Grantee Spotlight: Bacon Street Helps Build Resilience and Stronger Families

Oct 2, 2024 | Blog, Grantee Spotlight, News, Uncategorized

Grantee Spotlight: Bacon Street Helps Build Resilience and Stronger Families

By: WHF Staff

Bacon Street Youth and Family Services, founded in 1971 as the Drug Action Center, has been a trusted resource for substance use prevention and treatment for youth and their families in the Williamsburg area for over five decades. Established in an office on Bacon Avenue in Williamsburg by a group of concerned citizens, the center aimed to create a safe, drug-free environment for youth to gather after school. Over time, the youth who found support there began to affectionately refer to the center as Bacon Street. In 2015, the organization officially adopted the name Bacon Street Youth and Family Services to reflect their history and broader mission of supporting youth and families.

Today, Bacon Street serves youth, primarily aged 10-26, and their families offering mental health and substance use counseling, social work case management for unhoused families, and free collaborative prevention programs for schools and the community. With an emphasis on building long-term relationships, Bacon Street ensures families receive support when needed.

The demand for Bacon Street’s services remains high, highlighting the importance of their work. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 18.1% of youth aged 12-17 years and 17.5% of young adults aged 18-25 had a major depressive disorder within the past year. Additionally, an estimated 7.2% of youth and over 26% of young adults used illicit drugs in the past month. In fiscal year 2023, Bacon Street served 368 counseling clients with nearly 3,100 counseling appointments, a substantial increase from their pre-pandemic numbers. Given these challenges, Bacon Street’s work to provide support and resources remains essential, ensuring that families and youth in our community have timely access to care.

The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) has been a long-time supporter of Bacon Street, having awarded 32 grants since 1997 to help advance their mission. WHF recognizes Bacon Street’s commitment to supporting families and building resilience in youth through evidence-based behavioral health and substance use services is as important today as it was 50 years ago.

To learn more about Bacon Street Youth and Family Services, their programs, and how they are making a difference in the lives of youth and families in our community explore their website: https://baconstreet.org/.

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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.

Grantee Spotlight – The Arc of Greater Williamsburg Improves Quality of Life

Sep 3, 2024 | Blog, Grantee Spotlight, News

Grantee Spotlight – The Arc of Greater Williamsburg Improves Quality of Life

By: WHF Staff

The Arc of Greater Williamsburg has served adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our community since 1976. When young adults with disabilities age out of public school at age 22, they often find a gap in services. Through their many programs and activities, The Arc aims to reduce this gap and enhance the quality of life for their clients in the Greater Williamsburg Area. These activities include educational, health and wellness, life skills, cultural, social, and recreational enrichment programs to help clients reinforce their existing skills and acquire new ones. The Arc also provides clients with door-to-door transportation to their programs, which makes participation possible and provides caregivers a respite.

The Williamsburg Health Foundation supports The Arc’s Fitness Program, which plays an important role in maintaining and improving clients’ health and well-being. Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are less likely to engage in physical activity and spend more time being sedentary than those without intellectual disabilities. This physical inactivity leads to higher rates of obesity and diabetes when compared to the general population. The Arc’s Fitness Program reduces barriers to engaging in physical activity by providing a 90-minute weekly fitness and wellness class, where clients receive round-trip transportation to and from their homes. In 2023, The Arc provided 1,422 hours of fitness classes to 179 residents of Greater Williamsburg, and they anticipate numbers will remain consistent this year.

To learn more about The Arc of Greater Williamsburg’s programs to improve the quality of life for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, please visit their website.

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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.

Grantee Spotlight: Helping Young Hearts Heal at Comfort Zone Camp

Aug 6, 2024 | Blog, Grantee Spotlight, News

Grantee Spotlight: Helping Young Hearts Heal at Comfort Zone Camp

By: WHF Staff

Comfort Zone Camp (CZC) is a place of healing for children, teens, and young adults who have lost a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver. This bereavement organization offers free weekend camps to help youth between the ages of 7 and 17, young adults aged 18 to 25, and families navigate the emotional challenges of grief.

These camps blend traditional camp activities with therapeutic sessions from Friday to Sunday. Campers join age-based support groups led by volunteer grief therapists and are paired with a supportive mentor who is matched based on similar interests, hobbies, needs, and sometimes loss types. After a weekend of fun and integrated therapeutic activities, each camp concludes with a memorial service, allowing campers to honor their loved ones.

Since 1999, CZC has served over 24,000 grieving youth nationwide. In April and June of this year, CZC hosted weekend camps at the 4-H campground in Jamestown and served 112 campers.

In Virginia, according to the most recent data available, an estimated 79,000 children have lost a parent or sibling by the time they reached age 18, and 168,000 youth before the age of 25. Such losses have profound and lasting effects, including depression, posttraumatic stress, substance use, and increased risk of suicide-related behaviors. CZC addresses these needs through prompt, honest, and supportive interventions, leveraging the healing power of nature to enhance mental well-being.

The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) is supporting Comfort Zone Camp’s efforts with a recently approved grant that will help offset the cost of a three-day camp for about 70 youth ages 7-17 at the 4-H campground in Jamestown in early 2025. This camp will be open to children and adolescents experiencing loss and will provide a safe and nurturing environment for healing. To learn more about CZC, please visit their website.

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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.

Grantee Spotlight: Grove Christian Outreach Center

Jul 1, 2024 | Blog, Grantee Spotlight, News

Grantee Spotlight: Grove Christian Outreach Center

By: WHF Staff

Imagine living in a community where a number of your neighbors struggle to meet their family’s basic needs. This is a reality for many who live in the Grove area of southern James City County. Grove fits the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s definition of a food desert, an urban area with at least 500 people living further than one mile from the nearest grocery store. Grove is six miles from the nearest grocery, and 21% of the residents live below the Federal poverty line, which makes accessing healthy fresh foods a challenge.

Recognizing the needs of area residents, Grove Christian Outreach Center (GCOC) started as an outreach mission of a small church in 2000 and opened its doors in 2004 as a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to assisting vulnerable families with food, clothing, and financial assistance. Today, GCOC stands as a beacon of light in James City County emerging from its humble beginnings as a small organization with limited space. In 2023, GCOC expanded its service area to include anyone in need in the Greater Williamsburg community. Last year, nearly 32,000 individuals benefited from their food programs, children’s clothing closet, special holiday programs, and transportation assistance. With regard to the food programs specifically, over 9,500 people from the Greater Williamsburg area accessed the fresh food room and over 18,600 accessed the food pantry.

Since 2005, the Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) has supported GCOC to help reduce hunger and food insecurity for low-income residents. WHF funds have contributed to the purchase of refrigeration units, fresh food distribution including foods to help control diabetes, food access outreach, children’s meal delivery, and lunches for children. GCOC will use WHF’s most recent grant to stock the fresh food room and food pantry with purchases from local farms and food retailers. WHF’s support of GCOC has helped ensure that Greater Williamsburg residents have access to food assistance.

On Thursday, July 25, 2024, GCOC will partner with Williamsburg House of Mercy from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. for the Sleigh Hunger: Christmas in July Food Drive. Hosted by Habitat for Humanity Restore on Jamestown Road, this food drive will help both organizations restock their shelves so they may continue providing food assistance throughout the summer season. To learn more about GCOC, visit www.groveoutreach.com.

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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.

Grantee Spotlight: Virginia Peninsula Foodbank

Apr 30, 2024 | Blog, Grantee Spotlight, News

Grantee Spotlight: Virginia Peninsula Foodbank

By: WHF Staff

As inflation and food costs have increased in recent years, more community members are struggling to provide healthy food for their families. According to the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank (VPF), nearly nine percent of greater Peninsula residents lack access to affordable and nutritious food. VPF and their partner agencies saw more than 77,000 unduplicated individuals seek food assistance in 2023, a 30% increase over 2022. VPF works “to inspire hope by leading the effort for a hunger-free and properly nourished community” through partnerships with 140 agencies to distribute food to those in need across the Peninsula. In collaboration with agency partners, VPF distributed over 1.7 million meals to Greater Williamsburg residents in 2023. Beyond partnerships, VPF is supported by community volunteers who invested more than 20,000 hours sorting, packing, and delivering food in 2023.

The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) provides grant funding for VPF’s Mobile Food Pantry and the Food for Kids BackPack Programs. Their Mobile Food Pantry distributed 547,713 meals in the WHF service area in 2023, and the BackPack Program will provide food to nearly 370 children to take home from seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and a pre-K program in Williamsburg/James City County throughout the 2023-2024 school year.

Visit the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank website to learn more or locate a food distribution site near you.

The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) is a private legacy 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 $106 million in grants to improve community health and well-being.

Grantee Spotlight: Older Adults and Social Isolation

Apr 15, 2024 | Blog, Grantee Spotlight, News

Grantee Spotlight: Older Adults and Social Isolation

By Williamsburg Health Foundation

In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory addressing the profound health impacts of social isolation and loneliness. This report underscored severe health risks, such as a reduced lifespan and an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, and dementia. Termed the “loneliness epidemic,” this problem affects individuals across all ages and demographics but can have a particularly negative impact on older adults. A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Consensus Study Report reported that almost one-quarter of older adults aged 65 and above, living independently, experience social isolation. The Surgeon General’s report notes the cost of the health effects related to social isolation in older adults accounts for almost $7 billion of Medicare spending each year.

Community Partners Addressing Isolation

The 2022 Sentara Community Health Needs Assessment revealed that in 2020, nearly 23% of people living in the Greater Williamsburg area and surrounding localities was over 65, with growth projected to more than 26% by 2030. With such a substantial segment of our community classified as older adults, the Williamsburg Health Foundation is grateful for the many community agencies working daily to address isolation in older adults, including but not limited to the following organizations:

The Peninsula Agency on Aging’s (PAA) mission is to advocate for policies and distribute resources to enhance the quality of life for older adults and family caregivers. PAA fulfills this commitment by offering in-home care, home-delivered meals, dining clubs, and transportation. These valuable services help older adults foster a sense of social connection while providing access to community resources.

The R.F. Wilkinson Family YMCA has offered programs aimed at building a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all in the Greater Williamsburg area since 2007. Their Active Older Adults program focuses on providing older adults with opportunities to remain socially active and healthy. Through social activities, fitness, and volunteer programs, the YMCA keeps older adults active and engaged, reduces social isolation, and boosts the quality of life for older members of our community.

Williamsburg Faith in Action (WFIA) unites transportation and volunteer support services for older adults in Greater Williamsburg. WFIA aids with transportation, shopping, caregiver support, and household chores. Wendy Satchell, WFIA’s Executive Director, recounted a story of a homebound WFIA care receiver who had been the primary caregiver for her husband until his recent passing. When a WFIA volunteer arrived to deliver her mail, she was overjoyed with the opportunity for conversation. Since her late husband’s care team no longer visited, she felt lonely and disconnected. Today, WFIA volunteers make regular visits and phone calls, providing companionship and connection.

We All Have a Role to Play

Like these organizations and many others working to increase social interaction and combat isolation among older adults in the Greater Williamsburg area, we as community members can make a difference. We can start by reaching out to check on the older adults in our lives and in our neighborhoods. Together, we can make progress in reducing social isolation in our community.