Melodee Lister enjoys being around people. She was looking for something to do where she could be with people but, because she's a person with a disability, something where she could sit down. A friend told her about volunteer transportation at Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (KVCAP), a NeighborWorks network organization in Maine. She gets reimbursed for her mileage, she says. But the main reason the program was the perfect fit for Lister? "I like to help people."

The AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers at The Neighborhood Developers Inc. (TND), in Chelsea, Massachusetts, had been at their various assignments for just over seven months when everything changed. Starting in March, when the spread of COVID also caused the spread of hard financial times, there were new needs. For the VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America), there were new responsibilities.

"There's nothing wrong with Black people that ending racism can't solve," says Andre Perry, a fellow at Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program where he studies Black majority cities.

Training isn't just a way to keep certifications current; it's a way to keep knowledge current. And as current events continue to create moving targets for affordable housing and community development professionals – with eviction moratoriums, unemployment, rental relief, and a kaleidoscope of grants and programs – housing counselors, educators and trainers need to keep up.

Victor Cruz, former wide receiver for the Super Bowl-winning New York Giants, believes giving back – and coming back – to a community can inspire others. He brought his own brand of inspiration to a conversation with Marietta Rodriguez, president and CEO of NeighborWorks America, during an afternoon workshop sponsored by JPMorgan Chase.

Teresa Pucheta had lived alone for years, until a friend with health problems needed a place to stay. She shared her house with him until he died of cancer, she says. "Then I saw the house was kind of lonely. Another friend said: 'There's a place you can get a roommate.'" That's when Pucheta first found out about a house-sharing program at St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, a NeighborWorks network organization in Baltimore, Maryland.

You can't shelter in place if you don't have a place to shelter, says Stacie Birchett, vice president of external affairs at the Better Housing Coalition. The Richmond, Virginia-based NeighborWorks organization is working to ensure their residents are able to keep their housing during a time when many are losing jobs or working fewer hours due to COVID-19. 

Brenda M. Torpy, founder and chief executive officer of Vermont's Champlain Housing Trust (CHT), a NeighborWorks organization in Burlington, contributed an essay to the newly released book, "On Common Ground: International Perspectives on the Community Land Trust." Torpy shared thoughts about her work on the book and about the way community land trusts offer a creative affordable housing solution.