Free tenant workshops for anyone who rents apartment or house available starting Thursday

QUINCY — A free tenant workshop for anyone who rents a house or apartment anywhere in Quincy will held on five consecutive Thursday nights beginning Oct. 5 at Bella Ease, 721 Broadway.

The first session will start with a lunchbox dinner at 5:30 p.m.  Programs will begin at 6 p.m. Each workshop will last approximately two hours and 15 minutes. They will include a 10-minute break when homemade cookies will be set out for tenants, speakers and volunteers.

“A certification card is given to tenants who complete all five programs, and that card is very useful to show a landlord, bank, credit union or public entity,” said Blake Scheer, tenant workshop co-chair with Janet Conover. “It shows that the tenants have a sincere interest in learning about health issues, housekeeping, money management and ways to improve their lives and living units.” 

A $10 gift card will be given to all tenants who stay until the end of each session. A $100 gift card will be awarded to tenants who attend all five sessions. Free child care will be available.

The five programs will be:

• October 5, Working with the City;
• October 12, Healthy Homes;
• October 19, Money Management;
• October 26, Health in Body, Mind and Spirit; and 
• November 2, Hope.

To register, contact Bella Ease at 217-222-0632, ext. 220, or at swaters@bellaease.com, or contact the Quincy Housing Authority, 540 Harrison, 217-222-0720, ext. 403, bmefford@quincyhousing.org.  If the office is closed, leave a name and return phone number on the answering machine. If you are bringing children, give their ages and names when registering. 

The workshop is sponsored by the Safe and Livable Housing Committee. Volunteers raise money to pay for the project. To date, 128 tenants have taken the workshops. Anyone interested in donating to this project, be a volunteer or visit as an observer should contact Suzie Irwin Wells, president of the SLHC, at 415-601-9657.

Contacts the following people for questions:

• Blake Scheer, bscheer@bankwithbos.com;
• Father Joe Zimmerman, 217-222-8465, friarzimm@gmail.com;
• Suzie Irwin-Wells, 415-601-9657, suzanne@irwin-wells.com;
• Janet Conover, 217-222-8465, jgatesconover@aol.com.