Subscription Services This is Project Access School Readiness Programs Receive State Funding Three New Learning Centers Open in Southern California Texas Program Created Board of Directors Expanded, Advisory Board Established Strategic Planning Process Underway Focus on the Volunteers – Elizabeth Chong How You Can Help

Project Access, Inc. was established in 1999, to bring education and health programs to the residents of low-income affordable housing developments. The guiding principle of the organization is the belief that, when families have access to the appropriate tools, they can achieve health and self-sufficiency. In this way, both the residents and the property owners benefit through the creation of a stable, positively-motivated community. By working with property owners and managers, schools, health care organizations, and a variety of other public and private community service agencies, Project Access seeks to provide free programs and services for low-income families – utilizing all available assets to address their specific needs and goals. This is accomplished through the creation of on-site learning centers, or, where on-site space is not available, by assisting off-site community service organizations to provide outreach into the developments.

The Orange County Children and Families Commission has received approval from the State of California to use Proposition 10 tobacco tax revenue to fund a comprehensive school readiness initiative, including a collaborative proposal involving Project Access and the Santa Ana Unified School District that will establish a series of high-quality early childhood and adult education programs at the Warwick Square Apartments. The various programs are designed to ensure that children, and especially the children of non-English speaking families, are ready to learn when they enter elementary school – eliminating a hurdle that can otherwise hinder or doom their prospects for future academic success. The programs include pre-kinder morning and afternoon classes presented by SAUSD staff; an early-intervention, pre-kinder Reading Readiness Program presented by the City of Santa Ana Department of Parks, Community and Recreation; home-based activities for building language acquisition and modeling appropriate parental teaching strategies, presented by the UCI HABLA Program; and the in-home and center-based family support and abuse prevention services of the ABC Great Beginnings Program. In addition, a program of adult English classes and childcare services to maximize the English language development of parents and their children will be provided by the Community Based English Tutoring (CBET) program; and a series of parent education classes will be presented that will include literacy, nutrition, parenting skills, access to higher education, and information regarding health and social services.

Following the successful launch of the resident services program at the Malabar Apartments in Garden Grove (Newsletter, Vol.1, No.1), Project Access has joined with KDF Holdings and Foundation for Social Resources to establish learning centers at three other southern California affordable housing sites in which they are partners. In Fullerton, the 204 low-income families at the North Hills Apartments now have an after-school tutoring program five days each week in a beautifully renovated community room. Project Access is working with the director, Jennifer Elizarrez, and the property manager, Patricia Tussey, to create a computer lab, and to expand the programs and services that are offered on-site to the residents. In Camarillo, the on-site Social Services Director Elise Gillespie and Village Property Management regional supervisor Beverly Sickler now offer a learning and resource center for the 150 low-income households at the Park Glenn Apartments, which will present a range of beneficial programs for both children and adults. Project Access provides connections to community outreach services that will benefit these families, as well as the residents of the affordable Park Glenn Seniors development, located nearby.

The Sterling Point Apartments, located in the Vickery Meadow area of Dallas Texas, is the site of an intensive, cooperative effort to engage the residents in activities that will help them to build their neighborhood and achieve their goals. Project Access has provided financial assistance and guidance that have been instrumental in the establishment of Heart House – a new nonprofit corporation that is providing an after-school program and a variety of educational outreach programs on-site at the renovated community center. A substantial donation of time, labor and materials was made by the local Junior League to help bring about the transformation of the space. Working with the property owner, AOF/DFW Affordable Housing Corp., Project Access has also helped to establish a second Heart House program at the nearby Dakota Apartments – a very large affordable development that is home to 584 low-income families.

The Board of Directors has been expanded to ten members, and an Advisory Board has been created, to provide broad-based leadership in the fulfillment of Project Access' mission to empower the families and senior residents of affordable housing communities to achieve self-sufficiency and independence. You are invited to visit the website at www.project-access.org, where you will find a list of the members of the Advisory Board and biographical sketches of each member of the Board of Directors.

Thirty participants representing a wide range of stakeholders – from the YMCA of Orange County, the Affordable Housing Clearinghouse, and Catholic Charities, to the City of Anaheim, the U.S. Department of HUD, and the office of Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez – attended a strategic planning retreat to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Project Access. The meeting provided a wealth of valuable insights and creative ideas, and will help to define the goals and strategies by which the organization brings services to low-income families. The Board of Directors is continuing the strategic planning process, with the assistance of consultant Sandy Sladen, the members of the Advisory Board, and a number of focus groups.

"One of the main challenges I have had in working with these children is in helping them build their self-confidence. All of our learning and recreational activities have been focused on that goal. Now, the children are more comfortable when they speak before an audience; they share their skills and help each other more; and they are more tolerant of the opinions of others." Elizabeth Chong is a college student who is studying to be a teacher. She lives at the Pacific Point Apartments in Oxnard, California, where many of her neighbors are farmworkers – whose limited English and computer skills hamper their ability to assist their children with homework. For the past two years, Elizabeth has volunteered her time at the on-site learning center, coordinating the after-school program and tutoring the resident children. As a result of her efforts, the children are demonstrating marked improvement in critical thinking and academic achievement, and are moving up in reading and math levels. The parents and children are both excited by the improvement in grades and test scores, but equally gratifying to Elizabeth is the social and emotional development of the students.

The overhead and administrative expenses of Project Access are presently underwritten by a grant from Foundation for Social Resources. As a result, 100% of all contributions and in-kind donations are directly applied to the programs and services that are provided to low-income families. To make a contribution, or for more information, please contact: Project Access, Inc. 4029 Westerly Pl., Ste. 101 Newport Beach, CA 92660 (949) 253-3120 www.project-access.org

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