The
"One HUD" team - - "Being able to help a family living in a shelter or
threatened by fire is what makes working at HUD personally satisfying."
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San
Diego Staff Lend a Helping Hand for the Holidays
HUD staff in San Diego filled the holidays
with the traditional joys of giving to those in need, setting aside some
special time for San Diego residents hit hard by recent misfortune.
CB Fellow Myrna Pascual helped the
Kaimuloa family find a home. On December 13, 1999, a deaf, single
mother of five, Cynthia Kaimuloa, found herself and her family suddenly
on the street when the landlord terminated the apartment lease.
When the temporary homeless shelter didn't work out, the family van became
the Kaimuloa's home. A school counselor, learning of the family's
plight, requested help and the North County Times newspaper published a
feature story on Mrs. Kaimuloa's plight. HUD Senior Community Builder Charles
J. "Jerry" Wilson, a
North San Diego County (http://www.ncedc.org) resident,
responded immediately, asking CB Fellow Myrna Pascual to help the family
to find permanent housing. After a number of phone calls with the
school counselor, homeless social service providers, and the City of Oceanside
Housing Department, Myrna was able to secure a Section 8 Family Unification
voucher for the family for a four-bedroom apartment. In a follow-up news article, North
County Times reporter Erin Massey credited HUD
with supplying the much-needed perseverence, writing, "(Pascual)
spent the day calling around to local agencies to inquire about housing
options for the Kaimuloas." The story told of the family's
good news in securing the Section 8 Family Unification Voucher.
HUD's holiday giving did not stop with
Mrs. Kaimuloa and family, however. A Christmas day fire in a HUD-assisted
high-rise apartment building disrupted the holiday for more than 200 elderly
and disabled individuals and families in San Diego's MidCity area.
The major fire killed one person and injured several others after it broke
out on the high-rise's 10th floor. Senior Community Builder Wilson
immediately engaged CB Fellow Pascual and HUD Multifamily Project Manager Donald Driggs, who contacted the management of the Cathedral Arms property.
Despite the holiday, Don made arrangements to be at the property the very
next morning -- Sunday morning -- to inspect the property and the consequences
of the fire. As a result of quick action, restoration crews were
on-site Sunday morning.
Management appreciated HUD's quick
response, and the news media reported that lives were probably saved and
injuries prevented because of the active disaster-preparedness program
implemented by the management company. Despite the inconvenience and being
taken away from his family during the holidays, Don said he was happy to
be able to be there to help.
"These are just a couple of examples
of how HUD employees, like Don Driggs and Myrna Pascual, truly make a difference
in the lives of our clients," said Senior Community Builder Wilson.
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