Williamsburg Health Foundation Awards $1.6 Million to Local Organizations
Williamsburg Health Foundation Awards $1.6 Million to Local Organizations
WILLIAMSBURG, VA – December 17, 2024: The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) is pleased to announce that the Board of Trustees recently approved grant requests totaling $1.6 million from nonprofit and government organizations that work to improve health and well-being in the City of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County. The Board approved requests within the Foundation’s funding areas of Healthy Eating Active Living, Two-Generation Family Services, Healthy Aging, and Behavioral Health Services.
Recognizing healthy eating and regular physical activity as important forms of primary prevention to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, WHF is pleased to invest in initiatives that encourage active lifestyles and make nutritious foods more accessible. “These grants strategically align with WHF’s mission and represent WHF’s continued commitment to fund programs and initiatives that remove barriers and increase opportunities for healthy eating and active living in Greater Williamsburg,” said Deanna Van Hersh, WHF President & CEO.
During this grant cycle, the importance of programs and services to support independent living for older adults in our community has also become increasingly apparent. According to USAFACTS, the 65+ population in Greater Williamsburg was the fastest-growing age group from 2010 to 2022. Specifically, there were increases in the older adult population of 49% in the City of Williamsburg, 56% in James City County, and 61% in York County. “We are happy to contribute to efforts designed to help older adults as they age in place,” said Bill Pribble, Vice President of Programs. “These grants fund essential services for approximately 975 older adults, including meals, medical transportation, in-home support, and various physical, social, and educational activities.”
In line with WHF’s mission and strategic focus, grants were also awarded in the Foundation’s Two-Generation Family Services and Behavioral Health Services focus areas. Please refer to the attached document for a list of grants.
In 2024, WHF awarded a total of $5.95 million to improve health and well-being in Greater Williamsburg. To learn more about the Foundation’s grant opportunities, visit www.williamsburghealthfoundation.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.
| Organization Name | Project Title | Program Description | Board Approved Amount |
| Grants for Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) | |||
| The Arc of Greater Williamsburg | Fitness Program | To provide both clients and caregivers with activities and tools to improve the health of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. | $37,500.00 |
| Virginia Legacy Soccer Club | Virginia Legacy WJCC Recreational Soccer Program | To provide recreational soccer free of charge to youth in the City of Williamsburg, James City County and surrounding areas. | $40,000.00 |
| Virginia Peninsula Foodbank | Mobile Food Pantry | To provide fresh produce for the Williamsburg area mobile food pantry program. | $68,125.00 |
| Williamsburg Community Growers | Increase Our Impact | To increase the impact of the community garden and teaching farm in James City County. | $68,912.00 |
| Williamsburg-James City County Community Action Agency | Feed The Need Food Pantry | To support a community food pantry in the Norge area that provides access to nutritious food and essential support to individuals and families facing food insecurities. | $15,000.00 |
| Williamsburg-James City County Public School Division | WJCC Middle School Cross Country Running Club | To support the middle school cross country running club in collaboration with the School Health Initiative Program (SHIP). | $13,200.00 |
| Grants to Support Two-Generation Family Services | |||
| Child Development Resources | Healthy and Emotionally Attuned Relationship Therapy (HEART) Program | To support a two-generation mental health program providing individual counseling to parents/caregivers and play therapy to young children, with joint sessions to work on attachment. | $80,000.00 |
| Child Development Resources | Capital Campaign Contribution for CDR’s Family Resource Center | CDR is consolidating its operations from four locations and five buildings into a centrally located building (“Family Resource Center”) at 312 Waller Mill Road with the goal of providing wrap-around, comprehensive, and coordinated services. The new building will provide CDR and their partners with a space for the growing number of children and families in the community facing disabilities, developmental delays, poverty, homelessness, mental health issues, challenges accessing childcare, and other special needs. | $400,000.00 |
| Virginia Down Syndrome Association | Williamsburg Community Coordinator | To support a Williamsburg staff position to provide family care coordination and programming for Greater Williamsburg Area families who have a member with Down syndrome. | $35,100.00 |
| Grants for Healthy Aging | |||
| Peninsula Agency on Aging | Nutritious Noontime Meals | To contract with a local provider for home-delivered nutritious meals for low-income, aged 60 and older, residents. | $75,000.00 |
| Peninsula Agency on Aging | PAA RIDES | To provide non-emergency medical transportation for older adults and people with disabilities. | $130,000.00 |
| Williamsburg Area Faith in Action | In-Home Services | To provide free, in-home support services for isolated older adults aged 60 and older living in Greater Williamsburg. | $7,500.00 |
| YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas | Active Older Adults | To support social, physical, and educational efforts available to older adults in the Williamsburg area. | $11,250.00 |
| Grants for Behavioral Health Services | |||
| Bacon Street Youth and Family Services | Support for Operations | To support Bacon Street’s operations. | $240,000.00 |
| Center for Child and Family Services, Inc. | The Reboot Program | To provide trauma-informed assessments/treatment for adults who are perpetrators of violence in intimate partner, family, or community relationships, as well as those struggling with substance abuse not requiring withdrawal management. | $133,000.00 |
| Postpartum Support Virginia, Inc. | Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies | To increase opportunities in the Greater Williamsburg Area for recovery from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) and to create awareness among maternal and child-focused service organizations, healthcare, and behavioral health providers about PMADs. | $20,000.00 |
| Other Grants | |||
| The Doorways | Support for Operations | To help underwrite lodging and support services for patients (children and adults) and their families from the WHF service area. | $3,750.00 |
