Doing Good: An Important Number to Know

Here is a number we hope you never have to call: (757) 251-0144

But, if you or a friend or family member are survivors of rape, sexual assault, human trafficking or domestic violence in southeastern Virginia, you will find immediate help by calling. Until October 7, 2016 there were multiple hotlines with different numbers. Each was staffed by shelters in area cities. Each was attached to a specific shelter but had no easy way to know what other organizations might have openings for someone needing to move to safety right then.

A $45,000 grant from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation's Sue Cook Winfrey Memorial Fund provided the money for four domestic violence shelters to plan and implement a single, networked crisis line. Working on the project were representatives from The Genieve Shelter, Help and Emergency Response (H.E.R. Shelter), Samaritan House and YWCA of South Hampton Roads. The shelters work in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach.

The launch the region’s first Coordinated Crisis Response was timed for October -- Domestic Violence Awareness month. The October 7 ribbon cutting at the YWCA's downtown Norfolk headquarters drew advocates and government leaders from throughout Virginia and Hampton Roads, including Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring.

Trained staff and volunteers are available 24/7 to get information, help and safe shelter for the callers.The YWCA is housing the hotline and is training. Estimated call volume per year is 20,000 -- based on calls the shelters fielded last year.

 This Virginian-Pilot article highlights the importance of this new coordinated effort in its October 8 article. . 

Guy Winfrey

The late Guy Winfrey's 1997 bequest started the Sue Cook Winfrey Fund at the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. His field-of-interest fund is for spouses and children experiencing domestic violence and has provided more than $2 million in grants to area nonprofits over the past 19 years. Guy, a car salesman with a good heart, led a hard-knock childhood and dropped out of school at age 14 to go to work to help support his younger siblings. We think he would be pleased to see how his generosity is helping others get the help they need to lead better lives.


 

Donor's Special Interest Grants Help Vulnerable Children

Norfolk car salesman Guy M. Winfrey was a hard worker whose challenging childhood gave him a passion for helping others. Guy dropped out of school at age 14 after his mother died so he could go to work to help support three younger sisters.

Guy Winfrey

Guy, a man who loved to read, sell cars and help others, passed away in 1996. Through the charitable bequest he left to the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, today he is giving hope to some of our region's most vulnerable children -- child-abuse victims, kids involved in court cases and those waiting in foster homes to be adopted.

Just last week the Sue Cook Winfrey Memorial Fund, established in 1997 through Guy's estate in memory of his first wife, provided $97,027 in grants for programs at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters Child Abuse Center, The Up Center and Voices for Kids CASA Program of Southeast Virginia.

 Click here to learn more about the Winfrey grants and other special-interest grants provided by donors' permanent field-of-interest funds.

We are grateful to generous donors like Guy Winfrey who have our region's best interests at heart and entrust us to do good works in their names forever.   



(The Hampton Roads Community Foundation is a regional community foundation started in 1950 as the first community foundation in Virginia. It is among nearly 750 community foundation around the country serving specific geographic regions. It is the largest grant and scholarship provider in southeastern Virginia and manages more than 400 charitable funds created by donors from all walks of life. Over the decades it has provided more than $195 million to improve life for residents living in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, including the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Smithfield, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. It also serves people in Isle of Wight and Southampton counties and the Eastern Shore of Virginia, including Accomack and Northampton counties. Learn more at hamptonroadscf.org. You can click here to locate a community foundation near you. )