To operate during a pandemic, THROUGH a pandemic, and beyond, it takes support from funders that truly trust and believe in the work being done.

This past year, the generous funds from The Blocker Foundation allowed our Y to carefully yet swiftly realign and deliver on the true needs throughout our community as they presented themselves during a devastatingly damaging pandemic, to include aiding in the funds it took to deliver childcare, healthy living outlets, food distribution, blood drives, virtual learning support and programs that fight isolation. Our community, and our Y, are better because of this financial support!

At the peak of the pandemic, from July 2020 through May 2021, with the support of The Blocker Foundation, the ForKids Housing Crisis Hotline answered 53,139 calls for assistance, we processed 1,109 Rent and Mortgage Relief Program applications and we placed or kept over 300 families in housing.

The Union Mission depends on community support to serve the needs of the most vulnerable in Hampton Roads. We are so grateful for The Blocker Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Grant. When our homeless shelters suffered from a wave of coronavirus cases, because of you we had the resources we needed to care for the ill and protect the other residents and staff. We are grateful your commitment to caring and offering hope to those most often forgotten.

A generous gift from The Blocker Foundation in 2020 enabled our organization to scale up and sustain critical hunger-relief services at a time of increased need throughout our community because of COVID-19. With the Foundation’s support, we were able to assist individuals experiencing food insecurity by distributing over 1.5 million meals during our first six weeks of COVID-19 response efforts.