You also told us to "make friends" with other federal agencies; once again we listened. In 2005, we signed an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service to establish 50 new Volunteer Income Tax Assistance centers. Those centers are being built now and will help hundreds of hard-working families get their full tax refund without the high fees charged by certain tax preparers. Further complementing the initiative, we entered into an agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to bring financial education and banking services to the new tax assistance centers. Many of you wanted to address the issue of prisoner reentry. You wanted successful reentry programs for both men and women, many of whom may be coming home to your communities. We heard you and entered into a partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service. Under the terms of the agreement, VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) volunteers will be sent to designated Weed and Seed sites to help build the capacity of local organizations to work with the reentry population. Read more about the initiative in the article "Successful Reentry Through Volunteers and Partnerships" and in the Partnerships section of our Web site. Weed and Seed communities often are characterized by low levels of home ownership. Many of you asked us to help you increase home ownership to stabilize neighborhoods and bring in private investment. We are doing so. In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we will be launching an individual development account (IDA) program in selected communities to encourage home ownership. This will be a fantastic initiative. All that in 1 year! But much remains to be done. So, in 2006 expect even more action with a special emphasis on site coordinators and residents. To develop an appropriate training curriculum for both groups, we will be conducting a survey. We intend to receive baseline information on the skill sets of coordinators and residents so the curriculum will reflect their needs. We will need site coordinators and resident committee members to complete the survey on a timely basis. We are counting on you! Next year, our peer-to-peer initiative that pairs experienced site coordinators with newcomers begins. The idea is to spread and sustain the knowledge gained from more experienced sites to those with less experience. We also expect to produce a series of models and templates designed to help you better communicate your message to local decisionmakers, media, private foundations, and others. Those are just a few of the highlights. There is more, and if you read the next edition of In-Sites, you will be in the know! Happy holidays. I look forward to seeing you all next year. Sincerely, Nelson Hernandez |
