Annual Report 2018-19

Annual l Report p

2018-19 20

NRCA Mission The mission of New River Community Action, Inc. is to promote and support the well-being and self-reliance of individuals, families and communities.

ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES New River Community Action, Inc. strives to accomplish its mission by: • Focusing on the needs of people through interactive, participatory processes • Increasing community awareness regarding poverty issues • Advocating for the needs of participants • Striving for social justice • Providing and promoting leadership • Fostering a proactive approach • Continuously developing, evaluating and improving programs using an outcome measures approach

• Respecting all people and their contributions • Recognizing individual and group achievements • Creating a caring environment that encourages openness, trust and compassion • Valuing independence, interdependence and self-reliance • Encouraging personal integrity, effectiveness and performance • Providing equal opportunities for individuals to achieve their full potential • Encouraging innovation, creativity, risk taking and teamwork

• Fostering cooperative and collaborative relationships • Maintaining organizational integrity and effectiveness • Promoting responsible stewardship of resources • Committing resources to organizational growth and development

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Message from Board of Directors Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other. The Promise of Community Action  National Community Action Partnership National and local economic indicators reflect an improving economy, but not all citizens are experiencing the rewards. The Promise of Community Action reflects our commitment to alleviating poverty and improving the well-being of our area’s vulnerable low-income residents. New River Community Action made a difference in the lives of 9,015 low-income

John McEnhill Chairman Board of Directors

Terry Smusz Chief Executive Officer

individuals during 2018-19, in partnership with numerous volunteers, grantors, donors and other local human service agencies. We offered help and hope through services that meet basic needs, impact school readiness, strengthen families, and promote economic stability. NRCA extended a helping hand, served as a catalyst for opportunity, and a voice of advocacy. Staff from the Virginia Department of Social Services Office of Volunteerism and Community Service (OVCS), the state office overseeing Virginia’s Community Action Agencies, conducted a monitoring visit during spring 2019 to review NRCA operations. OVCS staff found NRCA to be in full compliance in all areas of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Organizational Standards: governing board, needs assessment, administration and general operations, human resources management, program administration, and financial management. OVCS staff sited NRCA’s Board Annual Work Plan and Strategic Planning monitoring tool as “best practices” procedures. NRCA celebrated the accomplishments of Tamara Slife, NRCA Children’s Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) Floyd County Family Educator. Tamara was honored with the 2019 Expanding Horizons Award presented by Early Impact Virginia , the state’s home visiting consortium. Tamara received the award in recognition of her outstanding and dedicated work providing high quality home visiting services to improve the health, social and educational outcomes for new and expecting parents, young children and their families. In presenting the award, Laurel Aparicio, Director of Early Impact Virginia, stated, “It’s clear that Tamara Slife has a sincere and deep commitment to helping families raise healthy children through education and skill sharing. Families served by CHIP of New River Valley have a special resource in Tamara.” During the 2018-19 program year, staff began the implementation phase of NRCA’s new three-year Strategic Plan. Focus areas for the first year of the Plan included strengthening collaborations and partnerships and enhancing NRCA’s role as advocates for the low-income families. Endeavors over the next two years will include equipping staff for high-quality client engagement and launching a social enterprise. We appreciate the dedication and service provided by our volunteers, staff, Board of Directors and advisory group members. Additionally, we are grateful to our federal, state, and local governments, United Way of the NRV, foundations, businesses, faith-based and civic organizations, and citizens that have supported The Promise Community Action in New River Valley. Thank you for your confidence in NRCA and our programs.

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“ Board of Directors provided over 600 volunteer hours to the leadership of New River Community Action in 2018-19, including 125 hours in training. ”

NRCA Board of Directors 2018/2019 JOHN MCENHILL, CHAIRPERSON ALINE BRINCKMAN, VICE CHAIR LEE SIMPKINS, SECRETARY/TREASURER

Kim Fernandez Tina Lindsey John Getgood Alice Linkous

Sally Quesenberry Corbin Vierling

Gina Rhea

Tonia Winn Joseph Yost

Sarah Greene Boyoung Park Sue Vaughan

Carrie Hodge Elaine Powell

NRCA Advisory Groups 2018/2019 PROGRAM ADVISORY COUNCILS

CHILDREN'S HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP ADVISORY COUNCIL Noelle Bissell Erin Cruise

HEAD START POLICY COUNCIL Kaitlyn Davis Zander Draper Kim Fernandez Victoria Grissom Amber Haggerty James Hanshaw sr Meagan Isom Lora Jackson Kristen Lenois Amanda Mannon Mary Morton Emily Nester Patricia Olvera Barbara Rauch Samantha Scott Rhonda Seltz Stephanie Smith Stona Steele Erica Teats Maleah Thornhill Kelsey Thorton Rebecca Walker Randi Webb Sharite Webb Belinda Wright

HEAD START HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE Sylvia Bond Andrea Briceno Veronica Carter Wallace Huff Meagan Isom Lora Jackson Steve Jacobs Kristen Lenois Amanda Mannon Debbie Poff Hedy Ruohoniemi Kaitlyn Davis Gloria Hartley David Hudgins

LOCAL ADVISORY BOARDS

FLOYD COUNTY Kerry Ackerson Karen Bingham Tracie Brewster William Gardner John Getgood Sarah Greene Susan Icove Paul LeMay John McEnhill Pat Shelor Jack Wall GILES COUNTY Judy Carter Don Clark Susan Kidd Terry Mays Corbin Vierling

RADFORD CITY Queen Alexander

Becky Daniels Sarah Greene Ashley Hash Larry Lindsey Erica Mendoza Maria O-Hara Rhonda Seltz

Sarah Carter Leslie Dean Tina Lindsey Kelly McCoy Gina Rhea Lee Simpkins Ann Walker

BLACKSBURG INTERFAITH FOOD PANTRY Beth Abel

The Emergency Needs Task Force of Pulaski County, Inc. Board of Directors serves as the Local Advisory Board for Pulaski County. The Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Pro- gram, Inc. Board of Directors serves as the Local Advisory Board for Montgomery County

Rhonda Seltz Stona Steele Belinda Wright

Christy Brown Sandy Hagman Roy Kirkpatrick Jon Low Dick Neves Jerald Robinson Bruce Shepherd

TO OUR HOUSE POLICY COUNCIL

Vanessa Duncan Morris Fleischer Bill King Rebecca Rees Brenda Roberts Cindy Turner Don Waite

Glen Wade Jill Williams

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New River Community Action Recognizes Scholarship Award Winners New River Community Action (NRCA) was proud to announce the 2019 winners of the annual Reverend George Ducker Scholarship Award. Hannah Belcher of Narrows and Sebastian Kocz of Blacksburg each received a $1,000 scholarship in recognition of their academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and community service. Both winners were recognized by the NRCA Board of Directors at their meeting in Radford. Hannah Belcher graduated with honors from Narrows High School and the Southwest Virginia Governors School. She participated in many school leadership and service activities and received several awards, including Math Captain for the Mountain Academic Conference team, National Honor Society, and Scholastic Bowl team. Additionally, Hannah organized a coat drive for the local mission, assisted with the Narrows High School Craft Show, and served on the Giles Lifesaving Rescue Squad. She will attend the College of William and Mary. The second scholarship recipient, Sebastian Kocz , graduated with honors from Blacksburg High School. He participated in numerous school and community service leadership activities and received several awards, including President of the French National Honor Society, National Merit Scholarship finalist, and Montgomery County Public Schools 2018 Creative Writing and Poetry Contest winner. As a member of the Blacksburg Baptist Youth group, Sebastian participated in a tutoring ministry in the Dominican Republic. He will attend the Oxford College of Emory University. The Reverend George Ducker Memorial Scholarship is presented annually by New River Community Action in memory of the late Reverend George Ducker, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Radford, member of the Radford City School Board, and member of the NRCA Board of Directors from 1986-1992.

Hannah Belcher and Sebastian Kocz received the 2019 New River Community Action Reverend George Ducker Memorial Scholarship Awards.

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Bonnie Graham, Kathy Lester, Paul Lane (Pastor), Kent Taylor (Associate Pastor) were presented the 2019 NRCA Community Supporter of the Year Award for First Baptist Church.

New River Community Action Recognizes Community Supporter of the Year

New River Community Action (NRCA) presented their first Community Supporter of the Year Award to First Baptist Church of Radford at the agency’s Board of Directors’ meeting in Radford on May 16, 2019. NRCA recognized First Baptist Church for their outstanding support to NRCA’s Head Start Program. Three years ago, First Baptist Church adopted the New River Community Action Head Start Program as a mission project leading to the relocation of a Radford Head Start classroom to the church. Not only did the church provide classroom and office spaces, but also a playground and space for parent group meetings. Weekly congregational activities include a volunteer to read to the children and access to the children’s section of the church library. Members have provided holiday gifts, food, and led games at program activities. The congregation sponsored a potluck dinner for Radford Head Start families at the end of the year and provided bags to the children filled with activities to help promote learning over the summer. Additionally, the church organized a book drive to supply the classroom and to provide a book for each child, facilitated the development of a new backpack program, and reached out to other churches encouraging help to other Head Start locations. First Baptist views the children as not just being housed in their building, but as their own children they want to nurture and support. The congregation took Head Start under its wing and has continued with passion to grow and foster success in our community’s children.

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New River Community Action Recognizes Volunteer of the Year

New River Community Action (NRCA) presented their annual Philip Sadler Memorial Community Service Volunteer of the Year Award to Katrina Underwood at the agency’s Board of Directors’ meeting in Radford on June 20, 2019. NRCA recognized Ms. Underwood for her outstanding volunteer service to the Children’s Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) Program. Ms. Underwood serves as the Volunteer Manager for the NRCA CHIP Floyd Baby and Toddler Shop. Located in the NRCA building at 120 Epperly Mill Road, SW, the Shop provides lower-income families resources to support their young children. Parents receive necessary items such as diapers and gently used clothing, shoes and coats to help meet the needs of their children. Items in the Shop are free to lower-income families with children age 5 and under and receiving services through NRCA programs or any other local home visiting program. The CHIP Floyd Baby and Toddler Shop has flourished under Ms. Underwood’s leadership. She has gone above and beyond her duties as Volunteer Manager. When the Shop is low on items, she reaches out to the community for donations, often meeting donors outside the normal Shop hours for their convenience. She transports and stocks donations. Ms. Underwood also coordinates publicity for the Shop to ensure Floyd residents know about the resource and how to access and support it. Participants at the Shop appreciate Ms. Underwood’s kind assistance and warm, welcoming personality. New River Community Action annually presents the Philip Sadler Memorial Community Service Volunteer of the Year Award in memory of the late Philip M. Sadler, a Pulaski County attorney, community leader and humanitarian.

Katrina Underwood was presented the 2019 NRCA Philip Sadler Memo- rial Community Service Volunteer of the Year Award for her service for NRCA CHIP Program.

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NRCA BY THE NUMBERS

FY 2018-2019

In 2018-2019, NRCA served 9,015 individuals representing 4,517 households. 71 adults maintained employment for at least 90 days

4,175 individuals received food

599 children received developmental delay screenings

375 children were prepared to enter school

470 families improved their parenting skills

81 individuals avoided eviction

15 households avoided foreclosure

73 households obtained safe temporary housing

32 parents earned a credential, degree, or certification

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2018-2019 Financial Report

Economic Investment Head Start

Agency Resources Grants In-Kind Donations

2018-2019 Financial Report

$3,586,692

$5,700,162 $1,061,672

Children’s Health Improvement  Partnership (CHIP)

Agency Resources

Economic Investment

$842,908 $456,028 $397,274 $362,073 $110,564 $137,211 $68,634 $55,102 $891,048

Contributions/ Fundraising

$276,599 $54,148 $46,255

Grants

$5,700,162 $1,061,672

Head Start

Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)

Other Funding United Way Total Revenue

2018-2019 Financial Report

In-Kind Donations

Children's Health Improvement Partnership (C Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Emergency Assistance Programs/Food Pantries Virginia CARES SwiftStart Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Homeless & Housing Programs

Homeless & Housing Programs Emergency Assistance Programs/  Food Pantries $54,148 $46,255

Contributions/ Fundraising $276,599

$7,138,836

Other Funding United Way Total Revenue Economic Investment Head Start

$5,700,162 $1,061,672

$3,586,692 $842,908 $456,028 $397,274 $362,073 $110,564 $137,211

Virginia CARES $7,138,836

Children's Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)

g $276,599

SwiftStart

$54,148 $46,255

Homeless & Housing Programs

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)

Emergency Assistance Programs/Food Pantries

To Our House Administrative Total Expenses

$7,138,836

Virginia CARES

To Our House Administrative Total Expenses

SwiftStart

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)

$68,634 $55,102 $891,048

$6,907,534

To Our House Administrative Total Expenses

$6,907,534

Economic Investment

Agency Resources Agency Resources

Economic Investment

United Way <1%

Other Funding 1%

TOH 1%

Admin 13%

VITA 1%

Contributions/ Fundraising 4%

SwiftStart 2%

Head Start 52%

VA CARES 1%

Grants 80%

In-Kind Donations 15%

Emergency Assistance/ Food Pantries 5%

CSBG 7%

Homeless & Housing 6%

CHIP 12%

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HOMELESS AND HOUSING PROGRAMS  Certified Housing Counselors assisted 100 households to access or maintain permanent housing.

Housing Counseling includes rental rights and responsibilities, homelessness assistance,housing search, post-purchase guidance, foreclosure prevention, budgeting, and financial literacy. • Renter Education Workshops prepared 53 households for stable housing. NRCA uses the curriculum developed by the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) for Renter Education Workshops . Topics include credit, housing search, application process, understanding lease agreements, security deposits, rights and responsibilities of both tenant and landlord, maintenance and repairs, and terminating a lease including the eviction process. The curriculum also includes a discussion on fair housing and utility energy savings tips. • Rapid Rehousing assisted 63 homeless households to obtain permanent housing. NRCA’s Rapid Rehousing program assists literally homeless individuals and families. Funding helps those families with rent and utility deposits, housing application fees, moving costs, and temporary rental and utility support. NRCA’s Homeless Prevention program assists families who are in imminent danger of homelessness. Assistance may include temporary rental payments including arrears. Housing Counseling helps the client create a spending plan and set goals to maintain stable, affordable housing. • Temporary Emergency Shelter program housed 13 households in crisis. NRCA’s Temporary Emergency Shelter program meets the crisis needs of homeless couples with no children who have access to no other local shelter. Housing Counseling helps clients explore options and develop goals leading to stable housing. PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT In August 2018 NRCA’s Homeless and Housing Programs (HHP) Prevention component received a referral to assist a single father and his young daughter facing certain eviction. The client, a veteran, lost his employment due to health issues leaving him unable to pay his rent and meet basic needs. The HHP staff assisted the client with Homeless Prevention funds to temporarily stabilize his housing situation.  While providing casemanagement, HHP staff discussed applying for disability with the client, a process he thought he had already begun on-line. After some research and a trip to the disability determination center in Roanoke, the client and staff discovered that the disability process was not complete. Staff immediately began working with client to resume the process, assisting with the application. Staff also helped him obtain healthcare coverage.  In August 2019 after several months of appointments and paperwork, the client received an approval letter for disability benefits. He and his daughter are now living a self-sufficient lifestyle again, with the hope of home ownership as a future goal. Housing Counseling helps the homeless develop a road map to safe, permanent housing. • Homeless Prevention helped 39 household to maintain their housing.

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CHILDREN’S HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP OF NRV (CHIP) CHIP of NRV provided 164 families with services including access to health care, case management, and parent education. The NRCA Children’s Health Improvement Partnership of the New River Valley (CHIP of NRV) partners with families to create a nurturing home environment and promote the health and well-being of children in our community. CHIP provides services to families with children age birth to six. The program model includes accessing medical and dental homes, promoting successful parenting through use of the nationally recognized evidence-based Parents as Teachers curriculum, and ensuring parents understand and follow physician recommendations. CHIP staff members also help families set and attain health and self-sufficiency goals, assist with transportation, conduct developmental screenings, and help families access other community-based services to meet their multifaceted needs. All services emphasize prevention, early intervention, school readiness and family empowerment. Addressing child and parent challenges simultaneously strengthens families and places them on firmer ground. This gives children a more solid footing from the start, significantly improving their chances of charting a better course. CHIP supports children and families through a two-generation approach...changing lives two generations at a time. Enrolled families receive regular home visits from CHIP Nurses who provide health education, medical case management, dental varnishes, and early screenings for developmental delays. The CHIP Nurse supports the child’s physician ensuring access to preventative health care and other necessary medical services. A vital component of the CHIP program is the Parents as Teachers (PAT) parent education curriculum. All CHIP Family Educators are nationally- certified trainers. PAT drives home the message that parents are their children’s first and best teachers.

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In 2018-2019, the Floyd and Giles CHIP Baby & Toddler Shops:

• Provided essentials to 325 children • Engaged 19 volunteers in 1,280 hours of service • Received $30,577 in-kind support in space, volunteer time, and donations

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT  Children who are raised with loving, engaging, and re- sponsive care giving, and within a secure and stimulating environment, have the best chance for optimal brain devel- opment and ongoing healthy development. For a child born into an impoverished environment, the capacity for healthy development is often compromised by multiple risk factors, including a lack of necessities such as diapers and clothing. Parents who struggle daily to provide necessities for their children may not have the time, resources, or information to provide their babies with the stimulating experiences and safe environment optimal for healthy development. Re- search shows that without such opportunities, these babies are at a significant disadvantage later in life. The Floyd and Giles CHIP Baby & Toddler Shops help alleviate the burden of insufficient necessities for struggling families.  In the shops, parents receive clothing, diapers, wipes, baby wash, shoes and coats to help meet the needs of their chil- dren. Community donations and volunteer support entirely fund the shops. Trained volunteers who care about families are the heart and soul of the shops.  Many CHIP parents also want to give back to the commu- nity and other families in need. A CHIP family recently stated, “The Baby & Toddler Shop was a godsend to our family of four small children when we were in financial hardship. The volunteers were friendly, and we’ve given donations back to the shop to help other families.” Together, volunteers, do- nors, and families are joining forces to provide children with the best possible start to ensure bright futures.

“ 100% of newly enrolled CHIP children received a complete health review within 90 days of enrollment

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EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, FOOD PANTRIES & BACKPACK PROGRAM NRCA assisted 3,884 unduplicated individuals with temporary assistance alleviating their financial crises. Food pantries provided emergency nutrition to 3,956 individuals and the Floyd Backpack Program fed 219 students on weekends during the school year. NRCA’s Emergency Assistance Programs serve low-income families who are experiencing financial crises. Temporary assistance may include vouchers for utility payments, rent, medications, clothing, or gasoline for transportation to a job or medical appointment. With offices located in each of the five New River Valley jurisdictions, staff and volunteers also operate six emergency food pantries. Information and referrals help program participants obtain needed support from both inside and outside the NRCA network of services. The NRCA Emergency Assistance Programs & Food Pantries are supported primarily through local contributions. The United Way of New River Valley, foundations, faith-based organizations, civic groups, businesses, and individuals provide funds to operate the programs in each locality. Duplication of services is avoided through collaboration with partner agencies and churches.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT During 2018-19, NRCA’s Emergency Assistance Programs devel- oped exciting new partnerships and support throughout the New River Valley. We partnered with The Campus Kitchen at Virginia Tech whose staff delivered a large amount of fresh food for our residents in Pulaski County. The Campus Kitchen provided families with sever- al days of fruit, vegetables and different types of breads. NRCA look- ing forward to growing this partnership with The Campus Kitchen, our goal is to provide fresh food monthly for the families we serve in each of our five New River Valley jurisdictions. First NRV Credit Union choose our Radford Emergency Assistance Program to be the recip- ient of their office donation. Their support allowed us to provide ad- ditional assistance to families needing help with their utility bills. Several generous fraternities, sororities and service groups from Radford University and Virginia Tech held fundraisers and donation drives, collecting non-perishable foods, hygiene products and school supplies for our Radford/Fairlawn, Giles County, Floyd County, Pulas- ki County and Montgomery County area offices. The support from the communities makes it possible for us to help New River Valley families in need.

NRCA and Campus Kitchen at Virginia Tech staff unload contributions in Pulaski County. Photo by Cat Piper

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“ I’m a parent that has three children in the Floyd County Public School System, I have two in elementary school and one in high school. Me and my husband are both currently employed, but we barely earn enough to pay our bills and expenses each month. The food from the program is a great help to our grocery budget each week. We both work on weekends, so the food that the Floyd Back Pack Program provides for my children feeds them in the morning when we are at work. The oatmeal and the Capri Sun drinks are a couple of their favor things they receive and enjoy eating. We greatly appreciate all that the program does for our family, knowing that Floyd County Schools cares and helps families like my family means so much. ”

BLACKSBURG INTERFAITH FOOD PANTRY The Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry is a joint ministry of over twenty-five Blacksburg-area faith-based congregations, with local individuals, businesses, and civic organizations providing additional contributions. Operated with the support of over 200 dedicated volunteers, the Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry offers food once a month to Blacksburg and McCoy low- income residents and transients experiencing financial crises. During the 2018-19 program year, volunteers assisted 438 unduplicated individuals.

FLOYD COUNTY BACKPACK PROGRAM NRCA’s Floyd County BackPack Program provides lower-income students with supplemental food on the weekends. Program volunteers purchase, pack, and distributed child-friendly food weekly during the school year through Floyd County schools and the NRCA Head Start program. Funding for the program is provided by private donors, the New River Valley Health Foundation, and the Empty Bowls fundraising event.

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HEAD START PROGRAM Head Start provided 375 children and their families with comprehensive developmental services, benefiting the entire family unit. Head Start is a comprehensive early education program for children from at-risk backgrounds from ages three to five. From early math and reading skills to confidence and resilience, Head Start helps children build the abilities they need to be successful in school and life. Head Start engages parents as equal partners with their child’s teacher and works closely with the local community to adapt to the needs of each jurisdiction. Every child has the ability to succeed, and together, Head Start supports children, families, and communities on their path to success.

“ 95% of Head Start four-year-olds met or exceeded their developmental range for scientific knowledge. ”

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT In August 2018, New River Community Action Pearisburg Head Start received a visit from Virginia’s First Lady Pamela Northam, and Ms. Jenna Conway, Chief School Readiness Officer. The Pearisburg Head Start visit was part of Ms. Northam’s kick-off back to school tour in Southwest Virginia. During the visit, Ms. Northam and Ms. Conway spoke with Head Start staff about the challenges and successes the community is facing in school readiness. Head Start children were delighted as Ms. Northam engaged them in conversation during the visit and presented themwith new books and supplies for the classroom. Head Start staff couldn’t agree more with Ms. Northam statement, “Every child can really succeed when they have the tools they need for school. But not every child has access to quality or early child- hood education.” NRCA Head Start provides quality preschool services to sixty children in Giles County.

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In a joint community service project, the NRCA Christiansburg Head Start facility received a face- lift from the Christiansburg Lowe’s Heroes Program and the Kiwanis Club of Christiansburg. Interior improvements included all new lighting and ceiling fans throughout the facility, new cabinetry enclosing a counseling area, and modern sinks in the restrooms. Exterior improvements included a beautiful new bench on the playground, removal of a dead tree, and the conversion of a courtyard into an outdoor classroom. Both the Kiwanis Club of Christiansburg and the Christiansburg Lowe’s, through the Lowe’s Heroes Program, made donations to the service project. Fourteen Lowe’s Heroes and ten members of the Kiwanis Club contributed three hundred sixty-six volunteer hours. The project leader, Christiansburg Lowe’s Store Manager Joe Sirico, volunteered an estimated seventy hours to the success

of the project. (Notable contributions also include both work and materials contributed by Elmore and Sons Top Soil and Landscaping.) The involvement of volunteers,donors, and the community are essential for the success of NRCA Head Start!

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TO OUR HOUSE During its ninth season of operation, 1,046 volunteers from 50 faith-based organizations, businesses, and community groups provided 1,590 bed-nights of winter shelter and 4,770 meals for 60 homeless single men and women. Homelessness looks very different in the New River Valley than in urban areas. The homeless in rural areas might live in their cars, in the woods, or under a bridge. Individuals in our area who find themselves without housing include ex-offenders, the disabled, those working at low-paying jobs, and those experiencing long-term unemployment. Long waiting lists for limited subsidized housing exacerbate the problem. New River Community Action’s (NRCA) To Our House (TOH) program works in partnership with the local faith community to shelter homeless single men and women (guests) during the winter months. Churches offer their fellowship halls for one or two weeks as night shelters. Host and support church volunteers transport the guests, cook and serve meals, offer fellowship, and sleep at the shelter as church liaisons. To Our House stipend volunteers or staff are on site to support the guests and volunteers. NRCA offers a variety of support services to the guests, including NRCA Virginia CARES for ex-offenders. NRCA also links the To Our House guests with the NRCA Homeless and Housing Programs to assist with stable housing.

“ 27 moved into

permanent housing and 20 obtained employment while at TOH ”

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT For eight seasons, To Our House provided shelter and support to single, homeless men during the winter months. Recognizing the need, TOH opened its doors to single, homeless women when the ninth season began on November 2, 2018. On the third night of the season, the first woman participated in the program. While nervous about coming into the shelter, she stated that the hospitality of volunteers, staff, and other guests helped her to feel comfortable almost immediately. When informed that she was the first female guest and was asked to let staff know of any needs not anticipated for women, everyone was amused that an obvious item, a hairbrush, had been overlooked. TOH sheltered twelve women during season nine. As with all guests, TOH provided for their basic needs of food and shelter, then staff partnered with guests to focus on income and permanent housing through connections to appropriate NRCA programs and outside agencies. Relationships that developed with other guests and with volunteers provided additional support and encouragement. Of the eight women guests without a source of income, three gained employment and one completed her social security retirement application. Seven of the twelve women found permanent housing.

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VIRGINIA CARES

NRCA’s Virginia CARES program provided 164 prereleases and 93 newly-released returning citizens with assistance and support to promote successful transition from prisoner jail to the community. A sub-contractor of Virginia CARES, Inc ., NRCA’s Virginia CARES program is a community- based effort to assist individuals coming out of jail or prison. Services include emergency aid (food, clothing, shelter, and transportation), job readiness instruction, employment search, life-skills education and support groups. Through linkages with community resources, Virginia CARES provides opportunities for returning citizens to become self-reliant, law-abiding and taxpaying members of society. The program reduces recidivism by helping formerly-incarcerated individuals obtain the skills and support they need to reintegrate into their home communities.

VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT New River Community Action’s Virginia CARES programwould like to recognize Scott Smith for his exceptional volunteer service. Scott contributes his time to Virginia CARES following up with returning citizens to schedule intakes after release, offering referrals as needed, and guiding returning citizens who may lack support. He also assists Nikki Powell, Virginia CARES Employment Specialist, during pre-release programs at the New River Valley Regional Jail. Scott continually collaborates with staff to explore new ways to assist Virginia CARES participants. He has become a vital part our program’s success! Scott wears several hats within the local reentry community. He and his wife, Melanie, are members of the New River Valley Reentry Council where Scott serves on the Community Support and Steering Committees. We extend special thanks to Scott Smith for his time and efforts supporting Virginia CARES and the reentry initiative in the New River Valley.

Scott Smith

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VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA) Volunteers served over 660 families, saving filers $165,250 in tax preparation fees.

From February to April 2019, 13 community volunteers assisted more than 660 taxpayers, contributing over 1,500 hours of service. Additionally, 88 families in our service area received free income tax return preparation by taking advantage of the VITA -sponsored myfreetaxes website. VITA helped our clients receive $753,343 in federal and Virginia tax refunds, including $175,552 in federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) dollars. The EITC is the nation’s largest federal anti-poverty program, serving working families who are most at- risk during hard economic times. The average adjusted gross income for households served by VITA was $19,754. NRCA’s free services saved low-to-moderate income taxpayers $165,250 in tax return preparation fees, based on an average fee of $250 per tax-filer.

“ Over 660 households increased their net worth through tax credits ”

VITA volunteers for 2019 include:

Montgomery County Commissioner of Revenue Helen Royal and staff members Jesse Moore, Heather Huff, Tammy Lester, Chassidi Graham and Brenda Winkle

City of Radford Commissioner of Revenue Cathy Flinchum and staff members Peggy Hopkins and Cindy Olinger

Lee Henkel (celebrating a decade of service!)

Gilbert Vice , and our two newest volunteers, John Byrne and Kevin Guimont

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VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT Taxpayers in Floyd have become accustomed to seeking out Lee Henkel at the onset of each tax season. With ten years of service under her belt, Lee has completed hundreds of tax returns as an NRCA VITA volunteer and built rewarding relationships with many clients along the way. One of the most notable components of VITA that strikes Lee when reflecting on her de- cade of service is how incredibly hard peo- ple work in Floyd County and how unsteady employment seems to be in the area, caus- ing many of her clients to work 3 or 4 jobs to make ends meet. She is also struck by the large doses of appreciation expressed by cli- ents, noting that her job is to “take away the fear.” Lee decided to give VITA a try after reading about the program in a newspaper article. A previous small business owner and daughter of a CPA, Lee was familiar with taxes, so she was not intimidated by the lengthy process of studying for and passing the IRS-sponsored VITA volunteer certification exam. Lee encourages those who are capable of handling tax preparation to consider volun- teering, citing the tremendous opportunity to contribute to the well-being of hard working, lower-income Floyd County neighbors who are uniformly appreciative of the help. While Lee has decided to retire from VITA tax preparation, she has graciously offered to continue assisting the program behind the scenes by transporting taxes to other volun- teers as part of the agency’s tax return drop- off system. Our sincere thanks to Lee for her commit- ment to both the NRCA VITA program and the tax payers in Floyd County!

Lee Hetzel

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“ 32 received credential and 23 obtained employment through SwiftStart ”

Career Mentors helped 50 participants complete orientation and enter training to begin the journey to a brighter future!

SWIFTStart is funded by a grant awarded to the Roanoke and New River Valleys by the Department of Labor. New River Community Action (NRCA) and Total Action for Progress (TAP) have partnered to target a large service area, positively impacting a sizable population. Using career pathway development with short-term and credential-focused training, SWIFTStart helps participants qualify for employment in the specific workforce fields of Advanced Manufacturing, Health Care, and Information Technology. SWIFTStart serves the NRCA jurisdictions of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery and Pulaski Counties, and Radford City. One full-time and one part-time Career Mentors cover all five jurisdictions. SWIFTStart collaborates with NRCA programs as well as other programs in our service area. NRCA Head Start and TAP Early Head Start parents receive priority in the referral process. Other SWIFTStart referral sources include the NRCA Children’s Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP), Department of Social Services, Women’s Resource Center, Workforce Development, Goodwill, Good Care, Health Department, and local churches. Referral sources are continually increasing due to efforts by Career Mentors to collaborate and network with other local programs. Effective partnerships utilize one another’s expertise to decrease participants’ barriers without overlapping services.

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS  In 2018, NewRiver Valley SWIFTStart entered an agreement with New River Health District to host Certified Clinical Medical Assistant training graduates for externships. India Collins completed the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) training through New River Community College Workforce Development and was the first SWIFTStart client to complete her externship with the New River Health District. SWIFTStart was able to pay wages to India during her externship and pay for her childcare. India performed exceptionally during her externship and was offered a job through Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) Staffing, which contracts with the Health District to operate the Mobile Health Clinic. India stated, “Swift Start is an amazing program, and it has changedmy life and career. The staff are so supportive and encouraging and there when you need them.”  SWIFTStart found that partnering with Head Start has greatly benefited clients. Tiffany Holmes exemplifies the continuum of care that has assisted individuals in reaching maximum self-sufficiency. Tiffany was a Head Start parent, where center staff and another Head Start parent referred her to the SWIFTStart program. The collaboration between SWIFTStart and Head Start enabled Tiffany to make a positive, permanent change in her life.  Due to Tiffany’s determination to provide for her three children, she was able to overcome many obstacles including growing up with a Mom and an older sibling with serious substance abuse issues, living in an abusive relationship which ended in 2017, and becoming a single Mom. Tiffany stated, “After living through an abusive relationship and being left on my own in 2017 to take care of my children, unlike my Mother, I had to be there for my children, and I would not follow in her footsteps.” Tiffany went on to say, “Because of SWIFTStart, my dream of becoming a Certified Medical Assistant came through.” After completing her training and a CCMA Externship at New River Valley Heart Clinic, the Clinic then hired her. Tiffany was determined to “break the cycle of her childhood and become her children’s ROCK.” She credits her SWIFTStart mentor who provided the desperately-needed resources and the encouragement to guide her in the right direction.

Ms. India Collins

Ms. Tiffany Holmes

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2018-2019 FUNDING SOURCES NRCA expresses appreciation to individuals, institutions, and organizations for their financial support! 1901 Group A Cleaner World Abel, Gary and Beth Abundant Dawn Community Church Ackermann, Joyce Across the Way Productions Agnew, Ben & Carolyn All Saints Catholic Church Amelia’s Pizzeria & Restaurant Bollo’s Cafe and Bakery Downtown Bowling, Stephanie Boyd, Michael and Torgersen, Karen Brantley, Justine Brick House Pizza Brickhouse, Paul and Debra Bright Funds Foundation Brinberg, Marta and David Cullom, Abraham Cummings, Constance Daley, Kasey Dalton, Melanie Davis, Carol Davis, Sandra Dayspring Christian Academy de Boinville, Amy Deerfield Neighborhood

Browder, Carrie Brown Insurance Brown, J. Howe Jr., and Margaret Brown, John and Mary Brown, Toni BT’s Food & Spirits Buikema, Arthur C.E. Richardson Benevolent Foundation Caldwell, Catherine and Curtis Caldwell, William Camden, Sue and Daniel Carilion Clinic Carlisle, Katherine Carter and Kay Craigie Family Foundation Carter, Sarah Cassell, Teresa Castagna, Judith Celanese Foundation Cellar Restaurant Centennial Christian Church Chamowitz, Lynda Chantilly Farms Check Ruritan Club CHIP of Virginia Chris Turman State Farm Insurance Christ Church of Blacksburg Christ Episcopal Church Christiansburg Presbyterian Church Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Citizens Telephone Co-op Coldwell Banker Townside Realtors Community Christian Church Community Foundation of the New River Valley Community Services Block Grant Conner, Phyllis Copper Hill Cakes & Goodies Corl, Benjamin and Burger, Julia Cotrupi, Catherine CowanPerry PC

Angert, Jack Angert, Ron Anne Vaughan Designs APCO Employee Benevolent Association Arav, Patricia Askins, Justin AT&T Ballard, Jackie Baker, John Barber, Don and Corey Barnes, David and Margaret Bauers-Wall Family Foundation Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren Bircher, Myron and Judith Blacksburg Baptist Church Blacksburg Chapter AARP Blacksburg Christian Church Blacksburg Christian Fellowship Blacksburg Church of Christ Blacksburg First Church of God Blacksburg First Wesleyan Church Blacksburg Friends Meeting Blacksburg High School Blacksburg High School Class of 1966 Blacksburg Jewish Community Center Blacksburg Junior Womens Club Blacksburg Master Chorale Blacksburg New School Blacksburg Newcomers Club, Inc. Blacksburg Presbyterian Church Blacksburg United Methodist Church Blakely, Mary Blevins, Katherine Blue Ridge Cafe Becksford, Lisa Beecher, Amy Belden, Lisa Bell Gallery & Garden

Degener, Art DeHoff, Ethan Derenthal, Jerome and Judith Deyerle, Dolly and Gilbert, Luann Diana, Rachel Dore, Elizabeth Douglas, Patricia Dudley, Charles and Larkin Dunford, Terri Dwelling Place Christian Fellowship Earman, Joan Eddie Yeatts Memorial Foundation Edgewood United Methodist Church Edwards, Sandra El Charro Mexican Grill Embree, Mark Emergency Food and Shelter Program Epstein, Rhea and Kornhauser, Alan Erickson, Matthew and Michelle Everett B. Peterson Charitable Fund Fairlawn Baptist Church Fairlawn Presbyterian Church Farmers Supply Hardware Featherston Foundation Feeding America Southwest Virginia

First Baptist Church First Church of God First NRV Federal Credit Union

Fleming, Beverly Fleming, James Floyd Baptist Church Floyd County

Floyd County Angels Ministries, Inc Floyd County Ministerial Association Floyd County Retired Teachers Association Floyd County Tractor Run Fund Ford, Jr., Jerry Fortier, Joseph and Michelle Fox, Julie Fox, Lindsey

Blue Ridge Church Bobcat Packpacks

CrossFit 460 Croy, Edwin

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McMahan, Martha Medina, Alex Merola, Joseph and duBreuil, Catherine Messer, Jessica Middlebrooks, Catherine Mignone, Fred and Nancy Montgomery County Montgomery County Lord’s Acre Moog Components Group Morin, Patrick Morris, Kathleen Mount Elbert United Methodist Church Mt Zion Lutheran Church Mt. Tabor Ruritan Club Murphy, Shirley Narrows Junior Woman’s Club Neill, James and Barbara Nelson, Allante Nelson, Wallace and Heather New River Valley Health Foundation Newport-Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church Northside Presbyterian Church NRV Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Nye, Judy

Funkhouser, Jeff Gabriele, Matthew

Kappa Alpha Theta Kasey, Randy Kay, Leslie and Floyd, William Kelly, Mike and Candi Kidwell, Michael and Lisa King, Jr., William King, John

Garrott, George and Elizabeth George, Donald and Glenda GFWC Floyd County Woman’s Club, Inc. Giles County Giles County Public Schools VPI funds Giles Early Education Project Giles, Michael and Patricia Gillie’s Confectionery, Inc. Glade Church Good Shepherd Church of The Brethren Goodwill Church of God in Christ Goodykoontz, Mary Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Grene, Ruth Griffin, Neal Groover, Gordon and Velva Grove United Methodist Church Guichard, Scott Gwaltney, Jessica Hallerman, Eric and Ester Hannsgen, Kenneth and Hildur Harding, Michelle Harvest Baptist Harvey’s Chevrolet Cadillac Buick Chevy Truck Hayes, Sarah Healing Tree Wellness Center Hendricks, William and Mary Lee Highfield, Lisa and Jeffrey Hill, Brett Grace Episcopal Church Graefe, Corinne and Bill Grant, Jim Green Valley Builders

King, Thomas King, William Kingston, David Kirby, Sarah Klein, Bradley and Rita Klein, Noreen and Reynolds Jr., Marion Kline, Jim Knights of Columbus Edward Fox Council #6747 Kranowski, Nathan and Muriel Kranowski, Steven Kreis, Wes and Marilyn Kroger Community Rewards Krumhaus, Paul Lael, Victoria LaFlamme, John and Dorothy

Lancaster, Paul Lander, David Laurel Branch Church of The Brethren Le Roy, Laura & Tyson Leftridge, Jack Lewis, Mary Maxine Lewit, Brittani Linkous, David Linkous, Michelle Lipsey, Lynn Litschert, Janice Livesay, Penny Lottle LLC Lowe, Robert and Griffith, Sandra Lowe, Phillip Lowery, Sharon Lucas, Millie Luther Memorial Lutheran Church Marampudi, Sindhu Marshall, Michael Martin, Lydeana

O’Brien, Charles and Elizabeth Old Brick Presbyterian Church Olson, Thomas and Martha Our Daily Bread Bakery & Bistro Our Saviour Lutheran Church

Owen, Sarah Paget, Marie Parcell, Sheri Parrish, Janette and David Patterson, Emma Paul, John

Pauley, Catherine Paupst, Gabrielle Peak, Janet Pennington, Jennifer Pennington, Tammy and Mike Perdue, Jr., Clyde E Pine Grove Missionary Baptist Church Pitt, Kelly and Alex Poole, Marc and Kathy Porter, Jeffrey and Jennifer Presbyterian Church of Floyd Presbyterian Church of Radford Price, William Prices Fork Elementary Promoting Safe and Stable Families Funds

Hillison, J and S Chaudhary, Hira Holy Family Catholic Church Hutt, Derry Jackson, Jerry Jackson, Suzanne and Brett Jacobs, Irene Jameson, Thuja Jansons, Martin and Patsy Jenks Initiative Jilk, Linda Jillson, Anne Huang, Jingjing Johnson, Barbara Jones, David Jones, Erica and Blair Jones, Robin Juanarena, Douglas

Martin, Susan Martin, Terry

Maurais, Aimee Maynard, Alan McAlister’s Deli McClintock, Molly and Irene

McCrea, Susan McDaniel, Tiara McDonald’s Mill United Methodist Church McEnhill, John

Pulaski County Quinn, Hunter Radford Chapter AARP 1584

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Radford City Radford Coffee Company Radford University College of Visual and Performing Arts Raflo, Alan Raines, Jamie Rakes, Janet and Jim Rakestraw, Gina Reed, Ashley Rees, Loren and Rebecca Rich Creek Lions Club Riffe, Leeland Roane, Patricia Roanoke Valley Presbyterian Church Robinson, Christopher Rose, Randall Ross, Dennis Rotary Club of Blacksburg Foundation Roush, Emilie Ruggiero, Cheryl Runabout Sports Sal’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

St. Michael Lutheran Church St. Philip’s Anglican Church Stanley, Helen Stark, Andrea Sterrett, Bill and Cynthia Stonewall Home and Garden Club Stosser, Jeffrey P. and Jeanne H. Stosser, Scott Sutherland, Leigh Sypolt, Susan Taylor, Victoria Terwilliger, Susan Theobald, Mary and Richard

Virginia Department of Social Services Virginia Housing Development Authority Virginia Premier Virginia Tech Services--University Bookstore Vista Ministries VPT, Inc. Wall, John Wayside Baptist Mission Wertman, Jay West, Sheila Whisenant, Mary Alice White Rock Church of the Brethren White, Ashley Wild Goose Christian Community Wilkin, Sarah

Three Birds Berry Farm Toney, Roberta Dianne

Topeco Church of the Brethren Tornes, Debra and Leon, Roberto Town of Blacksburg Town of Floyd Town of Pulaski Tracy, Patricia Trillium Garden Club Tuchler, Edwin Union Bank & Trust Unitarian Universalist Congregation United States Department of Agriculture United States Department of Health & Human Services United States Department of Housing and Urban Development United States Department of Labor United States Department of the Treasury/IRS

Williams, Kimberly Willis Homemakers

Winkler, Chris Wirgau, Jessica Woeste, Frank Womack, Cynthia and Joseph

Woods, Patrick Worley, Quinn Yadlowsky, Ruth Yankowski, Jessica Yorke,Lesley Ann Young, Carolyn Young, Ryker

Sanborn, Lois Scanlon, Ann Scheckler, Stephen and Rebecca Schneller, Debora Schoettinger, Kateri Schor, Lucy Scott, Ray and Maxine Sedgwick, Donna Seidel, Gary Shank, Ann Sharkey’s Sharp, Nathan and Elizabeth Shaut, Cathy and Paul Shelter Alternatives Sherry and Rodger Foster DVM Shiloh Lutheran Church Shrader, Lexis Shumsky, Neil and Marcia Sigma Kappa Sorority Simpkins, Lee Sisters Foundation

Zallen, Richard and Doris Zion Oak Grove Pavilion In Honor/Memory of: Deisher, Steve Erickson, Matthew Greene, Sarah Hendricks, Delores Herbein, Sue Jesus Christ Jones, Audrey Kate King, Bill and Cornelia Roberts, Matt and family Talbot, Lee and Patti The Groovers The Skolnik Family children

United Steelworkers Local #1022 United Way of New River Valley United Way of Roanoke Valley United We Stand Ministries Unity Christian Church Vigen, Wava Virginia Apartment Management Assn Virginia Community Action Partnership

Virginia Department of Criminal Justice System Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development

Slusher, Lee Smith, Linda Smith, Linda Flora Smusz, Ted and Terry Smusz, Tina Snyder & Associates General Contractor Sorrentino, Paul Spicer, Olin & Robertson St Paul A.M.E. Church St. Jude Catholic Church St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church

 Please note the above list does not include donations to the Montgomery County Emergency Assis- tance Program or Pulaski County Emergency Needs Task Force, NRCA’s emergency assistance program partners.  List does not include in-kind material or volunteer donations. Many local citizen groups & businesses contribute time, professional services & thousands of items to NRCA annually. Without their support, NRCA would not be able to assist the low-income residents of the New River Valley. All donations are tax-deductible.  We ask forgiveness from anyone we might have inadvertently left off our list. Please contact 633-5133, ext. 415 with any corrections. Thank you for your support!

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