Norfolk firm makes donation to Hampton Roads food bank

The coronavirus pandemic has increased the already-existing need for food pantry donations in Hampton Roads.

A Norfolk firm has decided to help address this issue in their region.

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers donated $5,000 to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia on Feb. 12, part of an ongoing effort by the firm to give back to their local community.

The donation was part of the firm’s “Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers Cares” campaign, which donates to Hampton Roads organizations annually. The initiative’s webpage highlights the Virginia Beach SPCA and the Nancy Langhorne Foundation, a Norfolk-based nonprofit for cancer research, among organizations the firm supports.

Emma Ingram, vice president of programs and development for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, said the donation provided 12,500 meals.

“People don’t realize how prevalent hunger in our community is,” Inman said. “We have all seen the news stories throughout the pandemic of long lines at food banks across the country.” Inman went on to say that the coronavirus pandemic has “exacerbated” hunger in the region.

Cassidy Lewis, the firm’s chief marketing officer, presented Inman with the donation at the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia’s Norfolk office. Lewis said that founding partner John Cooper was “intent” on donating to the nonprofit.

“He and our other partners know that 2020 took a toll on a lot of people in our community, and John wanted to give back in a significant way,” Lewis said via press release.

Old Dominion University’s State of the Region report shined a light on the hunger issue in Hampton Roads. The report, which used data from 2018, found that more than 180,000 people in the region have trouble getting enough to eat. In addition, Norfolk faced the worst rate of food insecurity amongst the seven Hampton Roads cities, with 13.9% of the population facing food insecurity.

Hunger rates have risen since the data was collected due to pandemic-related impacts. With schools suspending in-person learning for much of the past year, children have lacked access to school breakfast and lunches that sometimes serve as a child’s only reliable meals. Inman said at the presentation that donations such as that from Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers would help ensure children have access to essential meals.

“We can’t thank the community enough for the generosity everyone has shown during the pandemic,” Inman said. “We want kids to have the healthy, nutritious food that they need to thrive, to grow and be able to learn.” Inman also highlighted the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia’s approach to combating hunger, which seeks to lead people to self-sufficiency in order to address the “root causes of hunger” in addition to providing meals for families facing hunger.

The donation is one of multiple charitable contributions and philanthropic efforts that the firm’s charitable campaign has in the works for 2021. The firm’s Focused Driver Scholarship is currently accepting essay submissions from high school seniors in the Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore region. Three $2,000 scholarships will be awarded this summer.

The Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers Cares campaign is also making a $2,500 donation in each quarter of 2021 to a Hampton Roads school. Lewis said via email that the donation will be used by schools to obtain personal protective equipment, school supplies and “other items” schools require to reopen with pandemic guidelines in place.

“The next few months will be challenging for schools,” Jim Hurley, a partner at the firm, said. “We hope these contributions make it less challenging for students, parents and teachers.”

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