On the Road

• What’s New?

• Team Highlight

• How Can I Get Involved?

What’s New?!

• Over the last two weeks, our team has been on the road a lot! Some of our staff attended a conference in Orlando with our national partner, National Community Action Partnership (NCAP) team and other community action agencies from all over the states. This was conveniently timed during the winter snowstorm, so they were the lucky ones that got out of most of it! They enhanced their knowledge on best practices for management and leadership.
• During the next week, some of our staff attended the Virginia Community Action Partnership’s Legislative Conference. As part of the conference, they advocated at the General Assembly on behalf of the communities we serve in Richmond City and the Crater region. We extend our thanks to Virginia’s legislators and their staff for taking the time—during a busy General Assembly session—to meet with us and hear about the needs in their communities.

Team Highlight

Meet JoLinda Underwood, Whole Family Coach

• JoLinda, a native of Boston, Massachusetts, has called Richmond home for the past 25 years. She joined our team this past summer and has been a true beacon of hope for participants in our Whole Family cohort. In her day-to-day work, JoLinda listens closely to participants’ needs and goals, supporting them as they take meaningful steps, one small goal at a time, toward greater economic mobility. She also partners with community resources to connect participants with vital supports, financial literacy and coaching, and helping them identify income building opportunities and stability goals.
• JoLinda’s coaching is unique in that it implements the Whole Family Approach, which is designed for households with dependent children (under 18yrs old or in High School). This model supports a wide range of family dynamics, ensuring that each family receives personalized, holistic support. Participants in our monthly cohort benefit from weekly meetings with JoLinda, work and career placement support (such as interview preparation and school readiness), partnerships with People’s Advantage Helping Hands (PAHH) for Financial Coaching and other community organizations, access to our food pantry, and household essentials. Beyond these services, JoLinda also assists families to address their overall well being, secure childcare placements and helps secure extracurricular activities for children, ensuring that the entire household benefits, not just the individual participant.
• Outside of work, JoLinda enjoys spending time with her family, including her amazing husband, young adult son, and Maltipoo fur baby, Dallas, as well as her friends. She loves reading across all genres, is an active member of a book club, enjoys capturing moments through photography, participates in ministries at her church, and is widely known as a “resource pillar” within the community.
• JoLinda believes her work within the Whole Family model provides hope by meeting participants exactly where they are and encouraging them to believe that all things are possible when they are supported, empowered, and willing to put in the effort to achieve their goals. While the model is a non-traditional approach to breaking generational poverty, she values that it is family-centered rather than crisis-centered, empowering participants to thrive and become the captains of their own ships, with meaningful support along the way.

If you are interested in getting involved, there are opportunities to volunteer your time, such as assembling hygiene or household kits, or to donate funds that support non-grant-funded efforts. Current needs include gift cards for gas and clothing, as well as funding for other non-traditional necessities. Click below to learn more!