The families of 98 children in grades K through 5 at Chimborazo Elementary School in Richmond's Church Hill neighborhood got a big break when it was time to go back to school this year. Instead of coping with transportation problems, long lines, and decisions about how to spend the little money they could set aside for school supplies, HUD's Virginia staff did all the shopping for them.

The HUD Richmond "Delivery Team:" Jerryl Bennett, Tilda "Tee" Davis, James Lee, Linda Doane, Barbara Womack-Gordon, Cheryl Manlove, John Baker, Bill Burnham and Cheryl McGruder (seated).

Through most of August, the Richmond HUD Customer Service Committee sponsored a "School Tools" competition among HUD Richmond's program areas. Their goal was to help 50 youngsters be ready, willing and well-supplied when the first school bell rang. The competition paid off, and the Committee nearly doubled its goal, delivering 98 bags of binders and pencils, compasses and erasers, magic markers and rulers, notebooks and child-safe scissors. The supplies met the specifications of Chimborazo Assistant Principal Linda Jameson who knew just what was needed to make sure the children got a fast start to the new school year. Customer Service Committee member Cheryl McGruder said "We hope the kids enjoy using the supplies as much as we enjoyed buying them."

The bag delivered to Chimborazo first-graders also had a very special surprise inside: "paint smocks" hand painted by Multifamily's Cheryl Manlove (displayed by HUD's Bill Burnham). Chimborazo Elementary School was selected for this special community outreach project because a high number of households in the Church Hill neighborhood receive housing and other assistance to help meet their daily needs. In addition, Chimborazo Elementary has been working hard to be accredited under Virginia's "Standards of Learning," and the outreach was planned to give them a boost as the new school year begins.

This Community Outreach project is just the latest of the special events sponsored by HUD Richmond's Customer Service Committee. With a mission of improving and supporting the best possible customer service for both internal and external HUD customers, the committee has sponsored ice cream socials, bake sales, silent auctions and annual barbecue luncheons for HUD staff (our internal customers); "Toys for Tots;" a "Holiday Decorations Drive" for a flood-stricken community; and "Sergeant Santa" for the community (our external customers). On behalf of the entire committee, Cheryl McGruder developed a "Customer Service Guide," and every HUD Richmond employee has a copy on his/her desk. Cheryl sends monthly updates via email.

The Richmond HUD "School Tools" competition made the kids the biggest winners, but within the office Richmond's Multifamily Program area took the cake - actually, a breakfast of fancy bagels courtesy of the Customer Service Committee - for collecting 22 sets of supplies for Chimborazo's first-graders.