Virginia Beach program aims to “lift” people out of poverty and homelessness

developer red chalk | In the News

Virginia Beach, Va. – If you`ve walked along the boardwalk in Virginia Beach, you`ve more than likely seen them– images of poverty and homelessness.

According to the City of Virginia Beach, there are nearly 500 homeless people living in Virginia Beach but there are 30,000 living in poverty in the city. Most of those folks have no permanent place to call home.

That was John Viand just a few months ago.

“I didn’t care about myself for a long time. And when I don’t care about me, I don’t care about anyone else,” says John.

Heavy drinking had taken its toll. He lost a good paying job and that’s not all.

“I was devastated. I had already lost my family,” says John.

And before he knew it, he was living on the street.

But life was about to take an unexpected turn. He saw a flier for a program call Lift while he was staying at the Salvation Army.

Virginia Beach Fitness Studio owner Jim White started the Lift program three years ago and it’s helped 100 people go from helpless to hopeful.

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