Single mom of preschooler twins and a school-aged child is behind on her electric bill. She was unable to secure childcare for the twins until yesterday due to overall lack of childcare for Bedford County. A new center opened in Moneta, and they are now enrolled. She is now looking hard for full-time work and has several leads; plus plans to enroll with CareerWorks. While seeking childcare so she can work, she fell behind on electric. A local nonprofit prevented disconnection with financial aid for an overdue $523 but another $640 is due by the end of the October and she will not be able to cover the upcoming bill. Once she secures work and receives her first check, she should be in good shape going forward.

Client is urgently in need of a change of locks. She has already bought locks but needs help changing them. She does not feel comfortable leaving her home without locks changed as she has no way to lock her house. She's just moving in from FL, and needs help getting settled in Bedford. She's moved in to get custody of her son and needs some furniture for the transition. The furniture is not urgent but she needs her locks changed so she can leave the house and look for work. The hearing is on Nov. 1, and we're hoping we can get some services and support in place for when her son moves in. She really does not have supports and is looking for work as well. She says she really needs a church and is open to building a relationship as she does not have any friends or supportive family in the area. Updated on October 02, 2023 by an Agency Worker
We were able to find someone to help change the locks.

Mother of three children, ages 3, 7 and 11, needs a new HVAC for the double-wide they own. The 7-year-old is special needs. They have no heat source, but are able to use space heaters while they save for the HVAC. She will apply to DSS Crisis Heating Assistance for $4,000 of the estimated $7,000 to replace the HVAC. She works full-time but is unable to come up with the remaining $3,000. Renovation Alliance has told her they do not cover Bedford County. She has an email version of the HVAC estimate available.

A family of four in the area has recently been displaced and are trying to obtain permanent housing. The family is being connected to resources in an effort to meet this need. However, they are also needing a reliable vehicle to help them get around. Due to the need for reliable transportation the older child has not been attending school, is falling behind academically, and is currently truant. The child would like to remain in our school system due to doing so well with their schooling here and because they have formed some trusted relationships with others in the school.

Single mother of four needs assistance with October rent. She has $300 to put toward rent but needs an additional $500 to make the total by Tuesday. She is recovering from being homeless after a marital separation, and starting a new job next week as a medical professional. However, she will not receive her first check until three weeks from now. She has never been late on rent, but has already utilized area nonprofits for help with utility bills.

A parent is in need of help with an electric bill. Dominion told the parent that $2,000 would settle his past account balance which is $5919.32. The BRC agreed to pay $300 and DSS agreed to pay $200. Therefore, we are looking to get $1,500 to pay off the remaining balance. They are using a generator currently but the parent reported how expensive gas is for that.

Formerly homeless single mom of kindergartener needs financial aid for first month's rent on a new home, at $250 for the month of October. Mom was working at a local retailer but had to leave due to relocation after her recent eviction. She has several interviews lined up for new work and is enrolled in CareerWorks for career exploration, training and placement - but these efforts will not result in pay soon enough to make rent. She has already utilized local nonprofit financial aid when attempting to avoid eviction last year.

I am working with a family who is in need of assistance with cleaning their home. The father works outside of the home to provide, and the mother stays at home, but without many resources to aid her in keeping a clean home. I am requesting that some volunteers come to her home, with cleaning supplies, to help her clean the house. She does not have much clutter, but needs deep cleaning. The family has 5 children, and bunk beds would also be a wonderful help to the family, as all of the children are currently sleeping on the floor on makeshift mattresses.

A parent and her two adult children need assistance. One of the students is still in school. The parent is currently unemployed but trying to get a job. Her hindrance is that she does not have gas for her car to go to interviews or go to the library to apply for jobs. She would like a gas card for $35 in order to get out of the house and apply for jobs to be able to pay her rent and bills. She does not have internet at her house due to that being shut off due to non-payment. Her total bill for Lumos is $214.14. Her past due balance is $140.59 plus $73.54. That is due by October 19th. Her electricity bill is $2,128.53. She also needs assistance with rent. She did not pay her rent last month, cannot pay it this month or next month. Her rent is $725 each month. The parent also has a past balance of $1,995 past balance that is due to her landlord. If she does not pay, she will get evicted. Her car insurance is due by October 4th and is in the amount $39.37. She needs household items as well. She needs floor cleaner, toilet cleaner, clorox wipes, lysol , trash bags, detergent, fabric softener, liquid dish soap, shampoo and conditioner (3 bottles of each), feminine products, headache medicine (excedrin and ibuprofen), and cat litter. There is one bed but the parent reported she has to get rid of that. Two beds are needed for her children. Edit: October rent needed in order to avoid getting kicked out. The land lord is frustrated.

A single mother of a 16 year old as well as a young adult child are in need of assistance. This family is having difficulty with their water, and unsure of what the problem is. Mom thought she was able to fix it, however it was a brief fix. All 3 members of the household are working, but do not have the funds to pay a plumber for the repairs. Without water, the family is unable to shower, cook and clean. The teenager is missing school and this could pose an even larger problem. The amount I am requesting is nothing more than a guess, since it is unknown why the water is not working. Any assistance you can offer this family is greatly appreciated. Thank you

Mom and her two kids are living in a home where the roof has been leaking. This has caused water damage to both children's beds. The roof has since been repaired but the beds still smell of mildew and are creating mold. The dryer in the home also stopped working which has caused issues in drying things due to the water damage.

Grandmother has custody of 15 year old, Grandmother is struggling to care for her, and has had multiple surgeries for her health issues. The Grandmother is overwhelmed and the home is in need of repair, there is a hole in kitchen floor, and the bathroom commode is leaking upstairs. Grandmother needs help. Due to bugs and mice Grandmother needs a new couch and loveseat or chair so the old ones can be thrown out. Grandmother also stated she needs 2 full size bed frames as well. This grandmother is keeping her grandchild out of foster care but could use the help of the community.

Please consider providing a placement with a gift card for food as she cares for her teenage nephew. The placement is on a fixed income with the responsibility of caring for her nephew as his mother finds stable housing. By providing the placement this gift card, she will be encouraged to continue her role in caring this child and ensuring he gets through school.

A single mother is currently involved with our Family Treatment Docket in Bedford County, VA. She has a one-year-old daughter, who is currently safety placed with a family friend. She is actively participating in her required services and just recently started a new job washing laundry at a local hotel. She is in the process of working to get her license back. She has to pay a reinstatement fee of $145, as well as the base $25 fee in order to start a payment plan for her noncompliance fee ($600 total). She also has to obtain an SR22. She has contacted Direct Auto and was quoted $176.20 as an initial fee. In total, we are requesting $346.20 in order to cover these fees. She will pick up on the payment plan and the cost of her SR22 moving forward once she gets paid from her job.

Mother is pregnant and has a 10 year old child. They reside in a 2 bedroom apartment that does not have closets. The apartment is extremely cluttered and the mother is overwhelmed. She is requesting assistance in helping her organize and declutter her home. She is also requesting multiple large storage bins and wardrobes for hanging clothes.

I recently started working with a mother and father who have four children still under the age of 18 in the home. They also care for two grandchildren, one of whom recently left foster care and was put in their custody. Both parents parents and their oldest child (also a parent herself) work. The oldest child is not able to be on her own as she has mental health needs, which are partially addressed through services but she requires additional assistance to navigate her life. While some of the children attend daycare, not all are able due to ages as well as limited daycare space. The parents currently rotate their schedules to ensure they can each work, while also being able to adhere to day care pick-up/drop-off times and supervise children not in daycare and on no school day. One of the grandchildren, a toddler, has medical needs that requires frequent appointments that also have to be balanced with the schedule. The family has been working diligently to meet the needs of their family while balancing conflicting schedules and expectations. While they have been making ends meet, they are currently struggling with credit card debt and the need to get insurance for the family's one vehicle. They were quoted $340 down payment and $190 a month for car insurance. The Department and the family would be appreciative of any assistance they can get with meeting this need, because if they do not obtain car insurance, there are concerns regarding their ability to maintain employment and all the children in their home.

I have been working with this family for a variety of issues. Single mother has 7 children of her own under the age of 18. The father of the children has been incarcerated for years. This mom has worked one-two jobs for the majority of her adult life. This mom is a CNA. She is in charge of providing for all her children, and her grandchild. This mom does have family support in town and does ask them for help here and there. The Department at one point also helped her pay some of her past due bills. Mom is trying to secure a new home that is in her budget, but is finding it difficult to secure a deposit, when she has to provide for the rest of her household. One of her children are participating in services, she is involved with the courts and is doing her best to complete her services. The mom has applied for section 8, public housing, income related housing and is stuck on how to secure housing moving forth. THIS MOM has struggled paying her landlord, but also has complained that the landlord has not kept their part, because there is always something that needs constant fixing in the house. The mom has also gotten in touch with code enforcement a few times. Mom is overwhelmed about housing and keeping up. Mom needs community support. Mom has seen a house that is in her budget, but the deposit is too high, and she cannot afford to pay it. Anyone can support mom, help with the deposit?

A single mother of 4 young children needs help. There are 3 girls and 1 boy, ages 7-11. The children's father recently passed away and their mother is trying her best. The children need proper beds to sleep in, they are currently sharing one bed with their mother or sleeping on the floor. The mother works night shift, so beds would provide some comfort to the children. Providing these beds will improve the children's quality of life and will greatly benefit the family.

I am working with a family of 6, that has been through quite a bit of loss in the past few years. As the parents were trying to work through their grief, and be strong for their children, some issues have arisen, and been put off, around the house. First, and most importantly, the floor in their children's bathroom is rotten under the bathtub. It is still usable, however a prayer is said before the children bathe and shower. The subfloors through most of the trailer are rotten, and dad recently stepped through the floor in their hallway. Also, the front door of their home has been damaged and needs to be replaced. I would like to add that the parents do not like asking for help, and have been very appreciative of anything I have been able to help them with, so when they shared with me the extent of their current needs, I knew I needed to try and reach out to a larger group to help this family. Thank you very much for your time and consideration of this project. ***An explanation of the estimated costs. I received and estimate from a contractor of $1800 for supplies. And total job costs if performed by a contractor, to be $3600-$4000. Updated on September 25, 2023 by an Agency Worker
The response team is still trying to reach the family to fulfill their need.

This family recently moved into a larger unit to better accommodate them and into a safer neighborhood. The unit has stairs and the prior unit does not. The youngest child is 3 and is not accustomed to navigating stairs.