried to her mother, „My feet hurt.‟”

Students participate in the

“Hour of Code”

A

ware that technology is revolutionizing and becoming an important part of our world, a group of Edinburg Housing Authority students participated in the Hour of Code on Monday, Dec. 29, 2014.

worldwide.

The Hour of Code is a global movement dedi- During the event, EHA stucated to reach millions dents learned during a oneof studies in countries hour introduction to comput-

EL REFLEJO

er code, designed by the movement to demystify code and demonstrate that almost anyone can learn the basics.

As a reward for their work, students who participated in the event received Certificates of Completion.

Volume 2, Issue 37

Page 3

“CHANGE STARTS WITH US.” Youth Leadership Association: EHA’s First Resident Volunteer Group

F

or the first time in the history of the Edinburg Housing Authority, an official youth volunteer group was created to encourage residents to become involved in their community.

to the immigrant children.

participation, the students have the opportunity to enjoy different experiences. For Diego Oros, the group‟s coordinator, the Youth Leadership Association has been a unique journey.

“Being a part of the group has been a great adventure,” the 19 year-old shared.

But even though the group achieved a lot during the fall 2014, they intend to continue working hard throughout the new year to better their community.

Now known officially as the Youth Leadership Association, the group held its first meeting on Friday, Oct. 24, 2014.

The idea for the group first came from Executive Director Rudy Ramirez who is passionate about education and community service.

According to Mr. Ramirez, the purpose of the group is to provide students with an opportunity to engage in their communities and learn valuable leadership skills.

Oros is a resident of the Lantana EHA development and is currently a freshmen computer engineering major at the University of TexasPan American. Although he also As a strategy to supplement the memworks part-time in the EHA IT Debers‟ leadership knowledge, Mr. partment, Oros dedicates time to Ramirez has started a “Book Club” coordinate the association. within the group which will designate a book to be read and discussed during According to Mr. Ramirez, Oro‟s their meetings. has been a great help from the start.

Their first book is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey which will teach the students better ways to be productive and successful in their studies.

“Diego‟s leadership and energy helped us grow to our current 15-20 members,” said Mr. Ramirez. “His encouragement helped gather more kids to join.”

Like Mr. Ramirez, Oro plans to continue motivating others like him to make a difference.

“The Youth Leadership Association will learn values, teamwork and leadership skills.”

“Our goal is to push these kids to achieve an education while they learn important leadership skills.”

Since its creation, the students have volunteered in various EHA events: McAllen Marathon, EHA‟s Halloween Festival & Turkey Giveaway, Christmas toy drive, and recently donated toys

Students interested in being a part of the Youth Leadership Association can contact Diego Oros at doros@edinburgha.org or call 956Besides the intellectual gains from their 383-3839 for information.

Volume 2, Issue 37

Page 5

FALL 2014 HIGHLIGHTS A Season to Remember

Cancer Awareness Walk With the help of UTPA Social Work Interns and local business EHA hosted its first Annual Cancer Awareness Walk at La Posada.

Halloween Festival EHA hosted it‟s 2nd Annual Halloween Festival at the Lantana development.

Turkey Giveaway With the help of volunteers and community partners EHA donated turkeys to families for Thanksgiving.

Changing Lives: A Section 8 Success Story

T

he Edinburg Housing Authority Section 8 is very proud of Georgina Marquez and her accomplishments.

When she first applied for EHA‟s Section 8, Georgina Marquez had no idea what her future had in store for her. At the time, she was unemployed with four children and living with her mother.

Unfortunately, while her mother could support them financially until Georgina found a job, she told her to find somewhere else to live. At this point, Georgina feared not being able to support her children. “I was scared, I was not sure if I was going to make it on my own,” she shared.

As she signed the Section 8 contract, Ms. Regalado the supervisor, offered her assistance to register in the WorkInTexas website so she could search for job opportunities. It was during the registration that Ms. Regalado learned that Georgina did not have any certifications, diplomas or degrees except for her high school diploma.

Seeing this Ms. Regalado told her,

Georgina Marquez worked part-time in Wal-Mart while she waited for SCI to help her find a suitable job for her certificate until finally, three weeks later she got a call that changed her life forever.

“Education is important Ms. Marquez, that piece of paper is your key to success.” She informed Georgina of Southern Career Institute (SCI), a nearby school that offered short career training programs and registered her for orientation.

Despite being hesitant because she had not been in school for several years, she courageously started the Medical Billing and Coding Specialist Program.

“It had been a long time since I stepped foot in a classroom, “ Georgina shared. “I was nervous.

Despite her initial fear, 9 months later Georgina graduated from SCI. She

Thanks to her education certificate, Georgina was offered a fulltime managerial position at a nearby nursing home with a starting annual salary of $45,760 and benefits for her and her family.

“So far, I am loving the job and plan to stay there for a long time,” she said.

While pursuing to further her education took a lot of commitment from Georgina, she is incredibly grateful to the EHA for their assistance.

“I am beyond thankful to the Edinburg Housing Authority‟s Section 8 Program for offering me a helping hand when I needed it the most,” she expressed.

Page 6

Stay Updated!

CLASSES

TUTORING

33rd Annual 10K Run The Edinburg Housing Authority will be participating in the 33rd Annual Edinburg All-American 10k Run on Sunday Feb. 1. Residents interested in volunteering can contact us at 956-3833839.

Tutoring Services Starting Monday, Jan. 12, 2015, EHA tutoring services will resume for the spring.

COMPUTER

AVOID MISINFORMATION. EHA IS HERE TO HELP!

Executive Actions on Immig r ation Deferred Action for Parental Accountability

ESL

O

n November 20, 2014, President Obama announced a series of new executive actions prioritizing the deportation of felons not families.

ART

The new actions include changes to the current DACA program and allowing parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who have been in the country since January 1, 2010 and pass a criminal background check as well as pay taxes to obtain deferred action and a 3

STEM

MUSIC

   

year employment authorization.

As a result of the President‟s actions, the Edinburg Housing Authority would like to offer assistance and more information to any resident who qualifies for the new actions.

If you are eligible for DAPA or DACA and have questions about the application process, please feel to contact Claudia Lemus at 956383-3839.

USCIS Approximate Application Dates

February 20,2015 DACA Expansion (90 days from announcement)

May 20, 2015 DAPA Application (180 days from announcement)

DON’T GET SCAMMED! The official website for USCIS is www.uscis.gov. AVOID Dot.com sites.

Remember USCIS application forms are FREE to download.

Notary Publics are NOT authorized to provide immigration legal services.

Before you pay for legal assistance get informed and know your options.

The information above was obtained obtained from www.uscis.gov. Please visit the site or contact us at EHA for more.

Volume 2, Issue 37

Page 7

Reminders RENT DEADLINE Due monthly by the 1st, but EHA gives you until the 5th to pay in full.

There is a $15 late fee for late payments.

COMMUNITY SERVICE Residents 18+ years old who are not employed 30 hours or more a week, must comply with the 8 hour HUDâ€&#x;s community service requirement.

New Policy Changes As of October 1, 2014

30 DAY NOTICE BEFORE TERMINATION OF LEASE Residents may terminate their leases at any time but must first provide the PHA a written notice with a forwarding address for the return of the Security Deposit no less than 30 days before vacating the premises. The prior 14 day notice requirement is no longer accepted.

NEW $20 KEY DEPOSIT AT MOVE IN Due to residents failing to return their keys at Move Out, a $20 key deposit for 2 apartment keys is now required at Move In. The purpose of this change is to reimburse PHA of the costs to remake lost keys.

The Key Deposit will be refunded and included with their Security Deposit if both keys are returned at Move Out.

Have an issue or concern with your housing development?

Come to our next Resident Council Meeting and let us hear you. Meetings are led by the Executive Director Rodolfo “Rudy” Ramirez and other residents seeking to better their housing experience. Our first meeting will be:

January 15, 2015 @10 a.m. in Albores Courts (Drinks & snacks will be provided)

We will be sharing helpful information regarding President Obama‟s Executive Order on Immigration and the application process as well as discussing new things planned for 2015.

Contact Zulema Garcia at zgarcia@edinburgha.org for the complete schedule of days and locations of our next meetings.

SERVING YOU SINCE 1949 With more than 65 years of service, the Edinburg Housing Authority takes pride in providing assistance to those who need it most in the Rio Grande Valley.

As a result, throughout the years we have focused our agency‟s efforts and resources to ensure struggling low-income families with an equal opportunity to obtain safe, decent and affordable public housing, and thus improve their quality of life.

But even though we help hundreds of families in need, we realize that to truly help impoverished residents rise out of poverty and better themselves our agency has to do much more than providing them with a place to live.

As a result, in addition to providing housing for our residents we have now made it our mission to promote self-sufficiency throughout the agency and do everything in our power to help those we serve develop the necessary work skills and education to succeed and ultimately provide for their loved ones on their own.

With dedication, integrity and compassion we take pride in helping our residents each and every day. We believe and ardently hope that through every family we help we make a difference in the present and someday future of the city of Edinburg and the Rio Grande Valley.

“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.”

―-John Holmes CIRO TREVINO ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 910 S. Sugar Road Edinburg, Texas 78539 Phone: (956) 383 3839 FAX: (956) 380 6308