FSS Manager Retires From Gratifying Job
Jan Nelson honed her teaching skills in a number of ways: as a training instructor for an insurance company, a vocational counselor, and a high school and elementary school French instructor. She came to Housing Assistance in 2006 for a position in the consumer education department, but soon shifted to a role where her talents have truly shone: head of Housing Assistance’s Family Self-Sufficiency program.
Among Jan’s memorable clients was a single mother with two children who was living in a family shelter and then got a Section 8 voucher through Housing Assistance. “She told me she always wanted to be a nurse,” shares Jan. “She got her associate’s degree, and I referred her to the One Family Scholar program in Boston, and they paid for her bachelor’s degree. When she graduated from FSS, she was able to buy a house.”
Jan retired in July after 18 years spent helping hundreds of low- income families build assets. With the help of FSS counseling, clients find and maintain employment, working toward the goal of financial stability without public assistance at the end of the five-year program. An escrow savings account is established for participants when their earned income rises. At graduation they can use the escrow, which can accrue up to $25,000, for anything they choose. Jan has seen dozens of clients use it toward the purchase of a home for their families.
“Sometimes people just need to be listened to, and I listened to these folks and gave them some options, gave them a roadmap to follow. It was gratifying for me to see those who followed their dreams, their passions. They went back to school, they got better jobs, and they graduated from the program. It meant a lot to me that I was able to help.”
“Jan has been a consistent champion for families wanting to make real change and has helped hundreds of people navigate complex systems and opportunities to grow,” said Housing Assistance COO Cassi Danzl. “Jan’s dedication to facilitating empowerment was a strength inof our FSS program over the last 18 years.”
While Jan will be missed, she feels Cate Van Gelder, the new FSS manager, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the program. “She’s delightful and everybody loves her,” Jan said. “She’ll continue the collaborations that I started with One Family Scholar and Habitat for Humanity, as well as First Citizens Federal Credit Union, where I developed a credit- builder loan program for our clients. Cate has lots of good ideas, and she’s going to keep on growing the program.”
For more information about FSS, contact Cate Van Gelder at CVanGelder@haconcapecod.org.
