The PB&J Fund is a community partner of Madison House that improves access to affordable, healthy food for children and families. The fund utilizes a CHEF (Community/Health/Education/Friendship) framework to provide holistic experiences for participants of their programs that are educational, empowering and fun. This framework allows for diets to be improved while building relationships, providing a service that is needed for underserved families in the Charlottesville community.

As the inaugural Executive Director of the PB&J Fund, Emily Wampler remembers Madison House’s impact on the young organization.

“The PB&J Fund was growing but we were unable to get to scale,” she remembers. “Suddenly, we welcomed 18-24 kids at a time, and we needed more hands. Madison House filled that need. They blew us away. The volunteers were easy to train, great with the kids, and willing to build relationships.”

As a Madison House alumna, Emily was well aware of its impact on the community but shared that “it wasn’t until I became a Community Partner that I fully understood the depth of the value it brings to the community.”

Madison House not only provides unique programs curated and led by student volunteers but also empowers existing organizations in the community. This cooperation between the House and our partners greatly strengthens the Charlottesville community. Investing in Madison House is extremely important,” says Emily. “Your gifts will support UVA students and allow community partners to grow in ways they couldn’t without Madison House’s help.”

Author: Caroline Young; csy6wd@virginia.edu

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