Family Services – Community Corner

👷‍♀️ Join us on Thursday, Nov. 5 from 1-4 p.m. to meet hiring employers, explore career paths, and learn about training programs that help you start or advance in construction and trades. Share your goals with employers and get answers to your career questions. New to the construction industry? Whether you’re looking for entry-level or advanced roles, there’s an info session for you during the event. Tip for success: bring multiple copies of your resume and dress in business casual or business attire. Learn more and register.

Have you ever flipped through an old family photo album and wondered, who are all these people? It takes work to ensure that later generations know your family’s stories and can identify family members in photos. 📷 If this is important to you, there are ways to document your family history ranging from simple tasks to dedicated research. Learn your options and how to get started in the October issue of the Golden Gazette.

Congratulations to Ashiyaana advocate Lopa Shah, Ariel Ward of the Inova FACT Department, and the Forced Marriage Initiative Team at Tahirih Justice Center! Recipients of this year’s Community Awards at the Domestic and Sexual Violence Community Annual Meeting, these winners are incredible changemakers doing the formidable work of pushing the movement forward with courage, heart, and unstoppable commitment. They remind us what’s possible when communities come together to support survivors, challenge injustice, and reimagine a world free from violence. Read more.

When a mother suffered a mental health crisis, her young daughter had no one to step in and provide care. Nearly 2,000 miles from any of her loved ones, DFS provided a temporary foster home for her while working to build a relationship with her father through lengthy video visits. The wonder of online communication, and her father’s persistence in searching for her made it possible for them to be reunified. Learn more!

When you no longer drive, it can be hard to run errands and get to your medical appointments. Asking others to drive you is not always possible, and using taxis and rideshares may not fit into your budget. Don’t be discouraged! There are organizations offering free or reduced-cost rides to the places you need to go. Learn more about these services in the October issue of the Golden Gazette.

Open Enrollment through Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace opens November 1 each year, allowing individuals and families to enroll in or change healthcare insurance plans for the next calendar year. The Marketplace will direct the application of anyone who is potentially eligible for Medicaid to the local social services office for processing. Read more about what happens if your application is redirected and how these health systems work together to connect you to care.

Imagine being the trusted adult a child looks forward to seeing. If you have some weekend availability, you can do just that through our BeFriend-A-Child Mentoring Program. Mentors help children build social skills, grow their confidence, and overcome obstacles—all through meaningful, fun enrichment activities. You can even fit mentoring around your own schedule. Learn more or apply today.

Federal law now requires some changes to Medicaid. These changes might have an impact on domestic violence survivors, who often access Medicaid for themselves and their children to have health care independent of the person who caused harm. On this episode of Unscripted, host Kendra Lee, Domestic and Sexual Violence Services senior victim advocate Vanessa Cullers, and Public Assistance and Employment Services Performance Improvement Manager Patty Fehervari talk about the new rules and the ways they’ll affect domestic violence survivors.