The Williamsburg House of Mercy provides quality compassionate human services to all people, especially the most vulnerable, regardless of faith. They provide a safe and welcoming environment for area homeless to find respite, receive services, and find help towards ending their homelessness. Emergency assistance and supportive services are given to those struggling to maintain housing and regain stability.

The Community of Faith Mission (COFM) has provided safety, warmth, and sustenance to our most vulnerable neighbors since 2012. Hospitality is provided at area congregations for one week at a time, and funding is needed for the staff, “God POD” (trailer), hygiene and medical supplies, and hotel stays for guests when needed.

The William & Mary Law School Immigration Clinic provides much needed legal representation to immigrants in the Hampton Roads area at no cost, and is essential to our Journey to Asylum program. The Clinic is responsible for fundraising for a majority of its budget and so relies on community donations to make this critical work possible. You can learn more about the Clinic’s work by visiting their blog, and reading their latest Impact Report.

The UUA Disaster Relief Fund supports UU congregations and their wider communities in need after a disaster.

WUU is a member of Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP), which engages people of faith and goodwill in advocating for economic, racial and social justice in Virginia’s policies and practices through education, prayer and action. VICPP is a non-partisan coalition of 23,000 members including 700 faith communities and 1,000 clergy of all faiths and people of goodwill, all working for a more just society.

Literacy for Life has been working for nearly 50 years to provide literacy services to help community members function more effectively. They are the only organization in Williamsburg that provides individualized, one-to-one and small group tutoring for adults in reading, writing and math skills as well as instruction in English for speakers of other languages. They also support learners pursuing goals including high school completion, passing the U.S. citizenship exam, obtaining a better job, learning to manage family finances, passing a driver’s license test, effectively communicating with medical professionals, and helping a child with homework.

FISH is an all-volunteer nonprofit agency providing food, hygiene items, clothing, and basic housewares assistance to residents in need in the Greater Williamsburg area since 1975.

Edmarc is an organization that provides services based on a charity model, providing hospice, home health, and bereavement services for more than 300 families each year. Edmarc has been helping families in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia since 1978 and has recently expanded its service area to include Williamsburg, Gloucester, Mathews, New Kent, and surrounding communities. Families are never billed for any support they receive. Because of generous community support, Edmarc can provide quality care, and parents are able to focus on their child and families while not having to worry about another bill. This allows Edmarc staff to enter homes and unburden a family while providing hope for the journey.

The Village, is dedicated to equity and justice in the Williamsburg-James City County Schools and community. The Village works with Williamsburg-James City County (WJCC) schools to address the achievement gap and the disproportionate percentages of expulsion and suspension of minority youth which leads to the pipeline to prison. They also seek to educate the community on voting at all levels and promote social justice by inviting everyone to be part of the process.

PFLAG Williamsburg, the local affiliated chapter of PFLAG National, provides community-based support groups to help further the organization’s mission to create a caring, just, and affirming world for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. To request information about support group meetings or to be added to the mailing list, email pflagwilliamsburg@gmail.com.

Hampton Roads Refugee Relief (HR3), whose mission is to promote the independence and wellbeing of refugees resettling in Hampton Roads. HR3 helps build stronger communities from Williamsburg to the Southside by connecting refugee families to needed resources, providing educational support, and distributing donated household goods. Your support allows HR3 to continue welcoming our newest neighbors with care and compassion, as they assist them in becoming independent, contributing members of our community. Your generosity means everything to these families who have endured such hardship.

Pink Haven Coalition is a collective of organizations and individuals who are committed to trans liberation and to growing community defense, mutual-aid, and alternative systems of care for gender diverse people. It is a trans-led accompaniment project supported by the UUSC, UUA, and UU congregations around the country that helps transgender individuals and their families move from unsafe states to safer states. All donations move directly into the hands of trans-led organizers to support trans and non-binary people in accessing the resources and support they need to survive and thrive. Learn more at pinkhaven.org.

The Williamsburg Bike Co-op collects donated bikes, and volunteers refurbish them to ensure they can provide safe and reliable transportation. The Co-op then donates bikes, helmets, locks, and bike lights to those referred to them by social service agencies such as social services, FISH, House of Mercy, Avalon, and more. One of our Journey to Asylum guests received a bike from the Co-op so that he could commute to work. To learn more about the Co-op, visit www.bikewalkwilliamsburg.org/bikecoop.

Olde Towne Medical Center has been a mainstay of hope and compassion for those who are underserved in our community due to barriers to healthcare. Financial challenges, little or complete lack of insurance, and the few providers that accept Medicaid and Medicare make Olde Towne a necessary option for many patients. Olde Towne serves both adults and children with primary medical care integrated with behavioral health, comprehensive dental care, vision care, chronic care, education, and support along with other health resources and programs including a medication access program that helps reduce medication costs for patients.

The Community of Faith Mission (COFM) supports the 2023-2024 Emergency Winter Shelter, which has provided safety, warmth, and sustenance to our most vulnerable neighbors since 2012. Hospitality is provided at area churches for one week at a time, and funding is needed for the staff, “God POD” (trailer), hygiene and medical supplies, and hotel stays for guests when needed.