This week, club member Jim Mears sponsored Angela York to speak at our weekly meeting. Angela has served as the Executive Director of THRIVE Peninsula since 2016. Under Angela’s leadership, the organization has grown to serve more than 15,000 individuals each year, providing food pantry services, emergency financial assistance, and financial coaching. THRIVE is a faith-based coalition helping families through hardship. Using 100 weekly volunteers, THRIVE provides emergency financial assistance, financial coaching, and food pantry services to those in need. In 2022, THRIVE distributed more than $1 million in aid.
We also learned that THRIVE served more than 1,000 children that participated in their Christmas program over the last 3 years. Angela shared that they are moving to a new facility offering a food pantry marketplace, a unique space on the Peninsula. The new space will also offer dedicated spaces for financial coaching, and they will grow some of their own produce in raised gardens to offset some of their costs. Thank you, Angela, for an informative presentation, and thank you, Jim, for inviting Angela to speak!
You’re invited to join us at an upcoming meeting. We meet each Tuesday from 12:00 – 1:00 pm at the James River Country Club. Please note that we do not meet on the last Tuesday of each month because we alternate social events and service projects. This month we will be one of four Rotary Clubs at a joint social event at 1700 Brewing, located at 11838 Canon Blvd. If you’d like to join us at any of our events, let us know!