Sentara awards $590,269 to support 5 community partners in the Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital Service Area

Sentara Cares is an initiative that focuses on advancing health equity. This is a key component to quality healthcare. Sentara Cares addresses healthcare issues every day, where people live—not just when patients are under our care. Through our partnerships, we continue to make both immediate impacts and lasting change for our communities.

These investments expand upon Sentara's enduring commitment to addressing social drivers of health and fostering equitable access to care in historically underserved communities. Sentara’s efforts are bolstered through its numerous partnerships with community and faith-based organizations.

“Sentara is committed to working with partners to address the needs of the communities we serve,” said Sherry Norquist, Sentara’s executive director of community engagement and impact. “Through our ongoing collaboration with community organizations and faith-based leaders, we will continue to drive change that improves health equity for the individuals in the communities where we live, work, and play.”

Sentara’s largest investment locally was to the Halifax County Rescue Squad which supports four ambulances with the personnel necessary to provide paramedic care to residents in Halifax County and South Boston, Va.

“Partnerships are critical to the health and wellbeing of the community. We are honored to be able support the incredible work that our community partners do. We are looking forward to collaborating with additional charitable organizations in the future to further meet the needs of the communities we serve,” explains Brian Zwoyer, president of Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital.

Sentara prioritizes funding for community partners and initiatives that align with the organization’s primary areas of focus: access to care and community engagement, behavioral health, food security, housing, and workforce training and career development. The 5 Sentara Cares grants for Fall 2023 include the following:

Southside Virginia

• Halifax County Rescue Squad, Inc. — $400,000 – Rescue Squad
• North Halifax Volunteer Fire Department — $41,297.00 - Extrication Equipment
• Organization to Provide Equal Access to Technology, Inc. — $25,000 - Education
• Southside Virginia Community College Foundation - $30,000 – SVCC Simulation Lab Expansion
• Turbeville Volunteer Fire & Rescue — $93,972.00 – Quick Response Vehicle

For the Sentara Cares Fall 2023 microgrant cycle, Sentara contributed $35,500 to 5 local community organizations.

Southside, Virginia

• Books-N-Me, Inc. — Buffalo Junction
• Downtown South Boston Farmers Market — South Boston
• Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. — Drakes Branch
• Good Hope Equestrian & Regenerative Farm (GHERF) — Halifax
• The People's Pantry — South Boston

Sentara Cares microgrants are designed specifically for funding requests of $15,000 or less. Like the Sentara Cares grants, the Sentara Cares microgrants prioritize funding that targets Sentara’s primary areas of focus: access to care and community engagement, behavioral health, food security, housing, and workforce training and career development.

To learn more about the many ways that Sentara partners with the community, visit Sentara’s 2022 Community Engagement and Impact Report. Visit SentaraCares.com for additional information about partnership and funding opportunities with Sentara.