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Greetings!
We hope you and your family had a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. It's
been a busy month at NeighborWorks® Rochester as we hosted our Home for
the Holidays Reception, kicked off our 2009/2010 Annual Campaign and
welcomed two new members to our Revolving Loan Committee.With your help, we
also got the chance to make someone's dream come true this holiday season. Willie Brown, one of our newest
first-time homeowners, shares his story below. We hope you'll take the time to read his testimony; it's because of people like you that Willie now has a place to call home.Thank you so much for your contributions in 2009. We are grateful for your commitment to join us as we make Rochester a better place to live. We wish you a safe, healthy and happy holiday season! Your input is always valued. If you have any questions or comments, drop us a line at nwinfo@nwrochester.org. |
Thank You!
From
the staff at NeighborWorks® Rochester, we extend a big THANK YOU to
everyone who joined us for our 2009 Home for the Holidays Reception.
We were so happy to kick-off the holiday season with you and your
family.
Brad Cherin, NeighborWorks® Rochester Energy Services
Manager, got the chance to show off his new Infrared Camera at the party and demonstrate its capabilities.
The camera,
designed for locating the area of draft in a home, is a tool that Brad
can use to determine where a home needs more insulation. If you notice
drafts in your home, or have trouble heating your home in the colder
months, you may need to have an energy audit. Contact Brad Cherin for more information: 585-325-4170 ext. 329. |
Making Dreams Come True
For Willie Brown of Rochester, owning a home meant more than just the start of a financial investment; it was his biggest dream finally coming true.
I recently got the chance to sit down with Willie and hear about his long, but rewarding journey to homeownership.
"I always told my children that one day we would have our own house . . . on October 23, 2009, I drove my 9-year-old daughter to the house I had purchased and told her to take the keys and run inside and drop off some bags that I had. She looked at me and said, 'Dad, we're going to get in trouble going into someone's house that's not ours!' I smiled, and said, 'Didn't I tell you I was going to buy us a house one day?' My 9-year-old daughter started crying. I looked at her and said, 'We're home.'"
Prior to October 23, 2009, Willie thought that homeownership was a bleak reality. He signed up to take a few pre-purchase classes at another local organization, but when he heard of the reputation of NeighborWorks® Rochester, he felt compelled to find out more.
"So many people were talking about NeighborWorks® Rochester, and I wanted to be a part . . . I remember starting the class and hearing it would take six months to graduate. I thought it wouldn't pay off, but I was wrong. The group I was in became like a family, and I learned so much about managing my money, creditors, holding on to my receipts and I'll never forget the most important thing I learned, 'Pay yourself first!' Those classes helped get me where I am today."
The classes Willie refers to are the Financial Literacy courses taught through NeighborWorks® Rochester. Financial Literacy is a six-part course, taught once a month for two hours. In it, students learn budgeting, debt reduction, planning for the future and much more.
After being turned down for a mortgage by multiple banks, Willie took the classes and then tried again. With the reputation of the NeighborWorks® Rochester classes under his belt and the training he received, Willie was able to get pre-approved and purchased his first home.
"NeighborWorks® Rochester doesn't sell you a dream. They told me at the beginning of the class that by the end I could purchase a home, and they were right. I still sit and cry sometimes because I can't believe I'm really a homeowner." |
Revolving Loan Committee Welcomes Two New Members
In November, NeighborWorks® Rochester added two new members to our Revolving
Loan Committee (RLC). Cathy Braniecki, the CRA Compliance Manager for KeyBank,
was selected because of her many years experience in community development
lending. In addition to her extensive background in this area of lending, Cathy
has a strong commitment to serving the community, all of which makes her a
natural fit for the RLC.
The other new RLC member joining us is Marcia Berry. Marcia is the
Manager of Zoning for the City of Rochester.
She has many years experience working with building design standards and land
use planning. She has also served on the board of the South Wedge Planning
Committee (SWPC) and is a city resident herself.
NeighborWorks® Rochester is pleased to have these two
exceptional professionals join the work of the RLC. The RLC meets monthly to
review owner-occupant rehab loan applications in accordance with organizational
underwriting guidelines and loan policies. Because of the Revolving Loan
Committee's dedication to meeting NeighborWorks® Rochester's community development mission, we
now have a successful loan portfolio and have been able to re-invest over $1.6 million in our neighborhoods within the past two years.
Welcome aboard Cathy and Marcia!
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NeighborWorks® Rochester 2009 Wish List
Want
to give this holiday season, but don't really have the time or money?
Many nonprofits are always in need of office supplies or computer
software. If you or your company currently has extra items, consider
donating them as in-kind gifts this holiday season to help smaller
businesses out.
Here's a list of what NeighborWorks® Rochester is wishing for this year:
- Two-drawer fireproof filing cabinet with locks (3)
- Four-drawer fireproof filing cabinet with locks (1)
- Kitchen table and chairs for staff eating area (1 table/6-8 chairs)
- Bookcases (3-4)
- New calculators for education classes (25-30)
- 1.5' x 5' foldable tables (5-10)
- New chairs for homeownership classes (10-15)
- Picture frames (black) for certificates/pictures (5-10)
- Tools/toolkits for home repair classes (12-15)
- Desks (6-8)
- Office chairs (6-8)
- Coat rack (2)
If
you're interested in donating an item, please contact Rachel Atwood,
Development and Communications Coordinator at 585-325-4170 ext. 332 or
e-mail ratwood@nwrochester.org. |
Do you own an older Rochester home?
If so, then we've got some fun news to share!
Rochester City Living
recently informed us that the Monroe County Library has digitized City
Directories from 1922-1930 by street name. This means, that you can
look up your street address and see who lived in your home during the
early '20s and '30s!
To search for your home, click here. For the year you choose, click on the "House Directory" link that corresponds with the first letter of your street name.
Find something interesting in your search? Share it with us at: nwinfo@nwrochester.org. |
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