The CBSG Supplemental grant period ended on September 30, 2022. We want to share some important information regarding the close out process for the grant. 

• All funds should have been spent by September 30, 2022 
• Final Invoices need to be received in CSBG Reporter by October 15, 2022, if an extension will be needed to get the final invoice in please notify Violet Peyton by October 10, 2022. 
• Final Reports - we have not received the final reporting forms from OCS, however we anticipate reports will be the same forms that were used last year. We encourage you to use last year's forms as a guide (CSBG Expenditures, Allocated Resources, Services, and Demographics) We anticipate that reports would cover the time period of October 1, 2021- September 30, 2022. You will be reporting on funds expended as well as services and demographics that were provided with the CSBG Supplemental funds. You can begin preparing the information so when the forms are released you are able to easily enter the information into the form customized for your agency. 
• Final Monitoring of CARES funds - we will be conducting a final monitoring of CARES funds and issue a final close out letter once completed. The monitoring will consist of the following: 
• Review of Documentation for select CARES invoices (this has been occurring throughout the year, you will be notified if your agency needs to submit anything additional in regards to invoicing.)
• Completion of 4 narrative questions via this form: https://forms.office.com/g/1BpKRdDxhw. We will use these questions and answers in lieu of a monitoring interview. This form is due November 15, 2022
• A review of a sampling of client files. We will request a small sampling of client files to be uploaded via a secure file share portal to allow us to ensure that eligibility determination processes were followed. Client files will be requested throughout December and January.
• Once final reports are received, we will also review final reports and include feedback in our final close out monitoring letter. 

The CSBG team would like to welcome Gail Doyle to the team. Gail joins the Office of Economic Opportunity as a program administration specialist to support the team in sharing program impact, maintaining the learning management system, and amplifying success stories across the state. She previously served as a communications specialist with the Virginia Service Commission within the VDSS for 15 years. Prior to working with the commission, she has also worked in the tourism industry as the director of communications for Richmond Region Tourism and has authored two books on travel in Virginia. Gail grew up in the small town of Emporia and received her Bachelor of Science degree in mass communications from VCU. She is thrilled to be working with all the organizations making a real difference their regions. “I look forward to meeting the staff at all of the Community Action Agencies across the state and learning about how they are meeting critical needs in their communities,” she says. Gail lives in Beaverdam with her husband of 32 years Don, their 135-pound Great Pyrenees dog, and their spunky tabby cat. 



Gail can be reached via email at: Gail.Doyle@dss.virginia.gov.

LearnWorlds has been active for just over a year and we are excited to announce there are over 350 users registered with the site! We have 34 courses uploaded and are adding new courses frequently. We also have several resources in our resource portal which is categorized in groups such as fiscal resources, DEI resources, planning resources and more. This past July we launched community groups. Community groups are essentially a place for those in similar roles to connect. You can share resources, ask questions, and meet others from around the state. We have community groups for ROMA Implementers, Fiscal Staff, Executive Directors, Board Members and HR Staff. You can access courses, resources and community groups by creating a free account at vacsbg.learnworlds.com. To learn more about how to create an account and get started we have developed a Start Up Guide, we also have a new guide specifically for the Community Groups. We hope these community groups can help connect you with members of the Virginia CAA Network. 

If you have any questions regarding LearnWorlds please email Gail Doyle. 

When? Tuesday, November 1 and Wednesday, November 2

Where? Virginia Housing Center: 4225 Cox Road, Glen Allen VA (Innsbrook) 



What is it? Pathways from Poverty to Prosperity Summit is the first convening for community action agencies, their local, community and state-wide and partners and funders to discuss and share best practices in creating economic opportunities and facilitating moving from poverty for the people of Virginia. This Summit will be a wonderful opportunity to re-connect with colleagues and friends after the long absence of in-person meetings.

Who should attend? Virginia CASH Campaign VITA partners, VACAP leadership, VACAP emerging and senior leaders within community action, and partner organizations from across Virginia.

What sessions/workshops will be held? The Fall Classic, traditionally the Virginia CASH Campaign’s fall meeting, will kick things off on Tuesday morning. Sessions and plenary discussions will be held about ongoing initiatives surrounding Whole Family/Two Gen Approach, Workforce Training, Housing, Health and Human Services Workforce Challenges and Opportunities, Broadband Affordability and Adoption, and Financial Empowerment. VACAP Senior Leadership/Emerging Leaders Peer Group and VACAP Board Meeting will also be held.

What does the agenda look like? The tentative agenda is:

Tuesday: 8:00 AM Breakfast; 8:30 AM Fall Classic; Noon-1:15 Networking lunch; 1:30 PM Plenary; 2:45 PM Session 1; 4:00 PM Session 2

Wednesday: 8:00 AM Breakfast; 9:00 AM Session 3; 10:15 AM Session 4; 11:15 AM Charge; Noon Networking lunch; 1:00 PM VACAP Board Meeting

Will there be food? Of course. Breakfast and lunch will be served on both days.

How much will it cost? $200 per person for VACAP members; $300 for non-members.

When will Registration open? Online registration coming soon.

Where should I stay? A list of hotels in the Richmond area is available upon request and will be posted on the online registration platform.

Who should I contact if I have questions now?  Please email info@vacap.org and include your name and agency along with your question.

From its earliest beginnings, Community Action has recognized and embraced the core principle that fighting poverty means bringing together individuals and organizations with similar missions who can work in partnership across communities. From the local tri-partite board structure to reports to Congress, partnerships are recognized to be essential to our existence and success.   In addition, research tells us that partnerships and collaborations are effective means of addressing community problems and there are means to measure that effectiveness.  Performance measurement related to partnership development and support can be included in a broader performance management system in agencies and in communities.  

The goal with this document is to help the Community Action Network better understand the functioning of partnerships so they can more effectively develop and nurture those that have a measurable impact in local communities.  Example surveys and other measurement tools to assess both the functioning of the partnerships and the results achieved because of them are provided. 

> Click here to Download the Collaboration Checkup 

VDSS Benefits Program is excited to announce the new SNAP and Farmers Markets page recently posted to the agency’s official website! It is located at https://www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/farmers_market/index.cgi.

The webpage provides information on: 

• The benefits of shopping at Farmers Markets
• How SNAP participants can use their SNAP benefits and receive “match” funds at farmers markets
• Farmers markets locations
• Recipes and activities to try
• Farmers markets resources
• Resources for farmers markets and direct marketing farmers 

We hope you will check out the page and share the resources provided there with others!

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, in collaboration with the Center for Policing Equity, is hosting a virtual learning community focused on enhancing school-based diversion through public health and youth-centered approaches. The learning community will be led by CSG Justice Center policy staff and include opportunities for mutual learning and presentations from peers and experts. The goal of the learning community is to develop and strengthen school-based alternative responses to law enforcement interaction. 

Upon completion of the learning community, participating teams will be equipped with an action plan, including an implementation and funding plan. Planning teams will work through a planning and implementation guide that covers key topics such as goal setting, applying data, resource mapping, policy review, program development, sustainability, and more. 

Visit the website to learn more about the topics that will be covered in each session of the learning community. Apply by October 7, 2022.