Rappahannock Area Community Services Board

06/12/2026

🏆🌍⚽ HopeStarters are super excited for the ! Here are some photos of our team representing their teams. 🏆🌍⚽

06/11/2026

Depression can feel isolating. But you're not alone. About 1 in 10 adults have experienced depression in the past few years.
Connect with others who understand what it's like to live with depression while learning new coping skills using cognitive behavioral techniques.
🗓️ Thursdays, 5:30-7 p.m.
📍Our Fredericksburg Clinic, 600 Jackson Street in Fredericksburg
Learn more: https://rappahannockareacsb.org/support-groups/

06/10/2026

🏡 Sponsored Placement offers more than a place to call home; it provides a support system and space to flourish. We have an opening in Caroline County, and we are looking for the right individual to join this welcoming household.
Our Sponsored Residential program connects individuals with developmental disabilities to dedicated caregivers who open their hearts and homes, providing care, compassion, and hope.
When we say it’s "more than a place to call home," we mean it’s a place to belong.
Interested in learning more?
If you or someone you know is looking for a supportive residential placement in Caroline County, please reach out:
📞 540-376-8500
💻 www.rappahannockareacsb.org/sponsored-placement

06/10/2026

Head over to the Fredericksburg Conference Center today for the Annual Art of Aging Expo hosted by Partners In Aging. Be sure to visit the RACSB table! The expo is from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

06/09/2026

Sometimes, small actions can have an oversized impact.
Using a person's correct name and pronouns is one way to communicate respect, affirmation, and belonging. For many LGBTQ+ individuals, feeling seen and accepted by others can make a significant difference in their mental health and well-being.
By creating environments where people feel valued and supported, we can strengthen connection, reduce isolation, and spread hope.

06/08/2026

As part of our commitment to our community in 2026, our team is taking on a new service project every single month to closely connect our staff to our mission. As , our vision is simple but powerful: spark hope, support hope, and spread hope wherever we can.

For our latest project, we packed 50 Jared Boxes for the young patients at Mary Washington Healthcare!

We specifically focused on packing boxes for toddlers and tweens/teens. Hospital staff shared that these are the two age groups that run lowest on donations, and summer is actually when the need for these boxes peaks.

Our team had a blast filling these boxes with items to bring smiles and comfort during hospital stays. Some of our favorite packing items included:
👶 For the Toddlers: Adorable wooden animals on wheels, board books, and cozy "loveys" (those sweet little security blankets with the stuffed animal heads!).
🎉 For the Tweens & Teens: Challenging craft kits, puzzles, journals, fun socks, fidget toys, jewelry and word games like Mad Libs, crosswords, and word finds.

Want to be a HopeStarter, too?
Mary Washington Hospital can always use more love and distraction for their youngest patients, especially during the summer months. Gathering friends, family, or coworkers to pack Jared Boxes is an easy, incredibly rewarding way to give back right here in our community.
Through The Jared Box Project, you can start hope this way even if you're not here in Fredericksburg. Check out https://thejaredbox.org to learn how to bring comfort and joy to children in hospitals near you.

06/05/2026

🚒👨‍🚒Shout out to Spotsylvania County Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Management! Thank you so much for stopping by a recent cookout at our Churchill Drive Group Home. The partygoers--people served by our Developmental Disability Residential Services, caretakers, guardians, and friends--loved seeing the firetruck and meeting firefighters.
And while they had a blast checking out the truck, this was more than a party trick. Getting familiar with firetrucks and firefighters outside of emergencies makes those crises less frightening when they do happen.
Thank you so much for being such good neighbors and for taking time out of your busy day to visit with us! 👨‍🚒🚒

06/05/2026

After nearly three decades of service, we recently gathered to celebrate the retirement of Jen Acors, Coordinator of Support Coordination!

For 28 years, Jen has been an advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities and a mentor to countless support coordinators.

To say she is a "guru" is an understatement. Jen mastered the incredibly complex world of developmental disability Medicaid waivers—a system that can be overwhelming for families to navigate, but is life-changing. Thanks to Jen’s expertise and guidance, thousands of local families secured the crucial waivers needed for respite care, day support, residential funding, and so much more. She didn’t understand just the paperwork; she understood the impact it had on people's lives.

Jen, thank you for leaving our community so much brighter and stronger than you found it. We will miss your wisdom, your leadership, and your heart, but we wish you the absolute best as you step into this next well-deserved chapter! ✨

06/03/2026

Starting July 1, there is an important change to the guardianship process.

New Virginia Law: Voting Rights Under Guardianship

Historically in Virginia, if a guardian was proposed and appointed for someone with a disability, voting rights were removed unless an argument was made to keep them. As of July 1, 2026, the law is changing.

Now when a guardian is appointed, voting rights will be kept unless an explanation is given to the Court on why they need to be removed.

If your voting rights have been removed, you can work with an attorney to file a petition with the court to get them back or file a layperson’s petition to do this. (This is not a new law.)

Have questions? Ask The Arc of Northern Virginia, disAbility Law Center of Virginia, or REV UP Virginia.

Read about the new law at https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/sb34.