‘What Home Means To Me’ earns PB youth national award

Anthony Allen Logan, 9, of Poplar Bluff appears to be shy, but with a little prompting, the Lake Road Elementary student answered questions about being victorious in a national event.

He learned his poster “What Home Means to Me” earned a second-place award in Missouri, as part of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials contest.

The Poplar Bluff Housing Authority held two events where children living in its family units drew posters. Logan, as well as Logan Green and Cora Brown, were winners. Locally, they won new touch-screen tablets and gift bags. Their work was sent to the national contest, where thousands of housing authorities submitted entries.

As a second-place winner in the national contest, Logan received a gift card from Academy Sports +Outdoors, and his poster is the cover of the 2021 Housing Authority local calendar.

Logan became excited recently when he realized his poster is the cover of the 2021 housing calendar, and he was among the first to see the new calendar.

Tammy Harper with the housing authority assured him, “You will be the first one to get a copy,” once they come from the printer.

“This was our first year participating,” said Harper. “I’m so proud of our winners.”

The local housing authority partnered with the Poplar Bluff Boys and Girls Club in the contest.

The students had to write essays, along with making the posters.

“Basically, I drew my house, I drew trees,” he said.

On Logan’s poster, each tree branch is inscribed with words he associates with his family home. The tree branches have words like peace, comfort, a place to lay down our heads, family dinners and love, safety, laughter, and protection.

His mother Rebecca Lanham said, “I’m very proud of my son,” but she admits she “didn’t think he would make the deadline.”

His dad is Larry Logan.

A fourth grader, Logan has been attending virtual school, but is going back to classes at Lake Road.

He admits he’ll miss “mom helping me at home.” His favorite class is science because he can do experiments and learn things.

Logan has lived in Poplar Bluff for four years after previously living in St. Louis.

NAHRO holds a contest to pick 13 national winners.

It’s part of a campaign called Housing America, held to educate communities about housing and development programs.

The Poplar Bluff Housing Authority features 275 family units to assist low and moderate income households that “improves the quality of life, promote self-sufficiency and economic vitality,” Harper said.