The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce is currently experiencing a challenging time in its long history of serving the local business community.
In addition to recent news that John Barnes resigned from his position as president effective February 19, the Chamber is set to lose all funding for their Work First program effective July 1, 2019. This includes funding for the position of their Work First coordinator, a role currently filled by Vanessa Jones.
Chamber Chair Nancy Wykle, told WIZS News, “Vanessa Jones’ position was funded through the Work First Program. DSS (Department of Social Services) administered the funding for that, and they had a contract with the Chamber to administer the program.”
According to the Vance County DSS Work First website, the program was created to assist participants in becoming self-sufficient by securing and maintaining employment. Participants receive monthly cash assistance for themselves and their children by signing and adhering to a detailed plan that outlines their goals for becoming self-sufficient.
To qualify, participants are required to be involved in work-related activities for 20-55 hours per week depending on the age of the youngest child and if the family is a two-parent household.
Benefits can be received for up to 24 months if participants remain in compliance; families reaching that limit cannot reapply for welfare for three years.
In 2018, DSS informed Barnes they were pulling the contract with the Chamber saying, according to Wykle, that “we need to rethink how these dollars are being spent.”
Part of their need to reconsider the Chamber’s Work First dollars, according to DSS, included the increased need for foster care funding as a result of the opioid crisis.
At that time, Barnes reduced the blow the Chamber received by negotiating for the Work First money to only drop by 50 percent in the 2018-2019 fiscal year budget. That budget year ends, along with the Chamber’s DSS Work First grant, on June 30.
Wykle said the DSS Work First grant being cut by half and then dropping to zero hurts. “Coupled with losing some sponsorship or folks just choosing to spend their dollars another way, that has made for an interesting financial picture, and we know what we’ve got to do to make up the difference.”
She said, “The staff is really focused on what they need to do, and what they want to do. We are really lucky that we have the staff we have in place because I can’t imagine a more capable group of people keeping the ship right.”
In a press release issued Friday, February 22, the Chamber stated that an interim will be appointed while the organization searches for the next president.
“The chamber board is actively engaged in the process of naming an interim president and will be providing any support the staff needs to ensure that all member services will continue without interruption,” said Wykle.