Summer 2023
June is National Homeownership Month!
It's one of our favorite times of the year! June is National Homeownership Month, so if you've been considering buying your first home but don't know where to start, register for one of our First Time Homebuyer Workshops on our website today at www.scdhc.com/workshops!
We currently have Down Payment Assistance available in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Petersburg, Hopewell, and Colonial Heights. If you’re interested in purchasing your first home in one of these areas, the first step is to call (804) 231-4449 or visit our website.
SCDHC also recently launched our housing counseling services in Emporia, Virginia! We currently offer homebuyer education, credit counseling, financial education, rental counseling, prepurchase counseling, and foreclosure prevention counseling. If you or someone you know lives near Emporia, give us a call at (434) 368-7886 or visit our website to see how we can help you reach your housing goals!
Grilling Safety
Contributed by Twandra Lomax-Brown
Your guide to healthy grilling!
Summer is the perfect season for grilling, but it's crucial to exercise caution while preparing your food. Annually, countless people get sick from foodborne illnesses linked to improperly cooked food or food stored in hot conditions. Follow these tips to ensure a safe and delightful barbecuing experience:
Scrape the grill before cooking. Heat the grill to kill microorganisms before placing meat or poultry on it. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends ground meats be cooked to 160 degrees F. For steak, temperatures may vary. A "medium rare" steak can be cooked to 145 degrees F, a "medium" steak is cooked to 160 degrees F, and a "well done" steak is cooked to 170 degrees F.
Whole poultry should be cooked to 180 degrees F in the thigh. Breast meat should be cooked to 170 degrees F. When poultry is done cooking, juices will run clear with no pink when cut.
Use tongs or a spatula to turn meat. Separate clean tongs or spatulas should be used for removing meat or poultry from the grill. Avoid cross-contamination with uncooked meat. If you're preparing steak, ground meat, and/or poultry at the same time, use a different knife, utensil, or thermometer to check for doneness. Wash thermometer in hot soapy water and rinse before and after use.
Discard any food left out for more than two hours or one hour if the temperature outside is above 90 degrees F. When in doubt, throw it out!
Welcome, Kathleen!
SCDHC is excited to announce the newest member of our team, Kathleen Crowder! Kathleen joins us as a Housing Program Coordinator at our Emporia office. She has extensive experience working in the community and is a lifelong resident of Emporia! Kathleen is a wife and mother to three wonderful teenagers. She is environmentally conscious, enjoys nature, and takes a holistic approach toward life. We are excited to have Kathleen as a part of our team and know she will be a great addition in our work to promote affordable housing throughout the region.
Henrico NAACP Housing Symposium
Lil Marie Espinoza and Michael Giancaspro, valued members of our FOC, participated in the NAACP Housing Symposium hosted by Henrico County on June 10th. The event aimed to facilitate connections between residents and vital housing resources, including homebuyer education, tenants' rights materials, and strategies for eviction prevention.
The symposium encompassed informative lectures, insightful panels, interactive discussions, and vendor exhibits. Through their representation of SCDHC, Lil and Michael effectively disseminated information about our comprehensive services and engaged in impactful outreach to the local community. We continuously commend the commitment of our staff, who exhibit unwavering passion in assisting individuals to achieve financial stability and prepare for the future!
Financial Opportunity Center
People We Serve - Success Story
Ms. S is starting 2023 off with a bang! She's a 24-year-old Latina residing in Chesterfield and came to the Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) last year while attending school at VCU. With graduation quickly approaching, Ms. S realized she would need to compile resources for employment and financial education.
Ms. S contacted the FOC for assistance and, with the help of our Financial Coaches and her hard work in school, she successfully graduated and was ready for the workforce.
Ms. S has obtained two jobs and is excited to start her journey toward financial stability. Fortunately, she has been regularly saving for the past few years and her hard work has paid off! She was eligible to receive a check from the Wells Fargo Savings Initiative.
Her next goal is to receive financial education from our FOC team and learn to better manage her finances. Congratulations to Ms. S and all her hard work!
SCDHC Staff & Board Member Participate in Re-Entry Job Fair
On Saturday, April 22nd, our Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) Program Manager, Nury Mojica, and one of our board members, CJ Sailor, attended a Re-Entry Job Fair. The purpose of the Job Fair was to connect returning citizens to potential employment opportunities. Employers who attended were able to have conversations with attendees interested in applying for jobs. In addition to the Virginia Office of Attorney General and Attorney General Jason Miyares, the following organizations co-hosted the event: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Americans for Prosperity Virginia, Community Staffing Agency, and Project Give Back to Community.
Jim’s Handy Home Hints
Taking the time to clean your air conditioner’s drain (the condensate line) can have a great positive effect on how efficiently your system runs. The condensate drain plays a key role in removing condensation from the home and can become clogged if not properly cleaned.
You will need the following items to clean your air conditioning condensate drain:
Rags
A funnel
Distilled water or vinegar
Wet/dry vacuum
How to clean the drain:
1. Turn off the power to your unit at the thermostat and the circuit breaker.
2. Find the " air handler" unit in the attic or utility closet ( sometimes in the crawlspace). The drain line is usually located directly under the unit.
3. If you see "standing water" in the drain pan, your drain line is clogged. Use your shop vacuum to remove the water from the pan, you can also use the rags to soak up the water. This is where you clean the pan of all dirt and debris.
4. In most cases, a clogged drain can be cleaned with suction. Use your vacuum to pull the clog through the drain opening, which is located outside your home near the foundation. Place your hand around the pipe to improve the suction, and allow the vacuum to run until the drain flows freely.
5. If you are unable to clean your air conditioner' s drain line, call a local professional. Check the drain line periodically to ensure that condensate is being removed properly.
People we serve - getting “tech savvy”
The FOC receives funding from LISC Virginia to provide digital skills services including individualized one-on-one appointments, access to laptops/tablets, and group computer skills workshops to increase technology competence.
SCDHC’s FOC has provided digital skills services to 51 clients in 2023, including 38 who have received one-on-one instruction. In total, the FOC has provided 22 digital literacy workshops so far this year!
The FOC Digital Literacy Program seeks to meet clients where they are so they can be prepared to use their digital skills in the workplace and at home. As a FOC, we believe that every client can benefit from digital literacy services. Lessons are tailored to the needs of our clients so that we can help them to succeed and grow.