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…
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…
We are excited to present a new award at our 2019 Annual Lunch: the Legacy Award. It will be presented to Mr. George Kegley of Roanoke. We congratulate him on this recognition and thank him for his tireless service to our community. About Mr. Kegley Kegley spent 44 years as a journalist for The Roanoke…
Suzanne Thorniley, a licensed therapist trained in domestic violence work, is a supporter of TAP’s Domestic Violence Services (DVS) and has volunteered with the program for the past eight years. Her passion for the work of DVS is contagious. Recently, we had the opportunity to talk with Suzanne and reflect on her experience with the…
How abusers blame their victims, manipulate the system, & how we can stop it Domestic violence is almost always worse than it seems because abusers are the worst of humanity: they’re great manipulators who find loopholes, muddy the waters wherever they can, and keep whole families isolated, terrified, and unable to live up to their…
You’ve heard us talking about TAP Books, but how does this new book donation program work? Check out these answers to some frequently asked questions! How can I donate my books? Books can be donated by simply dropping them off at one of several convenient locations. A full list of drop-off points can be found…
Total Action for Progress (TAP) is delighted to present this year’s Cabell Brand Hope Award to Reverend Dr. Kathy O’Keeffe. The award will be presented at TAP’s Annual Lunch on October 15. The public is invited to attend. Reverend Dr. O’Keeffe is the pastor of Kingdom Life Ministries, International and the international pastor of Kingdom…
A Project Discovery, a TAP Youth Education Program, alumna update “Project Discovery has helped me achieve a lot of my dreams,” says Denashia Dunnaville, a Project Discovery alumna. This summer, a dream came true when Denashia, a journalism student at Virginia Tech, had the opportunity to intern with MSNBC Live with Ali Velshi in Rockefeller…
A Chat About Job Training with Charysse Hairston and Spring Abney One job can make all the difference in lifting a family out of poverty. At TAP, when we sit down to work with someone who needs a job, we don’t just work to get them any job. We help people land good jobs—ones that…
Case Manager JoAnn Carter is a big part of our Virginia CARES program’s ability to nurture good habits and lasting changes. She sat down to answer some of our questions about the work, what keeps participants from losing hope, and how to make a lasting impact on someone’s life. Q: Let’s start with the basics—who…