Smyth County declares Jan. 17, 2026 "Isaiah 1:17 House Day" after nonprofit presentation

The Smyth County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution Friday declaring Jan. 17, 2026, as Isaiah 1:17 House Day after a presentation from the nonprofit’s local leader, Savannah Harrison. Harrison described how the organization provides short-term homelike care for children awaiting foster placements and supports caseworkers and foster families.

"We aim to reduce trauma for children entering foster care, lighten the load for our case workers, and ease the transition for our foster family," Harrison said during the presentation, describing the house’s two-bedroom layout, a giving room stocked with new clothing and supplies, and a visitation space for Department of Social Services staff.

Harrison told the board Isaiah 1:17 House has a volunteer base from Smyth County and noted the board previously awarded the organization $40,000 from opioid-abatement direct distribution funds to help construct the local house. She cited statewide and local foster-care figures during the presentation, including a referenced statewide total of 5,744 children in care and local removal rates the organization described as especially high due to parental substance abuse.

The resolution, read into the record by a board member, summarized the nonprofit’s mission and noted the county’s recent funding support. A motion to adopt the resolution was made and seconded and the board adopted it by unanimous voice vote.

Board members praised the volunteers and urged continued support. "This is a platform that we need to be screaming as loud as we can for the children who don't have a voice," one supervisor said during comments after the vote.

The adoption formalizes the county’s recognition of the organization and signals continued local support; the board did not set additional funding at the meeting beyond recognizing the earlier opioid-abatement allocation.