Summer Campers Take a PAUSE For Art

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Recently, 1st-5th graders and counselors from AHC’s Gates of Ballston summer camp had a hands-on modern art experience. They visited Gallery 3700, home to Studio Pause’s newest exhibition, We PAUSED! Unbound.   

Studio PAUSE is an Arlington-based art studio created by award-winning artist Sushmita Mazumdar. The 9-year-old art studio is a safe space to explore creativity & celebrate community through art.  

The excited group of summer campers experienced Studio PAUSE’s newest exhibit, We PAUSED! Unbound and their first installation titled “The Water Still Churns.“ The year-long art exhibit is a response to Studio PAUSE’s project We PAUSED! A Handmade Book for Gates of Ballston – where the summer campers live. Studio PAUSE turned the book into a display to chronicle a year of the COVID-19 pandemic to help create a space for all voices.  

After touring the exhibit, the campers created prints that described their emotions after learning more about art. Ken Krafchek, retired director of the MFA community arts program at the Maryland Institute College of Art, walked the eager students through the process of creating their timeless monoprints. Krafchek and Mazumdar were impressed with the level of detail in the camp attendees’ art. 

Growing Leaders Starts Early – AHC Pilots New Youth Program

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Earlier this summer, fifth graders and their family members from AHC communities headed to college for the first time. They visited the University of Maryland as part of AHC’s Leaders in Training (LIT) program, a pilot program made possible this year through a Dominion Energy grant.

The program included 12 Arlington students and led the group through the college and career path. It also featured one-on-one mentoring with high-school students in AHC’s College & Career Readiness (CCR) program and visits to businesses for exposure to various careers.

A special graduation ceremony at the end of the school year celebrated the students’ accomplishments and graduation from elementary school.

“This year, we worked with the fifth graders and their families and shared resources that would help them plan their future after high school,” said Gabriela Segovia, CCR Manager with AHC. “We led sessions on the elementary- to middle-school transition and hosted career panels where young professionals spoke about their college journey as well as how they got in their current career field.”

The program included nine different workshops on a range of topics, including:

  • Importance of mental health – including a workshop that taught techniques for managing stress.
  • College insight – what a college application looks like, ways to pay for college and a real glimpse at what a college campus looks like.
  • Mentor pairings – high school students, paired with fifth graders, shared techniques to do well in school, activities they were part of, and even their challenges.

Many of the fifth graders joined the program not knowing what they wanted to do after high school. Now some have an idea, and they understand the importance of doing well in school.

Let the dreams begin! One student is now dreaming of becoming a pharmacist and another wants to play soccer at Virginia Tech.

We’re thrilled to continue the successful LIT program next year.

 

Media Contact: Jennifer Smith, Director of Communications, jennifer.smith@ahcinc.org

AHC Inc. Receives $2M Federal Funding Award

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In June, the U.S. Treasury announced that AHC Inc. will receive $2M in federal funding from the prestigious Capital Magnet Fund. This funding will allow AHC to establish an internal revolving loan fund that will leverage an additional $20M in private capital to renovate at least 331 deeply affordable apartments at AHC communities in Northern Virginia, Baltimore, and suburban Maryland.  

“We’re excited to be a first-time awardee for this competitive program,” said Paul Bernard, President/CEO of AHC Inc. “This award will help us modernize several aging AHC Inc. properties and also extend their affordability for another 30 years. Ultimately, the award will benefit our residents – and their communities – in census tract Areas of Economic Distress.”  

AHC was one of only 59 recipients nationwide and just one of three in Virginia to receive funding. AHC was selected following a merit-based review of applications submitted from nearly 150 organizations. 

Background 

The funds are administered by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund through the department’s Capital Magnet Fund. 

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) awarded 59 organizations $336.4 million to support financing for the preservation, rehabilitation, development or purchase of affordable housing as well as related economic development and community service facilities such as daycare centers, workforce development centers and health care clinics.  

The awardees are required to leverage their awards with other private and public investment by at least 10 to 1, guaranteeing that a minimum of $3.36 billion will be invested in eligible projects across the United States. Read the CDFI news release or check out the award book to learn more. 

 

Media Contact: Jennifer Smith, Director of Communications, jennifer.smith@ahcinc.org

AHC Celebrates Largest-Ever Graduating Class

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On June 9, family, friends and mentors celebrated the 42 graduates of AHC’s College & Career Readiness (CCR) program. This was the highest number of graduating students since the program began. The CCR program also saw the largest number of overall participants this year, with 69 juniors and seniors from area high schools.

This year’s graduating students included a POSSE scholar, several students with full rides to college – and even two juniors who graduated early! Read more about the students heading to college.

As always, mentors played important roles in the success of the students. Their dedication and connection to the students was a game-changer. Ludwin Alvarez has worked with long-time mentor Marjorie Macieira since sixth grade, and she supported him through Teen Tutoring and CCR. In fact, Ludwin has been in AHC’s educational programs since first grade.

The keynote speaker at the event was Flor Caceres Godoy, a 2018 CCR alumni, Posse scholar and recent graduate from Lafayette College. Along with her valuable insights and advice for the graduates, she shared, “I know my number one fear going into college and high school, because both of them were predominantly white students, faculty and staff, was ‘am I going to fit in?’ The answer is no. You are not supposed to. You are meant to stand out. You are meant to shine brighter than ever before.”

Thank you to all of our mentors, volunteers, community partners, and supporters for helping AHC’s graduates shine bright!

2022 Graduating Students

  • Abigia Mulugeta
  • Afrin Akhtar
  • Alishaba Hayat
  • Amelia Castro
  • Anand Tselmeg
  • Andy Garcia
  • Anwar El Gattari
  • Ayman Adam
  • Azucena Moreno
  • Betel Bereket
  • Carla Bacerra
  • Carolina Soto
  • Cecilia Fosso
  • Claudia Andrade
  • Daisy Cabrera
  • Davis Orellana
  • Franklin Garcia
  • Fraol Gurmu
  • Gabriel Lara
  • Gabriella Perla
  • Hermon Gebreezgi
  • Iyar Soliman
  • Joanna Viruez Guzman
  • Joel Jonathan Escobar
  • Juhud Abdulkhadir
  • Karen Gonzales Cifuentes
  • Laetitia Noutcha
  • Logan Salinas
  • Ludwin Alvarez
  • Maha Bouchareb
  • Margad Enkhbat
  • Margot Rodriguez
  • Mia Henry
  • Nichole Escobar-Rojas
  • Nicolas Lopez
  • Nirusma Dahal
  • Simon Kahsay
  • Petros Kebede
  • Sahara Sania
  • Sara Berhe Abraha
  • Williz Zamorio

List of all the mentors

  • Ashly Winfield
  • Eric Hannon
  • Evan Heit
  • Sydney Gang
  • Susan Leland
  • Rick Carter
  • Pascale Pierre
  • Soonho Kwon
  • Sarah Kolk
  • Peter C. Pfieffer
  • Sharon Showalter
  • Chelsea Jones
  • Mariah Creech
  • Janet Bickel
  • CJ Park
  • Laurel Holmes
  • Adrienne Eng
  • Lizzie Utset
  • Greg Frey
  • Marjorie Macieira
  • Chelsea Legendre
  • Elsy Lopez
  • Katherine Swanson
  • Cindy Santner
  • Emily Kane
  • Jeanne Sweeney
  • Charles Barbour
  • Tara Claeys

 

Media Contact: Jennifer K. Smith, Director of Communications, 703-486‑0626 x1118

Key’s Pointe Project in Baltimore Receives $2.9M in ARPA Funding

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June 16, 2022

More affordable housing is coming to Baltimore, with the help of $2.9M in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The funding will go toward a new phase of the Key’s Pointe development. AHC Greater Baltimore (AHC-GB) and our development partner The Michaels Organization (TMO) are leading the project in partnership with the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC)—a redevelopment of the O’Donnell Heights, a public housing community in Southeast Baltimore. 

AHC-GB and TMO have been redeveloping the massive 62-acre revitalization project in phases and already have constructed 144 townhome-style homes. The 60 apartments that are part of this next phase will replace the existing public housing, along with market affordable apartments. 

In April, Mayor Brandon Scott joined Councilmember Zeke Cohen, HABC President & CEO Janet Abrahams, Senate President Bill Ferguson, Delegate Brooke Lierman, O’Donnell Heights residents, and AHC and TMO project staff to announce the ARPA funding award for Key’s Pointe/O’Donnell Heights. 

“I am honored to be able to fill the gap and fulfill the city’s commitment to its long-time residents in the O’Donnell Heights community. This is an exciting development,” said Mayor Brandon Scott. “Once again, we are maximizing the impact of our ARPA allocation to help those most in need in our city.” 

AHC Greater Baltimore Director Mary Claire Davis has been leading the project. “As we move forward with the next phase, we’re excited to continue our long-term commitment to the O’Donnell Heights residents and surrounding communities, in partnership with TMO and HABC,” she said. “We are grateful to Councilmember Zeke Cohen for his passionate support of this project and community – and to Mayor Brandon Scott’s financial commitment of ARPA funds toward this effort.”  

Phase 2A of Key’s Pointe will construct 62 units of mixed-income rental homes. Thirty-one of these homes will be dedicated to current and relocated O’Donnell Heights residents. The remaining homes will be available to households earning 60% of the area median income (AMI) and less.  

Background 

The HABC selected AHC-GB and development partner TMO nearly 10 years ago to redevelop O’Donnell Heights, originally built in 1942 as WWII worker housing, converting to public housing after the war. Visit the Key’s Point development project page for more information.

 

Media Contact: Jennifer Smith, Director of Communications, jennifer.smith@ahcinc.org