If love alone could heal Kim Keene, she would be on her way to a cure. But that’s not to be, and as the well-known artist is in the final stages of cancer, she is thinking about helping others.

Keene, a Portsmouth native who resides on Willoughby Spit in Norfolk, started the nonprofit Paint Pink in June 2023 while undergoing breast cancer treatment. Now as the stage 4 metastatic cancer attacks her brain, liver and stomach, Keene’s dying wish is that the organization continue long after she is gone.

Nicole Carry, her partner of almost six years, and others assured her it will.

“Kim wants everyone to keep fighting breast cancer, to know how important it is in our community to help people while they’re fighting cancer and for Paint Pink to continue forever,” Carry said.

Paint Pink’s mission is to provide goods and services not covered by insurance, such as payment of bills, personal care items, estate planning, yard work, house cleaning and meal delivery, to cancer patients in Hampton Roads so they can focus on their health.

After her initial breast cancer diagnosis in 2017, Keene realized how much support she had from friends and family during her treatment and wanted to pay it forward to help other locals living with cancer. She underwent a double mastectomy, followed by five years of clean scans before the cancer returned in 2022.

Paint Pink is a testament to Keene’s inspiring selflessness, said Stephanie Clark, board treasurer for the nonprofit. Having lost her mother to breast cancer in 2008, Clark said the organization’s mission resonated deeply with her.

“I met Kim through a mutual friend about a year ago, and she’s one of those people you instantly want to befriend,” Clark said. “She has a genuine, magnetic presence and a smile that radiates kindness.”

Jo Ann Hughes, a Norfolk police officer who serves as Paint Pink’s board vice president, said she knows the nonprofit means everything to Keene and promised her it will continue.

“Kim’s passion is painting and her heart is Paint Pink,” Hughes said.

Fellow artist and longtime friend Laura Henderson shares a space with Keene at d’Art Center. They both specialize in painting acrylic abstracts inspired by nature. Keene previously owned Starving Artist Cafe on Colley Avenue in Norfolk.

“Kim is a rare and amazing individual,” Henderson said. “She has this personality of wanting to help other people and a smile that just lights up a room.”

The two opened The Gallery at Paint Pink in Ghent in early August. They had one show together before Keene fell ill again. A portion of all art sales at the gallery benefit the nonprofit.

Paint Pink has several events planned during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October: a golf tournament on Oct. 3 at Cypress Point Country Club in Virginia Beach, Paint the Block Pink on Oct. 5 at the Starving Artist Cafe in Norfolk, Kim’s Pink Night Out on Oct. 11 at MJ’s Tavern in Norfolk and a brunch and silent auction on Oct. 27 at d’Art Center.

The organization also launched a campaign called Kim’s Krusade to help raise funding for Paint Pink.

“It’s in her name, but it’s all for other people,” Carry said. “We call it Kim’s Krusade because this is her wish — to help others.”

The goal — albeit a lofty one, Hughes said — is to raise $100,000 by the end of the year.

“I think we can reach it,” Hughes said. “She’s touched so many people in this community and is so full of sunshine and light.”

“She has got so many people who just love her,” Henderson added.

For more information about Paint Pink, visit paintpinkinc.org.

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com

Under his guidance, the United Way leadership and development program has graduated more than 1,000 participants armed with the skills to be effective, energetic and knowledgeable leaders and community advocates in Hampton Roads.

“It was time to bring in new leadership and turn over the reins,” Locke said.

The program dates back to the late 1980s when a survey of more than 1,400 United Way organizations throughout the U.S. assessed the board diversity of their nonprofit agency partners.

“They found that many of those boards had mostly white men, very few women and even fewer minorities,” Locke said.

In an ever-changing world, United Way wanted to have the nonprofit organizations’ boards mirror the communities they were serving.

“Many of those beneficiaries and those agencies were serving clientele that, in many cases, were over 50% minority,” he said.

That’s when Project Inclusion — originally dubbed Project Blueprint by United Way nationally — emerged. In 1997, United Way of South Hampton Roads launched its local program, and Locke, who was also chair of the nonprofit’s Minority Advisory Council for six years, stepped up as its leader. The council was a strong proponent of community empowerment and was instrumental in bringing Project Inclusion to the forefront.

“I felt like it was just such a powerful program for us to have in our community,” Locke said.

Project Inclusion has grown from a six-week program to a 14-week program and averages 35 participants. Participants learn how to serve on a board and about fundraising, cultural sensitivity, effective communication, community mapping, conflict resolution, image building and ethical, legal and fiscal responsibilities from volunteer facilitators.

Locke proudly shared that many participants credit Project Inclusion with benefitting their professional lives while local nonprofits continue to look to the program for board candidates.

As a 2024 graduate of Project Inclusion, Dianne Creekmore said the program helped her gain a solid foundation of invaluable professional development skills and made a lasting impact on her life. She said she feels prepared to be a successful and qualified board member and now sits on the community advisory board for the Sentara-Eastern Virginia Medical School adult sickle cell program.

“I highly recommend Project Inclusion to anyone looking to have a seat at the table and be a voice for helping others in the community,” she said.

Project Inclusion helped Edmarc recognize gaps on its board, Executive Director Debbie Stitzer-Brame said, and the organization brought on a number of individuals from the program through the years.

YMCA of South Hampton Roads President and CEO Anthony Walters said their participants gained invaluable insights into community connection, empowerment and inspiration.

“These skills are essential for engaging volunteers, managing governance, and fostering successful collaborations, ultimately enabling our YMCA to better serve our communities,” Walters said.

Mark Uren, president and CEO of United Way of South Hampton Roads, said Locke built the program from the ground up and its original vision and purpose remain the same. Uren said a staff member who has learned under Locke’s tutelage will continue the program.

“We see a lot of value in this, and we see a lot of value in creating opportunities,” he said.

As for Locke, he said he plans to focus his consulting work and passion on improving nonprofit boards while working on Healthier 757. The digital gamification learning platform aims to improve health literacy to help users manage their health care with the goal of improving overall community health.

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com

The latest executive director of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority was also drawn to the organization’s sizable portfolio that touches more than 9,000 households, the opportunities to partner with a wealth of industries and the chance to make a difference in people’s lives.

Founded in 1940, NRHA’s work focuses on providing safe and affordable housing for low-income families within the city. It manages public housing developments, plans large-scale residential redevelopment projects and offers support programs.

Modernization and upgrade efforts continue in Diggs Town, Oakleaf Forest and Young Terrace, Simms said. The final phase in the transformation in the St. Paul’s community should be completed toward the end of 2027, he said.

Simms came on board with the authority nine months ago, but his enthusiasm and commitment are already apparent. He said he started three weeks early so he could meet with and listen to various stakeholders, authority board members and team members, residents, resident leaders, City Council and Mayor Kenny Alexander.

“I wanted to see what their expectations were, what worked and what didn’t work, in their viewpoint, in terms of working with NRHA,” Simms said. “I got a lot of feedback and insight into what people wanted to see — and it aligned with what I saw as well.”

One commonality was that everyone wanted a more responsive housing authority when it came to understanding the need for expanded affordable housing opportunities in Norfolk.

Acknowledging that everyone defines affordability differently, and in traditional and non-traditional ways, Simms said his work includes addressing the city’s aging portfolio and maintaining strong relationships, mending others and forging new ones.

He said the authority wants to lay out its vision for the renovation and redevelopment of communities, strategies surrounding that vision and engaging residents.

“We want to make sure that we have the type of housing that people can grow in, but also age in as well,” he said.

Residents seek better communication, transparency, responsiveness and, ultimately, the ability to be seen and heard, Simms said. Since he has taken on his role, Simms has listened to residents voice their concerns about transportation needs, access to fresh and healthy food and recreational activities.

“They’re not necessarily housing-related, but they impact their day-to-day lives,” he said.

For example, Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority recently enlisted a shuttle service twice a week to four Norfolk communities to help residents with trips to the grocery store.

Another focus of Simms’ work is to help move residents forward in their economic mobility via the wealth of vocational and educational training and workforce opportunities in Hampton Roads.

“We serve a lot of people — from seniors to adults, young adults to children,” Simms said. “We want to make sure we are providing the services that help strengthen the household and help them move to a level of self-sufficiency.”

Ultimately, Simms said, the agency wants to help the people it serves achieve their dreams.

“I want people to have faith in the organization that deal with us every day,” Simms said. “We have a lot of work to do, but I think in a good way.”

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com

All of the staff at Stripers Waterside in Norfolk were abruptly told Sept. 1 by management that they were being let go, she said. This came as a complete shock to Halvorson and her co-workers, who she said are just like family.

Employees were led outside — so as not to disrupt in-house diners — and told the restaurant was closing its doors immediately, shutting down and they were all laid off, Halvorson said.

Known for its fresh-caught seafood, draft beer and water views, Stripers had been operating in a roughly 8,000-square-foot space at Waterside since late 2017. Its initial location in Manteo, North Carolina, is still operating.

WAVY-TV first reported the layoff and shutdown on Wednesday. Around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Stripers responded to media inquiries in a news release and confirmed the restaurant is closed temporarily and the goal is to reopen as soon as possible.

“While we are unable to provide specific details due to an ongoing investigation by authorities, we want to acknowledge that management issues and possible malfeasance played a role in this decision,” the business said in the release. “The closure of Stripers Waterside was not a decision taken lightly. Unfortunately, damage that occurred necessitated the immediate closure of the restaurant. We are currently undergoing remodeling and renovations to address some of these issues and improve our facilities for our loyal patrons.”

The employees are welcome to return when the restaurant reopens, said Kimberly Wimbish, who represents Stripers through her public relations firms, KMK Productions. Stripers employed 32 workers.

As of Thursday, online reservations through OpenTable were available on the Stripers website again in November.

News of a sudden layoff came as a big surprise to server Pamela Ortiz, who said she was still processing it all.

“It’s been a rough year economically for everybody already and having to take this loss is just horrible,” she said.

Ortiz, of Norfolk, said she heard she was without a job via a group text as she was in the hospital being prepped for kidney surgery. She started as a server in February and management moved her to a host position as she dealt with her health problems.

“I’m very grateful,” she said. “They took good care of me.”

Halvorson, a server, started at Stripers Waterside at the end of March. The Las Vegas native, who was not new to the service industry, was promoted to lead server after two months on the job.

“I really enjoyed being there,” she said.

Halvorson said she saw the owner pull the assistant manager into a boardroom for what seemed like a 20-30 minute meeting.

“He came out and the vibe was definitely different, almost somber,” she said.

Halvorson and Ortiz said they weren’t told the restaurant was remodeling when they were let go.

“Why would you want to get rid of a whole entire staff if you’re just remodeling?” Halvorson said. “I don’t want this to happen to anybody else if Stripers does reopen, and I don’t think there are enough laws to protect service industry workers who have the rug pulled out from underneath them.”

Stripers said in the news release that it understands “concerns raised by our employees regarding the lack of communication and uncertainty surrounding their employment status. We want to assure them and the community that we are working diligently to address these issues and ensure fair treatment for all employees.”

Customers expressed disappointment about the restaurant’s closure on Facebook.

Editor Tara Bozick contributed to this story.

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com

And industry leaders view improvements in technology as another way to expand access to banking.

Chase Bank continues to expand its retail banking presence in Hampton Roads and expects to open at least 10 more branches by 2027, regional director Alfonso Guzman said.

“We’re big believers in our branches,” Guzman said. “We really believe they are the pillars of the community and they’re important parts of every community.”

Chase currently has two branches in Norfolk and Williamsburg and one each in Newport News and Virginia Beach. By the end of this year, Chase plans to open a second branch in Virginia Beach along with branches in Hampton and Chesapeake, Guzman said. The remaining five new branches will open between 2025 and 2027.

While Chase puts its digital focus on the forefront, Guzman said its branches are still a part of its strategy to meet clients within their communities.

“It’s not either/or,” he said. “We want to make sure that human-to-human interaction is still top of mind and a priority for us as we continue to grow.”

Dollar Bank has opened nine branches since entering the market, said Dave Paradise, senior vice president of Dollar Bank’s Virginia Division. Dollar Bank has 13 branches in South Hampton Roads, including four from its acquisition of Bank @lantec in 2017.

While Dollar Bank has no immediate plans to add branches, it actively looks for opportunities in low- to moderate-income census tracts throughout its markets, Paradise said.

“Technology has really improved access to banking services, which means that it is easier for people to bank with us in a way that is convenient for them,” Paradise said.

In an effort to help Hispanic and immigrant consumers, Chartway Credit Union, which has 16 branches in Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk, opened its first fully bilingual branch in the state in Virginia Beach at the end of April.

And Fulton Bank launched a diverse business banking program designed to meet the needs of minority, women, veteran and LGBTQ business owners last summer. Fulton Bank operates five financial centers in Hampton Roads, including three in Virginia Beach and one each in Chesapeake and Newport News, spokesperson Steve Trapnell said. Last year, Fulton opened a commercial banking office in Norfolk.

“We are committed to making financing and banking products more accessible to groups that, historically, have been underserved,” Fulton Bank Chairman and CEO Curt Myers said.

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com

“I would talk about team-building, marketing, management and leadership and people were good to go,” she said. “But as soon as I started talking about money, it was like what are you talking about.”

Reddix, the founder, president and CEO of ARDX, a Norfolk-based health care management and technology consulting company, spends a great deal of time helping create economic empowerment for girls and women.

She serves as a business adviser to women through her Reddix Rules program and is the visionary behind The Mustard Seed Place, an entrepreneurial hub and women empowerment center in downtown Portsmouth. Her nonprofit organization Envision Lead Grow teaches young girls and women valuable financial literacy, entrepreneurship and leadership skills.

“If you line everything up, it’s all the same,” Reddix said. “It’s different ways of opening women’s eyes and minds to using their skill and will to build economic empowerment for their households.”

Three years ago, she created the RRFund Investment Club, a monthly safe space for women to discuss financial concepts. Reddix said women of color tend to have more difficulty accessing capital. Over time, she penned the book, “She’s Got the Power.” It shares the stories of 25 women from the group and their relationships with money.

The female fund members are now owners of a Hilton hotel in Chicago and angel investors in other women-owned businesses. Reddix heard from more women interested in joining the group, but with a cap of 100, it was maxed out.

So, Reddix and 35 of her partners from the RRFund created the RRFund Wealth Accelerator, a financial wealth and health program for women with 40 hours of financial education provided by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America through Enoch Financial Group at the forefront.

“If we really want to grow businesses, households and communities, we have to get women more comfortable with talking about money,” she said.

The accelerator provides women with the tools and information to empower themselves and become sophisticated investors.

“We believe a woman who decides she is going to learn her value is a gem,” Reddix said, noting that is what each participant is called.

The 12-month program, which kicked off on Aug. 1 at The Mustard Seed Place, includes a mid-year in-person summit in March 2025 and an end-of-year retreat in January 2026. Additional cohorts begin every two months for the live sessions hosted on a virtual platform. The program starts at an introductory fee of $2,750 per person.

Participants apply what they learn to real-life scenarios and can explore what they can do in their households with one-on-one financial coaching. A licensed psychologist helps the participants with the emotional components of wealth, and a health coach advises them on improving their health and wellness.

“If women aren’t taking care of their health, it increases their rate of bankruptcy,” she said.

Goals for the program are set from Day 1. Reddix stressed that each woman becomes part of an encouraging tribe. Reddix isn’t afraid to admit that she’s made some mistakes along the way — both financially and in business — and she said they just made her dig in to learn more and teach others from her real-life experiences.

“We want women to feel that they belong at the table and when they are at the table, they have enough information to add value to the table,” she said.

For more information, visit rrfundwealth.com.

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com

Defined as a census tract without a physical bank branch within a certain geographic radius from the population center, banking deserts exist where banks are more than 2 miles from an urban area, 5 miles for suburban and 10 miles for rural communities.

While the 2008 financial crisis led to bank closures and consolidations, the pace of branch closures accelerated during and since the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of bank and credit union branches in the U.S. declined by 5.6% and the number of banking deserts increased by 217 between 2019 and 2023, according to a national report published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The focus of the report is full-service, brick-and-mortar retail branches, including those of savings and loan associations, commercial banks and credit unions.

Hampton Roads experienced a 38% reduction, or a loss of 143 bank branches from 381 in 2008 to 238 branches in 2023, according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. market share reports. The region experienced a 22% reduction by 69 branches from 307 in 2019. These figures don’t include credit unions.

The branch closures coincide with the rise of digital banking, including mobile and online services, and the use of kiosks and ATMs. Long gone are the days when consumers had to walk inside banks for their transactions.

But banking deserts affect people who struggle with transportation, digital services, high-speed internet access and skills to navigate websites and apps, according to the report. It can also greatly impede consumers with lower incomes, disabilities or language barriers — who may still tend to favor in-person banking.

The Fed study shows that 5% of census tracts in Virginia last year were banking deserts and 3% may become a desert if a branch closes. Of those tracts, 80% are suburban and 46% have limited access to broadband.

In Hampton Roads, the Federal Reserve’s interactive dashboard map shows that the southern parts of Virginia Beach (including Blackwater, Sandbridge and part of Pungo), Chesapeake and Suffolk are all banking deserts with the nearest branches from 2 miles to 9 miles away. The region is considered a mix of urban and suburban.

A small urban tract in the Lee Hall section of Newport News, with a population of approximately 3,400, shows its nearest branch is 3 miles away. In Willoughby Spit and West Ocean View on the northern end of Norfolk and in the Lynnwood section of Virginia Beach, consumers have to travel between 2 to 3 miles for their banking needs.

Parts of Isle of Wight and Gloucester counties and the northern Outer Banks area of Corolla also fall within a banking desert. Hampton, Portsmouth, Poquoson, Williamsburg, James City County and York County show no banking deserts although Mathews County is marked as a potential desert, meaning the area is one branch closure away from becoming a desert.

Both larger banks and community-based banks reduced their physical presence in Hampton Roads over the past several years, according to closing notices with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

The merger of BB&T and SunTrust as Truist in late 2019 led to a major consolidation of branches in the region. Bank of America and Wells Fargo have closed multiple branches across Hampton Roads. Bank of America closed its Fort Eustis and Lynnhaven Square branches this year. Wells Fargo most recently closed its Richmond Road branch in Williamsburg in January and its Wells Fargo Center branch in November in downtown Norfolk, where it maintains an ATM.

Hampton-based Old Point National Bank has also closed multiple branches over the past several years and recently announced it will close its downtown Norfolk branch in September due to cost-cutting efforts.

Suffolk-based TowneBank’s acquisition of Windsor-based Farmers Bank also meant the closure of the Farmers branches in Pungo and Chesapeake last year as TowneBank operated locations nearby. TowneBank also closed its Harbour View branch at 6255 College Drive in Suffolk last year.

PNC Bank plans to close a standalone branch at 3012 Pacific Ave. in Virginia Beach on Oct. 18 in an ongoing effort to optimize its physical bank network, spokesperson Kelby Krauss said. Customers will be directed to the branch at 1324 N. Great Neck Road. PNC Bank has 10 branches, ATMs and video banking machines in Hampton Roads.

“Branch locations remain an essential aspect of how we connect with and support our clients and the local community,” Krauss said.

View the banking deserts dashboard at fedcommunities.org/data/banking-deserts-dashboard/.

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com

Donna and Deborah Taylor, siblings who live together in Suffolk, came up with the idea seven years ago. It all started because of Deborah’s dismay one morning of Donna’s worn baby doll nightgown and mismatched bonnet.

“My sister said it looked horrible and didn’t look comfortable,” Donna Taylor said. “And she was right.”

Admitting she doesn’t usually pay attention to her younger sister’s comments, Donna Taylor said she thought maybe this time she had a point. She searched for sleepwear with matching bonnets, but when she couldn’t find any, she sat down at her sewing machine — a skill learned in New Jersey grade school — and designed her own.

At the time, the Taylor sisters were both in the throes of menopause with hot flashes and night sweats in full swing. So, they agreed the sleepwear needed to be luxurious but also cooling.

“It couldn’t just be any type of fabric,” Donna Taylor said. “It had to be breathable and comfortable as well as presentable.”

They selected pajama pants and short sets, nightgowns, sleep shirts and onesies made from brushed viscose, a soft fabric derived from bamboo known for its moisture-wicking properties. The Taylors design the custom-printed fabric.

Each item comes with a matching satin-lined elasticized bonnet with a drawstring. Bonnets or some sort of hair covering are a staple in the Black community to keep hair from tangling, frizzing and drying out.

The sleepwear, available up to size 3X, is for women going through perimenopause, menopause or those with sensitive skin who also want to protect their hair.

“We are offering a solution from a sleep perspective to address the need that women have,” Donna Taylor said.

And the five-star reviews on the business’ website reflect that they have done just that. One customer commented that she has horrible night sweats and hot flashes but slept well after using one of the pajama pants sets, so she ordered another pair.

The sisters first launched the business in 2018 on a designer’s platform before revamping and relaunching two years later as e-commerce business Sleep Sassy.

Donna Taylor left corporate America after 40 years to become an entrepreneur. Deborah Taylor maintains a full-time job in the pharmaceutical industry, but helps her sister often.

In April, the duo auditioned for “Shark Tank,” a TV show where entrepreneurs pitch their concepts to famous investors, at Rivers Casino in Portsmouth. They weren’t selected but plan to try again.

For more information, visit sleepsassy.com.

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com

One woman has sent more than 400 emails to insurance adjusters. Another is starting from scratch with her 15th insurance adjuster.

And one homeowner remains astonished by the lowball figure his insurance company quoted to rebuild his $1.2 million house.

Almost 16 months after the EF-3 tornado — with winds up to 150 mph that decimated homes, demolished vehicles and downed mature trees in the Great Neck area — frustrated homeowners attended a town hall meeting organized by state Sen. Bill DeSteph.

“It’s time to get the commissioner involved, make a difference and change some things,” said DeSteph, a Virginia Beach Republican.

Scott White, the commissioner of Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance, accompanied DeSteph on a tour of the affected areas before the two-hour meeting.

“It was really painful to see — you could just tell the lives that had lived in that house that were no longer there,” White said of one particular home still in disrepair. “To me, that’s a real stark symbol of what shouldn’t happen. I don’t know the circumstances, but certainly something went wrong there.”

White and several of his team members listened intently as neighbors respectfully passed the microphone and shared details of their challenges since the storm.

“We have our ear to the ground and know the problems that are going on,” White said. The bureau has a number of tools to investigate and mediate consumers’ complaints and ensure insurance companies are complying with Virginia’s laws and regulations.

Dr. Kent Reifschneider joined mother-in-law Linda Carnazza at the meeting. She resides on Haversham Close in the Broad Bay Point Greens subdivision, but spent several months in a rental property while her house underwent repairs. She had to move back into her home due to insurance coverage, but continues to deal with issues.

“The true disaster was after the tornado hit,” Reifschneider said.

Educated by the aftermath of the disaster, Reifschneider was quick to suggest ideas to help others who may face similar experiences.

“We just pay our bill every month and think that we’re taken care of until we find out you’re not,” he said.

From price gouging on tree removal to underinsured policies to cancellations, victims of the tornado have been through it all.

Dusty Gray said it’s been an incredibly long process — one that included his first builder removing a structural support — but is thankful he received advice to have a public adjuster assist him.

Caroline Rawls awaits the final appraisal on her home that had more than 20 trees fall on it. Rawls has had the same insurance company for more than four decades.

“I feel like we’ve been the victim in this whole process,” she said. “It’s a natural disaster yet it’s up to us to provide the documentation. Is this how you treat somebody who has been a 43-year member?”

Ginny Sutton’s house was lifted off of its foundation and deemed a total loss. Along with her home of three years, Sutton lost two cars and three trees.

“This should wake everybody up,” Sutton said. “Check your homeowner’s insurance policy every year.”

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com

A notification on the Suffolk-based company’s website alerted customers that its final deliveries were Aug. 9.

While the business said in the announcement it made the difficult decision to stop bringing weekly and monthly fresh, local produce and chef-made meals to doorsteps, the company will continue to focus on combating food insecurity throughout Hampton Roads.

CEO John Stein said the business will still provide meals to seniors through Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia and Jewish Family Service. The business remains committed to providing more than 80,000 nutritious meals yearly for aging adults or people experiencing food insecurity.

“We’re pivoting the business to cater more towards this type of mission work,” Stein said. “We just are really proud to be able to make food and provide it to people in need.”

The business began in 2012 when former president and chief executive Thomas Vandiver developed it as a project while he was a student at William & Mary.

It began with Vandiver, Stein and another former employee, Eric Coble, as they established a hydroponic basil greenhouse in Suffolk. That blossomed into a lettuce and microgreen delivery company and farm-to-family delivered products followed. From there, the fruits of their labor grew and grew.

The company’s retail segment included delivery to thousands of doorsteps from Virginia Beach and southern Chesapeake to Smithfield and Williamsburg and parts of Richmond and Charlottesville.

During the pandemic, The Neighborhood Harvest’s numbers grew exponentially as people sheltered at home and shopped more via e-commerce and delivery.

Customers were able to choose from a selection of meats, dairy, eggs, bread, craft beverages, pantry staples, local vegetables and small-batch gourmet meals — all stored cold and delivered to their doorsteps with the click of a button. All products were sourced from a network of more than 30 farms.

But, post-pandemic, Stein said those numbers declined and the retail model — in a rather competitive market — proved to be a difficult one to maintain.

“While this marks the end of an era for our retail deliveries, we’re filled with hope for the future,” Neighborhood Harvest said in its online note to customers.

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com