Welcome To Virginia
Telamon Corporation began providing services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Virginia in 1975. Since then, we have expanded our base of employment and training services to include a wide array of housing, nutrition, and other initiatives targeted at the needs identified in the communities we serve. This has enabled us to extend our services to a variety of other populations. Programs are operated out of eight field offices and are coordinated by the state office in Richmond.
Farmworker Services
National Farmworker Jobs Program
This program provides employment, training, and support services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents through funding provided by the Department of Labor in accordance with the Workforce Investment Act. Along with the state office in Richmond, services are provided out of four offices located in areas with high concentrations of farmworkers. This program provides farmworkers with the education and training they need to secure employment in high-growth/high-demand industries both in and out of agriculture through talent development and the creation of career pathways. Eligible farmworkers may receive assistance with: assessment, occupational skills training, basic education, English-as-a-Second Language Training, Pre-employment Training, Pesticide Safety Training, job placement, and follow up. (see eligibility criteria )
Pesticide Safety Training
Beginning in fall 2006, a program was implemented to provide Worker Protection Standard training in accordance with US EPA guidelines to farmworkers throughout Virginia. Along with presentations to agricultural trade associations and other groups interested in pesticide safety, over 1200 farmworkers are trained on pesticide safety and other workplace safety topics. The primary funding for this program is provided by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - Office of Pesticide Services with assistance from the National Farmworker Jobs Program funded by the Department of Labor.
Project LEAF (Limiting Exposure Around Families)
In partnership with the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs, this project provides information to farmworkers and their families on how to limit exposure to pesticides in the home and how to protect themselves, once they are home, from pesticides they were exposed to in the fields.
Farmworker Youth Project
The Theodore H. Barth Foundation, Inc. provides funding to address basic skills deficiencies among farmworker youth, promote family literacy through the purchase of books, and engage the youth in cultural enrichment activities. This project is carried out in our Belle Haven office on the Eastern Shore.
Farmworker Food Program
The Telamon office on the Eastern Shore has established a Food Bank to assist farmworkers with their nutritional needs. This support is possible through funding from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program and the United Way. The Food Bank is particularly helpful for those who experience emergencies such as droughts and crop devastation.
Housing Programs
CHDO for the City of Danville (Community Housing Development Organization)
As a CHDO for the City of Danville, Telamon purchases and rehabilitates houses within designated targeted neighborhoods. The completed properties are sold to low to moderate income homebuyers (incomes 80% of area median or less). First-time homebuyers are also targeted to purchase these homes. However, if the home is within the federal targeted distressed area, then previous homeowners can purchase one of these houses provided he/she does not currently own a home. Affordable mortgages coupled with down payment and closing cost assistance are available for eligible applicants.
CHDO for Pittsylvania County
Through the Affordable Housing Program (AHPP) at the Dept. of Housing and Community Development, the Telamon office in Gretna is developing eight single-family new construction homes for low to moderate income families. These homes will be constructed in the Chatham area of Pittsylvania County and they will be certified Earthcraft homes.
VIDA
The Telamon housing office in Gretna is an intermediary for the Virginia Individual Development Accounts (VIDA). This program is funded by the Department of Housing and Community Development and Virginia Department of Social Services. This is a savings program to help participants build assets to purchase a home, further education, or to start a business. Participants contribute a minimum of $25 per month to a savings account and VIDA will match that amount of savings 2 to 1 up to $4,000. To participate in saving for education or starting a business, the household must have a child in the family under the age of 18. Also, households must be income eligible. The service area for the VIDA program includes the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County.
SPARC: Telamon in Gretna is a sponsor of the Virginia Housing Development Authority’s SPARC (Sponsoring Partnerships and Revitalizing Communities) program. SPARC offers an interest rate reduction in VHDA’s current rate. These funds target households with incomes up to 80% of area median income (AMI). These funds are for first-time homebuyers; however, previous homeowners who want to live within the federal targeted distressed area are eligible provided he/she does not own a home at that time. The allocation is available to those who want to reside within the seven-county, two-city service area. Included are the Counties of Brunswick, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, and Pittsylvania and the Cities of Danville and Martinsville in Southside Virginia.
HOMEownership Downpayment Assistance Program: These funds are available to income eligible first-time homebuyers for down payment and closing cost assistance. Assistance is available through a deferred grant (the funds are forgiven if the applicant lives in the house for the affordability period and does not refinance the property). For income eligible applicants, up to 80% of AMI funds may be used in conjunction with a SPARC mortgage. If funds are available, some leverage loans can be combined with other affordable mortgage financing; however, those income limits only go up to 60% of AMI. This program is available to those who want to reside within the seven-county, two-city service area (Brunswick, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties and the Cities of Danville and Martinsville in Southside Virginia).
Comprehensive Housing Counseling Services
Telamon is a certified HUD Housing Counseling Agency. It provides housing counseling services to residents in the seven-county, two-city service area (the Counties of Brunswick, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, and Pittsylvania and the Cities of Danville and Martinsville in Southside Virginia). Services offered include pre- and post-purchase homeownership, default/loss mitigation, and rental counseling. In the Danville and Pittsylvania County area, Telamon offers Homebuyer’s Education classes.
Foreclosure Intervention Counseling
The Gretna office offers foreclosure intervention counseling to residents of Pittsylvania County, Henry County, Halifax County and the Cities of Danville and Martinsville. This service is offered to anyone that is delinquent or at risk of becoming delinquent on their mortgage. The Foreclosure Intervention Counselor acts as a liaison between the homeowner and the lender in an effort to negotiate affordable payment terms for the homeowner.
Weatherization
This program provides for the installation of materials and/or provision of services to a home resulting in increased energy efficiency, reduced fuel bills and helping ensure the health and safety of its occupants. All weatherization program work in the Commonwealth of Virginia is done according to a list of activities that have been proven to be most effective in reducing heat loss, air infiltration, and the overall cost of home heating and cooling. Evaluations of various efficiency measures were analyzed and matrixed into a standard work specification or priority list that reflects construction and installation activities that repeatedly resulted in the highest ratio of savings to investment. To meet the eligibility criteria, an applicant’s income is multiplied by 200%, and if this is below the poverty guidelines for their area, the applicant may be assisted.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
This legislation delivered $5 billion of the Weatherization Assistance Program nationwide to help increase energy efficiency and assist those who most affected by rising prices and diminishing salaries. Beginning on April 1, 2009 through March 31, 2012, Telamon Corporation was awarded $1,243,464 of the ARRA funds to weatherize 160 homes. The Department of Housing and Community Development and the Department of Energy allocated $623,232 of the first phase to weatherize 80 homes. The second phase of the allocation will began July 1, 2010.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
The mission of this program is to assist low income households, particularly those with the lowest incomes that pay a high proportion of household income for home energy, to meet their immediate home energy needs. Beginning in 2010 we can also repair or replace these homeowners’ roofs. Telamon operates this program in Brunswick and Mecklenburg Counties.
Crisis
This program utilizes funds through the Department of Social Services to assist with heating system replacement or repair. This support is available for Brunswick and Mecklenburg Counties). To be eligible for Crisis Assistance, there must be a heating emergency and certain income and citizenship criteria must be met. Income eligibility ranges from a maximum income of $1174 for a household of one to a maximum of $8872 for a household of twenty. Crisis Assistance applications are accepted from November 1 to March 15.
Emergency Home Repair
Available for Brunswick and Mecklenburg County residents, this program provides funds for necessary installation of new roofs and siding. This activity is carried out in conjunction with the Weatherization program, so the recipients must be enrolled prior to applying for the emergency home repair funds. In order to qualify for this phase of weatherization, the applicant must have an income no more than 60 % of the median income for the area.
Indoor Plumbing/Rehabilitation
This program provides installation of new bathrooms and general housing rehabilitation where needed. Applicants must have an income no more than 60 % of the median income for the area. This resource is available in Lunenburg County.
Other Support and Information
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