Because of the recent government shutdown, Hampton Roads’ federal workers and their families may find their resources are temporarily stretched to cover the necessities, housing, food and utilities. The Help to Others (H2O) program might be able to provide some relief. H2O is a community-based program that assists people in a financial crisis through the generosity of donations.

Through H2O, families or individuals in danger of losing residential water service because of a family crisis can receive one-time financial assistance to pay their local public utility and/or HRSD bill. The program was established in 1999 by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission with the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) and the public utilities departments of the following localities: Chesapeake, Gloucester, Hampton, Isle of Wight, James City County, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Smithfield, Southampton, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, and York County.

The program is administered through HRSD and the Hampton Roads Salvation Army. For information on how to qualify and apply, please visit www.shareH2O.org and contact the Salvation Army Command near you.

For those looking for a way to help our neighbors impacted by the shutdown, please consider donating to H2O-Help to Others. You can donate any amount and when you do, every cent goes to helping a local family in crisis. Donations to the H2O Program are completely tax-deductible and 100% of all contributions are applied directly to the program.

And you can donate on-line! Click HERE for more information on donating.