Delaware

Legislators, officials tour Springboard Village

Published

1 year ago

February 17, 2024

Legislators, officials tour Springboard Village

The Delaware League of Local Governments hosted a tour of the Springboard Collaborative Pallet Village for legislators and town officials Feb. 9.

The resounding message of partners in the collaborative was the need for operational funds for day-to-day expenses for the homeless shelter with 40 cabins in Georgetown.

Judson Malone of Georgetown, Springboard co-founder and executive director, said the village continues to receive some additional funding and donations, but a more sustainable funding source is needed.

“In the long term, we are asking the state to work with us and fund operations going forward,” he said.

Malone led the tour and talked about how the village came to fruition and what is planned for the future.

Start-up funding

Springboard used $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from the Town of Georgetown to purchase the cabins. Malone said they were pre-approved for $998,000 in state ARPA Community Reinvestment Funds.

“But we had to get final approval from the U.S. Treasury, and the funds were just recently released,” he said.

Those funds will be used to build a new village community center.

A grant of $800,000 from the Longwood Foundation funded initial operating costs.

The collaborative also received $365,000 for construction costs from Preston Schell, Discover, Del-One Federal Credit Union and the Crystal Trust.

Volunteers painted each of the cabins, and several companies have provided in-kind work.

About the village

The village now has a temporary food preparation building as plans for a community center begin to take shape. The center will include a commercial kitchen, multipurpose room, classrooms, a computer lab and offices. Springboard is in the process of soliciting bids for the project.

Each self-contained shelter has its own microwave and mini-refrigerator. The day’s main meal is provided by volunteers and staff. A free store is open daily to residents.

Malone said wellness checks are conducted at least once each day, and there are at least two staff members on site at all times.

“This is a gated community. We do allow visitors, but they can’t go in the cabins,” he said.

A lot has happened over the past few months at the village. Several new prefabricated buildings have been added to provide office space for case workers and staff, a pantry, a classroom and storage.

The village has been open just over a year and has been filled to capacity every day. Malone said mostly single people live in the 40 cottages, which are on land owned by First State Community Action Agency.

Springboard pays $1,200 per month to lease the property from First State.

The cost per individual per day is about $73, which includes a private cabin, around-the-clock supervision, comprehensive care coordination and meals. Residents have access to financial training, gardening, health services and referrals.

Each cabin has electricity with heating and air conditioning. The village has bathrooms and showers for residents.

Officials on the tour

Government officials attending the tour were Sen. Russ Huxtable, D-Lewes; Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown; Rep. Jeff Hilovsky, R-Millsboro; Rep. Sophie Phillips, D-Bear; Rep. Valerie Jones Giltner, R-Georgetown; Georgetown Mayor Bill West; Milford Mayor Archie Campbell; Georgetown Police Chief Ralph Holm; and Georgetown Town Manager Gene Dvornick.

Delaware League of Local Governments Executive Director Kevin Spence coordinated the tour.

Goal is a hand up

Jeff Ronald, co-founder and board member, said it’s not only a moral duty to help those in need, but also makes good business sense.

“It’s smart to empower people who can now live in a dignified dwelling and receive wrap-around services. Our goal is to provide a hand up to help people lead successful lives,” he said.

And, he said, the program is working. He talked about people who were living in the woods who are now working to become professional chefs and trade workers.

Randall “R.L.” Hughes of Millsboro, who is Springboard Collaborative president, said for years he was looking and not seeing what was really happening in his community. Now, he said, he understands the reality of the homeless situation.

“If we do what we have always done, we should expect nothing new,” he said, referring to the village. “This is not a panacea, but we can fix one or two things and try to do better the next day.”

Hughes is a retired Delaware State Police trooper, former Georgetown chief of police, and worked at the Delaware Department of Safety & Homeland Security. He is currently Beebe Healthcare emergency management coordinator.

Dvornick played a key role in making the dream a reality.

“This is one solution to a very complicated problem. There is not reason we couldn’t have villages in other towns,” he said.

Holm said the homeless problem is not new; it’s something he has watched increase over the past 25 years. He said the village allows people to think about living and not just surviving day to day.

“I wish there were more of these villages because, at the end of the day, the homeless problem is not going away,” he said.

He said there are still people living in the woods around Georgetown.

West, who has been a strong supporter of the village and is now a board member, said, “We have to do what is right for people, and here we have a great success,” he said.

West, who visits the village frequently, said he was speaking with one resident recently who has saved enough money to look for his own place.

“There is no security in the woods. Their lives are unstable. They are happy to be here,” he added.

Residents are getting support

Of the 58 people who have left the village: 15 are permanently housed; 34 have been referred to medical providers; 33 to mental health treatment; 32 to substance abuse programs; 14 are employed and nine receive benefits; and another 25 have received financial training.

The majority of residents are male, aged 25 to 59, with 14 residents over 60 years of age.

So far, case workers have helped residents receive 15 birth certificates, 41 identification cards and seven Social Security cards.

Springboard Collaborative, based in Wilmington, is a nonprofit building dignified dwellings and communities that foster well-being for Delawareans in greatest need – those experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity and economic hardship – concurrently connecting compromised populations with community resources to build a better life.

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Delaware

Four Injured in Delaware County Collision – Mix 94.7 KMCH

Published

2 hours ago

May 12, 2025

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Four Injured in Delaware County Collision – Mix 94.7 KMCH

Four people were injured in a crash in Delaware County on Monday morning.

It happened north of Manchester at 180th Avenue and 150th Street around 7:45 am. The Iowa State Patrol says a northbound Chevy Equinox driven by 60-year old Michael Seehusen of Anamosa failed to yield from a stop sign and struck a Ford Explorer that was traveling east. The Ford Explorer, driven by 45-year old Kristina Moss of Greeley, rolled and entered the north ditch.

The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Edgewood Fire and EMS and RMC Ambulance also responded to the accident.

The Iowa State Patrol says Moss, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was injured and transported to Regional Medical Center in Manchester. Her 12-year old passenger was also transported to RMC.

Seehusen and another person, 63-year old Guy Devries of East Dubuque, were injured but not taken to the hospital.

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Delaware

Del. lawmakers look to expand Medicare supplement enrollment period for seniors

Published

19 hours ago

May 12, 2025

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Del. lawmakers look to expand Medicare supplement enrollment period for seniors

Delaware lawmakers look at creating a special enrollment period for those on a Medicare supplement policy looking to switch to another.

State Sen. Ray Seigfried (D-North Brandywine) introduces legislation that would make Delaware the 11th state to create a special open enrollment period for Medicare supplement policy holders 30 days before their birthday and 30 days after.

The new “birthday rule” would allow Medigap — Medicare supplement insurance sold by private insurance companies to help fill gaps in Original Medicare coverage — policyholders to switch to plans with equal or lesser benefits without the need to go through medical underwriting, a process where insurance companies examine an individual’s health risk, which Seigfried believes can be discriminatory.

“This rule can be beneficial for many Medigap beneficiaries, as it allows them to compare prices, coverage options, potentially find a more affordable plan,” Sen. Seigfried said.

It would also allow Medicare Advantage plan members, a plan that Delaware state retirees have argued requires stringent preauthorization requirements and provides insufficient benefits, to cancel their existing policy or enroll in Original Medicare with a supplemental plan following the underwriting process.

Representatives on behalf of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) — a trade association that lobbies on behalf of various insurance companies — and Highmark Delaware oppose the bill, arguing it would lead to higher premiums for seniors and decreased Medigap enrollment as seen in some other states with similar policies.

But Delaware Department of Insurance Senior Policy Advisor Chris Haas argues the statistics cited by insurance stakeholders show correlation without causation.

“We did expose the draft legislation to insurance industry stakeholders and note that many of the responses we received were concerningly misleading and inaccurate. While as of yesterday about 10 states do offer these plans, they all offer them a little bit differently in different environments,” Haas said.

She says while a small impact on rates is possible, because various Medigap carrier shave been declining to write policies at all after a person’s eligibility period, she argues the change in rate is akin to turning something exclusive into something that’s publicly offered.

“In recent years, consumers have reported increased barriers to accessing Medigap policies, whether adding coverage to Original Medicare, changing their Medigap plans, or trying to switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap during federal enrollment periods when this is permitted. Medigap carriers refusing to write policies in these scenarios has caused consumer harm. It is an impossibility in other environments,” Haas explained. “Imagine if you turn 65, selected an auto insurance plan and then essentially could never change your coverage because carriers would not write to you. That is essentially what Delawareans have experienced.”

The legislation would also require issuers to notify those who are eligible and enrolled in their Medicare supplement policies of the dates of the open enrollment period at least 30 days before it begins and of any modification to the benefits provided by the policy under which the person is currently insured.

The bill cleared committee with virtually no discussion and now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

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Delaware

Delaware Symphony Orchestra appoints Michelle Di Russo as first female director

Published

1 day ago

May 11, 2025

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Delaware Symphony Orchestra appoints Michelle Di Russo as first female director

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

The Delaware Symphony Orchestra is beginning a new era in its 120th season with a historic first.

Michelle Di Russo has been named the orchestra’s new music director, following an international search that began in 2023. She is the first woman in the orchestra’s history to hold the role.

“Winning your first position as music director, as a conductor in general, it’s the most exciting thing,” Di Russo said. “It’s something you’ve been working towards for years, right? And for it to be a place like Delaware and with the Delaware Symphony and having been there, connected with the community and worked with the orchestra, I know it sounds too good to be true, but it is the perfect fit for me.”

Di Russo emerged as a standout among four finalists who appeared during the DSO’s 2024 and 2025 season. The orchestra’s musicians, board members, staff and community were all part of the decision-making process.

“Michelle Di Russo was the unanimous choice of both the search committee and our board,” said J.C. Barker, the orchestra’s chief executive officer, in a statement. “We are thrilled to welcome her as we look to a bold new chapter and beyond.”

Michelle Di Russo has made history as the first woman to be named music director of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. (Courtesy of Michelle Di Russo)

The appointment is not just a personal milestone — it marks a breakthrough for representation in classical music in Delaware.

“I think it’s always exciting to be the first one to break those glass ceilings slowly,” Di Russo said. “It’s also exciting to know that the community and the musicians and the organization, everyone is ready for it as well. It just makes me feel very welcome and very excited to help them go into this new path.”

She began her career in the arts not as a conductor but as a performer. In her native Argentina, she worked in musical theater as a dancer and singer before a final exam unexpectedly steered her in a new direction.

“I really didn’t know that was my path,” she said. “But when I conducted the orchestra for the first time… there’s this energy. I don’t know, I just can’t describe it. It just really ignited passion in me and I just knew that that was the path I needed to take on.”

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