A group of residents from the Housing Authority of the City of Cairo (HACC) attended its first Community Access and Empowerment workshop, which was conducted with the Albany Housing Authority.    

Dr. John H. Marria, executive director, told attendees the purpose of the workshop was to empower residents residing in public housing with skills to begin taking control of their finances for preparing household budgets, ways to lower utility bills, how to reduce and challenge medical bills, and employment training. 

Attendees also were provided with knowledge on skills to enter and advance in the job market. While being unemployed or underemployed, participants learned how to earn stipends to acquire new skills to help enter, reenter, or advance in the job market.  

Presenters at the workshop were Berneta Haynes, Georgia Watch director of equity and access, Anthony Jones, Doughtery County commissioner and Melody Pierce, executive director for WorkSource Southwest Georgia, hosted the event.  

Other agencies present included Southern Regional Technical College, Albany Technical College, Southwest Georgia Community Action Council, Georgia Department of Labor, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Turner Job Corp,, among others.  

HACC attendees said the workshop was informative and they look forward to practicing some of the skills they’ve acquired. Residents who attended were: Phyllis Cooper, Wanda Daniels, Shirley Garland, Erika Garland, Annette Henderson, Queen Johnson, Howard Lee, Freeman Martin, Steve Miller, Bertha Richardson and Jimmy Willis.