Winter 2010-2011

COMMUNITY NEWS 517 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453 781-891-6689 www.watchcdc.org

Breaking Barriers Continues Successful English Programs Page 3

Public Housing Tenants at Whalen Apartments Form Tenants’ Association: Page 5

- ALSO IN THIS ISSUE -

WATCH Represented at MACDC Convention: Page 2 Photo Credit: Lolita Parker Jr

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You Voted to Protect the Affordable Housing Law: Page 2

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Tutoring Program Full Speed Ahead: Page 3

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Learn More About WATCH’s Healthy Homes Program: Page 4

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Residents Learn About Opportunities with WATCH: Page 6

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Traducción en Español esta Adentro: Página 7

Have Fun and Cut Carbon with WATCH: Page 4 WATCH CDC

Winter 2010-2011

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WATCH Members Inspired by MACDC Convention

Thanks for Voting No On 2! On Election Day this past November, voters were asked if they wanted to eliminate the state’s primary affordable housing law. You were able to protect this vital law. 58% of the state voted No on Number 2, and Waltham voted just below the state average with 55% voting No in order to support affordable housing. This is impressive as many thought Waltham may have seen a Yes vote majority. WATCH officially endorsed the “Campaign to Protect The Affordable Housing Law” during the summer of 2010. Then we worked with many local residents to call Waltham voters and talk to them about the law. Dick Scobie, past WATCH board president and current dedicated volunteer, spent hours on the phone with Waltham voters. Of this experience Dick says, “The most satisfying part, for me, was having conversations with people who were genuinely confused by the question, helping them to get a better understanding of the law and the reasons it was important to keep it on the books.” Election Day dawned and WATCH members came together to stand outside in the cold, holding signs to show their support for the affordable housing law. Doreen Frigo, longtime WATCH member, felt that “holding a sign for a voting issue was a key in receiving support.” The results have long since been tallied, and with 55% of Waltham voting No, it is clear that Waltham voters, like Dick Scobie, “believe that decent housing is a basic human right.”

A group of WATCH staff and members carpooled out to Worcester on a beautiful Saturday in October for the convention of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations. Even the stunning colors on the trees along the highway were not as incredible as this powerful, dynamic and educational event. We saw many talented CDC members and staff earn awards for their accomplishments. We heard candidates for Governor Tim Cahill, Jill Stein and Deval Patrick talk about the importance of the work of our community development movement for our entire state. We heard members of other community development corporations share successes from their work. We went to workshops about the work that CDCs are doing to become more “green” in their work, on building a strong board of directors and on cultivating diversity in a CDC’s membership. Check out the highlights online, including a piece on MACDC's blog, Making Connections (http://blog.macdc.org/) and in a great video of the day (http://www.macdc.org/about/conventions/2010). If you look carefully you may catch WATCH member, Shayna, who is a tutor for the Breaking Barriers program, in one of the photos in the video. She's about to use the microphone during a part of the day when each CDC shared one success. Shayna spoke about WATCH’s initiation of our very popular tutoring program between adult English learners and community volunteer tutors. We are all fortunate to be a part of this smart, cutting edge, caring, passionate, creative, strong and powerful community development movement. If you want to join WATCH at more MACDC events, stay tuned! There are opportunities to connect throughout the year, but our next field trip will be to the statehouse in the spring for MACDC Legislative Action Day. To learn more, contact Anne at [email protected] or 781-891-6689 x206.

Join the

Landlord and Tenant Alliance

WATCH CDC

~Learn your housing rights/responsibilities ~Take action on the problems facing your community ~Work with others to make change! ~

Contact Anne at [email protected] Or (781) 891–6689 ext. 206 to get involved!

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BREAKING BARRIERS NEWS: Empowering the Community through Education WATCH’s Breaking Barriers English classes and Tutoring Program have increased local immigrants’ understanding of the Waltham community. Participants in both of these programs garin increased language and job force skills, expand their social network and build a deeper connection to their local community. The English classes took a field trip to the Waltham Public Library and everyone left with a library card! For many participants, it was the first time they had ever been to a library. Learners in the tutoring program also have visited the library, enrolled in WATCH’s First Time Homebuyer Class, and received help from WATCH’s Housing Clinic.

Because of the strong sense of community within the program, both tutoring and classes are going strong in the fall semester with an 80% retention rate from the summer. Another connection that the group enjoyed was a visit from Brandeis students who conducted a workshop on non-toxic cleaning. Participants were excited to practice their conversational skills with local students and to learn about healthy cleaning for their homes. One woman said: “The activity was excellent for me. I have asthma and now I know that using chemical based products is [harmful] to my breathing. [The next day] I used vinegar in my kitchen and bathroom and it worked very well.” Because of these opportunities and the strong sense of community within the program, both tutoring and classes are going strong in the fall semester with an 80% retention rate from the summer. About half of the learners are also enrolled in the Skill Step program, a partnership between the Charles River Public Internet Center and WATCH, which provides free computer classes to Breaking Barriers participants. In December 2010, participants, volunteers, and staff will celebrate these accomplishments with potlucks and certificate ceremonies. WATCH CDC

MEET MILDRED AND COURTNEY Mildred is a mother of two elementary school age children. She took English classes at WATCH from 2004-2005, after coming to Waltham from Guatemala. She came back to WATCH to join the tutoring program waiting list in January of 2010 and was so excited to get the call saying she was in the program! Mildred notes, “I had no expectation... really, I had no idea. You said ‘tutoring’ but I had never heard of this before. I didn’t know [what to expect]”. Mildred was nervous the first day but says now “I am happy with this program. I appreciate how Courtney has worked with me. She has helped me a lot.” Courtney came to WATCH interested in volunteering as an English tutor as part of her Peace Corps application process. For her, participating in the program is a learning experience as well as a teaching experience. She says she has learned a lot about the experience of being an immigrant and typical problems that people encounter in their daily lives. Since she has never tutored before, she has “learned how to help someone learn something”, a valuable skill for her future. Together, Courtney and Mildred work on reading and pronunciation and have had the opportunity to learn about each other’s lives. In the past six months, they have hardly ever missed their weekly meeting at WATCH. Mildred’s focus is on her future: she wants to “go up 100% in life” and to help her two children. She aims to pass the GED high school equivalency exam. Both Mildred and Courtney have the goal of finding a career they will love. Participating in this program is helping them to reach their goals! If you are interested in volunteering as a tutor to help someone improve his or her English, learn about another culture, and become more involved with your community, please contact Alex Siegrist at 781-891-6689 ext. 202 or [email protected].

Winter 2010-2011

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WATCH Goes Green! In July, WATCH started working with our members to reduce energy use and help local families save money. Community members can now come to WATCH for:

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Energy efficiency audits & barnraisings Guidance with MassSave programs Assistance with government funded, free weatherization Healthy Homes Mentorship program

If you are interested in any of these programs, please contact Anne Schweitzer at 781.891.6689 x 206 or [email protected] to find out what services you qualify for or to volunteer with the mentorship program.

Dan Botwinik takes a moment to pose for a picture while installing q-lon, which decreases energy loss from around exterior doors.

WATCH CDC

John Walters and Alissa Broz install energy saving devices in their home.

Energy Efficiency Barnraisings Cut Carbon and Engage Community WATCH is bringing community members together at energy efficiency “barnraisings”. At these events, volunteers are trained on basic weatherization, like caulking around windows and sealing attic hatches. They implement this work in the home of a neighbor and then can bring back what they’ve learned to their own home. The home owner and tenants get a tightly sealed home at no cost to them! John Walters and Alissa Broz of Washington Avenue in Waltham (pictured above) contacted WATCH in August, inquiring about this opportunity, and became the first this year to benefit. John and Alissa’s landlord, Dan Botwinik (pictured left), who lives in the 2-family home, also participated. “WATCH was great to work with,” Dan says, “They were organized and professional, and found a lot of great volunteers who came out to help weatherize the house.” The barnraising on Washington Avenue was a huge success. Numbers show a 53% cut in the amount of air leakage in the home, much higher than the average of 25% leakage cut in other barnraisings around the state. The second barnraising this year took place at the home of Joanne Paolini, a Waltham native and landlord who is also a long time WATCH member. Volunteers cut 42% of the leakage at her 3-family home on Rich Street and many have said they’ll be taking what they learned back to their own homes. There is just something special about Waltham volunteers! John and Alissa have stayed involved with WATCH, making calls for the No on 2 campaign and volunteering at WATCH’s second barnraising. “It’s good that WATCH combines education and affordable housing,” John says, “You stimulate people who need help to get involved, but you also provide the basic necessities.” “It’s easy to forget about your neighbors,” Alissa realizes, but they are both doing their part to change that. Winter 2010-2011

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Whalen Apartments is forming a Tenants’ Association!

Support WATCH during our year-end fundraising appeal WATCH exists because you care about your community. A donation to WATCH supports efforts to create concrete, sustainable improvements in our community. Your gift will go to support all of the vital programs described in this newsletter.

Sue Furman (pictured left) is a resident of the senior public housing development, Whalen Apartments. While she has lived there for some time, she knows that the housing conditions could be better. Her building has many of its original appliances, outbreaks of bed bugs, and the gutters are constantly overflowing, causing water to pool or form ice in front of doorsteps. Tenants have tried individually to work with the Waltham Housing Authority to fix the problems, but Furman and other committed tenants believe there is a better way. The tenants at Whalen Apartments have sought WATCH’s support to help them form a Tenants’ Association in order to turn their complaints into positive action. “If we have a Tenants’ Association, we have a right to speak with [The Housing Authority],” Furman says, “and I’m aiming to get things done around here.” The existence of a Tenants’ Association creates leadership opportunities and the ability for residents to address common problems. Tenants’ Associations are also given the right to review all policies created by the Housing Authority before they are finalized. Furman and others at the Whalen Apartments are hopeful that this Association will not only fix the current problems, but also improve their relationship with the Housing Authority. They have met several times to become more educated on the issue and to start the process to form their association. They are now scheduled to have the elections for their board on January 5th. “I don’t like the current situation and I want to fix it,” Furman says, “I have a feeling that our Tenants’ Association is going to work.” YES! I want to be a part of WATCH’s important work. Please accept my contribution of: __ $25 __$50 __$75 __$150 __$300 __$500 __$1,000 $_____ Other Name: _______________________________________ Address: ______________________________________ City/State/Zip: ________________________________

Please help WATCH to stay strong after one of our toughest years. The work is important and we hope you will be a part of that. Give what you can today! You can send your gift to: WATCH, 517 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453 or give online via the Donate button at www.watchcdc.org. Thanks!

WATCH CDC

Phone: _______________________________________ Email: _______________________________________ __ I am interested in an issue described in the newsletter. Please contact me about it! Please return this form with your contribution to: 517 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453 or donate online via www.watchcdc.org/donate. Thank you!

Winter 2010-2011

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Members Consider Getting More Involved With WATCH On December 16th, Waltham community members came together for WATCH 101, and delved into all WATCH does and is. From board members to new recruits, attendees discussed everything from energy efficiency barnraisings to the tutoring program, from housing development to the First Time Homebuyer’s Class. The meeting began with an activity in which attendees were given a piece of paper with picture or a phrase representing one aspect of WATCH on it. They had to put their paper on a chart on the wall to create an illustration of what WATCH is. Attendees then were able to see how WATCH’s activities interact to meet our mission. Bringing together WATCH members with a myriad of experiences allowed staff members Alex Siegrist and Anne Schweitzer to hear about what you want to see WATCH doing and allowed participants to talk about how they want to be involved in the future. “I was inspired by the passion with which community members discussed their involvement and their belief in this organization,” says Anne Schweitzer, WATCH Community Organizer. If you missed this introductory meeting, don’t worry! We will host a similar meeting this summer. Please contact Program Manager Alex Siegrist at 781.891.6689 x 202 to learn more!

THANK YOU! WATCH’s work is supported by so many generous community members. Thank you to these recent institutional funders! Boston Private Bank City of Waltham Community Block Grant EPA New England Episcopal City Mission First Evangelical Lutheran Church Foundation for MetroWest Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Massachusetts Housing Partnership Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Watertown Savings Bank

WATCH CDC

CONFIDENTIAL AND COMPLETELY FREE

Mondays & Thursdays 7:00 – 8:30 PM We’re located at 517 Moody Street in Waltham. Call us at (781) 891-6689 ext. 203

Winter 2010-2011

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Noticias de la Comunidad de WATCH Vote NO al 2: El día de las elecciones en noviembre 2010, el Capitulo 40B, conocido cómo la ley para residencias asequibles, se encontró en la papeleta de la votación. Lograron proteger 40B en Waltham, con 55% de los votantes de la ciudad votando NO; esto es un poco menos del promedio del estado, que fue 58%. WATCH oficialmente refrendó la Campana para Proteger la Ley de Residencias Asequibles durante el verano de 2010, reclutando a Uds., los miembros de WATCH, como voluntarios para hacer llamadas a otros votantes y asistir en los sitios de votación el día de las elecciones. Amaneció el día de las Elecciones y miembros de WATCH se juntaron otra vez, parándose afuera en el frío, mostrando sus carteles para pedir el voto NO. Los resultados ya se contaron, y con el 58% de Massachusetts votando NO, es claro que los votantes, como dijo Dick Scobie,”creemos que la vivienda decente es un derecho humano básico.” Miembros de WATCH inspirados por la convención de la MACDC: Un grupo del staff y otros miembros de WATCH viajaron juntos a Worcester un sábado lindo en octubre para asistir a la Convención de la Asociación de Corporaciones de Desarrollo de la Comunidad de Massachusetts (MACDC). Observamos mientras muchos miembros talentosos de los CDC ganaron premios por sus logros. Oímos a los candidatos a Gobernador Tim Cahill, Jill Stein, y Deval Patrick quienes hablaron de la importancia del trabajo para el desarrollo de la comunidad para el estado entero. Escuchamos a los miembros de otras corporaciones para el desarrollo de la comunidad cuando compartieron los éxitos de su trabajo. Participamos en grupos de trabajo discutiendo como podemos hacernos mas “verdes” (cuidadosos con el medioambiente), como construir consejos directivos fuertes, y como cultivar la diversidad entre los miembros. Si Ud. quiere venir con WATCH a otros eventos de la MACDC contacto con Anne al: [email protected] o 781-891-6689 x206. Rompiendo Barreras y Conexiones a la Comunidad de Waltham: Los programas de Breaking Barriers que ofrecen las clases de ingles y la tutoría en ingles han hecho más conexiones en la comunidad de Waltham este semestre. Los fines de estos programas incluyen ayudar a los participantes a mejorar sus habilidades en lenguaje y en el trabajo, y también ganar mejores conocimientos de la comunidad de Waltham. Las clases de ingles visitaron a la Biblioteca Publica de Waltham y todos salieron con su tarjeta como miembros de la biblioteca. Para muchos participantes, fue la primera visita a una biblioteca. Participantes en el programa de tutoría también visitaron a la biblioteca y se inscribieron en la clase de WATCH para los que compran casa por primera vez. También recibieron ayuda de la Clínica de Alojamiento de WATCH. Debido a estas oportunidades especiales y por razón del sentido de la comunidad en estos programas, todas las clases de ingles y de tutoría siguen fuertemente, con el 80% de los participantes del verano estudiando en el otoño. Conozcan a Mildred y Courtney: Mildred es madre de dos niños de la primaria escolar. Llegó a Waltham desde Guatemala y tomó clases de ingles en WATCH 2004-2005. Courtney llegó a WATCH porque quería ser tutora en ingles como parte del proceso de aplicación para ser Cuerpo de Paz. Para ella, WATCH CDC

participación en el programa es una experiencia de aprender tanto como enseñar. Mildred estuvo nerviosa al principio pero ahora dice “Estoy contenta con este programa, Aprecio como Courtney me ha ayudado mucho.”. Juntas, Courtney y Mildred trabajan en la lectura y pronunciación y han compartido cuentos de sus vidas. En los seis meses pasados, casi nunca han faltado a sus reuniones semanales en WATCH. Mildred se enfoca en su futuro; ella quiere “subir el 100% en la vida” y ayudar a sus dos niños. Quiere estudiar para el GED (grado de High School). Las dos mujeres tienen el objetivo de encontrar una carrera que le gusta y participar en este programa les ayuda a alcanzar a sus metas. Construir el Granero para Eficiencia de Energía, Cortar el Carbón, y Dedicase a la Comunidad: Por medio de una donación de la EPA, WATCH puede ofrecer “barnraisings” (construir el granero con la ayuda de todos) para conseguir la eficiencia del uso de la energía. Los voluntarios ayudan con el trabajo básico como enmasillar las ventanas y otros huecos donde pueda entrar el aire frío, en las casas de sus vecinos. John Walters y Alissa Broz de Washington Avenue en Waltham contactaron a WATCH en agosto, preguntando sobre esta oportunidad de hacer su casa impermeable a los elementos.. El dueño de la casa de John y Alissa , Dan Botwinik, también participó en esta actividad en la casa en Washington Avenue. “WATCH fue magnífico en este trabajo,” dice Dan, “Fueron bien organizados y profesionales y muchos voluntarios buenos vinieron a ayudarnos con el proyecto de nuestra casa.” Después del barnraising en su casa, John y Alissa continúan ayudando a WATCH, haciendo llamadas para el voto en 2 y participando en el proyecto del barnraising de la segunda casa. “Es bueno que WATCH combina la educación y la vivienda asequible,” dice John, “Esto estimula a la gente que necesitan la ayuda, para que participen, pero también provee las necesidades básicas.” “Es fácil olvidarse de sus vecinos,” Alissa se da cuenta, pero los dos ahora actúan para cambiar esto. Los Apartamentos Whalen: Sue Furman, residente de los Apartamentos Whalen, vivienda publica para los mayores de edad, sabe que las condiciones de la vivienda podrían mejorarse. El edificio tiene seis puestos de parqueo para 32 apartamentos, problemas con insectos, y problemas con el techo que deja agua enfrente de las escaleras afuera. Los arrendatarios han tratado de trabajar individualmente con la Waltham Housing Authority para arreglar estos problemas, pero Furman y otros arrendatarios interesados saben que hay una manera mejor. Los arrendatarios de los Apartamentos Whalen han decidido trabajar con WATCH para formar una asociación de arrendatarios para elevar sus quejas a la acción positiva. “Al tener una Asociación de Arrendatarios, tenemos derecho de hablar con el gobierno sobre la vivienda,”dice” Furman, “y voy a ver que se cumplan los arreglos aquí.” La existencia de una asociación de arrendatarios crea oportunidades de liderazgo y la habilidad para los arrendatarios de unir para conseguir arreglos a sus problemas comunes. También estas asociaciones tienen el derecho de repasar todas las políticas propuestas por la Housing Authority antes de que se finalicen.

Si necesita hablar con una persona de WATCH en espanol, llama a Alex a 781.891.6689 x 202

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WATCH Community News: Winter 2010-2011 WATCH works towards a more just community in the Waltham area by: Creating and promoting affordable housing Providing adult education and leadership development Empowering underrepresented residents through civic engagement WATCH is about you! Our work is underscored and strengthened by community organizing and community building.

WATCH’s barnraisings have been quite a success! Through these community events, WATCH is able to reduce both the environmental impact of Waltham residents and their cost of living in Waltham. (Page 4) Traducción en español esta adentro: Página 7

517 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453 (781) 891 - 6689 www.watchcdc.org