Manassas Park Councilman Addresses Human Services Workers

MONTCLAIR—The welfare and well being of Manassas Park, Manassas and Prince William County residents was discussed at length Thursday, during a special luncheon hosted by the Prince William Area Coalition for Human Services.

 The coalition is an organization comprised of representatives from local government and other agencies in the area who exchange ideas on how to solve social problems, while promoting organizational development.

 Manassas Park Councilman Suhas Naddoni addressed luncheon attendees and shared information about the city’s amenities as well as its needs.

 Local government and those working in human services need each another, Naddoni said.  Human services workers need government funding and the government needs certain services, he added.

 “Without their help, we in the locality, we can’t do what we are required to do,” he said.

 His job on the city council is to make policy and that body needs input from the coalition, Naddoni said.

 “We try to balance the immediate needs of our residents and citizens and the community (with) the realities of revenues and tax rates and plan for future things. It’s a delicate balance,” he said.

Manassas Park Social Services Director Addie Whitaker, who also attended Thursday’s event, compiled a list of the city’s human services needs.

 Naddoni, in turn, shared that list with luncheon attendees.

 Some of the things mentioned were:

• Manassas Park has a large population of Spanish-speaking people and so the city needs bilingual people to help some members of the Hispanic population learn English and become educated.
• Many people in Manassas Park come from third-world countries where the culture is different.  Sometimes there is a lot of pressure in these households. This can lead to domestic violence, and so there is a need for people to coach families and help them through problems.
• Manassas Park needs help with housing services.

In addition to needs, Manassas Park has some very positive things to offer, he said.

 Despite a harsh economy, Manassas Park has managed to do a lot of good things, through the parks and recreation department, he said.

 While some municipalities have had to eliminate parks and recreations because of budget shortfalls, Manassas Park managed to build a brand new, state- of- the- art facility recreation facility, he said.

 “We conduct a lot of different programs (through parks and recreation) … Manassas does not have a parks and recreation (department) but we can provide the services. Even the residents of Prince William County can come and use our services. Despite the fact of having a tough budget, we felt the need to do that,” Naddoni said.

 A large-scale law enforcement operation was conducted out of the new Manassas Park Police station, he said.

 “In Manassas Park we are doing some long-term good things … the situation looks bright and in the last two years we’ve had to make some tough decisions and cut funding for human services, but the good news is that this year we are looking to increase that (funding.) We want to give back more to social services so that they, in turn, serve more of the community,” he said.

 Manassas City Manager Larry Hughes also spoke at the luncheon and said that those in human services overcome remarkable challenges each day.

 Things like homelessness and adult literacy are some of every day struggles, he said.

 “I was astounded when I learned that nearly 20 percent of our population (in Prince William County) is illiterate,” Hughes said.

 Federal funding is going to change and there will be challenges with Medicare and Medicaid, he said.

 In the coming years, there will be pressure for local government to put local money into Medicaid, he said.

 Structural employment could become a larger problem, he said. The “new normal” unemployment rate could be seven percent instead of five percent, he added.

 Food is another problem. There will be increases in food costs.  The price of soybeans is up because Russia is no longer exporting the product, Hughes said.

 The price of beef is up because there is a great demand for it in China, he said.

 Water is going to become a major issue in Northern Virginia in the near future as the population grows, he said.

 These things could have an impact on human services jobs, he said.

“Historically we’ve been able to meet those challenges in a variety of ways. Probably the most powerful thing we have going for us is incredible community partnerships …  meetings like this are opportunities for you all to avoid duplicating things … working cooperatively, moving clients from place to place where they can get the most effective service,” he said.

 Prince William County Executive Melissa Peacor said there is a lot to be positive about.

 This year, the budget is a little better in Prince William County, she said.

 “That light at the end of the tunnel is not a train, but may actually be a light,” Peacor said.

 The board of county supervisors has been very supportive of human services, she said.

The area of government that was cut the least was human services, Peacor added.

 Some of the top things that happened in human services in Prince William County in 2010 are:

 1.      The health department provided free flu vaccines for every resident of Prince William County.

2.     Community services enrolled 300 clients in Medicare Part D

3.    The organization, SERVE, which stands for Securing Emergency Resources through Volunteer Efforts, provided food to 27,650 families in Prince William County

4.     Two new residences for persons with intellectual disabilities were built.

5.     The Section 8 waiting list was opened for the first time in several years.  

Andrea Saccoccia chairwoman of the Prince William Area Coalition for Human Services said that meetings like Thursday’s are held three times a year.

 “It’s an opportunity for human services to collaborate and share ideas so we can better serve the community, Saccoccia said.

 Furthermore, the meetings are a place to do business, as human services workers share clients and share stories, she added.

 The next luncheon will be on June 9 where several awards will be presented, she said.