For decades, community development financial institutions, or CDFIs, have pioneered new ways to spark and sustain growth in local economies. As social enterprises that combine business with purpose, CDFIs are dedicated financial partners for small businesses, health care centers and schools that contribute to a robust job market in struggling American communities. Now, they are the lifelines that will get these local economies up and running again..."

In an April email, City Manager Tarron Richardson indicated that he wants to hold so-called 2-2-1 meetings with the City Council in June to discuss the removal of the statues.

The Daily Progress obtained the email through a request under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

Such 2-2-1 meetings are used by governments to meet with less than a quorum of elected officials so that an open meeting is not required.

City spokesman Brian Wheeler said last week that officials “anticipate being able to engage the community in the process later this summer.”

Richardson’s email came four days after Gov. Ralph Northam signed bills that give localities the authority to remove, relocate or alter their Confederate monuments. The legislation goes into effect July 1. Virginia is home to more than 220 public memorials to the Confederacy.

In 2017, the city voted to remove its statue of Robert E. Lee and, later, one of fellow Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. The vote spurred a deadly white supremacist rally that tried to unite various far-right factions on Aug. 12, 2017, as well as a lawsuit to protect the monuments, which the city lost.

Richardson’s email specifically calls for discussions on the “removal” of the statues.

When asked if other options are under consideration, the city said it did not have “any further information to share at this time...”

Saturday, May 30 | 7pm | YouTube

“Love Thy Neighbor: A Christian View on Race and Racism in Charlottesville” The online premier will take place on Saturday, May 30 at 7:00 pm and the screening will be followed by a Zoom Q&A with Patricia Edwards and myself, moderated by Dr. Jerome Lee, Pastor of First Baptist Church. Feel free to circulate the attached flier with all the particulars.

This film emerged from a video series produced last year by the Center for Christian Study and it depends on three core convictions. The first is that systemic racism continues to infringe on the dignity and opportunity of people of color. The disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on people (and communities) of color is just the most recent reminder that reality. The second is that we too often talk about racism in the abstract. We believe that revealing the history of racism in the places, buildings, parks, streets, and neighborhoods of local communities inscribes that history in a community’s imagination. Localizing that history means we are forced to confront racism and its legacies with greater frequency and that frequency opens more opportunities for productive response.  And lastly, that Christians bear a particular responsibility to engage this history because we are called to Love our Neighbor and loving our neighbor means (at the very least) knowing their story. Christians must face with clear-eyed courage the ugly truths of racism if we wish to participate in the remaking of more healthful, more peaceful, more just—in short, more loving—communities. As Charlottesville turns to face our third anniversary of the Summer of Hate, this film release is an opportunity for Christians in our community to learn more about the longer and deeper history of racism that laid the foundations for those events and to imagine new opportunities to repair that legacy of harm.

This premier event is being co-hosted by First Baptist Church on Main St. and UVA’s Reformed University Fellowship. “Love Thy Neighbor” was a labor of love crafted by videographer Drew Precious, Rachel Gaffin, and Louis Nelson.

By: Fariss Samarrai | Original Publication: UVA Today | May 2020

"...The University of Virginia has established a virtual Volunteer Center to help connect UVA employees who wish to volunteer their time, skills and compassion with the needs of local service agencies that are working overtime to help community members cope...

Featured organizations include the United Way of Greater Charlottesville, the Red Cross, the regional Emergency Operations Center, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Charlottesville Meals on Wheels and others. The Volunteer Center website includes links to local partner websites and additional information...

To learn more, visit the Volunteer Center portal or contact center staff at volunteercenter@virginia.edu or 434-243-4234..."

We hope you find this newsletter (available online on Medium) helpful; click here for a free subscription! Please share this issue with friends and neighbors, especially those without Internet access (phone numbers are provided where relevant).

We love to hear from readers; let us know about articles and information resources we should include, or other ways we can make this newsletter better. And if you might enjoy helping us by doing social media or working on this newsletter, just reach out: CvilleCOVIDupdate@gmail.com.

Please stay safe!

— Cville Community Cares communications team

A time to connect with community in a supportive and positive way. 

Hosts: Ellen Krag and Dolly Joseph, with support from UVA Student Affairs 

Ellen Krag, LPC, has been working professionally with families and children in crisis for over 20 years, and has extensive grassroots experience connecting community members with appropriate mental health support. 

During this community check in Ellen will provide practical tips for calming and grounding to help individuals manage anxiety, stress, and the complex feelings that can result from the effects of COVID-19, social isolation, and our rapidly changing circumstances. 

Ellen will present practical tips to our group, and then call participants will break into “zoom rooms” to participate in small group mutual check-ins, using prompts that emphasize positive coping skills. 

Zoom Meeting Information: https://virginia.zoom.us/j/296873844

You can meet on your computer with or without video. You can meet on your smart phone with the zoom app. You can dial in on your landline or flip phone without video. Long distance charges may apply.

If you are on your smart phone Copy and paste 
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,296873844# US (Chicago)
+14702509358,,296873844# US (Atlanta)

 Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 470 250 9358 US (Atlanta)
Enter at the prompt: Meeting ID: 296 873 844

• If you applied for a PPP but have not yet received it because your bank ran out of funds, check with your bank now to ensure that you have a loan application number and are "in line" if additional funding is received. It's our understanding that you do not need to re-apply.
• If you have not applied for a PPP but want to - line up a lender now, get your documents in order, and have the application ready to submit through your lender.
• See our summary memo on finding a lender, the PPP application, loan forgiveness (the SBA will be releasing their official guidance on this soon), and additional information on local, state, and federal resources and financial relief.
• If you'd like help considering whether the PPP is right for your organization or to navigate the process, you can always contact Kadi Davis at kdavis@thecne.org or 661-703-4503 or sign-up for Virtual Office Hours.

CALL-IN CLINIC SCHEDULE Mondays: 10 am-12 pm Tuesdays: 9 am-12 pm Wednesdays: 2-5 pm

• For Spanish speakers/Para las mujeres Latinas: Los Miércoles: 2-4 pm

Thursdays: 5-7 pm  Fridays: 10 am-12 pm

One-on-one sessions with a counselor over the phone are offered free of charge during our call-in clinic hours. These sessions are designed to offer immediate, short-term assistance including:
Eligibility screenings for individual counseling and other services
Self-care assessment
Planning
Referral services
Education
Emotional support

Call-in clinics are not designed for crisis intervention. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or contact one of the crisis hotlines listed below:
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: (800) 273-8255, available 24/7
Region Ten Emergency Services: (434) 972-1800, available 24/7
Live Chat services available through Lifeline Chat

"UVA Colleagues,

As President Ryan announced last week, the University has created an emergency assistance fund for employees and contracted workers. It provides employees of the University and associated organizations (such as foundations), as well as those who work for UVA’s major contractors, with financial resources to assist them during this emergency. 

The UVA Emergency Assistance Fund will cover reasonable and necessary expenses incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A description of these expenses, as well as eligibility requirements, contractor firms included, and how to apply for assistance, is available on the UVA HR website. 

Anyone who wishes to contribute to the fund may do so at giving.virginia.edu. Employees have the option to give by payroll deduction. This is very easy to do, and you have the choice of donating to staff needing extra support, students, or health care workers.

If you have questions about the fund, please contact the HR Solution Center at AskHR@virginia.edu.

We greatly appreciate how everyone in our community has risen to this challenge, and we will continue to look for ways to offer support..." 

A Message from Kelley Stuck, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

We will get through this together.

Support Cville is an active resource of ways locals can help and get help.

Charlottesville Emergency Relief Fund for Artists

Since launching the Charlottesville Emergency Relief Fund for Artists with New City Arts on 3/20, we've received 111 applications from Charlottesville-area artists requesting a total of $28,750 in support. We have heard from artists whose exhibitions, performances, classes, book tours, concerts, market booths, and craft fairs have been cancelled, as well as artists who have lost other sources of income they rely on like their restaurant or catering gigs. As a reminder:

• Artists can request up to $300 to compensate for scheduled work that was scheduled and lost.

• Artists are eligible to apply for loss of income regardless of whether the income was from art or other jobs.

• Artists must live in the Charlottesville area including the city of Charlottesville or the counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, or Nelson.

The fund was seeded with $6,000 from The FUNd at CACF and program support from each organization. Since then, the pool of funds has grown to $15,600 thanks to the generosity of 38 additional donors and 50% of proceeds from the Cville Porch Portraits project. We've heard from artists who have used the funds to buy groceries, pay bills, cover the cost of studio rental, and offer free classes to their students.

It has been utterly inspiring to see community members support Charlottesville's artists.

We continue to fulfill qualifying requests as quickly as we are able in the order they were received, but due to limited funds, we are only able to fulfill about 50% of requests at this time. Please consider expanding the pool of funds available to Charlottesville-area artists who have lost jobs.

If you would like to donate to expand the pool of emergency funds available to artists in need, you can: 

• Give here and designate “Charlottesville Emergency Relief Fund for Artists” in the memo line.

• If you would like to contribute to the Charlottesville Emergency Relief Fund for Artists through bank draft or check, please contact Maureen at maureen@newcityarts.org.

*Neither The Bridge nor New City Arts are keeping a percentage for administrative costs; all funds will be given to artists in need.

Mutual Aid Infrastructure - Charlottesville

The United Way Covid-19 Crisis Relief Fund 

As with most of these disruptive events, our most vulnerable community members will be impacted the most, with even greater economic, income and childcare challenges than what they face on a regular basis. The United Way Covid-19 Crisis Relief Fund is designed to provide emergency help for those who are most in need within Charlottesville and our surrounding counties.

Your gift will go to help families with children, and other community members with limited or no access to emergency funds.

Each of these local populations may experience both short and long-term severe financial hardship and loss of resources from this unprecedented pandemic. 

Funds may be used to help families pay for utilities, rent, food and other critical household needs still unmet by public and private resources.