RCCAA sees increased need for working families, due to Covid

Aug. 13—Covid has created a need in nearly every aspect of life in southern West Virginia, according to Raleigh County Community Action Association Executive Director Crystal Camarillo.

On Tuesday, Beckley Common Council voted to grant $25,000 in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant (CDGB) funding to RCCAA to provide rent and utility assistance for those in need.

"We designate a portion of our CDBG grant to an agency already set up to offer such assistance," Mayor Rob Rappold said Thursday of the funds.

He said that the funds go to an agency that is already established and knows community needs.

"RCCAA, through their records and service history, is such an agency," Rappold added.

Camarillo said a rising number of residents have sought assistance from her and the RCAA Housing Department, which provides services to the homeless through use of an existing social services program.

The portion granted by the City of Beckley will allow RCCAA to expand services to include working people who need help maintaining stable housing.

"It's helped the people that are barely making ends meet, that are working and that have houses," she explained. "The income limit is a little higher than what we typically have, in most of our other programs, so it will expand our services in Beckley city to help those that are living paycheck to paycheck and barely making it.

"And, with school, there's extra expenses they're going to have."

Business closures due to Covid last year played a major role in setting back those who work blue-collar jobs to pay rent. Camarillo explained that the setbacks caused by the pandemic were not only related to lost jobs.

School closures and at-home learning due to the higher transmission rate of Covid last school year led to higher utility payments. For many working families, the jump in utility payments placed a major burden on monthly incomes that were only covering food and shelter.

"Expenses just went up," she explained. "They've had the kids home, and everything just went up.

"And, then, their jobs might have lapsed.

"It was the blue-collar workers it hurt most, the people that work out in the restaurants."

"Help wanted" signs are posted everywhere, but that was not available when restaurants and bars closed or could not offer in-house dining for several months. The income of restaurant workers got cut at that time, placing those who were just making it on minimum wage in an insecure housing situation.

"Those are the people that lost income, and it seems like they're in a doughnut hole," she said. "They lost that income for a little bit, and they got way behind.

"Even if they've got their job back, they're still in that doughnut hole.

"Once you get in a doughnut hole of rent and utilities, it's hard to go back and make minimum wage and dig out yourself."

Camarillo said that another theme her agency has observed is that of lost relationships during the months of hardship caused by the pandemic. The lost relationships have led, in many cases, to lost income or lost housing.

"A relationship didn't work out, and they find themselves homeless," she said. "Maybe it's people they'd had a relationship with and lived kind of OK.

"They don't have that family unit (after the break-up), so they're just out."

Some workers' mental health declined due to the stress of the last year, she reported.

"Honestly, the mental health has played a big component to Covid," she said. "(They're) losing the job and getting back in the swing of things."

Utility companies, including Appalachian Power, have asked for rate hikes, which will place a harder burden on the working poor, she said.

Housing and utility expenses are not the only needs exacerbated by the pandemic, according to Camarillo.

"There's been a huge uptick of services that are needed throughout the community among the people we serve," she reported.

RCCAA has partnered with Gabriel Brothers and Walmart to provide $150 clothing and school supplies vouchers for each child in qualifying families, through a $45,000 voucher program funded by federal Community Block Service Grants (CBSG).

Camarillo said that many families struggle to pay for school clothes and school supplies each year. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR) has a program that grants a $200 clothing and school supplies voucher for each child, but the income guidelines exclude many local kids who need school clothes and supplies.

"You have to be pretty destitute to even be accepted for that voucher program through DHHR," she explained. "There's a lot of families, people in the community that have large families, and we're seeing that, with these vouchers, if they have a large family, that's hard."

The RCCAA clothing voucher program started within the last month and has already served around 70 students. It serves children who qualify for DHHR vouchers and also those who do not.

"The maximum income level is a little higher than the DHHR," said Camarillo. "Even if they have DHHR, it's still supplemental."

This year, the need is particularly great. Many families did not buy school clothes last year, since kids were enrolled in virtual learning or did home-school during Covid. As a result, they do not have a basic wardrobe or personal items left from last school year, said Camarillo. The voucher will fill the gap.

"It gives them the confidence to start the school year," she said. "They'll have supplies. They'll get to get that backpack they'd like.

"Maybe they get to pick their own rather than have a hand-me-down from a neighbor."

RCCAA said there is a need for food in the community, even more since Covid. RCCAA and Food Lion have partnered on a $25,000 food fund, which provides a $75 food voucher to families.

Those who have been affected by Covid and who meet the minimum qualification will get vouchers, she said. The program is funded via a realignment of regularly distributed CSBG funds and additional CSBG funds that were made available through the federal CARES Act, she said.

"We just kind of reworked it, because we felt like there was a need with the kids being home so much," she said. "Even if you don't have kids, the utilities went up, power has gone up, the gas has gone up, just everything, and rent.

"We feel like there was a need for food, so that's why we decided to roll that out."

She said the food program was implemented six months ago and has successfully assisted families in Raleigh County.

According to Camarillo, funding is needed to provide low-income people with car repairs and to help disabled people with minor house repairs. She said that RCCAA aims to establish funds for those programs in the future.

Affordable child care is also an ongoing need for working families.

Those who want more information about any of the RCCAA programs may call 304-252-6396.

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