HOPE Community Services Announces Name Change; Still Plans to File Appeal with Dept. of Health and Human Services

In a press release dated September 30, HOPE Community Services announced that their board of directors has voted to change the organization’s name to “New Horizons Community Action Partnership.”

The release indicated that the move was part of “an ongoing national initiative to highlight anti-poverty efforts underway at Community Action Agencies across the country.”

New Horizon Executive Director Heanry Featherston indicated on Wednesday that, at the last Board meeting, a budget and financial statement were presented to the Board, “for the first time in a long time.” He also indicated that a part time financial officer had been hired.

Additionally, the organization will be filing their appeal with the Department of Health and Human Services this week. Featherston indicated that the appeal was currently being reviewed by their attorney, and would be filed before the October 9, 2013 deadline, regardless of the federal government shutdown.

The name change will have no bearing on the ongoing State Police investigation into allegations made against former Executive Director Mary C. Smith by former employees of the agency. Virginia State Police Public Relations Manager Corinne Geller confirmed that the investigation was still continuing, but there had been no arrests or charges filed.

The press release from New Horizons is reprinted below:

At the September 26, 2013 meeting of the Governing Board of Directors for H.O.P.E. Community Services, Inc. members voted unanimously to change its name to New Horizons Community Action Partnership as a part of an ongoing national initiative to highlight anti-poverty efforts underway at Community Action Agencies across the country. The initiative, spearheaded by the national office of the Community Action Partnership, is designed to increase awareness of Community Action—America’s poverty fighting network.

The Community Action Partnership, the national association representing the 1,000-member Community Action Agency network that helps 13 million low-income Americans change their lives every year, kicked off the awareness campaign to engage the public in the nation’s fight against poverty. The campaign included the introduction of a new Community Action logo featuring arms embracing a heart and the words, “Helping People. Changing Lives.” and a new name for the association, “Community Action Partnership,” that categorizes Community Action Agencies as “partners” in this effort. Prior to the campaign, the national logo for Community Action was a pinwheel and the Community Action Partnership was known as the National Association of Community Action Agencies.

“For far too long, Community Action has been America’s best kept secret,” said Don Mathis, President and CEO of the Community Action Partnership. “ But as New Horizons Community Action Partnership and other CAAs across the country introduce and continue using the new name and logo on their offices, websites, stationary, and brochures, the public will begin to recognize these local agencies as being part of one national network—America’.”

“This awareness campaign underscores our dedication to ending poverty and making south central Virginia a better place to live,” said Dr. Henry Featherston, Interim Executive Director “Many people familiar with H.O.P.E. didn’t realize that the organization is part of America’s poverty fighting network, so this effort allows us to express the common commitment to help people and change lives we share with other Community Action Agencies.” Featherston added, “It will also show the residents in our six (6) county service area that poverty is bigger than our region, it’s an epidemic that is affecting America and we all need to support efforts to end it through the promotion of job training, work experience, education and nutrition, housing and economic development programs to better the general welfare of the people of south central Virginia.”

While New Horizons Community Action Partnership will have a new name, it will also shift its focus back to the services, programs, and commitment it has been known for since 1970 – changing people’s lives, embodying the spirit of hope, improving communities, and making south central Virginia a better place to live. “We are simply changing our name to better describe what we do,” said Featherston. “Our mission is to offer the residents of Amelia, Buckingham, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway, and Prince Edward counties comprehensive programs to help them turn hope into reality by helping those currently living in poverty become self-sufficient and that will never change. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.”

New Horizons Community Action Partnership programs will include after-school tutoring and mentoring that began on September 30th, housing counseling, financial literacy, fair housing workshops, computer literacy, employment workshops, assistance for those looking to start a small business, veteran services, re-entry assistance for the formerly incarcerated, affordable housing initiatives, and certificate programs available to residents of all six (counties). Over the course of the next few weeks the organization will roll out additional information about the programs that will be offered.

New Horizons Community Action Partnership’s purpose as a community action agency is to serve as a vital resource, advocating for the aging, disabled and disadvantage members of the community when they need it most through the promotion of job training, work experience, education and nutrition, housing and economic development programs to better the general welfare of the people of south central Virginia. The key to New Horizon’s success is collaboration with institutions and individuals, both within and outside the agency, to tackle abject poverty through assistance and education in order to get individuals on the path to self-sufficiency and obtain the most quantifiable impact.

Residents who are interested in joining their county’s community advisory council should contact us at (434) 395-1224 or newhorizonscapva@gmail.com.