Virginia nonprofits (and our corporate partners) are really stepping it up this fall to ensure communities around the commonwealth are continuing to get the support and services they so desperately need. Below you’ll read about nonprofit expansions, community outreach, grant recipients and more.
Opening its arms to Southwest Virginia
Accessing and affording an end-of-life provider can be hard no matter where you live, but thanks to the work of Good Samaritan Advanced Illness Care and Hospice, that is one less worry for families in need. Good Samaritan is a nonprofit community-based hospice organization that has recently extended its services into Lynchburg City, Amherst, Appomattox, Campbell and parts of Pittsylvania. “For years, our hospice team has supported families with love, dignity, and respect during life’s most challenging times. Expanding services into home health is a natural next step,” said Jennifer Simmons, Branch Director of Home Health. WFXR has the full story.
Richmond works to untangle nonprofit funding model
Earlier this year, an audit revealed that the City of Richmond gave over a million dollars to groups that didn’t meet the city’s criteria for nonprofit funding and support. To that end, the city is working on refining the funding process. This fund supports 70 organizations with more than $13 million being allocated last budget year. Graham Moomaw with The Richmonder has some insightful reporting on this story.
Building a pipeline of funds
Columbia Gas of Virginia has awarded five grants to nonprofits that specialize in environmental protection and education. A big congratulations to The Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation, Friends of the Rappahannock, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Blue Ridge Prism and the Elizabeth River Project. WHSV has the comments from the Columbia Gas of Virginia president about the effort.
Childhood project gets a boost from Geico
UVA alumna Lucia Hoerr started a Project when she was 10 years old to make sure students in her community had the bookbags and school supplies they needed to be successful and excited for the school year ahead. That project became Backpack Buddies. Now, a software engineer at Geico, she participated in the companies Fast Pitch Program, where she pitched Backpack Buddies and she won $7,500 from the competition to support her work. UVAToday tells the full story.
Three cheers for these three courses
Well, we don’t know if there are three courses, but we do know that the “Dining with Dignity” event hosted by The Least of These on Oct. 11 is worthy of a mention. This nonprofit hosts an annual fine-dining event in Roanoke for people experiencing homelessness, providing a night full of dignity, respect and high-quality food. WFIR has the story.
This is a great round-up of essential nonprofit work across Virginia! It’s inspiring to see organizations stepping up, from expanding end-of-life care to supporting education and mental health. The focus on inclusivity and community impact is truly commendable.
This is a great read for anyone interested in Virginias nonprofit sector! The stories are impactful and highlight the vital work these organizations do. Well done!