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2000 SESSION

004834436
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 176
Offered January 24, 2000
Commending Oak Grove Lodge.
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Patrons-- Hawkins; Delegates: Byron and Dudley
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WHEREAS, Oak Grove Lodge in Pittsylvania County was established 70 years ago to provide shelter for the poor and dispossessed; and

WHEREAS, Oak Grove Lodge was formed by six southcentral Virginia counties to consolidate their existing "poor houses" and offer the means for families to pull themselves out of poverty; and

WHEREAS, statutory changes in the 1970s made operating Oak Grove Lodge pursuant to its original mission prohibitively expensive, prompting three area agencies on aging to form a nonprofit consortium to operate the facility as a home for elderly and handicapped individuals; and

WHEREAS, South Central Aging Consortium, Inc. began operating what is now known as Oak Grove Lodge in July of 1978, and opened up the lodge to residents of any jurisdiction in the state, removing the stigma of being a "poor house" and redefining the lodge's purpose; and

WHEREAS, since 1978, all repairs and improvements to Oak Grove Lodge have been funded by the lodge, fund raising, or donations from the community, relieving state and local taxpayers of the expense; and

WHEREAS, South Central Aging Consortium was able to keep Oak Grove Lodge open, obtain licensure by the Virginia Department of Social Services, and gain approval by Medicaid, the Veteran's Administration, and the Auxiliary Grant Program to provide care for 67 handicapped or elderly residents; and

WHEREAS, in order to compete for local and national grant funds to make much needed repairs to the aging building, in 1999 the board of directors voted to rename the corporation as Oak Grove Residential Care, Inc., and convinced the original six counties to relinquish ownership of Oak Grove Lodge; and

WHEREAS, many in the community are not aware that Oak Grove Lodge receives no state or county funding and needs donations and voluntary support from the community; and

WHEREAS, in January 2000, Oak Grove Residential Care, Inc. was approved for its first competitive grant of $3,000 to replace beds, signaling a promising continuation of its 70 years of continuous service to the community and its first year as a private corporation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly commend Oak Grove Residential Care, Inc. and its committed communities for 70 years of service to the citizens of Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Oak Grove Residential Care, Inc. as an expression of its appreciation and best wishes for the continued success of Oak Grove Lodge.