Congratulations, Wave 29!!

Congratulations to Wave 29, who graduated from New Century IDA Tuesday, March 27. It was a great evening for all involved. You can see the excitement in the pictures below.

Wave 29 Graduates

These kids came to celebrate with their parents.
They are all excited about moving into their own home!

Thanks to our sponsors:
 Francine Taylor from Southern Community Bank
and Dee Oliver from Allen Tate Realtors!

Throughout the evening, graduates celebrated their achievements. It required hard work and determination for each of these individuals to complete the financial literacy curriculum and to graduate from New Century IDA. They were all reminded that this is not the end but just the beginning. As they begin looking for homes over the next few months, they will have to keep practicing what they learned in the IDA program. Most importantly, they will continue to budget and save! 

It was a great night, and we look forward to celebrating with each of these people again when they close on their homes!

To share in the excitement of the evening, watch Twana Roebuck, Executive Director of ESR, deliver closing remarks and cheer on the graduates!

LaTeesha's Story

Even though you may check our website and read our blog, to fully appreciate how New Century IDA empowers people you need to hear first hand from someone who has participated in the program.

LaTeesha is a graduate of Winston-Salem State and an Income Maintenance Caseworker in Family and Children’s Medicaid for Forsyth County. She has completed the financial literacy classes and will graduate from New Century IDA with Wave 29 on March 27^th. Like many people who participate in New Century IDA, LaTeesha is motivated by her son. By achieving her goal of homeownership, her son will be able to grow up in his own family’s home. He will also learn what his mother is capable of and what can be achieved with hard work and dedication to a goal.

To learn more about LaTeesha’s experience in New Century IDA, watch the video below!

Thanks to LaTeesha for sharing her story! Congratulations on all of your achievements so far!

Exciting Day for New Century IDA!

Yesterday was a great day for New Century IDA. We had two closings yesterday afternoon! Closings are always exciting for New Century IDA and its clients.

Tasha Adams and Tisha Shaver both closed on their homes. For both of these women, closing on their home meant they had achieved their goal of homeownership. This is a great accomplishment, and one that took determination and dedication. Tasha and Tisha both had to complete 24 hours of financial literacy courses and 8 hours of homeownership training as well as pay off debts and raise their credit score in order to prove that they were ready for homeownership.

Tasha and Tisha both proved that they were up to the challenge! At their closings today, they were both surrounded by people from the New Century IDA team to help celebrate the occasion.

Jackie Baldwin, the IDA success coach, was there from Experiment in Self Reliance as well as Bianca Green, a loan officer from Forsyth County Department of Housing.

Dee Oliver from Allen Tate Real Estate was also there. Dee was the realtor for both Tasha and Tisha. As a sponsor for IDA classes, Dee gets to know IDA clients. She can help them find a house that is affordable for them but that also fits their needs.

Tom Jacobs from Hinshaw and Jacobs was the attorney for the closings and is always able to make the closings run smoothly and efficiently for IDA clients!

New Century IDA is grateful for all of these partners that help turn the dream of homeownership into a reality. Congratulations to Tasha and Tisha. Your hard work has paid off, and you are officially homeowners!

Check out the pictures below to share in the excitement!

Tasha signing the papers!

Tasha with her success coach, Jackie Baldwin, and her realtor Dee Oliver.

What a great smile! Tisha is closing on her home!

Tisha with her loan officer Lisa Wright, success coach Jackie Baldwin, and realtor Dee Oliver.

If you or someone you know is interested in applying for New Century IDA, check out the application and call 336-722-9400 x. 410 with any questions.

IDA Success Stories: A Single Mother of 2 and the Family Caretaker Reaches for the American Dream

I am a 42-year-old single African American with two sons, ages 15 and 24. My elderly father and his sister are also in the home. Currently, I am employed with the Forsyth County School System as a Teachers Assistant. I wasn’t familiar with any program in Winston-Salem area that would work with families that needed some assistance to help them become self-reliant.

I was at home when I received a phone call from one of my friends telling me about a program that she would like for me to participate in. However, she knew that financially I would be unable to do the program in its entirety. So, she asked that I come and hear her lecture because she knew it would benefit me somehow. By hearing her lecture it helped me set financial goals, budget planning, insurance and many other things. I was so glad to have received that call. The young man who met me at the door recognized my name and introduced himself and told me to please enjoy the lecture. At that point it was very clear to us that financially it would take a miracle to be able to participate in this program and purchase a home. But, thanks be to God the young man I met earlier was able to work out a way for me to participate. I was given sound advice from a team of workers through the IDA program.

Later, my IDA worker told me about the Self-Sufficiency Program at Experiment in Self-Reliance. I was approved for enrollment and needed additional assistance with budgeting skills, assistance in acquiring information on citizenship for my sons and father who are currently in the United States on Visas, and financial assistance to stabilize my household. This program would further enhance the ability to become a homeowner and self-reliant through a series of intense case management session during my monthly visits.

Things have come together for me. My family is receiving regular medical services. I have increased my annual income and learned some basic budgeting skills. Each month I continue to work with my case planner on developing those skills, and others that will help me become economically self-sufficient. I meet with my case planner once each month, and maintain telephone contact to ensure that no additional barriers arise that would hinder my progression to self-sufficiency.

I have finished the IDA Program by building a new home from scratch; and I may add I am the first one out of the group to have a home built. Even though some may believe that it just happened, I know that God had a plan and it was just unfolding.

I am thankful to God who is first in my life for making all of this possible for my family and myself. I am so grateful for the friends that God has placed in my life to be angels and they are not even aware of that. Please continue to make these programs available to others who aren’t able to do it alone.

Just imagine five persons living in a home and only one working. To purchase this home is nothing but a miracle for my family and me. That’s why the name of my home will be The Miracle House. ESR and IDA programs provide assistance to people who would otherwise not have the opportunity to better themselves and their situations.

If I had not been given the opportunity to be a part of the ESR/IDEA/Self Sufficiency programs, I would still be renting a house that would never be mine, struggling to manage my expenses each month, and I would probably be making the same amount of money I was earning before ESR, because I didn’t have a home to call my own, thereby making me feel more motivated to keep what I worked hard to accomplish. Also, my family would still be wondering when they would become citizens of the USA. My boys are just days away from becoming citizens and my father would have the same opportunity in a very short while.

Thanks to all of you for being there in my time of need.

IDA Success Story: Cheryl Ross, "A Wonderful Life is What You Make."

A wonderful life is whatever you make it. I grew up in public housing and lived on a low-income status all of my life. One Sunday morning I read a newspaper article about a woman with the same circumstances. I read about how the IDA program helped her to become a homeowner, and she said how happy and thankful she was to be able to become a homeowner. I filled out an application not feeling confident that it would work for me. I met some good people with the same circumstances as myself. I never felt lost or confused because a coach was just a call away. I have always been looking for something better for me and my three daughters. My oldest daughter is a college student at North Carolina State University, and the nine and fourteen year olds are looking forward to also attending college.

Upon acceptance into the IDA Program I found the economic literacy classes very helpful in getting me organized and preparing a budget. The instructors were very personal and helpful, and the coaches kept encouraging me. I am now a very proud homeowner with a three bedroom home with two full baths, cathedral ceilings, a deck, three acres for a backyard, walk in closets, gas logs, central air, and a two car garage. I will never have to move again because I have found what I have always wanted. My advice to everyone in the program or considering the program is don’t start looking for houses too early. However, watch your budget and cut out things you don’t need. Also try to save more than one thousand dollars for you will want to buy some things for your house when you move in. Please be patient, and use every resource that is available to you. Ask questions, this is your future. A wonderful life is what you make of it.

IDA Success Stories: Ms.T

Ms. T, a mother of three, was already enrolled in the IDA program when disaster struck. One afternoon she received a call that a fire had destroyed her apartment and all her belongings. To her get her family back in order, Ms. T was enrolled in the Self-Sufficiency Program through the Experiment in Self-Reliance. This program could assist with payment of utilities so she could focus on using her earned income for her IDA payment and rent. Ms. T was moved to another apartment and continued to work. Although the Self-Sufficiency Program was there to support her, Ms. T insisted on providing for her family with her own income.

Soon after her move, Ms. T lost her employment. Undaunted, she continued to search for an alternative. She was able to find employment cleaning homes, making just under $200 per month. Despite this hardship, she kept a positive attitude and continued to make her IDA deposit monthly. Ms. T was determined to find better employment, and applied for several jobs. After a number of interviews, she was offered and accepted a position with Bell South. With her increased income she was able to save above the $1,000 required by the IDA program.

After experiencing much heartache, Ms. T was able to achieve her dream on May 8^th, 2001. On that date, Ms T closed on her first house, and is looking forward to making it a home for her and her children.