Thanks to her hard work and patience when helping clients, Letric Newton was named EDEN's May employee of the month.
Letric joined EDEN in 2001 as a housing eligibility specialist. She is responsible for Section 8 Gateway, Section 8 Mainstream, and an SHP program. Letric previously worked as a housing eligibility specialist at CMHA, so she brings a lot of experience to her current position.
Some of Letric's duties include interviewing clients to determine eligibility, entering new clients into the database, coordinating background checks and sending out appointment letters and inspection letters. She also holds briefings with groups of clients to educate them about their Section 8 vouchers.
Letric describes a typical work day as both "calm and busy" and her supervisors comment on her diligent work. According to Housing Programs Manager Angela Glassco, Letric is always willing to take on new responsibilities and never complains if any extra work is required from time to time. She maintains positive partnerships with the CMHA and other agencies to help make each program a success. She was also instrumental in launching EDEN's new Section 8 Mainstream program, which opened in early 2005.
Angela Glassco especially appreciates Letric's attention to detail and the patience she exhibits when working with the disability population: "She is able to address a group of 10-15 severely disabled clients and stay as long as it takes to make sure all their questions are answered. It is truly amazing to watch her do these briefings."
When Letric isn't at work, she focuses on her two children and takes parenting very seriously. Her favorite part of coming into the EDEN offices every day, though, is making a difference in her clients' lives. She likes knowing "that a person or family has a roof over their head and I had a part in that . . . no one should be without a home."
Letric is honored and grateful to receive the agency's employee of the month award. But she's also humble, and thanks management for "seeing the good things in me that I don't always see."
