VOACC Contact: Nicholle Granger
ngranger@voaches.org
TRUIST FOUNDATION Contact:KRISTEN FRASER
MEDIA@TRUIST.COM
NOVEMBER 28, 2023 | NEWPORT NEWS, VA
Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a transformative $36,300 grant by Truist Foundation. This significant grant will be used to help address critical gaps in funding to provide hands-on job training, leadership development opportunities, social services, and direct pathways to in-demand careers for young adults.
The Newport News YouthBuild program, primarily funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the City of Newport News, has an annual operational gap of $50,000. Thanks to the generous support of Truist Foundation, this financial barrier has been substantially reduced to $13,700. This grant ensures the sustained operation and delivery of high-quality services to YouthBuild participants.
“YouthBuild staff and program partners provide young adults from at-risk communities the ability to focus on education, vocational trades training and leadership development.The training prepares young adults for the workplace while receiving industry-recognized credentials. I want to thank Truist Foundation for providing financial support towards these endeavors.”
-Dan Carrera, program director of YouthBuild/Second Chances/YouthBuild Peacekeepers.of Carolinas Region
“Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolina is grateful for the support from Truist Foundation. Their support will enable us to continue positively impacting the lives of youth in the Newport News area through youth focused workforce development integrated with economic, social and mental health supports.”
-J. Caprice Brown, Vice President of Virginia Programs & DC IDD Services
“There’s no better way to prepare young adults for successful careers than providing access to hands-on training and programing,” said Thomas Ransom, Virginia regional president for Truist. “Our support of Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas will help at-risk youth develop skillsets and professional accreditation that are critical for future success, and is another way we fulfill Truist’s purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities.”
-Thomas Ransom, Virginia regional president for Truist.
Since its inception in 2019, Newport News YouthBuild has empowered young adults aged 18 to 24 from low-income and Black, Indigenous and people of color communities. By providing hands-on vocational training, academic skills enhancement, industry-recognized certifications and social support, the program equips participants for in-demand careers. Serving 85 individuals annually, the program plays a crucial role in addressing educational disparities and unemployment in the Newport News and Hampton Roads area of Virginia.
To learn more about the YouthBuild program, visit www.voachesapeake.org/youthbuild.
About The Truist Foundation
Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. The Foundation, an endowed private foundation established in 2020 whose operating budget is independent of Truist Financial Corporation, makes strategic investments in a wide variety of nonprofit organizations centered around two focus areas: building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses to ensure all communities have an equal opportunity to thrive. Embodying these focus areas are the Foundation’s leading initiatives – the Inspire Awards and Where It Starts. Learn more at Truist.com/Foundation.
About Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas
Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas (“VOACC”) is a faith-based, nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire self-reliance, dignity, and hope through housing, health and human services.
At VOACC, we have been helping to create Healthy Communities for All for over 127 years by aligning housing, health and human services. We actively pursue health equity by filling the gap in housing and care for underserved populations, including those who are experiencing homelessness, low-income, underinsured or uninsured, justice-involved and veterans. By offering integrated housing and care, we address the social determinants that impact the long-term stability for those in need.
Through a dedicated team of management, staff and volunteers who are guided by our Core Values – Visionary, One Body, Integrity, Compassion, Excellence, and Faith – we are the safety net for thousands of men, women and children each year across Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia and the Carolinas. We operate over 49 programs focused on 8 areas of service: homeless services, affordable housing, mental health, substance use recovery, intellectual/developmental disabilities services, community re-entry, veteran services and workforce development.
VOACC has over 900 staff members and more than 2,000 volunteers. The organization helps over 10,600 individuals and families every year from Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and the Carolinas. For more information on VOACC, please visit www.voachesapeake.org.