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In This Special Edition:Change the date, nominate, donate! |
RECEPTION POSTPONED: Doing What Needs To Be Done - a reception honoring tenant attorneys
The reception that was scheduled for April 26th is being postponed to November 2007. You will receive more information in October. Housing Rights, Inc. and our co-sponors will recognize local attorneys who have taken on the challenging task of representing tenants. Housing Rights, Inc. is honored to work with a panel of such attorneys who are part of our Lawyer Referral Service.
To Be of Use:
I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again
Marge Piercy
Announcing: Helen Lima Standing Tall Award
Because the April 26th reception was postponed we will hold a separate and special party on Sunday June 10 from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Invitations will go out soon.
This award will be given to the nominee who most inspires those around him/her to stand up and make a difference! Nominations are being accepted now. Please complete the following form and return to: Housing Rights, Inc. P.O. Box 12895, Berkeley, CA. 94712. Fax: 510-548-5805. E-mail: hri@housingrights.com. Last day for submissions has been extended to June 1, 2007..
Criteria:
Some of us have 'IT', others of us want it. And that is an indomitable spirit and will to inspire and move others. And many times these special people are not obvious, are not in the news, don’t make the big bucks. They are ‘everyday people’ around us who inspire us with their courage. Their courage to take on the tough issues and stand up. If you know someone like that consider nominating them for the Helen Lima Standing Tall Award. In her later years, Helen was very concerned about affordable housing, especially Section 8 housing. However, she took on many causes in her long life and is remembered by many for her hard work and willingness to 'stand tall'. For a nomination form and to find out more about Helen Lima go to our website: www.housingrights.com/whatsnew/HelenLimaStandingTallAward.htm.
It's Spring, time for garage sales! Housing Rights, Inc. Garage Sale, Please RSVP
Dear Housing Rights Supporters and Advocates:
In support of the fantastic work that Housing Rights Inc has performed over the past 28 years, I am extending this invitation to give back in a fun and meaningful way. Having been a past employee and a renter for over 20 years, I can honestly say that the work HRI does in Alameda County and Contra Costa County is critical to the health and welfare of our communities.
During the past 28 years (yes we have records that go that far back!), HRI has accumulated a great deal of legal documentation, client files, outreach materials and office supplies. The HRI office is simply too small to accomodate all of these necessary items, and yet, due to the nature of traditional funding sources, there is no money left over for a storage unit. This means that the hardworking staff must navigate an overcrowded and cramped workspace. BUT, WE CAN EASILY CHANGE THIS. By raising $2,500, we can pay for a storage unit for an entire year.
I am inviting all HRI supporters to participate in a two-day yard sale on May 12 and 13 from 10am to 3pm at my house (1060 Stannage Avenue, Albany, between Marin and Dartmouth).
I am requesting two types of help. First, I invite you to bring your USEFUL and SELLABLE items to our house the first morning of the event, between 8am and 9:30am. We will be starting the garage sale at 10am sharp and need time to set it up. Second, I invite all to help out on saturday and/or sunday to participate in the sale. It is particularlly critical to have people at the beginning to help set up, and at the end to help put the items in our garage for the evening, or on Sunday, to load them into a truck to donate to goodwill and/or the dump:(.
I will be providing snacks and drinks and music on both days.
Please let me know when you can commit to coming and if you can bring items to sell. If you can, let me know what items you will be donating so I can put it in the advertisements and draw a lot of buyers. I think this should be really fun and an opportunity to kvetch about politics, gossip mercilessly, tell stupid jokes and meet interesting garage sale denizens.
Also, if you are so inclined, please pray for sunny skys, temperatures ranging from 60-75 degrees and a very light breeze.
I look forward to this event and seeing all you fabulous people. Please RSVP to me at jsusskind@hotmail.com
With, love, peace and justice,
Jennifer Susskind
HRI Around Town
You will find HRI board and staff at the following locations!
April 25th- Faith Brunch at Hs. Lordships.
April 28th - HRI staff will participate in the University of California Village Health and Wellness Fair, Berkeley
April 28th -HRI staff will participate in the “Week of the Young Child” Fair at Small World Park in Pittsburg
April 29th - April is Fair Housing Month Forum. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Berkeley
April 30th - Strategy meeting for Mt. Diablo Housing Opportunity Center, Concord.
May 1 and 15 - Attorney Counseling Evening: at the Contra Costa offices of Bay Area Legal Aid (1025 Macdonald Ave in Richmond) from 6 to 8 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month and in Concord at Monument Futures (2699 Monument Blvd #G) on the third Tuesday of each month. The events are co-sponsored with Bay Area Legal Aid and the Contra Costa County Bar Association.
May 15, Loan Document Review Clinic at the City of Richmond Public Library from 6 to 8 p.m. This event is sponsored by the West Contra Costa County Don't Borrow Trouble Campain. HRI is a proud member of that campaign.
May 17 - CC-Match Orientation meeting, 7 to 9 p.m. at Monument Futures, 2699 Monument Blvd. #G, Concord.
May 26 to 28 - Kidfest in Concord.
May 31st - Apartment Owners meeting in Antioch.
June 2, - First Five Festival in Concord.
June 16 - Juneteenth Festival in Berkeley
For more information about our activities check out our website: www.housingrights.org/whatsnew/calendar.htm
Stomp Out Discrimination
Join us in “stomping” out discrimination
until difference no longer makes a difference
in a world where every child is smiling….
- Free from hunger
- Free from harm
- Free from homelessness
- Free from hate
Housing Rights, Inc. was founded in 1979 by a law student who could not find housing because she had young children. We are committed to seeing that that does not happened to others. Join us in fighting to uphold the ‘housing rights’ of everyone.
Our Goals with your help, are to eliminate discrimination in housing, prevent evictions/foreclosures and encourage diversity in our communities. We do this by assisting tenants and landlord, homeowners and housing providers to understand their rights and responsibilities and resolve problems, so that EVERYONE will have a real opportunity to live in decent, affordable housing wherever it may be located.
Your support will make it possible to keep our housing rights counseling services free to all who call...renters, homeowners, landlords and others for ANOTHER 25 YEARS!
Donations of time money and goods are welcome. If you want to combine your passion for recycling with supporting Housing Rights, Inc. bring us your used printer cartridges! HRI is recycling cartridges. (We receive a fee for each cartridge!
We are also collecting BART cards. BART will pay is the leftover amount on the cards. Each .05 or .10 adds up!Visit our website to learn more about how to donate to Housing Rights, Inc.: http://housingrights.org/joinourteam/donate.htm
Announcements
Housing Rights, Inc. has added a new service: we are eligible to provide Reverse Mortgage Counseling. Call us for more information.
Housing Rights, Inc. will be opening the Mt. Diablo Housing Opportunity Center. This Center will be co-located with Concord Community Economic Development Organization and other community partners. Initial funding is coming from the City of Concord. You will find a description of the Center at this link.
And as always, we are very fortunate to work with a very accomplished group of interns. Our summer interns will be Jean Ellis and Chris Kypreos. Welcome!
We want to thank Becky Deng and Erica Meutshler, both from CAL for their work this last year. Next year school year, Erica is off to Europe to study and Becky will join us again.
| MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to fight for equal access to housing for everyone
by eliminating barriers to housing choice such as discrimination,
sub-standard housing, ignorance, apathy and malice in order to
eradicate illegal housing discrimination, prevent evictions/foreclosures
and encourage diversity in our neighborhoods. |
