Ink Notes
Congratulations, Denita!
Denita Washington has been named the director of programs for the Fort Wayne Housing Authority. It is another mark of public service for the lifelong Fort Wayne resident. Since 2018, Denita Washington has served as the Adams Township Trustee—the first African American and the first woman elected to the post.
Scholarship Opportunity
April 19 marks the deadline to submit an application for the local chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.’s memorial scholarship. In order to qualify for the Eta Uplison Zeta chapter’s grant, applicants must be a senior in school within Allen County grading in May and enrolling as a full-time student in an accredited college or university in the fall, as well as having a minimum of a 2.5 GPA out 4.0 and demonstrating financial need. Applicants must also show they’ve made contributions of service to the community and in their school.
For more information, contact Dr. Marrisa Culver, the chair of the scholarship committee, at marrisaculver@gmail.com.
Kudos, Coach!
Indiana Tech’s women's track and field cruised to their second title in program history, racking up a total of 111 points in the 41st annual NAIA Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Championship earlier this month. Chauntiel Smith, an All American at Tech and South Side High School alum, is an assistant coach with the team and an Ink Spot contributor. She’s also a qualified sports agent and CEO of Capture Sports Agency (www.capturesportsagency.com).
Come See Us
Fort Wayne Ink Spot will be at Covenant Impact’s Food Truck Mondays on April 12 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 at 3420 E. Paulding Rd. There will be food, music, and opportunities to interact with us and other organizations.
Corrections
Due to an editor’s editor, last issue’s story by Jacquee Eicher “The People’s Pantries” had an error in statistics. According to thinkanthem.com, 17% of households in Allen County are experiencing what is
known as food insecurity, or the inaccessibility to enough food for an active, healthy life. This
inaccessibility could be for any number of factors including income, distance, or availability in
their area, all of which have been amplified by the effects of COVID-19. Also, 26% of children in Allen County are experiencing food insecurity.
Preventing Homelessness
Fort Wayne’s Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services has contracted with a nationally-recognized consulting firm to evaluate the state of homelessness in the City of Fort Wayne and develop a strategic plan to address it.
The San Francisco-based non-profit Homebase will work with the city, community organizations and stakeholders to first do an assessment of Fort Wayne’s current resources and needs. Then the agency will provide a report that outlines recommendations based on national best practices. There will be two public presentations to report the findings.
The city will work with Homebase on the development of an action plan to provide services to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Homebase will also assist with the implementation of the plan. The goal is to prevent homelessness in target populations by providing shelter, street outreach, and affordable housing.
Funding for the strategic plan work comes from CARES Act dollars allocated to the City of Fort Wayne. The work being performed by Homebase is anticipated to be a nine-month process.