Donation leads to new van for VB non-profit

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – As Autism Acceptance Month comes to a close, we hope acceptance of those who are on the spectrum continues to grow year round. The Chartway Promise Foundation teamed up with the non-profit Families of Autism Coming Together, also known as FACT, to make that happen.

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FACT, located in Virginia Beach, was recently given $90,000 from the Chartway Promise Foundation. $50,000 of that donation went to buying a brand new van for the non-profit. Chartway recently unveiled the van, and FACT leadership tells WAVY 10 it is being used for a pilot program that is currently underway.

The van will pick up children who are on the spectrum from IC Norcom High School and Churchland Middle School in Portsmouth. The van will then drive them to FACT’s new facility in Virginia Beach for after school programs. When the programs are over for the day, the driver will take the children back to their schools where their families pick them up.

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Chartway Promise Foundation’s president Christine Wilson says she is thrilled to be help FACT grow in our area.

“We love the work that FACT does to bring the community together, and be so inclusive and making sure that everyone has opportunities. That it is the epitome of our mission. It’s what we like to do in our community, because we want to bring the whole community together to thrive,” said Wilson.

The new van will also be used to take those attending FACT’s summer camps to different adventures throughout Hampton Roads. While $50,000 of Chartway Promise Foundation’s donation went to the van, the other $40,000 went to helping low income families afford FACT’s summer camp.

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