The Prince William County Community Foundation (PWCCF) is a Prince William County, Virginia-based, non­profit founded in 2018 by Dr. Vanessa Gattis, a county resident dedicated to helping to improve the quality of life and providing sensible solutions in our community. With a variety of initiatives focused on the social, environmental, and economic health of Prince William County residents, PWCCF endeavors to be at the forefront of improving the quality of life in our community and championing solutions that advance the common good. PWCCF’s services portfolio includes initiatives in the areas of healthcare, education, well­being, and food insecurity. The Foundation also created and sponsor a monthly Community Conversation where PWCCF connects our residents with thoughtful conversations on relevant topics that affect our community every day.

An emerging need in Prince William County is the lack of an adequate or consistent food supply experienced by over 14,000 children daily. Though all PWCCF’s programs have a distinct impact on county residents, the demand for our initiative addressing the local food insecurity epidemic has grown exponentially as we progress through the years. Placing ourselves at the forefront of eradicating regional food insecurity, PWCCF works with residents, the Prince William County Schools, local businesses, and non­profit organizations, and other community partners in high­ need sections across Prince William County to make it easier for food­ insecure county residents to acquire and prepare food that is desired, usable, and nutritious. We also work to increase the capacity among individuals and local organizations to move toward a food ­secure future for all. Our most prominent initiative focused on eradicating hunger is our Combating Hunger on Wheels (C.H.O.W.) Initiative that supports the over 14,000 food­ insecure Prince William County children and residents by placing nutritionally adequate foods right in their hands through mobile distribution and community outreach. Since the start of the C.H.O.W. Initiative in 2019, PWCCF has served over 50,000 families, equating to more than 650,000 meals served to County residents.

At PWCCF, not only do we work hard to bring more healthy food to our neighbors in need, but we also believe it is essential to teach the basics of healthy living and choices. As a supplement to our C.H.O.W. Initiative, PWCCF’s Health and Wellness Initiative works to collectively help improve the health and well­being of the residents in Prince William County. In collaboration with other community entities, PWCCF provides information and shares resources with other healthcare establishments to develop a plan that would collectively improve and promote strategies to improve the health of County residents.

Lastly, we also support local youth to prepare themselves for long­ term self-sufficiency and post­secondary success by promoting the value of education locally. PWCCF’s scholarship programs have recognized numerous youths in the Prince William County area as we look to support the leaders of tomorrow.

Youth scholarship recipients are recognized publicly through scholarship events or luncheons and receive ongoing mentorship from PWCCF personnel as they continue to progress through their education. To date, PWCCF has awarded PWC high school seniors more than $10,000 in scholarships awards.

This year, PWCCF supported educators through their inaugural Micro­Grant program. Five PWC educators received $250 grants each for their perseverance and commitment to student learning.