April 2011
1 post
Partner Spotlight: Virginia Beach Field House
By Suzanne Higgs
As you drive down Landstown Road in Virginia Beach to reach the Sports Complex, you can’t help but be impressed by the magnitude that is the Virginia Beach Field House. When you walk through the doors you’re immediately greeted by a friendly front desk - that is if you can even manage to say “Hello” as you look around at the surrounding volley ball courts and soccer fields.
On...
March 2011
1 post
"A Special Place for Special Children"
By: Suzanne Higgs
St. Mary’s truly is a home. When you walk in you feel warmth, and welcome. St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children is unique organization providing long term pediatric residential care facility that exclusively serves children with severe physical and intellectual disabilities.
Filled with colorful hallways, art projects, and learning St. Mary’s offers a unique...
December 2010
1 post
American Red Cross of Southeastern Virginia
By: Brent Tietjen
When I hear about the Red Cross, the first thing that comes to mind is donating blood. Although running blood drives are a high priority for the Red Cross, I didn’t realize all the other areas in our community that the Red Cross impacts.
In addition to blood collection, the American Red Cross of Southeastern Virginia provides disaster services, both locally and nationally,...
November 2010
8 posts
"A Door to Hope, Healing, and Change"
We don’t like to talk about domestic violence (DV), we don’t like to think of bruises, broken ribs, or mental torment. But for some in South Hampton Roads, men and women, it’s a reality.
DV involves power and control over one partner in a relationship. It can include coercion & threats, using intimidation, emotional abuse, isolation, minimizing, and blaming among others. It...
12 tags
Much More than Cookies
I’ve always wished I had joined the Girl Scouts…and after visiting the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, I definitely regret not doing so.
Much more than cookies and badges (all though a big part), Girl Scouts are so much more. Girls are challenged and encouraged at all age levels to reach for and achieve their best.
More than 16,000 girls are apart of the Colonial Coast, which is...
2 tags
Inspiring All Girls to be Strong, Smart, and Bold.
“Picture the world through the eyes of a Girls Inc. girl. She belongs to a community that empowers her to pursue the biggest dreams she can dream. She is uplifted by the strength of a national organization that is committed to inspiring the leaders of tomorrow.”
Girls Inc. in Portsmouth is specifically designed to meed the needs and interests of at risk girls (and boys till 12) in...
9 tags
Until Hunger Goes Away
I’ve never had to experience going hungry and had no idea of just how many struggle with hunger on a day to day basis until I visited the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia.
When you hear that they push over 12 million pounds of food each fiscal year, the thought of how hungry some are sits in your stomach.
Essentially, the Foodbank is a warehouse or “bank” where recovered and...
August 2010
10 posts
10 tags
Meeting a Need in Hampton Roads
By Suzanne Higgs When people think about what constitutes a traumatic event, the mind often wanders to things like losing a loved one, a car accident or an earthquake that changes a country. Many never think of a visit to the dentist. Imagine-if you’ve lived your whole life and were unable to visit a dentist due to lack of access, no health care or other circumstances. You’re now an...
9 tags
Children's Harbor
By Suzanne Higgs
I’ve never really missed being a kid until I visited Children’s Harbor. Who wouldn’t want to have breakfast, lunch, nap time, and snack time plus playing and recess? Little do the children know that the fun that they’re having is actually learning. “Literacy happens everyday, no matter what,” says Susan Pollack who maintains the curriculum and...
11 tags
Overcoming Addiction to Give Back
The Story of Nancy Gatlin-The Judeo-Christian Outreach Center By Suzanne Higgs
What would you do if your loving husband passes away and your son dies tragically in a motorcycle crash not long after? Nancy Gatlin had to face this situation in her real life. She answered by turning to alcohol to cope with the her loss and ended up losing her home and the life she once knew. The drinking...
12 tags
The Judeo-Christian Outreach Center
By Suzanne Higgs Driving down Virginia Beach Blvd, it might be hard to spot The Judeo-Christian Outreach Center that is surrounded by a charming white fence and covered in shade. When you pull in you might see families, elderly men and women, or a few 20 somethings gathered around a set of tables. This is one the many programs at JCOC. With their partnership with the Food Bank of Southeastern...
6 tags
Welcome!
Welcome to United Way of South Hampton Roads’ blog! We’d like to take a moment and let you know why we’re starting one.
UWSHR started as the “Norfolk Community Fund” (NCF) in 1923 with Judge Thomas H. Wilcox as Chief Volunteer Officer. That first campaign raised $298,207, which was used to fund community services and programs by local agencies.
Today we focus on...