NEW RIVER VALLEY – Additional funding for New River Community Action is allowing the organization to expand or new services in the New Year.
The first, Rapid Rehousing, will help homeless youth get off the streets and into a place to stay.
“Homeless and Housing Programs is excited to announce a new grant award from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development,” according to a recent statement from NRC. “The Homeless Youth and Families (HYF) will provide services to homeless youth ages 18-24 including those who were previously in foster care, and homeless families with one or more members diagnosed with a mental health and substance use disorder.”
The HYF is a Rapid Rehousing (RRH) program, so clients must meet all the requirements of such a program. They must “literally homeless or living in a place not meant for human habitation,” or “in a shelter or exiting an institutional setting where they did not reside for more than 90 days and were homeless upon entry of the institutional setting,” which include jail, a rehabilitation facility, or a mental health facility.
The grant will provide temporary financial assistance by funding security deposits, rent, utilities deposits, and utility payments. The grant will also “provide supportive services that will assist clients in locating and securing housing, and referrals for other community service providers as needed or requested by the client,” according to NRCA.
The next expanded service will provide career services and job training to people affected by the opioid crisis.
“In partnership with Total Action for Progress (TAP) and funded by the the Women’s Bureau of US Department of Labor, NRCA is pleased to kick off RESTORE (Re-Employment, Support, and Training for the Opioid Related Epidemic),” the organization stated. RESTORE is “designed to assist families impacted by the opioid crisis by providing career services and job training.”
Eligibility guidelines are: women over age 17, eligible to work in the US and out of high school, and currently in substance abuse recovery or living in a household impacted by the opioid crisis. The areas of training/employment include healthcare, manufacturing, construction, transportation and warehousing, food and beverage, life sciences and information technology. For more information, contact Misty Cox Henderson at 540.633.5133 ext. 456.
The third program is the Whole Family Pilot Project.
“Funded by the Virginia Department of Social Services, the goal of the Whole Family Pilot Project is to test and evaluate specific interventions that represent two generation or whole family strategies to alleviate multi-generational poverty,”according to NRCA. “NRCA senior staff members have collaborated since late summer to design a Whole Family approach that addresses all the needs of young families and aligns with NRCA’s current programs, resources and culture.”
The pilot project “strives to address and alleviate barriers that prevent families from moving out of poverty.”
A family case manager/coach will be hired to mentor five-10 families. The new program will address education and training needed “to enable parents to obtain living wage employment while assisting with issues, such as child care and transportation, that may preclude the student from reaching this goal. The project will also offer access to housing, nutrition, financial and re-entry counseling.”
– Heather Bell
