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Franklin City Council voted 6-0 on Feb. 10 to adopt a resolution of appreciation that recognized February 2025 as Benefit Programs Specialist Appreciation Month in the city.

Similar recognition previously occurred at the state level in Virginia.

“The month of February was deemed by the State Board of Social Services as the month to recognize the work that the benefit programs specialists do,” Franklin City Manager Rosylen Oglesby said during the Feb. 10 City Council meeting.

Within the council meeting packet, the written city manager’s report that shared details about benefit programs specialists was submitted by Franklin Department of Social Services Director Sarah Rexrode.

The report noted that Franklin’s Social Services Department employs 11 benefit programs specialists responsible for administering various financial assistance programs that include the following:

• Auxiliary Grant;
• Energy Assistance; 
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
• Medicaid; 
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); 
• Child Care;
• Employment Services/Virginia Initiative for Education and Work; and 
• Fraud Prevention.

In the state fiscal year 2024, a total of 5,456 Franklin residents received benefits from SNAP, Medicaid or TANF, the city manager’s report stated. Additionally, 146 children received Child Care subsidies, and 1,032 households were assisted through Energy Assistance programs, which included cooling, fuel and crisis assistance.

The report noted that Franklin’s Social Services Department was requesting that the Franklin City Council adopt a resolution of appreciation in honor of the benefit programs specialists who serve the commonwealth and the city.

Before the council voted on the matter, Franklin Mayor Paul Kaplan read the resolution in full, and it reads as follows:

“Whereas, Virginia provided $23,848,366,681 in benefits to the most vulnerable citizens of the commonwealth through programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medical Assistance, Child Care, General Relief, Auxiliary Grant, Foster Care IV-E, Refugee Cash Assistance, Employment Service Programs and Energy Assistance administered by local departments of social services; and

“Whereas, Virginia’s governing body continually seeks to enact legislation that best supports our benefit programs, positively impacting our economy and empowering local Benefit Program Specialists to promote individual self-sufficiency among our citizens; and

“Whereas, Benefit Programs Specialists continue to navigate the complexities of evolving policies and procedures across major benefit programs, requiring adaptive transitions and overcoming technological shortcomings to ensure that citizens receive the correct benefits; and

“Whereas, Virginia’s 4,084 Benefit Programs staff, including 3,540 specialists, 493 supervisors and 51 managers, have been instrumental in meeting community needs, maintaining high rates of application processing and case management to ensure that qualified individuals receive necessary social services; and

“Whereas, significant financial support has been extended to Virginia’s vulnerable populations, including $85,668,950 to TANF recipients; $11,600,380 for the Virginia Initiative for Education and Work (View) participants; $15,428,674 for SNAP Employment & Training (SNAP E&T) programs; $1,796,754,340 in food benefits to SNAP participants; $21,385,613,147 in medical care through various Medical Assistance programs; $109,463,144 for Energy Assistance; $408,723,826 for Child Care services; $30,324,396 for IV-E Foster Care support and $4,789,824 for IV-E Fostering Futures; and

“Whereas, Benefit Programs Specialists exemplify the core values of ethical public service by respecting human dignity, demonstrating personal integrity, promoting professional excellence and ensuring the accurate application of current policies and guidance;

“Now therefore be it resolved, on this 10th day of February 2025, the Franklin City Council does hereby commend all Benefit Programs Specialists across the city of Franklin and the commonwealth of Virginia for their dedicated service and hereby recognizes February 2025 as Benefit Programs Specialist Appreciation Month, encouraging all Virginians to acknowledge and celebrate their invaluable contributions to public service.”

Rexrode was in attendance at the council meeting, in addition to two of her staff members, Reshirmar Cofield and Keisha Malone.

“Thank you for the recognition and the support,” Rexrode said to Kaplan. “You said a lot of numbers, but I think the main number to remember is that these ladies are part of a team that does serve over half of the city’s population in the benefit programs of SNAP, TANF and Medicaid alone, so they work very hard every day to make sure the citizens get what they need, and we appreciate them.”

Kaplan said, “We certainly thank them,” and Vice Mayor Wynndolyn H. Copeland added, “Thank you.”

The 6-0 council vote followed. The tally of votes did not reach seven because Ward 4 Councilman Dr. Linwood Johnson was not present for the meeting.

Oglesby asked Rexrode if she could introduce the two staff members accompanying her at the meeting.

Rexrode highlighted Malone and said, “She is responsible for our Child Care Subsidy Program. She also administers the programs of SNAP and Medicaid.”

In highlighting Cofield, Rexrode said, “She does our Energy Assistance, so she’s been very busy this year. She also administers our Medicaid and SNAP programs.”

In Cofield’s and Malone’s honor, applause broke out in the Council Chambers from among those attending the council meeting.