KCHA NEWS - July 2008
A resource for King County Housing Authority residents
Two Firwood Circle elementary school students have made history.
Amina Abdalla, 10, and Sandy Ngo, 11, are the first members of the Auburn Boys & Girls Club to win Academic Excellence Awards. The Boys & Girls Clubs of King County give out the awards annually to youth at clubs throughout the county.
“It was really exciting,” Sandy said of winning the award, which came with a blue and gold trophy.
“I was really amazed,” Amina said. “It was the best day ever.”
Maira Goldsby, the Auburn club’s program director, said both girls were well-deserving. Amina has worked hard to improve her spelling skills — an effort that has improved her school work across the board and boosted her confidence. Sandy has a very strong academic record and always is willing to help at the club however she can.
“It was really hard to choose just two kids because a lot of the kids here do really well, but these two really stood out,” Goldsby said. “I was so proud to have two members recognized from Auburn for the first time.”
Amina and Sandy say they work hard at school because they know that getting a good education will be important in their futures. And they have some advice for others who might be struggling at school.
“Really take your time and stay focused,” Sandy said. “If you really listen, you can learn a lot of stuff.”
Perhaps most importantly, said Amina, students should remember to believe in themselves.
“Try harder and think more,” she said. “You’ll be great at it.”
One of the toughest challenges that many of us face is learning how to manage our money. That’s especially true as prices for some of our most basic needs continue to go up. This month’s feature focuses on how to build a budget that will work for your family — and hopefully help you save money as well.
Getting started: Five steps to developing a budget.
1. The first step to setting up a realistic budget is to determine how much monthly income your family has available. Add up the annual, after-tax income from everyone in your household and divide the result by 12. That will tell you how much money you have to budget with every month.
2. Next, make a list of your monthly expenses and how much money you’ll need for each one. Remember to include food, transportation, rent, utilities, telephone, cable and/or Internet connection, any insurance policies that you have and anything else that’s an expense specific to your household. For expenses that vary from month to month, like your energy bill, determine the average monthly cost over the course of a year and use that number in your monthly budget.
3. Your budget also should reflect costs that might come up only once a year — like back-to-school clothes for your kids or getting new license plate tags for your vehicle. Figure out how much you’ll spend on those one-time costs and divide that number by 12 so you know how much you’ll need to set aside every month to pay for them.
4. Once you’ve tallied up all of your essential monthly expenses, subtract the total from your monthly income. The result will be how much money you have left over to pay for anything that is not essential — like renting a movie or going out for ice cream.
5. Try to set aside at least some of the money that you have left for non-essential items and save it. Even setting aside $5 or $10 a week can help you build a savings that will come in handy in your future, particularly if your household faces an unexpected financial need.
Trimming your budget: Five steps to balancing your budget.
If, after running the numbers, you discover that you have more expenses than you do income, here are some potential ways to reduce your monthly spending:
4. It can feel like a big sacrifice to cut out entertainment activities — like going to the movies. But if you’re having trouble balancing your budget, it’s important to remember that entertainment doesn’t count as one of your household’s basic needs. The key is striking the right balance. Maybe you can afford to go to the movies once a month but not every week.
5. The same goes for eating out. You’ll save a lot of money by preparing a vast majority of your meals at home. Save going out to restaurants for truly special occasions.
By Heather Miller
King County Housing Authority
Juanita Court resident Behzad Fathi moved his family from Iran to Washington state three years ago because he wanted to build a better life for his two young children.
And for Fathi, earning a college degree is a big part of that new life. He’s studying accounting at Bellevue Community College. Once he gets an associate’s degree there, Fathi, 46, wants to continue his education and eventually become a Certified Public Accountant.
“I love accounting, and it’s the reason I came here with my family,” he said.
Fathi recently won the Regional Community College Scholarship worth $2,000 from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO). The two-year scholarship is payable at $1,000 per year. Fathi also will be awarded an additional $250 for the first year from the King County Housing Authority. He said the awards to help pay for his tuition are extremely important because his college expenses can add up quickly. Fathi works part-time while he’s going to school, and in addition to tuition, he has to buy college textbooks and pay the family’s regular bills.
“I need this kind of money for my life here,” he said. “It was really happy to win the award. I can’t describe it.”
Fathi calls his future accounting career the backbone of his family’s new life in the United States and said the recent scholarship gets him one step closer to pursuing that path.
“It’s been a long way to get there,” he said of earning his CPA certification. “It is my dream.”
Greenbridge resident Alice Terry came to a recent community meeting partly because she hoped to get to know her neighbors better. She also wanted to see if she could help with an ongoing effort to bring the community together.
Terry left the meeting with both wishes fulfilled; she’s now a member of a new Resident Council that represents KCHA’s Greenbridge and Park Lake Homes II communities.
“I want to learn the ins and outs of being an advocate for the community,” Terry said. “I want to make a difference.”
The new council includes representatives from several of the different cultures that live in Greenbridge and Park Lake II such as Cambodian, U.S.-bornAmerican, Somali and Vietnamese. Each council member will act as a liaison between residents who share their cultural background and the community as a whole.
Among their priorities for the council, residents said they wanted to ensure that the neighborhood is a safe, inviting place for everyone.
“I want everyone to be able to work together and support each other,” said Matlyn Smith, a Greenbridge resident.
A group of Greenbridge children also is forming a Youth Council to organize age-appropriate events and activities.
“I’m excited to have a place to hang out with our friends,” said Jenny Nguyen, 11, who lives at Greenbridge.
Nearly 75 residents came to the meeting. The event also drew 10 volunteers or staff from KCHA, the YWCA Seattle-King County-Snohomish County, Neighborhood House and the Southwest Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County. Members of the club’s Torch Club for middle school students helped with the lunch. Synergy Construction, Inc. donated food for the meeting.
To contact the new Resident Council or find out more, please e-mail greenbridgecommunitycouncil@ gmail.com.
By Heather Miller
King County Housing Authority
Community services to help everyone from infants to seniors would become available in the future at a revitalized Park Lake Homes II.
KCHA submitted an application June 20 for a HOPE VI grant that’s needed to redevelop the White Center property. The proposed redevelopment would replace all 165 units affordable to public housing residents, add 100 to 130 for-sale homes, construct a mid-rise building for elderly and disabled residents and create new pedestrian trails and parks. KCHA also has plans to expand community services at Park Lake II.
Information gathered through a resident survey and community focus groups directed that community services plan.
“We are very excited about the opportunity, once the project is complete, to offer a lot of new services,” said Linda Weedman, KCHA’s resident services director. “We created this plan based on the services that you and your neighbors told us you wanted.”
Community services
The three-story building for elderly and disabled residents would include ground-floor space for community service providers. In that building and in other spaces near Park Lake II, the following services are among those that are planned:
If KCHA finds out in September that it won a HOPE VI grant, you will be notified immediately, and relocation preparation would start right away.
“That’s when we’re going to start talking with you about where you want to move,” said Christina Friedenthal, KCHA’s community services manager.
Everyone would need to move out by September 2009, but you would have some control about your exact move-out date. Your relocation options include:
KCHA also would provide you with
relocation assistance, which includes:
1.
Providing a moving company to help
you pack, move and unpack as necessary.
You also would receive a $100 stipend on
the day of your move, and KCHA would
pay to transfer your utilities
2. Reimbursing you for pre-approved
moving expenses such as a moving truck,
boxes, transferring utilities, etc.
OR
3. Paying you a lump sum amount determined
based on your unit’s bedroom size. You are responsible for all of your own
moving expenses, but you can keep any
leftover money.
All important information about your
relocation will be translated into the major
languages spoken at Park Lake II to ensure
that you understand the process.
KCHA
staff can help you settle into your new surroundings,
offering assistance with everything
from learning the new bus schedule
to enrolling your children in school.
Throughout relocation, you would be
a part of the decision-making and always
should ask KCHA staff as many questions
as you need to.
“Your relocation team is going to be
here every step of the way,” Friedenthal
said. “You are not alone.”
YWCA Greenbridge Job Fair set for July
YWCA Greenbridge has organized a Job, Health and Educational Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 15 in the Wiley Community Center Plaza, 9800 Eighth Ave. S.W., Seattle. The event is free.
Employers will be hiring for many types of positions, including, but not limited to, warehouse workers, forklift operators, call center employees, administrative assistants, stockers, executive office employees, retail sales associates, cashiers, customer service representatives, care givers and more. So bring your resumes!
Refreshments will be served, and there will be door prizes.
For more information, please call 206-763-6922.
The KC KIDS program provides free dental care coverage until Dec. 31 to children who qualify. The program is a King County children’s oral health pilot project, supported by a $1 million gift from Washington Dental Service in partnership with King County Executive Ron Sims’ Children’s Health Initiative.
Your family is eligible if:
You can apply today:
If you’re accepted, you can choose any provider in the Washington Dental Service Participating Preferred Provider Organization network. You’ll receive a handbook that includes a list of participating dentists.
You’ll pay no out-of-pocket costs. Most dental services are covered. If you have questions about the KC KIDS program or need help enrolling, please call toll free between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday: 866-839-9466.
By Felix Rodriguez
King County Housing Authority
A few finishing touches are all that’s
left to complete on a Northlake House
renovation project that has brightened the
building’s hallways and common spaces.
The construction crew painted the walls
in two lovely white and wheat-colored
tones. Also in the hallways, the railings
were replaced and new energy-saving lights
were installed. What were once slightly dim
hallways now feature bright lighting, and
the entire building is a more attractive home
for residents.
“It looks very classy,” resident Marcela
Priszner said, adding that she particularly
likes the new railings.
In addition, all residents now have large,
appealing bulletin boards next to their doorst hat they are welcome to decorate. Those
boards also are useful for KCHA staff to pin
flyers, building activity alendars and other
important information for residents, rather
than slipping such items under doors.
The construction crew that worked on
the renovations was outstanding. Crew
members made every reasonable effort to
minimize the inconveniences to the residents
and became a temporary part of the
building’s community.
Many residents spoke fondly about
crew members and invited them to join in
a Northlake House potluck and birthday
event in May. Though it was after their work
hours, three crew members came.
Throughout the project, residents exhibited
good spirits, and many have expressed
appreciation for the recent changes to their
home.
By Heather Miller
King County Housing Authority
Resident Charlotte Trout says she’s impressed with the recent transformation at Brittany Park — the building that’s been her home for about two years.
She thinks installing a new sprinkler system in all residents’ units was an important safety upgrade. And she likes the bright new paint colors that now adorn the walls in Brittany Park’s common areas.
“I think it looks really classy,” Trout said.
Residents, Normandy Park city officials and guests were thrilled by the chance to see the newly upgraded Brittany Park mixed-population building at a recent open house.The renovation project added critically needed fire-life safety system improvements, replaced the roof and remodeled hallways, the lobby and unit entryways.
Normandy Park Mayor Shawn McEvoy,
Mayor Pro Tem George Hadley and City
Manager Doug Schulze joined KCHA Executive
Director Stephen Norman and staff
from Housing Management, Resident Services
and Capital Construction to celebrate
the building’s recent upgrades.
“It is very exciting to see the transformation,”
McEvoy said. “Brittany Park is a nicer
place, but even more importantly, it’s a safer
place. I’m happy to see that you’re taking
good care of our residents.”
Brittany Park is one of eight mixed-population
buildings receiving vital safety
improvements and beautifully remodeled
community spaces as part of a recent $25
million financing transaction.
“One of our top priorities is to maintain
the highest possible standards of safety and
well-being for our seniors and for persons
with disabilities,” Norman said.
In addition to the safety upgrades, Brittany
Park units now have new doors and new entryway flooring. The building’s hallways
also were repainted and received new lighting
and new carpeting. And all residents now
have fabric-covered bulletin boards hanging
outside their doors — an addition that’s a big
hit with resident Mary Branham.
She changes her bulletin board decorations
regularly to match upcoming holidays,
and she keeps up several plaques that
display mottos that she likes, such as “Live
each day.”
“I think everything looks really nice,
and I especially like the bulletin boards,”
Branham said of the renovation.
The building’s residents handled the
construction project with grace and good
humor.
“The construction crew was a really nice
bunch,” said James Stock, a resident who
has lived at Brittany Park for more than
four years. “They really made an improvement.”
Though the upcoming Independence
Day holiday can seem like a fun time to
set off fireworks, please remember that all
fireworks are banned at King County
Housing Authority properties.
Some legal fireworks are marketed to
consumers as “safe and sane.” But in reality,
all fireworks carry some safety risks.
Many can cause devastating property fires
or severe injuries, such as amputations.
Additionally, discharging fireworks is
against the law throughout the year — including
July 4 — in a majority of King
County cities.
KCHA considers the use of fireworks
on our properties a serious offense, and
violators will be served a three-day eviction
notice.
Here are some 2006 statistics about
fireworks in Washington state:
• There were 1,001 fireworks-related
injuries and/or fires reported to the State
Fire Marshal that year by fire departments
and hospital emergency rooms.
• That’s a 17 percent increase from the
previous year total of 856.
• Of the 1,001 reports received, there
were 794 fires and 207 injuries.
• Those incidents resulted in $9 million
in property loss.
• Roughly one-third of those reports
occurred within King County.
A great way to enjoy fireworks is to attend
a public display produced by trained
professionals. Their shows are spectacular,
safe and can be a fun family tradition.
By KCHA Staff
Residents throughout King County
commonly use products that contain chemicals
that are harmful to the environment
and to human health. These chemicals are
found in many products, such as those used
to clean houses and maintain cars.
The Local Hazardous Waste Management
Program in King County wants to
help you learn more about how to identify
these products so that you can lower your
risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals
and protect the environment.
How do I know if I have any potentially
hazardous products?
The best way is to read product labels.
Look for the signal words: POISON,
DANGER, WARNING or CAUTION
on the product label. Those signal words
give you information about how likely the
product is to cause illnesses or irritations
that may appear immediately after you are directly exposed to it.
The signal word on the label applies to
the most dangerous route of entry — such
as swallowing, inhaling or exposure to the
skin or to the eyes — for that particular
product.
• POISON and DANGER indicate the
highest hazard levels.
• POISON and DANGER mean that
a product is highly hazardous and can
cause injury or death if ingested, inhaled,
absorbed through the skin or gets in the
eyes. Look for these words on cleaners,
polishes, paint strippers and pesticides,
and try to use less hazardous products
whenever possible.
• WARNING indicates the product is
moderately hazardous to human health if
people contact the product by swallowing,
inhaling, getting it on their skin or in
their eyes.
• CAUTION means the product is
slightly hazardous by any of the routes of
entry described above.
• Products that don’t have any of these
words on the label are the least hazardous
and safest to use whenever possible.
How should I dispose of hazardous
products?
There are many hazardous products that
you shouldn’t throw in the garbage. Those
include household cleaners, automotive
supplies, fluorescent tubes and compact
fluorescent bulbs and flammable or corrosive
liquids. Instead, you should take
them to a household hazardous waste site.
There are three King County sites:
• South Facility: 8105 Fifth Ave. S.,
Seattle. Open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday
through Saturday, except holidays. No appointment
required.
• Factoria Facility: 13800 S.E. 32nd
St., Bellevue. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday
through Sunday, except holidays. No
appointment required.
• North Facility: 12550 Stone Ave.
N., Seattle. Open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30p.m.
Sunday through Tuesday, except holidays.
No appointment required.
To find out limits on what you can bring
or if you have questions, a staff member
is available by calling the Household
Hazards Line at 206-296-4692 between
9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday and Friday,
except holidays, or by sending an e-mail
to haz.waste@kingcounty.gov.
If you’re interested in learning more
about hazardous chemicals and how to
properly dispose of them, the Local Hazardous
Waste Management Program can
provide interactive training and outreach
at your public housing community. To find
out more, please call Seattle Public Utilities’
Michael Davis at 206-615-1376 or
Marcella Wilson at 206-386-4016.
TRANSLATIONS
Translated Articles from The Voice
XIN KHÁM RĂNG MIỄN PHÍ CHO EM QÚI VỊ
Chương trình KC KIDS – (Chăm Sóc Răng Miễn Phí cho Trẻ Em trong quận King) cung cấp viêc chăm sóc răng miễn phí cho trẻ em cho đến hết 31 tháng 12, nếu các em được hợp lệ. chương trình này là một chương trình thực nghiệm dành cho trẻ em sinh sống trong quận Kinh, được tài trợ bởi Washington Dental Service hợp tác với Chương trình Sức Khỏe Cho Trẻ Em của quận trưởng Ron Sim.
Gia đình của qúi vị có thể được hợp lệ với các điều kiện sau đây:
Con em phải cư ngụ ở quận King và dưới 20 tuổi
Lợi tức trong gia đình qúi vị phải ở mức lợi tức được qui định, thí dụ như , một gia đình 4 người , có mức lợi tức tối đa là $5163 một tháng.
Con em qúi vị không có bảo hiểm răng nào khác.
Qúi vị có thể nộp đơn ngay hôm nay:
Hãy vào trang mạng www.kckidsdental.org, nhấn
A note to our readers
Due to technical difficulties, we are unable to provide a Tigrigna translation for this month’s KCHA Section. We apologize for the inconvenience, and intend to offer a Tigrigna
translation in next month’s edition of The Voice.
vào mục tiếp nối “click here to get started”.
Nếu thấy được hợp lệ, hãy điền vào mẫu đơn trên mạng, hoặc in ra rồi điền vào mẫu đơn. Các mẫu đơn có săn được dịch ra bằng tiếng Việt và tiếng Mễ.
In các đơn ra và gửi đến địa chỉ: KC KIDS COPH, PO BOX 75025, WA 98175-0025, hoặc đánh fax đi qua số (206) 528-7391
Cần phải kèm theo chứng từ ghi mức lợi tức – bản sao đuôi phiếu trả lương- trong vòng 30 ngày qua.
Nếu được chấp thuận, qúi vị có thể chọn các phòng mạch nha sĩ thuộc Washington Dental Service. Qúi vị sẽ được gởi đến thủ bản có ghi danh tính các phòng mạch nha sĩ trong chương trình.
Qúi vị sẽ không phải trả thêm mọi chi phí nào hết. Phần lớn các dịch vụ khám răng đều được thanh tóan bởi chương trình. Nếu có câu hỏi về chương trình KC KIDS, hoặc cần được giúp đở để nộp đơn, xin gọi cho số điện thoại miễn phí 866-839-9466 từ thứ Hai đến thứ Sáu từ 6 giờ sáng đến 6 giờ chiều.
Get free dental care for your kids
KC KIDS mashruuciisa wuxuu daboolayaa ilaa iyo bisha
Disember 31da si bilaash ah, Ilkaha caafimaadkuusawaxaana
lagu cawiyaa mashruucaas lacag gaaraysa ilaa $1 million siismo ah kana imaanaysa Washington Dental Service si wadaaga ah King County Executive Ron Sims’ Children’s Health Initiative.
qoyskaaga haddii uu u qalmo::
1 Haddii cunuggaagu uu ku nool yahay King Countyiyo ay ka yar yihiin 2O
2 Dakhliga qoyskaaga uu la kulmo mashruuca ugu badnaan sameeya bishiiba qoyska ka kooban 4 $5,163
3 Waxaad codsan kartaa:
4 Aad www.kckidsdental.org iyo clikgar
5 Haddii aad u qalantid buuxi arjiga qorista luqadaha lagu heli karo waa If you’re eligible, fill out an application online or fill it out by hand. Enr Spanish iyo Vietnamese.
6 Waxaa lagaaga baahan yahay inaad sawirto arjiga una soo dir : KC KIDS COHP,
P.O. Box 75025, Seattle, WA 98175-0025 or fax it to: 206-528-7391. 5 Hubaal ka dhig inaad ku xirtid waxa caddeynaya dakhligaagi 3O kaalkood oo la soo dhaafay.
7 Haddii lagu qaato waxaad dooran k a r t a a Washington Dental Service Participating PPO network.waxaana aad jhelaysaa buugga agacantakaas oo ki qoran liiska meelaha ka qayb gelaya Dentalka caafimaadka. ku saabsan Caruurta Ilkakaha . Wac warar dheeri ah mid bilaash ahi inta u dhexeysa 6 AM ilaa iyo 6 PM Isniinta ilaa Jimcaha 866-839-9466.