October 28, 2008 - By JAMIE C. RUFF - TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Powhatan County is trying to create its own community-action organization to provide services to needy and low-income residents.
The board recently voted to ask Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and the Virginia Department of Health to drop the Capital Area Partnership Uplifting People -- formerly known as the Richmond Community Action Program -- as the service group for Powhatan. The group serves Richmond, Petersburg and Powhatan.
Supervisor Carson Tucker said the county will continue its relationship with the Richmond organization through the Project Discovery dropout-prevention program and the Virginia CARES program that helps inmates transition back into their community.
But the county will take over emergency services, such as heating-fuel assistance and transportation to doctor appointments, he said. The county is also implementing a local program to confront domestic violence.
"We just feel that [emergency efforts] would be better done with somebody in the community," Tucker said.
The Powhatan Department of Social Services has the ability to support the additional programs, and supervisors said in the resolution that they believe the delivery and quality of services can be improved, expanded and provided locally at a lower cost.
The county supervisors are recommending that the Richmond community-action group be removed on July 1.
The supervisors will create an advisory council and will appoint members at their November meeting.
The Richmond group started providing services to Powhatan in July 2007. But this year, the supervisors withheld funding to the organization after growing concerns about the level of service provided to the county. Powhatan has since joined other localities on a more common pay-as-they-go basis, said Tom Wagstaff, executive director of the Richmond community-action group.
Wagstaff said the decision was mutual and will allow the county to do some things it wanted while letting his organization play up some of its programs that have been more beneficial to Powhatan.
"We wholly concur with the decision," he said. "It's not a problem with us, and we look forward to continuing to work with the county."
Posted by VACAP Archives at 10:48 AM - Categories: Press Releases
