County initiative hopes to connect faith groups

It’s all about connections. That’s a slice of conventional wisdom that the county is taking to heart as it seeks to help its neediest residents through a Faith-Based/Charitable Initiative, a project aiming to connect faith-based and charitable organizations with volunteer opportunities in the county.

“A lot of our churches, synagogues and mosques were heading down to New Orleans and Mississippi to volunteer, and we thought, ‘Hey, we have needs here, too,’” said Tom Jacobson, director of revitalization. “Maybe we should advertise and see if people want to help out in our own neighborhoods.”

Last month, the county hosted its second meeting of the initiative, which is a project of the revitalization department’s Sustain Our Communities Committee (SOCC). During the meeting, representatives from seven local churches discussed their current philanthropic efforts and learned of additional ways to help their neighbors.

“It’s a matter of finding out who needs help, so we can help as many people as possible,” said Virginia Barbour, a member of the missions ministry for Union Branch Baptist Church on River Road. “That’s the overall mission of the church.”

Union Branch already made one connection at the first Faith-Based/Charitable Initiative meeting over the summer, signing on to participate in a project for ElderHomes, a nonprofit organization that makes home repairs for the low income, elderly and disabled. Ginger Hawks, ElderHomes’ volunteer services coordinator, hopes the initiative continues to increase awareness of her organization, which has a backlog of around 200 projects in the Richmond and Tri-Cities areas.

“We find the client, define the work scope, buy the supplies and materials,” she said. “Volunteers, that’s what we need. That’s why I’m here. All we need is for groups to show up and spend four to five hours working.”

Jackie Bruce attended the meeting as a representative of Faith & Family Church, which was founded in 2004. As overseer of the youth ministry, Bruce hoped to learn of service opportunities for youths ages 10-17.

“We’ve declared our theme for 2010; it’s ‘reaching in to outreach,’” said Bruce. “It’s about teaching youth character development by showing them how to serve others. I’m looking for opportunities for them to really meet people and see people outside of their normal circle. I want hands-on. I’m looking for things where they can serve but also develop some skill sets.”

She hopes the county enhances its SOCC Web site to include lists of available service projects, an idea that was discussed at the meeting. The meeting also floated the idea of a Youth Week, the brainchild of local real estate developer R.L. Dunn, which would involve a weeklong youth service project followed by a big celebration for all those involved.

“[The initiative] is a work in progress,” said Glen Kemp, the president of Salem Woods Homeowners Association, who serves on the SOCC. “We are hoping by spring to have projects that the faith-based communities can work on.”

The SOCC will hold its next meeting on Jan. 26. Visit www.chesterfieldcommunities.com for more information.