Virginia Beach to let nonprofits distribute $10 million in pandemic relief

VIRGINIA BEACH — Residents and small businesses struggling as a result of the pandemic will likely have another opportunity to get assistance from local nonprofits.

On Tuesday, the Virginia Beach City Council is expected to vote to give $10 million to nonprofits to distribute aid.

Under the proposal being considered, each of the following organizations will receive $2 million grants:
United Way of South Hampton Roads;
the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore;
Hampton Roads Workforce Council;
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Hampton Roads;
and the city’s volunteer rescue squad.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Feeding America has projected about 40,000 people in Virginia Beach will experience food insecurity this year, and about 59% of them won’t be eligible for federal nutrition programs, said Ruth Jones Nichols, president of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.

On top of that, Jones Nichols said her organization has experienced a steady decline in the amount of food donations received over the past five years. In 2016, the organization received 4 million pounds. This year, donations are down by 1 million pounds, she said. She partly attributed this decline to the closing of Farm Fresh, which was one of the Foodbank’s top food donors.

She said the Foodbank would use $2 million to purchase food, delivery trucks and fridges for partner organizations that distribute food. Read the full story.