One in six people in Charlottesville struggle with hunger, meaning the need for organizations like Loaves & Fishes—which provides free groceries to families and individuals in need—is immense. The nonprofit offers food from the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program, as well as donated “pantry” items up to twice a month.
One in six people in Charlottesville struggle with hunger, meaning the need for organizations like Loaves & Fishes—which provides free groceries to families and individuals in need—is immense. The nonprofit offers food from the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program, as well as donated “pantry” items up to twice a month.
Talk about a gift that keeps on giving: In 2006, local philanthropist Fred Scott donated an antique carousel to the Virginia Discovery Museum, which oversaw its installation on the Downtown Mall. After 15 years and millions of rotations by seven horses (the VDM estimates that more than 100,000 children ride the carousel every year!), the […]
Seven years ago, Tikara Cannon went into labor nine weeks before her twins were due. That day, she learned her daughters would be born on a military base in Nevada, thousands of miles away from her family on the East Coast. As a new mother, Cannon had received no prenatal education. She was taken aback […]
After giving birth to her daughter, artist and art teacher Sarah Sweet decided to get more serious about doing good for the future of the planet. She launched The Scrappy Elephant, a creative reuse art supply store in the winter of 2020, following an inspiring trip to Nashville’s Turnip Green (an organization with a similar […]
In 2011, the Jefferson Area Board for Aging—a nonprofit serving older adults, disabled individuals, and caregivers in the Charlottesville area—was inspired to create its own preschool, after a Montessori school that had been using some of its space moved to a new location. Located just down the hall from its Adult Care Center, JABA’s Shining […]
After receiving news that his wife was in remission from cancer, antique car enthusiast Mike Baldauf wanted to give back to UVA Cancer Center, the very place that helped save her life. He organized the Virginia Festival of the Wheel, a three-day gathering for vintage and classic car-lovers, the proceeds of which return to the […]
Access to public transportation is a cornerstone of a healthy community. But for those for whom travel-by-CAT is difficult, Jaunt fills in the gaps—and has since 1975. The curb-to-curb demand-response (i.e. not a fixed route) is $1.50 each way, but those with disabilities ride free.
Breakfast is one of The Haven’s largest expenses, so Bellamy Shoffner coordinated the collection and donation of thousands of eggs and gallons of coffee for the Charlottesville day shelter. Like crafting a pop-up children’s library at the Wildrock nature playscape in Crozet, or buying out a theater for free community showings of The Hate U […]
When Edgar Lara moved to Charlottesville 10 years ago, he soon learned two things. One, the Latinx community was isolated. Two, a tiny, brand new local organization, Sin Barreras, was on a mission to change that. Lara, now the organization’s executive director, first connected with Sin Barreras and founder Fanny Smedile at its flagship event, […]
In honor of her late husband Ray “Junior” Arroyo, who loved to garden, local resident Terri Arroyo teamed up with her daughters to open Plant Studio last fall. The Downtown Mall shop offers walk-in build-your-own terrariums—miniature gardens inside a glass container—workshops, wine and craft nights, and other creative activities, as well as hosts private events […]