On Saturday, February 5, 2022, over 115 Women United members and their friends and families joined us for our 11th annual Stone Soup sponsored by Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas.

In the folk story Stone Soup, hungry strangers bring a community together by contributing ingredients to create a delicious meal for all to enjoy. In keeping with the spirit of the story, each participant contributed ingredients to the process, and in just three hours everyone banded together to make over 2,500 meals for those experiencing hunger in the 757.

Thanks to the volunteers, over 400 casseroles and 600 bagged lunches were distributed to the following nonprofits:

• Catholic Charities
• Boys & Girls Clubs
• Edmarc
• ForKids
• H.E.R. Shelter
• Ida Barbour Early Learning Center
• Judeo Christian Outreach Center
• Manna Ministries
• Mission United
• Salvation Army
• Seton Youth Selters
• StandUp for Kids
• The Genieve Shelter
• United Mission Ministries
• YWCA of South Hampton Roads

In addition, we were able to donate 650 pounds of leftover food to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.

This event is a true example of the power of collaboration – each of us bringing a little and together accomplishing a lot. It’s also a perfect illustration for how United Way works – collecting resources and distributing them where they are needed most, doing more good than any of us could alone.

A big thank you to everyone who attended this signature event hosted by Women United, a leadership society of United Way of South Hampton Roads bringing together over 750 innovators and visionaries passionate about investing in programs that transform the lives of women and children. Our Women United members are known for doing more than investing in change – they roll up their sleeves and make it happen! This event is a reflection of their unwavering commitment to leading the charge and inspiring the change to create a brighter future for the 757.