Alexandria Works!

Alexandria Works! is the City's response to the Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW) program created in 1996 under the Governor’s initiative to address Welfare Reform. VIEW is an employment and self-sufficiency program designed with emphasis on work first in conjunction with education and training when it may enhance the participant’s ability to become self-sufficient. It is designed to assist customers who receive temporary financial assistance (TANF) to overcome social and employment barriers. Every participant is required to seek employment. To support the state’s plan for Welfare Reform and address the needs of the immediate area, the City of Alexandria created Alexandria Works! in 1998. The program goals are to offer Alexandrians living in poverty the opportunity to:

• Receive 24 months of eligibility for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) to parents with children in the home
• Allow families living in poverty to contribute materially to their own self-sufficiency
• Receive job counseling, job search and job readiness training
• Receive supportive services – transportation, daycare, outreach (i.e. mental health services, utility assistance, mentoring, substance abuse counseling and more)
• Establish accountability and expectations of recipients for public assistance
• Obtain work skills necessary for self-sufficiency
• To participate in the Community Work Experience Program (CWEP)

CWEP is a work experience component of the VIEW program that provides on-the-job experience for persons who lack a long work history or need to refresh their skills to be more competitive in the job market.  Work experience sites are government agencies or private non-profits.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAPET)

SNAPET  is a multi-component employment and training program that provides job search training, education, training and work experience to non-public assistance food stamp recipients.  The program’s goal is to provide recipients with opportunities that will lead to paid employment and decrease dependency on assistance programs.

For additional information, please ask for an Alexandria Works! Team member at 703.746.5940.