RD156 - Annual Report on the Virginia Faith-Based and Community Initiative


Executive Summary:
Section 63.2-703 of the Code of Virginia charges the Department of Social Services (Department) with providing leadership and coordination for Virginia's Faith-Based and Community Initiative (FB&CI) and to report on a regular basis to the Governor and the General Assembly on the fulfillment of the Department's responsibilities.

Since establishment of the initiative by the 2002 General Assembly, over 2,500 representatives of community and faith-based organizations have received training and technical assistance to strengthen their organizational effectiveness. FB&CI activities and accomplishments during 2004-2005 include the following:

• Expansion and enhancement of the FB&CI website. An events calendar has been added, resource links expanded and new technical assistance information included. Also, real-time updates can now be made to the searchable on-line resource directory and a FB&CI specific email address has been established (faithbased.initiative@dss.virginia.gov).

• Design and distribution of a quarterly E-newsletter. The E-newsletter includes information on building organizational capacity, delivering effective services, funding and other resource information. Additionally, community and faith-based organizations may submit for inclusion in the newsletter relevant articles or announcements that could be helpful to others.

• Revision and expansion of the printed technical assistance guide for use by organizations considering partnerships with public agencies that includes the most current resources available. This technical assistance guide has been made available on-line as well.

• Development of an organizational assessment tool for use in determining the type of training and technical assistance most needed by a community or faith-based organization.

• Survey of local departments of social services and community action agencies to gather information on local unmet social service needs and on successful partnerships with community based organizations.

• Expansion of public/partnerships to address local community needs.

• Continuation of training and technical assistance to community and faith-based organizations and to liaison staff in other agencies, local departments of social services and community action agencies.