UMFS Generosity Collective
The Generosity Collective is an innovative initiative that unites aligned nonprofit organizations to maximize their collective impact. It fosters collaboration and shared resources to address the challenges faced by vulnerable children and families in Virginia, thereby empowering organizations to implement creative solutions.
UMFS Generosity Collective
The Generosity Collective is an innovative initiative that unites aligned nonprofit organizations to maximize their collective impact. It fosters collaboration and shared resources to address the challenges faced by vulnerable children and families in Virginia, thereby empowering organizations to implement creative solutions.
About the Generosity Collective
Far beyond just sharing space, we provide an inclusive environment where these agencies convene to create a kinder and more inclusive community; to inspire innovative approaches and acts of generosity to bring about meaningful change.
These aligned organizations provide essential resources and support to our children, nurturing their well-being and development. In return, our youth learn the value of generosity and actively contribute to uplifting others in need. By integrating acts of generosity into the fabric of our programs, UMFS ensures the youth we serve receive support and also can uplift and empower others. This holistic approach cultivates a sense of agency and dignity, enabling our youth to become agents of positive change. This reciprocal relationship fosters compassion, empathy, and resilience.
We envision a community where generosity knows no bounds and every child, every family experiences the power of love, support and opportunity.
Generosity Collective Partners
The Caring Closet aims to help children in the foster care system regain a sense of stability, safety, and confidence by restoring their basic need for adequate clothing. The caring closet started in a garage to help children arriving at residential facilities with nothing more than the clothes on their backs through the support of friends, volunteers, and partners, it has grown exponentially. The Caring Closet now provides high clothing, necessities, and comfort items to children and families by partnering with organizations and individuals throughout the Richmond area.
At Fit4Kids, we believe that health and wellness is more than a standard of learning. Our years of experience working directly with kids serve as a foundation for our educational programs. We provide students and families with the tools they need to be stewards of their wellness journey. Families, students, and educators across the Greater Richmond area trust Fit4Kids to instill the importance of health and wellness to the youth of our community.
Happily Natural Day promotes holistic health, cultural awareness & social change. Bringing communities together through arts and culture while serving as a platform for black liberation movements from all across the globe.
Methodist Ministries Network is a national association of more than 65 member organizations providing services in over 450 locations across the country. Their faith-based member ministries serve children, youth and families, seniors and persons with disabilities and share a commitment to excellence in human service ministries. Together, they touch the lives of 4.4 million people each year.
Rise Above is a Trauma-Informed, Social-Emotional Learning and Substance Use Prevention Program. Their program utilizes social-emotional learning, in efforts to help youth cultivate life skills to help them overcome and thrive. Innovative Wellness seeks to prevent adverse childhood experiences and promote child and family well-being through innovative research that informs interventions in practice and policy. The research group consists of faculty, research staff, and students who act as agents for social change through the development and dissemination of empirically-based knowledge. Ultimately, the Innovative Wellness research group intends to increase the field’s understanding of children, adolescents, and families in order to better meet the needs of both our community and yours.
Shalom Farms is a nonprofit farm and food justice organization working for an equitable food system in Richmond, VA. The food they grow is distributed through their network of programs and partnerships in communities where access to healthy food is limited. They believe everyone deserves access to good food. Food that is good for their bodies, their families, their community and the environment. They know that it takes a community to feed a community, which is why collaboration and partnerships are at the heart of their work.
The VAISEF mission is to enhance the capabilities of its members to provide quality specialized education and services by offering an accreditation process and by providing information, training, and networking opportunities; and to increase opportunities for members to provide services by advocating for a full continuum of services and by advocating for an increased role of the private sector, and by networking with state and local agencies.
Virginia’s Kids Belong mobilizes government, faith-based, business and creative leaders around the goal of permanency and belonging for every child. Virginia’s Kids Belong runs innovative initiatives to help ensure that every child is in a loving home by: recruiting more foster and adoptive families, engaging wrap-around support for at-risk, foster & adoptive families along the way, and helping youth who have aged out without a family reach their full potential. Together, we can give Virginia’s children a face, a voice, and a pathway to belonging – through reunification with their birth families, and when that’s not possible – adoption through foster care.
Voices focuses their analysis and advocacy on developing and championing policies and practices that positively impact the health and well-being of Virginia’s children and families. Their approach is data-driven and evidence-based, and targets issues that cross multiple domains and tend to have the greatest impact on child and family success. They cover several core policy topics and work broadly to address the multi-faceted and severe effects of child poverty.
Work of Art is designed to empower young ladies ages 13-18 from underserved populations. The mission of the program is built on three beliefs: lead by example, inspire others and help mentees develop a deeper connection to their families, communities and the world through volunteer opportunities and other enriching experiences.
Worthdays’ goal is to provide children within the foster care system with joy, growth, and the opportunity to be unconditionally adored. The organization increases awareness within the community about the chronic crisis of the foster care system and calls on them to help meet the basics needs of the vulnerable kids and families in the foster care system. Worth days strives to make every child feel special by celebrating special occasions, providing basic needs, and supporting activities that focus on skills and increase feelings of self-worth.
Questions?
If you have any questions at all, please reach out to Kate Ockerman, Associate Director of Engagement and Stewardship at kockerman@UMFS.org or 804.353.4461.