Richmond City Council invites community to thank a social worker during Richmond Social Work Month

Established last year by Richmond City Council and Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Richmond Social Work Month recognizes those who have dedicated their professional lives to helping improve the quality of life for others, especially those experiencing distress, through the delivery of positively impactful programs and services.

Social work is critically important to the lives, well-being, and sustainability of Richmond residents and the ongoing success of our thriving community.

Social work and the delivery of social service programs is a very involved, challenging, and demanding undertaking that can be overwhelming and emotionally draining and social work/ service professionals tirelessly work to help make the lives and outcomes of our communities the best they can be.

Social work is important in helping to fortify, build, and strengthen the capacities, resiliency, and stability of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society by establishing, developing, and delivering individual and collective development and empowerment programs and services that bring together and maximize available resources to assist social, educational, behavioral, health care, economic, cultural, and human development in supporting and improving the individual and shared well-being, success, sustainability, and outcomes of others.

Public and nonprofit social work programs, policies, funding, and practitioners work on behalf of the public good in serving individuals, families, and communities and helping all persons, irrespective of race, gender, identity, or income, to have happier and healthier lives.

Locally, the Richmond Department of Social Services provides for the delivery of numerous social work programs and services on behalf of Richmond residents and its operations include the Division of Children, Families and Adults, which works on ensuring families and children are safe and secure in their own homes, in foster homes and throughout the community; the Office of Children’s Services Act, which helps provide child-focused services on behalf of troubled and at-risk youths; and, the Division of Economic Support and Independence, which provides residents in need with tools and opportunities that promote economic stability.

Richmond City Council thanks all those working on behalf of Richmond residents for their help in making our city an even better, happier, and more sustainable place to live, love, work, learn, play, visit and enjoy family.

RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL

Applause for Encore program

I hope that other surrounding counties and the City of Richmond are taking notice of the new program Henrico County is rolling out titled Encore, which was featured in the Free Press, March 2-4 edition. The program is trying to entice many of the county’s retired employees to come back and work at the same salary that they received upon retirement. I think this is a win-win for everyone. Henrico will fill some of their staffing shortages and retirees will get a supplemental income while working part-time hours.

In a time where there are shortages of staff and retirees stretching their paychecks to survive, this is a no-brainer. This program will also make the retirees feel appreciated, knowing that they have an avenue to return if they so desire. The cities and counties became great on the backs of the retirees who were dedicated and strived to make their locality great. I retired from the City of Richmond with over 30 years of experience, but many times I feel underappreciated due to not getting a cost of living raise in years. There is an old say- ing “out of sight out of mind.”

Let’s change the narrative with programs like this.

ERNEST PARKER JR. Richmond

Stories by Fred Jeter