Vice mayor aims to empower girls
Newport News Vice Mayor Tina Vick has conducted Girls’ Camp for the last five years to provide guidance and empowerment that she hopes will benefit local young women as they become adults.
Vick said she and other city officials hear from women in dire situations that she or people from the city couldn’t influence. Vick said she would hear from young, single women with multiple children and no income and would just feel helpless in assisting them.
That led Vick to take a proactive approach to helping young women.
At Girls’ Camp, attendees learn about decision-making, consequences of actions, the importance of education and other life skills. Vick said the daylong camp serves to supplement and reinforce the things some of these girls learn at home or in school — or to teach these lessons for the first time if the girl isn’t receiving guidance.
Vick said the camp attendees also receive guidance from staff of Transitions, which helps people affected by family and domestic violence. Along with the lessons, Vick strives for the girls at the camp to have a good day, offering positive reinforcements, giveaways, fun and food. The camp also fosters relationships between the girls and positive figures in the community who they can reach in the future.
This year’s camp will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 6 at An Achievable Dream Middle and High School, 5720 Marshall Ave. Attending is free, and Vick hopes to have 100 girls there from ages 13 to 18.
Attendees must register in advance by contacting Vick at either 757-751-2933 or tinalvick@gmail.com.
Landlords will talk about evictions
Landlords from across Hampton Roads will gather in Newport News next week to discuss issues such as preventing evictions, accessing multiple funding sources, locating tenants with wrap-around services and connecting with community-based partnerships.
The Greater Virginia Peninsula Homelessness Consortium is hosting its annual Landlord Partnership event 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at the South Morrison Family Education Center, 746 Adams Drive, Newport News.
At the event, people will be able to share information and resources and hear how other local landlords deal with issues at their properties.
Evictions in Hampton Roads have become a hot topic in recent months following a Princeton University study that placed five Virginia cities in the country’s top 10 for eviction rates — Newport News and Hampton were in the top five.
The study led to several discussions hosted by elected officials, during which some local landlords and city employees have disputed the study’s methods. Most agreed action had to be taken to curb evictions.
To register for the event, call the consortium at 757-369-6830.