Williamsburg House of Mercy is thankful for the support of the Williamsburg Community Foundation, who recently named them the recipient of a $5,000 grant to benefit the program. This year, their 2018 grant will support the Monthly Mobile Food Pantry, which brings produce, meats, bakery items, and other family friendly ingredients to hundreds of people each month. As the need as grown, we have started offering two Monthly Mobile Food Pantries: one in Williamsburg and another in Toano at Stonehouse Presbyterian.
Last year, the Williamsburg Community Foundation’s grant supported the “Get to Work!” program. As part of the Williamsburg House of Mercy’s efforts to provide stabilizing support to families in the area, the “Get to Work!” program focuses on transportation needs of individuals to and from their place of employment. Executive Director, Shannon Woloszynowski, speaks to the necessity of the “Get to Work!” program: “One of the biggest obstacles to maintaining employment is reliable transportation. Unfortunately, Williamsburg is not a city that is largely walkable, and this can create quite a distance between places of employment and affordable housing for individuals struggling to support a family. The “Get to Work!” program removes this obstacle and puts families back in a position of stability and progress by supporting their ability to work.”
The Williamsburg House of Mercy partners with over 15 faith groups and various businesses and nonprofit organizations to help minister to the poor and homeless in Williamsburg. They see men, women, and children who are in desperate need of the basic necessities, including food and shelter. Services and programs focus on a mission of providing financial assistance, food stability, homeless services, crisis pregnancy support, homeless rehousing and other outreach assistance to the greater Williamsburg community
