Coronavirus Update
THRIVE PENINSULA SERVICE UPDATES & NEEDS
Page updated: 2/4/2022
There is no more critical time to serve those in need than during a crisis. Those we serve are some of the most vulnerable people in our community and they will be some of the hardest hit. Many of us can overcome lost hours at work or extra medical expenses but this population largely cannot. Instead they are at risk of facing hunger or becoming homeless. That’s why we’re here.
THRIVE is remaining fully operational, serving families with emergency bill assistance, financial coaching, and food relief.
EVICTIONS & UTILITY CUT-OFFS
The federal and state moratoriums on evictions and utility cut-offs have expired, except for families receiving WIC, TANF or other state aid with past-due Dominion Energy bills.
2021 COVID-19 RELIEF (Jan - Dec)
THRIVE is continuing to operate at full throttle, serving food, financial assistance, and financial coaching five days per week. Since the start of the pandemic, we have maintained expanded open hours, and added capacity to serve nearly twice as many families through all of our services compared to pre-pandemic times. Plus we have opened up our critical bill relief program to any request that supports financial sustainability such as car repair, or work boots, or childcare expenses. But that's not all.
In December 2021, THRIVE offered Christmas assistance to 427 children through our Let Christmas THRIVE Program. This program began in 2020 when one of our financial coaches realized that families he was working with, who faced hardship due to COVID, did not have any means to provide Christmas presents for their children. As a result, the program was born! Click here to learn more.
We have initiated a food delivery program to reach families who are in quarantine or who struggle with transportation. Since the pandemic began, non-profit partners and churches have picked up and delivered food from our pantry but we know there is still unmet need in our community. That's why we're closing the gap by having a new set of volunteer drivers deliver food to the unreached. In 2021, we delivered groceries to 300 families.
Our facility renovation project is complete! Thanks to grantors, we have increased our cold storage by adding a 3-door commercial fridge which houses produce, milk, and eggs and increased our dry storage by removing built in cabinetry. In fact, we are currently buying an distributing 50 dozen eggs and 50 half gallons of milk. To replace our cabinetry, we ripped out a bathroom and created a new kitchenette which is stocked with beverages and snacks to fuel our 65 weekly volunteers and 4 staff members. Click to view photos of the project.
On July 1 we began administering funds for the Virginia Eviction Reduction Pilot, thanks to our partnership with the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula. With these funds, we can assist families that have limited income and other barriers that prevent them from becoming stable and provide ongoing case management. We are thankful for this opportunity to assist more families in crisis.
Thank you for your critical support. All of our efforts to enhance our services for Peninsula families have been made possible by the generosity of our donors. Scroll to the bottom of the page for links to follow us on social media or to subscribe to our newsletter.
2020 COVID-19 RELIEF
Hover your cursor on the slideshow to pause.
2020 IMPACT
This has been a year of struggle and hardship for so many families who have lost their jobs, lost their childcare, and lost their sense of stability. THRIVE is here to offer help and support to keep families afloat.