Pointe East – Landlord Appreciation Award
In March of this year, Associated Ministries presented the Landlord Appreciation award to the staff at Pointe East Apartments in Fife. The staff at Pointe East was recognized for their effort to prevent an eviction of a family and their ongoing effort to support the Associated Ministries Programs. Here’s a written account showing how the compassion and trust exhibited by a landlord can change lives.
The Davis family came to Associated Ministries in early January seeking assistance with their monthly rent. Due to a gap in employment the family had fallen behind on their payments and they were desperate for a helping hand. They had just been given a sheriff’s notice of their pending eviction and were able to connect with Associated Ministries’ Diversion program to form an action plan for how best to proceed.
Shortly after their appointment at Associated Ministries the Davis’ case manager got into contact with their landlord, Jennie Delaney, at Point East Apartments. With less than a week to go before the sheriff was scheduled to show up at the Davis’ front door Ms. Delaney began turning the wheels to prevent the eviction. Ms. Delaney was efficient, professional, and understanding of the family’s time of need. Many landlords might not have made the extra effort to prevent the eviction; Associated Ministries greatly appreciates the time and energy of those landlords who do make the effort!
With a one-time monetary assistance from the Diversion program the Davis family was able to keep their unit and have regained steady employment. The whole process gave the family a chance to think creatively about how to adjust their budget and to reach out to existing support systems in their social circle, which is one of the goals of the Diversion program. Doing so is an exercise in reassessing existing options in the face of a crisis situation, and the Davis family really stepped up to the plate to advocate for themselves and make use of the available resources in their time of need.