The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) Board of Trustees has awarded a total of nearly $6.9 million in grants in 2025 to contribute to enhancing health throughout Greater Williamsburg. This week, awards from the final of three WHF grant cycles in 2025 resulted in over $2.3 million being granted at year-end among 21 organizations serving area individuals and families. These organizations support a healthier community by providing services that increase access to behavioral and medical health services, and/or promote healthy aging, healthy eating, active living, or two-generation family services, primarily for those living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

Recipients include the HEADS UP initiative at Community of Faith Mission. HEADS UP offers case management services to connect individuals experiencing homelessness with community resources, including behavioral health, medical, prescription, nutritional support, and other essential social services. The Community of Faith Mission reports that the faith-based emergency shelter provided refuge from the winter cold and elements for 149 individuals experiencing homelessness during the 2024-2025 winter season.

Another newly funded initiative, Williamsburg House of Mercy’s (WHOM’s) wrap-around food and supportive health services program, provides food-related assistance and health services to Greater Williamsburg residents in need. “We are hearing from our local partners about the substantial increase in the number of people seeking help to secure food,” said Bill Pribble, Vice President of Programs. “This grant alleviates some of the costs associated with distributing and storing nutritious foods and improves access to medical and behavioral health services for WHOM’s guests.”

As described on the Foundation’s website, while WHF prioritizes requests for strategically aligned programmatic efforts, there are occasional opportunities to consider capital project requests which may be submitted only during the last funding cycle of the year. This opportunity is limited by the number and dollar amount of the prioritized programmatic applications received during the final grant cycle and the grant dollars available at year-end. This year, remaining resources enabled WHF to consider capital projects received, which were efforts designed to strengthen the organizations’ long-term capacity to serve Greater Williamsburg. “This cycle, remaining funds contributed toward six capital requests from local organizations whose work touches the lives of so many of our neighbors,” said Deanna Van Hersh, WHF’s President and CEO. These projects range from safety/accessibility upgrades and renovation of existing facilities to site procurement for a new housing community for income-restricted older adults.

Since January 2025, the Foundation has provided over $6.6 million in grants to numerous organizations. To learn more, please 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 $119 million in grants to improve community health and well-being.