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 1,500 troops and groups. Volunteers serve more grades K-12 in a 27,000 square mile area of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.

With so many activities and programs all year round-there is truly something for every type of girl at any age! From trips to Europe, learning CPR, canoeing to music.

One unique feature at their corporate location is the “Outback”, a nature preserve behind their main building. Here the girls experience many of their programs and even earn badges. There’s even a lookout and fitness trail.

They say, “It’s your world, change it.” These Girl Scouts definitely have every opportunity to make a difference in many different ways.

To learn more about the programs and other wonderful activities they have click here.

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 contributed food is collected, sorted and distributed to over 325 agencies including church pantries and area Kids Cafes who then disburse or prepare and serve the food to those in need.

The Foodbank serves a 3,500-square-mile target area including the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Franklin and Virginia Beach as well as the counties of Southampton, Northampton, Sussex, Isle of Wight and Accomack.

The Foodbank is a very visual place when you walk around, pallets and large shelves stocked with food to the ceiling. That being said and seen you would think they had this great reserve of food all year around but their saying is “Pounds in, pounds out.” Their goal is to  go out of business- to solve the basic need of food for good.

To help accomplish this mission they have a number of programs to help push the food to those in need. Mobile pantries travel to communities in need to come to the people that may not be able to come to the warehouse.They partner with Churches, Fire Stations, and other non-profits to host the pantries and help get the word on in their communities.

Two very special programs are targeted to children, who may have working families that struggle from month to month and the Kids Cafe and Backpack program help alleviate some of the in between.

Kids Cafe® is a national program founded by Feeding America and administered locally by the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. It is a place where children through 18 years of age can come to receive free, nutritious evening meals in a safe, supportive environment. A Foodbank Nutritionist oversees the program, prepares the menus and provides nutrition education to the children.

Currently, there are more than 25 Kids Cafe locations in Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk and the Eastern Shore. Additional locations will open as funds become available. These locations provide almost 275,000 meals to approximately 4,700 children annually.

The BackPack Program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times when other resources are not available.

Bags/backpacks filled with food that children take home on weekends. The food is child-friendly, nonperishable, and easily-consumed. Bags/backpacks are discreetly distributed to children on the last day before the weekend or holiday vacation.

Besides food, the Foodbank is always in need of volunteers. They have very flexible times, and are always looking for anyone willing to lend a hand. Click here to get involved.

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 older adult with diabetes that has caused your teeth to come loose, and five of those in the front must be extracted. Luckily, you’ve found a resource to help you at no cost, but after the procedure you must return to work because you can’t afford to miss a day even though your mouth is numb and bleeding.

Sheree Holloway has lived through this experience, and is one of those included in the 30% of people in Hampton Roads that do not have access to any dental care.

On September 13, 2010 at Union Mission in Virginia Beach together with two donated navy dental vans more than 100 homeless men and women were able to finally receive much needed dental x-rays, cleanings and extractions.

Landmark Communication approached UWSHR wanting to make a direct impact with their donation, and dental health was the front runner as an unmet need in South Hampton Roads. UWSHR then turned to their partner agency, Access Partnership to help implement an Oral Health Initiative. Through this program, there will be outreaches to bring dental services to citizens in need, and who may not have any other opportunity.

Access Partnership is a community collaboration that focuses on strengthening the depth and breadth of existing programs, implementing new services for identified gaps in primary care and chronic illness prevention as well as help to coordinate care for medically indigent families.

Union Mission has nine different outreaches in three cities. They offer everything from emergency shelters, substance abuse rehabilitation, and children’s summer camps. Their mission is to serve the least, the last, and the lost in our community.

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 creating relationships in our community with partners who work toward creating positive, lasting change in the areas of Education, Financial Stability, and Health.

Suzanne Higgs, our Manager of Marketing, Media and Special Events and other staff will be visiting agencies that have passed our rigorous certification process.

Our hope is to bring their stories to you.