The City of Falls Church continues to be very supportive of our mission at Winter Hill as several projects have been completed in the past years using Community Development Block Grants (“CDBG Funds”). In 2019, Winter Hill was awarded $63,000 in CDBG funding which was used to reface an additional 23 balconies. This project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2020. Operation Pathways Programming for FCHC Residents Operation Pathways programs for all FCHC residents are conducted in the James Moran Community Center at Winter Hill. Under the thoughtful leadership of the Resident Services Coordinator at Winter Hill, Dong Bui, FCHC offered the following programming in Fiscal Year 2019: Amazon Fire Tablet Program—Community Service Fund FCHC requested and was awarded a $2,500 grant from the City of Falls Church Community Service Fund on behalf of Winter Hill to provide residents access to Amazon Fire tablets. Operation Pathways is committed to providing our residents with the tools necessary to maintain their ability to live independently, grow their capacity to socialize, preserve their cognitive functions, and combat debilitating neurological diseases. One of the greatest health concerns for seniors, age 55 or older, is a loss of cognitive functions. Over one quarter of Americans suffer from dementia or other cognitive-related diseases by the time they reach their mid-80s. Many studies have indicated that a lack of social and mental stimulation can influence the development of cognitive decline and neurological diseases. With this funding from the City of Falls Church, we provided our residents with refurbished Amazon Fire tablets in order to further increase their capacity to socialize and foster mental stimulation, reducing factors that may influence the onset of neurological diseases. Residents took classes for three months and received a tablet to take home upon completion of the program. Community Service Fund The Community Service Fund (“CSF”) is an annual competitive grant program that provides funds to not-for-profit organizations seeking City support for human service programs and activities serving City of Falls Church residents. The majority of Winter Hill residents are from racially diverse backgrounds, with the highest percentage being Vietnamese and who speak English as a second language. FCHC provides service-enriched housing through the programs offered and administered on site by the resident services coordinator (“RSC”). The CSF grant assisted the RSC by providing interpretive services at some large-scale events. The RSC at Winter Hill interprets and translates various documents for Vietnamese-speaking residents, however, the RSC is not always able to work individually with residents, especially at larger events. The CSF grant helps ensure that residents are able to participate in programs and services from which they can benefit. With these CSF-awarded funds, more than 50 Winter Hill residents received improved delivery of on-site and outside services.
FCHC | Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Report
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