Since 1965, The Lynchburg Community Action Group, a nonprofit organization whose primary focus has been to provide a variety of services and programs to the citizens of the Lynchburg region, has provided direct assistance to families and individuals in the prevention, reduction, or elimination of poverty and adverse situations in their lives. Also known as Lyn-CAG, the nonprofit organization offers programs and services including employment services, children and family services, housing counseling, an emergency homeless shelter, and a residential recovery program for homeless men dealing with drug addiction.

The nonprofit boasts an employment and training center that helps empower the business and economic development community in the Lynchburg region by empowering members of the community to find meaningful employment through job searching, career skill-building, and employee placement.

Also, Lyn-CAG’s children and family services aim to assist the health of families in the region through their Head Start program. This three-step process begins with targeted educational development programs, identifying basic health needs of children in the region as well as healthy behaviors and practices that can prevent illness and enhance a child’s lifelong well-being. These programs help infacilitating family involvement, working with families as a team effort, setting goals, promoting a healthy sense of boundaries, and ultimately making decisions that are healthy for the well-being of the family.

Furthermore, Lyn-CAG’s housing and development center assists prospective homeowners across the region through financial literacy workshops, and offers the only Region 2000 certified HUD center in the Lynchburg region, offering classes to first-time homeowners. Additionally, the nonprofit’s Hand-Up-Lodge Homeless Emergency Shelter provides short-term housing for men, women, and children, giving members of the community in need of assistance the opportunity to find shelter, food, and quality rest when similar shelters oftentimes only serve men or only women and children.

Lastly, the Lyn-CAG is also proud to serve the community through The Gateway Program, a residential recovery program for homeless men in recovery from harmful drug and alcohol addiction. The Gateway provides transitional housing for up to 24 men at a time and serves an average of 45 men on an annual basis. Since the Gateway began serving the needs of the community in 1992, it has served and helped raise the quality of life for over 1,000 homeless men struggling with alcohol addiction.

These impactful programs would not be possible without the financial support from members of the community across the Lynchburg region. For more information on how you can support the Lynchburg Community Action Group by donating, click HERE.

The Lynchburg Community Action Group is located at 1010 Main Street, Lynchburg, VA 24504. You can reach them by telephone at (434) 445-1601, or you can also send them an email at info@lyncag.org.

To view upcoming volunteer opportunities and events, view The Lynchburg Community Action Group’s page on SHARE Greater Lynchburg HERE.