Petersburg nonprofit Pathways is latest to get donation of Virginia governor's salary
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PETERSBURG — Saying the work it does reflects an extension of his administration's "Partnership For Petersburg" initiative, Gov Glenn Youngkin Wednesday donated a quarter of his yearly gubernatorial salary to the city nonprofit group Pathways.
"Pathways does so much. It's a great local resource," Youngkin told a crowd assembled at the group's headquarters on West Washington Street. "Yet I believe it can do even more. It's a great local resource that has stretched,and yet I believe you can stretch further. And that's one of the things we want to encourage."
The $43,750 donation is the latest of Youngkin's promises to donate his annual $175,000 salary as governor to nonprofit community groups around Virginia. Youngkin, who built up his wealth as an executive with the private-equity firm Carlyle Group, gave previously to the Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program, the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation and the G3 Foundation.
Forbes has estimated Youngkin to be worth around $470 million.
Pathways' mission, according to CEO Juanita Epps, is to increase access to education, employment, health and community revitalization to whoever needs it regardless. "And we do that through whatever is relevant for the time," Epps said Wednesday morning.
Since a $500 donation from the Methodist Conference in 1995, Pathways has grown into offering services such as job- and monthly bill-assistance, help with getting necessary medical care and health coverage, and vocational training for high-school dropouts.
"We do it all for F-R-E-E," Epps said.
Suzanne Youngkin called Pathways staff and volunteers "emblematic of God's hands and feet here on Earth."
"Thank you to everyone for what you do to enhance the lives of others and step up to the call to love one another," the first lady said.
Added the governor, "What you're doing here, members of the Pathways program, is changing lives. You're making Petersburg the best place to live and work and raise a family."
Wednesday marked Youngkin's sixth trip to Petersburg since he took office last January. Many of those trips surrounded Partnership for Petersburg, a 42-part initiative between the state and Petersburg to improve areas of education, law enforcement and economic development.
The governor closed his remarks Wednesday with a reference to the partnership. He vowed to "keep looking for new ways to make the ideas, the dreams and the hopes of this community a reality, and we're going to do it with great partners like Pathways."
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Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Va. governor donates last quarter of salary to Petersburg nonprofit
