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City’s plan leaves fewer people with shelter this winter
City Hall is ending its decades-old effort to prevent homeless people from freezing to death when temperatures plunge.
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No longer spinning their wheels
Richmond nonprofit uses circles to break cycles of poverty
For millions of Americans, living at or near the federal poverty line means barely getting by is a constant struggle. Census Bureau estimates show more than 20 percent of Richmond’s residents are living in poverty — a figure nearly 50 percent higher than the national average. Many of these residents work, and many feel as though they’ll never get ahead. Such was the case for Sherrell Thompson, 43, a resident of Churc Hill and Richmond native. Two years ago, the single mother and grandmother worked as a certified community health Wworker for Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Everyday she helped others in her job, but she also knew she needed help herself. “I really felt stuck where I was financially and I just didn’t know what steps to take next,” Ms. Thompson said by phone recently. One day, she took a deeper look at Circles RVA — a lo- cal organization she’d referred clients looking to better their financial circumstances to before. Ms. Thompson decided to put in her own application and was accepted to the program in August 2020. In that same cohort was Barbara Yates, 67, a mother, grand- mother and great-grandmother, who was born in Baltimore but moved to Richmond as a child. Both were drawn by Circles RVA’s vision “that everyone has enough money, meaning and friends to thrive.” In a recent phone interview, Circles RVA co-president Valena Dixon and coach Debbie Williams highlighted how the organiza- tion works alongside program participants — known as leaders — to help them realize that vision of financial stability, purpose and support in their lives. “Allies and volunteers create a circle of support around lead- ers and intentionally create relationships,” Ms. Dixon explained. “These relationships expand their networks and introduce them to resources that can reduce the barriers that hinder their rising out of poverty.” “You’re building communities by building intentional rela- tionships,” Ms. Williams added. “These relationships make all the difference and give leaders the support they need to move from surviving to thriving.” Circles RVA began with volunteers who were looking for ways to address Richmond’s poverty issue at the community level. It became a registered nonprofit in June 2017, modeled after Circles USA which sees circles, or the personal and professional networks each person has, as resources that can be shared. With Circles RVA, leaders undertake a 12-week educational program during which they are matched with allies and work to create SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goals for themselves. Over the next 18 months, leaders and allies meet weekly to ensure that leaders continue to progress toward their goals. As Ms. Dixon puts is, “Plan the work, work the plan.” And plans are working. Circles RVA graduated its fourth cohort in June, and its latest newsletter highlights the achievements of its 15 leaders who so far have completed the program. Many show average increases of about $1,200 in monthly income and $2,000 in total assets. Ms. Thompson and Mrs. Yates graduated in the June 2022 cohort and have seen the benefits. With her allies’ help, Miss Thompson revamped her résumé and secured a new, higher paying job with her employer as a resident services coordinator. She has used the extra income to reduce her debt and boost her credit score by more than 100 points. “I never thought I’d be able to do that,” Ms. Thompson said. “Circles RVA helped me so much. I was so happy I just cried through my whole graduation.” Learning to better manage her budget also helped Mrs. Yates. “Before I was an Amazon addict, but not anymore,” Mrs. Yates said, noting that she frequently made purchases from the online retailer. “Writing (down) where all of (my) money was going made it easy to see where you could bring your expenses down.” Mrs. Yates has started saving some of what she used to spend. She has a “rainy day fund” and is continuing to save toward another goal — travel. “I really enjoyed the program. You are constantly learning something every week,” Mrs. Yates said. “My allies were very supportive and encouraging. Whenever I was struggling, they helped me think like that little train, ‘I think I can. I think I can.’” Mrs. Yates and Ms. Thompson plan to stay connected with the friends they made through Circles RVA. Ms. Thompson even wants to apply to rejoin the program — this time as an ally. “I have benefitted so much that I need to pass that on.” To learn more about Circles RVA and its next cohort of lead- ers, visit https://circlesrva.org/
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NIH awards $3M to VCU to develop researchers in women’s health
The Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health has awarded a $3.2 million grant to Vir- ginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women’s Health. The grant supports VCU’s junior faculty who will develop as researchers in women’s health.
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VUU Alumni Football Foundation to host Celebrity Golf Classic
Virginia Union University’s annual golf fundraiser will take place July 23 at The Crossings in Glen Allen, 800 Virginia Center Parkway.
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'It was just another game for us’
Cornell Gordon recalls Jets iconic Super Bowl win against Colts
On Jan. 12, 1969, Cornell Gordon was on the team that shocked the football world.
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Personality: Joanna Heiskill
Spotlight on co-founder of Justice and Change for Victims of Nursing Facilities
When Joanna Heiskill’s mother died in August 2019, she was determined to find the cause of her death.
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Daily dangers, including physical assaults on deputies, allegedly occur at city jail
Seven months after Richmond Sheriff Antionette V. Irving was sworn into her second four-year term, concern is mounting over her control of the still short-staffed Richmond City Justice Center, as the jail located in Shockoe Valley is called.
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‘The Bible does not speak about abortion’
City councilman and minister says right-wing evangelicals’ religious doctrine lacks biblical foundation
Dr. Michael J. Jones is ready to debate anyone who claims that a ban on abortion is based on the Bible.
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Still standing:
The battle over who gets A.P. Hill statue remains undecided
A legal fight is slowing City Hall’s efforts to remove the last remaining statue of a slavery-defending Confederate military leader.
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Evolution: Black and Brown players and the MLB All-Star Games
The first official Major League Baseball All-Star Game was in 1933. But for many Black Americans, 1949 may perhaps be a year they consider more important.
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Vote now for the Library of Virginia’s 19th Annual People’s Choice Awards
The Library of Virginia has announced 14 finalists for the 19th Annual People’s Choice Awards.
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Abortion in Virginia must be protected
If you are a Black or Brown woman who is pregnant, living in Virginia, and want the right to become a parent, congratulations.
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Pay them, but not her
RPS spends extra to win bill dispute
The Richmond School Board paid a white law firm $31,000 in legal fees to avoid paying a Black professional’s $27,000 bill for doing consulting work in the case of a disabled student, half of which was to be paid by the state.
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Ketanji Brown Jackson sworn in, becomes 1st Black woman on Supreme Court
Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in to the Supreme Court on Thursday, June 30, shattering a glass ceiling as the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court.
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Personality: Dr. Hollee Freeman
Spotlight on co-founder and co-curator of City Bees RVA
Dr. Hollee Freeman is helping to keep a vital community of workers buzzing — all 90,000 of them.
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Natural gas price hikes mean higher bills for area customers
Area residents who cook, heat, cool or otherwise rely on natural gas provided by Richmond are starting to see their bills jump – even though cold weather is still months away.
