THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 15, 1995 TAG: 9510150091
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE KNEPLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
A three-year, $100,000 federal grant has been awarded to the Norfolk Residents Organization to help develop and train community-based leadership and businesses.
``It's really exciting,'' said Martha Bond, president of the residents organization, which represents tenant organizations throughout Norfolk's public-housing neighborhoods.
The group is still working on its ideas, but Bond said they generally include trying to improve education and employment opportunities and working on parent-children issues.
``We want to help people become more secure and feel better about themselves to prepare for jobs and the future,'' Bond said.
Vera Franklin, resident initiatives director of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, said the grant could become a uniting factor for Norfolk's public housing neighborhoods.
For example, the NROcould develop into a central entity for development of tenant business enterprises, said Jackie Baker, NRHA youth program manager.
Baker and Franklin said the money also could help the residents' organization develop skills to mediate tenant disputes and to go after other grants from foundations and the private sector.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the money under its Tenant Opportunity/Tenant Assistance program. by CNB