NEWS & EVENTS
DePaul Community Resources Celebrates 33rd Anniversary
New Website Launched to Mark Growth
March 1st is the 33rd anniversary of DePaul Community Services, a local organization providing programs to children, adults and families with special needs.
To mark this milestone, the organization is rolling out a new website, www.depaulcr.org, with more resources and content designed to better connect families in need and others in the community to the services DePaul provides.
DePaul has had a community presence in Southwest Virginia since 1977 when it was founded as a foster care organization for children with special needs. Over the years, the organization has expanded its reach and introduced new services. Currently, DePaul focuses in four core areas: treatment foster care, development disabilities, clinical services and adoption. Last year, the organization changed its name from DePaul Family Services to better represent the broader scope of programs it offers across the region.
“Launching this website is the next step for our organization as it showcases the programs that we provide and the many different populations we serve,” said Sue Bentley, Executive Director. “Few people realize that we have been a local institution for more than three decades. Our new website will help us share and expand our story.”
The timing of the website launch was coordinated with the anniversary but is also rolling out at a critical time for DePaul. There are several cuts proposed in the state budget that threaten the organization’s delivery of programs and services in the community.
At risk are the Medicaid waivers that provide funding for services for adults with intellectual disabilities. The cuts in the core services to these individuals translate into the elimination of $22 million in support statewide. The effects of these cuts could also impact other areas, eliminating staffing positions, creating higher staff-to-client ratios and severely reducing resources available to those with disabilities.
“We are keeping a close watch on what’s happening in Richmond as these cuts could have a devastating effect on some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Bentley “Over our 30-year history in this community, our name has changed and we have altered our programs but our mission of serving individuals with special needs has and will continue to remain constant.”