Being aware of you resources in the Community is KEY!

Please take advantage of the resources and provided links below:

UPDATE: Based on the Governor’s Order issued today, the Virginia CARES Central Administrative Office will be closing effective Tuesday, March 31st and will remain closed through June 10, 2020. This should not make any difference in the service the Central staff provides to its statewide programs. Virginia CARES will adhere to the Governor’s Order until it expires, is rescinded or extended.

Effective Monday April 6th, 2020 Central Administrative Office of Virginia CARES will be closing through April 30th, 2020. Arrangements have been made during this time for the central phone lines to ring through our Human Resource Coordinator’s cell phone Angella Nicely @ 540-580-5424.

Due to the “Pandemic” the Central Office will be conducting all communication through phone calls and email ONLY starting April 6th.

Meanwhile this can change, and the Central Office will post changes on our Facebook page, website, and messages on the office phone voicemail. We will keep you all updated as the situation develops in our community and how it will affect our operation hours.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate our way forward.

Praying for everyone’s safety during this situation. Everyone be safe!

Sincerely, Aisha Bailey

ALERT BUSINESS OPERATION HOURS:

To protect the health of our visitors, staff, and community, Virginia CARES Inc. will be conducting all communication through phone calls and email ONLY beginning Monday, March 23rd.

If you need assistance please call 540-580-5424 or Staff emails:

  1. Ann Fisher / Executive Director: afisher@vacares.org
  2. Anthony West / Chief Operations Officer: awest@vacares.org
  3. Donald Jones / Chief Financial Officer: djones@vacares.org
  4. Aisha Bailey / Executive Assistant-Training Coordinator: abailey@vacares.org
  5. Angella Nicely / Human Resource Coordinator: anicely@vacares.org

We will keep you updated as the situation develops in our community and how it will affect our operation hours. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate our way forward.

Virginia CARES (Community Action Re-Entry System) is a heralded, statewide network of Community Action Agencies (CAAs) originally formed in 1981 to address the successful reentry and deinstitutionalization of returning citizens in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The agency presently provides pre-release services in 14 prisons and 9 city/county jails and 6 regional jails, as well as post-release programs in 26 cities/towns and 32 counties in Virginia. Since 1981 Virginia CARES has worked with more than 104,000 returning citizens. In FY 2018-2019, Virginia CARES:

  • Provided pre-release services to 567 individuals;
  • Provided post-release services to 925 returning citizens;
  • Assisted 409 individuals find employment;
  • Provided 1,400 instances of career counseling;
  • Provided 1,381 instances of family counseling;
  • Provided financial assistance to 987 returning citizens;
  • Provided 1,101 individuals with substance abuse referrals;
  • Provided housing referrals to 1,135 individuals; • Provided 1,278 financial referrals;
  • Conducted 497 Peer/Educational Workshops; and
  • Conducted 262 3-hour Job Readiness Workshops.

Virginia CARES is part of a Virginia coalition of re-entry services providers known as the Pre- and Post-Incarceration Services (PAPIS) Coalition, which is funded by the Virginia General Assembly through the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). PAPIS consists of:

  • Nine community-based non-profit organizations across Virginia that have been providing transition and reentry services since the early 1970s.

Virginia CARES, like the other PAPIS organizations, works to reduce recidivism and to provide education, job training and other support services to released individuals, an important part of the last three Governors’ enhanced emphasis on re-entry initiatives.  In order to improve public safety outcomes Virginia CARES, in partnership with the other PAPIS providers and DCJS, has worked hard over the past several years to implement evidence-based practices.  As a result, CARES can focus on data-driven results to reduce re-offending and further victimization, thus improving the public safety of Virginia’s communities.  Virginia CARES’ staff are trained in the Carey Guides, a proven, evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy program used to provide alternative thinking processes and reactions to everyday living situations and issues in order to deter criminal behaviors.

Virginia CARES’ Case Managers and Employment Specialists work on building resource banks of landlords and employers willing to house and employ Virginia’s returning citizens. They collaborate with their local health care providers, probation and parole offices, law enforcement agencies, courts, educational facilities, places of worship and other local non-profits to provide a safety net of services to assist their program participants.

The short-term goal is to stabilize each returning individual and provide them the assistance they need to achieve their long-term goals of become successful, productive members of their communities.  Additionally, Virginia CARES mounted a strong push for the successful “Ban the Box” effort to remove the question concerning a felony conviction from job applications in Virginia.

Virginia CARES staff also assists those returning citizens who qualify in navigating the application process for restoration of their rights. Currently, Virginia CARES has put together a program outline and funding request for a Women’s Program specifically designed to deal with the reentry needs of women returning to their communities.

“Congratulations Galen Wright from Lynchburg Community Action Group Site”

The “Lin Edlich Award Winner”

Participant of the Year FY 2017-2018!

“To lead a state-wide network of reentry programs that reduces recidivism, promotes public safety and provides supportive services to assist returning citizens lead successful lives.”

We strive to provide our participants with a complete program that assists them with all of their reentry needs. Our program offers support and educational opportunities for all participants.

If you are interested in our services, please recognize one key fact: we are interested in participants.

Our Case Mangers, many are ex-offenders themselves, are dedicated to and will put as much effort into your reentry as you do.


Wishing Margrette Reid a wonderful retirement.  She has served with our Virginia CARES Program in the Lynchburg area with Lynchburg Community Action Group for 18 years.

She has been Dedicated for 18 years serving the community. And we wanted to take the time to let her know that we will greatly miss her. 

Margrette enjoy this new chapter of your life and we hope it’s filled with good health, relaxation, and fun! Congratulations on your retirement! It’s been such a pleasure working with you, you’ve set such an example to us all with your dedication and hard work.