by River Ellis Foundation | Jan 18, 2025 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
A husband and father of four was in Virginia Beach for work when he tragically lost his life in a car accident. The River Ellis Foundation stepped in to cover the costs for his family to travel from Texas to Virginia Beach, allowing them to attend his funeral and say...
by River Ellis Foundation | Jan 15, 2025 | Sunrise Story
A 5-year-old girl from Honduras, undergoing treatment at CHKD for aplastic anemia, tragically lost her battle with the illness. The River Ellis Foundation ensured her family could honor her wishes by covering the cost of transporting her body back to Honduras for...
by River Ellis Foundation | Dec 23, 2024 | Sunrise Story
A father of two suffered a severe stroke and has been hospitalized for a month. He has a 20-year-old son and a 14-year-old son with severe autism, who is unable to attend school. The father is being transferred to Sheltering Arms Rehab Facility in Richmond, leaving...
by River Ellis Foundation | Dec 16, 2024 | Sunrise Story
A mother of three young children had to stop working because her infant required a feeding tube and a breathing machine. Since these treatments made daycare unavailable, she eventually exhausted all her sick leave. The River Ellis Foundation stepped in to support this...
by River Ellis Foundation | Nov 25, 2024 | Sunrise Story
A family of 10 lost everything they owned in a house fire. REF provided them with a two week hotel stay and assistance replacing all of their essential items.
by River Ellis Foundation | Nov 16, 2024 | Sunrise Story
A husband and father of two young children tragically passed away while playing golf at a company retreat. The River Ellis Foundation immediately covered the family’s mortgage to provide critical support during their time of need.
by River Ellis Foundation | Oct 25, 2024 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
Five children were home alone when they found a stranger floating in their pool. They called 911 and witnessed the paramedics trying to revive the man who ultimately died. The children were all very traumatized after this incident did not feel comfortable remaining in...
by River Ellis Foundation | Oct 20, 2024 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
After unexpected loss of brain activity, a homeless couple lost their newborn baby. They could not afford cremation costs. REF covered this cost for the couple.
by River Ellis Foundation | Oct 10, 2024 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
Eight Chesapeake families lost everything they owned after their apartment building caught on fire. REF provided gift cards to all eight families so that they could purchase basic clothes and necessities.
by River Ellis Foundation | Oct 8, 2024 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
A 14 year old with muscular dystrophy became very sick, leading to heart issues. This ultimately resulted in a very unexpected and sudden death. REF covered funeral costs for this family.
by River Ellis Foundation | Oct 1, 2024 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
A local school counselor unexpectedly lost her 19 year old stepdaughter. She and her husband had to travel back and forth to Iowa for the funeral. REF provided several weeks of groceries for this family to offset the unexpected costs of travel and being out of...
by River Ellis Foundation | Sep 12, 2024 | Sunrise Story, Who We Help
A local grandmother got emergency custody of 2 kids because their mom had substance abuse issues and was charged with abuse and neglect. The children would have been sent to foster care if the grandmother didn’t step in to help. REF helped grandmother cover the...
