Community Partners Directory

The DeGood Foundation ensures that all children on the Virginia Peninsula will have equitable access to positive early childhood experiences that nurture, grow, and inspire through programs such as Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and Bags of Hope. We believe that children can achieve by inspiring them to Dream More, Learn More, Care More, and Be More by focusing on programs in youth literacy and early childhood experiences.

The Hidenwood is an Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care Community nestled in the woods of Newport News, Virginia. Newport News is a town where friendships last a lifetime, neighbors help each other, and families have roots. Chances are, if you've lived around here or in the area you already know someone who lives at The Hidenwood.

The Literacy Lab provides students–in communities experiencing racial and/or economic inequities–with evidence-based, culturally responsive literacy instruction as preparation for academic, professional, and personal success.

The Literacy Lab serves children from age three through grade three. We partner with school districts to help close the literacy gap largely by embedding full-time, rigorously-trained tutors in early childhood centers and elementary schools.

We are looking for candidates to serve full-time from the beginning of the school year to the end. We partner with AmeriCorps, all of our accepted Tutors become AmeriCorps members for the duration of their service term - benefits include a living allowance, health insurance, and an education award.

Water Connects Us All
A Message from our President Howard Hoege III
The mission of The Mariners’ Museum and Park is to connect people to the world’s waters, because that is how we are connected to one another. Across our nation and the world, we see daily reminders of the forces at work pulling communities apart. During these times, we believe our Museum has a powerful narrative to tell about community and what binds us together. We strive to provide an intellectual and emotional experience that is shared by generations, across cultures, and without barriers or judgment. It’s not just about displaying artifacts, but having our visitors learn and feel something, while awakening and introducing them to their maritime roots. It is through exploration of our collection and engaging experiences that we connect people to the world’s waterways. A steward of one of the world’s most extensive maritime collections, The Mariners’ Museum and Park is committed to the preservation and conservation of more than 32,000 objects and several million library and archive materials. We provide access to the collection through exhibitions, loans, publications, educational programs and online media. The Museum is proud to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and follows its standards of care to ensure the survival of the collection for generations yet-to-come.

The Natasha House's mission is to provide homeless women and children with the resources and support in which allows them to attain and sustain a self-sufficient way of life. Our Fundamental Purpose is to intervene in the cycle of homelessness of female-headed families and at-risk youth thru our on-site transitional housing up to 2yrs—Residency and our comprehensive rehabilitative services called the HomeMakers Program.

Our C.H.A.M.P.S. (Character, Honesty, Appreciation, Morals, Perseverance, Service) Program is our youth character development, mentoring, and creative Arts healing program designed to enrich homeless and/or at-risk youth with the qualities they need to become successful individuals & entrepreneurs. We use proven systems thinking training to instill five B’s: Be Healthy; Be Fit; Be Educated; Be Creative and Be of Character. Seed2Table, our on-site career-readiness horticulture education and therapy community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, includes weekly training in project management for both our moms and children. Weekly, NHI families perform horticulture duties, provide vegetables for the community, and receive fresh vegetables for their families.

We are a non-profit organization that re-gifts fresh flowers to patients in the hospital. We partner with local venues that host events, like weddings and receptions, with fresh flower arrangements. After the event, our team of volunteers gather donated flowers and transport them to Riverside Hospital in Newport News where we arrange them into bouquets that are delivered to individual patients by hospital volunteers the following day. To join our team of volunteers, sign up at simplesunflower.org.

Working with The Salvation Army allows you to support the community's most vulnerable by caring for people, creating faith pathways, building healthy communities and working for justice. Our goal is to feed those that are hungry, give clothing to those who have none and to provide shelter for those that have not.

Be able to set or stand for periods of time.

THRIVE is a faith-based coalition helping families through financial hardship. Volunteer opportunities include food pantry packing, front desk/administration, human services/social work admin, and more!

The YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas strengthens communities. Through our focus on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, we embrace and nurture the promise that lives in all of us. The Y gives children, families, and individuals the support and resources needed to be healthier, more confident, connected, and secure.
Our Y supports the values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility and we are guided by the following principles as we work to strengthen the foundations of community.
The mission of the Y is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

Our team is passionate about building relationships with our patients and their loved ones so that we know what matters most to them. Volunteering may consist of in person visiting with patients, sitting with them while their caregiver is away, playing cards, reading a book, or even doing puzzles. If you prefer to not volunteer in person, there are other ways to provide this care. Volunteers can also make phone calls, write cards to patients, cook/simple housework, or even cut grass. Any way you can serve our patients is beneficial! Our volunteers can choose the days and times that work best with their schedule. Without volunteers, the Traditions Health hospice program could not provide the kinds of services which are needed to enhance the quality of the lives of our patients and their families. I provide training/orientation for our volunteers in order for them to feel comfortable in carrying out their responsibilities.

Transitions Family Violence Services is an incorporated 501(C)3 organization which provides comprehensive services to adult and child family violence victims. The primary provider of shelter and human trafficking services for victims in Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson and a co-service provider for York County.

United Way of the Virginia Peninsula is a nonprofit organization that connects businesses, local nonprofits, and social service agencies to address our community's most pressing needs. We are working to move 10% of households out of poverty by the year 2023.

United Way's Community Assistance Network (CAN) provides Advocacy and Referral Services for those facing poverty-related crisis on the Virginia Peninsula.

- Parenting education programs
- Early childhood education programs
- Resource and referral information to community partners and collaborators
- Programs are for adults and children (most children are age birth to 5 years); minimal cost; fees may be waived.
- Programs Promote the Six Common Protective Factors known to reduce the risk of childhood abuse and childhood neglect by emphasizing a child’s well-being; helps to repair the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

Site Team Leader: Jack Seftas (jack.seftas.22@cnu.edu)

Application process including a background check required.

VHS Hospice assists caregivers and improve an individual’s quality of life. Our team works with individuals, their loved ones, and their clinical team to determine eligibility for Hospice.

Our staff is specially trained in providing holistic, compassionate palliative care, including addressing mental, physical, or spiritual needs. This includes nursing care and physician oversight as well as counseling services for the individual and their loved ones.

Hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial insurers. It is for individuals who have received a prognosis of six months or less and is an option for individuals who do not wish to receive aggressive, curative treatments, and lengthy hospital stays.

Our hospice team provides care wherever the individual resides.

The YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas strengthens communities. Through our focus on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, we embrace and nurture the promise that lives in all of us. The Y gives children, families, and individuals the support and resources needed to be healthier, more confident, connected, and secure. Our Y supports the values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility and we are guided by the following principles as we work to strengthen the foundations of community.

The purpose behind VIP LLC is to provide the counseling, mentorship, and advocacy necessary to transition past and prevent personal and community experiences with violence. Our mission is to impact adults and youth currently suffering from or at risk of violence, and provide them with the skills, tools, and resources necessary to cultivate a life-changing perception of success and community responsibility.

Virginia Beach EMS is the largest volunteer EMS system in the United States. They serve the Virginia Beach community by answering all 911 calls for medical and fire help in the city. The system consists of over 15 stations and thousands of volunteers who field over 100 calls per day.

The Virginia Living Museum is a combination aquarium, zoo, botanical garden and science center, exhibiting animals and plants native to Virginia. Volunteers and interns can work in all areas of our organization, from Animal Care to Education to Administration, to support our non-profit's mission to connect our community with conservation and the natural world.

Virginia Organizing is a non-partisan statewide grassroots organization dedicated to challenging injustice by empowering people in local communities to address issues that affect the quality of their lives. We are working in Newport News and Hampton encouraging the participation of those who have traditionally had little or no voice in our society. We work on local and statewide issues, offering opportunities in volunteering and internships.

The mission of the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank is to distribute food effectively through collaborative efforts that minimize hunger, promote nutrition and encourage self-reliance through education.

Site Team Leader: Lydia Elkins (lydia.elkins.22@cnu.edu)

At WCG we work to grow Williamsburg's healthy community food ecosystem. Our mission is to educate the public regarding the benefits of producing and consuming locally grown produce; provide gardening space for individuals and organizations; promote healthy, sustainable lifestyles for the community; and demonstrate and promote conservation practices.

School experiences at Woodside empower students to embrace new challenges and explore diverse options as they craft their future in an ever changing society. To foster academic and social development, we embody five habits for success: Reason, Right, Responsibility, Respect, and Resilience.

All persons interested in volunteering at a school, or for a school related program or event, must complete the school division’s online volunteer application. All prospective volunteers will be subject to a background check against the sex offender registries in all 50 states and the custom databases set by each school. The school principal or designee shall review the prospective volunteer applications and ensure the volunteers have cleared the screening process and completed all required documents. All volunteers must be approved before volunteering at any school or event, or chaperoning any school field trip. Prospective volunteers and schools should allow at least one week for this process. Service of volunteers will be limited to the five areas listed below:

1. General assistance in the school and in the classroom.
2. Tutoring, which includes reinforcement and remediation activities.
3. Enrichment, limited to those activities which are in harmony with the purpose, scope and development of the curriculum including special presentations and programs.
4. Mentoring, providing provide motivation, support and role modeling.
5. Sponsoring a club or other extra-curricular activity that supports the mission of the school or school division.

NNPS Volunteer Application can be found below.

The department serves on the front line of intervention, assessment, service provision, and/or referral to appropriate agencies and organizations in the York County/Poquoson area(s).

We are looking for friendly visitors! Do you like to go for walks, go for lunch with a friend, play a puzzle, or read a book? So do our York/Poquoson Department of Social Service Adult Service clients.

Oftentimes, the elderly in York County and the City of Poquoson live alone with adult children and other family members living out of state. Because York County lacks public transportation, some of our older adults lack transportation to go on outings and get groceries and medications. Many people rely on neighbors to assist them. It was for this reason that the Adult Services Unit of York-Poquoson Social Services sought to establish a Friendly Visitors program to alleviate the social isolation needs of the older adult population in York County.

Statistics: (Statistic Source > Administration on Aging)

 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 12.5 million older adults live in one-person households, representing 28% of people
aged 65 or older.
 Loneliness increases the likelihood of mortality by 26%.
 Lacking social connections is as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
 Lonely individuals have a 64% increased chance of developing clinical dementia

Objectives
To promote longevity and positivity in the lives of those who are elderly and live in our community.
To involve the community in activities related to services to the older adult population of York County and the City of
Poquoson.
To supplement, extend, and enhance the services and activities of York-Poquoson Social Services.
Eligible Persons
Any individual, without regard to race, religion, sex, age, income level or handicapping condition, is eligible to be considered
for participation in this program if they are receiving services through the Adult Services Division of York-Poquoson Social
Services.

Volunteer Services

YPDSS recruits, screens, and conducts background checks to qualify volunteers. Once trained, the Friendly Visitors, under the oversight, supervision, and guidance of YPDSS, provide respite for a caregiver in the family home.

Friendly Visitors’ primary tasks include:
Providing companionship
Playing games or engaging in creative arts
Light exercise, short-distance walks
Reading, watching TV/movies together

Volunteers are not allowed to:
~Lift a person who has fallen to the floor or ground (911 should be called)
~ Provide personal care (grooming, toileting, bathing)
~Move furniture
~Housekeeping
~DO NOT Accept money or donations, tips, gifts, hospitality, or entertainment.

Youth Volunteer Corps' mission is to engage youth in service experiences that build life and work skills while inspiring a lifetime ethic of service. All projects are group-based, structured and supervised with embedded team-building and service-learning activities. Our model is designed to increase empathy, build leadership capacity, broaden awareness of community needs, and develop important career-readiness skills. Our youth (ages 11-18) serve diverse populations in a variety of settings, including veterans, seniors, children, individuals with disabilities, and those experiencing hunger and homelessness. Youth also participate in environmental preservation efforts and construction projects that benefit the community.

YVCHR utilizes trained Team Leaders to facilitate service-learning experiences for our youth volunteers. CNU students who are interested in becoming a Team Leader should contact Katie at kmorgan@yvchr.org. A background check and orientation are required.