The Community Foundation Awards $11,500 through the Kaiser Permanente Northern Virginia Social Health Impact Fund

Northern Virginia as a region is not a monolith- the communities we serve range from the inner suburbs and edge cities of the Nation's Capital, to the rural shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and everywhere inbetween. Recently, the Community Foundation awarded two organizations from two very different parts of the region, two separate grants totalling more than $10,000. Though distance may separate them, they are two organizations driven by their mission and values- to fulfill a critical need for those most vulnerable.


Purcellville, Virginia is home to JK Community Farm, a nonprofit with a simple guiding mission "provide food education and alleviate food insecurity with nutrient dense produce and protein." Especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for nutritious, healthy food has been highlighted and brought to the forefront. Like all pillars of civil society, access to healthy food is part of public health. In 2020 alone, the JK Community Farm provided 145,000 lbs of organic, fresh chemical free food for their food pantry partners across the region. The $5,000 grant will go towards supporting the Farm's food bank partners.

Closer to Washington, Wesley Housing Development Corporation has since 1974 served 26 communities across the area, with over 1,800 housing units housing over 3,000 residents. Much like how good nutrition is one piece of what makes a person healthy, stable and affordable housing is an important foundation for thriving communities. In the organization's words "sufficient affordable housing improves the quality of life for all residents and directly contributes to the well-being of our region." Their $6,500 grant will go towards supporting their Housing Stability Initiative, a program that expands resident services and offers eviction prevention, referrral, career enhancement, and other services to all residents.