North Natomas “Explore Your Library” Event

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On Wednesday, May 22, LifeSTEPS partnered with the Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento Public Library Foundation, Friends of the North Natomas Library, and several housing agencies to introduce the numerous positive resources available to local residents at the North Natomas Library. 101_0020The Explore Your Library event allowed attendees to learn about all of the free programs available and also receive a library card if they didn’t already have one. Residents were also encouraged to sign up for the summer reading program that is being offered by the Sacramento Public Library system. As a result, over 80 participants signed up for the summer reading program!  Children that attended the event got to have their faces painted and get a balloon animal. Adults were able to sit in on short classes that highlighted resume tools, employment resources, and many other helpful and free programs. 954702_10151619296489890_1341783771_nThe event was enjoyable for all LifeSTEPS staff and all the residents that attended!

What library resources have you or the residents in the communities you work in utilized recently?

LifeSTEPS’ Caroline Epps to Speak at NPH Workshop

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On Tuesday, May 7th LifeSTEPS’ Director of Policy and Partnerships, Caroline Epps, and Linda Coleman from ABHOW, will be teaching a workshop at the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, also known as NPH.  NPH is the collective voice of those who support, build and finance affordable housing so it’s with great anticipation that LifeSTEPS is able to support them by providing training to their members.  The title of the workshop is “Breaking Down Barriers to Service – How to Engage Residents”.

The workshop will focus on strategies used for resident engagement and will cover the following issues:

The strengths and challenges to resident engagement among the various populations affordable housing serves.

Understanding generational differences.

Tools that are used such as conducting needs assessments, building resident committees, and volunteerism.

A collective effort to synthesize best practices shared among the presenters and participants.

Click Here to register for this workshop and to get more information.

LifeSTEPS Helping Residents Have a Voice on the CA Homes and Jobs Act

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In the months of April and May LifeSTEPS staff have been teaching the “Our Political Voice” curriculum with residents. This curriculum has been designed to educate and encourage residents towards civic and community involvement. In tandem with this curriculum, LifeSTEPS staff will be helping to bring support to an effort happening across the State by participating in the Homes and Jobs Act.

The CA Homes and Jobs Act, SB 391, is an effort to provide a permanent source of funding for affordable housing. Efforts across the state are taking place to hear the voice of residents that express support for the passage of this Bill. LifeSTEPS staff are part of a postcard campaign which gives residents of affordable housing the opportunity to sign on the support of the Bill.

The CA Homes and Jobs Act passed the Senate Governance and Finance Committee on a 5-2 vote on Wednesday, April 24th! The victory won in the Governance and Finance Committee was due to the work of many across the state. The Bill will now proceed to the Senate Appropriations Committee.