Community Outreach

Education and Workforce Development
The path to social mobility and enhanced opportunities includes education and career readiness. Our primary focus is on institutions that offer areas of study or experience important to the maritime industry and from which we are interested in recruiting for our future workforce.

Awareness and Stewardship of the Commonwealth’s Ports, Harbors and Navigable Waterways
We invest in and serve non-profit organizations with programs that contribute to the promotion and recognition of the maritime industry, global trade, transportation of port-related goods and the protection and quality of the harbor and its related navigable waterways.

Community Enrichment
To do our part in lifting up the people who need the most help, the port dedicates time and resources to broad-based programs that serve large populations of those in need.

Health and Safety
The people that make up the port and the people around the Commonwealth that we serve are the fabric of our communities and their health and safety is one of our top priorities. We invest in and serve organizations that promote wellness, prevention and the health and safety of our citizens across the Commonwealth.

Aid to Local Ports
The Virginia Port Authority distributes $1M annually through the Aid to Local Ports grant, supporting capital needs of publicly-owned ocean, river, and tributary ports and their marine facilities within the Commonwealth.

Waterway Maintenance Fund
Appropriated by the Virginia General Assembly and administered by the Virginia Port Authority in the form of grants, the Waterway Maintenance Fund supports shallow-draft dredging projects throughout the Commonwealth.

The Port of Virginia Volunteer Council, a group of colleagues from across the organization, come together to foster partnerships and develop opportunities for their colleagues to serve the community. In addition to the 16 hours of paid volunteer time given to all Port of Virginia colleagues for investing in causes they believe in, the Volunteer Council organizes annual events and other opportunities for its colleagues to give of their time, talent and resources.

American Red Cross
The Port of Virginia hosts annual blood drives at its facilities for colleagues to donate blood in service to those in need across our community and the Commonwealth.

For Kids
Port of Virginia colleagues both donate and volunteer together annually to pack school supplies in book bags for children and families in need. During the holiday season, colleagues donate gifts for children across Hampton Roads.

Food Bank Southeast Virginia
Throughout the year and during the holiday season, Port of Virginia colleagues both donate and volunteer together to sort, organize, and pack food donations that are distributed to help children, families and individuals in our community that are experiencing food insecurity.

Clean the Bay Day
The Port of Virginia values sustainability and its stewardship of our waterways and the communities in which we operate. Our colleagues volunteer together annually to remove harmful litter and other debris from a selection of shoreline in our community.

United Way of Hampton Roads
The Port of Virginia continues to support the United Way of South Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth of Virginia annually to raise funds that support local charities and organizations within our local communities