Woodbridge, VA – August 4, 2023 – First Home Alliance (FHA) is excited to welcome one of our most integral employees, Charlene Watkins-Byrd back to Rock Your Block. She is one of the organization’s HUD-certified Housing Counselors and has been an employee for over seventeen years. She believes strongly in the FHA mission of homebuyer education and shares the importance of economic empowerment during free weekly FHA Financial Literacy Classes.
Watkins-Byrd and FHA have together forged over 5,000 first-time home buyers, helped over 3,000 avoid foreclosure. and assisted a couple hundred families avoid eviction. She has, herself, coached over 1,000 of those individuals through the potentially harrowing process of buying their first home. The two discussed the importance of being there to guide people through these unique life challenges and the honor felt with being there to help see them through successfully. You can watch the full interview here:
Laws and Watkins-Byrd also discussed a couple of the programs FHA has available to aid underserved communities, low-to-middle income families, and veteran families. They also talked about the upcoming FHA Annual Financial Wellness Symposium and Awards Gala scheduled for Veteran’s Day this year, on November 11. The symposium is a community event open to the public, a dayfull of collaboration, education, and empowerment to raise awareness, improve financial health, and physical and mental well-being. The event empowers participants through motivational speakers and industry experts.
That evening’s gala will celebrate and honor those who are serving, or have served, in our Armed Forces as we come together to raise awareness and funds to increase housing opportunities for those in need. The event is an important fundraiser to support the organization’s mission. Watkins-Byrd leads the planning efforts each year, and FHA is currently looking for sponsors who’d like to help empower and motivate our communities. More information on the symposium and gala are available here: https://firsthomealliance.org/symposium-and-gala/. The page also has a link to register for the symposium, purchase tickets to the gala, or secure a high-visibility sponsorship for an evening of empowerment and community enrichment.
Rock Your Block is a weekly tv program aired by Fairfax Public Access (FPA) on Channel 10. The show shines a spotlight on Fairfax County and Washington-area neighborhoods and individuals doing good in their communities and encouraging others in similar acts. Channel 10 airs local programming indicative of the diverse lifestyles and interests of the Washington metro area. Rock Your Block airs Tuesdays at 2:30pm, Fridays at 6pm, and Saturdays at 12:30am.
First Home Alliance is a HUD-approved 501(c)3 not-for-profit housing counseling agency promoting financial literacy and economic self-sufficiency. Their mission is to increase home ownership among low-to-moderate income communities and to sustain ownership through loss-mitigation counseling and foreclosure intervention. For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation to empower their mission please visit: www.FirstHomeAlliance.org.
