The Up Center's 2025 Annual Meeting

Norfolk, VA (October 30, 2025) — The Up Center, Hampton Roads’ oldest and largest human services organization, gathered community leaders, partners, and supporters on Wednesday, October 29 at the Town Point Club in Norfolk for its 2025 Annual Meeting. This year’s theme, “Looking Up Together,” celebrated the collective power of people and partnerships that drive the agency’s mission forward.

During the luncheon, President and CEO Tina Gill reflected on a year marked by growth, collaboration, and meaningful change. “Looking up is about hope—but it’s also about perspective,” Gill shared. “It’s seeing beyond today’s challenges to what’s possible when a community truly works together. This year, that spirit has been alive in everything we do.”

In fiscal year 2025, The Up Center served more than 10,000 children, adults, and families across Hampton Roads. From strengthening families through early childhood home visiting and foster care to expanding access to affordable housing, financial counseling, and mental health services, The Up Center continues to meet the region’s most pressing needs with compassion and innovation.

This year’s highlights included:

1,015 individuals received housing and financial counseling, with 96% of families avoiding eviction or foreclosure and over $88,000 in debt reduced.
413 children and parents participated in early childhood home visiting programs that strengthened parenting confidence and prepared children for school success.
251 children and teens were mentored through one-on-one and group programs that built confidence, social skills, and positive connections.
57 babies and children were supported through foster care services, ensuring safety, stability, and pathways to permanency.
92% of participants in financial programs improved their credit scores, building long-term economic stability.
Over 2,339 individuals received mental health and recovery services, helping clients manage anxiety, depression, and substance use while improving daily functioning and wellbeing.
1,115 veterans and military family members were supported through specialized counseling and connection to resources that promote resilience and healing.

The meeting closed with gratitude and optimism, celebrating the collective effort of staff, donors, and partners who make the agency’s mission possible. Together, they continue to look up—building stronger families, healthier communities, and a brighter future for Hampton Roads.

For more than 140 years, The Up Center has been a source of hope and stability for Hampton Roads families—offering counseling, foster care and adoption, housing and financial services, early childhood development, and programs that support individuals with disabilities and mental health challenges.