A seasoned community development official from Virginia is taking the helm of LISC’s Hampton Roads program, driving local efforts to invest in affordable housing, small businesses, health, safety and jobs throughout the region.

A transformative high-touch, “housing first” approach to supporting people who struggle with chronic homelessness and mental and physical health challenges is getting a kick-start from a collaboration between LISC and Sentara Healthcare in Hampton Roads, VA. One year since the launch of the partnership, its programs are driving health and wellness in the region through investments ranging from small business support to innovative health and housing initiatives—proof of the power of teaming up with local anchor institutions to create real change.

The fundamental role of LISC AmeriCorps members is to serve essential community needs. With the onslaught of the coronavirus epidemic, our members are adapting and devising creative new ways to help the rural and urban residents they work with handle the seismic social, economic and public health shocks of the crisis. (Photo: Americorps members in Jackson, MS in 2019; Member Cynthia Renteria is third from left.)

by Maurice A. Jones, LISC CEO and President

LISC is taking swift action in response to the coronavirus pandemic, to mitigate economic impact on residents in the hundreds of communities where we work. We are launching the LISC Rapid Relief and Resiliency Fund to assemble and deploy resources to our local partners, small businesses and residents who are being hit hardest. The Fund will deliver operating capital, emergency subsidies and IT support, as well as technical assistance, to keep our partners and their communities strong and functioning through this unprecedented situation.

An investment of $2.5 million from Verizon is making it possible for LISC to begin offering critical relief and resiliency-building support to small businesses facing immediate financial threat because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The funding will go to make grants of up to $10,000, especially to entrepreneurs of color, women-owned businesses and other enterprises in historically under-served places who don’t have access to flexible, affordable capital. Verizon will highlight and bolster these efforts through their inaugural "Pay It Forward Live" online concert series.

from Maurice A. Jones, LISC CEO

Along with much of the world, we are closely monitoring the rapidly unfolding news of the Covid-19 pandemic. As ever, we are committed to meeting the needs of our partners and the communities we serve, and to supporting the wellbeing of our employees and the people and places where we live and work. Here are some of the things we are doing to respond to this unprecedented situation.