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ACTS Taking Over, Expanding Hilda Barg Homeless Prevention Center in Woodbridge

by Uriah Kiser on September 19, 2013 at 5:04 pm 11 comments

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — The Hilda Barg Homeless Prevention Center will welcome a new operator and expand its services to aide the area’s homeless population.

Action in the Community Through Service (ACTS) was selected by Prince William County to run the homeless public shelter on U.S. 1 in Woodbridge. The keys to the building are expected to quietly be passed from current operator Volunteers of America on Monday, Sept. 30.

Several of the programs to help homeless residents already in place by ACTS across Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park, will be also be utilized at the Hilda Barg Shelter including a employment training program, and assistance with personal financial management and helping those at the shelter back on the road to having a home of their own.

““You don’t want to have a homeless person stay homeless, that doesn’t solve anything,” said ACTS Director of Development Tom Benjamin.

The shelter is publicly owned, and Volunteers of America’s operations contract was not renewed. Under a new agreement with ACTS, Prince William County will pay $427,597 in a 1-year agreement with the charity to operate the facility. The agreement can has an annual renewal option up to five years, said Benjamin.

The biggest challenge at the shelter remains finding affordable housing in this area so those inside the shelter to transition into permanent homes. ACTS works with various landlords who are willing to set aside properties and make them affordable.

“You often have what we call the ‘working poor,’ where people are working 40 to 60 hours a week, and they just don’t have enough money for down payment or first month’s rent, and it helps when we can provide them with that infusion of cash to get them started,” said Benjamin.

ACTS currently operates an emergency homeless shelter in Dumfries.

*This story has been corrected.

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  • Jim Riley

    ACTS does excellent work and I am glad to see that they will be taking over operations at the Hilda Barg homeless shelter.

    • susan norcross

      really so you really…… you are all for putting innocent people out of work?

      • Mouse

        It is very sad. And I assure you, as a former employee of ACTS (and yes, I resigned)none of the higher ups at ACTS is giving a single thought to the people they are putting out of work. Nor are they thinking of the people they are going to help. Do not be fooled. This is all about publicity and attention for an organization with lots of dirty little secrets that will eventually come to light.

        • DONOT WANTTO

          I STAY AT THIS LOCATION TWICE, ONCE IN 2003 WHEN IT WAS VOA, AND AGAIN OCT 2014 NOW IT IS ACTS.

          THE SCANDALS THAT GO ON IN THESE SHELTERS WITH THE HIGHER UP.

          WHEN IT WAS VOA, THE PERSON THERE THAT DID THE INTAKE CALLED MY JOB AND TRIED TO GET ME FIRED. THEY STILL DO THIS TODAY.

          NOW THAT IT IS ACTS, THE PERSON THAT DOES THE INTAKE AND HOUSING IS A YOUNG GIRL AND DOES NOT HELP THOSE SHE DOES NOT LIKE. SHE IS GOOD FOR PUTTING PEOPLE OUT ON THE STREETS. I WITNESSED THIS ACT SEVERAL TIMES EVEN IF THERE WERE CHILDREN INVOLVED, SHE DOES NOT CARE–ONCE YOUR 30 DAYS WERE UP, THAT WAS IT YOU HAD TO HIT THE ROAD, SHE MAY HAVE EXTENDED YOUR TIME FOR A WEEK, BUT THAT WAS ALL. ALSO, THE PROGRAMS…ONLY CERTAIN PEOPLE WILL GET ASSISTANCE. I WAS TOLD THAT I DID NOT QUALIFY FOR ANY TYPE OF ASSISTANCE.

          FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT MAKE DONATIONS TO SHELTERS…YOU ARE THROWING YOUR MONEY AWAY. THE EMPLOYEES STEAL THE FOOD, CLOTHES, ELECTRONICS, AND OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE DONATED. THE PROBLEM IS THEY DO NOT CARE WHO SEES THEM, IT’S JUST AMAZING. SOME SHELTERS CATER TO THOSE THAT ABUSE ALCOHOL AND DRUGS (BIG THING IN SHELTERS), THEY GET MORE MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT FOR ALCOHOLIC AND DRUG ABUSERS AND ALSO PEOPLE THAT ARE MENTALLY UNSTABLE ARE ALWAYS PUT FIRST.

          I USE TO DONATE TO VARIOUS SHELTERS, I STOPPED YEARS AGO.

  • Ashleigh

    Unfortunately, our church will no longer be able to support The Hilda Barg Canter. It is sad to see this longstanding relationship end but we simply cannot abide by or support the way ACTS treats people.

    • DONOT WANTTO

      HORRIBLE…IT IS UNEXCUSABLE HOW THEY TREAT PEOPLE!

  • Potomac Clubber

    Can they just shut down the homeless shelter and build new one somewhere else? The area surrounding the shelter is just infested with bums and beggars.

  • Leah

    I would just like to correct one thing in the article.

    ACTS does NOT currently operate a homeless shelter in Dumfries as the last line states.

    The homeless shelter they did operate on Route 1 was flooded by a sprinkler system back in January and the shelter never reopened.

    I discovered this after a representative came to our church to speak to try and garner donations for ACTS. She presented all kinds of statistics about their programs including the homeless shelter which had already been closed for several months and which they had no intention or ability to reopen.

    When I discovered this, I really felt we had been lied to. They knowingly tried to deceive us into thinking they had a homeless shelter that was currently open when it had been closed for months just to get money. Why not be honest?

    And if you think I was surprised you should have seen the reaction of a member of the ACTS Board of Directors I met at another event later in the summer when I was the one who informed her that the shelter had not yet reopened! Seems they are trying to hide facts from their Board of Directors. So sad.

    Our church has also decided to pull its financial and volunteer support from ACTS.

  • anonymous

    Hummmm Really really sad how they put innocent people out of work. Have they contacted any of the current employees to offer them jobs? It is so sad to hear from different people how they are fooling the community into thinking that they have the old shelter in Dumfries open when they do not. They claim to try to help people but they really don’t.

  • Roxana

    Its really sad, when an organization, that is supposed to help people in need, doesn’t live up to their so called mission! ACTS does help a little only for utilities, but only after humiliating clients, don’t get me wrong some. Of the case workers are there because they want to help, but others are just so rude that makes you wonder.!!

  • this what i have to say i have saw it for my self that many people that work for the homeless have and do take thing from the poor that was donated to them thy see the chance to take what the poor need because thy think the homless dont know to ask for the things that was donates how long are we going to have director not do thier job do the worker thier supposse to take what was and is the homless. is that not call stroking the homeless for what thy dont. have already sham on you. ungodly people that dont care about the homeless soon your turn will come you got to answer to some. one it wont be your director.

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