Breaking the Poverty Cycle: Winchester CCAP’s THRIVE Project

CCAP THRIVE poverty pod
From Band-Aids to Breakthroughs

For more than 50 years, Winchester CCAP has been a lifeline for struggling families in the Shenandoah Valley. Founded in 1974, the organization built its mission around a simple but powerful idea: it is far cheaper to prevent homelessness than to try to fix it. Through a food pantry, clothing ministry, and targeted financial aid, CCAP has helped thousands of families survive that brutal fourth week of the month when the bills don’t stop but the money does.

But Andrea Cosans, Winchester CCAP’s passionate Executive Director, wants more. “CCAP is what I would call a band-aid or a crisis program,” she tells host Janet Michael during a recent episode of The Valley Today. “There is certainly a need for that, but why not take it that extra level and get people out of the cycle of crisis?” That question sparked something remarkable. Click here to listen.

A Small Experiment With Big Results

About three years ago, Cosans teamed up with a therapist and a life coach from Legacy Wellness after they attended a conference and secured a modest $1,000 grant. Together, they launched a pilot self-sufficiency program with just five clients, pairing them with mental health support and life coaching to address the trauma, decision-making patterns, and structural barriers that keep people trapped in poverty.

The results were stunning. Three of the five participants thrived completely. One landed a job at Valley Health and never looked back. Another — a man who had previously spent his days cycling in and out of Winchester CCAP — got his mental health needs addressed, found steady work, and hasn’t needed CCAP’s services in two years. A third, a woman who described herself as “stuck,” found her footing and now works at Great Meadows, where she proudly won the Park Ranger Wheelbarrow Olympics. “You know, I was in a place that got stuck, and I couldn’t see my way out of getting stuck, and this program helped me get unstuck,” she told Cosans.

Encouraged by those outcomes, Cosans ran the program again with 10 clients. This time, all 10 succeeded — including a single father with no job and no idea how to pursue his dream of going back to college. Today, he’s enrolled and thriving.

The Thrive Project: Thinking Bigger

Armed with two years of remarkable data and an unshakeable belief in the program’s potential, Cosans did what great community leaders do — she brought people together. The result is the Thrive Project, a fully collaborative, grant-funded initiative backed by $112,000 from the Valley Health Foundation and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Rather than operating as a single-agency effort, the Thrive Project unites five additional organizations — Connected Communities, I’m Just ME, United Way NSV, Horizon Goodwill, and Family Promise — each contributing something unique and essential. Clients receive case management, therapeutic services, life coaching and mentoring, financial literacy classes, and access to Goodwill’s intensive week-long job training program, “Get on Board.”

Most impressively, the program doesn’t just check in for a year and call it done. Participants are followed for two full years after enrollment to track housing stability, financial health, and overall life outcomes. “It’s very easy to be successful in a program when you’re still in the program,” Janet observes. “That second year is really the true test.”

The Whole Person Approach

What sets the Thrive Project apart is its insistence on treating clients as whole people, not collections of problems. Cosans and her partners recognize that poverty rarely has a single cause. Substance abuse, domestic violence, lack of childcare, no access to education, generational financial illiteracy — these issues don’t exist in isolation, and they can’t be solved in isolation either.

“Everybody needs support,” Cosans says plainly. “I think that’s really the difference between a person who succeeds and a person who fails.”

The program’s life coaching component, in particular, gives clients what Cosans calls “room to dream” — structured, individualized sessions designed to help people set goals, map out the steps to achieve them, and envision a future that looks different from the one they’ve always known. For many participants, that kind of forward-thinking guidance is entirely new territory. Furthermore, the financial literacy component tackles deeply ingrained habits head-on. As Cosans notes, many clients think, “Great, my bills are paid — I can buy those $150 shoes,” without considering that bills come due again next month too. Breaking that cycle requires education, not judgment.

Collaboration Is the Point

Beyond the Thrive Project itself, the conversation shines a light on something the Winchester nonprofit community has quietly been doing for years: working together. Despite persistent narratives that nonprofits duplicate services and compete for territory, Cosans pushes back firmly.

“We do collaborate,” she says. “What we don’t do is toot our own horn.”

From carefully coordinated food pantry schedules — where Highland serves Tuesdays so CCAP can restock, and Hope Again picks up at 1:00 where CCAP leaves off — to a $50,000 United Way grant that pushed 50,000 pounds of produce as far south as Edinburg and north into Frederick County, the evidence of genuine partnership is everywhere. Cosans also points to the newly formed Nonprofit Collaborative, a group that spent 15 intentional months preparing to advocate for the sector, especially in the face of federal funding cuts that threaten to eliminate services entire communities depend on.

“When the nonprofit dies, the people who get served by the nonprofit don’t go away,” Cosans warns. It’s a sobering reminder that the stakes extend far beyond any single organization.

What Comes Next

Looking ahead, Cosans plans to pursue SAMHSA federal grants to make the Thrive Project a permanent fixture in the community — and potentially a replicable model for similarly sized cities across the country. “I could see a point where we could do that,” Michael says encouragingly. “There are a lot of communities the size of ours facing the same issues.”

In the meantime, Winchester CCAP continues to fund its core services through community support, including its popular Sixth Annual Benefit Bike Ride on August 22nd at the Wellness Center, 105 Campus Boulevard, and a joint fundraiser with New Eve Maternity Home, An Evening of Enchantment, on June 18th — featuring a silent auction, live auction, and entertainment by Magician Vic. Janet will serve as emcee. For tickets, registration, and more information, visit CCAPWinchester.org.

Listen to the Full Conversation

This is the kind of story that reminds you what community is supposed to look like. To hear Andrea and Janet discuss the Thrive Project in full — including the inspiring individual success stories, the nuts and bolts of how the partnership came together, and what it really takes to help people build a better life — click here to listen to the full episode of The Valley Today. 

ToVRC Community Leadership Program: Leading the Valley Forward

leadership program 2026 pod
A Broadcast with Purpose

Host Janet Michael and cohost Andy Gail transform Handley Regional Library into a podcast studio to broadcast from the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber‘s Community Leadership Program (CLP). The energy in the room is palpable on this episode of The Valley Today, as this year’s class gathers for their media and nonprofit session. Meanwhile, Andy, a 2016 CLP graduate and current United Way CEO, reflects on how the program shaped his professional network nearly a decade ago. Click here to listen.

Three Decades of Community Connection

As the program approaches its 30th anniversary, its impact continues to resonate throughout the Shenandoah Valley. Janet herself graduated from the inaugural class 29 years ago, and she still keeps her certificate as a reminder of that transformative experience. The program’s longevity speaks to its relevance—bringing together emerging and established leaders for nine months of intensive community exploration.

Nonprofits on the Front Lines

Throughout the episode, several nonprofit leaders share their missions and challenges. First, Pam Haefner introduces the Yellow School House, a volunteer-run organization serving families with children five and under. Having moved to Winchester during COVID in 2021, Pam joined CLP specifically to build connections in her new community. “Winchester is the best place I’ve ever lived,” she explains, “because people really want to get to know other people.”

Next, Chris Brigante from Family Promise Winchester Area addresses a critical community need: family homelessness. His organization works with families experiencing housing instability, providing case management and financial assistance. Chris dispels a common misconception, emphasizing that the families they serve are hardworking individuals who’ve faced unexpected crises. “Any one of us can end up in their situation,” he notes, pointing out that Winchester’s housing wage sits at $29 an hour—far above what most local businesses pay.

Additionally, Grace Vaughan from Girls on the Run of the Shenandoah Valley describes their afterschool program spanning 13 counties. The program goes far beyond running, teaching girls in grades three through eight essential life skills like empathy, goal-setting, and self-confidence. With studies showing that one in three girls experiences bullying and 57% report feeling persistently sad or hopeless, Grace emphasizes the program’s critical role in supporting young women during formative years.

Finally, Eric Rollins represents Timber Ridge School, celebrating 55 years of serving adolescent boys ages 11 through 17. He challenges the stereotype that they only work with “bad boys,” instead focusing on helping young men navigate difficult situations and reintegrate with their families and communities.

The Power of Hands-On Learning

Director of Programs, Missy Spielman joins the conversation to explain CLP’s unique approach. Rather than sitting through lectures, participants tour local farms, businesses, government offices, and nonprofits. They learn parliamentary procedure, select a nonprofit for a service project, and explore sectors ranging from healthcare to public safety. “Learning is not a spectator sport,” Missy emphasizes, drawing on her education background.

Furthermore, the Community Leadership Program attracts a diverse mix of participants—from longtime residents to newcomers, business owners to nonprofit leaders. This diversity creates organic partnerships and unexpected collaborations. Missy shares how one graduate was inspired to run for school board after completing the program, demonstrating CLP’s ripple effect throughout the community.

Building Networks That Last

For many participants, the connections prove invaluable. Andy notes that several of his current colleagues, including United Way team member Kim, were his CLP classmates. Chris, transitioning from his former career as a public defender, uses the program to build the community partnerships essential for Family Promise’s collaborative approach. Grace describes connection as her biggest takeaway, discovering organizations and resources she never knew existed.

Looking Ahead

As applications open in April for the Class of 2027, the program continues evolving while maintaining its core mission. The nine-month commitment—one Friday per month from September through May—represents an investment in both personal growth and community development. For a region experiencing rapid change, with new residents arriving and housing challenges mounting, programs like CLP ensure that tomorrow’s leaders understand the community’s full scope and their role within it.

The conversation concludes with Janet reminding listeners about local events, embodying the very community connection that CLP fosters. After 30 years, the program remains Winchester’s greatest opportunity for transforming strangers into engaged, informed leaders who shape the valley’s future.

Family Promise hires Executive Director and transitions name

News to know valley graphic created by Royal Broadcasting employee Brooke Greene used by permission

Family Promise Winchester Area reports by email the hiring of the organization’s first executive director and a name transition.

The organization’s board of directors made the decision to transition from Family Promise Northern Shenandoah Valley to Family Promise Winchester Area in order to strengthen recognition and make sure families, volunteers and supporters can easily identify the organization and services provided.

The organization announced Chris Brigante as executive director.

He previously served as a public defender working to make sure individuals in a vulnerable position had a voice and fair representation.

Family Promise has provided support to families that are experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity, they have served more than 200 families and prevented 30 evictions along with helping more than 50 families with securing permanent housing.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.