1715 Division Avenue
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
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First Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Graduation at Dunbar Village

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Fourteen public housing residents between the ages of 22 and 62 years old who accepted the challenge of "You Can Do It," will graduate on Thursday, September 4 from the West Palm Beach Housing Authority's Career Development and Computer Training Center at Dunbar Village.

The Graduates of the Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) program will be honored in a ceremony scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Conference Room of the West Palm Beach Housing Authority at 1715 Division Avenue.

West Palm Beach Housing authority Executive Director, Laurel Robinson said, "We're proud of these graduates who now have employable skills and are positioned for personal growth in our community."

Aldric Marshall, Project Coordinator of the Florida Resource Center for Women and Children, who administers the computer courses, said that by completing the program graduates had gained new confidence and self-esteem.

In addition to the Computer Training Series, residents participating in the ROSS program were also instructed in a "Banking and Money Management Series" by officers of National City bank.

Attorney Bryan Boysaw of the law firm Bryan Boysaw and Associates P.A. will be guest speaker at the graduation ceremony.

The West Palm Beach Housing Authority received a ROSS grant in FY 2008. The grant funds programs designed to help public housing residents attain self-sufficiency. The Career Development and Computer Training Center located in Dunbar Village has provided services to over 300 program participants and is currently managed by Florida Resource Center for Women and Children, (FRCWC) in partnership with the West Palm Beach Housing Authority. Courses include: Computer Lab (Word, Excel, Power Point) Job/Education Training, Life Skills, Literacy, Girls Empowerment, Anger Management, Domestic Violence Education, Tutoring, National City bank Money Management Classes, Legal Aid Seminars, GED classes, Financial Readiness and Home Ownership Preparation classes. Interested residents should contact FRCWC at 561-366-9447 or 561-848- 8383.

With a mission to provide those with limited financial resources access to safe, decent and affordable public housing and programs to assist in transition to greater financial security, the West Palm Beach Housing Authority owns and operates 712 units in five housing developments: Dunbar Village, Southridge, Pleasant City, Twin Lakes and Robinson Village. More information about WPBHA and its programs is available at http://www.wpbha.org

Media Contact:Mark Hopkinson, NewsMark Public Relations

mhopkinson@newsmarkpr.com
(561) 852-5767

SOURCE West Palm Beach Housing Authority

Mission Statement: To provide safe, decent and affordable public housing to persons and families with limited financial resources and to provide residents with access to programs, which will assist them in making the transition to greater financial security.