V.O.I.C.E. is being heard!

Several V.O.I.C.E. (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) members have reported that several local political figures are starting to ask for more information about V.O.I.C.E. If you receive such a query, V.O.I.C.E. now has a web site (www.voice-iaf.org)!!!


However, as Fr. Grinnell noted, "You know you have entered the public consciousness when you even become a source for graffiti." While we certainly do not approve of graffiti, these pictures from the culvert near Saint Anthony of Padua Church show that V.O.I.C.E. has entered the public consciousness of some young people in our community. It is also interesting that the V.O.I.C.E. graffiti is done so as to partly cover up gang graffiti.

In her commentary in the current edition of the Falls Church News-Press, Fairfax County Supervisor Penny Gross recounts her response to the situation in Vista Gardens Apartments. She describes how the tenants, many of whom are Saint Anthony of Padua parishioners, brought the issue to her attention; the rapid response from the Fire Marshal and Zoning Enforcement; and how the Vista Gardens management company was given 60 days to "abate the violations." (The 60 days is up on June 2nd!)

However, in much more detail, Supervisor Gross describes what she saw when she visited the apartments on Mother's Day along with Fr. Grinnell, parishioners, and members of V.O.I.C.E. She describes how a brand new tenant paying $1,000 a month found an apartment with a moldy and bowed living room and two kitchen drawers without bottoms among other problems. In another apartment she found a stove that was "perhaps the oldest gas appliance I have ever seen" and "needs to be replaced." The third apartment had a bathroom that had no ceiling -- the result of repairs that had been started, but never finished.


As Supervisor Gross sums up, "the focus [of these efforts] is on providing clean, decent, affordable housing for the tenants of Vista Gardens, who have been living in deplorable conditions for far too long." The effort by Fr. Grinnell, the tenants, parish volunteers, and V.O.I.C.E. shows how ordinary people can organize and speak out for justice, and Supervisor Gross' actions shows how government can respond to the needs of the community.

For the full commentary by Supervisor Gross from the Falls Church News-Press click on the web link below:
http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/local/4461-a-penny-for-your-thoughts-news-of-greater-falls-church.html

Mothers Day Procession for Social Justice at Vista Gardens

Following up on the recents inspections done by the Fairfax County Fire Marshall (who found over 600 fire and safety violations) and the Fairfax County agencies responsible for building code enforcement, Fairfax County Supervisor Penny Gross and the Fire Marshall visited the Vista Gardens Apartments complex on a beautiful Mothers Day afternoon.

Supervisor Gross was joined by Fr. Tuck Grinnell, Pastor of Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, and Fr. Jorge Acho, who have been working with the tenants; Saint Anthony parishioners; tenants of Vista Gardens; and members of V.O.I.C.E. (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement).

After walking to the complex and visiting several apartments, Supervisor Gross reported that she continues to be concerned by the terrible conditions that the tenants in these market rate apartments are forced to live in due to a long-term lack of maintenance. Many residents have lived there 10 to 15 years without any significant maintenance done to their apartments in spite of requests.

The residents of the apartments are doing their best to maintain the units as cleanly and neatly as they can, but the lack of basic maintenance by the management makes this difficult. As one tenant noted to Supervisor Gross, her work is cleaning homes so she knows how to clean; it's just that when there are holes in the wall, broken cabinets, bathroom and kitchen fixtures that haven't been fixed or replaced in decades, and mold and bugs coming through cracks in the ceiling it is difficult to do that in her own home.

In answer to one question about the lack of screens on windows, Supervisor Gross noted that the property manager has said that 2,000 screens have recently been ordered to fix this violation. However, as she added, anyone who has tried to put up screens knows that doing 2,000 will take some time!

Supervisor Gross noted that the next report from the County is due June 2nd. She is committed to making sure the conditions in Vista Gardens continue to improve. She also noted that the Fire Department and other County agencies will host bilingual presentations at Saint Anthony for residents about fire safety and other issues. Fr. Tuck noted that he, the parish, and V.O.I.C.E. are also committed to making the conditions in Vista Gardens improve without retaliation on the tenants and looks forward to meeting with County officials after the June 2nd report to discuss the next steps.

Fr. Tuck and Supervisor Penny Gross (above) leading the procession after the 1:00 pm Mass with Fr. Jorge (below) and Saint Anthony of Padua parishioners (second below).

Crossing Leesburg Pike as a group going to Vista Gardens Apartments (two pictures above).

A long line of parishioners, residents of Vista Gardens, V.O.I.C.E. members, and members of the Legion of Mary (above two pictures).

Supervisor Gross, Fr. Tuck, and Fr. Jorge visit three apartments (three pictures above) and talk to the residents about the maintenance conditions in Vista Gardens Apartments.

Without even entering the apartments, all could see broken glass in windows (immediately above) and windows that have to held open (second above).

Sr. Agustina leads everyone in the Rosary while Supervisor Gross, Fr. Tuck, and Fr. Jorge visit the apartments (above and two below).

Penny Gross and Fr. Tuck report on their visit to the three apartments along with Scott Engdahl, Pastoral Council President, Fairfax County Fire Marshal, and Maria Calacan, Youth Minister and translator for the day (above and three below).

Photo inside apartment thanks to Scott Engdahl.

Maintenance Reports Delivered to Vista Gardens

This morning Fr. Tuck Grinnell, Fr. Jorge Acho, and Imam Johari of Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center led a team of V.O.I.C.E. members who have been involved in the Vista Gardens Action to present the property manager over 120 individual maintenance issues reported by residents. The property manager committed to make the repairs and to continue working with V.O.I.C.E. to improve the property for the current residents, who are paying market rates. St. Anthony of Padua parish and V.O.I.C.E. members will continue working with the residents of Vista Gardens to ensure an improvement in their living conditions. This Sunday, May 10, Fr. Grinnell and Fr. Acho will lead a procession after the 1:00 pm Mass along with Fairfax County Supervisor Penny Gross to do a walk through of the property. Anyone interested is invited to attend.

Photos thanks to Scott Engdahl.

Culmore Clean-up Day

Teams from Saint Anthony of Padua parish participated in the annual Culmore Cleanup Day on Saturday, May 2nd. Parishioner Mary Cheston was one of the volunteer organizers of this well-organized event, and the Saint Anthony teams (and a friend from The Falls Church) focused especially on the Vista Gardens apartment complex. We picked-up trash, broken glass, and bottle caps. We painted the benches in Vista Gardens that hadn't been painted in many years. We talked, walked and worked! Thanks to all who spent their Saturday morning improving our larger parish community!