Community Emergency Response Fund

Working with community leaders, the Williamsburg Community Foundation has created a Community Emergency Response Fund to help local resident impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic in the greater Williamsburg area. City of Williamsburg Vice Mayor Douglas G. “Doug” Pons and Councilman Benming “Benny” Zhang personally pledged $10,000 to seed the Community Emergency Response Fund. The Williamsburg Community Foundation also committed $10,000 to the effort, thanks to the Genevieve K. Meder Trust, which was created to assist local people in natural disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Community Emergency Response Fund has provided flexible grants to nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to our community’s most vulnerable citizens and support basic needs. This includes our service area of the City of Williamsburg, James City County, and upper York County.  

Grants from this fund provide local nonprofits with funding to help those residents most in need due to the economic downturn resulting from COVID-19. This could include seniors, children, those with health conditions, and those who work in tourism and hospitality. These grants will help those nonprofit organizations that directly assist residents who are disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and who may be in need of food, shelter, utilities and housing, or healthcare.