In this Issue 

BHC names new Board Member, new CFO 

Fall Tour Schedule

Wish List: Exercise Equipment for Seniors 

Give to BHC

Follow BHC 

Event Calendar 

Home of the Month 

BHC Links

Publications

Homes

Contact Us 

BHC Celebrates National

National Night Out is an annual, nationwide crime and drug prevention event designed to strengthen neighborhood spirit as well as police-community partnerships.  BHC has participated in National Night Out for several years, and will host the event on Tuesday, August 7 in its Winchester Greens, Market Square, Church Hill and Lincoln Mews communities.

McGruff the Crime Dog was a huge hit at the Winchester Greens National Night Out in 2011, and will return again this year.

BHC's property management and community social work staff are planning activities, food and entertainment for residents of all ages.  The Winchester Greens and Market Square combined event features a fish fry, photo booth, cotton candy, snow cones and a DJ. 

At Lincoln Mews, residents will have a cookout with hotdogs and hamburgers plus a moon bounce, sack race, a pie eating contest and more.  Motivational speaker Robert Edwards will talk about making good life choices, and jazz pianist Bee Boi Boisseau - an international performer - will perform and provide free CDs.

In Church Hill, we'll be part of the neighborhood festivities at the corner of 25th Street and Fairmount Avenue and will share information on home ownership opportunities. 

To see where other National Night Out celebrations will take place in Richmond, click here.    

BHC Receives Bank of America

Bank of America awarded Better Housing Coalition a grant of $25,000 in support of our Church Hill revitalization initiatives.  The funds will support BHC's efforts to strategically acquire blighted properties in the neighborhood and redevelop them as beautiful, affordable homes.

"Giving working families access to affordable housing is central to the economy nationally and here in Richmond," said Gary Gore, Richmond market president for Bank of America.  "We are proud to support organizations such as BHC whose work makes those housing opportunities a reality."

The grant is in addition to the $200,000 Bank of America has already provided to BHC for its revitalization work in Church Hill.  It is part of the bank's $22 million nationwide investment in the housing sector. 

 

Seeking Golden Hammer Award Nominees

Better Housing Coalition will celebrate excellence in neighborhood revitalization and historic preservation with its 13th annual Golden Hammer Awards on Thursday, November 8 at the Hotel John Marshall.  Don't miss this opportunity for your project to be recognized!

The six award categories are:

• Best Single-Family Residential Renovation
• Best Commercial Renovation - 5,000 sq. ft. or less
• Best Commercial Renovation - 10,000 sq. ft. or more
• Best New Infill Project
• Best Neighborhood Design Project
• Green Hammer for Sustainable Design

Click here to download the nomination form.  All nominees will be honored at the awards ceremony in conjunction with BHC's annual Groundbreakers celebration on November 8.   

Tickets are on sale now! 

To purchase tickets or learn more,

visit our Groundbreakers web page.

Casting call for sponsors!

See the new categories available. 

Young Residents Clean Up James River

Young residents at BHC's Winchester Greens community recently participated in their fourth annual clean up of the James River.  Coordinated by BHC's community social workers and sponsored by the James River Advisory Council, the project was a fun and educational experience for the children, giving them a concrete example of how littering harms the environment and what they can do to help.  After filling their bags with trash and recyclable items, the group enjoyed lunch and some play time on the rocks, followed by a celebratory trip to Chester Skateland.

Many enthusiastic participants made a big impact along a stretch of the James River.

One student who participated for the fourth time said, "I'm going to keep helping the community as long as I live here."  Hats off to our social work team for their dedication to sharing the world beyond the neighborhood with the children, and thanks to the JRAC for making this opportunity possible.

Donor Spotlight: Kevin Walters

Kevin Walters

Kevin Walters served as an intern for Better Housing Coalition nearly 10 years ago while working toward his Masters of Urban and Regional Planning at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Clearly, he caught the BHC bug.  After his internship, Kevin became a regular supporter of BHC.  More recently, he joined BHC's Builder's Society of donors who give more than $1,000 annually.

"I have always believed that everything we give comes back to us, manifold," he said.  "Affordable housing is a passion for me, and I am proud to be able to contribute to this fine organization in every way that I possibly can."

Kevin manages supply chain inventory at Owens & Minor, and he operates Practical Feng Shui, a consulting business that incorporates feng shui principles into urban design.

In 2011, Kevin and T.K. Somanath, BHC's president and CEO, presented the Feng Shui and Affordable Housing seminar at the Healthy Homes conference in Denver, Colorado.  The presentation featured the use of feng shui principles in BHC's Beckstoffer's Mill Apartments.

BHC Welcomes New Board Member,

R. Scott Ukrop

R. Scott Ukrop, BHC Board of Directors 

BHC named R. Scott Ukrop to its Board of Directors at its June 2012 meeting.  Scott is principal and director of communications at 3north, an award-winning architectural and design firm.  Earlier in his career, he founded and served as CEO of Grace Street Home Additions, and was also vice president of marketing for Ukrop's Super Markets, where he led the company's pioneering card-based relationship marketing program.

Julie Hovermale, Chief Financial Officer 

Julie Hovermale

Julie Hovermale joined BHC as chief financial officer in May 2012 and manages the organization's $15M operating budget and its finance, accounting and reporting activities.  She will play a key role in capital planning and financing BHC's large real estate developments.  Most recently, Julie was director of finance for Virginia Supportive Housing, and she was a manager for 15 years with Keiter.  She currently serves as a board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and is a member of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Society of Public Accountants. 

Click here to see press releases.

Join BHC for a Community Bus Tour this Fall

BHC invites you to join us for a community bus tour this fall to see how BHC has transformed several neighborhoods in Greater Richmond.  We will also discuss some of the challenges facing affordable housing in the region and how we work to solve them.  Lunch and parking will be provided.

Fall tour dates include:

• Thursday, September 27, 12 - 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 17, 12 - 2 p.m.
• Third tour TBA

Columns on Grove, a BHC community for seniors 55 and up in Richmond's historic Fan District

To register or learn more, please contact Laura Dickinson at l.dickinson@betterhousingcoalition.org or 804-644-0546 x118.

Is Your Exercise Equipment Collecting Dust?

BHC is committed to providing our senior residents with healthy communities in which they can live active lifestyles and age comfortably in place.  Our Carter Woods community, located in eastern Henrico County, is in need of exercise equipment.  The wish list includes: a balance ball and/or balance ring; light hand weights up to 10 lbs; resistance bands; elliptical; treadmilll; and recumbent bike. 

Regular exercise and proper nutrition help BHC's residents reduce occurrences of chronic health conditions like hypertension and diabetes.

We welcome donations of these items, used or unused!  Please contact Lisa Colegrove, community social worker, regarding equipment donations at 804-263-5152 or email.