Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 3-4-16 Edition

Local
Bank To Offer Annual Financial Empowerment Event
FIFTH THIRD eBUS
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Tuesday, March 15th, the Fifth Third Bank Financial Em- powerment Mobile eBus will stop at the Cyrus Greene Com- plex, 2101 E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. The event will take place from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
This is the third consecutive year the bank has offered the service. But this year, Fifth Third Bank is partnering with the City of Tampa to host the event.
During the visit, members of the community are invited to visit and take part in a financial education session. The bus will be equipped with 14 personal computers and satellite tech- nology. It will also be staffed by bankers from Fifth Third Bank and representatives from the
City of Tampa.
Those visiting the location
will have an opportunity to re- quest a credit report and review it with a professional; receive a personalized evaluation of fi- nances; receive Internet Bank- ing and Bill Payment demonstrations; receive a con- sultation on foreclosure pre- vention; and speak with non-profit organizations in ref- erence to housing, money man- agement, and business advice.
Ms. Esther Marshall,
Vice President and Community and Economic Development Manager of Fifth Third Bank said, “We are committed to em- powering our community through financial education. The eBus allows us to serve people where they live and work, and provide the knowl- edge and tools to help take con- trol of their financial futures.”
HUD Officials Meet With Tampa Housing As Part Of Annual Point In Time Homeless Count
“Building a World-Class Community, One Family and One Neighborhood at a Time”
The Tampa Housing Au- thority (THA) welcomed Hous- ing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, Lourdes Castro-Ramirez during the annual Homeless Point in Time Count on Thursday, Feb- ruary 25, 2016.
Joining Assistant Secretary Castro-Ramirez at a home- less volunteer luncheon at the REED @ ENCORE! (the Tampa Housing Authority’s premier affordable master- planned housing community), were Housing and Urban De- velopment (HUD) Region 4 Administrator, Ed Jennings, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Veteran’s Administration, Of- fice of Policy and Planning, Linda Schwartz, and Direc- tor of the James A. Haley Vet- erans Hospital and Clinics, Joe Battle, as well as other volunteers from two other local agencies.
Tampa Housing Authority President/CEO Jerome D. Ryans welcomed the group and introduced agency staff who shared homeless initia- tives implemented by Tampa Housing Authority that in- cluded:
*The Byrne Criminal Jus- tice Grant that assisted the agency in developing a coordi- nated approach for the delivery
Shown in the photo are: Jerome Ryans, President/CEO; David Hollis, NSP2 Project Manager; Lourdes Castro-Ramirez, HUD As- sistant Secretary for Public & Indian Housing; Leroy Moore, Sr. Vice-President/COO; and Susi Begazo-McGourty, Sr. Vice-Presi- dent/CFO.
of health, supportive services, linking clients with those ap- propriate services to address specific needs of the homeless as well as assistance in achiev- ing our case management goals that focus on the eradication of crimes committed by homeless persons (Grant amount $596,616 over a 3 year period).
*THA’s Veterans Assisted Supported Housing (VASH) program, which has received 1,448 vouchers from HUD to house homeless veterans since 2009.
While touring one of the senior communities at EN- CORE!, the group also learned the history of Central Park Vil- lage, a housing project that was demolished and replaced with ENCORE! through HUD’s
Choice Neighborhood Grant. Assistant Secretary Cas- tro-Ramirez expressed her satisfaction with the excep- tional work of the Tampa Housing Authority and ap- plauded its homeless initia-
tives.
HART Gives Students A Break This Spring
STAY-cation Program Means Free Rides Begin- ning March 1 through June 10
Hillsborough County mid- dle and high school students can enjoy their independence, save cash, and "go green" on HART buses this spring by rid- ing HART for FREE when they present a valid school ID.
Starting March 1 through June 10, the STAY-cation pro- gram provides youth 18 and under unlimited bus riding on any HART Local, Limited Ex- press, MetroRapid or In- Towner, as well as HARTFlex services.
Hillsborough Area Re- gional Transit Authority (HART), Hillsborough County Public Schools and the Hills- borough County Board of County Commissioners have partnered to offer this pro- gram. The partnership, cham- pioned by Commissioner Kevin Beckner, is designed to encourage more students to take advantage of public trans- portation and get in the habit of using transit instead of driv- ing.
"Hillsborough County is a car-centric culture, and most of us rely on an automobile for primary transportation needs," said Kevin Beckner, Hillsborough County Commis- sioner and HART board mem- ber. "We have to change that mindset, and the best way to do that is with our youth."
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