by Kate Evans
Shenandoah Community Health and Morgan County Starting Points have announced a planned transition in their longtime partnership where Starting Points will become an independent non-profit agency, according to a joint press release.
Starting Points, a local non-profit family resource center in its 25th year of serving the community, is preparing its financial and organizational transition to become an independent 501(c) (3) non-profit agency by May 2025.
Starting Points has operated under the umbrella of Shenandoah Community Health for 23 years. 
After a comprehensive review, the Shenandoah Community Health Board of Directors decided that continuing as Starting Points fiduciary was no longer financially sustainable for their organization. This change will allow them to prioritize their core services and mission, they said.
Starting Points is the central agency that provides Morgan County residents and families with programs, resources, support, education and services. Their main programs include the Mealtime Community Kitchen, parenting education, nutrition, financial literacy, a baby pantry, pre-school playgroups and Holiday Helpers. Newer programs include Empower U (for middle school girls), Mountain Movers (middle school boys), Father Forge, a parent resource navigator and Omega 3 nutrition.
Rewarding collaboration
“For more than two decades, Shenandoah Community Health has enjoyed a rewarding collaboration with Starting Points. We’ve had the privilege of witnessing their growth, including the recent growth of their new Family Resource Center in Paw Paw,” said Mike Hassing, Shenandoah Community Health CEO, in the press release.
“We are incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together. We have no doubt Starting Points will continue to thrive and provide the same vital services to our community that they have been providing,” Hassing added.
Grateful for help and support
In the press release, Starting Points Executive Director Audrey Morris expressed gratitude for the vast amount of help, guidance, support and expertise that Shenandoah Community Health has given Starting Points over the last 23 years as both agencies expanded and served more residents.
Morris said who would have known in the beginning that Starting Points would have grown to this level of programming, staffing and financial stability.
The agency now receives an increased annual grant of $250,000 from West Virginia’s Family Support Centers.
Starting Points has an active advisory board and their Executive Committee has already begun planning to start the transformation into an independent 501(c) (3) non-profit agency.
That will include managing ongoing grants from a multitude of funders and continuing “to grow the successful programming in our communities to support and strengthen families.”
Blessed
“Starting Points programs and our team have been so blessed by long-standing support of the community with an outpouring of time, talents and financial support. Their steady and valuable contributions to our mission have aided us in identifying and meeting evolving needs through expanded programming,” Morris said.
Starting Points feels the support and guidance from Shenandoah Community Health has been invaluable and is excited to be making this move on their own, Morris said.
