The VNPC is pleased to announce the 2024 Recipients of the VNPC Community Fund!
The VNPC Community Fund awards grants of up to $2,500 to support innovative local initiatives that aim to improve maternal and infant health outcomes across Virginia. This funding is a one-time award for Virginia-based organizations or individuals to help facilitate their work within our communities, with a six-month implementation timeline. Priority is given to projects that not only address immediate needs of communities in the Commonwealth, but also ensure sustainability for long-term benefits. The creativity, dedication, and passion of every one of this year’s applicants is inspiring. The VNPC is thrilled to support the 2024 VNPC Community Fund Recipients’ efforts as they fill a vital role in creating healthier futures for mothers, infants, and families in Virginia.
We at the VNPC want to offer a sincere thank you to all of the applicants for your commitment to making a difference. We can’t wait to see the incredible progress your projects will achieve!
Read more about the 2024 VNPC Community Fund Recipients below:
Augusta Health for Middle River Regional Jail: this non-profit, community hospital serves the parenting women of Middle River Regional Jail (MRRJ) by providing them with breastmilk pumps, freezers and other supplies. This will help women giving birth and returning to MRRJ to provide breastmilk for their babies.
Branches of Birth: this doula care service will help families with low-income and/or Medicaid by connecting them with a doula and hosting a birth preparation series in partnership with local pediatricians, nonprofits, midwives, WIC offices and other organizations to provide them with education, support and tools important for their pregnancy and parenting journeys.
Community Transformers: this charity
hosts a virtual and in-person support group, Mommy Connect, for mothers in marginalized communities who struggle with perinatal/postpartum mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD). These sessons focus on teaching about coping skills and PMAD, as well as peer support. Community Transformers also hosts community events for Virginia moms that provide resources, education and support.
Huddle Up Moms: this nonprofit organization seeks to provide newborn necessities for new mothers in marginalized communities in Roanoke through the first year of life. Important supplies for babies that will be provided as part of the Postpartum Care Package program include car seats, diapers, bath supplies, cribs and other safe sleep options.
Jamii Birth and Wellness: this nonprofit organization will serve prenatal clients, the majority of which are part of historically marginalized communities, by providing comprehensive prenatal, pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn care educational materials and sessions through their Easy Access Clinic.
Little Hands Virginia: this nonprofit organization partners with organizations across several localities across central Virginia to serve infants and young children of families with low income. Little Hands Virginia strives to provide essentials such asdiapers and car seats to alleviate the financial strain on families and promote child safety and parental mental health.
Nurturing Amenities: this nonprofit organization works with mothers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds in the Hampton Roads area to improve their mental health through their Parenting Through Stress program. The program utilizes an evidence-based approach to help mothers build resilience skills, practice self-care, and develop secure attachments with their infants, with an overall goal of reducing postpartum depression and anxiety.
The Diverse Birth Collective: this nonprofit organization provides no-cost postpartum support and prenatal yoga classes to a diverse range of pregnant and postpartum people. Their monthly programming, Beyond the Bump and Prenatal/Postnatal yoga, facilitates mental wellbeing, social support and connections through weekly check-ins, movement, and in-person classes.
Virginia Prison Birth Project: this nonp
rofit organization supports justice-impacted pregnant and parenting people through programming such as weekly doula-led perinatal and peer-education support groups, nutritious food donations, and yoga classes across three facilities in Virginia.
Zeta Phi Beta: this sorority
chapter in Williamsburg partnered with local organizations to host a community baby shower at a medical and dental center to provide pregnant and parenting people and infants under 2 years old with resources and facilitate access to prenatal, postnatal, mental and dental healthcare in their community. They also held workshops on topics ranging from preeclampsia and contraceptive care, to nutrition and infant dental care.