DATE: Saturday, September 27, 1997          TAG: 9709270444

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MICHAEL CLARK, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   72 lines

GROUP AIMS TO MAKE WELFARE REFORM WORK

Less than a week before Virginia's welfare-to-work initiative begins in Hampton Roads, Gov. George F. Allen announced the formation of the Governor's Business Ambassadors for Welfare Reform on Friday at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

Most of the group of 26 ambassadors, who are top executives of local businesses and appointed and elected officials, flanked Allen during the announcement, made to state and local social service officials and the media.

The group was formed to educate the business community about welfare reform, to help track emerging job growth, to serve as a focus group advising the governor, and to hire welfare recipients. The list of firms with leaders involved in the group includes Dollar Tree Stores, Norshipco, Sentara Health System and Food Lion Grocery Stores. Allen also announced that Food Lion has agreed to provide up to 1,000 jobs for welfare recipients throughout the commonwealth, including 320 in Hampton Roads.

Throughout the announcement, Allen was enthusiastic about the program, insisting that ``success breeds success.'' He also said that if the state is to achieve ``great success in welfare reform, an essential aspect is partnership with the business community.''

The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce also played a key role in the group's formation. Chamber President Jack A. Hornbeck and Chairman Gregory N. Stillman are ambassadors, as is Bruce Bradley, president and publisher of The Virginian-Pilot, who will succeed Stillman as chairman.

Led by Virginia General Assembly Del. Robert McDonnell and Dollar Tree Stores CEO Doug Perry, the ambassadors will play key roles in assisting Hampton Roads welfare recipients who are expected to move into the Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare program Oct. 1.

Welfare recipients now receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families will be evaluated beginning Oct. 1 to determine their eligibility for the VIEW program.

The Virginia Department of Social Services estimates that about 9,000 Hampton Roads TANF recipients will move to VIEW. That transition will take 90 days.

During the subsequent 90-day period, residents in the VIEW program will be required to find work or be placed in a community work program, said Chad E. Clark, assistant secretary of health and human resources.

Allen said he expects that local business leaders will help welfare recipients avoid that fate. He cited Virginia's success in welfare reform since it was instituted elsewhere in the state in 1995.

``Welfare rolls are at their lowest levels since 1973,'' he said.

Kevin Ferrell, director of human resources for Food Lion, said he believes the ambassadors will be able to lead the Hampton Roads business community in employing welfare recipients.

``We have a constant need for people,'' he said, adding that the grocery chain's experience in hiring from the welfare rolls has been very good.

Both Allen and Robert Metcalf, Virginia secretary of health and human resources, said the success of phasing in the VIEW program in Hampton Roads can be predicted by examining results from other areas.

Allen pointed to the city of Bristol, which has a 74 percent job placement rate since welfare reform began there 20 months ago.

Metcalf said the longer the program has been in place, the greater the percentage of success. He noted that the Culpeper region was the first in the state to implement changes and that it, too, has a 74 percent employment rate for welfare recipients.

As he left the auditorium, Allen praised local business leaders.

``The leadership here is surely as good, if not better, than anywhere else,'' he said. ``Usually we rely on the chambers, but here we're getting others to be visible.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

Gov. George F. Allen speaks with local business leaders Friday

including Joan Gifford of Coldwell Banker Gifford Realty. KEYWORDS: WELFARE REFORM

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