I am working with a grandmother and grandfather caring for their 8 year old granddaughter. The grandmother has expressed that her granddaughter would greatly benefit from a mentor who could build a positive relationship. The granddaughter has several areas of interest that a mentor could share: crafts, crochet, soccer, music/singing/dancing, gymnastics. The grandmother would be thankful to have a young female give whatever time they have available to her granddaughter, however a tentative amount of time that could be expected is 4-6 hours a month. A firm schedule would be developed between the mentor and grandmother.

Working Mother is in need of a new reliable car. The mother bought a car last year and the engine blew with still a significant balance left on the car. Mother needs a car for reliable transportation for work and the children's needs. Please help this working mother to relieve some of the financial burdens she is experiencing to give her children better lives.

Single father of two is struggling to maintain stability to stay ahead of rent payments. The mother and father recently split, so the income for the household has been cut in half. The father faces a 5-day "Pay or Quit" notice and possible eviction. Help this Father and his children to maintain stable housing.

When their niece and nephew came into foster care, this aunt and uncle willingly took in the children. The aunt and uncle live outside of Richmond, Virginia, and due to the children's parents not having transportation, the aunt and uncle have been transporting the children to Roanoke from the Richmond area for visits with their parents. The aunt and uncle have run into some issues with their vehicle that need to be fixed in order for them to continue to provide safe and reliable transportation for the children to see their mom and dad. Regular visits are crucial to help achieve the goal of reunification with the children's parents, and the family does not want transportation issues to be a barrier to return home. The aunt and uncle have been quoted $527.73 for vehicle repairs. They are unable to pay the money out-of-pocket and are looking for help in getting the vehicle fixed.

I am working with a single father of two biological sons. The man receives disability due to a back injury. He has very limited income. This man's sister became ill and was not able to care for her teenage son. This man, who I will now call Uncle, took in his 15 year old nephew. In September 2022, the boy's mother passed away. Uncle has cared for the child since and wants to continue to do so. The child has been sleeping on the couch or a blow up air mattress in the living room. Uncle states that he would love a sleeper sofa that the child could sleep on. Additionally, he would need sheets to fit the mattress for the pull out as well as a blanket/comforter and pillows.

Please consider helping a family with a portion of their electricity bill. It has come to the point where electricity has been turned off for a week now and the family has been displaced from their home. Currently they are staying with various friends, but are hoping to return home by the end of the week. The family has undergone some recent financial struggles, preventing them from paying this bill on time. Updated on February 23, 2023 by an Agency Worker
$925.00 is the updated amount needed. Updated on March 17, 2023 by an Agency Worker
$600 is the updated amount needed to cut the electricity back on.

The aunt is the main caretaker for her niece. She had to put her only means of transportation in the shop for repairs. The aunt has health issues that restrict her from being able to walk for long periods of time or for long distances. She has not been able to take her niece to and from the bus stop, or even walk herself to the bus stop. At one time, the child’s bus had broken down on the way to the school to pick the child up, and because the aunt did not have her vehicle, the child was left at school until the aunt could obtain a ride. The aunt has had many doctor’s appointments regarding her diminished health, and even though she is able to use Medicaid transportation, it makes it difficult for her to get to and from different locations, such as the grocery store. Not all of her doctor’s appointments are scheduled within the time period required by the Medicaid transportation timeframe making them unwilling to help due to their policies. Right now, the aunt does not have the financial means to afford to get her vehicle fixed. She has no current stable income due to the lack of transportation and is looking for help to move past this obstacle. The $750 has been requested by the repair shop as a deposit to start repairs on the car. The rest of the money, totaling $2595.55 has been broken up into smaller requests to allow multiple churches and respondents to help this family. Any help at this time would be greatly appreciated by the aunt and she sends her thanks in advance.

A single mother of 8 is attempting to reunify with her oldest child who has been placed out of the home for several months to receive psychiatric care. The child has made tremendous progress to the point that the team hopes to discharge him back home over the next two months, but housing has continued to be a primary barrier. The current living situation is not one that the child could return to, so housing is needed before reunification can occur. The mother has participated well throughout the case and has identified a potential rental property, but needs a security deposit and first month’s rent totalling $1850. We are requesting that CarePortal meet a portion of this need.

This child is 7 months and residing in a two-parent foster home. She has outgrown her bassinet and is in need of a crib and mattress. She has found one that fits the child's needs but is in need of an Amazon giftcard to make the purchase. The crib is 179 and the mattress is 30. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated to help relieve the financial burden for both foster mom and our agency!

Bedford DSS is currently working with a family of 3 including a 16 yo female child. The family resides in a older home that needs repairs. The family has the ability to independently complete some of the needs of the home however could be supported in assistance with roof repairs and supplies. The roof is leaking in one area of the home that has now caused mold in the specific bedroom. The Department is not aware of the severity of the repair therefore is unaware of exact cost that would be necessary.