More good news! The hard work, all unpaid, by Liz Jaramillo as the work horse of the Ad Hoc Friends of Gateway will be recognized with the 2009 Deacon Frank Mandosa Community Sevice Awardm at the annual meeting of the Arlington Housing Corporation. Professor Barry Bluestone, will present the award.
Professor Bluestone is the founding director of the Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban & Regional Policy and the Dean of the School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy at Northeastern University.
The Housing Corp of Arlington is a great example of people helping people.
Despite these tough financial times, Liz and people like her work to make life better for others. More about Liz and the Friends of Gateway, and how to attend the event
Of course, warm coats and clothing will be collected. When? October 27, 2009 at 6:00 PM, at the Robbins Town Hall Auditorium on Massachusetts Avenue.
Many others, too numerous to list, have helped out. While volunteerism doesn’t fix the problem of homelessness, it can make difference in the lives of those who are strugging to get back on their feet.
Even today, there are more then 70 families with over a hundred children housed temporarily in this one motel, with 2/3 of these children under five. Many lost their housing when banks foreclosed on properties and evicted tenants.
The saddest part of the need of these families is how preventable homelessness really is; we as taxpayers pay far more to warehouse these families then we would for rent in real housing.
Can anyone in the administration tell me what the plan is for affordable housing, and dealing with the approximately 3000% increase in homeless families?
In the meantime – thank you Liz Jaramillo – your willingness and ability to shrug off negativity, juggle care of your children, build coalitions, and come up with creative solutions is a bright light in dark times.
