Our Mission and Vision     Contact Us

Our mission is to provide leadership in addressing issues that relate to older Virginians, to develop community-based systems of care that provide services that support independence within South Central Virginia’s interdependent society and which protect the quality of life of older adults, and to promote citizen involvement in the planning and delivery of service.

Caring Arms Will Support (CAWS) was founded in 2010 by Cheryl Ann Wilson-Sprinkle to develop a system of care and support for adults 45 and older to lead independent and dignified lives for as long as possible. CAWS is based on a caring, supportive and team-driven approach that is committed to identifying services and meeting unmet needs. Through coordination, collaboration, volunteers and partnerships CAWS Inc. works to develop new services, enhance existing programs, and pursue funding resources that help to enhance or create new senior focused programs.


CAWS Ten Year Vision Statement:

The long-term vision of Caring Arms Will Support is to provide a holistic one-stop senior center in South Central Virginia. Through coordination of services and collaboration with existing human service, governmental and businesses the senior will receive services that will meet the needs of the whole being.

1. Workforce Development: Seniors will be provided with employment and training skills services in order to help them prepare to re-enter or remain in the workforce. Seniors will be provided with on-the-job training, job shadowing, small business workshops, computer training, resume writing, application completion and interviewing training.

2. Activity Center: Seniors will be provided with a fully functional activity center. The center will boast of having a heated swimming pool, sauna, hot tub, activity room, yoga and Tai Chi classes, a reading room, audio visual room, nutritional cooking classes, crafts as well as games.

3. Respite Care: Seniors who are care-givers will be able to utilize the services at the center to rest, relax and take care of their well-being.

4. Transportation: Providing seniors with the autonomy and freedom that is often lost when they are no longer able to drive is the goal. By contracting with CAWS the senior will be able to receive consistent, clean and reliable chauffeured transportation services.

Cheryl Ann Wilson-Sprinkle, Chair & CEO

207 South Broad Street
Kenbridge, VA 23944
Office: (434) 676-6100
Fax: (434) 676-6102

Mailing Address:
Caring Arms Will Support
P.O. Box 1193
Kenbridge, VA 23944

Email: info@caws.cc
 
    News     Parlor Talk

SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOP, March 10, 2012

CAWS, Inc., will coordinate with Rehoboth Business Services to conduct an entrepreneurial workshop, “How to Start Your Own Business.” The meeting will be held at our Kenbridge office from 10am to 2pm, facilitated by Rev. Dr. Betty Boston.

The purpose of this workshop is to assist those, especially seniors, with understanding the beginning steps that should be taken when starting a new business.

The introductory session is designed to help the participants identify their goals and then turn those goals into a systematic plan.

Included in the workshop are a number of self-directed tools to be used in order to clearly see what will be needed to start a business.

The tools were:

· Self Assessment Survey – Are You Prepared to Run a Business?
· Budget Template
· Values Inventory
· Business Plan Outline

Since both CAWs, Inc., and Rehobeth Ministries realize that there are many people who serve or have served on various committees, doing small crafts projects, working flea markets, and having yard sales, our goal is to help them to acquire the additional knowledge to make their projects successful and necessary should they decide to turn their hobby into a business.

CAWS, Inc. is currently planning to invite Rev. Dr. Boston back on a monthly basis to conduct this most important and powerful workshop.


What does the CAWS logo mean?

The logo was designed with the senior population in mind and the philosophy of CAWS Inc.

o The name CAWS has three key meanings:

· The name of the organization, Caring Arms Will Support
· A homonym of ‘cause’
· The initials of Founder, Chair and CEO, Cheryl Ann Wilson-Sprinkle

o The maple symbolizes strength, endurance, balance, promise, and practicality.

o The fall foliage symbolizes seniors in the autumn of their lives, who have changed, grown and are even more beautiful than they were in their green youth.

o The arms reaching upward symbolize hope, love and compassion that are there to catch, steady, or embrace the senior if and when the need should arise.

o When you look at the entire logo you will realize that it resembles a woman with her arms outstretched. She has strong shoulders and a strong neck to hold up the head that is full of ideas, dreams and the belief that seniors are a special population who can, have, and will continue to grow and learn while contributing to their community, homes and our country.






by Cheryl Ann Wilson-Sprinkle

The definition of change is to make something different from what it would be if left alone. Maybe it is because we like ourselves as we are that the matter of change is so hard to accept. Even so, it is my belief that humans are made to be adaptable and though we might not like change we are able to eventually go with the flow. Just think if we were not able to change, we would still be knocking rocks together to cook a meal.

Over the years CAWS, Inc. has gone through several changes. Some of them have been strategic and happy while others have been by surprise and not such happy occurrences. All of them have been difficult and that is the crux of the matter, change is difficult.

CAWS, Inc. is in the process of going through a change. For years we have had the privilege of running the Senior Community Service Employment Program for the South Central Workforce Investment Board. For the past four years CAWS, Inc. has provided work training skills, computer training, workshops, counseling, mentoring and tender loving care to a group of people who can and want to do better in the latter part of their lives and who want or need to work but who also need some help and guidance. We have provided those things and much more but the contract was awarded to another organization and though I truly believe the seniors will continue to receive stellar service, it is a hard change for CAWS.

So what do you do when change occurs and you have no way of stopping it from happening? Well, I have chosen to continue to move forward with the original mission and vision of the company. Our goal is to become South Central Virginia’s first holistic senior one-stop service center. We have met our three year goal and now, even with a forced change, we are poised to move towards our next five year goal.

Today I ask myself whether change is good or bad and under the circumstances I want to say bad, but I know in my heart that it is good and that in the long run we will see just how wonderful change can be. After all, I really do not believe that I would enjoy knocking a bunch of rocks together in order to cook my dinner. Microwaves and ovens are so much easier.

CAWS 

 
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