Richmond Nonprofits and Charities

I have been a faithful donor to CHildfund since 2006 when I began a sponsorship of a boy age 5 in Uganda. A few years later I added another sponsorship child in Bolivia. Meanwhile my "child" in Uganda is now 24 and I was wondering what is the cutoff age to receive sponsorship. The letters I received from him have been written by various brothers for several years now and when I asked I was told he is away at school. That seemed weird for an area that is desperately poor.<br>Still I never missed a payment until this past May when I received a letter from someone named Madison Grubb (Donor Coordinator) saying they had closed my affected sponshoships because of not receiving a doonation in 6 months. I wondered how dysfunctional can the accounting dept of a charity group be to actually cut someone off for non-payment! When I called them, the young women who answered offered a vague apology but no explanation. In my mind allowing a letter like that to go out is a serious error and led me to wonder if they even know what they're doing or is it all contrived.<br>Then I wrote letters to my sponsored children asking if they are actually receiving my payments. I received an assurance from the Ugandan office but it was addressed to someone with my first name but a different last name. After that I stopped any further sponsorship.<br>THis experience has left me somewhat wary of these child sponsor charities. I agree with other donors who wrote that ChildFund's christmas gift fees are price gouging at best, guilt trips at worst. I feel their targeted donor age group[ is retired seniors who have a bit of extra income. I can't stand incompetence in companies that you pay for services rendered - but in a charity that is taking your money to supposedly help children, it's even worse.

Richmond Community High School has had the opportunity to work with HSP over the last few years. HSP has coordinated efforts with student community service in our Community Garden and brought in college volunteers to work alongside our students. They were also instrumental in connecting us with engineering students from York College who developed a plan for a water catchment system for the garden.<br><br>Our high school students have attended two trips with HSP. The first in the summer of 2023 was a service learning experience to Guatemala to learn about and assist with projects in the Mayan Highlands. It was a truly life changing experience and everything was beautifully planned which took the pressure off our teacher chaperones. Last April a larger group of students traveled with HSP to White Mountain Arizona to learn about the Apache culture and reservation.<br><br>Everyone at HSP is dedicated to their mission and we look forward to many more collaborations with them. <br>

I think Goodwill has lost sight of its mission statement. I work as an employment advocate for an individual with disabilities. I helped her apply for a job with Goodwill at a specific location that had open positions. A few days later, Goodwill's K.S. contacted this individual and set her up for an interview at Goodwill's Colonial Heights location. When the interview date came, I drove my client to the Colonial Heights Goodwill only for the young lady to come back to my car ten minutes later in tears. Apparently, the manager at the Colonial Heights Goodwill had no clue who my client was and told her that he has no record of an interview. Sadly she was turned away. This one strike one for K.S. at Goodwill. Strike two came when I helped my client apply for another Goodwill, and guess what...K.S. calls her again, confirms the position is for Retail Associate Customer Service. By the end of this call, K.S. tells my client to go to a Goodwill location off of Hull Street for an interview for a Donation Attendant position. When my client tried to correct her and say that she applied for a Retail Customer service position at the location off of Midlothian Tnpk, K.S. proceeds to berate my client and tell her that she was wrong. It is so sad and disgraceful that Goodwill has become so money hungry and disregarding of the vulnerable population they claim to serve. Goodwill needs to lose its nonprofit standing as they do not act nor operate like a nonprofit!

HEAV is a an incredible resource for Virginia homeschool families. I’ve been blessed to serve alongside team members from HEAV on a national level and their impact is valued well beyond the borders of their state.

The counselors at CCTC helped me so much with a difficult situation. I was able to see things from Gods perspective. I went in to take the courses and am learning so much about relationships.

My son participates in 3 different programs offered within this building and despite advertising a focus on sports, they refuse to let athletes walk in the front door. They made us walk 1/4 mile in a tropical storm instead of letting us walk into the front door. The new cafe area fell apart because they banished foot traffic and essentially took away my membership to the building, as despite the membership I have, I’m still not allowed to walk in the building. The CEO is on an ego-trip and truly seems to enjoy making things harder for the programs that support the funding of this building. It’s really a shame. I’ve donated to their fundraisers before in addition to paying for the programs my son attends. We love the programs, but hope to see them relocate in the future. I will not provide any further donations directly to Uturn again.

Today We Must Fight Against The Diabetes And Hypertension And Try Out Vegan Consumption Foodies Is To Break Free From Obesity And Stress

I have been on the animal rescue site for many years and I always notice That the petitions posted and the campaigns for the Dog Meat trade are articulate and well rehearsed before publishing. This is a fantastic site and worth anyone’s attention .

I have learned much from NAMI Central Virginia about Bipolar I and other mental health diagnosis. The personal connections and classes have been invaluable to assist me as I navigate with my loved one helping us both with everyday functional decisions. <br><br>Thank you, NAMI Central Virginia for the good work you provide in our community.

My cats (all fixed at PAL) approve! I've been going to Prevent a Litter (PAL) for 20 years just a little after they opened with my own pets as well as feral cats that I trap, neuter and return. I've also referred relatives, neighbors, and countless others to them for spaying and neutering their pet dogs, cats, and rabbits. These are often low income, unemployed, or retired people who would not be able to afford the services of a regular vet. (Anyone, however, can go.) <br><br>PAL has such a deep compassion for animals and an understanding of what drives the problem of pet overpopulation. They are efficient and make the most of their small space. Dr. Asbury and his vet staff are a true gift to not just the greater city of Richmond but the broader geographical area. They have gone the extra mile to help me in difficult situations with with tail amputations for a cat with a bloody nub, various wound repairs, and eye removals -- all at a low cost. I've never been disappointed. <br><br>Because PAL is non-profit, their prices are very affordable. But that also means they run on thin margins, so **PLEASE SUPPORT THEM** like I do! I give as much as I possibly can, especially in light of the pandemic when there is so much need. Every little bit helps. Look on their website for ways you can make a difference!

I have had five years of bad teeth since having to be on a certain medication for bi-polar which I have to take under my tongue and let it dissolve. The pros outweighs the cons on my medicine so I continued to take it and my teeth deteriorated worse and worse.<br><br> Over the last five years I’ve had to pay out of pocket for about 7 teeth to be pulled as I am on Medicare which does not cover dental. <br><br>I am disabled and unable to work to earn enough money for full mouth extraction.<br><br> I first heard about MOM from For Kids, Inc. And this past April I received an email about the Portsmouth event at <br>I C Norcom HS in Portsmouth VA.<br><br>I arrived at 3:30am and it was sure worth the wait ! I brought a chair and food and drinks and talked with others going through the same procedure as me.<br><br>The volunteers were very kind and professional and knew their jobs well and it was very organized. They opened the doors at 7:30am<br><br>My surgeon was so kind and very patient as my teeth kept breaking she was excellent surgeon. She even had to drill some of them out due to the severe deterioration. My full mouth extraction lasted nearly two hours but I was so happy and grateful and the nurse stayed by my side and she soothed me. They finished around 11:15 and gave me instructions for aftercare. <br><br>This was one of the best days of my life! I never could have gotten rid of my rotted teeth had it not been for VDAF and MOM. I wish to thank everyone I have tears of joy in my eyes just writing about it.<br><br>I called the hotline number a couple days later for pain reasons and they had me in for an emergency appointment and the doctor there was also very nice and helped me tremendously to heal and I use my mouthwash prescribed to me every day. It heals my gums.<br><br>Thank you so much. Words cannot nearly express the fact that now I can get a new smile someday soon with dentures.<br><br>I highly recommend bday and Mission of Mercy —and do not be afraid because they know how to keep you as comfortable as possible and do their job quickly and professionally.<br><br>Sincerely with a smile <br><br>Michelle Burns<br>Virginia Beach Virginia <br>

As the Bible reminds us, we look most like Christ when we give. NIA serves that purpose by allowing us to assist underserved communities in the Richmond metropolitan area!

KVB does outstanding work to prevent and reduce litter in VA through it's 30 in 30 grantmaking, events like James River Cleanup and Shiver in the River etc.

This is a very hard-working nonprofit in Virginia that does terrific education and outreach to inform the public about the value of using native trees, shrubs and flowers. <br> <br>They have an excellent Facebook page and website -- www.vnps.org. <br> <br>

A very important program working to regain its effectiveness. Full service substance abuse treatment for men, women and women with young children. Please consider sponsoring or offering support to a program that helps some of our most needy.

Circle Center Adult Day Services blew me away. The facility is state of the art, super clean and bright. The staff and participants are like family. We have a diverse group, and lots of activities. We are always learning new skills, meeting new people and sharing new experiences.

My organization - Virginia529 - has volunteered with Junior Achievement for three years now - and we keep adding volunteers. JA provides services to thousands of students in Central Virginia every year - from K-12, at all area schools. JA enjoys strong community support and excellent programs focusing on financial literacy, ethics in the workplace and many other programs throughout the year. JA provides important assistance to the community - and they allow us the opportunity to volunteer and work with kids of all ages from across the region as they enhance their skills and learn to become productive members of society.

Well, I almost was finished and I hit something that deleted the review. I will begin with thanks and gratitude to the Organization for their hard work on this very important project for the mentally challenged or other handicapped children. I am positive that this was an answer to prayer for their parents! With the love and expertise of the teachers, these precious children will have an opportunity to learn and possibly go on to further enrich their lives and encourage others. God has given all your Organizational individuals gifts and he expects us to use them. UMFS certainly does. My prayer is the teahers involved to be caring, kind and understanding. It takes a special person to meet these qualities. God will provide! Great Work!! Thank you for working so hard. I admire you and will do what I can to assist you!

I use to think things must be better for LGBTQ youth today than when I was young. After all we have openly gay politicians and entertainers, more companies offer domestic partner benefit coverage, some states have passed same sex marriage even if there is much to be done in that arena. What i did not realize is the price many LGBTQ youth pay for being openly gay and honest at such an early age. They are rejected by family and friends, made fun of and bullied, forced to drop out of school because of the ridicule and lack of support. ROSMY is the only organization in Virginia that works specifically with the LGBTQ youth providing support groups, a means to gain self esteem and, quite simply, a safe haven to be themselves. I have observed the staff and volunteers work tirelessly to assure a youth who has no where to go or may be contemplating suicide is cared for, given a safe environment and the support they need to feel life is worth living and they can be themselves without fear. I cannot say enough for all the good this organization provides.

The emails sent out by the Poe Museum are informative and fun, plus they let the public know about many excellent events. Also, having made a donation to the Poe Museum, I received a prompt and sincere thank-you note from them, which makes me feel they appreciate any funding received. From the emails, the type and number of events they offer show they are using funds nicely to benefit as much of the public as possible. I believe the Poe Museum truly furthers interest in reading and writing by the work they do-- and they are a gem in our society.

I have worked with VAM for several years and have attended their conference as an Exhibitor. The Association is one of the most informed and helpful that I have worked with. Along with the Director & Staff everything is so well taken care. Information is accurate and quickly available. They provide an excellent service for their member Museums! I especially enjoy their imformative newsletters. In working with other Associations in other States I feel most comfortable with the way VAM operates and is set up.

We have been connected to Volunteer Families (formerly Volunteer Emergency Families for Children -VEFC) since 1982 when we became a host family. The first placement we had was a 17 year old out of state runaway who arrived on my husband's birthday. He was astounded that we had birthday cake for him. The next day his sister arrived with the court services worker and tearfully thanked us for taking such good care of him. We had several phone calls from him after that- one saying he was going into the Marines, to become "the best Marine I can be." We received letters from him until he went to Lebanon. Then the letters stopped - and we were concerned for his well being. <br> <br>Five years later we received a phone call, and it was this young man, calling to let us know that he was doing great, and was running a construction company in California. He then told us that he was hiring kids "like he was" to work for him, and again he thanked us for taking such good care of him. <br> <br>About 10 years after that we received another phone call. We had moved from our original home and had another phone number, so it really wasn't easy for him to track us down - but he did! We had a wonderful talk. He was married, had children of his own, and was a long distance trucker living in Florida. Again, he thanked us for helping him when he was 17. I used about 3 tissues after that phone call! <br> <br>This young man changed our lives too. I continued to volunteer for VEFC (VF) as the local volunteer coordinator, and about 6 months later joined the staff. For over 19 years, I was blessed to be part of the VEFC (VF) staff-family until I retired in 2001. <br> <br>I am impressed with the new energy and rebuilding that Volunteer Families is doing now, and continue to support their ministry and mission as much as possible.

Set Free Inc.provides loving Chrisitan counseling for those struggling with sexual issues arising from abuse and other causes. They have helped hundreds of men, women, and teens understand and overcome homosexuality, transgenderism, sexual addictions, pornography and sexual dysfunctions of other types. They have provided twenty years of solid leadership in the area of sexual healing for strugglers. I know many of their volunteers, most of whom are former clients, and all are deeply dedicated to God and biblical truth in the area of sexuality.