Total Action for Progress (TAP) was established in 1965 under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as a community action agency dedicated to combating poverty in the Roanoke Valley and Alleghany Highlands. Operating as a private, non-profit corporation governed by a community-based Board of Directors, TAP has served hundreds of thousands of individuals and families across eleven localities including Alleghany, Bath, Botetourt, Craig, Roanoke, and Rockbridge counties, plus the cities of Buena Vista, Covington, Lexington, Roanoke, and Salem.
TAP offers comprehensive free services designed to help low-income individuals and families achieve economic stability and independence. These include free VITA tax preparation clinics during tax season, Head Start enrollment assistance, free child care programs, and direct counseling services. The organization prioritizes meeting immediate physical needs while helping clients develop long-term solutions to poverty through education, employment support, affordable housing assistance, and access to safe and healthy environments.
What distinguishes TAP is its philosophy of empowerment rather than dependency. Rather than providing temporary hand-outs, TAP focuses on enabling people to help themselves and advocate for their own needs. The organization works directly with individuals and families while also referring clients to other local agencies and resources, recognizing that people cannot address long-term poverty issues until immediate physical needs are met. TAP's 60-year track record and community partnerships demonstrate sustained commitment to its mission.
TAP is genuinely non-profit and free, with no fees to verify or commercial interests. However, as a community action agency focused on poverty alleviation rather than credit repair or financial product lending, its services are most suitable for low-income families facing immediate crises or seeking foundational financial education and housing stability. Those seeking credit repair, loan products, or debt settlement should look elsewhere.