The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant impact and presented at times overwhelming challenges, but VOADV staff worked harder than ever to provide essential support and protection for our communities and clients. We are grateful that our focus can now turn to expanding the innovative services born out of those challenges, and ensuring that there are no barriers to our clients accessing them.
This is possible in part thanks to a $500,000 grant from Congressman Donald Norcross through the Funding for the People Act. The funds will be used to increase telehealth capacity at our shelter sites so men, women, children, and veterans experiencing homelessness can access necessary health care, mental health, and substance use services. It will also provide improvements and upgrades to infrastructure to support telehealth services in mobile units to address immediate needs throughout our region.
Congressman Norcross presented the grant at a ceremony which included remarks from VOADV COO Kathy White-Thomas, VOADV Senior Vice President of Re-Entry and Navigator Amanda Leese, and representatives from Pine Hill Borough and Pine Hill Borough Police Department.
This grant will allow us to continue offering both in-person services and telehealth access to community members in need. Many of our programs are defined by providing immediate, direct services, and the pandemic never called that into question. When many people needed it most, our programs were able to continue providing health care, treatment referral and linkage, and more, in a safe way.
“Providing a continuum of care to address the needs of our clients is central to our core mission and to their ability to lead self-fulfilled, independent lives when they leave us. The funds secured by Congressman Donald Norcross to bring telehealth to our shelters allows us to strengthen that continuum and increase the well-being of our state’s most vulnerable residents. This program ensures that there are no barriers to effective, quality healthcare regardless of a person’s circumstances,” said Daniel L. Lombardo, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Delaware Valley.
We’re grateful for Congressman Norcross, and his dedication to improving the health and quality of life for South Jersey families.