Greater Williamsburg Outreach Mission

For fifteen (15) years, the Greater Williamsburg Outreach Mission (GWOM) has worked with local churches, civic organizations, and service providers to seek new ways to help those living with food insecurity or suffering from homelessness.  

None of the work we do would be possible without you!  We are thankful for every dollar, and we ask for your continued support now.  Please know that GWOM is an all-volunteer organization, which means that 95% of all contributions go to help those in need.  What are you helping us to do?

Currently, GWOM facilitates a Crock Pot Meal Program that serves families in area motels. Bi-monthly, participating families receive groceries and recipes that allow them to prepare home cooked meals in their rooms.  

GWOM partners with Williamsburg area Meals on Wheels in the Summer Meals for Kids feeding program. This program will, throughout the summer break, prepare and deliver over 250 lunches each weekday. These meals will replace lunches many children depend on receiving from school throughout the academic year. This summer, over 20,000 lunches will be prepared and delivered in our community. 

Heart for the Hungry is an annual GWOM initiative that supports area non-profits who work hard everyday to feed the food insecure members of our community.  Each February, GWOM pays a dollar a pound for all food donated to local food pantries at FISH, Inc.,  Williamsburg House of Mercy, Grove Christian Outreach and others who depend on community donations to keep their pantries stocked.  Heart for the Hungry, awards up to $1000 to each of these non-profits so that they might purchase additional food.  This year, GWOM awarded $5000 to local food banks via this program.

Last year, we developed one of our most ambitious projects to date, we call it Wheels to Work.  It is our hope that with help from several partners AND YOU this project will increase the success for those who are  gainfully employed, by helping to repair vehicles needed to provide reliable transportation to work. We believe that this is a positive and enduring way to reduce homelessness.  We recently began helping qualified members of our community obtain needed repairs to their vehicle!

This year, we have teamed with others in our community to explore the possibility of  a more permanent solution to homelessness in our community.  GWOM and its member faith and civic organizations have long supported and will continue to support the Winter Shelter administered by Community of Faith Mission.  We see many in our community struggling in a volatile  economy.  We believe it is time to study, learn and talk about the possibility of a solution to area homelessness that includes expanded capacity and permanence.  This work is just beginning. We promise to keep you posted.

As always, we are so very grateful for the important role you play in all of the good things happening through GWOM.

Thank you!

The Board of Directors, Greater Williamsburg Outreach Mission

Who We Are

The Greater Williamsburg Outreach Mission (GW Outreach) is an incorporated coalition of faith groups that is committed to creating strategies, plans, and programs to address the critical needs of the homeless and of those at risk of becoming homeless in Williamsburg, James City and upper York Counties. This year, GW Outreach celebrates its 12th year of providing a faith-based, non-profit umbrella under which existing program expansions and new initiative launches are developed in coordination with other community-based essential services. Services address both time sensitive needs such as food, clothing, and shelter, as well as long terms needs including employment, addiction recovery, and financial counseling. GW Outreach is inclusive of all faith groups and is led by an all volunteer board of directors appointed from among the 23 faith group members.