Amir Kirkwood’s Monthly Update – May 2023
Partners and friends, April was an exciting month for VCCSE and the community development field. Let’s recap some of the highlights. VCCSE Staff Retreat Week The week of April 24th was transformative for our organization. After spending the past seven months developing a strategic plan, I was so happy for our entire staff to come together in Richmond, Virginia to reconnect and explore our future. Whether it was our Management Committee and Mission, Equity, and …
Amir Kirkwood’s Monthly Update – March 2023
Partners and Friends, March has been an incredibly active month with ample opportunities for the CDFI sector to take part in advocacy and education, and VCCSE has been right on the frontlines of engagement. Critical issues related to economic development, climate change, and affordable housing require active participation by CDFIs like us to ensure investors, philanthropy, and government provide the appropriate support to help us meet the needs of the communities we serve. Below is …
Amir Kirkwood’s Monthly Update – February 2023
Want to know what’s on our CEO’s mind this month? Find out below! Partners and friends, For all of us at VCC Social Enterprises (VCCSE), 2023 began with a busy January. Following a year marked by both deep impact and strong economic performance, I am energized by the level of staff engagement with investors, customers, and the communities we serve. For many of our neighbors, 2022 also brought continued struggles with COVID-19, housing affordability, job …
New Year’s Notes from Amir Kirkwood
As we embark on a new year, I am humbled by the experiences of my first year with VCC Social Enterprises (VCCSE). I learned a lot from our investors, partners, communities, and customers. Most importantly, I value the work with our team and what we’ve accomplished together so far. Each member of our organization has been exceptional in their commitment to our mission and the communities we serve. I am excited about the expansion of …
Amir Kirkwood’s Monthly Update – November 2022
Want to know what’s on our CEO’s mind this month? Find out below! Partners and Friends, October was an exciting and busy time for VCCSE. As I expressed in our last newsletter, VCCSE is positioned to lead the field of community development through the performance of our lending and advisory services (VCC Bank, our loan fund, and LOCUS), our participation in Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) industry events, and by utilizing our voice on critical …
Amir Kirkwood’s Monthly Update – September 2022
Want to know what’s on our CEO’s mind this month? Find out below! Partners and Friends, As summer has wound down, we at VCCSE are at the start of a busy fall season. We kicked off the season with an All Staff Retreat in Richmond, VA on September 15th. It was such a joy to be with almost every member of our team in person! We started the afternoon with a session facilitated by our …
Amir Kirkwood’s Monthly Update – August 2022
Want to know what’s on our CEO’s mind this month? Find out below! Partners and Friends, I am excited about the launch of our new VCCSE newsletter. Each month, our staff will have the opportunity to share our work with our customers, investors, and the communities we serve. The newsletter will offer a moment for us to share more about our lending and advisory work through VCC Bank, VCC loan fund, and LOCUS. We will …
More Than Just a Grocery Store: Fredericksburg Food Co-op
An update from Fredericksburg Food Co-op’s Rich Larochelle The Opportunity Virginia team began working with Rich in 2020 to assist with their capital raise and leveraging Opportunity Zone financing. Since then, The Fredericksburg Food Cooperative has celebrated several major milestones. Opportunity Virginia Market Manager, Cara Simpson (pictured left), sits down with Rich to learn more about the project’s progress, how other people can replicate the co-op’s success, and the impact OZ financing had closing out …
Healthy Food Access Funding Opportunities
Did you know healthy food access is one of VCC’s focus areas? We provide financing and technical assistance to support healthy food retailers, suppliers, and producers in urban and rural Virginia communities. At VCC, we know being able to secure healthy, fresh food is one of the social determinants of health; without it, a family or community has a barrier to the quality of life they deserve. Lauren DeSimone, Community Innovation Advisor, leads VCC’s food …