I know what people say about “the projects.” I know what kind of people they expect to live here. I know what their assumptions look like.
When I first became a resident of public housing, 3 years ago, I was not expecting to learn and grow the way that I have.
I was not expecting to learn and grow the way that I have.
I lived in public housing the majority of my childhood and my memories are rarely accompanied by a sense of stability within the community. That became a burden, especially when God placed me here, as an adult, with a child.
I know what people say about “the projects.” I know what kind of people they expect to live here. I know what their assumptions look like. I know the impression I was given as a child.
There seemed to be nothing good coming from a place like this, with people like this. Coming out of a deep state of depression, with seemingly no access to a future of healing, left me feeling hopeless and made me feel like I was being left behind by the rest of the world. Each day I opened my door, I felt like a failure and at a standstill. That isn’t who I am. Resources and access to other resources seemed to prove difficult to reach. No one around here seemed to know the first place to look for help. So I stayed isolated and unproductive. I was oblivious to all of the wonderful community events that were going on around me.
It wasn’t until I had been a resident for 8 months, that I was invited to a community meeting that I had known nothing about. I wasn’t very thrilled to go, but my neighbor felt like there was something there that I needed. While there, I met some of the beautiful ladies who work for the housing authority, and they introduced me to the public housing authority’s Facebook page. I was told it would be very beneficial to me finding resources and access to other residents who may be like-minded and willing to connect.
Again, I was not expecting to learn and grow the way that I have.
Once I connected with the social media pages for the housing authority, I was given behind the scenes access to what was really going on with public housing resources, as well as community events that I could be involved in and areas where I could serve. ROSS, a program offered by public housing that stands for Resident Opportunities for Self Sufficiency, was a catalyst in opening doors for me to meet individuals who could catapult my knowledge and increase my wisdom with experiences I had never had before. I was able to meet prominent government officials, attend corporate functions with The
Chamber of Commerce, take free classes that were offered to encourage and increase a growth mindset and help aid in mental success, serve on the Historic District Board for my community, and receive transportation assistance for anything that contributed to my self-sufficiency.
Social Media changed the way I was able to take advantage of the resources that are provided for, not only the residents in public housing, but each individual outside of public housing. Outside of my window, all I see are brick walls everywhere, as far as I can see. These walls can seem more like barriers, than protection.
There aren’t many people around who are busy being productive or who would just like to chat about community events. Social Media has given me the opportunity to be proactive in my involvement. There is a plethora of information posted daily. Whether it is about current events involving the election (including where to register to vote and where to vote) or whether it is information regarding free COVID-19 testing in different areas of the community (along with flu shots).
There are always job fairs, free or cheap family events, school drives, mobile health screenings, educational tips and resources for students and parents, financial assistance memos, clothing drives, food resources like soup kitchens and food pantries, and more.
"These are all things I would still have no access to without the use of social media."
I have been impacted by the resident engagement that I have been afforded. Each one of the connections that I have made with other like-minded residents, have been outside of my housing unit. Each woman has a mind that is unparalleled to the circumstances that we have been placed in. Each one is like me, ready to move forward and do more.
In addition to that, God has placed other people in my life who I now see as “human resources” for my personal growth and accomplishments. There are so many others, outside of housing, who want to help and positively impact a life.
Social media has influenced the way we live, the way we think, the way we make money, the way we make connections, and the way we see the world. I couldn’t be more thankful for the housing authority and the access social media has given me to the rest of the community or for the aid in my own self-sufficiency.
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