Join us for this FREE community event! TAP’s annual Black History Month celebration will be held on February 18, 2020 at 10 a.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church. The event will feature entertainment, guest speakers, and an awards ceremony, followed by a soul food luncheon prepared by Morning Star Baptist Church. This year, we’ll continue…
There’s a new leader on the scene in our Energy Conservation and Housing Rehab (ECHR) component. Bringing a unique advantage John O’Donnell took the reins of the component over the summer and has since hit the ground running. John has years of experience in the housing and construction field. Before coming to TAP, he worked…
This is the first in a series of posts about the battle against poverty, your role in the battle, and some of your allies in the fight. See next post. Two days ago, at 2307 hours, our allies intercepted encoded communications meant for ranking members of our enemy’s organization. Upon decryption, the communication yielded…
A Conversation with Billy Weitzenfeld Billy Weitzenfeld is the executive director of the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals (AECP), a role he’s served in for 20 years. This nonprofit group promotes and advocates for energy conservation, and serves as a support and resource group for Virginia’s Weatherization Assistance Program. TAP is a founding member of…
This is the last in a series of posts about the battle against poverty, your role in the battle, and some of your allies in the fight. To read the series from the beginning click here. If you’ve been following along with this series, you’ve met your teammates in the battle against poverty, Sirois,…
This is the fourth in a series of posts about the battle against poverty, your role in the battle, and some of your allies in the fight. See first post. See next post. NAME: Taetz, M. Alias: “Hibachi Slim” D.O.B: 05/94 LOCATION: Roanoke, VA PSYCH EVAL: Experienced family trauma in youth. Wary of the…
This is the third in a series of posts about the battle against poverty, your role in the battle, and some of your allies in the fight. See first post. See next post. NAME: Sirois, M. ALIAS: “Vatic” D.O.B: 12/91 LOCATION: Roanoke, VA PSYCH EVAL: Stress, anger PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 5’10”, brown hair, brown eyes…
This is the second in a series of posts about the battle against poverty, your role in the battle, and some of your allies in the fight. See first post. See next post. NAME: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX ALIAS: “Aegis,” “Isobel” CATCHPHRASE: “Today’s the time.” D.O.B: 4/79 LOCATION: Veracruz, Mexico; Roanoke, VA PSYCH EVAL: Depressed, hopeless, afraid…
Most people say they want to volunteer. Most also have a hard time committing. TAP’s Tax Clinic, however, has run since 2002 because some dedicated volunteers make the time and commitment to help their neighbors claim their hard-earned money each year. Each year, with the help of volunteers, we file over 1,000 free tax returns…
From One Veteran to Another Lawrence Thornhill knows that sometimes the best person to help a veteran is another veteran—that’s why he’s interning with our Veterans Services while he studies for his master’s degree in social work through Rutgers University. Through his internship, Lawrence, who is a veteran himself, works directly with vets to help…
Bill Tynes has worked with TAP over several years to better his housing and life situation. On a recent fall morning, he sat down with our staffers to recount the story of overcoming challenges in his life, including abuse, drug addiction, and near homelessness, to later becoming a homeowner. Growing up, Bill found himself in…
Southwest Virginia is at the center of the nation’s opioid crisis with overdose and neonatal abstinence syndrome rates far in excess of state and national averages. Total Action for Progress (TAP) is excited to announce a new program, RESTORE (Re-employment, Support, and Training for the Opioid-Related Epidemic) Southwest Virginia. TAP is one of only five…