PLEASE READ! CHANGES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2010 FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM POINT SYSTEM

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1 1 Family Self-Sufficiency Homeownership Program Newsletter Policy Changes... Point Scoreboard... Upcoming workshops and events... Free Online Classes... Energy Assistance... Thank yous... Volunteer Opportunities... Healthy Indiana Plan... Thanksgiving and Christmas Assistance... Free Food... FSS Online... Computer Lab VERY IMPORTANT POLICY CHANGES! November 2009 PLEASE READ! CHANGES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2010 FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM POINT SYSTEM THE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM WILL SOON BEGIN TO REQUIRE THAT ALL PARTICIPANTS EARN SEVEN POINTS PER YEAR BY BEING ACTIVE IN SELF-SUFFICIENCY ACTIVITIES. YOU MUST EARN SEVEN POINTS PER YEAR IN ORDER TO REMAIN ON THE PROGRAM. If you are already working, or you are attending school, then you may already be earning most of your points. The point system is going to make sure that working participants continue to improve their skills and assets, and that participants who aren't working are actively involved in training and job seeking. HUD Regulations for the FSS Program require that all participants must seek and maintain suitable employment after completing the job training programs recommended in the Individual Training and Services Plan. This means that, when you decided on your goals with your Coordinator, the two of you should have discussed the actions you would take to achieve those goals. If you did not make a detailed plan, you need to rewrite your plan, or you don't remember your plan, please call your Coordinator to schedule an appointment. FSS will evaluate the scores for each client during their anniversary month with the FSS Program (this is probably a different month than your anniversary with Section 8). All activities must be documented. We will prorate the point requirements for partial years. So if your anniversary month falls in April, and we just started the system in January, you only need to have 2 points. Also, you will only have to earn points for the remaining years of your contract. On the following page, you will find a list of Self-Sufficiency activities and the points we have assigned to them. We are willing to add activities that you believe should be on the list. PLEASE CALL OR US IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

2 2 FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM POINT SYSTEM SCOREBOARD FIVE POINTS Full time work (32 hours per week or more) Buy a home Full time school (as defined by the educational institution) THREE POINTS Part time work (31 hours per week or less) Apprenticeship program (work scored separately) Job training that results in a certificate (i.e. Certified Nursing Assistant) Attend at least 40 hours of GED classes Attend at least 40 hours of Adult Basic Education Part time school (as defined by the educational institution) Enroll in WorkOne's Workforce Investment Act Program Start a business Complete a business plan with the Small Business Development Center or SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" TWO POINTS Complete tasks recommended by a credit counselor Attend a HUD approved homeownership training (such as Habitat for Humanity, US Department of Agriculture, or City of Bloomington Housing and Neighborhood Development) Pass the GED ONE POINT Take the GED Attend a workshop, class or event hosted by the FSS/HOP Program Attend an outside workshop Register with WorkOne Create a resume Update a resume with professional consultation Access online credit report Meet with a credit counselor and make a plan for credit improvement Get a raise at work Wrap-around (Centerstone program for families of troubled children) 1 point to enroll 1 point to graduate VITAL literacy training 1 point to sign up and be matched with a tutor 1 point for every 5 meetings with a tutor Limit of 4 points per year MULTIPLES 1 point for every job application/resume turned in/employer contacted (Limit 3 points per year) Volunteer at a non-profit, school, church, etc, weekly for at least four weeks Complete the IMPACT program Establish savings in an Individual Development Account through the South Central Community Action Program Work with the FSS Program Coordinating Committee Get a promotion at work Get on the waitlist for an Individual Development Account Use a My Sister's Closet voucher Obtain health insurance or become a Volunteers in Medicine client Obtain a driver's license Obtain transportation Complete a written household budget Obtain childcare Eliminate cash welfare (free of TANF) Earn a certificate through an employer Complete the Housing and Neighborhood Development renter's class Volunteer at an FSS/HOP event Circles Initiative 1 point to enroll in Getting Ahead in a Just Getting By World classes 1 point to finish GAJGBW classes 1 point to become a Circle Leader 1 point to finish 18 month Circle commitment 1 point for the year if you bring a print-out of your job search on IndianaCareerConnect.com every month

3 3 PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS EARN POINTS FOR YOUR FSS REQUIREMENT FALL FEST AND HAUNTED HOUSE st OCTOBER Festival: 4-9 Haunted House : 7-9 LOCATION: CRESTMONT COMMUNITY BUILDING Sponsored by: Big Brothers Big Sisters Bloomington Housing Authority Boys and Girls Club Indiana University HEALTHY HOMES NOVEMBER 10th :30 LOCATION: BHA (1st door to the right of the main entrance) Sponsored by: Bloomington Hospital FSS/HOP This Healthy Homes presentation will help you identify environmental toxins that pose potential health risks to you and your family, and give Costume and scarecrow making you specific ways to reduce Pumpkin carving/painting those risks. Topics include Face painting information on how to keep your Dancing house dry, clean, pest-free, Hay maze ventilated, and safe using more Blood/floating skulls tub natural green products BHA CLIENT HOLIDAY PARTY DECEMBER 7th :30 LOCATION: TRI-NORTH MIDDLE SCHOOL GYM Sponsored by: Bloomington Housing Authority FSS/HOP IU Non-Profit Management Service Learning Students All BHA clients (Section 8, Crestmont, Reverend Butler, and Walnut Woods)and their guests are invited to attend. Come enjoy food, music and gifts with your neighbors! SANTA'S WORKSHOP make your own gifts LEARN TO DO YOUR OWN TAXES COLLEGE ENTRANCE WORKSHOP DECEMBER 2nd pm LOCATION: BHA Community Building (across the street) JANUARY 9th pm LOCATION: BHA COMMUNITY BUILDING (across the street) FEBRUARY 17th pm LOCATION: BHA COMMUNITY BUILDING (across the street) Sponsored by Community Artists and Craftspersons Sponsored by: FSS/HOP Program Ivy Tech Community College Sponsored by: Ivy Tech Community College Indiana University Learn to create special gifts for Interested in going to college? those special people on your If you want to apply for student We can help you fill out your list. We will provide the application for financial aid financial aid, you must get your instruction and the supplies! and/or prepare for the college taxes done early! We also recommend tax assistance for applications. If you still need to get your GED, we'll have business and homeowners! someone here to talk about that as well. All FSS/HOP workshops include free babysitting and a free meal! REGISTER IN ADVANCE!

4 4 NEW FREE ONLINE CLASSES! MINDLEADERS! Work One is now offering an easy way for you to earn new credentials through a new training program called Mindleaders. Indiana's Department of Workforce Development and its Work One Centers now offer online courses to help job seekers and other people interested in moving up the ladder document skills in different areas that employers are looking for. For example, you can get a certification in leadership. Maybe you want to brush up on computer skills- you can get a certificate in Microsoft Office, Excel or other computer programs. The courses are available 24/7 if you have computer access. You control what you want to learn and how fast you want to learn. For more information on Mindleaders and the courses offered, contact Kim Fields at x 246 or her at kimsfields@yahoo.com to schedule a time when you can meet and register for Mindleaders. You can also drop in the Work One office, located on 450 S. Landmark Ave. You will need a picture I.D. and verification of your social security number with you. Mindleaders is a great way to earn documentation that you are working towards your employment goals for FSS. Remember to bring your certificates to your FSS Coordinator to document your work. There are also courses on 401 (k) Plans, Career Development, Excel, Lotus, Outlook, Photoshop, Power Point, Quick Books, Stress Management, Windows, and many, many others. Ask your FSS Coordinator for a complete listing or stop in the Work One office for more information. Energy Assistance Program for low-income households underway The South Central Community Action Program is currently taking appointments for a winter heating benefit through its Energy Assistance Program. Potential applicants in Monroe County are encouraged to schedule an appointment by calling the Bloomington SCCAP office at Walk-ins are also accepted at the SCCAP office at 1500 W. 15th Street, but may face a longer wait for service. In addition, SCCAP will offer its energy education workshop for those who want to participate. Participants will receive an energy conservation kit, as well as information on staying warm while trying to reduce utility costs. Each household applying for the Energy Assistance Program will need to provide income documentation for the past 12 months for all household members ages 18 and older, current heat and electric bills, social security cards and lease information for those who rent. To be eligible for a winter heating benefit, people in public or other subsidized housing must receive a utility bill. If your utilities are included in your rent, you are not eligible for the program, based on federal and state regulations. Eligibility for the program is based on gross household income: Household Size Maximum Annual Income 1 $16,245 2 $21,855 3 $27,465 4 $33,075 5 $38,685 6 $44,295 Last winter, 5,209 households received assistance through SCCAP s Energy Assistance Program. SCCAP is a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for low-income citizens to move toward personal and economic independence in Brown, Monroe, Morgan and Owen counties. Its programs include: Affordable Rental Housing, the Circles Initiative, Energy Assistance, Family Development, Head Start, Individual Development Accounts, Section 8 Housing and Weatherization.

5 5 THANK YOU! VOLUNTEERING WITH FSS/HOP We have been so fortunate lately to have benefited from the efforts of several volunteers. We've so far had volunteers sent to us from Ivy Tech, Indiana University, Monroe County Department of Corrections, and the IMPACT Community Work experience Program. We've had two volunteers who are our very own FSS participants! If you would like to volunteer with our program, or you need to do volunteer work for one reason or another, please contact us to make arrangements! We provide training and we would love to help you gain valuable experience! Volunteer Opportunities Volunteer Positions Available Computer lab Babysitting during workshops General office Home improvement Event planning Grant assistance Benefits of Volunteering Flexible Scheduling Complete requirements for service learning or other volunteer requirements Work as little or as much as you like Volunteer Requirements Maintain confidentiality Work with others Be on time and ready to work IVY TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE, ESPECIALLY DEBRA VANCE, FOR DONATING NINE COMPUTERS, ONE PRINTER, TABLES AND CHAIRS, TO PROVIDE A COMPUTER LAB FOR BHA CLIENTS! Community Foundation for providing us the grant to access credit scores! Doris Sims and Marilyn Patterson from HAND for teaching our Budget Workshop Gina and Allison from WIC for providing food and a cooking demonstration during our Budget Workshop Dan Nelson from Hoosier Hills Career Center for teaching our Home Repair Workshop. Sherwin Williams and Rose and Walker for providing gift certificates for our homeowners Amanda and Jennifer from My Sister's Closet for teaching our Resume Writing Workshop and the Dress Like You Mean Business lesson at the Lookin' Good Workshop Susan Wendeln for teaching the clothing repair portion of the Lookin' Good Workshop Lulu Farley for her inspirational speech and for collecting donations Mary at CVS in Ellettsville for donating cosmetics to our Lookin' Good Workshop Becky, Loretta, Natalie and Dannell from Allure Hair Design for donating a beautiful purse and six haircuts for our Lookin' Good Workshop Novella, Mariel and Veronica from IU for planning the BHA client Holiday Party and the Holiday Children's Wish List Drive. Also for opening our computer lab every week. Mark Magnuson and his friends Amanda, Trent and Jacqui from Biolife for planning and working the Wal-Mart Hot Dog Cart Fundraiser Wal-Mart for loaning us the Coca-Cola Hot Dog Cart and donating the sodas for our fundraiser Krogers East and South, Beasley Produce, Bigfoot on 5th St. and Bloomington Moose Lodge for donating food for our fundraiser Halloween Express for donating supplies for our fundraiser Crestmont Boys and Girls Club for providing childcare space during our workshops The Section 8 and Public Housing staff who have been so supportive and offered their time to help with our events. Also those who donated clothing for the Lookin' Good workshop!

6 6 Healthy Indiana Plan At this moment, there are about 561,000 Hoosiers without health insurance. In Monroe County alone, more than 15 percent of the population is uninsured, and this number is only expected to grow. However, the State of Indiana and Governor Mitch Daniels have developed a program to make health insurance affordable to those in need: the Healthy Indiana Plan. The Healthy Indiana Plan, or HIP, is a benefits package that assists the uninsured in affording medical care. HIP provides a POWER (Personal Wellness Responsibility) account in the amount of $1,100 per adult to pay for initial medical costs. Then, both the State and individual pay a small amount into the account, which helps make health care even more affordable. It is almost like an insurance savings account. HIP covers preventive services like screenings or immunizations, prescriptions, outpatient and inpatient hospital visits, family planning, and many other services. Even behavioral health coverage exists in the plan. To be eligible for HIP, you must meet the following requirements: Individuals must earn less than 200% of the federal poverty level. Individuals must not have access to employer-sponsored health insurance. Individuals must be uninsured for the previous six months. Individuals must not be eligible for Hoosier Healthwise or Medicaid To participate in HIP, you need to complete an application. For an application, and assistance in completing the application and submitting it to the State, please contact the HIP Coordinators at Bloomington Hospital at Bloomington Hospital also offers funding assistance for POWER account contributions. To help ensure access to health care and health insurance, the Bloomington Hospital Foundation has made $125,000 in funding assistance available for residents of Monroe and Owen counties enrolled in HIP. Learn more by calling

7 7 Thanksgiving Meals from Backstreet Mission Important upcoming dates and opportunities for you to volunteer are listed below: Phone applications for baskets will be taken beginning Mon. Oct. 26th. Call between 9am5pm On Saturday Nov. 7th food collections will take place at area grocery stores Canned and boxed food may be dropped off at the Agape House Mon. Nov. 9th through Fri. Nov. 13th Sorting night is Fri. Nov. 13th at 6pm at Agape House. Adult and children volunteers are welcome Sat. Nov. 21 is Distribution Day. Applicants pick-up their baskets between 10am and 4pm. Volunteers escort the applicants around to the 11 food stations to get their food. Other volunteers are at the food stations to pass out the food. If you are interested in helping please call (812) On Thanksgiving Day (Thurs. Nov. 26th) a prepared meal is served at Geno's Cafeteria at the Mission located at 215 S. Westplex Ave. from 12-2pm. This is an opportunity for the guests staying at the Mission to experience a family holiday atmosphere and for those in the community who don't have family to share a meal with others. Please call them if you would like to volunteer to help in any of these areas. They also appreciate you telling your family and friends about their food collections and drop off dates and locations. Salvation Army Christmas Assistance The FSS Program offers Holiday Assistance Your FSS Program is offering Holiday Assistance this year. On November 4th, 2009 we will mail you an application for the Wish List. The application must be filled out and returned to us by November 17th. We will match each child with a donor who will spend $30 $50 on an item(s) that meets the child's interests or requests. THERE WILL BE A LIMITED NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED THIS SERVICE IS LIMITED TO BHA CLIENTS IN THE SECTION 8 OR PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMS By November 20th, we will notify you of whether we have been able to match your child with a donor. Gifts can be picked up at the BHA Community Building across the street from the BHA between December 14th and 18th. The Salvation Army will accept applications for Christmas Assistance on the following dates: November 2-6 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. November 4-5 from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Location: 111 N. Rogers St. Phone: You must bring proof of county residency, income information and household membership (Social Security cards for everyone). Holiday hours for the Food Pantry will be Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 3:30 during the months of November and December.

8 8 Hoosier Hills Food Bank free food distribution at Walnut Woods Did you know there will be free food available to BHA clients in front of the Headstart Building in Walnut Woods at 3:30pm every Thursday? This free food distribution is made possible through the efforts of HHFB, BHA s Family Self-Sufficiency Program, Head Start and the residents of Walnut Woods. Come early as the food goes fast! If you are in need of food, we hope to see you there. Hoosier Hills Food Bank free food distribution at Crestmont 3:30pm every Friday There is also a free food distribution in Crestmont on Fridays at 3:30pm. Come to the Community Building, just across the street from BHA if you are interested. Free Computer Lab Access! FSS/HOP ONLINE! CHECK US OUT ONLINE! THE BLOOMINGTON HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS A NEW WEBSITE! You can find us at This is a great place to find information about BHA's policies, announcements and events. THE FSS/HOP PROGRAM HAS A FACEBOOK PROFILE AND A FAN PAGE We will keep you updated on FSS/HOP events, classes and programs. You can see photos of our participants and our partner agencies having fun at our workshops and events! You can go to ref=profile to add us as your Facebook friends. You can go to to become fans of our page. [This is the option you might want to choose if you would like to get announcements about FSS but you don't want your FSS Coordinators to be able to read your wall and status updates.] This is also a great way to show your friends what we're all about if they're interested in joining FSS! Starting November 2nd, we will have the BHA Community Center Computer lab available to BHA clients from 11am 4pm Monday through Friday. Computers may be used for job seeking purposes, school related work, access to social services agencies, credit research, house hunting and other productive uses. If you are using a computer for recreation and someone is waiting, you will be asked to give up your computer. We hope to have someone available to assist you with using the computers if needed. If you know that you will need help with a particular issue, you can schedule an appointment with your Coordinator or one of our volunteers to work with you in the lab. If you need to register with IndianaCareerConnect.com the job portal for Work One and Indiana s Department of Workforce Development, please plan on stopping by on one of the following dates when Rose Johnson from WorkOne can assist you with this process: Thursday, November 19th Thursday, January 21st Thursday, February 18th

9 9 The FSS Program raised money painting faces and selling hot dogs at the Wal-Mart Coca Cola cart. Sylvia and our volunteer Stepphany recruit volunteers at the IU Student Involvement Fair Dan Nelson of Hoosier Hills Career Center teaches our FSS Participants about electrical currents in our Basic Home Repair Workshop The FSS Program partnered with BHA Resident Council to organize a basketball tournament for neighborhood youth.

10 10 Family Self- Sufficiency/Homeownership Program Newsletter VERY IMPORTANT POLICY CHANGES! PLEASE READ! CHANGES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2010 Family Self-Sufficiency/Homeownership Program Bloomington Housing Authority 1007 N. Summit St. Bloomington, IN 47404