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The Background

Monday, January 6th, 2025 the city of Richmond began experiencing a water crisis due to power outages and water system failures. As such, Richmond, Hanover, Henrico, and Goochland were issued a water boil advisory, and suffered from little-to-no water pressure. We worked with Sentara to plan and execute a free bottled water distribution at the Community Care Center in just under 16 hours. 

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Through community partnership and perseverance, we were able to partner with Sentara Health and spread the word via social media, a radio interview with Clovia Lawrence, and community stakeholders. While the circumstances that led to this event were unfortunate, our team, Sentara, and our community partners worked diligently to distribute over 1,500 bottles of water, as well as giving out Feed More boxes to nearly 100 families. 

Project Type

Event Management
Digital Ad Campaign
Grassroots Marketing & PR 
Copywriting
Photography 
Organic Social Media Campaign

 

The event held at the Community Care Center was made easier by our volunteers, who worked alongside Newviews Connect's and Sentara's team to ensure efficiency as we aimed to help as many people as possible. Clovia Lawrence, a broadcast journalist with over 25 years of experience increased our reach by featuring our event on her radio show, and volunteering during the event. By leveraging our community partnerships we were able to increase the reach of our social media campaign, increasing the number of families we were able to help. 

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The Goals:
Serve the Community. 
Provide Relief Support.
Connect.

Our Process:

Only two days into the escalating water crisis, our team acted swiftly to organize and execute an event that could help make a difference. In an impressive turnaround time of less than 16 hours, we managed to move from initial concept to full marketing distribution, a feat made possible by the seamless collaboration within the Newviews Connects team. The quick pace required a unified effort where each team member’s expertise was leveraged to its fullest. Our strategy was guided by the need to reflect and address the community's concerns, which led us to choose graphics that were simple, direct, and visually compelling. By focusing on clarity and relevance, we created materials that were not only eye-catching but also deeply connected to the needs of those affected by the crisis. The success of this project was a result of our team's adaptability, creativity, and dedication, ensuring that we could provide crucial support during a time of urgent need.

By The Numbers

In under 16 hours

Our team worked through the night to develop a strategic marketing and outreach plan, in this time period we were able to:

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  • Develop and distribute branded marketing materials

    • Reaching over 24.8k people digitally on our social media pages in one night

    • Our Content was shared over 390 times across platforms

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  • Distribute 1,500+ Water Bottles

    • Making that over 185.7 gallons of water distributed!

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  • Handing out more than 50 Feed More boxes, feeding families all across the city!

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The Impact of Social Media

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Our primary objective in responding to this crisis was to deliver immediate relief to those most in need, ensuring that essential resources and information were readily accessible during a time of uncertainty.

 

To achieve this, we leveraged the Newviews Connects social media platforms to share real-time updates, promote available resources, and amplify calls to action.

 

Through a series of thoughtfully crafted posts and updates, we kept our community informed, engaged, and connected, emphasizing transparency and responsiveness every step of the way.

We continued to provide community updates, following the situation closely. Social media served as a key tool in driving engagement and spreading awareness, enabling us to quickly disseminate reliable information to those in need. Through regular posts, live updates, and interactive content, we ensured the community stayed informed and connected. By prioritizing transparency and accessibility, we built trust and empowered individuals to make informed decisions during a challenging time.

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Leveraging
Community Partnerships

The city of Richmond suffered through this crisis together, as such we depended on each other to share resources and knowledge. Our goal was to use our platform to compile and share information, resources, and updates for the community as quickly and as accurately as possible. In doing so, we turned Newviews Connects into a safe space for the community, delivering critical information during a troubling time. 

Organizations


We collaborated with a diverse array of local organizations that have established trust and communication channels within the community:
 

  • Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority: Distributed social media flyer across all platforms, including reposting of resources

  • Richmond Creative Counseling: helped disseminate information through their networks, enhancing our reach to diverse community groups.

  • WHO Counseling Services: Mental and social well-being psychiatry services helping at-risk communities, distributed flyers electronically to patients 

  • Hope’s Promises Crisis Mental Health Center and Hope Pharmacy: These health-focused entities provided vital support by informing their service users about the available resources.

  • Partnership for the Future, Henrico Police Athletic League, and Varina High School Basketball: These groups shared information with young people and their families, leveraging sports and educational networks for broader outreach.

  • Richmond and Henrico County School Social Work Services: Disseminated flyers across schools in Richmond and Henrico alerting teachers, students, and families. â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹

  • Urban One: A media company that broadcasted a short segment promoting the event the morning of.

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Elected Officials

Elected officials with strong community ties also championed our initiative, adding credibility and a broader reach:

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  • Ryan Young: Henrico School Board representative for the Fairfield District, furthered awareness within the school system

  • Rev. Supervisor Roscoe D. Cooper III : Was instrumental in facilitating city-level support and logistics.

  • Sen. Lamont Bageby: Reposted information, using his position to increase reach and engagement across our posts

  • Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling: Used her platform as a Virginia House delegate to increase awareness across Richmond and Virginia as a whole.  

  • ​Del. Rae Cousins: Also used her platform as a Virginia House delegate to increase awareness across Richmond and Virginia as a whole.  

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Our partnerships aimed to reflect the community we serve. By posting the graphics in both English and Spanish we increased the amount of community members we could serve with our distribution. Our partnerships were strategically chosen to optimize the spread of our graphics and serve their respective audiences. This broadened the impact we had, increasing awareness and strengthening our bond with our partners. 

Radio Play

To promote our water distribution event our CEO Tyrone Nelson Jr. joined Clovia Lawrence, "Community Clo," on RVA's Most Popular and Highly Rated Radio Station, KISS FM!

The interview highlighted event details, the mission to ensure clean water access, and the importance of community unity. The radio interview significantly increased awareness of the event, drawing attention from a broader audience across Richmond.

 

This collaboration showcased the power of local media in mobilizing the community and reinforcing our commitment to meaningful impact.

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Listen Here

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Clovia Lawrence and Tyrone Nelson Jr. for Radio one
00:00 / 02:22

Reflecting on Success
and Looking Forward

The success of our bottled water distribution was made possible by our team, partners, volunteers, Sentara, and of course the community. By rallying together, we were able to support each other through a troubling time in the Richmond Community. Providing those who visited the Community Care Center with relief during this crisis in the from of clean water, and food. We were able to distribute over 1,500 bottles of water, alongside almost 100 Feed More boxes to the community in just a few hours. Our team sprung into action, making this event a success in under 16 hours. 

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Future Endeavors

 

While we hope that Richmond doesn't suffer another crisis such as this, we look forward to producing more impactful programming with the goal of supporting the community. Our work won't stop here, as we look forward to more events and programming in the new year. By leveraging partnerships, fostering engagement, and listening to the community’s needs, we aim to create lasting change. Whether it’s through addressing urgent challenges or celebrating local strengths, NewViews Connects remains focused on building a stronger, more connected Richmond.

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