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Housing Works
Families Forward
PATHWorks
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Clarae B.
Clarae joined the PATHWorks program in July 2013. At that time, Clarae had recently become a single mother of five. Clarae was faced with the challenge of supporting her family with a limited employment history and without a high school diploma. Clarae started by relocating her family to a house that would better fit their needs and used the Families Forward security deposit loan program to help with moving costs. She paid off the loan in 12 months, building her confidence and credit score.
Clarae worked on a resume and stabilized her child care needs in order to secure employment, which she did about one year after joining the program. Clarae continues to take advantage of the PATHWorks program. She completed financial education courses, secured access to the internet in her home with the help of the Boys and Girls Club, started earning escrow savings and opened an Individual Development Account, receiving a 3-1 match on her savings. Clarae has built financial skills and regained her confidence in her ability to support her family.
All of this has allowed Clarae to move closer to her goal of buying a home for her and her family. In the spring she will be starting online classes to prepare for the GED exam.
Clarae has worked hard and used the tools available to her through the PATHWorks program. We look forward to continuing to work with her as she pursues her goals and are excited to see what lies ahead for her and her family.
Way to go Clarae!
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I can do this
What is your dream job? What is your passion? What do you love doing? Why not do it?
Russell Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, having won a Super Bowl in only his second season in the league. In order to reach that pinnacle, he had to overcome constant skepticism: He was considered too short to be a good NFL quarterback, he wasn't committed enough (Wilson was also drafted by Major League Baseball teams) to just one sport, his arm wasn't strong enough to make all the necessary football throws, etc.
Growing up, Wilson's father used to say to him, "Russ, why not you?" when talking about the possibility of playing in the NFL and winning a Super Bowl.
So let me ask the same thing: Why not you? Seriously. Why not?
We are all born and eventually we all die. What happens in between is only limited by our thoughts, beliefs and effort.
Are you ready to do this?
Yes it will take work! Really digging deep to understand your goals and what you want out of your life is a process. Changing old perceptions of who you think you are is not easy if you don't know how.
The good news is, the only thing you need to start on your new journey is desire. Ask yourself, do you have the desire to make change in your life, whatever it is you want to change. If you honestly answered YES, you have taken a big first step.
Once you have a sincere desire to change, you have to believe you can achieve your goal. This is called "self-efficacy".
If you are interested in finding out how to build "self-efficacy" and identifying any limiting beliefs you may have, then read the next article and join us for the Steps to Economic and Personal Success workshop starting at the end of the month.
WHY NOT YOU?
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What are you waiting for
The New Year is an opportunity to gain new perspective, reflect on accomplishments from the past year and set some goals for the year to come. As you sit down to think about the direction of the next year, here are some things to keep in mind:
- You are only limited by your perception of your limitations
- Dream big--anything is possible
- Break down big goals into bite size chunks
- If at first you don't succeed, try again--those who keep trying are the ones who succeed
- Ask for help, there may be more available than it seems
- Take time to brainstorm
- Be honest with yourself
- Don't beat yourself up, trying is a step in the right direction
If you find it hard to maintain momentum or find the time to stick with your goals, we have the answer, S.T.E.P.S.
This four part class will provide you the opportunity to challenge old thought patterns of who you are and what you can accomplish. Class size is limited so contact your client services coordinator to find out more or to set up an individual goal setting session. What are you waiting for? Contact us today!
Andy Hall Carly Garzon Kelly Fisher
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Tax time is here
Tax season is here and there are a few things to be aware of as you file your taxes.
EITC: Earned Income Tax Credit
Earned income is generated from working for someone who pays you or from running a business or a farm. Examples include the following: wages, salary, tips, other taxable employee payments, union strike benefits, long term disability received prior to minimum retirement age, or net earnings from self-employment. For more information check out the IRS website: http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/What-is-Earned-Income%3F.
You may qualify!
Below are the ranges of income and household size that qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit:
$47,747 ($53,267 married filing jointly) with three or more qualifying children
$44,454 ($49,974 married filing jointly) with two qualifying children
$39,131 ($44,651 married filing jointly) with one qualifying child
$14,820 ($20,330 married filing jointly) with no qualifying children
Below are the maximum values of the credit:
$6,242 with three or more qualifying children
$5,548 with two qualifying children
$3,359 with one qualifying child
$503 with no qualifying children
If you think you may qualify, remind your tax professional to look into this resource for you.
VITA tax prep sites.
Get help for free at the United Way/AARP free tax prep sites for households with annual income below $58,000. They have locations in Bend, Redmond, La Pine and Warm Springs. Check out the website for information about times, locations and what to bring. http://www.deschutesunitedway.org/tax-aide.
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February event
Join us for the PATHWorks' quarterly event! Find out about leadership opportunities, new projects and resources available through PATHWorks. Housing Choice Voucher participants and current PATHWorks participants are encouraged to join us to find out more about all the PATHWorks program has to offer.
When: Wednesday February 11, 2015 at 6 p.m.
Where: Healy Heights, 1900 Northeast Bear Creek Road, Bend, OR 97701
What: Share a meal with new friends and family. There will be a raffle, graduation celebration, leadership team update and more!
For more information or to R.S.V.P., please contact one of our client services coordinators.
Andy Hall [email protected] 541-323-7413
Carly Garzon [email protected] 541-323-7410
Kelly Fisher [email protected] 541-323-7411
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Housing Choice Voucher wait list process
We are happy to announce the completion of the General wait list for 2015, and the successful collection of 4,450 applications!
Now that the General wait list is closed we will be downloading all the applications and entering them into our system. Once that has been completed, the system will scramble the list and place the applicants names in a random numerical order. This is the "Lottery". We are hoping to have this process completed by March. Please keep in mind that this waiting list is a yearlong list and we may be able to pull names at any time during the year. By mid March you should be able to check your final position on the wait list at www.waitlistcheck.com. If you are selected off of the list during 2015, Housing Works will contact you by mail.
The 2015 Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) wait list will be open the week of February 9th-13th, 2015. If you are 62 years of age or younger and are disabled, you are eligible to apply to the NED wait list even if you earlier applied to the General wait list that just closed.
If you are not selected in 2015 from either wait list, please reapply next year in 2016. The 2016 dates are: January 11th-15th, 2016 for the General Wait list and February 8th-12th, 2016 for the Non-Elderly Disabled wait list.
Sincerely,
Lesly Gonzalez
Voucher Program Manager
541.323.7416 [email protected]
Christi Solheim
Housing & Portability Specialist
541.323.7403 [email protected]
Stephanie Westendorf
Housing Specialist
541.323.7418 [email protected]
Emily Loza
Housing Quality Standards Inspector
541.323.7417 [email protected]
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Housing Works invites you to "Like" us on Facebook or "Follow" us on Twitter.
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Community Calendar 
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What's going on in your area
Click on the links below to find out what's happening in your area. Have fun!
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We appreciate all of your feedback and look forward to your ideas and suggestions in the future.
Here's to everyone's success. Please feel free to contact the PATHWorks team with any questions you may have. We are here to help you reach your goals!
Sincerely,
Your PATHWorks Team
Bilingual Client Services Coordinator
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Disclaimer: Third Party Information, articles and links provided within this newsletter are publicly available via the internet. Housing Works and Families Forward does not take responsibility for the content, suggestions or information provided by third party articles, websites or the information and offers within. It is the sole responsibility of the reader to evaluate all the material or offers and determine if it is appropriate to participate or use the information provided within.
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