ABOUT US
"Responding to community and residents' needs"
RADA, as a Community Action Agency, was created in 1964 as part of Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty. RADA began serving clients in 1965 and was instrumental in the development of the Nickelsville Health Clinic and establishment of community centers at Clinchport, Copper Creek, Dungannon, Prospect, and Yuma. The site in Yuma was in coordination with the Yuma Ruritan.
Initially, RADA served only Scott County and did not add Lee and Wise Counties and Norton until the 1980's and 1990's.
In 1968, RADA worked with Lee County Community Action, Inc., Scott County Grower's Co-Op and Wise County AWARE to establish the Southwest Virginia Grower's Cooperative, Inc. This company harvested, packed and marketed tomatoes, peppers and squash grown in the LENOWISCO Planning District. By 1970, the Grower's Cooperative had 182 members and employed 50 workers during the operating season while providing growers with supplemental income.
In 1969, RADA assisted the Fort Blackmore Ruritan Club and area residents to repair many roads that the state did not maintain. The youth enrolled in RADA's Neighborhood Youth Corps program worked alongside residents in fixing the roads.
In the 1970's RADA worked very hard to not only attract business to the area for jobs but attempted to grow local businesses as well. RADA worked closely with the many partners in the Duffield Industrial Park to create a place that would be ideal for businesses willing to locate in our region. Additionally, RADA worked to establish a sewing factory on West Jackson Street in Gate City and, in 1986, donated labor to build the Phoenix Industries Sewing Factory in Dungannon.
The effort shown in RADA's early years continues today. In 2001, RADA worked very closely with the Lonesome Pine Office on Youth and the Nickelsville Ruritan Club to repair a local historical treasure- the Bush Mill. The Appalachian Regional Commission recognized the merits of the program by awarding a $25,000 grant for the project. Not only was a historical landmark saved, area youth learned the value of hard work and their past.
RADA is still dedicated to serving low- to moderate-income people of the region and is currently looking to expand the number of services available to residents.