burg gift drop sites in-

cluded: The Edinburg

Police Department, Edin-

burg City Hall, Edinburg

Library, Edinburg Cham-

ber of Commerce and the

Edinburg Walgreens and

Bealls Department Store.

According to EHA‟s Ex-

ecutive Director, Rodol-

fo “Rudy” Ramirez, the

toy drive was possible

thanks to the hard work

and dedication of his

staff, EHA‟s community

partners and the Blue

Santa helpers with the

Edinburg Police Depart-

ment.

T his was a very

special Christ-

mas for more

than 500 kids

living in housing thanks to

the great success of the Ed-

inburg Housing Authori-

ty‟s second annual toy

drive held early morning

on Sat., December 20,

2014.

With hard work and dedi-

cation, EHA distributed

hundreds of gifts to chil-

dren living in Albores

Courts, El Jardin, Lantana,

La Posada and Viviendas

Manuel L. Ramirez.

While EHA‟s 2013 toy

drive was also a success,

this year the organization

collected more toys due

to more donation boxes

placed throughout the

city. Some of the Edin-

Before going off for the

Christmas break Wed. De-

cember 24, 2014, members

of the Youth Leadership

Association traveled to

give Christmas toys to the

dozens of immigrant refu-

gee children housed tempo-

rarily at Sacred Heart

Church in McAllen, Texas.

Happy to donate the sur-

plus of toys from EHA‟s

toy drive, Executive Direc-

tor Rodolfo “Rudy Ramirez

drove the twelve EHA stu-

dents to the church.

“It felt great to bring happi-

ness to those kids,” he ex-

pressed.

EHA delivers toys through

its 5 developments.

EHA’s 2nd Annual Toy Drive Makes EHA’s 2nd Annual Toy Drive Makes EHA’s 2nd Annual Toy Drive Makes

Christmas Shine for More than 500 KidsChristmas Shine for More than 500 KidsChristmas Shine for More than 500 Kids

Youth Leadership Association Donates Youth Leadership Association Donates Youth Leadership Association Donates

Toys to Immigrant Refugee ChildrenToys to Immigrant Refugee ChildrenToys to Immigrant Refugee Children

EL REFLEJOEL REFLEJOEL REFLEJO F a l l / W i n t e r 2 0 1 4 V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3 7

RODOLFO “ RUDY” RODOLFO “ RUDY” RODOLFO “ RUDY”

RAMIREZRAMIREZRAMIREZ

E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o rE x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o rE x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r

A publication of the Edinburg Housing Authority.

BOARD OF MEMBERSBOARD OF MEMBERSBOARD OF MEMBERS

201520152015

JJJOE RODRIGUEZOE RODRIGUEZOE RODRIGUEZ

C H A I R M A NC H A I R M A NC H A I R M A N

ARMANDO BARRERAARMANDO BARRERAARMANDO BARRERA

V I C EV I C EV I C E ---C H A I R M A NC H A I R M A NC H A I R M A N

“ED” GONZALEZ“ED” GONZALEZ“ED” GONZALEZ

C O M M I S S I O N E RC O M M I S S I O N E RC O M M I S S I O N E R

CRIS TORRESCRIS TORRESCRIS TORRES

C O M M I S S I O N E RC O M M I S S I O N E RC O M M I S S I O N E R

JUAN GUZMANJUAN GUZMANJUAN GUZMAN

R E S I D E N T C O M M I S S I O N E RR E S I D E N T C O M M I S S I O N E RR E S I D E N T C O M M I S S I O N E R

Main Office

Ciro Trevino

Administration

Building

910 S. Sugar Rd.

Edinburg, Texas,

78539

Mon.—Thurs.

8:00 a.m.—5:30 p.m.

Friday

8 a.m.—12:00 p.m.

EHA Youth Leadership Group students

with Sister Pimentel at Sacred Heart

Church. Continued on Page 2.

P a g e 2

worldwide.

During the event, EHA stu-

dents learned during a one-

hour introduction to comput-

“It was a really

great experience to

give back to the

community.”

Gladys Sanchez, 16

El Jardin Resident

Continued from the first page...

The group was wel-

comed by Sister Norma

Pimentel, the executive

director of the Catholic

Charities of the Rio

Grande Valley and one

of the champions lead-

ing the humanitarian

efforts to help alleviate

the recent border crisis.

“We‟re very fortunate

to have members of the

community like the Ed-

inburg Housing Author-

ity help during these

times,” said Sister Pi-

mentel.

EHA students also felt

joy and learned valua-

ble lessons by giving

back.

“It was a really great experi-

ence to give back to the com-

munity,” shared 16 year-old

Gladys Sanchez.

Other EHA staff members

like Supervisor Liz Hernan-

dez felt moved and deeply

touched by the immigrant

children.

For the supervisor, the

hardships of the children

hit home due to similar

struggles her husband,

who originates from El

Salvador, faced to live in

the United States.

“Seeing their little faces

touched my heart incredi-

bly,” shared Hernandez.

“Especially one little girl

I heard who cried to her

mother, „My feet hurt.‟”

A ware that tech-

nology is revo-

lutionizing and

becoming an important

part of our world, a

group of Edinburg

Housing Authority stu-

dents participated in the

Hour of Code on Mon-

day, Dec. 29, 2014.

The Hour of Code is a

global movement dedi-

cated to reach millions

of studies in countries

er code, designed by the

movement to demystify

code and demonstrate

that almost anyone can

learn the basics.

As a reward for their

work, students who par-

ticipated in the event re-

ceived Certificates of

Completion.

E L R E F L E J O

Students participate in theStudents participate in theStudents participate in the

“Hour of Code”“Hour of Code”“Hour of Code”

P a g e 3 V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3 7

F or the first time in the histo-

ry of the Edinburg Housing

Authority, an official youth vol-

unteer group was created to en-

courage residents to become in-

volved in their community.

Now known officially as the

Youth Leadership Association,

the group held its first meeting on

Friday, Oct. 24, 2014.

The idea for the group first came

from Executive Director Rudy

Ramirez who is passionate about

education and community ser-

vice.

According to Mr. Ramirez, the

purpose of the group is to provide

students with an opportunity to

engage in their communities and

learn valuable leadership skills.

“The Youth Leadership Associa-

tion will learn values, teamwork

and leadership skills.”

Since its creation, the students

have volunteered in various

EHA events: McAllen Marathon,

EHA‟s Halloween Festival &

Turkey Giveaway, Christmas toy

drive, and recently donated toys

Youth Leadership Association: EHA’s First Youth Leadership Association: EHA’s First Youth Leadership Association: EHA’s First

Resident Volunteer GroupResident Volunteer GroupResident Volunteer Group

participation, the students have the

opportunity to enjoy different expe-

riences. For Diego Oros, the

group‟s coordinator, the Youth

Leadership Association has been a

unique journey.

“Being a part of the group has been

a great adventure,” the 19 year-old

shared.

Oros is a resident of the Lantana

EHA development and is currently

a freshmen computer engineering

major at the University of Texas-

Pan American. Although he also

works part-time in the EHA IT De-

partment, Oros dedicates time to

coordinate the association.

According to Mr. Ramirez, Oro‟s

has been a great help from the start.

“Diego‟s leadership and energy

helped us grow to our current 15-20

members,” said Mr. Ramirez. “His

encouragement helped gather more

kids to join.”

Like Mr. Ramirez, Oro plans to

continue motivating others like him

to make a difference.

“Our goal is to push these kids to

achieve an education while they

learn important leadership skills.”

Students interested in being a part

of the Youth Leadership Associa-

tion can contact Diego Oros at

doros@edinburgha.org or call 956-

383-3839 for information.

to the immigrant children.

But even though the group achieved a

lot during the fall 2014, they intend to

continue working hard throughout the

new year to better their community.

As a strategy to supplement the mem-

bers‟ leadership knowledge, Mr.

Ramirez has started a “Book Club”

within the group which will designate a

book to be read and discussed during

their meetings.

Their first book is The 7 Habits of High-

ly Effective Teens by Sean Covey which

will teach the students better ways to be

productive and successful in their stud-

ies.

Besides the intellectual gains from their

“CHANGE STARTS WITH “CHANGE STARTS WITH “CHANGE STARTS WITH US.”US.”US.”

P a g e 5 V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3 7

With the help of volunteers

and community partners EHA

donated turkeys to families for

Thanksgiving.

Turkey Giveaway

A Season to Remember FALL 2014 HIGHLIGHTSFALL 2014 HIGHLIGHTSFALL 2014 HIGHLIGHTS

Cancer Awareness Walk

EHA hosted it‟s 2nd Annual

Halloween Festival at the Lantana

development.

Halloween Festival

With the help of UTPA Social

Work Interns and local business

EHA hosted its first Annual

Cancer Awareness Walk at La

Posada.

Georgina Marquez

Changing Lives: A Section 8 Success StoryChanging Lives: A Section 8 Success StoryChanging Lives: A Section 8 Success Story

T he Edinburg Housing Au-

thority Section 8 is very

proud of Georgina Marquez

and her accomplishments.

When she first applied for EHA‟s Sec-

tion 8, Georgina Marquez had no idea

what her future had in store for her. At

the time, she was unemployed with four

children and living with her mother.

Unfortunately, while her mother could

support them financially until Georgina

found a job, she told her to find some-

where else to live. At this point, Geor-

gina feared not being able to support

her children. “I was scared, I was not

sure if I was going to make it on my

own,” she shared.

As she signed the Section 8 contract,

Ms. Regalado the supervisor, offered

her assistance to register in the WorkIn-

Texas website so she could search for

job opportunities. It was during the reg-

istration that Ms. Regalado learned that

Georgina did not have any certifica-

tions, diplomas or degrees except for

her high school diploma.

Seeing this Ms. Regalado told her,

“Education is important Ms.

Marquez, that piece of paper is your

key to success.” She informed Geor-

gina of Southern Career Institute

(SCI), a nearby school that offered

short career training programs and

registered her for orientation.

Despite being hesitant because she

had not been in school for several

years, she courageously started the

Medical Billing and Coding Special-

ist Program.

“It had been a long time since I

stepped foot in a classroom, “ Geor-

gina shared. “I was nervous.

Despite her initial fear, 9 months lat-

er Georgina graduated from SCI. She

worked part-time in

Wal-Mart while she waited for

SCI to help her find a suitable job

for her certificate until finally,

three weeks later she got a call that

changed her life forever.

Thanks to her education certifi-

cate, Georgina was offered a full-

time managerial position at a near-

by nursing home with a starting

annual salary of $45,760 and bene-

fits for her and her family.

“So far, I am loving the job and

plan to stay there for a long time,”

she said.

While pursuing to further her edu-

cation took a lot of commitment

from Georgina, she is incredibly

grateful to the EHA for their assis-

tance.

“I am beyond thankful to the Edin-

burg Housing Authority‟s Section

8 Program for offering me a help-

ing hand when I needed it the

most,” she expressed.

P a g e 6

year employment authoriza-

tion.

As a result of the President‟s

actions, the Edinburg Hous-

ing Authority would like to

offer assistance and more

information to any resident

who qualifies for the new

actions.

If you are eligible for DAPA

or DACA and have ques-

tions about the application

process, please feel to con-

tact Claudia Lemus at 956-

383-3839.

Stay Updated!Stay Updated!Stay Updated!

O n November 20, 2014,

President Obama an-

nounced a series of new exec-

utive actions prioritizing the

deportation of felons not fam-

ilies.

The new actions include

changes to the current DACA

program and allowing par-

ents of U.S. citizens and law-

ful permanent residents who

have been in the country since

January 1, 2010 and pass a

criminal background check as

well as pay taxes to obtain

deferred action and a 3

The Edinburg Housing Authority will be

participating in the 33rd Annual

Edinburg All-American 10k Run on

Sunday Feb. 1. Residents interested in

volunteering can contact us at 956-383-

3839.

33rd Annual 10K Run

Starting Monday, Jan. 12, 2015, EHA

tutoring services will resume for the

spring.

Tutoring Services

TUTORING

COMPUTER

ESL

ART

STEM

MUSIC

CLASSES

Execut ive Act ions on Immigrat ion

Deferred Action for Parental Accountability

February 20,2015

USCIS Approximate

Application Dates

(90 days from announcement)

DACA Expansion

May 20, 2015

DAPA Application (180 days from announcement)

The information above was obtained obtained from www.uscis.gov. Please visit the

site or contact us at EHA for more.

AVOID MISINFORMATION. EHA IS HERE TO HELP!

DON’T GET SCAMMED!

The official website for USCIS is www.uscis.gov. AVOID Dot.com sites. Remember USCIS application forms are FREE to download. Notary Publics are NOT authorized to provide immigration legal services. Before you pay for legal assistance get informed and know your options.

P a g e 7 V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3 7

RemindersRemindersReminders

COMMUNITY SERVICE Residents 18+ years old who are not

employed 30 hours or more a week, must

comply with the 8 hour HUD‟s community

service requirement.

RENT DEADLINE Due monthly by the 1st, but EHA

gives you until the 5th to pay in full.

There is a $15 late fee for late

payments.

New Policy Changes

30 DAY NOTICE BEFORE TERMINATION OF LEASE Residents may terminate their leases at any time but must first provide the

PHA a written notice with a forwarding address for the return of the

Security Deposit no less than 30 days before vacating the premises. The

prior 14 day notice requirement is no longer accepted.

NEW $20 KEY DEPOSIT AT MOVE IN

Due to residents failing to return their keys at Move Out, a $20 key deposit for

2 apartment keys is now required at Move In.

The purpose of this change is to reimburse PHA of the costs to remake lost

keys.

The Key Deposit will be refunded and included with their Security Deposit if

both keys are returned at Move Out.

As of October 1, 2014

With more than 65 years of service, the Edinburg Housing Authority

takes pride in providing assistance to those who need it most in the Rio

Grande Valley.

As a result, throughout the years we have focused our agency‟s efforts

and resources to ensure struggling low-income families with an equal oppor-

tunity to obtain safe, decent and affordable public housing, and thus improve

their quality of life.

But even though we help hundreds of families in need, we realize that to

truly help impoverished residents rise out of poverty and better themselves our

agency has to do much more than providing them with a place to live.

As a result, in addition to providing housing for our residents we have

now made it our mission to promote self-sufficiency throughout the agency

and do everything in our power to help those we serve develop the necessary

work skills and education to succeed and ultimately provide for their loved

ones on their own.

With dedication, integrity and compassion we take pride in helping our

residents each and every day. We believe and ardently hope that through every

family we help we make a difference in the present and someday future of the

city of Edinburg and the Rio Grande Valley.

Come to our next Resident Council Meeting and let us hear you. Meetings are

led by the Executive Director Rodolfo “Rudy” Ramirez and other residents

seeking to better their housing experience. Our first meeting will be:

January 15, 2015 @10 a.m. in Albores Courts (Drinks & snacks will be provided)

We will be sharing helpful information regarding President Obama‟s Executive

Order on Immigration and the application process as well as discussing new

things planned for 2015.

Contact Zulema Garcia at zgarcia@edinburgha.org for the complete schedule

of days and locations of our next meetings.

SERVING YOU SINCE 1949SERVING YOU SINCE 1949SERVING YOU SINCE 1949

Have an issue or concern with your housing development? Have an issue or concern with your housing development? Have an issue or concern with your housing development?

CIRO TREVINO ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

910 S. Sugar Road Edinburg, Texas 78539

Phone: (956) 383 3839

FAX: (956) 380 6308

“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” ― -John Holmes