Lead with Love

Denita Washington enters year three of her term as Adams Township trustee

By Tabitha Ervin
Of Fort Wayne Ink Spot

I was recently able to connect with Adams Township Trustee Denita Washington on the close of her second year of a 4-year term. She and her team have made tremendous strides for the people served by the township, a team that includes a clerk, Janet McComb, and two investigators, Porshe’ Williams and Yolanda Walker.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the building has been closed but that hasn’t stopped their service to the community. In 2020, the township started a newsletter to help with communicating information and events to the community. Also, Washington and company go to where the support is needed. (There is a drop box available at door 3 and they do phone conferences as needed with clients.)

Ervin: Tell me about some other new initiatives in 2020 that were led by you and your team?

Washington: We started doing Facebook Live events with various community partners on a range of topics including money and financial management, mental health, insurance, self-care for care takers and others. The speakers included: Alice Jordan Miles, Raphael Bosley, Jessica Collins and staff from Aging and In-Home Services.

We were able to do drive through food drives in partnership with Wellspring and we even got to do a Food Pantry for pets so they wouldn’t suffer neglect and hunger during the pandemic which has now been moved to the community center here in New Haven. Also, we did a Thanksgiving basket give away and we were able to pass out a complete dinner and dessert which was a blessing to those who received it.

We had Francine’s Friends Mobile Mammography Unit on site to serve our constituents by appointment, which filled up.

We also did an Indiana Michigan Power light bulb giveaway and we still have plenty of free light bulbs and people can call us if they need some.

Ervin: I know you also were a part of the conversations once the moratoriums lifted on payments for electric and water bills that were not penalized if not paid due to the pandemic from March-July.

Washington: Yes, the other trustees and I had the opportunity to meet with the leaders of those companies (AEP and others) including BrightPoint and United Way which created new partnerships and understanding amongst the group. I was on the United Way COVID 19 committee which is how this connection started. We were able to support people as their payments restarted.

Ervin: Sounds like you had a phenomenal year so congratulations!

Washington: Yes, the team and I have worked really hard and as a result we’ve seen the “climate change” in the office and in the community as we continue to serve and lead with love. How we treat people and how they feel is very important to myself and our team. I am thankful for the amazing team I get to work with in serving this community.

To connect with Denita Washington and her team or any of their services please call at 260-749-4162 or email info@adamstownship.org stop by 1125 Hartzell Street New Haven, IN 46774 or find them on Facebook at Adams Township Trustee Office and the website: www.adamstownship.org