The Department of Resident Services Click here for the 2008 Empowerment Calendar The Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s (CRHA) Department of Resident Services is built on the premise that all economic, educational, health and family issues must be addressed concurrently. Mission: To bring together a comprehensive approach to address the wide spectrum of residents’ needs and to provide a means by which CRHA can form partnerships with residential leaders, private and public agencies, and the broader community to promote economic empowerment. Goal: To help residents become self-sufficient. Resident Services staff works as a team to address the following areas: Challenges  Barriers Solutions Challenges of limited economic resources and educational opportunity impede the self-sufficiency of families living in public and assisted housing. Barriers foster permanent dependence. Resident Services seeks to develop strategies that identify and access resources to eliminate these barriers: Lack of adequate financial resources Low wage jobs School "drop outs" Lack of knowledge of GED training and fear of returning to school as an adult Lack of job training skills Lack of child care Lack of transportation The solution is empowerment. Providing direct and indirect services, CRHA helps families achieve greater stability through a combination of life skills development. Workplace training, and employment referrals. Direct and indirect services provided by CRHA staff or partners to assist residents with becoming self-sufficient: Computer training Job readiness training Career counseling Youth sports, summer and after-school tutorial programs/youth development Family Self-Sufficiency program Personal Financial Management, Credit counseling repair Home maintenance Workshops GED preparation Self-esteem group Family counseling Money management Home visits Personal (1:1) Counseling Substance abuse personal counseling Annual Empowerment Conference Annual Back to School Bash Indirect services provided by a few of our partnerships: Opportunity, Inc. - Job training, career counseling Virginia Cooperative Extension Services – Community education Tidewater Builders Association (TBA) – Apprenticeship programs, skills/trade Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – Free income tax preparation and community outreach Sentara Family Care – Insurance for children Community Service Board – community education and awareness Social Services – provides financial and social services to families or individuals YMCA – provides community based programs Tidewater Community College – job training programs Teen Power – male and female mentor group that serves as an alternative to prevention programs Church of the Philippians - GED preparation Judeo – youth development Youth Entertainment Services (YES) – youth development Community Resource Network – Community Resources Woodland Heights Baptist – food baskets Cannon Baptist – food baskets Salvation Army – Toys for Tots Mansonic Temple-(Newport News Chapter) – food baskets Apostle Lutheran Church – food baskets Boy Scouts of America – community service The Urban League of Hampton Roads – AIDS education and testing, job referrals and placement Chesapeake Community on Youth Services – youth development Chesapeake Public School System – GED education          To learn more about Resident Services and its programs - click on this link!     Computer Classes