City, community partners join in effort to provide financial assistance to families relying on formula to feed infants

Richmond, VA — Mayor Levar M. Stoney today announced that a new city program to address the impact of the nationwide baby formula crisis has received significant additional financial support that will enable it to provide assistance to hundreds of eligible Richmond families who cannot otherwise afford formula for their infants.

Following the Mayor’s May 16^th announcement that the City of Richmond and Robins Foundation would dedicate a combined $45,000 to this effort, FeedMore, The Community Foundation, Bob and Anna Lou Schaberg Foundation, Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, Richmond Memorial Health Foundation and Jackson Foundation joined to provide an additional $135,000 to support this initiative.

A total of $180,000 will be transferred to Urban Baby Beginnings, a nonprofit organization that provides community support services for pregnant and parenting families. Urban Baby Beginnings will use city funds to purchase prepaid debit cards that will be distributed to families who otherwise cannot afford formula for their infants during the national recall and plant closure by Abbott Labs, which was formerly the only formula manufacturer approved through Virginia WIC. Richmond City Council this afternoon approved the formula assistance grant contract to support the program, which was initiated by the city’s Office of Children and Families.

“I can’t think of anything more important than making sure our babies have the nourishment they need to grow and thrive,” said Mayor Stoney. “This swift and generous response by our philanthropic and community partners is a testament to our shared commitment to working together to lift up Richmonders in a time of need, and I’m deeply grateful for their support and Council’s quick action to make this happen.”

Council approval for the program comes just two weeks after Mayor Stoney directed the City’s Office of Children and Families to determine how best to use City funds to support Richmond families during this difficult time.

“Many families in our community are feeling the impact of the formula shortage. It is a scary time for people with children under the age of 1,” said Stephanie Spencer, founding executive director of Baby Beginnings. Addressing the needs of our babies is paramount at this time. We may not have all the answers, but this is one way we can help.”

“Robins Foundation’s primary focus is ensuring young children learn, grow and thrive, and we are happy to partner with the City and our funding and nonprofit partners to support this innovative, collaborative effort to help local families access infant formula during this crisis,” said Chris Chin, president and CEO of Robins Foundation, which was the first private funder to partner with the City on this initiative.

Prepaid debit card distribution will require pre-registration; the registration link will be found on the Urban Baby Beginnings website and will go live June 6.

Taxpayers now have until August 5, 2022, to pay personal property tax (car tax) and machinery & tools tax without penalty or interest.

Tax Due Date Extended by City Council Action

At a Special Meeting this week, City Council unanimously approved the extension of the 2022 due date for both personal property taxes and machinery & tools taxes. Taxpayers now have until August 5, 2022, to pay these taxes without incurring penalty or interest.

All online, in person, or mail payments made/postmarked on or before August 5, 2022, will not be subject to penalties or interest.

Please visit RVA.gov to pay online. If you have questions or need additional assistance, please call RVA311.

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Looking for something to do this summer? The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities (PRCF) is sure to have an event or program to kick start your summer along with great, free activities for everyone in your family!

This year, the department will host the inaugural Jubilation in June Festival, with the kickoff beginning at the 65^th annual Festival of Arts on Friday, June 17 at 8 p.m. with a performance from the R&B cover band Legacy Band at Dogwood Dell, 600 S. Arthur Ashe Blvd. For those not able to make it to the amphitheater, the department will also have a live stream on Facebook. On Saturday, June 18, the department will host “Shared History in Stories” at 17^th Street Market beginning at 10 a.m. as part of the Jubilation in June weekend celebration. “Shared History in Stories” will have a theater production titled “Journey to Freedom” performed by students from the Journey- Mapping Your Career program from the Cultural Arts division. On Sunday June 19, Jubilation in June will culminate with a festival on at Deepwater Terminal (3101 Wharf Street) beginning at 4 p.m. This festival will feature performances from local artist Bee Bouiseou and national recording artists The Hamiltones performing from their album “1964”. The festival will end with a fireworks show beginning at 9:15 p.m.

Saturday night for the Festival of Arts brings out the Kings of Swing (better known as KOS) to the Dell stage playing pop and beach music. The full season schedule can be found on the Parks and Recreation website.

On Thursday, June 23, residents are invited to join PRCF for the introduction of RVA Summer Nights starting at Monroe Park. Local band, Weekend Plans will kick off this new addition to our summer line up. The full schedule is listed on the full Festival of Arts schedule on the department website.

The department is also hosting summer camps that are slated to begin on July 5. There are still slots available for the Great Summer Escape, Hickory Hill Theater Intensive, Summer Dance Intensive, Summer Quest for Teens, and Nature Film Camp.  More information can be found on our registration site parksandrecreation.richmondgov.com under the “Summer Camp” tab.

For more information about the department, follow PRCF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

RICHMOND, VA - The City of Richmond Department of Public Works will start Phase I of the Hull Street Road Corridor Improvement Project next week.  This project will enhance capacity and improve safety for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists by separating the thru lanes from turning lanes and by reducing the number of conflict points along the corridor.

The first phase consists of relocating the overhead and underground utilities along Hull Street between Hey Road and Warwick Road and will include the following work: Dominion Energy clearing trees to install new poles and overhead lines; Verizon installing new underground conduits and poles (they will work simultaneously with Dominion Energy). Comcast and two fiber optic companies will relocate their cables to the new poles after work has been completed by Dominion Energy.

The utility relocation work begins June 1 and weather permitting, this portion of the project is expected to take approximately 12 months. There will be intermittent lane closures throughout the project.

Project construction is expected to start late spring 2023 and will include:

• Reconstructing the existing divided highway between Hey Road and Warwick Road to improve the roadway and intersection
• Constructing left and right turn lanes or tapers
• Widening the median and adding median landscaping
• Installing pedestrian crosswalks
• Adding sidewalks and shared use paths
• Installing curb and gutter, and drainage improvements to handle stormwater runoff
• Installing streetlights

For more information on the Department of Public Works, please visit us online at www.rva.gov/public-works or email questions to AskPublicWorks@rva.gov

We’re Social! For updates on DPW-related projects, activities and events visit us on Twitter @DPW_RichmondVA

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The City of Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) is one of only 195 currently accredited public works agencies in the United States. DPW’s portfolio comprises a wide array of services to include leaf collection; street, sidewalk and alley maintenance; trash collection; recycling; grass cutting;  graffiti removal; parking enforcement; urban forestry; street signs; traffic signals and pavement markings and civil engineering. In addition, DPW maintains upkeep on most city buildings; issues permits for working in the city’s right-of-way; manages the RVA Bike Share program and maintains the fleet of city vehicles. DPW’s operating budget comes from the general fund of the City of Richmond.  For more information about DPW services, click here or call 3-1-1.

RICHMOND, Va. –   The Department of Public Works Transportation Engineering Division will upgrade existing traffic signal equipment and pedestrian accommodations at the following intersections:

• Monument Avenue and Hamilton Street
• West Broad Street and Westmoreland Street, and
• Midlothian Turnpike and West Roanoke Street

Work begins May 31 and includes the installation of:

• Traffic signal poles with updated traffic signal heads and retro-reflective backplates
  
  • The new traffic signal heads with retroreflective backplates are more visible in both daytime and nighttime conditions, helping to reduce crashes at the intersections
• Traffic signal controllers
  
  • Upgraded traffic signal controllers and other signal equipment will improve signal operations
• Countdown pedestrian signal heads and push buttons
• Sidewalk accessible curb ramps
• Pavement markings and high visibility crosswalks

During construction, there will be intermittent lane and sidewalk closures.

Weather permitting, this project is scheduled for completion September 15, 2022.

This $1.5 million project is funded through the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA).

For more information on the Department of Public Works, please visit us online at www.rva.gov/public‐works or email us at AskPublicWorks@rva.gov

We’re Social! For updates on DPW‐related projects, activities and events visit us on Twitter @DPW_RichmondVA

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The City of Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) is one of only 195 currently accredited public works agencies in the United States. DPW’s portfolio comprises a wide array of services to include leaf collection; street, sidewalk and alley maintenance; trash collection; recycling; grass cutting;  graffiti removal; parking enforcement; urban forestry; street signs; traffic signals and pavement markings and civil engineering. In addition, DPW maintains upkeep on most city buildings; issues permits for working in the city’s right-of-way; manages the RVA Bike Share program and maintains the fleet of city vehicles. DPW’s operating budget comes from the general fund of the City of Richmond.  For more information about DPW services, click here or call 3-1-1.