Current Newsletters
- Tutorials are ongoing at Chattahoochee Courts, Western Heights and Creek Ridge on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 - 5:00 pm.
Dorothy Smith was chosen and the Thanksgiving basket was delivered right before the holiday. She was very suprised and extremely grateful. The spirit of love is alive and well with our kids!
In late October, our Little Scholars visited a local pumpkin patch. They had a great time!
March 11, 2011 was a special day for Eufaula Housing Authority’s Little Scholars Preschool students. The eager group of four and five year olds experienced the big theatre first hand. The RiverCenter for the Performing Arts in Columbus, Georgia presented “Click, Clack, Moo” from the book, “Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type” by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewis. The book is one of their favorites at school.
Communication is the ultimate story behind this tale of demands, rebuffs and finally, compromise-all done with humor, of course. Putting a twist on the spin-off from the book, the play brought all the excitement from the story kids already love, cows finding an old typewriter to type their demands; to an updated, more modern version that included a sulking teenage granddaughter, who loses her laptop to guess who…Farmer Brown’s cows.
Being such perceptive children, Little Scholars knew right off something was different about this story. Not only was the story different, but the atmosphere was different. There were bright lights, comical costumes, loads of humor, and colorful stage props that captivated the audience of inquisitive school children and chaperones. Immediately their lives were enriched and inspired through live theatre.
What better way to boost literacy than to attend an event that gives children the ability to imagine the unimaginable? Providing students with an experience out of which emerge celebrations of art, diversity and connections gives us hope that the future is still bright.
Pictured l-r: Back row (Blessyn Rumph, Trinity Battle) Front row (Markia Davis, Travia Tiller, Charmia Green)
The Eufaula Housing Authority recently received three awards at the 2010 Annual Conference of its state organization, the Alabama Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authorities (AAHRA).
Chosen as the Best Agency Publication, EHA’s newsletter, The Community Connector, won in the medium sized housing authority category. The Community Connector is published four times a year and contains news regarding programs and activities and highlights achievements of residents. It includes helpful tips for housecleaning and healthy living.
The HERO Club won the state award for Best Practice. This award highlights outstanding programs and/or special achievements by an agency. The HERO Club (Health, Education, Responsibility and Opportunity) is an incentive program designed to motivate our youth to do those things which will make them better people and contributing citizens in our community. Focus is placed heavily on health, education, responsibility for their community, their behavior and taking advantage of any rewarding opportunities that may come their way.
Last, Scharon Peterson, EHA Resident Coordinator, received the Employee of the Year award. “Scharon is a woman of outstanding character who goes above and beyond the call of duty, stated Tom Wachs, Executive Director. “She is extremely dedicated and loyal.”
Her job consists of several very important programs of the housing authority. First is our Little Scholars Pre-school. She coordinates all of the food orders for breakfast and lunch, the field trips, supplies and works with the staff and parents as well. She networks with the Eufaula City Schools also.
Next, she handles all of the after-school tutorial programs. We have six teachers at three sites for three days a week. Once again coordinating with the students, teachers and ordering supplies and occasional pizza parties and special events. She has also created the HERO Club.
Last is the homeownership education classes. Not only has she received her housing counseling certificate, she teaches semi-monthly classes, counsels residents concerning their finances, and networks with local banks and lenders. Through this program, she is largely responsible for seven families becoming first time homeowners.
These aren’t the only tasks she performs. She also works with the Boys and Girls Club, Girl Scouts, Leadership Barbour, and takes kids on the weekends to places and events such as Renew Our Rivers and the Humane Shelter. In addition, she coordinated a “Biggest Loser” weight program for staff and residents, puts out a newsletter semi-monthly and organizes special events such as staff cookouts.
“I am extremely excited that Scharon received this award,” Wachs said. “There is no one more deserving.”
In honor of American Humane’s Be Kind to Animals Week, the Eufaula Housing Authority’s HERO Club kids volunteered their Saturday morning to lend a hand to the folks at the Barbour County Humane Society’s Animal Shelter in Clayton, Alabama. During the week of May 3-7, the after-school group studied the importance of pet care, how to become an advocate for pets and, more specifically, all about the animals they would see on their future field trip. They had read about the rampant spread of disease among animals that weren’t given the proper care. They’d also read about animals living day-to-day without human kindness to teach them gentle behaviors. The children were preparing themselves for what they would observe at the animal shelter. All were getting mentally prepared for the worse!
On May 8, ten very enthusiastic kids set out on an adventure beyond their imagination. Soon after arriving, gone was the notion that they were going to a “dump in the woods” to see beaten and down-trodden animals that were entirely helpless and defenseless. Instead, the kids were welcomed to the shelter by Mrs. Joy Bryan and Ms. Vonda Freed, owner and caretaker respectively, with big hugs and wide smiles to the charming, stone and brick, almost brand new facility. HERO kids received a short reiteration of the issues some animals have when they don’t live with a loving family from Mrs. Bryan, but they were also made to understand how an animal can overcome negative circumstances with positive influence of optimistic care.
Ms. Freed then gave the children an in-depth tour of the immaculate facility and introduced them to all of the occupants. Everyone marveled at how clean and fresh the place was and, with caution, expressed how we had all envisioned the building and grounds before our visit. Kids were given the opportunity to pet, brush, walk and feed the animals, who were even more welcoming than our hosts. After much frolicking with the pets, the small group of kids became engrossed in investigating the past and future of each pet housed at the animal shelter. Only a few animals had the same story of how they became residents at the facility. The children learned that animals become occupants by a variety of situations. Some under favorable conditions, some not so favorable. They soon found out that one of the animals was not “homeless,” but was having an “extended sleepover” at the Barbour County Humane Society Animal Shelter because she had found parents who would come pick her up soon. Daily loving care became one of the biggest concerns that grew on the hearts of kids visiting the shelter. They were assured by workers that every pet is treated to play time with someone everyday as evidenced by the gentle nature of pets kids were given the chance to tend.
The HERO Club kids’ overall impression of the Barbour County Humane Society Animal Shelter was almost as monumental as a trip to their favorite amusement park. Upon leaving, the kids learned what they can do on a consistent basis to help the animal shelter survive the rising costs of animal/pet care. They were given brochures to assist them in becoming advocates for pets and took pictures that they would keep to cherish the opportunity of meeting such wonderful people who perform such a difficult service to our community.
Pictured above are: Akira Taylor, standing; Delexica Hilton, sitting left; and Vonda Freed of the Barbour County Humane Society Animal Shelter, sitting right. Delexica and Akira learned the importance of lots of love and care for pets.
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