Skip to main content

A New Horizon






Hey there!  I’ve been laying low for a few weeks gathering plenty of news and information to share.  First off I’ve known for some time the UNH’s top management team Director Janis Lewis-Deely, her buddy Valerie Williams and Rose Antone and a few others has left the UNH’s establishment.  Finally the UNH’s board members have stepped up to the plate and hit a home run.  In the meantime Christine Lenze will be the acting executive director of UNH’s until they find a permanent replacement.  I think this is wonderful and I hope the new head office team will guide UNH’s to be a better organization. :)  Speaking of UNH’s head office last week near the end of the day I faxed a work order to the UNH’s maintenance department and the next morning I received a call from Donna to work out a time frame for Darryl to drop by and complete the work order.  Wow!  Talk about prompt service  *Thumbs up* a thank you to Donna and Darryl.  Now if the work order went the KMHC office H.O.W. Lynda and Christine would be standing near their desk with their finger up their ass trying to figure how they can pass the buck. :P  Last month when the police came to my door the bald officer said HSC Ingrid Nosel no longer works for UNH’s.  He must have made a mistake or he was misinformed because Ingrid is still here also it seems her hours have been reduced due to health issues.  I seriously hope new management will consider replacing the H.O.W. staff, Native Elders can better relate to an aboriginal H.O.W. team that understand the traditions and way of life.   
I was watching a movie on APTN about native residential schools one scene really sticks out in my mind.  In the classroom a stern Catholic priest orders a native child to speak English and to stop speaking in his native language.  The priest yells at the child to obey or he will be sent to hell.  The child thought “if my parents and people are in hell then that’s where I want to go too”.  I admire the child being so defiant I can only imagine the horrors native children went through during this sad time in our history. 
Tenant News!  The spring season has arrived which means I do my volunteer community work around the KMHC building by washing the windows for all tenants on my floor, I would do the other units but I don’t have a ladder.  One day I met a neighbor in the hallway I soon realized she was upset and she started to cry, she explained a family member died and can’t afford to go to the funeral.  I listened for a bit then I gave her a hug and offering my condolences, being supportive to vulnerable tenants is what’s it’s all about.  I also want to thank fellow tenant Robbie for the kind gesture.  :)
Here's something that's disappointing.  Non profit Native organizations in Hamilton should have a form of cooperation ie: Native Women’s Centre has a great program delivering food boxes to Natives in the city.  On Thursday afternoon while on delivery they couldn’t get in touch with one tenant so they phoned the KMHC office and asked if they would hold the food box for the tenant, the response was NO!   I’ll bet H.O.W. Lynda Jones took the call.  Anyway a few minutes later the NWC driver/organizer told me about the KMHC office clerk's bad attitude and shook her head in disgust.

Until next time enjoy the warm weather.

Tk

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Poor Working Environment

My unit is located near the KMHC office, along with a friendly wave or hello I see the junior staff going about their business in a cheerful manner with the exception of one employee.   You would think KMHC has a pleasant working environment but that is not the case.   March 2016 is when Urban Native Homes head office was forced to move from their former spacious location to the cramp basement level of KMHC.   There were approx. 8-10 staff members at the time.   Then the Urban Native Homes financial scandal broke out and soon after the current UNH acting director’s illicit past became public knowledge, everyone was worried will they have a job.  Fearful meetings going on in the community room, the rumor mill was in full rotation while I just stood back and observed the panic.   Check your search engine it states this building location is Urban Native Homes head office yet that is not correct.  There is no real head office, the organization has s...
110 comments
Read more

The End Is Here

Urban Native Homes Inc. will no longer exist.   Today and tomorrow Ciy of Hamilton/Ontario Aboriginal Housing Human Resources Dept. are interviewing UNH staff and other applicants in the community room.   Who will be rehired and who will be fired!   I just hope they choose wisely. Tonight I heard Christine Lenze, her mother Ingrid Nosel and the rest of their family and friends has left UNH. This evening before I left for the gym I ran into receptionist Melissa Wissner in the hallway.   She was waiting for her job interview and had a message for me from former UNH caseworker Crystal Mackenzie.  Crystal wishes me good luck and it was a pleasure working with me.  I was surprised by the message and I wish her the best too. :) My blog site has accomplished what I started out to do some years ago by publicly outing the mismanagement of Urban Native Homes Inc.  It's been a long arduous journey. I would like to thank anonymous and the others for thei...
18 comments
Read more

Lock That Door!

FOB A few years ago UNH’s installed electronic door locks on all levels of the KMHC building.   There was grumbling from tenants about the inconvenience but soon learn to adapt.   Before entry the tenant must have a FOB device to unlock and open the front door. *Similar to the image above*   Yeah it’s a pain in the arse when a tenant is carrying groceries and other items.   The one thing I like about the FOB lock system is when the building fire alarm is triggered all FOB locked doors electronically swing open.   Soon after the FOB lock systems were installed I notice something peculiar.   During office hours the basement door was jarred open by the UNH’s staff and I figured out why.   UNH staff was too lazy to get up off their seat and physically open the door for their visitors.   There is a security camera monitor at the reception desk and a buzzer that opens the main door but Jeezus Come on ladies!   Tenant elders are inst...
18 comments
Read more