August 2007 - Little Dixie Community Action Agency

LITTLE DIXIE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY
August 2007
Vol. 2 Issue 6
Little Dixie Digest
Employee
of the
Month
June Employee of the Month
is Little Dixie Transit Driver
Edrick Ward. He is shown
with Board Chairman Lewis
Collins and Executive Director
Randall Erwin.
McCurtain County Interlocal Coop forms partnership with LDCAA
The two agencies joined
forces recently to write a
Teacher Incentive Fund
grant, aimed at keeping
quality teachers in southeast Oklahoma schools.
From this joint effort,
leaders of both agencies
forged a more lasting partnership which has been
approved by both governing boards.
“It’s a natural partnership because Little Dixie
is so involved in public
July Employee of the Month is
Nancy Seebeck, Little Dixie
Head Start Nutrition Specialist.
Inside this issue:
Early Head Start update...
3
NeighborWorks America
helps local housing efforts..
4
Images of the high water at
Hugo Lake State Park...
7
Transit Driver Billy Dunn
pens an inspiring poem...
11
MCIC Executive Director Shelley Ebert introduces State Sen. Jeff
Rabon at the August
in-service training for
Choctaw and Pushmataha
County
schools.
Little Dixie Community
Action Agency has forged
a partnership with the
McCurtain County Interlocal
Cooperative
(MCIC), a local education
agency which assists dozens of school districts in
five Oklahoma counties.
schools already,” said LDCAA
Associate Director Jay
Weatherford. “We’re combining
resources. We want to take the
things Little Dixie is good at and
the things MCIC is good at and
bring them together to support the
schools. It’s part of our mission.”
MCIC Executive Director Shelly
Ebert expressed excitement about
the positive potential from the
alliance of these agencies.
“After working with LDCAA on
the teacher incentive grant, I realize
that together we can accomplish
some great things,” Ebert said. “I am
excited because both organizations
have similar goals of improving
communities and schools in our service area. Both agencies have resources that will be invaluable in the
partnership. By pooling our resources together, we can make a
difference in southeastern Oklahoma.”
Little Dixie Housing earns APEX Awards from OHFA
LDCAA Executive
Director Randall Erwin, Board Chairman Lewis Collins
and Housing Director
Ron Walker show
three APEX Awards
presented to Little
Dixie Housing programs by OHFA.
Little Dixie Community
Action Agency received
Apex Awards from Oklahoma Housing Finance
Agency for contributions
made in affordable housing
from January to December
2006.
Presented July 19 at
OHFA’s Board of Trustees
See APEX AWARDS, P. 2
Little Dixie Digest
Vol. 2 Issue 6
Page 2
Former LDCAA
board member
Mark Ezell dies
Mark Ezell, of Idabel, passed
away on June 30 after battling
brain cancer. He was 52.
Ezell, an Ardmore native, was
very active in community affairs
in McCurtain County. Known as
a reliable volunteer, Ezell was a
past member of the Board of
Directors for Little Dixie.
Ezell leaves behind a wife,
Suzie, and two sons: Josh, 7, and
Sean, 5.
Employee of the
Month Guidelines
The Employee of the Month
Committee has nomination forms
available in hopes of encouraging
more nominees for the monthly
award to outstanding Little Dixie
family members.
If you do not have forms in your
office, call Zach Maxwell or Pam
Covington at (580) 326-3351 and
they will fax one to you.
Employees of the Month receive a
T-shirt, gift certificate to local
restaurant and are honored at the
board meeting. They also will be
eligible for Employee of the Year.
Submit nominations by the 15th of
the month in order to be judged
du ri n g t h at mo n th . Su b mi t
nominations to Planning Director
Pam Covington by mail (209 N. 4th
St., Hugo, OK 74743),
email
(pcovington@littledixie.org) or fax
(580-326-2305). Nominations are
judged by the five-member
committee. If the person you
nominate is not selected, it is okay to
nominate that person again the
following month.
APEX Awards presented to three
Little Dixie CAA Housing efforts
Continued from Page 1
meeting in Oklahoma City, the annual Apex
Awards recognize people and organizations in
Oklahoma committed to affordable housing.
Little Dixie CAA received an Apex Award in
the category of Home Ownership for completing
1,500 Self-Help homes. The Self-Help Housing
Program, operated by Little Dixie CAA, was
started in 1974 and helps low-income families
build their own homes. By requiring families to
contribute 65 percent of the labor, the program
provides low-income families an opportunity to
own their home with minimum out-of-pocket
expense, and to gain immediate equity in their
property.
were occupied, many of the tenants were known
drug users, and the building and appliances were
in major disrepair. As a result of Little Dixie
CAA management and rehabilitation efforts, the
complex now maintains a waiting list for its apartments that once again provide families with a
desirable and affordable place to live.
Little Dixie CAA received its third award in the
category of Elderly Housing for obtaining grants
to develop three U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development Section 202 Supportive
Housing projects that provide the supportive
housing needed to allow senior citizens to live
independently. The three projects, Belmont Place
in Hugo, Clayton Place in Clayton, and Kiamichi
Place in Antlers, will create a total of 45 affordLittle Dixie CAA received its second award in able housing units in rural Oklahoma.
the category of Management of Affordable Housing for its management of Terry Hill Apartments Little Dixie continues the tradition of providing
in Hugo. Since it took over management, Terry high-quality affordable housing for the commuHill Apartments has undergone a 180-degree nity’s senior citizens. The apartment complexes,
transformation. When Little Dixie CAA bought with extensive amenities and beautiful landscapthe property, less than half of the 60 apartments ing, will enhance housing options for seniors in
the community.
CASA program receives $31,000 grant
A Little Dixie child advocacy program serving Pushmataha, Choctaw, and McCurtain
counties has just been awarded a $31,000
grant from the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association. This
money will be used to expand advocacy for
abused and neglected children in southeast
Oklahoma.
There are currently over 900 CASA and
volunteer guardian ad litem offices across the
country. Only 181 of these programs received
funds this year from a $6.1 million allocation
from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), U.S. Department
of Justice, as authorized under the Victims of
Child Abuse Act of 1990.
“Each year, we face the nearly impossible
task of choosing programs, among many
highly qualified applicants, that we can recognize with a National CASA grant,” says Michael Piraino, CEO of the National CASA
Association. “We are especially proud of our
2007 grant recipients, for their exceptional
excellence and dedication to helping the
abused children with their communities.”
The Little Dixie CASA program was started
in 1997. In 2006, Little Dixie CASA was able
to serve 82 children with 28 volunteers contributing 971 hours to their cases. Currently,
there are 67 kids being served by 25 volunteers but there is a great need for more volunteers in the program. Two additional cases are
waiting to be assigned to volunteers with DHS
requesting more assistance from CASA. Children are continually being added and placed
into the child welfare system.
For more information or volunteer opportunities, contact Dawn in the Antlers office at
580-298-2921 or email her @ dstandridge@ldcaa.org or contact Jerri in the Idabel
office at 580-286-9348 or email her @
jmitchell@ldcaa.org. To learn how you can
volunteer, go to: www.littledixiecasa.org.
Little Dixie Digest
Vol. 2 Issue 6
Page 3
Little Dixie continues participation in
historic early education State Pilot Project
An Early Head Start pilot program in Antlers, Hugo and Idabel has been extended for another year by the State Department
of Education. The pilot program, which includes a budget of
more than $566,000, will allow Little Dixie Early Head Start to
add new staff, train existing staff, and enhance equipment at
EHS centers.
Participation in the State Pilot Program fits in well with Little
Dixie’s plans to provide more Early Head Start teachers with
Bachelor degrees. Having more Bachelor-degree level educators in centers for children in the 0-3 age range is a rare commodity in early education, according to Little Dixie Head Start/
Early Head Start Director Dawn McDaniel.
The staff of Little Dixie Early Head Start gathered recently to prepare for the 200708 school year at training sessions held at Kiamichi Technology Center. Left to right
in back row: Rebecca Spaulding, Mary Grant, Tracy Jackson, Faye McLemore, Cassie
Hill, Kristy Woolsey, Michelle Strawn, Natha Sullivan, Lechra Fleeks, Tina Foster,
Debra Beshirs. Left to right in front row: Robbie Hill, Sammye Pitt, Becky Harper,
Cathy Wilson, Lila Voss, Bee McSwain, Wanda Brisbois, Liz Calvin, Liz Montgomery.
The pilot program was announced during Head Start and
Early Head Start pre-service training sessions for the 2007-08
school year, held at Kiamichi Technology Center in Hugo.
The Early Head Start program at Little Dixie is a partnership
with the Community Action Partnership of Tulsa County, highlighting the joint effort of community action partners in cities
and in rural areas.
The Many
Faces of
Head Start
Little Dixie Head Start employees who recently received new degrees include: (standing, left to right)
Sandy Carper – Bachelor of Arts, Stella Dennis –
Bachelor of Science, Sheila Price – Bachelor of Arts,
(Seated, left to right) Sue Gibson – Associate of Arts,
Vonda Benson – Bachelor of Science, Elnora Mayes –
Bachelor of Science, and Nancy Seebeck – Bachelor of
Science.
Kim Weatherford of
Little Dixie Head
Start earned one of
three Centennial
Scholarships given
by the Early Childhood Association of
Oklahoma.
Little Dixie Head Start employees in new positions for
the upcoming 2007-2008 school year include: (standing,
left to right) Nichole Curry – Teachers Assistant at Hugo
II, Lashinda Hubbard – Cook Assistant at Hugo, Chrsytal
Tom – Teachers Assistant at Eagletown, Tiffany Ramirez – Special Needs Aide at Horace Mann II, (seated, left
to right) Tori Jordan – Teachers Assistant at Rattan 2 &
3, Candy Brittain – Teachers Assistant at Haworth,
Kandice Nelson – Cook Assistant at Hugo, Holly Janoe –
Teacher at Rattan I.
Marsha Zulkey, Little Dixie
Head Start Health Specialist,
addresses teachers at the
MCIC In-Service in August.
A speaker addresses Head Start and
Early Head Start employees.
Little Dixie Digest
Vol. 2 Issue 6
Page 4
Little Dixie receives $106,000 from NeighborWorks
Little Dixie Community Action Agency, a member of the national
NeighborWorks® network, is receiving $106,000 in flexible second
round grant funds from NeighborWorks® America – providing a
much-needed boost in support of their affordable housing and community development activities. Little Dixie uses funding from
NeighborWorks® America to support services such as credit counseling, financial fitness classes, homebuyer education, and foreclosure
prevention counseling.
“We appreciate the confidence NeighborWorks® America has in
Little Dixie as a leader in affordable housing,” said Little Dixie Executive Director Randall Erwin. “The generous support our agency
receives from NeighborWorks® America allows Little Dixie to provide affordable housing services to many more low-income individuals and families than we would be able to provide otherwise.”
Overall, NeighborWorks® organizations in Oklahoma will receive $510,948 in NeighborWorks® America grants this year. Working together, NeighborWorks ® America and NeighborWorks® organizations throughout Oklahoma will be responsible for
leveraging $15.8 million reinvested in the community to create more
economic development and affordable housing opportunities
for Oklahoma citizens.
Established by Congress in 1978 as the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, NeighborWorks® America is the original community/public/private partnership model, with locally-driven, efficient
community development and leverage of the public investment as its
hallmarks. Over the past 30 years, NeighborWorks® America and
the NeighborWorks® System have consistently replicated this successful model in over 4,400 communities in all 50 states, the District
of Columbia and Puerto Rico; in America’s urban, suburban and
rural communities. NeighborWorks® organizations receive grants
and programmatic support from NeighborWorks® America, as well
as training scholarships to the NeighborWorks® Training Institute.
A Special Note to
Little Dixie Employees
We are working toward the goal of applying the NeighborWorks logo to every official publication produced by Little
Dixie. This mainly involves business cards, brochures. pamphlets, reports and correspondence/letterhead.
Please see the information on Page 5 for the proper use of
the NeighborWorks logo. Remember, it can only be green or
black and there should be no distortion whatsoever. When
producing your next batch of business cards, employee ID
badges or brochures, please include this logo and refer to this
information for proper usage.
5-year employees, new officers introduced at Little Dixie Board meeting
Five Year
Service Awards
Head Start
•
Little Dixie Transit Driver Justin Reeves received a five year service award from Little
Dixie Board Chairman Lewis Collins and
Executive Director Randall Erwin. His certificate was presented at the board meeting
held at the Forestry Heritage Center in Beavers Bend State Park. Due to school starting,
Head Start and ERF award winners were not
available for photos.
Brenda Everett
•
Carol Macon
•
Kristy Priddy
Early Reading First
•
New officers
for the Little
Dixie Board of
Directors are
(left to right),
Secretary/
Treasurer Brent
Franks, ViceChairman Herb
Matlock and
Chairman
Lewis Collins.
Lorinda Vinyard
Little Dixie Transit
•
Justin Reeves
Little Dixie’s newest board
member is Joel Taylor. He
represents the City of Antlers,
where he is the city manager.
Little Dixie Digest
Vol. 2 Issue 6
Page 5
Little Dixie Digest
Vol. 2 Issue 6
Page 6
August Birthdays
New titles and arrivals for
Little Dixie family members
4-Linda Bond
Several Little Dixie family
members received new job titles
or duties this summer, and a couple of them received new duties
at home as well.
7-Terry Wren
10-Herman Adams
Sandra Herd
Zach Maxwell
Tiffany Ramirez
12-Frankie Hinton
Joy Smith
13-Karen Burton
14-Gary Daniel
Clark Le Force becomes Director of Operations for Little Dixie, moving to the Administration offices from KDC.
Sheree Ensley
15-Delon Mosby
17-John Morton
18-Randall Erwin
19-Tori Jordan
Candy Brittain
22-Tiwangia Tarkington
23-Theresa Maytubbi
Barbara Moffitt
25-Elizabeth Montgomery
27-Susie Roberts
28-Brenda Needham
Deanna Medders
Frankie Hinton is now Tourism Parks
& Operations Director. Job duties will
include oversight of tourism marketing and media promotions of Little
Dixie-managed state parks in southeast Oklahoma. He will coordinate
with Oklahoma State Tourism Department and various collaborative
organizations involved in attracting
tourists to the area.
Lindsey Moore
29-Richard Baggs
30-Kernie Boggs
31-Randall Crumley
Jim Earnest
September Birthdays
1-Sandra Forbus
2-Kathy James
3-Danny Terrebonne
4-Chris Willis
More to Come...
— Congratulations to Shane &
Becky Reynolds, who welcomed
baby Kacie Brooke Reynolds on
Aug. 6. Kacie Brooke weighed 6
pounds, 7 ounces. Becky is an
Associate Director in LDCAA’s
Administration Office.
— Billy and La Shonda Johnson brought little Chaize L’Keith
Johnson into the world on June 8.
La Shonda is a teacher at Horace
Mann Head Start in Hugo.
Natasha Cathey
21-Darlene Holleman
There are new names, faces and
job descriptions popping up all
over Little Dixie, so here is a
quick review of what’s new:
Vickie Greer, formerly with Little
Dixie Self-Help Housing, is now a
training specialist in the SHARE
program. Her duties include helping
housing programs in 11 states,
including technical assistance to
groups rebuilding the Gulf Coast
two years after Hurricane Katrina.
Little Dixie
welcomes the
following new
family members
hired since July 1…
Rita Burke
Delon Mosby
Lori Peevy
Dennis Roberts
Holly Janoe
Tori Jordan
Dana Patterson
Natasha Cathey
Kandice Nelson
Aleisha Voorhees
Leslie Brown
Bilie Darity
Julie Palmer
Tammy Stankus
Lindsey Thomas
—
Sharon
Pennell
(Administration) is now officially
titled as “Fiscal Officer” for Little Dixie.
— Clark Le Force is now
LDCAA Director of Operations.
He comes to the Administration
office following his role as Systems Manager at Kiamichi Development Corporation.
— Frankie Hinton’s duties
have been expanded to include
Tourism Parks & Operations
Director as of July 1. He adds a
welcome layer of support to
LDCAA’s tourism division. He
will oversee all operations and
maintenance at Clayton Lake,
Raymond Gary, and Hugo Lake
state parks, as well as the Group
Camps at Beavers Bend.
— Vickie Greer has joined the
team at Little Dixie Self-Help
Assistance, Resources and Education (SHARE), crossing the
hall from Self-Help Housing
where she coordinated the group
workers in Choctaw County.
Chaize L’Keith Johnson
Son of Billy and La Shonda Johnson
Kacie Brooke Reynolds
Daughter of Shane & Becky Reynolds
Little Dixie Digest
Vol. 2 Issue 6
Page 7
Lakeside parks carry on during near-record rise in water
Summer cabin rentals at Hugo Lake nearly unaffected by high water; marina remains closed
Three Oklahoma state parks managed by Little Dixie
were impacted by the early summer rain, which continues
to flood Hugo Lake. Clayton Lake State Park in Pushmataha County escaped the brunt of rising water, and Raymond Gary State Park saw the lake there rise several feet
in a mid-July rain event, closing roads for a time but causing no permanent damage.
By far, Hugo Lake State Park is being impacted the most
from the summer rains. The Kiamichi River watershed
filled the lake as dam gates were closed to ease downstream flooding along the swollen Red River.
A cabin sits surrounded by Hugo Lake earlier this summer. Floodwaters never got
inside any cabins at the lake.
A fuel storage tank was removed as
waters crept higher at Hugo Lake
Marina.
Group Camps report
successful summer
BEAVERS BEND RESORT
PARK — Little Dixie Group Camp
Manager Mark Hammer told the
LDCAA Board recently that the
camps were just about full all summer long. Church groups, band
camps, youth gatherings and family
reunions all took advantage of the
two Group Camp facilities at Beavers Bend, north of Broken Bow.
Hammer offered Little Dixie board
members a tour of the campgrounds
when they held their August meeting
at the Forest Heritage Center in Beavers Bend Park.
For more information about Group
Camps, call the park at (580) 4946569.
Boaters were level with cabin decks
when Hugo lake reached its highest
point.
Hugo Lake Marina was shut down in July and missed
most of the summer boating season. Damage to the marina
was minimal, confined to timbers on the walkway and a
busted fuel line. The fuel storage tank was removed and
will be replaced before the marina re-opens. Park Manager
Randy Pruitt reports the marina office/store and all boats
and slips escaped damage from the rising water.
The lake level nearly reached the floor of some cabins,
but damage here was mainly to lattice work and landscaping. Park officials are meeting with engineers to repair the
damage, but most cabins have remained open and full of
park visitors throughout this event.
The high water was welcome for some boaters, who had
a rare opportunity to float right up to cabin decks. Children could be seen swimming and floating just beyond the
back door of some cabins, casually swimming between
submerged trees.
For the time being, the park office is located in Cabin
No. 9 at Hugo Lake State Park. For park information, call
LDCAA headquarters at 326-3351.
Water inundates a picnic
table at Hugo Lake, left.
Below, concrete benches
were lifted by wave action
in a post-flood photo.
The deck timbers of Hugo Lake Marina
ramp were washed away by the rising
water.
More photos of the great Hugo
Lake Rise of 2007 can be found in
the Photo Gallery section of our
website…
www.littledixie.org
Little Dixie Digest
Vol. 2 Issue 6
Page 8
LDCAA Self-Help Assistance, Resources & Education (SHARE)
Region 2 Technical and Management Assistance Contractor
Fort Smith agency brings home a
dream for new American family
rehabilitation programs, applied for down payment assistance and
purchased a home with payments of less than $400 a month.
The Licons attended some homebuyer workshops as one of the
program requirements. They learned about the process of buying
a home, loan preparation, shopping for a home, fair housing,
monthly budgeting, avoiding foreclosure, and much more.
FORT SMITH, Ark. — Noel and Sophia Licon of Fort Smith
The Licons obtained a HUD/FHA insured loan through a local
didn't need words to express the joy they felt on September 22,
2006. Unfaltering smiles were the order of the day when the cou- HUD-approved lender in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The City of Fort
Smith provided HOME Funds for the repairs. Federal Home
ple and their two small children moved into their new home.
Loan Bank awarded a grant to C-SCDC that was used for the
The Licons came to the United States legally with the dream of
down payment.
starting a new life
and owning a
home. Noel works
two jobs to make
ends meet. Initially,
the Licons purchased a home in
poor conditions
under a lease purchase contract, in
which they did not
have a legal contract.
Working with
Crawford Sebastian
(C-SCDC), a HUDapproved counseling agency, they
found a house, participated in the CSCDC housing
The Licons got an FHA loan through a local HUDcounseling and
approved lender in Fort Smith.
The dream became reality when the Licons closed on their
home. The proud new homeowners now enjoy central heat and
air in a home featuring vinyl siding and insulation aimed at reducing heating and cooling costs.
Since 2002, C-SCDC has provided assistance to 816 homebuyers through their down payment assistance and housing counseling programs. C-SCDC offers homebuyer education programs,
mortgage delinquency and default resolution counseling, prepurchase counseling and renters assistance counseling.
Housing Counseling Coordinator Karen Phillips explained how
low- and moderate-income families are assisted in buying their
first home. Funds are provided to help with down payment and
closing costs, two major obstacles for many families who want a
home. Owning a home provides families with a greater stake in
their community and is a stabilizing influence in their lives.
The Licons are one of many "lives transformed" by CrawfordSebastian CDC, a HUD-approved housing counseling agency in
Fort Smith, Ark.
Little Dixie SHARE helps InterLakes CAP provide Self-Help homes
BROOKINGS, S.D. — Karen Starkweather was on the verge of
packing up her two children and moving to Great Falls, Montana from
Brookings, to be near her mom. However, a couple of things happened
to change her mind. As a single mother of two special needs children,
Karen had to be concerned about their medical well-being. She discovered that in Great Falls, the specialists her children would need
would have to be flown in, unlike in Brookings where the specialists
were just 40 miles away.
Around this same time, she also heard about a new program through
the InterLakes Community Action Program (ICAP) and Rural Development that could finally earn her a home, provided she met all the
qualifications. This was through the Mutual Self-Help Housing Program, a program where homeowners participate in the building of
their own homes, saving costs and building home equity.
How Rural Development Helped
Rural Development provided financing with a low interest loan for the
Mutual Self Help house that Karen helped build. Karen also qualified for
a grant from Home Ownership Assistance Program (HOAP), a nonprofit organization that promotes homeownership. In addition, she qualified for programs with the Brookings County Housing and Redevelopment and the Brookings Housing Authority. Everybody worked together
and the result was a very affordable house payment for Karen.
Karen now has a new three bedroom home that she loves; she has
never owned a home before so she takes great pleasure in walking into a
home that she knows is her own. Karen worked an average of 30 hours a
week on the program, putting in her time while her kids were at school
or with friends. A bonus for Karen were the new skills she learned while
helping to build her house.
Please see Mutual Help, Page 9
Little Dixie Digest
Vol. 2 Issue 6
Page 9
Northeast Community Action Corporation — Bowling Green, Missouri
Assisted by Little Dixie SHARE — Region 2 Technical and Management Assistance Contractor
NECAC is a nonprofit community action agency delivering
various social service programs to low-income families, seniors, handicapped, and disadvantaged individuals through
grants and contractual agreements with Federal, state, county
and local governments, other nonprofits, and private businesses. NECAC serves about 1,000 people each year. The organization has been providing these services for more than 25
years. It serves a 12-county area in northeastern Missouri.
Kathy Garner, local manager for Senior Jim Talent's office,
said, "what a great event it is when organizations and government agencies come together to provide the real help and support to help people get on their feet and do things on their own."
Deputy Director Potts says, "This is a win-win situation. Nothing is free. It's a great use of federal resources, where people
come together to build several homes, and then pay for the
homes."
NECAC manages the Self-Help Housing Technical Assistance Grant for USDA Rural Development. Through this program, NECAC, as HUD Section 8 Administrator for the 12
counties, and a HUD-approved housing counseling agency
identifies families with Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers to
take part in the Self-Help Housing Program and first-time
homebuyers program. Through NECAC's Self-Help, Housing
Counseling Program, Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, and the Section 8 Homeownership Program, low-income
families in rural Missouri have become first-time homeowners
with instant equity in their homes.
Macie Houston, HUD Regional Director, Region VII, praised
NECAC for a partnership with HUD that allows people to covert their HUD Section 8 rental-assistance vouchers to homeownership credits. She said, "NECAC jumped on when the program began several years ago, and now has become one of the
best housing choice voucher homeownership programs in the
nation--that's NECAC."
Each year, during Homeownership Month, NECAC recognizes families who have successfully completed the Self-Help
Homeownership Program. In 2006, NECAC recognized 15
families who were taking part in the program. Of that number,
11 families have completed their homes and are homeowners.
The four remaining families are still building, and should have
their homes completed by the end of October 2006. Since the
program began in 1998, 41 low-income families have benefited
from the program and are proud first-time homeowners.
According to Carla Potts, NECAC's Deputy Director, the
program takes people who never thought they would have a
chance of homeownership and makes those dreams come true.
At the June 2006 Celebration of New Homeowners, first-time
Homebuyer Theresa Hodge cried tears of joy when describing
the meaning of a new home to her. Hodge said, "we have our
very first home to really call our own. And we have already
made memories by building together, playing together, and
laughing together in our new home."
Don Patrick, NECAC's Executive Director, has stated often
that "NECAC is proud of the partnership it enjoys with USDA
Rural Development and HUD in developing homeownership
opportunities for low-income families in rural Missouri." Pat
Fiala, USDA's Director of its Rural Development Centralized
Serving Center notes that Self-Help Housing is one of the most
successful federal programs.
Nationally, 99 percent of participants stay in their homes until
the mortgage is paid and 90 percent never miss a payment. Ms.
Fiala told participants at the June 2006 event that they were an
inspiration to others on what could be accomplished. She told
them, "all of you are committed to making the dream of homeownership a reality, and you're willing to work to make it happen. What a good lesson for all of us to learn from all of you."
According to Ms. Potts, NECAC only gets $212,000 in federal
funds to run the self-help housing program. However, by combining other public and private funds with the homebuyer's
"sweat equity", the program works! People who once thought
the impossible know the possible. They now have a piece of the
American dream -- homeownership.
Mutual Help Housing provides home for South Dakota mom
Continued from Page 8
Even though it was a lot of hard work Karen said she would recommend this program to anybody, especially single parents or those families with special needs
children. Karen is now looking forward to the spring when she can plant her own
vegetable garden, a little indulgence she has never had before.
“It's just an awesome program, I would recommend it to anybody and I hope it
continues for a long time,” said Karen. “Sometimes I have a hard time believing
this is ours.”
Service recipients for Little Dixie SHARE
Refunded Self-Help Housing Grantees
Crawford-Sebastian CDC, Fort Smith, Ark.
Organizacion Progresiva de San Elizario,
Texas
New Grantee
Family Resources of New Orleans
Little Dixie Digest
Vol. 2 Issue 6
Page 10
RSVP partners with
Choctaw elders and
Perry Thompson
The Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Little Dixie Community Action Agency recognized its partnership with the
Choctaw Nation by presenting an appreciation award to Perry
Thompson and Choctaw volunteers.
Choctaw Nation Tribal Councilman Perry Thompson, left, speaks to weekly senior
lunch patrons during presentation of an award to him from Little Dixie’s Retired
Senior Volunteer Program. Shown with several RSVP and Choctaw Community
Center volunteers is RSVP Director Barbara Moffitt.
Communities Empowering Youth
Boys & Girls Club
Summer Fashion Show
The award was presented July 11 during the weekly lunch
held for Choctaw senior citizens in Hugo. Most of the cooking, service and clean-up is conducted by a hard-working
group of senior citizens, and the RSVP program wishes to
recognize their efforts and support for senior food programs
across Choctaw, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties.
For his support of the seniors’ efforts, RSVP presented an
award to Choctaw Councilman Perry Thompson. The award
was presented by Little Dixie RSVP Director Barbara Moffitt.
In addition to their lunch duties, seniors at the Choctaw
Nation Community Center operate a food booth at local
events, raising money for families in need and to take the
whole senior group on a variety of road trips throughout the
year.
The Choctaw Nation group is just one of many opportunities for senior volunteer involvement through the RSVP program. Any interested senior citizens can call Little Dixie
RSVP at (580) 326-5165 for information on volunteer opportunities.
Coalition Update
Mehlenie Adamson sets up the catwalk before the
first Boys & Girls Club Fashion Show.
Above, boys and girls got to
show off their fashion sense
at the first Boys & Girls Club
Fashion Show, supported by
Little Dixie Communities
Empowering Youth. At right,
fashion show participants
from the Torch Club are
shown.
Pushmataha County: Plans were announced for an Antlers Boys & Girls Club, as well as a 5K run/walk to be held
during the Antlers Deer Festival in October. Irene Roberts of
New Beginnings gave an update on her organization, which
recently moved into a home on Northeast C Street. Nine
people from six Little Dixie programs participated in the
meeting.
McCurtain County: Members of the McCurtain County Coalition for Change are urged to
attend the next meeting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug.
21, or the one thereafter on Sept. 18. Meetings
are held in the MCIC Building behind the courthouse in Idabel.
Choctaw County: Frankie Hinton (LDCAA
Tourism & Parks) was credited with helping the
coalition obtain its tax exempt status. Final plans
were made for the Great Skate Expo, the grand
opening of the coalition’s Hugo Skate Park at
Ansley Park.
Little Dixie Digest
Vol. 2 Issue 6
Page 11
Belmont Place residents participate in
LDCAA Financial Fitness class
Little Dixie Community Action
Agency’s Housing Department is offering Financial Fitness classes to interested groups and individuals in Choctaw, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties. One class at Belmont Place Senior
Housing recently celebrated their
course’s completion with a reception.
Another class of nine people is underway at Hugo Housing Authority’s 13th
Place Nutrition Center.
Classes are available as a free public
service, sponsored by NeighborWorks
America and Little Dixie. Lessons
focus on creation of family budgets,
ways to save money, and how to take
advantage of social service programs
such as food stamps and prescription
assistance. Little Dixie Housing also
offers financial services such as credit
counseling, home weatherization, and
loan packaging.
For more information about Little
Dixie’s financial services, call (580)
326-5165.
Small Business loans available
to Little Dixie employees
Ruth Stutts and Louise Palmer received certificates for completing eight hours of “Financial Fitness” training from Little
Dixie Community Action Agency Financial Assistance Specialists Ruby Gann and Deanne Taylor.
Helping People, Changing Lives
By Billy Dunn
Little Dixie Transit, Clayton
Little Dixie Economic Development Services Director Stacie
Pace has announced that Small Business loans are available to
Little Dixie employees. The loans range from $1,000 to $5,000
and can be used for a variety of business-related purposes.
Helping People, Changing Lives,
To apply for a loan through Little Dixie Economic Development
Services, or for further information, call Stacie Pace or Lisa
Hammons at (580) 326-6441.
Assisting those who have to strive,
Doris Oglesby and Dana O.
Wright have checks to pick up!
If anyone can help locate Doris Oglesby (last known address
Idabel) and Dana O. Wright (last known address Broken Bow),
please have them contact LDCAA Fiscal Officer Sharon Pennell to
pick up checks owed to them. Please contact Sharon at (580) 3263351 with any information.
Look who’s 40… again!
There is no better way,
To make it through the day.
Helping People, Changing Lives,
That’s what we do our best,
Delivering trips and rides,
No matter what the quest.
Helping People, Changing Lives,
A driver’s daily goal,
For the heart never hides,
The satisfaction of the soul.
Helping People, Changing Lives,
Our future’s true and bright,
Happy Summer Birthdays to
Lewis Collins and Randall Erwin
Forever strong we survive,
Never giving up the fight.
LITTLE DIXIE COMMUNITY
ACTION AGENCY
Helping People. Changing Lives.
RANDALL ERWIN
Executive Director
LEWIS COLLINS
Board Chairman
Board Members: Choctaw County
Leeoma Caldwell, Lewis Collins, Kevin
Cory, Tracy Gilbert, Jo Miller, Ray Noble,
Albert Routon, William Smith, Osker Ward.
Board Members: McCurtain County
Pat Baggs, Kenneth Hamilton, Betty Jacobs,
Keith Lowe, Herb Matlock, Jerry Shinn,
Sherri Smith, Arthur Stewart, Jane Wooten.
Board Members: Pushmataha County
Brent Franks, Bruce Hammons, Joe Hill,
Mark McIntosh, Bridget Paxton, Joel Taylor,
Tony Winters.
Little Dixie Digest (printed monthly)
209 N. 4th St.
Hugo, OK 74743
Contact: Zach Maxwell
Phone: 580-326-3351
Fax: 580-326-6655
E-mail: zmaxwell@littledixie.org
From the Desk of Randall Erwin…
Little Dixie Community Action
Agency has always been a partner
and friend to local schools, cities
and county governments. In this
spirit, we are pleased to move forward following a judge’s decision
confirming Little Dixie a 501(c)3
tax exempt state agency.
This agency will maintain its
working relationship with local
governments and schools, and we
will continue to seek out more
opportunities to contribute to the success of
southeastern Oklahoma. We have worked hand
in hand with school districts for 40 years, and
brought in millions of dollars in federal, state and
private grant funding for numerous early education programs.
Just in the past few years, Little Dixie programs have contributed millions of dollars to
early education efforts such as Raising A Reader,
Early Reading First, Early Head Start and Smart
Start Oklahoma. We already know these efforts
are bearing fruit in the form of better educated
youngsters entering local public schools. Our
hope is for these children to be better equipped to
excel in later years, to have more of them attend
college and to have a higher number of local
children growing up to join a wider variety of
professions and vocations.
Like everyone else, we pay sales tax
on all the fuel going into nearly 100
Little Dixie Transit buses and vans.
Overall, Little Dixie employs more
than 300 people, and all of them pay
income tax and are able to contribute to hometown budgets through
taxes paid on local purchases.
The recent lawsuit put us in an
unfamiliar adversarial role with our
partners at the local courthouses.
Now that this is behind us, we intend to maintain our partnerships with county
leaders. Through it all, Little Dixie has sought
out and won grants which directly impact the
local justice system, such as Court Appointed
Special Advocates and Mentoring Children of
Prisoners. We count our commissioners, treasurers, assessors and prosecutors as friends and
neighbors, and we hope the recent events will not
change this relationship.
Little Dixie is always open to suggestions for
improvement or enhancement of our services to
our friends and neighbors who need it most. We
will mark 40 years of “Helping People & Changing Lives” in 2008. We look forward to fulfilling
this mission for decades to come.
Our Self-Help Housing Department has put
more than 1,500 families into new homes in five
southeast Oklahoma counties. Each and every
one of those homes is added to the local tax base.
DATEBOOK...
Upcoming holidays for Little
Church, Antlers.
Dixie employees:
11 September — 10:30 a.m. — Little Dixie
Board of Directors meeting — HomeOwnership Center, Hugo.
Monday, September 3 — Labor Day.
Coalition meeting — Kiamichi Technology
15 September — Super Saturday community Center, Hugo.
event, featuring Little Dixie Financial SerCalendar of Events
vices — Kiamichi Technology Center, Hugo.
23 August — 5:30 p.m. — Boys & Girls
Submit calendar items to:
15 September — 11 a.m. — Bill Grant BlueClub of Choctaw County board meeting —
zmaxwell@littledixie.org
grass on the Mountain Festival supporting
BGC, 208 E. Jefferson, Hugo.
the Alzheimer’s Foundation — Heavener
25 August — 6 p.m. — Men United/Passport Runestone State Park.
to the Future Summer Fun Day — WashingDeadline for submissions to
18 September — 11 a.m. — McCurtain
ton Community Center, Hugo.
County Coalition for Change meeting —
September Little Dixie Digest:
6 September — 10 a.m. — Pushmataha
MCIC Building, Idabel.
Wednesday, Sept. 12
County Coalition meeting — First Christian
18 September — 2 p.m. — Choctaw County