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The Suffolk Foundation made its annual grant distributions during an event Dec. 7 at Cedar Point Country Club.

This year, the Foundation was able to disburse $160,600 to 35 different nonprofit agencies. Since the Foundation received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation status in October 2007, it has awarded more than $6.8 million in unrestricted and donor-advised grants and scholarships.

The Foundation funded agencies seeking support in the following areas: cultural arts, education, environment, health and human need. As the invested funds continue to grow, the board anticipates being able to support more agencies, and a diversity of needs, with more funds.

The 2021 Suffolk Foundation grant recipients were:

• Airfield 4-H Conference Center ($2,000) — will support scholarships for Suffolk ninth- and 10th-graders to attend environmental academy.
• American Red Cross of Coastal Virginia ($5,000) — will support direct disaster services (food, shelter, clothing, medications, etc.) to those affected by home fires and other disasters in Suffolk.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia ($3,500) — will support DIY STEM and Career Launch programming for Suffolk students.
• Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters ($10,000) — will support the CHKD Child Advocacy Center by providing medical, mental health, and forensic services to children suspected of being abused and neglected.
• Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters ($5,000) — (second year of five-year grant commitment totaling $25,000) — will support the construction of CHKD’s new pediatric mental health hospital.
• Communities in Schools of Hampton Roads ($1,000) — will support dropout prevention services at King’s Fork Middle School.
• Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore ($5,000) — will help support the Backpack Program for Suffolk and Western Tidewater elementary and middle school students, providing food-insecure children with nutritious food on weekends and during school vacations.
• ForKids ($7,500) — will provide program materials, supplies and transportation for Children’s Education Program for students in Western Tidewater experiencing homelessness.
• Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast ($5,000) — will support STEM programming for Suffolk K-12 girls.
• Girls on the Run Hampton Roads ($3,000) — will provide athletic sneakers for girls in low-income groups to allow participation in running program.
• Hospital Hospitality House of Richmond (The Doorways) ($3,000) — will support the Patient and Family Access Program serving Suffolk-area residents who stay at the Doorways while accessing medical care.
• Nansemond River Preservation Alliance ($10,000) — will support The Nansemond Watershed Initiative: Connecting the Classroom with the Environment program for third- and seventh-graders (funded by grants from the Richard F. III and Carolyn Barry Donor Advised Fund & the Dwight and Jane Schaubach Donor Advised Fund).
• Nansemond-Suffolk Academy ($5,000) — will support the Lower School Guided Reading Program.
• Paul D. Camp Community College Foundation ($4,000) — will support the startup of the Emergency Management Services-Paramedic program at the Hobbs Suffolk Campus.
• Riddick’s Folly ($3,000) — will support history programs and educational opportunities for the Suffolk community.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities ($2,500) — will support night stays for Western Tidewater families of hospitalized children.
• Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia ($5,000) — will support the I-Ride Transportation program, providing access to medical care by providing transportation to medical appointments for Suffolk and Western Tidewater senior citizens and adults with disabilities.
• Suffolk Art League ($2,700) — will fund visiting artist workshops in Suffolk schools, as well as professional development workshops for Suffolk art teachers.
• Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts ($8,000) — will support art education classes and workshops.
• Suffolk Cheer Fund ($2,500) — will provide toys to needy Suffolk children at Christmas.
• Suffolk Christian Fellowship Center ($3,000) — will support food assistance for food insecure communities in Suffolk and Western Tidewater.
• Suffolk Education Foundation ($1,400) — will provide funding for a mental wellness webinar series for Suffolk Public School students and parents.
• Suffolk Family YMCA ($5,000) — will help address Suffolk’s childcare crisis by assisting low-income children to attend the Before and After School program and summer camp program.
• Suffolk Meals on Wheels ($10,000) — will support funding for meals for need-based recipients in the underserved areas of Suffolk and Isle of Wight County.
• Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society ($2,500) — will support digitizing of historical records.
• Suffolk Youth Athletic Association ($5,000) — will support the construction of a soccer equipment storage building.
• The Genieve Shelter ($2,500) — will help support the Rapid Rehousing Program serving Suffolk-area residents who are victims of domestic violence or human trafficking.
• The Links ($2,000) — will support free swim instruction and water safety classes for children in underserved communities in the Suffolk area.
• The Salvation Army, Suffolk Corps ($8,000) — will support basic needs programs and community center programs at the Robert Harrell Physical Health and Education Center.
• The Up Center ($2,500) — will support outpatient counseling services for individuals in Suffolk and the surrounding areas by providing trauma informed counseling, and mental health and substance use counseling services.
• Tidewater Arts Outreach ($500) — will help support arts outreach programs for older adults in Western Tidewater.
• Tidewater Friends of Foster Care ($2,500) — will help support tutoring programs for Suffolk foster youth.
• United Way of South Hampton Roads ($5,000) — will support the “LEAP” and “LAUNCH” summer school programs for at-risk Suffolk students, providing academic support, nutritious meals, healthcare screenings, physical fitness, and enrichment opportunities.
• Virginia Legal Aid Society ($5,000) — will support the Strengthening Families with Children program, which incorporates legal advice and representation to strengthen low-income families.
• Western Tidewater Free Clinic ($10,000) — will help provide dental care to Suffolk patients to improve their overall health, self-esteem, and employability.
• WHRO ($3,000) — will help support the First Book literacy program for Suffolk prekindergarten through 12th-graders.