Programs
Community Service Projects
Arts and Culture
Art is an expression of ideas or feelings that manifest through a variety of media that are created with imagination and skill such as ceramic, college, design, drawing, jewelry, metalwork, fiber, mosaic, needlework, painting, music, theater, photography, sculpture, stained glass and many more.
Goal: Encourage members to promote and support art and cultural programs in our community and to expand understanding from local and regional to national and international. We strive to create projects that include crafts, dance, drama, food, music, and other manifestations of art and culture that develop skills, awareness, and appreciation.
Civic Engagement and Outreach
Civic Engagement and Outreach is responsible for undertaking actions that will create a better quality of life and foster a sense of community - locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. This CSP highlights and encourages citizenship; crime prevention, safety, and disaster preparedness; the needy, hungry, and homeless; and our military personnel and veterans.
Goal: Focus on citizenship and civic engagement, supporting drives that benefit the needy and those in our locality who are hungry.
Environment
The environment is everything that makes up our surroundings and affects our ability to live on the earth - the air we breathe, the water that covers most of its surface, all flora and fauna, and the soil, minerals, and fossil fuels that exist within its crust. The environment continually changes through natural ecological processes and as a result of human actions.
Many human actions, such as deforestation, pollution, habitat destruction, the extinction of species, and the rise of atmospheric CO2 from the use of fossil fuels, have placed our world in jeopardy. There is much; however, that can be done to correct or diminish this damage.
Goal: Encourage members to become stewards of the earth by working to preserve the world’s resources, protect wildlife and domesticated animals, live sustainably, and beautify our communities and enjoy nature.
Education and Libraries
Education is one of the most important investments that can be made across the world. It has proved to be transformative, advancing society as well as self. When individuals acquire knowledge, we assimilate pieces of information into a larger understanding. This understanding provides perspectives that form the basis of ideas and opinions; it improves insight and judgment that facilitates relationships and ensures the ability to succeed in and beyond local communities, which in turn grows the intellect of our citizens.
During the history of WCHV members worked to establish what became the Newport News Main Street Library, which met in the basement of the Hilton Village Elementary School.
Goal: To promote education in both children and adults, helping others as we continue to learn, by promoting libraries, literacy, and the love of a good book.
Health and Wellness
Wellness has been described as an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life. Wellness is more than being free from illness, it is a dynamic process of change and growth.
Goal: Address the three key components of body, mind and spirit:
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Nutritious food is the first building block of good health.
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Disease prevention includes immunizations and efforts that reduce the development and severity of chronic illnesses.
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Physical and emotional care encourages actions to keep the body and mind healthy throughout life, plus ways to support family, friends and community members.