Williamsburg Health Foundation Awards $3.9
Million to Local Organizations
By
WHF Staff
WILLIAMSBURG, VA – July 1, 2024: The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) is pleased to announce that the Board of Trustees approved grant funding in June totaling $3.9 million to 21 organizations that address some of Greater Williamsburg’s most pressing health-related needs. These grants represent WHF’s continued dedication to enhancing the health and well-being of those who live, work, and play in the City of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County.
Among the exciting grants awarded is a new partnership with the Virginia Health Care Foundation’s Boost 200 initiative. Boost 200 is a pilot program that addresses the mental health professional shortage in Virginia by paying for supervision hours required of mental health professionals for licensure. With WHF’s $50,000 grant to the Boost 200 program, the licensure of two behavioral health counselors and one licensed social worker in Williamsburg and James City County will be accelerated. “All three localities in WHF’s service area are mental health professional shortage areas,” said Deanna Van Hersh, WHF President and CEO. “WHF’s investment in the Boost 200 program will increase the capacity of our local mental health workforce, as the three professionals may begin their required supervision this summer.”
In addition to the mental health workforce shortage, another issue that came to the forefront during this grant cycle is the ongoing need for increased access to healthy foods throughout our community. According to the most recent data from Feeding America, food insecurity in 2022 was between 9 and 12 percent for the localities in our service area. “To help address this need, WHF is pleased to support new grants to the Boys & Girls Club in James City County, Grove Christian Outreach Center, W-JCC Community Action Agency, and the Williamsburg House of Mercy,” said Bill Pribble, WHF’s Vice President of Programs.
In line with WHF’s mission and strategic focus, WHF awarded additional grants in the Foundation’s five funding areas: behavioral health services, healthy aging, healthy eating active living, integrated care, and two-generation family services. Please refer below for a complete list of awarded grants.
To learn more about grant opportunities, visit www.williamsburghealthfoundation.org. WHF’s next grant cycle opens on July 26, 2024.
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The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) is a private health foundation with the mission to collaborate, innovate, and invest to impact systems that improve the health and well-being of individuals living in Greater Williamsburg. The Foundation was established in September 1996 when the Williamsburg Community Hospital and Sentara developed an affiliation agreement and later merged. This agreement included a provision for a new, locally organized, and managed Foundation to benefit community health. Since inception, WHF has awarded over $110 million in grants to improve community health and well-being.
| Organization Name | Project Title | Program Description | Board Approved Amount |
| Grants for Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) | |||
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula | EatSMART at the James City County Boys & Girls Club | To provide nutritious, hot meals and snacks and provide nutrition education to Williamsburg and James City County youth in the Boys & Girls Club. | $10,000.00 |
| Colonial Court Appointed Special Advocate Program | Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) at Colonial CASA | To provide healthy eating and active living programming to participants in Colonial CASA’s youth mentoring program. | $10,500.00 |
|
Grove Christian Outreach Center |
Fresh Food Room and Food Pantry | To provide nutritional fresh foods and nonperishable pantry goods to low-income families in the Greater Williamsburg area. | $20,000.00 |
| Williamsburg House of Mercy, Inc. | WHOM Collect or Give | To purchase an outdoor temperature-controlled locker system for food donations by community partners and collection by clients. | $65,000.00 |
| Williamsburg-James City County Community Action Agency | Healthy Families of Greater Williamsburg (HFGW) | To establish a database to help local community organizations more efficiently meet children’s food needs when they are not in school. | $22,500.00 |
| Williamsburg-James City County Public School Division | School Health Initiative Program (SHIP) | To provide a health and wellness program focused on promoting and supporting healthy eating, physical activity, and wellness at all 16 WJCCPS. | $770,000.00 |
| Grants to Support Two-Generation Family Services | |||
|
Child Development Resources |
Basic Operating Support | To support very young children and their families through home-visiting programs, childcare centers, comprehensive motherhood services, and developmental assessments. | $237,000.00 |
| City of Williamsburg | Child Health Initiative | To support an innovative, two-generation human service program that aims to improve long-term health outcomes for children living in poverty. | $283,500.00 |
| James City County | Child Health Initiative | To support an innovative, two-generation human service program that aims to improve long-term health outcomes for children living in poverty. | $283,500.00 |
| Grants for Healthy Aging | |||
| FREE Foundation For Rehabilitation Equipment & Endowment | F.R.E.E. of Williamsburg | To collect and distribute gently used rehabilitation and mobility equipment to those in need. | $30,000.00 |
| Peninsula Agency on Aging | PAA Williamsburg | To conduct assessments and home visits; arrange for subsidized in-home care and adult daycare; provide care coordination for frail older adults; and provide information, referral, and support to caregivers. | $84,000.00 |
| Williamsburg Area Faith in Action | All Transportation | To provide free transportation for frail older adults in Greater Williamsburg. | $50,000.00 |
| Grants for Behavioral Health Services | |||
| Center for Child and Family Services, Inc. | Multicultural Counseling and Outreach Program (MCOP) | To provide behavioral health services for the uninsured or underinsured with emphasis upon the multicultural communities. | $70,000.00 |
| Comfort Zone Camp | CZC Weekend Camp in Jamestown | To assist in providing a weekend camp in James City County for grieving children. | $10,000.00 |
| The College of William & Mary, The Flanagan Counselor Education Clinic | Play to Thrive | To provide a school-based play therapy program designed to improve social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes among young children. | $95,000.00 |
| Virginia Health Care Foundation | Boost 200 Program | To support the licensure of two behavioral health counselors and one licensed social worker in the City of Williamsburg and James City County. | $50,000.00 |
| Grants for Integrated Care | |||
|
Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic |
Chronic Care Collaborative | To provide healthcare to uninsured and under-insured adults diagnosed with one or more chronic diseases through an integrated model which includes primary, oral, and behavioral care. | $300,000.00 |
|
Lackey Clinic |
Chronic Care Collaborative | To support the care model for Lackey Clinic’s (LC) uninsured, chronically-ill patients and reduce progression of diseases through treatment and monitoring of clinical outcomes. | $500,000.00 |
| Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center | Basic Operating Support | For clinic operations and delivery of comprehensive healthcare services. | $500,000.00 |
| Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center | Chronic Care Collaborative |
To improve care for patients with chronic illness through service delivery that includes primary, behavioral, and oral care. |
$400,000.00 |
| Rx Partnership | Basic Operating Support | To coordinate delivery of brand name and generic medication to Gloucester Mathews Care Clinic (GMCC), Lackey Clinic (LC), and Olde Towne Medical and Dental Center (OTMDC) and continue providing subject matter expertise. | $66,000.00 |
| Virginia Health Care Foundation | Greater Williamsburg Medication Assistance Program | To provide administrative support to the Greater Williamsburg Medication Assistance Program (GWMAP) which helps uninsured and underinsured chronically-ill patients obtain prescription medications free of charge or at the lowest price available. | $47,000.00 |
| Other Grants | |||
| Literacy for Life at the Rita Welsh Adult Learning Center | The HEAL Program | To provide health literacy classes to adults with low health literate skills. | $10,000.00 |
| $3,914,000.00 | |||