NeighborWorks America and Manna Celebrate 25 Years of Homebuyers Clubs

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of Manna’s Homebuyers Club (HBC) program.  The HBC is a peer support group and homeownership counseling program created in 1986 to prepare low to moderate income homebuyers for homeownership. Manna was the first organization in the country to create such a program. NeighborWorks America, of which Manna is a chartered member, replicated this homebuyers club program in hundreds of its member organizations nationally.
 

From left to right: Donna Morris, Tia Norde, 
the Honorable Christiane Gigi Hyland, Rev. Jim Dickerson, 
Deborah Boatwright, Willamena Samuels,
 and Valerie Robinson.
Photo Credit: Ron White Photography

On Thursday, February 23^rd, 2012 NeighborWorks America and Manna celebrated the 25^th anniversary of homebuyers clubs at the National Press Club. Speakers included Eileen Fitzgerald, CEO of NeighborWorks America, the Honorable Christiane Gigi Hyland, National Credit Union Administration Board Member, and Deborah Boatwright, Regional Director of NeighborWorks America Northeast Region, who moderated the event. Rev. Jim Dickerson, Founder of Manna, also spoke about how Manna’s HBC has helped hundreds of low to moderate income individuals become homeowners in the District. He introduced three Manna HBC graduates: Donna Morris, Tia Norde, and Valerie Robinson. The women shared their Homebuyers Club experiences and how being a homeowner has positively affected their lives.

Left to right: Willamena Samuels,
Rev. Jim Dickerson of Manna,
and DC Councilmember Kwame Brown

The Washington DC City Council also joined in the HBC 25^th Anniversary celebrations. On Thursday evening, Councilmember Kwame Brown presented Rev. Jim Dickerson with a proclamation recognizing the impact of Manna’s HBC on homeownership in Washington DC. Councilmembers Kwame Brown and Michael A. Brown both gave remarks about the need affordable housing in the city and for programs such as Manna’s HBC.

Click here for complete profiles on Donna Morris, Tia Norde, Valerie Robinson, and several other HBC graduates.

Want to give your input about why you think homebuyers clubs are important?  Follow Manna on Twitter and use the hashtag #HBC25! Click here to follow Manna on Twitter.

Visit Manna’s Facebook page to view photos and video of the HBC 25th Anniversary celebrations.