Moving beyond emergency aid, a new program helps people get back on their feet
Sometimes it’s a plea to help cover next month’s rent — or an electric bill. Other times, it’s about paying for a critical home repair or fixing a car so someone can get to their job.
In times past, the Rappahannock Benevolent Fund would respond to those requests by writing a check. Its purpose was simple: help people through emergencies. Now a nonprofit, it was created during the financial crisis of 2008 by a committee of Rappahannock church and lay people. Its governing board includes ministers and others from the community.
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Berni Olson, left, executive director of the Benevolent Fund, and Ibby Bandercan, who runs its Bridge program.
There has long been the notion that while the Benevolent Fund was doing a good job of addressing short-term crises, it wasn’t really dealing with the long-term, persistent challenges the recipients of its checks were facing — not to mention concerns that people could become dependent on the fund to solve their problems.
So earlier this year, the fund ratcheted up its mission. It launched a program called The Bridge and hired Ibby Bandercan to help people move from seeking emergency assistance to becoming self-sufficient. That requires a deeper conversation about finding a path beyond living crisis to crisis.
“People have been very receptive to sitting down and discussing goals,” Bandercan said. “I’ve been really impressed with how many people want to learn about what resources are available to them and about advocating for themselves. With some of our clients, I can see results right away.”
For instance, a few have enrolled in career training courses at Laurel Ridge Community College and at the Rapp Center for Education. That’s been particularly rewarding for Bandercan, a former teacher. “It’s a wonderful thing because as a teacher you often don’t see results that quickly. That’s been really motivating for me.”
More often than not, it’s a matter of steering someone to a resource that can make a difference in getting a person on track, said Berni Olson, the Benevolent Fund’s executive director. It might involve making them aware of helpful programs at the Department of Social Services or Encompass Community Supports (formerly Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services). Or their most pressing need might be finding affordable child care or job training. The Bridge, Olson said, looks to give someone a boost to take the first big step forward.
Other times, helping a person regain their balance can be a more complicated, multi-layered process. Olson shared the story of a woman who had come to the Benevolent Fund for help. She was homeless and The Bridge helped her find a place to live.
“Once she had a roof over her head, she said, ‘Okay, now I’m going to go get a job,’” said Olson. She found work in Front Royal and can now pay her rent. Her next move is to find her own place instead of sharing an apartment.
At its best, Olson added, The Bridge’s efforts can be “transformative.”
“In those cases, it’s about developing a relationship with a person,” she said. “It’s ongoing. It’s not something where you just say, ‘Here’s some money and good luck.’”
The Benevolent Fund still provides a lot of emergency funding. Last year, it wrote checks totaling almost $220,000 to help about 300 people.
“In some cases people aren’t anywhere near ready to step into the program,” said Olson. “Their state of emergency is so high, their needs are so great that they can’t take on something like taking classes. You have to get the emergency under control first. Then we can see if they want to move into The Bridge.”
Currently, The Bridge, through Bandercan, is working with 10 people, according to Olson. In one case, it’s helping a man get his driver’s license reinstated, which he lost when he was incarcerated. In another, Bandercan helped a woman for whom cleaning houses would have been too physically taxing. Instead, she helped her set up a wash/dry/fold laundry business in her home. That allows the woman to make additional income while still being able to watch her grandkids.
“We realize there will always be people who have emergencies,” she said. “And we know that the sort of things we’re doing with The Bridge can take a lot longer. But if we can get a few people every year to be independent, to get a job, to get a car and be on their own, that’s good for both them and the community.”
To contact The Bridge, call 540-823-6987 or email [email protected]
Editor’s note: Berni Olson is a member of the Foothills Forum board of directors.
