April 2015 Inside This Issue 2 3 8
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VOL. 45 NO. 2 APRIL 2015 INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2 3 8 More Jobs New beginnings Straight talk New labor agreement for NYCHA from the First Lady helps residents Citizens of a Global Village NYCHA kids join Global Partners around the world VERY TUESDAY AFTERNOON, programs enrolled in Global Partners children at Lehman Houses Junior, including NYCHA’s afterschool Emake virtual visits to countries programs at Parkside Community as far away as Australia, Peru, and Center, Lehman Village, Saratoga NYCHA was honored to have First Lady South Africa. They are part of an Village, and Drew Hamilton Chirlane McCray as the keynote speaker at international program called Global Houses community centers. the Food Business Pathways graduation. Partners Junior that connects New York This year, students from City youth to children around the world 50 international locations – NYCHA LAUNCHES A via an Internet forum. There are several including Berlin, Hong Kong, NEW ENTREPRENEURSHIP New York City schools and afterschool (CONTINUED ON PAGE 6) PROGRAM On March 12, 2015, about 100 NYCHA residents Wilfredo Laguna, age 11; Jamia Jarvis, age 12; Christopher people, including New York City’s Bonillo, age 11; Bryan Paredes, age 12; and Yavette Martinex, age 12. First Lady, Chirlane McCray, and New York City Deputy Mayor Ali- cia Glen, attended a very special event at NYCHA: the graduation of the first class of Food Business Pathways (FBP) entrepreneurs. FBP is an innovative entre- preneurship training program for public housing residents with a passion for food and a drive to launch their own business ventures. It is the first of several economic opportunity and finan- cial empowerment programs for NYCHA residents funded by the Citi Foundation. These programs will provide NYCHA residents with solid business development, financial counseling, job training, and employment opportunities. Other FBP partners include NYC Small Business Services, NYC Eco- nomic Development Corporation, and Hot Bread Kitchen, a business incubator for food ventures. Joining the First Lady and Deputy Mayor were NYCHA Executive Vice President of Com- munity Operations Melanie Hart, Small Business Services Commis- sioner Maria Torres-Springer, and Eileen Auld, Director for the New York Tri State Market, Citi Com- munity Development. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 10) FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.NYC.GOV/NYCHA LETTER FROM THE CHAIR The First Anniversary Tour NEW BEGINNINGS On March 5, her first anniversary as NYCHA Chair, Shola Olatoye visited each borough to highlight the importance of resident engagement, community operations, safety, and security. Lincoln Houses: Patricia Herman, Resident Association President, and James Green, Lincoln resident. Goodwill Industries Job site in the Bronx: NYCHA resident Lavonia Chisolm (who learned she’d been hired later that day!) and Talking with residents has been key to creating a strategic plan that will meet your immediate Jobs Plus staff member needs while also repairing and preserving NYCHA housing for the next generation. Barbara Alvarez. N THIS SPACE, in the news media, been candid and thoughtful express- or on NYCHA’s website, you’ve ing their ideas to me and my many Ibeen hearing about the intended colleagues about what’s needed and release of a plan for Next Generation what can and will work. Next Genera- NYCHA, a long range comprehensive tion NYCHA also reflects the reality strategy to preserve and maintain of difficult financial and structural public housing. challenges NYCHA faces, the con- As we head into April and the sea- cerns that affect your homes and your son of growth, renewal and promise, families’ lives, and it lays out what we I’m pleased to say that NYCHA along can all do together to make meaning- with Deputy Mayor for Housing and ful sustainable change. Economic Development Alicia Glen Following the official publication will be presenting the plan to the date, there will be many opportuni- public at the end of this month. And ties to learn more about the specific of course, in many ways that is just strategic steps that underpin each the beginning as we have much work of the goals. For more information ahead of us to reach the four impor- about our process to create this plan tant goals of Next Generation NYCA: and residents’ role in envisioning Next 1. Achieve short-term financial Generation NYCHA, visit NYCHA’s Latimer Gardens Senior/Community Center (from left): Carolyn Jasper, Queens/Staten Island stability and diversify funding for website to read visioning plans devel- Property Management Borough Director; Brandi Covington, Assistant Director, Child Center long term financial stability oped at three NYCHA developments. of New York Latimer Gardens Cornerstone Program; Cornell Wrisby, Queens/Staten Island 2. Operate as an efficient and I look forward to sharing more very Community Operations Borough Director; Tony Bole, Program Director, Child Center of New York effective landlord soon and my thanks again to all of you Latimer Gardens Cornerstone Program; Karen Anglero, Latimer Gardens Resident Association 3. (Re)build real estate who have been so forthright and help- President; Cheryl Gersh, Program Director, Self-Help, Latimer Gardens Senior Center; Yvette 4. Develop best in class ful in voicing your thoughts. Let’s keep Martinez, Latimer Gardens Property Manager. resident services and resident the conversation going. engagement models Glenwood Houses: These goals, and the multi-step NYPD Housing strategic plan to reach them, reflect Officer Goran “Novic” what we’ve heard from so many of Shola Olatoye, Cvijetinovic you, as public housing residents have Chair and CEO, NYCHA Lee Strasberg Scholarship winner Stephanie Dunn was incorrectly identified by her nickname, “Ming,” on the front page of the February 2015 NYCHA Journal. We apologize for the mistake! Stapleton Houses: Joseph Benson, caretaker, Taiesha The NYCHA Andino, caretaker, and Orlando Arroyo, JOURNAL grounds supervisor, ESTABLISHED 1970 • CIRCULATION 200,000 with Chair Olatoye. PUBLISHED BY THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS 250 Broadway, New York, NY 10007 • Tel 212.306.3322 • Fax 212.577.1358 www.nyc.gov/nycha 2 FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.NYC.GOV/NYCHA Building a Better Mental Health System Above, the First Lady with NYC Health Commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett. Regular physical activity can help control your weight; reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes Below, the Mayor and First Lady with their children, Chiara and Dante. and some cancers; strengthen your bones and muscles; and improve your mental health. Hello, NYCHA residents! When I talk with New Yorkers, one question always comes up: How can we make our communities healthier? So I’m writing today about one aspect of being healthy that NYCHA Resident Leads most of us don’t talk about. It touches almost every family in this city, no matter how much money you make or what neighborhood you call home. Yes, I’m talking about Free Shape Up NYC mental health—an issue that hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention. Consider this astounding fact: One in four people deals with mental illness in a given year. It’s pretty much impossible to go through life without you or someone Classes, Encourages you love being touched by mental illness. And too many of the people who need services aren’t getting them. Others to Join the Fun That has to change and I am committed to doing my part. My passion for this issue is personal. For starters, both of my parents struggled YCHA RESIDENT MILEDYS classes being offered is PiYo, a combi- with depression. Of course, they wouldn’t have called it “depression” back then— Pons is on a mission this spring nation of Pilates and yoga. people didn’t talk about such things. Society expected people to keep their prob- Nto get more NYCHA residents A Shape Up instructor since 2013, Ms. lems to themselves and tough it out. involved in the Parks Department’s free Pons was recently hired by the Parks De- We’ve come a long way since my parents and so many others had to suffer in si- Shape Up NYC classes. “I’m excited to partment to work as a full-time Outreach lence. But we still have a long, long way to go. I saw that when my daughter, Chiara, be connecting with people who don’t Coordinator. The popular instructor has came to Bill and me and told us that she was suffering from addiction, depression even know what Shape Up is,” says the been drawing crowds of 50 or more at and anxiety. resident of East River Houses. her classes, and she understands first- Our family was lucky. We knew these challenges were treatable, and we eventual- Shape Up NYC is a program offer- hand the challenges of getting moti- ly found enough of what we were looking for. Chiara is now kicking butt at recovery. ing free fitness classes at locations such vated to be more physically active. She But many families aren’t so lucky. We need to shatter the stigma of mental illness as Parks Department facilities, schools, hopes to share her enthusiasm for fitness and start talking about our experiences. And we need to link mental health care with hospitals, and community centers. with others by leading short demonstra- physical health care. Part of having a healthy body is having a healthy mind. There are currently 57 classes operat- tions and emphasizing that anyone can I am currently visiting New Yorkers in all five boroughs who have experienced ing every week at community centers join classes – no membership or advance mental illness firsthand. My goal is to hear some of the stories behind the troubling and senior centers across NYCHA, registration is ever required. statistics. I am also going to sit down with service providers and advocates to learn and new classes are being added this “We have a lot of fun and the spring what is working—and what needs fixing.