Kelsi Giebler (left), a former client of the Salina Housing Authority Family Self-Sufficiency Program, Rhonda Howell, a current client of the program, and KaySue Nothern, program coordinator. [Tom Dorsey / Salina Journal]

Earlier this year Kelsi Giebler, of Salina, accomplished one of her lifelong goals.

Although owning a house was on her bucket list, the 32-year-old said that three or four years ago she didn’t think she’d be able to own a home “so soon.”

In June 2013, Giebler enrolled in the Housing Authority’s Family Self-Sufficiency program, and “that’s when I was able to focus more and have someone there to guide me,” she said.

For the past four years, the program has received a grant from the Greater Salina Community Foundation to pay for allied health care courses at Salina Area Technical College for tenants.

Howell, who benefited from the grant, went from working in home health and “not getting enough hours,” she said, to becoming a specialty tech at Salina Regional Health Center.

“The program helped me get my CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) and CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) through Salina Tech,” she said.

Read more at Salina.com