Erich Nakano, executive director of Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC), says his journey to housing and community development began with three events. An activist whose parents sought to amplify stories about Japanese internment in the United States, Nakano says friends, family and fellow college students all shined lights on a path to working with the community he loved.

The 1970s

A NeighborWorks America network organization in Ohio was able to help staff and East Akron residents with personal protective equipment (PPE), homeownership education and even groceries, thanks to a boost from NeighborWorks America and national banking partner Fifth Third Bank.

In February, just two weeks after Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first female vice president, a portrait of her stood on display near the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The installation, created by Simon Berger, used broken glass as a medium. It was an homage to the latest shattering of the "glass ceiling." 

Leslie Reid was born into a family of two: It was her and her mother, alone in New York, in need of better prospects. Reid spent time in foster care while her mother went to find them a home. Her family grew exponentially when she rejoined her mother, who had found work in Boston with a community of social workers. They'd started an organization for homeless youth, Reid says, and they lived together and worked together, providing shelter and services. 

Julie Porter grew up as the youngest of nine children. Her older brothers and sisters were raised in a country farmhouse with no hot running water, but Porter was born in town, where the family moved when they bought a rambling house in McPherson, Kansas, for $11,000.
 

NeighborWorks President and CEO Marietta Rodriguez spoke with the National Credit Union Administration on Sept. 15 to help educate credit unions about NeighborWorks and about the potential for future partnerships. "We are very focused on local communities," she explained, and on generating the highest impact.
 

Training isn't just a way to keep certifications current; it's a way to keep knowledge current. And as current events continue to create moving targets for affordable housing and community development professionals – with eviction moratoriums, unemployment, rental relief, and a kaleidoscope of grants and programs – housing counselors, educators and trainers need to keep up.