Newport Housing Authority honored for wellness partnership
2 min readThe Housing Authority of the city of Newport was awarded a National Award of Excellence by the Countrywide Affiliation of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) for The Donovan Manor Wellness Partnership.
Rhonda Mitchell, executive director of the Housing Authority, shared that as a result of an progressive collaboration with a 501c3 group of Housing Authority residents, identified as the Hello-Lo Neighborhood Association, whose President Thomas Sheehan, a resident of Donovan Manor and a member of the Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners, along with a variety of other people in the Hi-Lo Neighborhood Affiliation, correctly applied for $50,000 in grant income by way of the Van Beuren Basis, the North Foundation, the R.I. Basis and Lender Newport, with the assistance of two generous volunteer grant writers, Mark Malkovich and Dennis Sheehan, in buy to completely renovate an growing older health club place to produce an expanded wellbeing wellness centre for people. Using the knowledge of Hi-Lo Board member, retired University of Rhode Island Affiliate Director of Athletics Kim Bissonnette, the exercising room was redesigned to accommodate new workout equipment. The machines was specifically targeted to the requirements of the residents thus encouraging its use by people with a large variety of physical qualities. The renovated room permits for physical exercise courses with greater equipment and in a a lot more welcoming place, which includes a yoga course area in the multi-intent room.
The residents’ use of the facility was complemented by new programs supplied by the Edward King Household, which serves the desires of seniors in Newport. The Donovan Manor Wellness Partnership also partnered with Salve Regina University to foster interactions among aged people and younger university students. Salve students have served as Service Advocates, serving to people who occur into the wellness and wellness spot. Salve has also hosted vacation dinners, are living musical performances, Top secret Santa gift exchanges and numerous other occasions. Operating with different regional associates, the Hello-Lo has hosted birthday events and other themed events for inhabitants, blood force screenings, healthcare workshops, Spanish language classes, dance classes, and meditation classes made by resident advocates. Through the Housing Authority’s participation in the federal Maturity Performs Application, a Donovan Manor resident was hired as a Resident Providers Liaison aiding inhabitants with various requires and has an place of work room in the freshly renovated Wellness Middle.
A partnership advanced whereby the Housing Authority and the Hello-Lo Neighborhood Affiliation worked jointly to persuade energetic and healthy lifestyles and make improvements to the quality of life of our citizens. Thanks to the generosity of our people, our funders and our neighborhood associates, we have been ready to supply nutritious, enriching, on-site senior solutions to our superb people. The NAHRO award letter mentioned, “The Awards of Excellence highlights strategies in which users like you make a big difference in your communities and in the life of the people today you provide. We accept your creativeness, devotion and laud your get the job done as an inspiration to other people.”