Easterseals PORT Health

We serve more than 20,000 individuals and their families annually and last year delivered more than 3.3 million hours of quality supports and services to individuals and families throughout North Carolina and in most areas of Virginia.  We offer supports to individuals and families managing a broad range of disabilities, including cerebral palsy, autism, spina bifida, intellectual disabilities, muscular dystrophy, stroke, spinal cord injuries, head injuries, hearing and visual impairments and mental health diagnoses.

Our mission is to create opportunities, promote individual choice, and change the lives of children and adults with disabilities by maximizing their individual potential to live, learn and work in their communities. In pursuit of that mission, four core values guide our efforts: Integrity, Respect, Responsibility and Innovation. By utilizing these core values in all we do, we are assured that the personal outcomes of those we serve stay at the forefront of our daily activities.

For those we serve, Personal Outcomes are the major expectations that individuals have in their lives and in the supports and services provided by Easter Seals UCP. For the Easter Seals UCP staff, Personal Outcomes are all about listening to the individuals and families we support, so that we have a clear understanding of individual life dreams, expectations, and passions. With this understanding comes a clear direction in service options as determined by those whose lives will be affected by what we do.

Welcome to Culinary Connections — where every meal is a chance to learn, grow, and belong.

In a warm, welcoming kitchen tucked in the heart of Virginia Beach, something beautiful is happening. It’s more than just the chopping of vegetables or the sizzle of a hot skillet. It’s laughter shared over recipes. Confidence built through learning new skills. And friendships formed while stirring a pot or setting the table.

This is Culinary Connections — a transformative space where food becomes the bridge between challenges and possibilities.

At Easterseals PORT Health, we believe the kitchen can be a powerful place of healing and hope. That’s why we created Culinary Connections, an immersive teaching experience for individuals with disabilities and mental health challenges. Here, students aren’t just learning culinary skills — they’re gaining independence, building confidence, and discovering a sense of community.

From teens in foster care to veterans and military-connected families, from adults living with intellectual or developmental disabilities to those navigating mental health journeys — our kitchen is open to all. Every session offers more than a lesson in cooking. It offers connection, purpose, and a place to belong.

We are proud to be a resource for the greater Hampton Roads community — and even prouder to see how far our students go when given the chance to thrive.

But we can’t do it alone.

Your gift helps us keep the kitchen open — and the doors of opportunity even wider.

With your support, we can provide classes, equipment, and ingredients for our students. We can welcome more people into a space where they are seen, supported, and celebrated. Together, we can use food — this universal language — to help people Cook. Nourish. Thrive.

Join us in writing more stories of hope, healing, and possibility — one meal at a time.