It was minutes before the end of the business day on Jan. 8 when the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula (UJCVP) received a dire call from colleagues at the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond (JCFR).
Greater Richmond was on day three of a water shortage caused by a malfunction of the city’s reservoir system during the first winter storm of 2025. In the days after, hundreds of thousands of residents had their water cut off with surrounding counties like Henrico, Hanover and Goochland also feeling the effects.
Richmond had been without drinkable water for days. While repairs were making progress at the water treatment facilities, they were still days away from being able to guarantee safe water again. To make matters worse, another winter storm was on the horizon.
“When JCFR shared that they needed as much as we could get by the very next day, I knew we had a big project on our hands,” said UJCVP CEO Eric Maurer. “Despite not knowing exactly how we were going to pull it off, I knew that our community would rise to the occasion. We have seen it time and again; when there is a need, we step up.”

Two communities divvied up responsibility with the UJCVP committing to organize water collection and transportation, while the JCFR would create a plan to distribute to the Jewish community and beyond. The goal was to prioritize at-risk populations, including the elderly, homebound, and both Jewish and non-Jewish families and organizations, especially in the hardest-hit east end.
Within the hour, mobilization was already underway. A call went out to the Virginia Peninsula community asking everyone to go to stores, purchase water and bring it to the UJCVP campus. The UJC also set up an online donation system for those who couldn’t buy water themselves but wanted to contribute.
“It was heartwarming to see people come together, and even more so when I went out to buy water myself,” said Maurer. “I found the shelves close to empty; many people from Richmond had already made the journey to our area in search of water. It was clear this was a larger issue than we had realized, but we were determined to do what we could.”
The UJCVP reached out to corporate stores to try and buy water in bulk, but the response was largely unfruitful. Then, a call came at 10 p.m. from a store supervisor who had been inspired by the initiative and wanted to help. She was able to secure two pallets of water.

By the early morning hours of Thursday, the UJCVP campus became a hub for water collection. People came together—some brought water, others donated money to purchase it, and volunteers drove from different areas to help. Interfaith partners also joined the effort.
“One person dropped off just a single case of water and apologized for not being able to do more,” said Maurer. “I showed her the huge pile we had already collected and said, ‘Look at how one case at a time adds up.’ In that moment, I was reminded of the immense power of community—when we all do our part, even in small ways, we can accomplish something truly remarkable.”
As the day went on, volunteer drivers arrived with their own vehicles and rented flatbed trucks. They loaded up and began organizing caravans to transport the water to Richmond, more than an hour’s drive away. As the caravans arrived in Richmond, a team of volunteers was waiting to start the distribution process.
“Within hours, we had been in touch with Richmond and Henrico Emergency Management, our interfaith partners and each of our community agencies to determine the needs,” said JCFR CEO Daniel Staffenberg. “Twelve hours later, thousands of gallons and bottles of water were being distributed.”
Water was distributed to the Jewish Family Services, RTA-Richmond Hebrew Day School, Congregation Beth Ahabah, the Weinstein JCC, Temple Beth El, Keneseth Beth Israel, Jewish life at VCU, RVA Community Fridges and Hillel at Virginia Commonwealth University.
But the distribution didn’t stop with the Jewish community. Richmond and Henrico County’s broader community needed support, too. A 26-foot U-Haul was packed front to back with water—so much water that the wheels could not have taken another pound of weight. With help from city officials, eight pallets of water were distributed to Richmond and Henrico County’s emergency services. The journey was slow and steady, but it was worth every minute. When the truck arrived, it was unloaded directly into ambulances and city vehicles. In Henrico, the water was added to the distribution pile, where lines of cars had gathered to receive the donations.
“This week, I have been humbled by so many organizations that stepped up when we were dealing with the Richmond water crisis,” said John Vithoulkis, Henrico County manager. “As we were running low on water on that last day, the Jewish Federation called and offered bottled water and that helped us get to the finish line with water distribution efforts. I will never forget this act of kindness.”
“Overnight, our two communities had collected and distributed thousands of gallons of water to support Richmond in their time of need,” noted Staffenberg. “We often talk about the power of our Federation system. This was one of those moments where the best of us shone through.”

