👋  Hola, Richmond, soy Amy Propovich, subdirectora administrativa de Servicios Humanos.

Como se acercan más días de clima invernal, quiero asegurarme de que todos, especialmente aquellos que necesitan un lugar cálido y seguro donde alojarse, conozcan las opciones de refugio. Estas opciones de albergues son escogidas en base a los recursos necesarios y la situación actual, y quiero compartirles esta información importante.

👋  Mi nombre es Paul Hunley.

Trabajo en los refugios de emergencia de la Ciudad de Richmond. Abrimos en situaciones extraordinarias, que incluyen clima severo, inundaciones, tornados, huracanes y otros eventos que pueden desplazar a las personas de los lugares donde residen normalmente. Es importante recordar que los refugios de emergencia están abiertos para todos, incluyendo familias, personas solas, cualquiera impactado por ese evento. Estamos preparados para atender a los afectados y recibimos a todos en cualquier momento mientras el refugio esté en funcionamiento. Gracias.

😱 ¡Uy¡ Tuvimos problemas técnicos con este video.

Soy el comandante Samuel Kim, del refugio para clima inclemente del Ejército de Salvación. El refugio del Ejército de Salvación está abierto todas las noches de 5:00 p. m. a 8:00 a. m. del 15 de noviembre al 15 de abril. Esos horarios y fechas pueden extenderse cuando las temperaturas bajen de 40 °F  (4 °C) o cuando haya lluvia helada o nieve de más de 1 pulgada en un período de 24 horas.

👋 Hola, soy Samantha Strauss.

Soy la coordinadora de servicios de alta necesidad en el refugio de emergencia Care Cost. Nuestras instalaciones se activan cuando la temperatura baja de 40 °F  (4 °C) y cuando el refugio para clima inclemente del Ejército de Salvación está a plena capacidad.

👋 Hola, Richmond.

Soy Jackie Hale, soy parte del equipo que trabaja en los centros de calentamiento por clima extremo de la Ciudad. Tenemos opciones diurnas y nocturnas, como aquí en el Centro Linwood Robinson. Durante el clima o temperaturas extremas, abrimos centros de calentamiento para que los habitantes tengan un lugar seguro y cálido donde puedan pasar el día.

Hey Team,

As you’re all aware, this is a time of extremely high anxiety and fear for our immigrant communities in Richmond and beyond, and I’d like to get more explicit about how we voice and lend our support here.

I’d like to establish a Cross-Agency Immigrant Support Working Group to share information, develop strategy and procedure, and be positioned to respond in real time to emergent threats and challenges.

This working group will consist of me, CAO, senior staff in the Mayor’s Office, DCAO for Human Services, Police Chief, Manager of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Empowerment, and the Directors of Intergovernmental Affairs and the Office of Strategic Communications. If you would like to bring one additional staff person from your agency to these meetings with additional expertise and engagement in this area, please let Sarah Carpenter know. We will also invite participation from Richmond Public Schools and from the Sheriff’s Office.

I am asking Kelsey to find an hour in the near future to kick us off, and then some follow up meetings so we’re all communicating on this in real time. I’ll also be looking to this group to connect with key community partners in this work.

Thanks,
Danny

Looking to give back? Spend this summer as a mentor! 

January is National Mentoring Month, and Richmond's Office of Community Wealth Building has a way for local organizations to celebrate: Become a partner for the YouthWorks RVA summer program!

The City's Youth Engagement Services (Y.E.S) works year-round to recruit community partners to host or hire Richmond's young people for six-week internships over the summer.

Program Coordinator Erika Love is deeply committed to the success of the program. In fact, she spent three summers as a youth intern herself back when the program was called the Mayor's Youth Academy!

"All my placements were meaningful," Erika shares, "but it was during my third summer, when I interned for the City in the DCAO's office, that everything shifted. That experience changed the trajectory of my life. I grew up in Fairfield Court, and without programs like this, I'm not sure what my path would have looked like. I carry that with me every day when I'm working with young people."

The program's success each year depends on having a solid roster of community organizations and City agencies who are ready to welcome and support our youth. Erika says organizations can apply to host-they work with their intern, but the person is paid through the City's Y.E.S funding-or to hire. When organizations hire interns directly, it frees up program funds to support even more youth and gives interns a more hands-on, immersive work experience.

Whether an organization chooses to hire or host, every intern gains more than a placement. They receive career advising, meaningful exposure to professional environments, and hands-on learning that helps turn potential into confidence and direction. Supervisors, in turn, are equipped with the tools to mentor, guide, and support the next generation of the workforce with intention.

"It's about connection," Erika says. "This generation is different in all the best ways. When we are willing to meet them where they are, create space for real learning and exposure, and truly listen, we don't just prepare them for work, we help shape their future and see lasting impact in their lives."

Erika shares that she's often seen these internships lead to part or full-time work for some of the program participants. These pathways, she says, are what community wealth building is all about. "Our goal is to help people build wealth in every aspect and to drive solutions that expand opportunities. We cannot forget that youth are a part of the population who need to be part of this bigger project."

If you're ready to be a mentor and help shape the future of our youth, you can apply to host or hire by February 13. Email Erika at erika.love@rva.gov to learn about your options!

Fun fact: One of Erika's most influential mentors still works at the City! "One of my first mentors was Carla Childs, and now I get to call her a colleague and a friend. When I work with our youth, I want to be the person that Carla was for me."

Every year before the Virginia General Assembly meets, Richmond City puts together a list of legislative proposals. This "legislative agenda" helps our state partners know what policies the City may need. It gives them some tools to advocate for us, and it helps our policymakers prioritize their work during the session. Want to know what recommendations we made this year? Keep reading, or explore the full legislative agenda document to learn about other policy priorities--including work to reduce gun violence, fund RPS, improve recovery and healthcare services, and get equal pay for public defenders, among others--and our regional partners.

Legislative Request #1: Inclusionary Zoning

What is inclusionary zoning? These programs make sure that low- and moderate-income housing options are represented in future housing development projects. This legislation would grant Richmond the authority to use new tools to get more affordable housing units built as Richmond grows.

Legislative Request #2: Long-term Owner Occupancy Program (LOOP)

What is LOOP? A LOOP is a tax relief program that can keep tax bills stable and predictable by "locking in" a property's assessed value at a capped amount. Currently Richmond and other Virginia localities can't set up a program like this. This legislation would advance work to give localities like Richmond the authority to protect the housing affordability for certain long-term residents through property tax relief.

Legislative Request #3: Anti-Rent Gouging

What is rent gouging? When a landlord changes a rent steeply, which can often force tenants to move out. Anti-rent gouging programs can prevent someone from increasing the rent by more than a certain percentage over a given period of time. This legislation would giving local governments the authority to establish programs that would limit abusive rent increases.

Budgetary Request #1: Water Treatment Plant

The ask: Richmond has requested $40 million in state assistance for both Fiscal Year 2027 and Fiscal Year 2028 for drinking water infrastructure improvement.

The reason: Upgrading Richmond Waterworks is critical for keeping our drinking water reliable and safe. Our ten-year plan for improvements will cost about $1.3 billion. State support would jumpstart this important work.

Budgetary Request #2: Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO)

The ask: Richmond has requested $100 million in both Fiscal Year 2027 and Fiscal Year 2028 to improve the city's sewer system.

The reason: When our old sewer system gets overwhelmed during heavy rain or other weather events, that overflow impacts waterways like the James River. Updating this system requires ongoing state funds to meet the full cost of the plan, which is over $500 million.

Holiday Heroes: Trash Collection in the City of Richmond

Star Rowland, Ramon Singletary, and Christopher Brown will tell you immediately that their jobs are primarily about communication. "Trust plays a huge factor," Chris explains, and Star agrees. "You make a bond with the folks on the truck."

As a trash collection driver, Star's role is to get collectors like Ramon and Chris to the next site safely and to be an extra set of eyes while they load up the truck.

A day in Trash Collection

A workday starts earliest for drivers, especially during cold weather. They check the vehicle and warm it up so that everything is ready to go for the collectors. Then they're off, running a different route each day of the week. They can spend 5 or 6 hours on the truck early in the morning before they bring all the trash back to the transfer station. There, everything gets loaded onto a tractor trailer and goes to the landfill.

There's even more to load up during the holidays. The team notices more trash, and more food waste in particular means more animals. "When I see collectors start rushing, I know there's an animal in the can," Star says. Ramon and Chris have encountered raccoons, squirrels, rats, and even a snake or two on their routes!

Animals are just one of the hazards a Solid Waste team encounters on the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists trash collection as one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.

"The only way trash collection works is if everybody is watching everybody," Ramon says. "Our lives are on the line every day."

Solid Waste teams are trained and certified in safety strategies, but keeping our trash collectors safe should be a community-wide effort. Here are some simple things you can do to help collection teams gather your trash quickly and safely.

• Drive carefully around collection vehicles. Drivers are working hard to keep their collectors safe, and their lines of sight are limited. Support the safety of our workforce by slowing down and keeping eyes open for collectors when you see a truck.
• Leave out the dangerous stuff. Most cans have a sticker listing items that can't be thrown away, like gas cans, propane tanks, and hazardous chemicals. Some of these items can damage a truck or cause explosions when they're compacted, and collectors have had chemicals like bleach spray out onto their uniforms. Check out disposal options for those items through the East Richmond Road Convenience Center.
• Bag your trash. The team says that when loose trash goes into a can, wind can send it flying. It's also more likely that an animal will get into the refuse. Tie your bags closed before dropping them into your can. "We're trash collectors, but we shouldn't have to clean up after folks," Star says.
• Place the can at the edge of your property on collection day. It can be unsafe for collectors to walk through a property to get a can, and it slows down an already tight schedule. Check your collection day and make sure cans are ready to go that morning. If you have mobility challenges that make moving your can difficult, you can review the City's Back Door Service policy to see if you're eligible.
• Reduce the weight of each can. When lids are regularly open and overflowing, water can get in and weigh down trash. Same with bulk items; the truck tippers can snap off if they lift a can that's too heavy. Order another can by calling 311, and make sure your larger items go to bulk collection instead.
• Read your notes. When collectors notice an issue with your can, they'll often leave a green or orange ticket on top of the can. If you spot a colorful card, take the time to read it. Most often, the collectors are trying to help someone replace a broken can, which is quick and free. The team says it's rewarding when they come back the following week and see a new can. It means someone read their message and followed the guidance!

A few small habit changes from residents-and a little more awareness of the people who take on this vital role-can make a big positive impact on a collection team's workday. And a little more awareness of the people who take on this vital role helps us all keep our neighborhoods clean. "You gotta keep trash on schedule," says Ramon. "It keeps society running."

What's the best part of trash collection work? 

The kids! The students on Chris's route like to hear the horn honked each week, and Ramon shouts out the little girl on his route who's named their truck Wilbur.