Hampshire County Commission approves support letters for three youth-services grant applications

The Hampshire County Commission voted to provide letters of support for three youth-services grant applications during a special meeting on Monday, Oct. 6.

Darren Taylor, director of the South Branch Valley Day Report Center, asked the commission to back two grant applications intended to expand youth programming. "Actually, I have 2 grants that we're hoping to be able to apply for this year," Taylor told commissioners, outlining plans to develop a youth services division to serve Hampshire and Hardy counties and to make services available to Pendleton County when transportation allows.

Taylor said the first request is a West Virginia First Foundation Momentum Initiative application with a funding request of $250,000. He described core services as "assessment driven care with individualized service plans," using five evidence-based tracks — cognitive behavioral therapy skills, trauma-informed coping, conflict resolution, school success and family engagement — delivered with case managers, mentoring and partnerships with a local mental health clinic. Taylor said transportation is a major barrier in the rural region and that the program would seek hybrid transportation supports.

Taylor provided a budget snapshot for the Momentum Initiative request that included $165,000 for payroll and benefits, roughly $12,000 for contractual services, a hardware/software line (about $6,000) and an indirect cost cap of $25,000. He said projected outcomes include serving "40 to 50 youth annually" and conducting monthly caregiver engagement nights and quarterly public dashboards for oversight. Taylor told the commission the Momentum Initiative application asks for no local matching funds.

The commission approved a motion to send a letter of support for the Momentum Initiative application. The motion carried unanimously.

Taylor also described a second application, a federal Office of Juvenile Justice fiscal year 2025 Youth Mentoring Program grant, for which the center seeks $650,000 to fund three years of mentoring and related services in Hampshire and Hardy counties. He said the federal request would cover three years of personnel and fringe (about $561,000), travel and mileage (roughly $40,000), supplies ($20,000) and contractual services to partner Mountaineer Mental Health up to the program cap. Taylor said the federal grant would not allow the center to bill for services covered by the grant but could provide three years of program delivery to help build a sustainable program.

On the federal proposal, Taylor listed projected outcomes including recruiting 15 community mentors and delivering greater than 90% of planned one-on-one sessions and greater than 85% of group sessions; he also said staff and mentors would undergo required background checks and certifications. "We have an existing program, which is one of the criteria they were looking for, for mentoring, that we could actually branch into youth," Taylor said.

The commission approved a motion authorizing a letter of support for the federal Youth Mentoring Program application; that motion also passed unanimously.

Later in the meeting the commission considered requests from two towns to support separate West Virginia First Foundation Momentum Initiative applications. A Romney representative, speaking on behalf of Mayor Turner, described programs the town would manage if funded — stringed-instrument and pottery instruction, year-round indoor programming space and school robotics — and said the towns had worked with community partners to assemble the applications. The Romney representative said some partners could not provide formal letters because boards had not met in the short application window but that many partners were involved in developing the projects.

A motion to sign support letters for the Town of Romney and the Town of Capon Bridge applications passed. Commissioner Mance abstained from that vote because he said he had helped both towns with the grant work; the motion carried with the abstention noted.

Commissioners and presenters said next steps include finalizing and signing letters of support, transmitting them with the applications and continuing coordination with partners and the development authority on facility and transportation logistics. Taylor said he would continue seeking space for programming, including possible use of the Board of Education building, and that some grant funds would support salaries and certification training for staff and mentors.

Votes at a glance: the commission approved support letters for (1) the South Branch Valley Day Report Center's West Virginia First Foundation Momentum Initiative application (requested $250,000) — passed unanimously; (2) the center's federal Office of Juvenile Justice FY25 Youth Mentoring Program application (requested $650,000) — passed unanimously; and (3) the towns of Romney and Capon Bridge Momentum Initiative applications — passed (one abstention by Commissioner Mance).