Libraries, museums, clinics and senior services ask Southampton County for program funding
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Summary
At the April 8 budget meeting local nonprofits and agencies — including Blackwater Regional Library, Southampton History Museum, Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia, Western Tidewater Free Clinic and the Western Tidewater CSB — outlined programs and requested FY2027 support ranging from program grants to a tourism-coordinator fund.
Representatives from several community organizations addressed the Southampton County Board of Supervisors on April 8 to describe programs and request county support in the FY2027 budget.
Ben Neil of the Blackwater Regional Library thanked the board for support and reported increased participation: Ryals Library in Courtland has had more than 14,000 visitors since July 1 and the system circulated more than 33,000 items. Neil promoted outreach services including the bookmobile, expanded story times and sensory kits for families with special needs.
John Korstein and Linda Updike of the Southampton History Museum and historical society asked the county to help fund a tourism coordinator and promotional materials to grow visitation to local sites — including the Nat Turner Trail and the Rebecca Vaughn House. Korstein said museum partners have raised more than $4,000,000 in grants and private gifts for museum projects and asked the board to consider contributing to a regional $120,000 tourism fund being discussed by partners.
Steve Zolos, CEO of Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia, described demographic trends in Southampton County — about one in four residents are age 65 or older — and listed services provided in 2025, including more than 1,200 free rides, 3,000 home-delivered meals and 1,700 wellness sessions. Zolos asked the county for $30,000 in general-program support and estimated Senior Services would deliver roughly $251,000 in services to the county in return.
Whit Harper of the Western Tidewater Free Clinic thanked the county for prior support of $29,000 and requested $46,709 for the coming year, citing clinic visits and a patient story in which the clinic assisted a patient to secure Medicaid and obtain cancer treatment.
Latrell Mariano of the Western Tidewater Community Services Board described behavioral-health prevention services and the newly launched School Counseling Intervention Program (SCIP) for Southampton County schools and requested $98,000 in local match funding for FY2027 to support services across the CSB’s localities.
Carl Heck of Franklin–Southampton Economic Development, Inc., outlined a partner request for $30,000 from each of four partners to assemble a $120,000 tourism fund to hire a tourism coordinator and expand promotional activity to attract visitors.
Speakers asked the board to consider these requests as part of the FY2027 budget process; no formal funding decisions were made at the April 8 meeting.
