ACTS in Action repations Together in ees Nearly one-half of individuals served by ACTS ministry are children. Give Richmond - Grow With Us In the News: Annual Dinner New Board Members Latest Grants Give Richmond ACTS was selected by the Community Foundation as one of 30 initial organizations to participate in a new online resource, Give Richmond. ACTS presence on this website will increase the ease with which we are able to submit grant applications to foundations, a major source of revenue for our mission. This is an honor for ACTS that will increase its visibility and potential to find vital support needed to sustain its ministry. Grow With Us. Did you know that ACTS is growing? The number of Piss Mareen repay Tamer participating congregations today has grown to 39! That's interviews referrals trom an increase from the genesis of a group of six churches churches during the intake who came together to combine resources and create 3 process. coordinated service for those in crisis at risk of homelessness. In 2006 when ACTS began seeing clients, it included @ dozen church partners Today, we celebrate all of our interfaith congregations and find strength in combined resources to serve some of our cities' most vulnerable residents. Our goal is to continue to grow to better serve our neighbors in need. Our short- term goal is 50 church partners; long-term is 100. If you know of a congregation who would like to join resources with ACTS, please contact Paul Steele, Program Director, psteele@actsva.org ACTS in the News Nancy Warman, ACTS' Leadership Director, was quoted in the March 10 issue of Style Weekly in an article, "Blurring the Lines: Meet the new faces of poverty: young, Latino, out of work and living in the counties." "Among the enormous ripple effects, thousands of people have been laid off, and many are losing their homes. Local nonprofits have mobilized in response, such as Area Congregations Together in Service, or ACTS, which combines the resources of 39 religious organizations in metro Richmond to assist people in jeopardy of foreclosure. The groups distributed $388,000 to 490 families to help them keep the lights on and stay in their homes between August 2006 and December 2009. The program was designed to help families during temporary bouts of underemployment and financial crisis, but ACTS has been forced to loosen its requirements and assist people for much longer periods of time, says Nancy Warman, its leadership director.” Annual Dinner Paul Steele, John Moeser, Nancy Warman, and Rev. Rodney On February 24, ACTS threw its Hunter share a moment at annual dinner at First Baptist ACTS' annual dinner Church to show appreciation for the member congregations together in service. The highlight of the evening was @ presentation by John Moeser, visiting fellow at the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement. He spoke to the group on an "Overview of Poverty, Race, & Jurisdiction in Metro Richmond." Three Join ACTS Board We welcome three new members to the ACTS Advisory Board. We rely on these important volunteers for leadership and guidance throughout their terms. We are grateful for their service. Robyn Allen, program director for The Daily Planet Medical Respite, is a member of The West End Assembly of God Margie Gray, a real estate consultant, is a member of St James's Episcopal Church. Michael Lantz, an attorney, is a member of St. James's Episcopal Church. We Don't Take Grants for Granted Three foundations recently recognized the important work of ACTS in the Greater Richmond Community by awarding grants to support ACTS ministry. This support from partner foundations helps make it possible to respond to our neighbors with acts of compassion! Grants recently awarded to ACTS: $20,000 from the Virginia Nonprofit Coalition $4,000 from the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia $ 2,500 from Dominion Virginia Power