Suffolk, VA, February 27, 2026 — The Suffolk Foundation has announced its inaugural Bradshaw Benevolence Grant. Earlier this month, a check of $25,000 was presented to the Suffolk Christian Fellowship Center for the Frozen Food Nutrition Connection, a program that provides prepared, frozen, nutritious meals to low-income Suffolk residents with diabetes, obesity, or other chronic health conditions.
“This investment is truly a blessing to our community,” said Lorna Slaughter, Co-Founder and COO of Suffolk Christian Fellowship Center. “Every week, we meet individuals who are doing their best to manage chronic health conditions but struggle to choose the right foods or prepare meals that support their wellness.”
The healthiest food choices, like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and fish, are oftentimes prohibitively expensive for low-income families, and hard to find in so-called food deserts. Ms. Slaughter said, “The Bradshaw Grant strengthens our ability to stand in that gap by providing nutritious, ready to heat meals that make healthier living more attainable.”
With the Nutrition Connection Program, clients receive more than just a prepared meal. To empower participants, and to encourage healthy eating, Suffolk Christian Fellowship also stocks the core ingredients used in these meals at its Center at 211 East Washington Street. This innovative approach not only provides immediate relief but also fosters long‑term healthy eating habits, by enabling clients to replicate the recipes they enjoy at home, and better manage their chronic health conditions.
The Bradshaw Benevolence Grant was established through a bequest from the late Brenda Ward Bradshaw, a Southampton County native who passed away in February 2025. In her estate plans, Mrs. Bradshaw entrusted an endowment gift to the Suffolk Foundation to “provide relief to the poor, distressed, or underprivileged.”
“The goal of the Bradshaw Benevolence Grant is to provide tangible relief to members of our community, and to fund a project that would not be possible otherwise,” said Lorelei Morrow, the Executive Director of the Suffolk Foundation.
“Because Mrs. Bradshaw gave us this gift as a perpetual endowment, we’ll be able to award a grant in her name every year to a nonprofit helping people in need in the community she loved,” said Ms. Morrow. “It is such an honor to award the first Bradshaw Benevolence Grant to Suffolk Christian Fellowship, an organization that is helping so many people in our community.”
The Suffolk Foundation will be accepting applications for next year’s Bradshaw Benevolence Grant from local nonprofits in the fall. Ms. Morrow urges nonprofits to learn more at the foundation’s website: www.suffolkfoundation.org.
Suffolk Christian Fellowship Center is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to alleviating poverty and hardship by addressing food insecurity and its related health challenges. The organization serves more than 8,000 households each year through a network of programs, such as the Mini Market client‑choice pantry, Soup Kitchen, Food Aid Packages, Charity Closet, Mobile Outreach, and the Frozen Food Program. Donations can be made at www.scfc.online.
The Suffolk Foundation is a 501c3 community foundation, whose mission is to benefit the people of Suffolk and Western Tidewater by facilitating and developing philanthropy, and by awarding grants and scholarships to meet a broad range of local community needs. Since the Suffolk Foundation was formed in 2006, it has awarded over $10 million locally in grants and scholarships.
Anyone can start a charitable fund, scholarship, or grants program with the Suffolk Foundation. To learn more your giving options, including information on leaving a bequest or establishing a donor-advised fund, visit www.suffolkfoundation.org, or call the office at 757-923-9090.
