Partner Spotlights

Partner Spotlights are a platform for Robins Foundation grantees to highlight their important work and for Robins Foundation to recognize the incredible efforts and successes of our partners. Last month, our Administrative and Operations Coordinator, Annaliese Santana, interviewed Nathan Burrell, founding board member, former board chair, and current Executive Director of Groundwork RVA. Groundwork RVA is a Black and Brown youth-led organization that helps local marginalized communities engage in environmental activism through hands-on conservation efforts, educational workshops, youth empowerment, and more. Since 2013, this impactful organization has helped plant 950+ trees in urban spaces, educated 1200+ community members on environmental conservation, and empowered 1900+ youth through environmental science education and community service. Throughout his interview, Nathan Burrell highlighted the importance of environmental stewardship, Black and Brown-led community engagement, and hands-on experiences in advancing environmental justice. 

Groundwork RVA offers several programs that empower youth and advance local environmental conservation efforts. Can you walk me through what those programs are? 

Our Green Team provides a space for high school kids (ages 14-18) in the City of Richmond to understand the history of environmental injustice in Richmond, identify persisting environmental issues in their community, and develop community-driven solutions that address these issues. After that, these students can present their piloted solutions to the Groundwork RVA staff, other local nonprofit leaders, and the local government. That way, these students can learn the importance of advocacy and get their solutions implemented in their communities. 

Our Green Workforce actually turns Green Team solutions into implementation projects. In this program, our Green Teams can develop green infrastructure management and development skills. There’s been a lot of focus on greening initiatives around the city of Richmond, especially around communities that are overburdened by heat-island issues. We’re also in the process of creating a green apprenticeship program that will allow community members to gain green infrastructure management certifications and develop other skill sets that will prepare them for jobs in the environmental conservation field. 

We also have an urban farm called Hillside Farm, originally envisioned by a former Green Teamer, which is an acre and a half urban farm in one of our legacy housing communities: Hillside Court in South Richmond. We are one of the only organizations in the Richmond region that has an agreement with the Richmond Housing Authority (RHA) to perform activities in Hillside Court. The farm itself has become an oasis in the Hillside community. Most people don’t make it to the back of Hillside Court, but if you do, you will wander into a space that is green and lush with fruit trees and vegetables. We also have an S. Ross Browne mural in the area. It’s really a place of solace for the community where kids can hang out, interact with our farm manager and farm team, help plant plants and harvest those plants, and help us distribute that food into the community.  

Finally, we also operate the Bellemeade Community Bike Shop. This shop is about a half mile away from Hillside Court and is associated with the Bellemeade Elementary School and the Bellemeade Community Center. In our bike shop, we run a bike camp for girls and gender expansive youth, we offer adventure bike camps, and we fix bikes for community members. We’re very much a “teach-you-how-to-fish” organization, so we provide the community with the tools and know-how to maintain and fix their own bike – those services also come at no cost to our community members. Our bike shop is actually the only shop south of Forest Ave. in the City of Richmond. 

Recent studies found that Black communities in Richmond are more likely to live in dangerously hot areas. Earlier, you mentioned that members of the Green Team are working to address those heat islands. Can you expand on that?  

Yeah, so many of our local, predominately Black communities are up to 15 degrees hotter than other communities in Richmond. To address this need, we have first worked to educate the community, other local nonprofits, and the city leadership. In addition to education, members of our Green Team, in conjunction with the Science Museum of Virginia, became the first in the nation to determine the hottest communities in their area. Groundwork RVA’s kids did that work, and now we’re seeing their study replicated across the nation. 

Now, the city Office of Sustainability, Parks Department, Public Works, and local nonprofits are really digging into this issue and have started implementing the “Cool the City” initiative. Recently, the city’s Parks Department has worked to develop five new park spaces in vulnerable communities in South Richmond. As this momentum continues to build, we’re starting to see communities understand the value of tree planting and green spaces. 

Can you expand on how you ensure that young people are not just participants, but true decision makers in the projects and policies that impact the communities?

Lately, we’ve seen an uptick in green infrastructure and green movements. These greening movements in Richmond include creating new trails, planting trees, and just making green spaces easily accessible for the community. But, with greening comes a change in demographic over time, which is referred to as “green gentrification”. Recently, at Groundwork RVA, our Green Team engaged with legacy community members – folks that have lived in underserved communities for 10+ years – and asked those community members about what they want to see in their area. We’re doing this because we want to understand what current residents want in their space – not what future residents want in those spaces. Those legacy community members have been the ones here, enduring this change. If an investment, like a greening initiative, is to happen in their community, they ought to reap the benefits of it. Now that our Green Team has gathered these insights, they can wrap them into the overall community plans; that is direct leadership right there. We’ve also had kids come through our programs and actually work with us full time. 

Can you share a specific story about a young person whose journey through Groundwork RVA demonstrates the power of all that you stand for environmental justice, leadership and community healing?

We had a young man named Kalen Gilliam come up through our programs. He was one of the first members of our Green Team and, before working with us, didn’t have a lot of outdoor experience. After working with us, Kalen graduated from Old Dominion University (ODU) with a degree in Parks and Recreation Management. Upon graduating from ODU, Kalen reached out to me so I could help him with his job search. At the time, I was actually working at the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) as an Appointed Deputy Director. So, I got him an internship at DCR State Parks and he just did such a fantastic job while he was there. I mean, the folks at the state park just loved Kalen. Now, he’s a ranger for Virginia State Parks. It’s just wonderful to see young people like Kalen really flourish in our programs and fall in love with the outdoors. 

So can you talk about your long-term vision for a more just and resilient Richmond, and what role do youth and community stewardship play in getting us there?

I would love to see a Richmond that’s cooler, a Richmond that is not seeing these impacts from surface level flooding, a Richmond that is interconnected via trails and greenways, and a Richmond where each citizen has access to a park within 10 minutes of their home. Groundwork RVA’s role in creating a more just and resilient Richmond is multifold. We’re not just working with vulnerable communities to better understand their experiences and common environmental issues with their area, we’re training community members, educating the community, and driving solutions to address these environmental issues. 

Your extensive involvement in Groundwork RVA has been incredibly impressive. Can you talk about your journey to your Executive Director role at Groundwork RVA, and what motivates you to do this work? 

I’ve been involved with Groundwork RVA from the very beginning- so, about 12 years. Groundwork RVA is one of 21 trusts across the country. These trusts are associated with Groundwork USA. Before Groundwork RVA began in Richmond, the National Park Service conducted a local, initial feasibility study. This study helped Groundwork USA determine if Richmond was ready for their own trust. After Groundwork USA determined we were ready, Groundwork RVA began and I became part of the six founding board members. After that, I was the board chair for about six years. Then, four months ago, I was asked to step in as the Executive Director of Groundwork RVA. 

For the past 22 years, I have worked as an environmental conservationist in Virginia. As an African-American male working in high ranking positions in the environmental space, I tend to be one of the only people of color in the room. I’m tired of it. So, the work that I’ve done at Groundwork RVA has been, in part, to remedy that and create the next generation of urban conservations. 

_______________________________________

This fall, Groundwork RVA will begin offering its Green Apprenticeship program. Applications for this program will be available starting late winter 2025. To learn more, make sure to follow Groundwork RVA on social media and check out their website: https://groundworkrva.org/ 

Partner Spotlights are a platform for Robins Foundation grantees to highlight their important work and for Robins Foundation to recognize the incredible efforts and successes of our partners. This month, our Administrative and Operations Coordinator, Annaliese Santana, interviewed Diane Brown, Development and Communications Director at Blue Sky Fund. Since 2007, Blue Sky Fund has aimed to close the outdoor experience gap in the greater Richmond region. Every year, Blue Sky Fund provides 2,000 youth, between the 3rd and 12th grade, with transformational outdoor experiences – culminating in about 40,000 outdoor hours each year. Throughout her interview, Diane provided eye-opening information on Blue Sky Fund’s impressive local impact, the importance of outdoor experiences, and how Blue Sky Fund addresses disparities in outdoor experience access. 

Can you walk me through your three main programs at Blue Sky Fund? 

We have three different programs that serve specific age groups: Explorers program (3rd, 4th, and 5th graders), Outdoor Adventure Club (5th-12th graders), and Outdoor Leadership Institute (9th-12th graders). 

Our Explorers program happens during school hours and is embedded in 12 Title I Richmond Public Schools’ curriculum. Each 3rd-5th grader with Blue Sky goes on 4-5 trips a year for free. That totals 14 trips that a single kid gets if they stay within our partner schools. Blue Sky Fund even provides transportation to and from those outdoor experiences. Our local outdoor experiences allow children to explore areas such as Belle Isle and Pocahontas State Park all the way to York River State Park. Additionally, everything we do connects to the Virginia Science Standards of Learning (SOL). At Blue Sky Fund, we’ve found that having hands-on experience in nature is a really important educational opportunity that you can’t get in the classroom. Last year, we had 1,900 3rd-5th grade students participate in this program, and each of those students received 12 hours of outdoor experience time. 

Our Outdoor Adventure Club (OAC) program is an afterschool program that works with 5th- 12th grade students. This program happens during the school year and meets with students once or twice a week. In fact, before I became the Development and Communications Director at Blue Sky Fund, I volunteered with the OAC program. Similar to the Explorers program, we get students off school grounds and into the outdoors. OAC has a stronger focus on hard skills such as rock climbing, biking, hiking, and making nature-based observations. These nature-based observations include learning about different birds or animals or other elements of Virginia’s park systems. In this program, we worked with about 200 students who each received 60-120 outdoor hours last year. 

Our Outdoor Leadership Institute (OLI) is a year long leadership program for Richmond-area high schoolers. Interested participants have to apply and interview for this program. OLI cohorts consist of 16 to 20 students that engage in a year-long commitment with Blue Sky Fund. During the summer, the OLI cohort engages in a two-week program that includes a five day backpacking trip to the highest point in Virginia, Mount Rogers. Then they reconvene once a month for “Service Saturday” meet-ups during the academic year and 2 weeks worth of summer programming. During the “Service Saturday” meet-ups, program participants complete community service projects with their peers, and have a chance to hear from the service partner about their career journey. Each year, OLI students get about 150 outdoor hours and 30 community service hours with us. 

As we know, Blue Sky Fund works to close the outdoor experience gap. Can you talk about some typical barriers to access with regard to outdoor nature experiences?   

Transportation is one of the biggest barriers to accessing green spaces. Unfortunately, due to Richmond’s history with segregation, discrimination, and redlining, there is a persisting disparity in green space access. I think about the first time learning about backpacking and how it took me over a decade to actually do it because it felt unknown and scary. I don’t think I would’ve done that if I didn’t have a group of friends that acted like mentors and gave me the confidence to try. So, for residents that are part of the many neighborhoods within Richmond that had parks closed during integration or had a highway built through their community, they often don’t have access to green spaces and/or an outdoor-experience mentor. Most of the youth we work with also live in neighborhoods that have been impacted by redlining, further lessening their access to green spaces. That’s why, at Blue Sky Fund, we are intentional about providing free transportation to our program participants and providing students with trusted outdoor-experience mentors. Our core goal is to create a common experience so all Richmond-area youth gain confidence in the outdoors, feel welcomed in green spaces, and know the benefits our natural spaces provide.

Can you share a story—perhaps from a student, family member, or teacher—that captures the heart of your mission and the transformative impact of nature-based learning?

Absolutely, one of my favorite quotes is from Chavon, a 4th grader from Overby-Sheppard ES. While on an Explorers trip to Forest Hill Park he said, “Some people think nature is really scary, but if you just sit on a bench and look around at what’s around you, you’ll realize it’s actually really beautiful. I really like the feeling of being able to calm down in nature.” 

I also love hearing stories about inner growth through outdoor adventures from our staff. Like Lee’asia from our Lucille Brown Outdoor Adventure Club who said she “didn’t do ladders” when the team arrived at the Pipeline Walkway to explore last year. With the encouragement of her classmates and our Blue Sky program instructors, not only did Lee’asia climb down the ladder at Pipeline, it also gave her confidence to try rock climbing and reach the top of the wall on another OAC outing. We love seeing how small moments can make a big impact. 

What are some of the biggest opportunities or challenges that Blue Sky Fund is navigating as you grow your programs and deepen your impact? 

This is especially poignant right now as we are looking to expand our Explorers program by 50%, the biggest expenses are transportation and staffing. Ensuring we have buses so all participating students can access free transportation to and from our outdoor experiences is key. So now, we are looking into purchasing another bus and increasing our bus maintenance fund. Outside of that, anytime we expand the work that we do, people, and particularly children, are depending on us. So, we are continuing to make intentional hiring decisions, properly train new hires, and provide professional development opportunities for our employees throughout their time at Blue Sky Fund. It is important that we create a common experience for young people in our programs, and making sure we have reliable and well trained staff is a key part of that. 

What’s your vision for how Blue Sky Fund can be a catalyst for educational or environmental change in Richmond? 

As Blue Sky Fund approaches our 20th anniversary, I have begun to think of what our organization’s impact will look like another 20 years from now. At an organizational level, I would love to see Blue Sky create partnerships with as many schools as possible. I think I would want us to continue doing this important work and providing accessible nature-based activities for youth in Richmond and beyond. I would also love for us to continue educating our community on the positive impact of spending time in nature

Is there anything you would like to promote in this interview? Like an upcoming initiative or awareness month? 

If you want to get outdoors with Blue Sky, our annual fall fundraiser, Hike for Kids, is a great opportunity and is open to everyone! This Hike-a-thon type event, allows registrants to choose a 3, 7, or 14 mile hike through the James River Park System, then celebrate at a post-hike party with food, drinks, games, and live music.

Together, participants raise funds and awareness of our outdoor education and adventure programs. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, October 25th at the Virginia War Memorial. Anyone can register at blueskyfund.org/hikeforkids – $40 for adults, $15 for youth.

_________________________

To learn more about Blue Sky’s incredible work, please visit: https://blueskyfund.org/ 

At Robins Foundation, we believe that capacity building support is crucial to the wellbeing and sustainability of nonprofit organizations. That’s why the foundation has provided 160+ local nonprofits- not just our grantees- with free access to Catchafire, a platform that connects nonprofits to over 100,000 skilled volunteers with expertise in marketing and communications, finance and operations, fundraising, professional development, strategic planning, and more. Catchafire is a powerful tool that not only saves local organizations’ money, but produces results that generate meaningful impact. Since the foundation began offering this resource in 2021, Robins-sponsored nonprofits have participated in projects valued at $2.5 million by working with volunteers for over 12,000 hours!

For example, of the Robins-sponsored nonprofits using Catchafire, KR Scholars and Hope for Learning really recognize the power of the platform. Since December 2023, KR Scholars completed 85 projects that were valued at over $370,000, making them the Robins-sponsored nonprofit with the highest Catchafire involvement! Catchafire volunteers predominantly helped them with brand identity construction (logos and graphic design) and amplifying their online presence (social media, video editing, and search engine optimization). Hope For Learning has the second highest Catchafire participation. This organization completed 44 projects valued at $115,000 since September 2021! They used Catchafire volunteers for projects such as presentation preparation, press kits, brochures, videos, an organizational one-pager, and much more.  

Not only do local nonprofits love Catchafire, but so do we. Earlier this year, the foundation had the pleasure of hiring Catchafire volunteers for a website usability audit and a data visualization project. 

In an effort to strengthen our website usability for our grantees, the foundation sought the guidance of a usability tester. Due to our involvement with Catchafire coupled with the platform’s positive reputation, we knew a skilled volunteer could tackle this project. Within the week after posting our project’s description on Catchafire, eight volunteers applied to work with us. After reviewing the candidates’ resumes and portfolios, we conducted six brief phone interviews and selected Ivana, a UX/UI Designer based in Switzerland. Upon choosing her, Ivana met with us to iron out our project goals and better understand our grantees. During this meeting, Ivana and the team agreed to a three week project timeline that involved weekly touchpoints via Zoom. Throughout the project, Ivana was communicative, detail-oriented, and presented comprehensive website usability recommendations in a timely manner. Her work resulted in over 40 concrete suggestions that will improve accessibility to grant information for our audiences. Overall, Ivana’s work was valued at $5,655! We were so impressed by Ivana’s work, in fact, that we used Catchafire for a second internal project. 

We tapped a Catchafire volunteer for some professional learning. Our staff member, Dan Halloran, desired to learn how to better visualize our grantmaking data and communicate the impact of our grants. After posting the project description, we were flooded with almost two dozen volunteers interested in helping! Dan selected a wonderful volunteer, Sarina T., to learn from her many years of experience in the financial industry. We met for three hour-long learning sessions to review all the graphs Sarina put together using Robins Foundation grantmaking data. Dan learned how to build them himself and they discussed what future data Robins Foundation can collect to have even better data visualizations of impact. The project was valued at over $4,000! 

Robins Foundation can provide any nonprofit organization in the greater Richmond region with access to Catchafire. To sign up for this invaluable resource, please submit an interest form via our capacity building page. Upon form submission, the foundation staff will contact you within two weeks to discuss steps forward. So, what are you waiting for? Join the 160+ other Robins-sponsored nonprofits benefiting from Catchafire volunteers today!

Partner Spotlights are a platform for Robins Foundation grantees to highlight their important work and for Robins Foundation to recognize the incredible efforts and successes of our partners. This month, our Administrative and Operations Coordinator, Annaliese Santana, interviewed J. David Young, Executive Director of the FRIENDS Association for Children. For 154 years, FRIENDS Association has provided essential support to families and their children. As the Executive Director of one of the most seasoned nonprofit organizations in Richmond, David Young provided exciting insights on the importance of familial support, music & performing arts, and the Head Start program in advancing early childhood development.

Can you please describe, at a high level, what the FRIENDS Association for Children does?

FRIENDS is a licensed, early education provider that works with children ages 6-weeks to 12-years of age. We provide children with a safe and nurturing environment where they can learn, grow and play. We provide three nutritious meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack. While we work in the early childhood space, we are more than a childcare center or an early education provider – as I am a firm believer that you can only have the best impact on a child if you engage with their entire family.

We have two community-based facilities – one in Gilpin Court and one in Church Hill – and feel it is vitally important that we operate in areas near the vulnerable children and families we serve. We are open from Monday through Friday, 6am and 6pm, to serve working parents.

We realized during the pandemic that many of the parents may not be first responders but are essential employees that work in grocery stores, gas stations, hotels for example – occupations that helped keep the economy going. Which supports how important it is that FRIENDS is here for them.

What inspired the creation of this organization?

FRIENDS Association for Children is one of the oldest nonprofit service providers in Richmond, if not in the country. We were founded by Lucy Goode Brooks, a former slave, in 1871. She worked with several area churches (many that are still around today) and advocated for children and unwed mothers to help provide an opportunity for a better life. She could often be heard saying, “we should do better by our children.” One of the greatest needs in the community at the time was a place to care for the children who had been separated from their families. So, the churches and members of her sewing circle helped raise money, petitioned the city, and was given the land where the Friends Asylum for Colored Orphans was established.

After a few generations of housing children and supporting unwed mothers, FRIENDS provided adoption and foster care services across the area. As time passed, the state of Virginia managed these services for residents of the Commonwealth, and FRIENDS then began to focus on early childhood education, where we continue to serve a critical and growing need.

On your website, you all mention that your programs emphasize early literacy. Can you walk me through how you all do that?

Kindergarten is where I learned most of the fundamentals of reading but now children are expected to know their letters, numbers, shapes, and sounds before they even begin school. At FRIENDS, we focus on building a strong academic foundation to help prepare children for success in school. Our curriculum helps develop these critical skills, while teachers and Social Workers identify early challenges and use tailored interventions so that no child is left behind. We help young children build their fine and gross motor skills, and foster social-emotional development. We found that children who can access early education programs and attend preschool are heads and shoulders above their classmates as they enroll in kindergarten.

Can you tell me about your family support services?

As mentioned previously – in order to have the greatest positive impact on a child, you must also address the needs of their family. In addition to our wonderful early educators, we are fortunate to have Social Workers on staff that help address the needs of the whole family. These needs can vary between things like rent, transportation, food assistance, etc. There are many social services and resources in Richmond but not everyone knows about them, or how to access them. Our Social Workers are engaged directly with parents, providing information and making referrals to other non-profits and assistance programs that may be able to help them. This all comes down to trust; the parents must have someone that they trust with the care and education of their precious children.

For our school-age students, we created a way to increase parent-teacher engagement. We learned that many teachers were often frustrated with the lack of parental involvement with school activities and the low attendance at parent-teacher conferences. To make it easier for families, we invited teachers to our facilities for these sessions. It was much easier for our families to engage with teachers at our site to learn about their child’s academic performance and build more of a partnership with the school staff.

One of your programs is your Music and Performing Arts program. What does this program offer?

Our Music Education and Performing Arts program supplements the classroom activities and is open for any child in the city of Richmond. We have many instruments – including keyboards, woodwinds, and percussions – and recruit volunteers to help introduce the children to their creative side through music. The program also helps to build self-confidence in the children. It is free to children enrolled at FRIENDS. A nominal fee is charged to children who are not, which helps us maintain the instruments for use by more children. One of the key benefits of this program is that studies have shown that participation in music and performing arts also helps improve reading and writing skills.

We are always looking for volunteers to help us reach more children. In fact, we have had volunteers from VCU, University of Richmond, and Virginia Union University music programs and even from the Richmond Symphony. One volunteer recently shared a story about one of his students who fell in love with the violin. She stayed in the program and worked with the same volunteer for years. This student recently completed her first year of college, and she is still playing violin. During her Freshman year, she made the Chancellor’s list which is an even higher academic honor than the Dean’s List. I feel like the connection to music helped her grow & flourish and is a perfect example of how the music program enhances what we do at FRIENDS.

Who is eligible for programs at the FRIENDS Association?

All families with children between 6-weeks to 12 years of age are eligible for our programs and services. We do, however, have a waiting list for the infant and toddler classes, as the need in these age groups continues to grow. We tell new parents to get on a childcare waiting list once they find out they’re pregnant, because childcare of this age group is limited everywhere. In our preschool programs, we offer a variety of payment options. We offer Head Start and Mixed Delivery programs, as well as ‘contract’ options through the Department of Social Services. Eligibility for all our programs is based on household income, making our programs accessible and affordable for all. In some instances, there may be co-payments required, but in others, there are no fees at all. Anyone can reach us via our website. But we encourage prospective parents and families to call us (804-644-2357) so we can connect them with our staff Social Workers. That way, we can understand the dynamics of a family and direct them to programs that best align with their needs.

What motivates you to do this work?

I was raised in a single-parent household and understand just how difficult that can be. My six siblings and I had significant role models in our mother (and grandmother). My mother had five boys and two girls, and looking back I am amazed at how these single women raised five ‘hardheaded’ boys. They were incredible and did a wonderful job with what they had to work with. To me, they were nothing less than “Saints.” One of the things that stood out for me the most is that they knew to take advantage of resources in the community to help us become productive young men and women. They found and utilized the resources and programs in the community and church to help us become the adults we are today. It is no coincidence that the lessons we were taught are the reason most of my siblings and I work in the public sector, helping others and the communities where we live and work.

How, if at all, have federal funding cuts impacted your organization?

As stated earlier, FRIENDS provides daily meals to the children in our programs, which is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) but with the cuts and uncertainties at the federal level, we are not sure how we will be impacted long-term. We were recently informed that Head Start – another federally funded program which is managed locally by the Richmond Public Schools (RPS) – has cut about two hundred slots in the Richmond area this fall, primarily impacting community-based organizations, like FRIENDS. Two of our four Head Start classrooms have been eliminated, and 35 Head Start students will not have access to preschool services in their own community.

Is there anything you would like to promote in this interview? Like an upcoming initiative or an awareness month?

We are truly blessed to receive tremendous support from local residents, businesses, and the philanthropic community. While we continue to fundraise to help make ends meet, I would like to add that volunteering is just as important.

We have a program called “Leaders are Readers” where we bring in different groups to read to the children. For example, we have first responders, police, firefighters, local politicians, media personnel, etc., come in and connect with our children. And at each of these events, we partner with the Lit Library or The Enchanted Bookmobile and each student receives free books to help build their ‘home libraries’, and encourage reading at home– which is a best practice to promote and build reading proficiency.

__________________________

To learn more about FRIENDS Association’s incredible work, please visit: https://friendsrva.org/ 

Partner Spotlights are a platform for Robins Foundation grantees to highlight their important work and for Robins Foundation to recognize the incredible efforts and successes of our partners. This month, our Administrative and Operations Coordinator, Annaliese Santana, interviewed two members of the incredible team at Healthy Hearts Plus II: Rev. Dr. Alice Freeman, Founder, and Zipporah Baa’ith, Administrative Director. Founded in 1999, Healthy Hearts Plus II’s programs bring nutritional education, holistic dietary lifestyle, and essential early childhood resources to our most vulnerable communities. In 2024 alone, this impactful organization serviced over 400 individuals and families in the greater Richmond region. Throughout their interview, Dr. Freeman and Zipporah provided inspiring insights on the importance of nutritional education, how a holistic dietary lifestyle can be embedded in early education, and how their work “makes love simple.”

Can you please explain, at a high level, what your organization does?

Zipporah Baa’ith 

Healthy Hearts Plus II is actually designed and dedicated to reducing health disparities and improving wellness outcomes in underserved communities. Our programs emphasize culturally competent nutrition education, maternal and infant health education, diabetes management, and addressing traumas for communities that often get overlooked. 

On your website, you placed a big emphasis on nutritional education. Can you please explain what that is? 

Zipporah Baa’ith 

As a culture and society, we are finally coming to terms with the fact that food is medicine. At Healthy Hearts Plus II, we believe that choosing the right foods can heal you. So, we make sure that we educate the community because many of our health conditions originate from the foods we have access to. Many of us live in areas where the only foods available are fried or processed or non-living. So, many of us do not have the ability to choose our foods. That is why it is so important that we educate the community and let them know that they can have control over the foods they eat. 

Rev. Dr. Alice Freeman 

And we embed that nutritional education in our maternal and infant health programs. We teach pregnant mothers to honor themselves so they can have good pregnancy and delivery outcomes. So, we have a methodology that encourages mothers to eat foods from the ground, the trees, and the vines, and to pass those lessons on to their children. 

Based on your experiences, what systemic changes must be made to ensure that vulnerable communities can access these resources?

Rev. Dr. Alice Freeman 

We need to focus on equity. It’s not that the food isn’t available, it’s that the food is not there for the community we serve. They are excluded and this has been a perpetual issue. Good food should be made available to everyone. At one point, we could sustain ourselves using seeds. Now, seeds are not readily available to us. To address this systemic issue, we need to empower the community, help them access seeds, and teach them how to use the ground to produce their daily bread. After that, we need to unite others, collaborate with local farmers, move out of institutionalized supermarkets, and get people involved in the heart of agriculture. 

Zipporah Baa’ith 

We practice this in our programs as well. In one of our programs, we actually have one little boy who farms and plants with his mom on their back porch. 

Rev. Dr. Alice Freeman 

Yes! Some of the people we work with live in apartments or government housing, and many of them will grow plants on their windowsills. So this is just really, really powerful work within itself. But it’s simple. And our goal is to make love simple again and bring people back to the basics. 

What you just described, bringing your community back to the heart of agriculture and growing their daily bread, is this what Healthy Hearts Plus II defines as a holistic dietary lifestyle? 

Zipporah Baa’ith 

Yes. That holistic dietary lifestyle is what our nutritional education is rooted in. We’ve had different programs come out of that. As it pertains to our early education programs, a holistic dietary lifestyle starts with the mom and then transfers to the child. The mother is a child’s first teacher and first feeder. So, we make sure our early education programs address how foods affect us physically and psychologically. 

Rev. Dr. Alice Freeman 

We also emphasize the importance of water. Zipporah actually teaches moms about making sure their babies are hydrated and how they can search for signs of dehydration. One of our other early childhood educators also teaches the babies sign language, and they teach the babies how to ask for water. 

One of the programs you all offer, which is funded by Robins Foundation, is your Lap Baby Education Program. Can you please describe what that is? 

Rev. Dr. Alice Freeman 

The Lap Baby Education Program is a step before preschool education. We engage the mothers and their babies to prepare them for preschool, and we help mothers identify where their child is developmentally. To teach families that food is medicine, we give the moms instruction on how certain foods benefit their child’s intellectual development. 

Zipporah Baa’ith 

To add on to that, our Lap Baby Education Program prepares families for preschool, kindergarten, and helps them matriculate throughout their whole educational path. But, we all know that education starts at home, so we help mothers create an educational environment that is nurturing. Along with our program director, Renada Lewis, who is our head facilitator for our programs, we have a licensed clinician that helps mothers identify where their child is developmentally. We meet with moms and their babies weekly and we offer in-person and virtual lessons. 

Rev. Dr. Alice Freeman

We also have a resource directory, can connect moms with clinicians, and have an app where moms and anyone else can easily access information about our programs. We empower mothers and their families to become advocates and for themselves and their children. It’s just so powerful to work with women who have the courage to speak their truth and show other women that it is okay to ask for support.  

What inspired the creation of your Lap Baby Education Program? 

Rev. Dr. Alice Freeman 

We started working in the maternal health and early education space in 2006, after a young pregnant woman came to our office with a toothache. I wasn’t sure why she thought I could help her. But, I offered her an  apple while she waited. When she tried to take a bite she had to stop because her tooth hurt too much. She explained that she didn’t have insurance to go to a private dentist. When she went to a public clinic she was told that they couldn’t meet with her until after she had her baby. Speaking with her made me realize that Healthy Hearts Plus II needed to do more in the maternal health space. So, we started offering classes, partnered with Capital Area Health Network, that could meet with women and teach them about dental hygiene, and taught pregnant women and mothers simple meal preparation, among many other things. That actually changed the course of so many lives and we are so grateful to the Robins Foundation because they believe in what we are doing. 

Zipporah Baa’ith 

Lap Baby Education came into play when we noticed there were gaps in the maternal health space. We had a lot of mothers coming in and seeking guidance for their children’s development. So, we always offer reliable, culturally relevant materials to help close some of those gaps. 

Since the creation of Healthy Hearts Plus II to the present day, can you talk about how you have seen communities flourish as a result of the work that you do?

Zipporah Baa’ith 

Reverend Dr. Alice Freeman is a pioneer in the greater Richmond community. I’ve seen other programs and organizations really be inspired by her work. As a result, these resources have expanded and the community has benefitted more. She’s just such a trailblazer. 

Rev. Dr. Alice Freeman 

Because my husband was in the armed forces, we moved to places like Japan and Germany. Wherever we went, we created gardens and encouraged others to do the same. Through the years, we’ve used that ideology and carried it with us. That ideology has since evolved into a method and now we are able to apply that method to our Healthy Hearts Plus II programs. I believe I have been trusted with this work because I stand up for integrity and righteousness. I believe we have a responsibility to protect our community and the work that we do. As Zipporah said, we are grateful that our work has expanded. We are also fortunate enough to reach people where they are and view a person holistically in order to get positive outcomes. 

What motivates you all to do this work? 

Zipporah Baa’ith

Dr. Freeman has always championed our community, particularly for women. Growing up with her as my mother, that was the example she always set. My upbringing in addition to having a son and learning how to advocate for him inspired me to get involved in this work. 

Rev. Dr. Alice Freeman 

There is this one scripture that I love that says, “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly.” And that is my motivating factor. I have to do justice and protect those around me. It’s important that we’re being honest and sincere about what we believe we’re called to do, love mercy, have mercy on those, and not pass judgment. At Healthy Hearts Plus II, we have a no judgement zone. Someone could have 15 children, addictions, or be homeless, and we will still have a safe place in the circle for them. We don’t allow anyone to make someone feel marginalized. 

Is there anything you would like to promote in this interview? 

Rev. Dr. Alice Freeman 

Absolutely, our community based Diabetic Self-Management Program, led by our clinical nurse practitioner, serves and supports mothers with gestational diabetes and individuals in under-resourced communities; and our Lap Baby Education Program, for which we’re currently recruiting participants to foster early childhood development and family wellness. And above all, we invite everyone to embrace our guiding principle: Make Love Simple.

______________________

To learn more about the incredible work at Healthy Hearts Plus II, please visit: https://www.healthyheartsplus2.com/new/ 

Partner Spotlights are a platform for Robins Foundation grantees to highlight their important work and for Robins Foundation to recognize the incredible efforts and successes of our partners. This month, our Administrative and Operations Coordinator, Annaliese Santana, interviewed Korinn Y. Carter, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of the St. Luke Legacy Center. Following the footsteps of Maggie L. Walker, the St. Luke Legacy Center provides culturally conscious wraparound services to underrepresented communities in Richmond. In 2024 alone, this essential organization served hundreds of individuals in collaboration with at least 40 local organizations and businesses. Throughout her interview, Korinn provided poignant insights on the importance of culturally informed care, uplifting underrepresented communities, and improving capacity building resources for Black and Brown led organizations and businesses. 

Can you please explain, at a high level, what St. Luke Legacy Center does?

The St. Luke Legacy Center is a community development center and organization with the goal of providing wraparound programs and resources that meet an entire family’s needs – from birth until death. We are built on the legacy of Ms. Maggie Walker. We are really trying to fill those huge footsteps and create a generational impact like her and advance our community in a variety of ways.

At the St. Luke Legacy Center, our pillars of health are physical, mental, financial, social-emotional; all of which ultimately changes our community’s health. Our offerings are culturally competent, relevant, informed in nature, and holistic. We’re working to introduce practices to our community that may not be accessible, affordable, or even something that they knew existed, because these resources can help them build and create a new legacy for themselves and their community. 

What inspired the creation of the St. Luke Legacy Center? 

I’ve been a business owner of a for-profit company, A New Legacy Family Services, in mental and behavioral health for about 10 years now. My goal has always been to provide wraparound services that meet the needs of an entire family. In doing that, I noticed that families and individuals have so many other needs outside of just mental health. Although important, there’s also housing instability, food insecurity, workforce development, and all of these other layers that come into play. 

During the pandemic, Nikki Shaw – my cousin and Chief Clinical Officer at the St. Luke Legacy Center – and I were shopping for commercial space for our mental health agency. That was when Ms. Wanda Stallings, a Black woman that owns the St. Luke Building, mentioned that she would love to have an organization in Jackson Ward that does something good for the community. It just felt ancestrally divine for Nikki and I. We thought, “Wow, this can be where our community center is located. Let’s create a robust network of community partners that can build their organization’s capacity and meet the needs of the community.” A lot of small grassroots organizations and small businesses don’t know how to build their infrastructure and expand their impact and workforce, so our goal is to help the community and other organizations build their capacity so they can continue serving the community with bigger impact. 

One of your programs is your Fourth Trimester program, which was funded, in part, by Robins Foundation. Can you please walk me through what the program does? 

Our Fourth Trimester program is a postpartum maternal mental health program focused on that period of time when parents first bring their baby home. Through this program, we’ve been able to provide 24 hours of postpartum doula support for families. In general, going into a hospital space and not feeling heard or seen can be isolating for families, and even have drastic effects on mothers and their babies. Doulas can help families navigate the healthcare system, advocate for them, and provide them with culturally relevant information and care. 

We also offer mental health screenings for postpartum depression and anxiety for both parents. These screenings actually occur every 3 months that individuals and families are with us. One of the reasons we included dads in our Fourth Trimester program is due to some alarming statistics that show that mortality rates post pregnancy were often due to domestic violence. If parents of a new baby didn’t already have healthy conflict resolution and communication skills prior to the baby coming, that can lead to some explosive things. That research helped us realize that partners and fathers are also going through a big shift when there’s a new baby. Oftentimes, there’s no space for them to express their feelings when everybody’s focused on the baby and the mom. 

Also, as part of our monthly initiatives – this isn’t through our Fourth Trimester program-  also host an event called Wellness Wednesday on the fourth Wednesday of every month. At this event, we offer free community acupuncture, which is part of our holistic approach to physical and mental health. Caring for our mental health is not something that many of us were taught to do or something that has been embraced or introduced to us. It’s wonderful to bring people in from the community and watch them float out of here after experiencing acupuncture. One woman comes in on Wellness Wednesdays and her job is to knit and teach kids how to knit. For the past nine years, she’s had a carpal tunnel like pain. One month, she came in for acupuncture and she didn’t feel any pain in her hands for 9 days after her session. Now, she’s here every Wellness Wednesday for treatment. 

How can people sign up for the Fourth Trimester program? 

Our website is a great place to start. On the website, you can go to our programming tab. There’s a button to sign up and fill out an intake form for the Fourth Trimester program. Then, you’ll get a call from our intake coordinator who will walk you through the process and answer any questions you may have. From there, the intake coordinator will assign you a time for your mental health screening to check for postpartum depression, anxiety, or anything else. We actually conduct that mental health screening every three months while you’re in the program. From there, you’ll also be assigned a doula and identify if you want the doula to work nights, days, how many hours, all of those things. After your mental health screening, you’re able to sign up for outpatient therapy sessions. 

There are three grant funded outpatient therapy sessions. These outpatient therapy sessions can be used by individuals, couples, parents, and families. This in turn makes therapy accessible and flexible for people. After your three free therapy sessions, you can continue sessions with us by signing up with your insurance. 

You talk about your programs providing culturally informed care. Can you describe what that is and why it’s important?

There are a lot of larger organizations that come into communities that don’t look like them. Many people in these organizations don’t have the same lived experiences, and they only have a textbook understanding of the community’s situation. Oftentimes, these organizations have less of a positive impact because building rapport is much harder; especially in an area like Gilpin Court, where the community has experienced generational oppression in siloed out neighborhoods. 

That cultural understanding, that connectivity, that trust is so important. If someone doesn’t trust you, they’re not going to receive the information that you’re giving. They’re not going to take heed to the resources. Whereas someone who comes from this community and is there to provide support and stability, can talk how you talk, and can really understand and speak to experiences you’ve experienced, can have a greater impact. For me, it’s always been important to create programs and services For Us, By Us. 

Can you talk about some of the barriers Black and Brown folks experience when it comes to accessing support? 

A huge barrier for community-led organizations providing support for Black and Brown folks is infrastructure and capacity building which affects the access for individuals. Many of the larger nonprofit organizations typically get a lot of funding and oftentimes can’t provide that culturally informed care we were talking about earlier. This makes it harder for smaller organizations to build their capacity and infrastructure, to really help communities. I wish there were more capacity building opportunities for smaller organizations and individuals who are really doing the work. There are a lot of individuals in the community that have ideas and programs they want to implement, and they want to know how they can get their ideas off the ground. Everybody is in some level of survival mode with everything that is happening now, but even more so within underrepresented communities. Black and Brown folks are actually the global majority. If we are the global majority, why aren’t we being serviced and protected? There are statistics for Richmond that show just how underfunded and under-resourced organizations that service Black and Brown communities are. The funding is there for others, but where’s the actual impact?

You talked about how the St. Luke Legacy Center helps smaller organizations build their capacity. Can you talk more about how the Fourth Trimester program helps other organizations build their capacity? 

The Fourth Trimester program partners with the Diverse Birth Collective, which is founded and run by Nikiya Ellis-Chavis. Nikiya is currently a student midwife and she’s been in the birthing space for over a decade. She is phenomenal in birthing, postpartum, and training doulas to become state certified. Being part of our community partner network has helped her increase her business’s capacity and helped her continue her work with the help of grants from the Robins Foundation, the Richmond Health Equity Fund, and the Community Foundation. These grants have helped her continue her work and train doulas in the field. Seeing her build her business and create programs and initiatives that our community needs has been amazing. In general, being able to bring together these amazing organizations is great. By pulling our resources together in addition to our expertise, we’re able to have longer term, bigger projects that help sustain smaller organizations and increase their capacity and impact. 

How have federal funding freezes and policy changes have impacted the work that you do?

I’m very nervous about what everything will look like if Medicaid cuts actually come down the pipe. My for-profit business is primarily funded by Medicaid, and that’s mainly the population that the St. Luke Legacy Center serves. About 70-75% of our revenue is through Medicaid. If Medicaid were to go away, that would change the landscape of our services and negatively impact the people that we serve. From a grant standpoint, federal funding will impact local grant dollars that we should receive. Right now, we are waiting to see how that will impact us, specifically when it comes to our grants with the city of Richmond and the Richmond Health Equity Fund. Prayerfully, we’ll be able to continue our Fourth Trimester program in addition to other programs. 

Is there anything you would like to promote in this interview? 

We’re really excited about our 5th annual Legacy Week in July. That’s when we celebrate Ms. Maggie L. Walker’s birthday, which is July 15th, and the inception of the St. Luke Legacy Center in the historic St. Luke Building.  Between July 13th and July 19th, we will have seven days worth of community events that are free and focus on our organization’s 5 pillars: physical health, mental health, financial health, social, and emotional wellbeing. Our Eventbrite is up, and everyone can sign up and watch us roll out our events. Another PSA: anybody can volunteer during Legacy Week or throughout the year as well. If you’re interested in volunteering, sign up! 

_____________________

To learn more about the St. Luke Legacy Center, please visit https://www.stlukelegacycenter.com/

Partner Spotlights are a platform for Robins Foundation grantees to highlight their important work and for Robins Foundation to recognize the incredible efforts and successes of our partners. This month, our Administrative and Operations Coordinator, Annaliese Santana, interviewed Kate Ayers, Executive Director of ReEstablish Richmond. Since 2010, ReEstablish Richmond has welcomed immigrants and refugees (which they often refer to as “newcomers”) in Central Virginia. In 2024 alone, this essential organization served 123 newcomers aged 0-5 and continues to generate meaningful impact in the local community. Throughout her interview, Kate shared poignant insights on the importance of supporting immigrants and refugees, existing gaps within immigrant and refugee services, and how local activists can advance ReEstablish Richmond’s mission. 

Can you please describe, at a high level, what Reestablish Richmond does? 

ReEstablish Richmond was founded to fill in gaps in the formal refugee resettlement and immigrant services landscape. Our mission is to connect refugees and new immigrants to the resources they need to establish roots, build community, and become self-sufficient.

What inspired the creation of Reestablish Richmond?

Our organization was founded in 2010 by a gentleman named Patrick Braford. He attended a church called Tabernacle Baptist Church during a time when a large influx of Burmese refugees were also attending the church. Through that experience, Patrick learned about and saw the gaps within refugee resettlement and immigrant services. These gaps existed, in part, because federal funding wasn’t strong at the time; similar to how things are now. On top of that, he attended a leadership academy where he learned about different facets of Richmond, including flaws within formal refugee resettlement services. At the time, he realized there wasn’t a formal organization that filled gaps within these services. So, ReEstablish Richmond was founded and initially worked exclusively with the refugee community. But, as time has gone on, we’ve revised our mission statement to be more inclusive of all immigrants. 

How can a newcomer access resources at Reestablish Richmond? 

One way newcomers can learn about our services is by looking on our website’s “Client Resources” page. We connect newcomers to several local resources such as English classes, food banks, and fun local activities and events. A newcomer or someone they know can also fill out a referral form to access additional guidance with local resources. This form helps us collect some basic demographic information and provides a menu of services that people can self-select from. Once that form is completed, our client engagement team will contact the client to get a full picture of what resources the client already has access to, what resources they are interested in, and how we can help them achieve their goals. Then, we either connect them with one-to-one support services or we enroll them in one of our newcomer education programs. 

What are some of the resources that you offer to young newcomers (ages 0-5)? 

Our support for the children aged zero to five is pervasive through all of our programming.The majority of our clients have children ages zero to five and the two major service requests are helping clients get their driver’s license and improving their English skills. For our driver’s license support resource, our Client Engagement Coordinators visit each client’s house and conduct workshops on driving and car seat safety in the client’s primary language. Our newcomer education program is committed to teaching our clients and their children literacy and skill building. Additionally, in every in-person class we hold, we offer wraparound services. Part of these services includes our childcare services for kids aged zero to five. 

Paid childcare providers from our client communities typically guide childcare services. A majority of our clients are from Afghanistan, so many of our childcare providers are also from Afghanistan. With the recent funding from Robins Foundation, we expanded our funding and library materials for our childcare services. This year, we even hosted a training session for childcare providers. In this training session, we provided training on trauma informed care and literacy building. We have also begun to integrate formal lesson plans focused on literacy building in our childcare programs. These lesson plans are about three hours long, twice a week. 

How is your childcare program structured? I imagine engaging a small child in literacy lessons for three hours can be challenging. 

Each class has a different makeup of children and ages. So, we always assess the ages of the children so we can integrate age-appropriate materials into the classroom. During each session, the children always have time to play; we recently received some learning toys that follow a Montessori model. We also offer snack time, outdoor time, and interactive story time. 

There are several ways in which people can get involved with ReEstablish Richmond. I noticed that one of which is through volunteering. Can you describe what your volunteer program is like? 

For people interested in volunteering, they must first sign up for one of our volunteer orientation sessions, which we offer twice a month. This orientation provides a broad overview of who we are as an organization and how people can get involved. After each volunteer orientation session, orientation attendees receive a follow up email with a comprehensive volunteer application. In addition to submitting an application, applicants are required to complete modules on boundary building and how they can embed ReEstablish Richmond’s values into this important work. Once someone completes their application and education modules, they undergo a background check. If they pass the background check, they are added to our newsletter and can officially sign up for volunteer opportunities advertised in the newsletter. 

ReEstablish Richmond a service enterprise organization, which means we’ve demonstrated that we utilize volunteers strategically to where our combined volunteer work is the equivalent to three to four full-time employees. Additionally, we integrate volunteers in all areas of our work. We have volunteers that provide us with administrative support, transport our clients to and from our programs, and serve as classroom assistants for our childcare programs. In my opinion, the coolest program that integrates volunteers is our Heela sewing course.

Can you tell me about ReEstablish Richmond started its annual book club? 

Our book club began because many of our staff members and volunteers love to read about people from different cultures. We began this book club internally with our staff, then we expanded this to our volunteers, and now we are promoting the book club to the greater community. Recently, we felt that people are even more interested in our client base and felt that this was one of the ways to increase their engagement with the immigrant and refugee community. Now, anyone in the community can join our book club. 

What is something you wish more people understood about the community you serve or the work that you do?

I’ll speak on it on two different levels. Part of my role involves fundraising, so I know how hard it is to receive support for such a politically divisive topic. It is challenging to address the systemic barriers for so many people of color, no matter where they’re from. In addition to those barriers, our clients have to navigate language and cultural barriers. On the flip side, the people who are committed and believe in our work are incredible. We have the most amazing interns, staff members, volunteers, and clients. My favorite part of this work is the people I get to meet; they’re definitely the ones who keep me going. 

What are some changes you would like to see with how immigrants and refugees are treated in the United States? 

In the almost 12 years I have been working in this space, I have noticed that Richmond is an overwhelmingly welcoming space for refugees and new immigrants. In the past 10-11 years at ReEstablish Richmond, we’ve had a consistent flow of volunteers, of faith communities, of other organizations wanting to support newcomers. Since November 2024, we’ve had over 100 people sign up to attend a volunteer orientation with us. That just tells me that people want to engage in this work. There’s a lot of fear with our client communities right now because of policy changes and uncertainty of how it may impact immigrant and refugee communities. So, in the bigger picture, I definitely believe the United States is feeling less welcoming. However, our approach has a local focus, and we are still welcoming newcomers in Richmond and connecting them with the resources they need to thrive and feel safe.

How has Robins Foundation’s support helped ReEstablish Richmond achieve its goals? 

Robins Foundation’s capacity building services, Catchafire and Bonterra, were a huge game changer for us. I did not have a nonprofit background when I started working at ReEstablish Richmond, so having these resources were essential. In addition to giving out grants, Robins Foundation said, “Hey, you can have a grant and receive consistent capacity building support that will make your work even more successful.” I was also excited when Robins Foundation narrowed their funding focus areas. Initially, ReEstablish Richmond wasn’t working with many children between ages 0-5, but now we’re able to fill this gap and create accessible opportunities for these young newcomers.  

Is there anything that you wanted to promote in this interview, like an upcoming initiative or an awareness month? 

Our biggest event is actually our Multicultural Festival which will take place in June 2025 in honor of Immigrant Heritage Month and World Refugee Day. This festival is done in partnership with the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Engagement for the city of Richmond. Multicultural Festival brings together the diverse cultures of Richmond residents so that newcomers and old timers alike can share food, culture, and performance.There will be food, performances, and other cultural exhibits. It’s a great opportunity for us all to understand how we’re all different and how we’re all the same.

Can anyone volunteer for ReEstablish Richmond’s Multicultural Festival? 

Unlike our usual volunteer opportunities, people ages 14 and up can volunteer for Multicultural Festival without going through a full background check intensive. ReEstablish Richmond will be promoting volunteer opportunities on our website and social media closer to June 2025. We’ll have plenty of volunteer opportunities for the event, specifically including delivering invitations. Our onboarded volunteers that underwent a full background check intensive can hand deliver Multicultural Festival invitations to all of our clients and provide transportation for our clients who can’t get to the event otherwise. 

______________________________

For more information on the incredible work at ReEstablish Richmond, please visit https://www.reestablishrichmond.org/ 

Partner Spotlights are a platform for Robins Foundation grantees to highlight their important work and for Robins Foundation to recognize the incredible efforts and successes of our partners. This month, our Administrative and Operations Coordinator, Annaliese Santana, interviewed Morton “Timp” Hecht, President and CEO, and Melissa Rose, Clinical Director, of Children’s Assistive Technology Services (C.A.T.S.). Since 2014, C.A.T.S. has connected children with neuromuscular disabilities with free assistive technology to enhance their development. In 2024 alone, C.A.T.S. provided over 1,300 children with access to assistive technology. Throughout their interview, Timp and Melissa provided poignant insights on the importance of assistive technology and empowering children with neuromuscular disabilities. 

Can you please describe, at a high level, what Children’s Assistive Technology Services does?

Timp Hecht

We provide assistive technology–mobility communication, and positioning devices such as wheelchairs, walking aids, and braces for children birth to 21 with neuromuscular disabilities. For many families, access to assistive technology can be challenging and expensive, with restrictive insurance constraints on payment for assistive technology. Removing cost as a barrier is central to our mission. On average, C.A.T.S. delivers each assistive device at a cost of $200, yet its depreciated value is approximately $1,500. Importantly, families are never billed for the equipment they receive from C.A.T.S. The window of opportunity to achieve optimal benefit from assistive technology is small. Timely access to adaptive equipment can mean the difference between achieving optimal health and facing long-term developmental challenges. Matching children with the proper devices at the appropriate time reduces health risks, enhances school participation, and improves quality of life.

Can you elaborate more on the health benefits of assistive technology?

Timp Hecht

The health benefits of assistive technology are poorly understood by the public. Most people believe that assistive technology is only a mobility device. While enhanced mobility is crucial, adaptive equipment positively impacts all aspects of a child’s life. It enables children to reach critical developmental milestones and achieve optimal health and comfort. For many children with communication disorders and their families, assistive technology is their sole means of communication.

Melissa Rose

I’ll share an example of a patient with spina bifida. Spina bifida is a birth defect where a baby’s spine and spinal cord do not develop properly in the womb, causing a gap in the spine. This results in weakness and, in some cases, paralysis of the legs. Initially, my patient needed help to stand with a stationary stander. He then progressed to a gait trainer, enabling him to stand and control his legs. Now, he can walk short distances without the use of any assistive device. This past Christmas, he could decorate the tree with his family. 

We also offer a variety of assistive recreational equipment, such as adaptive bikes and all-terrain wheelchairs. I worked with a little girl and her non-disabled twin sister. The little girl couldn’t walk independently, but we gave her an adaptive bike to ride alongside her sister. So, C.A.T.S. doesn’t just enable children to improve their health; we also help them play and have fun, which are also important for development.

How does C.A.T.S. acquire this kind of technology and how can families request assistive technology?

Timp Hecht

Families donate equipment to us when they no longer need it. We also have relationships with major healthcare systems throughout Virginia. The Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters (CHKD) thrift stores in Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, and Richmond pick up and accept donated equipment. We encourage our families to return the equipment when their child outgrows it or no longer has a clinical need for it. That way, our services can be ongoing. We refurbish all equipment to be safe and fully functional.

Families can request equipment from our online inventory. The child must be in therapy with a Virginia healthcare professional to receive equipment. Melissa [Rose] consults with the child’s therapist to ensure that the equipment is appropriate for the child’s specific needs and recommends alternative equipment if applicable. C.A.T.S. is also a resource for those who want to understand when and how to use pediatric assistive technology.

Melissa Rose

I work with children from birth to three years old. This is a critical age for developing wired connections and reaching essential developmental milestones. To understand what “wired connections” means, it’s important to explain neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the rewiring of connections in our brain. Our brain is plastic, meaning we can teach and rewire the brain. The younger a person is, the more plastic their brain is, and the easier it is to rewire. By rewiring brains, we can use different brain regions to compensate or correct for the dysfunctional areas. When working with children with neuromuscular disabilities, we do this through repetition and assistive technology.

Part of your mission is also to educate pediatric clinicians, teachers, and caregivers. Can you walk me through how you go about that education portion?

Melissa Rose

Much of our education focuses on using assistive technology. It’s vital that pediatric clinicians, teachers, and caregivers understand the importance of assistive technology and that we’re an available resource. We also help therapists decide what equipment would or would not be appropriate for certain patients.

Timp Hecht

We also provide continuing education for healthcare professionals focused on various aspects of pediatric assistive technology. The last session was presented by Ginny Paleg PT, MPT, DScPT in Richmond on treating children with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS ) Level IV and V through supported standing and stepping. Dr. Paleg is an internationally renowned researcher on power mobility, supported stepping and standing, hypotonia, and hip health.

You all also accept volunteers at C.A.T.S. Can you walk me through some of your volunteer opportunities and how people can become a volunteer?

Melissa Rose

Volunteers are essential to the C.A.T./S mission. Our volunteers refurbish and transport equipment. While many of our volunteers are retired healthcare professionals, we have volunteers from varied backgrounds, including the military, business, students, and parents. Regardless of their backgrounds, all our volunteers share our commitment to inclusion and opportunity.

What motivates you all to do this work?

Melissa Rose

Personally, I love seeing kids be kids and seeing their families’ joy when their kids improve and be kids. There’s nothing better than seeing a kid’s confidence grow and feel the joys of exploration and play. That’s important to me.

Timp Hecht

Throughout my career, I’ve been in pediatric healthcare, primarily behavioral and primary healthcare. Before C.A.T.S., I had little experience with assistive technology and working with children with neuromuscular disabilities. This population is significantly overlooked. It’s rewarding to know that we’re playing a role in ensuring that a child’s potential can be realized. Without advocacy and without the services that we provide, these kids are going to be left behind. To be able to play a role in helping families and children achieve their dreams and live a more rewarding and dignified life is what motivates us all.

What do you wish more people understood about the community that you serve?

Timp Hecht

We all have some level of disability. I want people to understand that these kids also have abilities. They’re not any different. They have the same dreams, the same interests, the same aspirations as all children. And they deserve the same love and support as all children. Also, it typically costs 10 times more to raise a child with a disability than a more typically developing child. Finances shouldn’t constrain a child’s dreams.

How has Robins Foundation’s support helped you all advance your mission?

Timp Hecht

Our ability to expand our operations in the Richmond area is a direct consequence of the support from the Robins Foundation. We are reaching more children, reaching more families, and establishing more important and productive relationships with the area’s healthcare systems. Largely because of the support of the Robins Foundation, we have been able to enhance our transportation efforts.

Our only source of revenue is fundraising and grants. We have no fee for service revenue, which is not typical in a healthcare environment. But as I mentioned earlier, the financial burden on a family, regardless of their means, is enormous. We don’t want families to weigh whether children have access to the services they need with other financial needs. So that’s why we don’t charge any families regardless of their economic status. And we could not do that if it weren’t for the support of the Robins Foundation and our other donors and supporters.

Is there anything that you wanted to promote in this interview, in this partner spotlight that I can include in an article later?

Melissa Rose

In October, we have our annual Hallowheels event. We invite families to dress up their children and decorate their assistive devices for Halloween. This extraordinary event celebrates the strength, resilience, and creativity of our children and families and showcases the transformative power of assistive technology. We post pictures of the children on our Hallowheels website. For a dollar a vote, individuals

can vote on their favorite costume. This is one of our important fundraisers. In 2024, families from over 40 states participated, with kids ranging from infants to teens. 

______________________________

To learn more about C.A.T.S. please visit https://atdevicesforkids.org/

Partner Spotlights are a platform for Robins Foundation grantees to highlight their important work and for Robins Foundation to recognize the incredible efforts and successes of our partners. This month, our Administrative and Operations Coordinator, Annaliese Santana, interviewed John Walker, President and CEO, and Stephanie Howley, Clinical Lead and Speech-Language Pathologist, at SOAR365 for our Partner Spotlight. Since 1954, SOAR365 has provided a wide range of resources for individuals with disabilities, from infants to seniors. In 2024 alone, SOAR365 served 1,058 children through its Pediatric Therapy program, of which 1,024 were under the age of three receiving Early Intervention services. Throughout their interview, John and Stephanie provided wonderful insights on the importance of Early Intervention and accessible parks for children of all ability levels.

Can you describe, at a high level, what SOAR365 does?

John Walker

At SOAR365, we create life fulfilling opportunities for individuals with disabilities, from infants to seniors. In addition to Pediatric Therapy services, we provide day programs for youth and adults, respite on weekends, when a family has an emergency as well as summer camp. SOAR365 also helps individuals with disabilities find employment either with SOAR365 or through our Supported Employment services.

SOAR365 does its work, in part, through Early Intervention. Can you please describe what that is?

John Walker

Early Intervention is a federal program funded in part via Medicaid. If a medical professional identifies that a child between birth to three has at least a 25% developmental delay or has a diagnosed condition with a high probability of developmental delay, that child is entitled to receive developmental services; and states are required by the federal law to provide those services. SOAR365 is by far the largest provider of Early Intervention services in Central Virginia. Nowadays, more kids are being diagnosed earlier and demand for Pediatric Therapy has been growing. So, since 2018, we’ve doubled the number of kids that we support every year.

Like you mentioned, when a child experiences at least a 25% developmental delay, they are referred to SOAR365’s pediatric therapists through Early Intervention. Can you walk me through what your Pediatric Therapy program does?

Stephanie Howley

Pediatric therapists at SOAR365 work with individuals with disabilities and their families. We go to the child’s home, childcare, or park (wherever they spend their day) and teach their family strategies to help their child reach certain developmental milestones like crawling, walking, or increasing their vocabulary. Based on the child’s needs, parents can access speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and developmental specialists. We work with a variety of localities – Richmond, Henrico, Charles City, New Kent, Chesterfield, and Hanover – that refer children to us. By the time the child is three, some are no longer delayed. For those who need ongoing services, the parent has a good understanding of their role in helping their child and how to work with a therapist.

These Pediatric Therapy visits occur in an environment that a child is familiar with, such as their home, a park, or even a grocery store. Can you talk about why that’s so important?

Stephanie Howley

Studies have shown that children learn best from their daily routines and in familiar surroundings. They also learn best from their parents, caregivers, and peers. SOAR365’s pediatric therapists guide parents and give them strategies to use within their daily environment. So, for example, if a child is having trouble going to the grocery store, we can give them and their parents guidance on how to work through certain behaviors in that setting.

How can someone become a pediatric therapist at SOAR365?

Stephanie Howley

Before someone is hired at SOAR365, all our therapists must be previously degreed, trained, and licensed in their specialty by the state. We also have students that complete field work with us before they’re licensed. Students from VCU’s occupational therapy program will typically work with us for an entire semester. We also have speech therapy students from UVA and JMU who will often do field work with us; some of them have even gotten full time jobs with us. When a student does field work here, they start off with some guidance and eventually provide most of the services by the end of the semester with little input from their supervisor. We also offer clinical fellowships to new speech therapy graduates. When we first hire new graduates in speech therapy, they are supervised for nine months before they get their full therapy license through our fellowship. Someone can easily apply to one of our open positions on SOAR365’s website. 

Throughout your career, how has care for individuals with disabilities evolved?

Stephanie Howley

In the past as Early Interventionists, we brought supplies and toys into the children’s homes. Now, we’ve found that coaching and working with what’s in the child’s environment is much more effective. We can teach strategies through household activities and routines. So, if a parent is doing laundry, we figure out how to include their kiddo in this household task. Even for something like doing laundry, there are so many learning opportunities within folding the laundry and matching socks.

John Walker

Over 70% of the families we work with live within 200% of the federal poverty level. And having children with disabilities drives significantly higher expenses for families. So, it’s important pediatric therapists like Stephanie use toys and supplies that are already in the child’s house to ensure the child can learn and grow in their familiar environment.

In addition to Pediatric Therapy visits, SOAR365 offers a space called PARK365. This park features amenities such as an accessible treehouse, wheelchair chargers, and sensory play areas. Can you describe what motivated the creation of PARK365?

John Walker

PARK365 opened about 10 years ago. We heard from a lot of families that they had places where they could take their child with a disability to play and places where they could take their child who was fully able to play. They didn’t have a place where the entire family could play and have fun. So, SOAR365 built PARK365 to provide an accessible and free play area for entire families. The park is open from dawn to dusk, 365 days of the year and is completely open to the public. In 2024, PARK365 was voted best community playground by Richmond Magazine. I like to think of it as our gift to the community. It’s just such a great place for people to gather and enjoy themselves.

What do you wish more people understood about the community you work with?

John Walker

Every individual with a disability is exactly that: an individual. All people with disabilities aren’t alike. Every one of these individuals has unique hopes and dreams and goals. For every single person we support at SOAR365, we always understand them as individuals, respect them, and treat them with dignity because they deserve that. Although they may process things differently or may look a little different, they’re entitled to the same opportunities in life that everyone else has. I also wish people understood who we are and what we do. We’re Richmond’s best kept secret and we’re by far the largest provider of comprehensive disability services in Central Virginia. When people understand what we do, it always blows their minds.

Stephanie Howley

It’s important that parents feel empowered to seek help and access resources as soon as they realize their child isn’t reaching age-appropriate developmental milestones. Also, I wish more people realized that Early Intervention is a family-centered program where parents are an integral part of each therapy session.

What motivates you all to do the work you do?

Stephanie Howley

All our therapists are really passionate about empowering parents and helping parents work with their child. I think the biggest reward is in seeing the kids progress and advance in their development, which is a huge motivator for all of us.

John Walker

I spent most of my career in the corporate for-profit world. At the end of my working life, I felt it might be nice to work somewhere where I could give back to the community. So, just 10 years ago, I started working at SOAR365. It is just amazing to see what we do and interact with the people in our programs or who are employed by us. We’ve got about 300 employees, about a third of whom have a disability. You can’t interact with the people that we work with and not feel good about what you do. This is just a great place to be.

How has Robins Foundation’s support helped you all address needs within the community?

John Walker

In the last three years, Robins Foundation generously supported our Pediatric Therapy program. Like I mentioned earlier, demand for this program has been growing rapidly. There was a point in time where there were not enough pediatric therapists to keep up with the demand, not just with us but in Central Virginia as a whole. Families who applied for Early Intervention services had difficulties matching their schedules with an available therapist. SOAR365 chose to address this issue by expanding. The sooner a delay is addressed while so much brain development is occurring, the better the long-term outcomes for the child.

Over these past couple of years, Robins’ support allowed us to change the way we pay our therapists. Now, we are a more competitive employer in comparison to a clinical outpatient setting. In a clinical setting, a therapist may treat 10 children a day. Early Intervention in the natural environment is very expensive because of the travel time but we do it because research shows that it is the most effective. This year, we will spend almost $100,000 on mileage reimbursements for our therapists.

_____________________________________________ 

To learn more about SOAR365, please visit https://soar365.org/