New River Community Action staff members join with city and county officials and the Radford Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate NRCA’s new headquarters, at 206 Third Ave.
RADFORD – New River Community Action recently celebrated its new space at 206 Third Ave., Radford, which brings together all its programs and offices under one roof.
The Radford Chamber of Commerce, joined by the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new office and resource space. All of the departments and resources will now be housed under the same roof, allowing for resources to be better utilized for their clients.
With speeches all around, Dan McKinney, Executive Director for Radford Chamber, welcomed everyone to the ribbon cutting. McKinney introduced the Rev. Gina Rhea, a board member for New River Community Action and a retired local pastor, who provided a convocation for the event. Radford Mayor David Horton spoke about the bridges this organization provides to struggling people and how this new space will provide for greater things to happen. Next up, Bill Cunningham, Vice President for the Pulaski Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the benefits of New River Community Action services to the workforce, emphasizing the positive impact and aiding families in need to regain stability and re-enter the workforce. Lastly, Laura Walters, doing double duty as chairperson for both the Pulaski Board of Supervisors and New River Community Action, thanked all the people who were dedicated to this project. She also recognized Jennifer Smith, the new Chief Executive Officer for New River Community Action. Walters spoke of Smith’s energy and experience and is looking forward to what she and her team can do.
Congratulations to New River Community Action for this great new building.
NRCA is a private, non-profit organization serving Radford City and the counties of Montgomery, Giles, Floyd and Pulaski.
“A well-known proponent of self-sufficiency, NRCA offers “A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out” to local families in need,” stated NRCA. “We strive to achieve our purpose through community organization and empowerment, helping local communities to recognize and alleviate their own poverty conditions.”
“NRCA works with our community’s most vulnerable residents including the homeless, ex-offenders, the disabled, and struggling young families,” according to NRCA.org. “We coordinate with approximately 1,000 local volunteers to offer a variety of programs to improve the lives of over 9,000 people each year. Some services address basic needs such as food, shelter, and employment. Comprehensive early childhood programs promote school readiness, healthy families, and effective parenting.”
NRCA programs include Head Start, Children’s Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP), Homeless and Housing Programs (Rapid Re-housing, Homeless Prevention, Housing Counseling, Renter Education Workshops), VA CARES services to ex-offenders, Emergency Assistance and Food Pantries Programs, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), Floyd County Backpack Program and To Our House homeless thermal shelter.
You can learn more at https://newrivercommunityaction.org/
– Staff Report
