Education Roundup, Partner Spotlight, Meet Our Interns, Coming Soon! Newsbriefs l September 2023 Developing Affordable Homes & Helping Communities Thrive Since 1975 Education Roundup Building Literacy with AI Otto is an AI-driven program that supports literacy development by giving students immediate reading feedback and helping them with phonics and letter sounds. During summer camp, AHC piloted Otto with positive results, so AHC is continuing to pilot it this school year. Reading and Forming Relationships AHC’s partnership with the Arlington County Police Department is expanding. Last school year, police officers worked one-on-one with students in AHC’s Afterschool program at one site to promote literacy and relationship-building. This year, the officers will work with students at three sites, broadening the program’s reach. Support for Volunteers and Students Volunteering with AHC’s Afterschool program just got a lot easier. This fall, volunteers will receive literacy kits, packed by students at the Potomac School, with sight word cards, comprehension questions, and more to help make the one-on-one sessions more organized and provide volunteers with everything needed to make the most of their time helping young readers. Big Decisions by the Board AHC Board members and senior leadership met to discuss the five-year strategic plan at a special Board retreat this month. They finalized the new mission, vision, and values, helping AHC move forward with residents at the center. Giving Back Through Digital Literacy The first time Norman Brown interacted with a computer was in 1986. He was a “mechanic by trade” and a member of the Marine Corps. Norman was fixing his friend’s car while he was in the service, but the car wouldn’t start. They spoke to the car dealer, and he asked if Norman had restarted the computer. “What does the computer have to do with the car?” Norman said he thought at the time. Since that first interaction, Norman has become a student and a teacher in the field of computers. At MonteVerde, an AHC community in Baltimore for seniors and non-elderly residents with a disability, he teaches free computer classes for the other residents. “Just seeing the resident's face when they learn something new — that right there tells me that I've done my job,” Norman said. Read Full Story Partner Spotlight Understanding Finances with M&T Bank This summer, AHC partnered with M&T Bank to bring financial literacy workshops to residents at the Apex. These workshops covered budgeting, credit scores and reports, and identity theft and fraud. Thank you, M&T Bank, for these valuable classes. We look forward to expanding this partnership to reach more residents! Urban Alliance Internships and Honors Urban Alliance works with high school students in cities across the United States to provide them with job experience, mentorships, and more. Last school year, Nyomi Toogood worked with AHC in Baltimore through a paid internship with Urban Alliance. At the 2023 Baltimore Region End of Year Event, Latrice Goode, AHC Senior Resident Services Manager at MonteVerde, received the Mentor of the Year award. Watch this short video to learn more about Urban Alliance's 2023 program. Meet Our Interns! We are lucky to have several students working as interns with us this fall. The students are supporting our Resident Services team, Community Engagement team, and Greater Baltimore office. Many of them are working with us as a part of their Master of Social Work (MSW) programs. We also have a new AmeriCorps VISTA working with our Resident Services team. Join us in welcoming them! Read Details In Case You Missed It Check Out These Links Want an update on our upcoming partnership with Goodwill of Greater Washington? Check out this article from Washington Business Journal.  Harkins Builders did a wonderful feature story about The Terraces at Arlington View (and it was featured on their magazine’s cover!). Did you miss our short video about how we engage with residents? Watch it now. Rent Relief in Maryland We helped AHC families apply for Maryland's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) COVID-19 Rent Relief Program. Through the program, 46 families who faced a COVID-related hardship received $358,000 in rent relief. Programs like this help our residents manage high living costs. Gates of Ballston - Grand Opening of Renovated Center On September 9, we hosted a community cookout at Gates of Ballston for the grand opening of the renovated community center. The renovated building has new paint, flooring, and furniture. We chose the new colors of the building with a trauma-informed lens to create a calming and welcoming space. We invited the community to learn about resources and to see the brand-new building. A big thank you to all the partners who made this event a great success! Get Involved! 90+ Volunteers Needed AHC's education and food distribution programs depend on the help of 100s of volunteers. Reading buddies help elementary school students with literacy skills and homework. Teen program volunteers focus on academics plus life skills and career exploration. Food distribution helpers give out fresh, free groceries to residents. If you can't volunteer once a week, you can make snack bags for students in our programs or welcome baskets for the families moving into The Terraces at Arlington View. Learn more on AHC's website, by emailing [email protected], or by attending a virtual information session. Click on the date below to register. · Tuesday, September 26, 12-12:30pm Combined Federal Campaign Giving Studies show that when you GIVE HAPPY, you get happy too! Are you a Federal employee or retiree? Then GIVE HAPPY to us through the CFC using AHC charity #77198. One of the great benefits of the CFC is that you can give through payroll deduction or annuity, giving a little each pay period and supporting our residents all year long. Thank you! Exciting news coming soon about our logo and name! Make sure you follow us on social media and check your inbox in the next couple of weeks. Click on the icons below to follow us on social media.   AHC Inc. | 703-486-0626 | 2230 N Fairfax Dr, Arlington, VA 22201 | www.ahcinc.org | DONATE NOW! | Jobs at AHC Inc. AHC Inc. | 2230 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22201 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!